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Gujarat Swears In 26 Ministers, Sanghavi as Deputy CM

2025-10-17T07:55:12Z

Gandhinagar, October 17: Governor Acharya Devvrat swore in 26 ministers on Thursday, completing a wholesale overhaul of Gujarat’s council of ministers and elevating former home minister Harsh Sanghavi to Deputy Chief Minister.

The mass induction at Mahatma Mandir brings the cabinet to its full sanctioned strength of 27, one day after the entire previous ministry resigned. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who retains the top post, watched as Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J. P. Nadda looked on from the front row.

Sanghavi, 40, the MLA from Majura in Surat and a close Shah protégé, becomes the youngest deputy chief minister the state has appointed. First-time minister Rivaba Jadeja—BJP legislator and wife of India cricketer Ravindra Jadeja—was among the 24 new faces, alongside Trikam Chhanga, Swaroopji Thakor, Praveen Mali, Rushikesh Patel, paediatrician Dr Pradyumn Vaja and eight others.

Six outgoing ministers return in the new line-up, while four who kept their departments were not required to retake oath. Portfolios will be assigned later, officials said.

“Ever since C. R. Patil was moved out as state president, a reshuffle was expected,” political analyst Anil Pathak said. “With civic polls due and the 2027 assembly election on the horizon, the BJP wants a reset. Elevating Sanghavi signals an outreach to the Patidar belt of Saurashtra.”

A senior party functionary described the resignations as “a deliberate move to give the chief minister a free hand for a strategic reset.”

The expanded ministry is expected to be in campaign mode immediately: elections to six municipal corporations and more than 40 district and taluka panchayats are scheduled for early 2026, setting the tone for the state polls two years later.

Indian Mountaineer from Hooghly Scales Manaslu, Seeks Guinness Record

2025-10-07T07:17:05Z

A young climber from West Bengal’s Hooghly district has reached the summit of 8,163-metre Manaslu, the world’s eighth-highest mountain, becoming one of only a handful of Indians to stand on the Nepalese peak notorious for its avalanche-prone slopes and fierce weather.

The ascent, completed in recent weeks, was confirmed by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, which declined to name the climber or give the exact summit date. Officials said only that he was part of a small expedition that successfully negotiated Manaslu’s steep final ridge above 7,900 m.

“He is now preparing the documentation to approach Guinness World Records,”

a member of his support team said, without specifying the record category under consideration. The West Bengal tourism department acknowledged the feat but offered no further details.

Attempts to obtain verification from Guinness World Records were unsuccessful. The climber’s team said he is already planning his next Himalayan objective.

Foster Poultry Farms recalls 3.8M pounds of chicken corn dogs

2025-10-06T09:48:57Z

Foster Poultry Farms has pulled roughly 3.8 million pounds of chicken corn dog products from the market after consumers reported finding pieces of wood embedded in the batter, according to a recall notice issued October 4.

The items—all produced at the company’s Livingston, California, plant between July 30, 2024, and August 4, 2025—were shipped nationwide to retail stores, institutions, Defense Department facilities and USDA commodity distribution sites. Each package carries establishment number P-6137B inside the USDA inspection mark and was sold under names including “Chicken Corn Dogs Batter Wrapped Chicken Frankfurters on a Stick.”

At least five injuries linked to the contamination have been reported, prompting Foster to initiate the voluntary recall in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Regulators urge consumers to discard or return any affected product. Effectiveness checks are under way, and questions may be directed to Foster Farms Consumer Affairs at 1-800-255-7227 or the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854.

Mamata blames DVC for north Bengal floods ahead of visit

2025-10-06T08:51:04Z

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has branded the current flooding across north Bengal “man-made,” accusing the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) of opening dam gates without warning to shield neighbouring Jharkhand.

Speaking on Monday, October 6, 2025, ahead of an aerial survey of submerged areas, Banerjee said the state was given no time to prepare when the DVC began releasing surplus reservoir water during the weekend’s torrential rain. The discharge, she argued, amplified river levels that were already rising from cloudbursts along the Himalayan foothills.

“We requested Bhutan to release water slowly; Nagrakata, Mirik worst affected,”

Banerjee told reporters, confirming that the state government has also appealed to authorities upstream in Bhutan to moderate outflows from cross-border tributaries.

The districts of Nagrakata, Mirik and Kalimpong are among the hardest hit, with landslides cutting the road to Kalimpong and thousands of low-lying homes still under water. Relief teams have deployed motorboats and temporary shelters, though continuous rain is hampering access.

The DVC, governed by the Union Ministry of Power, operates a string of dams straddling Jharkhand and West Bengal. No official comment on Banerjee’s allegations was available at press time.

The chief minister’s tour is expected to run through Tuesday as officials tally crop losses and begin distributing emergency rations. The state disaster management department has put the preliminary damage estimate at “several hundred crores,” but a full assessment awaits receding waters.

Bitcoin Hits All-Time High of $125,689 on October 5

2025-10-06T04:01:32Z

Bitcoin punched to an all-time high of $125,689 in Asian trade on October 5, lifting its total market value above $2.5 trillion and vaulting past Amazon to become the world’s seventh-most-valuable asset.

The new peak eclipsed the prior record of $124,514 set on August 14 and came three days after a partial U.S. government shutdown began. Traders cited a classic flight-from-dollar trade, steady inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs, and routine month-end institutional buying. October has historically delivered outsized gains for the token, a pattern enthusiasts label “Uptober.”

The shutdown matters this time around.

JPMorgan raised its year-end target to $165,000, while Standard Chartered’s Geoff Kendrick expects $135,000 in short order and $200,000 before 2026. Bitcoin hovered near $125,000 in the following session; regulators have not yet commented.

7 IPOs Including Tata Capital, LG to Raise Over Rs 28,500 Crore Next Week

2025-10-06T03:47:50Z

Mumbai’s primary market is set for its busiest week of 2025 as seven companies line up to raise a combined ₹28,500 crore, beginning with the Tata Capital offer that opened on Monday.

Tata Capital is seeking ₹15,512 crore through a three-day sale closing on 8 October, priced at ₹310–326 a share. The much larger LG Electronics India issue, worth ₹11,607 crore, will run from 7 October to 9 October at ₹1,080–1,140 a share. Also on the calendar are Rubicon Research, Anantam Highways InvIT, Mittal Sections, Om Freight Forwarders and WeWork India Management.

Early grey-market signals suggest modest listing pops for most of the pack: Tata Capital was quoted at a ₹7.5 premium on Monday morning, a 2 per cent cushion to the top-end price, while LG Electronics India commanded a ₹175 premium, implying a 15 per cent first-day gain.

Share allotment for Tata Capital is slated for 9 October, with trading to commence on 13 October. Final subscription numbers were still being compiled.

Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-1 to stay top of Premier League table

2025-10-05T02:58:11Z

Liverpool defeated Chelsea 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday to remain at the top of the English Premier League table.

The match, played at 4:30 p.m. local time (1530 GMT), saw Liverpool extend their unbeaten league run to eight matches.

Liverpool opened the scoring in the 23rd minute through Mohamed Salah, who converted a penalty after Chelsea’s Levi Colwill was judged to have handled the ball. Chelsea equalized in the 48th minute via a strike from midfielder Moisés Caicedo.

Liverpool secured the win in the 74th minute when substitute Curtis Jones finished a rebound after Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez parried a Darwin Núñez header.

“We knew it would be tough, but the players showed great character,” Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp told BBC Sport.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said, “We competed well, but we need to be more clinical in both boxes,” according to Sky Sports.

The result leaves Liverpool on 21 points from eight matches, two ahead of second-placed Manchester City. Chelsea remain in sixth place with 14 points.

The Premier League continues next weekend. Liverpool travel to Brighton on Saturday, while Chelsea host Newcastle United on Sunday.

Rohit Sharma to lead India in five-match ODI series in Australia

2025-10-05T02:51:43Z

Mumbai, 5 Oct — The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday named Rohit Sharma as captain of a 16-member squad for the five-match ODI series against Australia starting 12 February 2025.

Selection committee chair Ajit Agarkar confirmed the group after a meeting in Mumbai, ending weeks of speculation over the ODI leadership. Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah were also included.

“The series forms part of the 2025-27 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League cycle,” Agarkar said in a BCCI release. “We have maintained a core group that has performed consistently in bilateral and ICC events.”

The full squad:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar.

Australia will host the matches at the MCG (12 Feb), SCG (15 Feb), Adelaide Oval (18 Feb), Perth Stadium (21 Feb) and the Gabba (24 Feb). The itinerary was released by Cricket Australia on 30 September.

No replacement for injured opener Ruturaj Gaikwad was named Sunday; the BCCI said the stand-by list would be updated “if required”.

The Indian team assembles in Melbourne on 7 February for a three-day training camp, according to the board.

India Shreds Pak at UN: “Stop Minority Torture, Then Preach”

2025-10-02T06:10:24Z

India’s envoy at the UN Human Rights Council turned the spotlight on Pakistan Wednesday, telling the chamber that a state which hounds its own minorities has no place giving sermons on rights.
“Look homeward first,” diplomat Mohammed Hussain said in Geneva, urging Islamabad to end forced conversions, blasphemy jailings and disappearances instead of “exporting fairy-tales” about others.

The reprimand came hours after fresh bloodshed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Residents of Tirah Valley insist jet shells flattened five homes, killing 24 civilians—ten of them children—while officials blame an ammo dump blast.
Video grief poured out of the tribal belt: MP Mohammad Iqbal Afridi wept on camera, Pashtun elders said 4 000 of their people remain missing, and mourners asked why state guns answer every protest.

Independent monitors stacked up the numbers.
- 785 Baloch lifted in six months, 121 found dead.
- 700 behind bars for “blasphemy”—triple last year’s tally.
- Press freedom rank: 158 out of 180.

Nasir Aziz Khan, voice of the United Kashmir People’s National Party, told delegates that Rangers have sealed PoJK roads and silenced phones to smother a peaceful resource-rights march.
UN experts last month warned Pakistan to halt extra-judicial hits on Ahmadis, Shi’as and Hindu graves.

Hussain closed India’s statement with a single line: “Clean your own courtyard; the world can smell it from here.”

India Marks 156th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

2025-10-01T20:28:22Z

NEW DELHI — India observed Gandhi Jayanti on Thursday, marking the 156th birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the leader of the country's independence movement.

Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat, and developed principles of non-violence and truth that guided India's struggle against British rule until independence in 1947. The United Nations designated October 2 as the International Day of Non-Violence in 2007 to honor his legacy.

The day is one of three national holidays in India, alongside Republic Day and Independence Day, and involves prayer services, commemorative ceremonies and tributes at locations across the country. In New Delhi, the President, Prime Minister and other dignitaries paid respects at Raj Ghat, Gandhi's memorial site. Schools and institutions held cultural programs, including bhajan recitals, debates and film screenings on Gandhi's life.

A statement from the Press Information Bureau noted that October 2 reflects national pride in Gandhi's ideals of peace, service and compassion, which continue to guide global efforts for harmony. During the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Gandhi as "the beacon of peace, service, compassion and non-violence" after visiting Raj Ghat.

Celebrations also included public campaigns on cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat initiative and promotion of khadi products, aligning with Gandhi's emphasis on self-reliance. Globally, events took place in countries including the United States, Belgium and Thailand, featuring memorials and cultural gatherings.

No further official events were announced at the time of reporting.

Fact Check: Full Video Shows Wangchuk Advocated Peace, Not Violence

2025-10-01T01:39:41Z

NEW DELHI, Oct 1 (AP) —
A widely circulated clip claiming Sonam Wangchuk called for “Nepal- and Bangladesh-style” violent uprisings omits key portions of his speech, in which he advocates peaceful methods.

Sonam Wangchuk went from From Revolutionary to a Terrorist for Godi Media

All it took was on protest against their daddy.

2018. 2025 pic.twitter.com/ILMp7HHy7x
— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) September 27, 2025

In the full version of the speech (on YouTube via Ladakh People’s Voice), Wangchuk referenced reforms in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, but qualified his remarks by rejecting stone-pelting, arson or violence and urging a “peaceful revolution.” Newschecker

The viral claim asserts that he asked people to replicate those countries’ political unrest in Ladakh. That is misleading: multiple fact check outlets state Wangchuk emphasized nonviolence and framed his remarks as conditional on citizen action, not as instructions for violent protest. Newschecker

Separately, a video alleging the Ladakh DGP admitted Wangchuk was arrested “without evidence” at direction of the Defence Minister has been flagged by government fact-checkers as digitally altered. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) says the DGP made no such statement. Hindustan Times

Another past claim circulated that Wangchuk voiced support for a plebiscite in Kashmir; fact-checkers found the viral clip was a selective extract of a longer interview and omitted clarifications. PTI News

No evidence was found that Wangchuk, in full context, endorsed violence or issued incitements for unrest.

Media outlets edit Sonam Wangchuk video, then label him “traitor”

2025-10-01T01:31:05Z

NEW DELHI, Oct 1 (AP/Reuters) —
A video circulated online shows activist Sonam Wangchuk urging people not to resort to violence, but certain media outlets reportedly aired an edited version of it and labeled him a "traitor."

Same old pattern of Godi media to label Sonam Wangchuk as a traitor.

In this video, it is clear that he was appealing to people not to use violence like in Nepal and Bangladesh.

But Godi media, on behalf of the BJP, played an edited version to run propaganda. pic.twitter.com/YOLMdFhB03
— Saral Patel (@SaralPatel) September 30, 2025

The unedited video, shared by user Saral Patel on X, shows Wangchuk making a public appeal against using violence, referencing unrest in Nepal and Bangladesh. X (formerly Twitter) However, media aligned with the ruling party ran a shortened or altered clip that left out parts of that message and added editorial commentary. X (formerly Twitter)+1

Wangchuk, a vocal advocate for constitutional safeguards in Ladakh, was arrested on September 26 amid protests over demands for statehood and local rights. Reuters His wife, Gitanjali Angmo, issued a statement calling the portrayal of him as anti-national “baseless” and part of a politically driven campaign. The Times of India

No response was available from the media outlets accused of broadcasting the altered footage at the time of reporting.

Observers and supporters say the incident fits a pattern in which dissenting voices are recast through selective editing. Analysts have called for independent verification of full video footage and media accountability.

Authorities have not commented on whether any legal action would be taken over the edited broadcasts.

Ladakh Activist Sonam Wangchuk Detained Under NSA Amid Treason Claims

2025-10-01T01:16:48Z

LEH, India (AP) -- Climate activist and engineer Sonam Wangchuk was arrested under the National Security Act on September 25, 2025, in Leh, Ladakh, after protests over unfulfilled autonomy demands turned violent, with authorities alleging treasonous links.

The detention followed clashes that killed four protesters and injured dozens, including the burning of a local Bharatiya Janata Party office. According to The Sunday Guardian, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the arrest as a "persistent betrayal" of Ladakhi aspirations for Sixth Schedule protections, promised by the BJP in 2019 but not implemented.

Wangchuk, 58, had led peaceful fasts since March 2024 demanding statehood or constitutional safeguards for Ladakh's environment and culture after its bifurcation from Jammu and Kashmir. Protests escalated on September 24 when demonstrators marched on Leh's administration complex. Ladakh police chief S.D. Singh stated Wangchuk had attended a 2019 event in Pakistan hosted by the Dawn newspaper, prompting a probe into possible foreign agent ties, per Bolta Hindustan.

In a video circulated on social media, Wangchuk urged restraint, saying, "Do not resort to violence as seen in Nepal and Bangladesh," according to X user Saral Patel. Supporters claimed media outlets aired edited clips to portray him as inciting unrest. Rahul Gandhi, opposition leader, demanded a judicial probe into the deaths, accusing the government of "intimidation" via Instagram.

The Ladakh Students' Association protested the labeling in Delhi on September 29, with member Tashi Lhamo stating, "Calling him a traitor is absurd," as reported by Instagram. No charges were formally filed as of October 1, and Wangchuk remained in custody without bail under NSA provisions allowing detention up to two years.

Wangchuk referenced Nepal's recent youth-led unrest, where Gen Z protests over a social media ban and corruption toppled Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's government on September 10, 2025, after clashes killed at least 22, per CNN. Leh organizers denied direct inspiration but cited shared frustrations with governance. A government spokesperson said further investigations were ongoing; no official confirmation on release timelines was available at the time of reporting.

The Home Ministry has scheduled talks with Ladakh leaders on October 5 to address demands.

Zoho's Arattai app tops India charts after 100x user surge

2025-09-30T09:26:38Z

Bengaluru, India (AP) -- Zoho Corp's Arattai messaging app reached the top of India's app store rankings on Monday after daily sign-ups increased 100-fold to 350,000 in three days.

The Chennai-based software firm reported the surge on social media platform X, attributing it to user demand for local alternatives to global messaging services. Arattai, which means "chat" in Tamil, topped the social networking category on Apple's App Store and entered the top 100 on Google Play.

Arattai launched in January 2021 as a cross-platform instant messaging service with features including text and voice notes, audio and video calls, media sharing, groups and channels. The app stores user data in India and provides end-to-end encryption for calls, though message encryption remains in development, according to Zoho.

Zoho co-founder and chief scientist Sridhar Vembu said on X that the company faced a 100-fold traffic increase from 3,000 daily sign-ups and was adding infrastructure on an emergency basis to handle potential further growth. "We have all-hands-on-deck working flat out," Vembu wrote.

Vembu added that Arattai would avoid creating a monopoly like some competitors and plans to collaborate with iSpirt, the think tank behind India's Unified Payments Interface, to standardize messaging protocols for interoperability. "These systems need to be interoperable like UPI and email, and not closed like WhatsApp today. We do not want to be a monopoly ever," he said.

Zoho’s #Arattai app explodes in India! Daily sign-ups jump from 3,000 → 350,000 in 3 days 📈Endorsed by Dharmendra Pradhan & Ashwini Vaishnaw, this Made-in-India messaging app aims to boost digital self-reliance #SwadeshiTech #DigitalIndia #Zoho pic.twitter.com/sqZltw505T
— Value Assignment Help (@vassignmenthelp) September 29, 2025

The app's rise followed endorsements from Indian government officials, including Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who on Sept. 25 called Arattai a "secure, user-friendly, and completely free" platform developed in India. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also highlighted Zoho products during a cabinet briefing last week.

Vembu emphasized the app's Indian development and data hosting in separate X posts, stating that Zoho operates its services on proprietary hardware and open-source software without reliance on global clouds like AWS or Azure for data storage. He described the project as "proudly made in India, made for the world," noting it would not have been feasible under public company pressures.

Zoho plans a major marketing campaign and feature rollout in November, though the surge arrived earlier than expected. The company reported temporary issues including delayed OTPs and slower contact sync due to server load, with fixes underway.

Vivo V60e 5G Specs, Price Leaked Before India Launch

2025-09-30T05:05:46Z

Vivo V60e 5G smartphone details emerge ahead of India launch

New Delhi - Specifications, features and pricing for the Vivo V60e 5G smartphone surfaced in online leaks on Monday, showing an expected launch in India next month.

The device will offer three variants: 8GB RAM with 128GB storage at 28,749 rupees, 8GB RAM with 256GB storage at 30,749 rupees, and 12GB RAM with 256GB storage at 32,749 rupees, according to a Flipkart listing shared by tipster Paras Guglani on X. All variants will carry an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

Vivo launched the related V60 5G model in India in August at a starting price of 36,999 rupees. The V60e 5G is positioned as a lower-priced option in the V series, with a design similar to the V60, the company said in a statement on its website. It will be available in Elite Purple and Noble Gold colors.

The smartphone will feature a 200-megapixel main camera with an 85mm telephoto lens, marking the first such sensor in its price segment, leaks indicated. It includes a 6.78-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and full-HD+ resolution, a MediaTek Dimensity processor, and a 6,500mAh battery. The device runs Funtouch OS based on Android 14 and supports 5G connectivity, Bluetooth 5.2 and USB Type-C.

Vivo officials did not respond to requests for comment on the leaks. The company has not announced an official launch date, though reports pointed to a debut in October.