Patna: At least 43 people, including 37 children, drowned and three others went missing while taking holy dips in rivers and ponds in separate incidents during the 'Jivitputrika' festival in Bihar, the state government said on Thursday.

The Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi has expressed strong disapproval of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who they referred to as the ‘last hope of Indian democracy,’ for allegedly emerging as a brand ambassador of unregulated and illegal tourism in Wayanad. The committee accused Gandhi, along with Minister P.A. Mohammad Riaz and MLA T. Siddique, of promoting tourism projects that are causing severe environmental damage and undermining the livelihoods of farmers and tribals in the district.

Mallikarjun Kharge, National President of the Indian National Congress and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, criticised the Modi government's "Make in India" initiative, stating it has negatively impacted the country's manufacturing sector over the past decade. He emphasised that the average growth rate of the manufacturing sector from 2014-15 to 2023-24 is only 3.1%, in contrast to 7.85% during the Congress-UPA regime from 2004-05 to 2013-14.

Journalist Ravish Kumar has recently criticized mainstream media outlets for their coverage of Kashmir, particularly during the ongoing elections in the region. In a post on X, Kumar targeted what is commonly referred to as 'Godi Media'—a term used in India to describe news channels that are perceived as being overly supportive of the ruling BJP government. He expressed concern that these outlets are more focused on promoting party narratives than addressing the real issues faced by the people of Kashmir.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has appointed Karnataka Milk Federation's Nandini as the exclusive supplier of ghee for the preparation of the famous Tirupati laddus. This decision comes amidst allegations concerning the use of substandard ingredients and animal fat in the laddu preparation.

Mukti Ranjan Roy, the main suspect in the murder of a woman named Mahalakshmi, was found dead in Odisha’s Bhadrak district. His body was discovered hanging, and a case of suicide has been registered at Dushuri Police Station, according to the authorities.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah credited AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal for his political success in the 2018 assembly elections. Speaking at the Aryadan Mohammad Memorial Award Ceremony organized by the Aryadan Mohammad Memorial Committee in Nilambur, he described Venugopal as a politically astute leader whose advice helped him secure victory.

A Mumbai court on Thursday sentenced Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut to 15 days simple imprisonment in a defamation complaint filed against him by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya's wife Medha Somaiya.