New Orleans, Aug 9 (IANS) Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans, the southern US city famed for its nonstop nightlife, vibrant music, and spicy cuisine, is launching a series of tributes, workshops, and acts of service as an anniversary commemoration. The 2005 disaster left more than 1,800 dead.”Today is really an opportunity to hit the reset button to reignite our community in unity that will take us 20 years from now, empowered to move forward for the next 20,” New Orle…

Patna, Aug 9 (IANS) On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan and Bihar Vriksha Suraksha Diwas, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday tied a protective thread to a tree and planted a sapling at Rajdhani Vatika in Patna. Greeting the people of Bihar and the country, CM Nitish described Raksha Bandhan as a festival of love and affection between brothers and sisters.He recalled that Bihar Vriksha Suraksha Diwas, launched on August 13, 2012, aims to raise awareness about environmental protection, encourag…

Alappuzha, Aug 9 (IANS) The Kerala Government on Saturday announced a comprehensive programme to detect and prevent abuse and violence against children, both at home and in society. State Education Minister V. Sivankutty said the initiative, titled Suraksha Mithram, is being rolled out by the Department of Public Education with the cooperation of multiple state departments.”This is going to be one of the most essential training programmes of our time and will be done in a scientific manner,” sai…

Kolkata, Aug 9 (IANS) Confusion is brewing within the West Bengal Congress over its potential alliance or seat-sharing strategy for the 2026 assembly elections, amid clear signs that the party’s central leadership — including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi — is drawing closer to the Trinamool Congress (TMC).The confusion deepened further after Rahul Gandhi met one-on-one with Trinamool Congress General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, earlier this week, where Banerjee re…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of “threatening constitutionally-mandated bodies” and “spreading lies” about the Election Commission of India (ECI) in a manner detrimental to Indian democracy.Addressing a Press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Bhatia said, “The image Rahul Gandhi has built over the last decade is one of an anarchis…

Chennai, Aug 9 (IANS) The Pattali Makkal Katchi’s (PMK) general council meeting began here on Saturday under the chairmanship of party president Anbumani Ramadoss, overshadowed by the ongoing public rift between him and his father, party founder S. Ramadoss. In a striking gesture, an empty chair was placed at the centre of the stage to symbolically acknowledge the founder’s position in the party, despite his absence.Dr. Ramadoss has recently declared himself the party’s president, challenging An…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Saturday launched a sharp attack on former Samajwadi Party MP ST Hasan for his controversial remarks following the devastating cloudburst in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. Poonawalla accused Hasan of insulting the people of ‘Devbhoomi’ and warned that such comments would not go unanswered.Speaking to IANS, Poonawalla said, “The low-level mentality of the Samajwadi Party is on full display. At a time when people are grieving a tr…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday celebrated Raksha Bandhan with children and students from various schools and organisations at Rashtrapati Bhavan, spreading joy and warmth on the festive occasion. Taking to social media platform X, the President’s office shared glimpses of the celebrations with a caption and said, “President Droupadi Murmu celebrated Raksha Bandhan with children and students of various schools and organisations at Rashtrapati Bhavan.”In the heartwarm…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Rescue and relief operations under ‘Operation Dharali’ are in full swing in the flood and landslide-affected regions of Dharali and Harsil in Uttarkashi district, with 816 civilians rescued so far. The multi-agency effort involves the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), working round-the-clock to evacuate stranded people and restore essential connectivity.Officials said that whi…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Kakori Rail Conspiracy, recalling the courage, sacrifice, and vision of the revolutionaries who carried out one of the most daring acts of the Indian freedom movement.In a post on X, the Prime Minister said: “On this day, a hundred years ago, the courage shown by patriotic Indians at Kakori highlighted the resentment among people against co…