Explained: Why Have Temperatures Reached Record Highs In India?

Several parts of India grappled with unusually high temperatures this week, forcing schools to close and hospitals to create special units to treat heat-related illnesses, while workers on construction sites were given a "paid holiday" in the afternoon.

Here is a look at what caused the unprecedented heat in the country.

HOW UNUSUAL HAS THE SITUATION BEEN THIS YEAR?

While every year temperatures in India tend to peak in the months of May and June, the number of heatwave days recorded over northwestern and eastern parts of the country this season have been more than double the normal, with eastern India also experiencing its hottest April on record.

India declares a heatwave day when the maximum temperature in any given region is 4.5 -6.4 degrees Celsius higher than normal.

Parts of the country have touched new highs in terms of the maximum temperature, including Delhi, which recorded the country's highest ever temperature at 52.9 C (127.22 degree F) on Wednesday.

While this figure may be revised as officials are investigating whether it was caused by an error in the sensor, two areas in Delhi also recorded 49.9 C a day earlier - an all-time high for the city.

In northern Haryana state, which surrounds Delhi from three sides, the Rohtak region recorded its highest-ever temperature on Friday at 47.5 C.

WHY HAVE TEMPERATURES RISEN THIS SEASON?

Scientists from India's weather department said that while a rise in temperatures during May and June is normal, it is usually controlled by periodic western disturbances, which are weather systems originating in the Mediterranean Sea that bring moisture-laden winds.

These neutralise the impact of the hot, dry air coming from the direction of Pakistan and Afghanistan into northern India.

This year, however, there were more western disturbances between March and early May than usual, while their strength has reduced over the last "10-15 days", leaving the wind coming from neighbouring countries unchecked and causing temperatures to rise.

Global and India-based experts say such weather changes are being worsened by human-driven climate change.

WHY IS THE SITUATION IN DELHI PARTICULARLY BAD?

Surrounded by alluvial plains in the north and east, the Thar desert in the west, and the Aravalli hill ranges in the south, Delhi, with a population of about 20 million, is one of India's fastest-growing areas.

Officials and experts say apart from its location, the capital is also particularly vulnerable because of its large population, scattered vegetation, and increased construction in the last two decades, with the built-up area increasing from 31.4% in 2003 to more than 38% in 2022.

WHEN WILL THE HEAT ABATE?

According to the India Meteorological Department, the temperature in northwest, central, and east India will gradually decline over the next three days because of the impact of the approaching western disturbance, rainfall, and the southwesterly wind blowing from the Arabian Sea.

Monsoon rains reached the southernmost state of Kerala on Thursday, bringing relief to residents there.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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About Last Night: Anushka-Virat Jet Off To New York. See Viral Airport Pic

After wrapping up the Indian Premier League last week, Virat Kohli jetted off to New York for the T20 World Cup 2024. His travel partners were the usual suspects - actor-wife Anushka Sharma and their kids Vamika and Akaay. The family of four was spotted at the Mumbai airport. While Anushka didn't pose for the cameras, Virat stopped and posed for the lensmen stationed there. He also asked the shutterbugs not to capture the actress as she was with the kids. The cricketer sported a white T-shirt teamed with a beige shirt and denims. Anushka, on the other hand, was dressed in a black T-shirt and blue denims. In one of the viral pictures, Anushka and Virat are seen posing with the airport staff. Take a look.

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A post shared by ViratGang® Virat Kohli Fan Club (@viratgang)

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A post shared by Virat FP (@ft.viratclips)

Two days ago, Virat Kohli enjoyed a dinner date with his actor-wife Anushka Sharma, along with fellow cricketer Zaheer Khan, his actor-wife Sagarika Ghatge and cricket presenter Gaurav Kapur among others. Several photos and videos from their dinner date have been doing the rounds on social media. In one of the videos, Anushka and her friends are seen exiting an eatery. The actress was all smiles for the camera. She can be seen dressed in a white top layered with a matching shirt and faded blue denims. Virat, on the other hand, opted for a black shirt teamed with grey pants.

Virat kohli and Anushka sharma snapped with Gaurav kapoor, zaheer khan and Sagarika Ghatge for a dinner at Mumbai#viratkohli #anushkasharma pic.twitter.com/721e6UGxUB

— 𝙒𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙣 (@wrognxvirat) May 28, 2024

In another viral picture, Virat and Anushka are seen posing with the restaurant's staff.

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A post shared by Virushka, Vamika and Akaay (@anushka_and_virat_fanpage)

Earlier this month, Virat Kohli hosted a lavish birthday party for his actor-wife Anushka Sharma. Several unseen photos and videos from Anushka's 36th birthday have been doing the rounds on social media. The soirée was a dreamy pink affair. Among the myriads of beautiful elements were the pink-themed table arrangements, adorned with an array of delicate props and embellishments. From fairy lights to pearl-adorned plates, candles, and photo frames with floral imprints, every detail spoke of sophistication and finesse.

For the unversed, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma got married on December 11, 2017. They are parents to two children - Vamika and Akaay.

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Mercedes That Killed 2 Returned To Owner, Victim's Family Slams Cops

A speeding Mercedes C200 that killed two men on a two-wheeler in Nagpur on February 25 has been returned to the owner even as the investigation into the case is still open.

The car, being driven by a woman - identified as Ritika Maloo, collided with the side wall of the Ram Jhula bridge in the city before crashing into the two-wheeler and killing the rider and the pillion - Mohd Hussain Mustafa and Mohd Ateef Ziya.

Now, NDTV Marathi has traced the black Mercedes C200 parked on the road under a tow sign while the police are yet to arrest the woman accused of drunk driving, three months after the accident.

Mohammad Atiq, Mohd Ateef Ziya's brother, accompanied the NDTV team to where the car was parked and identified it as the one that killed his brother and another man. "The police were more concerned about returning the car that killed my brother instead of arresting the driver Ritika Maloo and her friend Madhuri Sarda. It is not okay, sir," he said.

"My family is still reeling under the shock of my brother's death three months ago. They are still grieving and with this, their wounds have once again been laid bare," he said.

According to media reports, Ms Maloo and her friend Ms Sarda were returning home from a club in the night when the accident happened. The two women fled the spot and the two men were rushed to the Mayo Hospital for treatment where they died.

The police scanned CCTV footage from the club and recovered the liquor bills as evidence.

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16 Die Of Heat-Related Causes In Two Hours In Bihar hospital

As many as 16 people died due to heat-related causes in just two hours in the district hospital in Bihar's Aurangabad on Thursday. The maximum temperature in the city was 44 degrees Celsius on Thursday and, at 48.2 degrees, it was the hottest place in Bihar on Wednesday, setting a record for the state. 

Visuals showed family members of the dead crying at the hospital. A doctor said at least 35 more patients have been admitted because of heat-related causes, but added that all arrangements are in place. 

"We have enough doctors, medicines and ice packs, and more coolers have also been arranged," he said. 
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Nikki Haley Writes "Finish Them" On Israeli Bombs Days After Rafah Strike

Former US presidential hopeful Nikki Haley has been photographed writing "Finish Them" on an Israeli shell as she toured sites near the northern border with Lebanon.

The photograph was posted on X on Tuesday by Danny Danon, a member of the Israeli parliament and former ambassador to the United Nations, who was accompanying Haley on her visit.

"'Finish Them'. This is what my friend the former ambassador Nikki Haley wrote," Danon said in his post that showed a kneeling Haley writing on a shell with a purple marker pen.

Haley was a hawkish UN envoy under Donald Trump, and her term overlapped with Danon.

The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,189 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on the latest Israeli official figures.

Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,096 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry.

Haley, 52, abandoned her White House bid in March after heavy defeats in Republican primary contests to Trump, and last week said that she would vote for him in the election.

Trump has ruled her out of contention to be his vice president, but she is a potential presidential runner in 2028.

The White House said Tuesday that President Joe Biden has no plans to change his Israel policy following a deadly weekend strike on Rafah but that he is not turning a "blind eye" to the plight of Palestinian civilians.

 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Arvind Kejriwal's Prediction After Court Summons Atishi In Case By BJP

Atishi will be arrested next, said Arvind Kejriwal shortly after the Delhi Minister was summoned by a city court in connection with a defamation case filed by the BJP over her poaching claim.

The Delhi Minister has been asked to appear before the court on June 29. The case has been filed by BJP's Delhi media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor over allegations of 'poaching' AAP legislators.

"I had said earlier that they will arrest Atishi next. They are planning to do so now. Complete dictatorship. In completely flimsy, frivolous and false cases, they are arresting ALL leaders of AAP one by one. Every single opposition leader will be arrested if Modi ji comes back to power. AAP is not imp. Saving our dear country from dictatorship is imp," Chief Minister Kejriwal, who is out on interim bail, posted on X.

I had said earlier that they will arrest Atishi next. They are planning to do so now. Complete dictatorship. In completely flimsy, frivolous and false cases, they are arresting ALL leaders of AAP one by one. Every single opposition leader will be arrested if Modi ji comes back to… https://t.co/qDqV0wg03n

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 28, 2024

Earlier this year, Atishi had alleged that the BJP was attempting to "poach" party MLAs by offering Rs 25 crore each.

Bansuri Swaraj, BJP leader and candidate from the New Delhi constituency, said that AAP has an old habit of "shoot and scoot".

"They keep leveling false allegations and think that there will be no consequences. ACMM Rouse Avenue summoned Atishi ji on June 29 in the defamation case. She will now have to give clarification on her 27 Jan 2024 tweet and allegations leveled at BJP during a press conference on 2nd April in which she said that she got an offer to join BJP," she said.

Ms Swaraj further said that the AAP cannot make defamatory statements against BJP repeatedly and not be accountable.

"Atishi ji will now have to appear before the court to present her side," she added.

"On April 2, Delhi government minister Atishi gave a statement, saying that the BJP approached her to join the party through an individual who was personally close to her and that attempts were being made to break the party. After which, on the same day, the BJP gave a legal notice to Atishi to apologise. However, when she did not apologise, we filed a case of defamation in court," said Delhi BJP media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor.

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"Sketchy, Tainted": Court Condemns Probe In Murder Case Against Ram Rahim

Gurmeet Ram Rahim, chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, was acquitted in a 22-year-old murder case today, with the Punjab and Haryana High Court citing  lapses in investigation and lack of solid evidence against the accused.

The court also listed the areas in which investigation was "tainted and sketchy" -- including the weapon used for the murder, ballistic reports, post-mortem report, and polygraph test which did not bear out the prosecution claims in the murder of former sect manager Ranjit Singh.

Influenced by media glare, the investigating officer(s) "carried out a tainted and sketchy investigation into the crime," said the bench of Justices Sureshwar Thakur and Lalit Batra.

The case "is a stark portrayal of the necessity of Courts of law making an incisive and objective analyses of the evidence as exist on record," the judges said.

Ram Rahim is serving a 20-year-sentence for raping two of his disciples and has a 16-year-old murder case against him as well.

Ranjit Singh was killed allegedly for his suspected role in the circulation of an anonymous letter, which said how women were being sexually exploited by Ram Rahim at the Dera headquarters.

Ram Rahim, who was accused of conspiracy, and four others were convicted by a CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana, in October 2021 and given life imprisonment. He is currently in jail at Haryana's Rohtak.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim's conviction in 2017 in the rape cases sparked massive violence and arson in parts of Punjab and Haryana. Thirty people died, more than 250 were injured and the Army had to be called in.

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"Won't Work": Naveen Patnaik Snuffs Out BJP "Discussion" About His Hands

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has responded to BJP jibes about his trembling hands and close aide VK Pandian's efforts to hide it from public view, with his trademark calmness.

"I believe the BJP, which is known to make non-issues into issues, are discussing my hands. This will certainly not work," said the 77-year-old, who, amid assembly elections in the state, has been increasingly targetted by the BJP over his health.

Earlier today, Mr Pandian was caught on camera trying to hide Mr Patnaik's trembling hands while he was delivering a speech.

The first off the block was Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who tagged it an effort by Mr Pandian to capture power in the state.

Mr Sarma posted the video on X, formerly Twitter, with a lengthy caption.

"This is a deeply distressing video. Shri VK Pandian ji is even controlling the hand movements of Shri Naveen Babu. I shudder to imagine the level of control a retired ex bureaucrat from Tamil Nadu is currently exercising over the future of Odisha! BJP is determined is give back the reins of Odisha to the people of the State," the caption read.

This is a deeply distressing video. Shri VK Pandian ji is even controlling the hand movements of Shri Naveen Babu. I shudder to imagine the level of control a retired ex bureaucrat from Tamil Nadu is currently exercising over the future of Odisha!

BJP is determined is give back… pic.twitter.com/6PEAt7F9iM

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (Modi Ka Parivar) (@himantabiswa) May 28, 2024

Last week, Union home minister and the BJP's chief strategist Amit Shah had put the spotlight on the health of the five-time Chief Minister.

Mr Patnaik, he said, should retire due to his "advanced age and health issues". The BJP, he added, would replace him with a younger son of the soil if voted to power.

Mr Patnaik's response was acerbic. Mr "There is a limit to the lies the BJP can tell. As you can see, I am in very good health, and I have been campaigning for around a month all over the state," he told news agency ANI.

That Mr Pandian is a bugbear for the BJP was evident by Mr Shah's attack on him. Hitting out at the bureaucrat-turned-politician without naming him, Mr Shah said a "Tamil babu" is ruling the roost in Odisha and people will vote for the BJP to free the state from "babu raj".

Recently, Mr Pandian had listed nine "self goals" of the BJP, which he claimed would ensure that the state stays in the hands of the ruling Biju Janata Dal.

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Key Accused In Gujarat Game Zone Fire, Which Killed 28, Arrested In Rajasthan

The main accused in the case of a gaming zone fine in Gujarat's Rajkot, which killed 27, has been arrested, the police said on Monday.

The key accused Dhawal Thakkar was arrested from Abu Road in Rajasthan. The police received information that he had been hiding at his relative's house in Rajasthan.

A local court earlier today sent three men arrested in connection with the game zone fire to police custody for 14 days.

Special public prosecutor Tushar Gokani said that when asked about certain documents, the accused claimed they got burnt in the fire.

A first information report (FIR) was filed against six partners of the TRP game zone. Two partners in Raceway Enterprise, which operated the TRP game zone, Yuvrajsinh Solanki and Rahul Rathod, and the manager of the recreation centre, Nitin Jain, were arrested earlier today.

As per the FIR, the accused erected a 50-metre-wide and 60-metre-long structure that was as high as a three-storey building using metal sheet fabrication to create a game zone.

They did not have proper firefighting equipment and had not obtained no-objection certificate (NOC) from the local fire department.

Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said the government-appointed special investigation team (SIT) had seized all files related to the game zone for further investigation.

"The SIT has seized all relevant files from 2021 till 2024 in my presence from various departments such as the road and building department, police and Rajkot Municipal Corporation. We will not spare those found guilty of any wrongdoing," Mr Sanghavi told reporters in Gandhinagar.

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Influencer Bobby Kataria Arrested Over Human Trafficking Charges

Social media influencer Balwant Kataria alias Bobby Kataria was arrested on Monday for allegedly human trafficking of two Uttar Pradesh youths, police said.

The case has been registered against Kataria under section 370 of the IPC at the Bajghera Police Station Gurugram, police said.

The complainants, Arun Kumar, a resident of Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh and Manish Tomar, a resident of Hapur, said that they were unemployed. They were in touch with Kataria via Instagram.

The complainants told the police that on Bobby's YouTube channel MBK, they saw an advertisement about abroad-based job. Following this they called Bobby Kataria on on his WhatsApp. Bobby called them to meet his office in Sector 109 on the pretext of getting them a job in a foreign country.

The complainant then met Kataria in his office on 1 February 2024 and paid Rs 2,000 for registration.

After this, on the request of Bobby Kataria, on February 13, Rs 50,000 was transferred to his official account which was registered in the name of MBK Global Visa Private Limited.

Thereafter, on Bobby's instruction on March 14, another amount of Rs 1 lakh was transferred to the account of a person named Ankit Shaukeen. Kataria sent the tickets of Vientiane (Laos) through Shaukeen's WhatsApp.

On March 28, as per the instructions of Bobby Kataria, Kumar got Rs 50,000 converted into USD at the airport and boarded the flight to Vientiane.

Similarly, lakhs of rupees were taken from his friend Manish Tomar on the pretext of sending him to Singapore, but he was also made to board a flight to Vientiane.

When both of them landed at Vientiane airport, they met a young man named Abhi, who described himself as a friend of Bobby Kataria and a Pakistani agent.

He dropped them off at the Hotel Mican Son in Vientiane, where they found a young man named Ankit Shaukeen and Nitish Sharma alias Rocky. They took the victims to an anonymous Chinese company. There both the friends were severely beaten and their passports were snatched.

At the same time, they were forced to commit cyber fraud against US citizens. Both of them were threatened that if the work was not done as per their instructions then they would not be able to return to India and they would be killed there.

"About 150 Indians including women were brought into that company through human trafficking by brokers like Bobby Kataria on the pretext of jobs. Somehow, we escaped from there and reached the Indian Embassy and came back to India and filed a police complaint against Kataria," the complainant told the police.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Mamata Banerjee Posts Special Message For KKR After IPL 2024 Title Victory

Kolkata Knight Riders claimed their third IPL title after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday. KKR looked completely in control throughout the match as the Shreyas Iyer-led side registered a comprehensive eight-wicket victory in the IPL 2024 final. After the win, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee took to social media to post a special message. "Kolkata Knight Riders' win has brought about an air of celebration all across Bengal. I would like to personally congratulate the players, the support staff and the franchise for their record breaking performance in this season of the IPL. Wishing for more such enchanting victories in the years to come!," she posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Kolkata Knight Riders' win has brought about an air of celebration all across Bengal.

I would like to personally congratulate the players, the support staff and the franchise for their record breaking performance in this season of the IPL.

Wishing for more such enchanting…

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 26, 2024

Coming to the match, KKR produced a sensational bowling performance to bundle out SRH for 113 as Andre Russell took three wickets while Vaibhav Arora and Mitchell Starc took two.

Bowling coach Bharat Arun opened up about the performance.

"It has been pretty tough the last two years, we didn't qualify and there has been introspection and we worked on areas which needed to be worked on. [on Rana] He has been outstanding and it's about the bowler understanding what his strengths are and when he does, it comes out beautifully on the ground. Mitch coming into the team boosted the confidence of the other youngsters."

"He has been one of the best bowlers in world cricket and he has been in such situations before, it's about understanding Indian conditions and once he did that, it is magic all over. They have been outstanding, spinners mature with age, both bowling in tandem has worked exceptionally for us. He has brought a totally different dimension to our batting this year and it was Gautam who insisted that Sunny open and what Sunny did was outstanding," Arun said after the match.

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Cyclone Remal Begins Landfall, To Continue For 4 Hours: 10 Points

1. The met department said, "The forward sector of wall cloud region is entering into land. The landfall process has commenced over coastal areas of Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal. It will continue for next 4 hours". Wind speeds are expected to range between 110 and 120 km per hour and gusts can reach up to 135 kmph.
2. Coastal districts are expected to experience extremely heavy rainfall, while Kolkata and its surroundings may encounter heavy to very heavy rainfall.
3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting earlier this evening to check the preparedness for Cyclone Remal. He said the Centre has extended full support to the state and must continue to do so. More teams of security forces have been kept on standby, he said.Sixteen battalions each from the state disaster management and NDRF have already been deployed in the coastal areas,.
4. Air and rail traffic have already been shut ahead of the landfall as a precautionary measure. Kolkata airport authorities have suspended flight operations for 21 hours starting at noon today. The Eastern and South Eastern Railways have cancelled several trains.
5. A total of 394 flights - both international and domestic - will not operate during the flight suspension period, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said.
6. Kolkata and its adjoining districts have been receiving Intermittent showers and gusty winds since morning. Traffic has been thin on the roads.
7. Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim convened a meeting with officials in the afternoon to assess preparedness for the impending cyclone. He added that approximately 15,000 civic employees have been mobilised to address post-cyclone scenarios.
8. The Bengal government has evacuated around 1.10 lakh people from coastal regions, including the Sundarbans and Sagar Island, to secure shelters.
9. Authorities in the coastal areas, especially in Digha, Shankarpur, and Tajpur, have issued advisories urging tourists to vacate hotels and refrain from venturing into the seas as a precautionary measure.
10. In Bangladesh, over 800,000 people from vulnerable areas have been evacuated to shelters on Sunday.
    
    (The Kolkata Police has also announced two helpline numbers - 9432610428 and 9432610429 - for citizens)

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Low Pressure System Over Bay Of Bengal Intensifies Into Cyclonic Storm

A low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into cyclonic storm 'Remal' and is expected to make landfall between West Bengal's Sagar Island and Bangladesh's Khepupara at midnight on Sunday, the IMD said.

This is the first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this pre-monsoon season.

The deep depression over the east-central Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm 'Remal' and was centred approximately 360 km south-southeast of Khepupara and 350 km south-southeast of Sagar Island, according to an update issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) at 7:50 pm on Saturday.

The storm is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday morning and is expected to cross the West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara with wind speeds of 110 to 120 km/hr, gusting to 135 km/hr around midnight on Sunday, the IMD said.

The Met Office has warned of extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal and north Odisha on May 26-27. Parts of northeast India may also experience extremely heavy precipitation on May 27-28.

A storm surge of up to 1.5 meters is expected to inundate low-lying areas of coastal West Bengal and Bangladesh at the time of landfall.

The weather office advised fishermen not to venture into the sea in the north Bay of Bengal until the morning of May 27.

A red alert was issued for the coastal districts of South and North 24 Parganas in West Bengal for May 26-27, where extremely heavy rain is expected in some areas.

An orange alert is in place for Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia, and Purba Medinipur districts, warning of wind speeds of 80 to 90 km/hr, gusting to 100 km/hr, and heavy to very heavy rainfall at some places on May 26-27.

In north Odisha, the coastal districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, and Kendrapara will receive heavy rains on May 26-27, while heavy precipitation is likely in Mayurbhanj on May 27.

The IMD has warned of localised flooding and significant damage to vulnerable structures, power and communication lines, kutcha roads, crops, and orchards in South and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal.

People in the affected areas have been advised to remain indoors. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Fact Check: Painting Behind Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Not Of Jesus Christ

After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared a selfie of him and Sonia Gandhi having voted during the sixth phase of polling for the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the photo was widely shared on social media.

The claim

Those sharing the photograph took a dig at Gandhi calling himself a 'janeudhari brahmin', (thread-wearing Brahmin), while claiming that he had a photo of Jesus Christ in his room, but none of Hindu Gods.

• Among those sharing this is X (formerly Twitter) user 'MrSinha_'.

But...?: The photo does not show Jesus.

• It is a painting titled 'Madonna Oriflamma' by Russian painter Nicholas Roerich, where the lady in the painting is holding a banner of peace.

How did the Quint find out the truth?: We noticed that the photo in the background showed a person holding a banner with three red dots, surrounded by a red circle.

• Using this description ('person holding red circle with three dots painting') as a search term led us to a 2017 blog post with the same image.
• It identified the image as a 1932 painting titled 'Madonna Oriflamma' by one Nikolai Roerich.
• It also mentioned that the geometrical art was Roerich's creation, which he called the 'Banner of peace', elaborating on the symbolism of the banner.
• We looked up the name of the painting and found it on several websites across the internet.
• One of the results included the painting's WikiArt page, last updated in 2013, which mentioned that the art was on display at the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York.

• The museum's Facebook page also shared the painting's photograph in 2021, discussing its meaning and symbolism.
• Moreover, Roerich's website also carries a visual of the painting with details about its medium and dimensions, stating that it has been on loan to the museum since 1960.

Reproduced and printed versions of the painting are also easily available for purchase on the internet, as seen here, here, and here.

Conclusion: The painting seen in Rahul and Sonia Gandhi's photo is not one of Jesus Christ.

(This story was originally published by The Quint and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective.)

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Kate Middleton Will Not Appear In Public This Year: Report

Months after Princess of Wales Kate Middleton announced she had been diagnosed with cancer and was in the “early stages” of treatment, royal family sources revealed she might “not appear in public for the rest of the year.”

Kate is “surrounded” by her family as she undergoes preventive chemotherapy, The Daily Beast reported.

The Princess of Wales is expected to spend the next week at the country home on the Sandringham Estate with her family. Her parents would likely join them.

Over the next six weeks, Prince William will likely spend more time with his family. He was given time off after the British royal family noted they would be stepping back from a few engagements to avoid distracting from the upcoming general elections scheduled for July 4.

A source, quoted by the publication, said the Princess of Wales is not expected to be seen in any public-facing role in the medium term, adding to the possibility of her remaining absent from public life for the rest of 2024.

"Lots of people involved in planning need to know what the principals are doing a long way in advance. I am told that Kate's diary for this year is empty. There is nothing planned. She may not appear in public for the rest of the year," the source told the outlet.

So, how does the Royal Family plan to deal with the inevitable resurgence of conspiracy theories and speculations that her absence would trigger?

The source shared the possibility of another video message updating the country on her health can't be ruled out, adding it worked as an "effective way" to keep the conspiracy theorists at bay.

A friend of the royal couple, on the condition of anonymity, said that for now, the most crucial thing for Kate is to avoid stress and anxiety so she can move on with getting better. They will bail out and be off to Sandringham the moment school breaks up, the friend said.

The Princess of Wales prefers to confide in her family rather than her friends - most of whom are expected to attend the Duke of Westminster's wedding next month, the friend said, adding that she is surrounded by her parents, Carole and Michael, and her sister Pippa Middleton and brother James have "obviously been there for her as well."

"They are an incredibly tight family, and Catherine feels absolutely confident relying on them. They have been there for her for decades and never let her down," the source added.

According to reports, the Princess of Wales has not appeared in public in the last several months. On March 22, she announced her cancer diagnosis in a video statement.

In the video, she said initially her condition was believed to be non-cancerous. But she discovered the truth after a successful abdominal surgery in January as subsequent tests revealed cancer was present.

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Indian Filmmaker's 'All We Imagine As Light' Wins Grand Prix At Cannes

Filmmaker Payal Kapadia on Saturday scripted history as her spellbinding drama "All We Imagine as Light" won the Grand Prix award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

The film bagged the award, which is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or, during the closing ceremony of the 77th edition.

Ms Kapadia's feature directorial debut, which screened on Thursday night and has received glowing reviews in the international press, already registered its name in the history books after it became the first Indian film in 30 years and the first ever by an Indian female director to be showcased in the main competition.

The screening of the film received an eight-minute standing ovation from the audience members. "All We Imagine as Light", a Malayalam-Hindi feature, is about Prabha, a nurse, who receives an unexpected gift from her long-estranged husband that throws her life into disarray. Her younger roommate, Anu, tries in vain to find a private spot in the big city to be alone with her boyfriend.

One day the two nurses go on a road trip to a beach town where the mystical forest becomes a space for their dreams to manifest, according to the plotline.

International critics have given the film a thumbs up and praised Ms Kapadia's storytelling prowess.

An alumna of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), Ms Kapadia is best known for her acclaimed documentary "A Night of Knowing Nothing", which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival's Director's Fortnight side-bar where it won the Oeil d'or (Golden Eye) award.

Her short film "Afternoon Clouds" in Cinefondation, a category dedicated to supporting the next generation of talented filmmakers. "All We Imagine As Light" is an Indo-French co-production between Petit Chaos from France and Chalk and Cheese Films from India.

The main competition jury was chaired by filmmaker Greta Gerwig and also included Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona, Turkish actor-screenwriter Ebru Ceylan, Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, American actor Lily Gladstone, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Lebanese actor-director Nadine Labaki and French stars Eva Green and French actor Omar Sy.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Delhi, Haryana Vote Today In Penultimate Phase: 10 Points

1. Voting will take place today in eight seats each in Bihar and Bengal, seven in Delhi, 10 in Haryana, four in Jharkhand, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, and the final seat in Jammu & Kashmir -- Anantnag-Rajouri, where poling was moved from the third to the sixth phase.
2. Odisha will pick representatives for 42 assembly constituencies and six Lok Sabha seats.
3. By the end of today, election will be completed in 486 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. Polling will also be completed in Haryana, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.
4. The most riveting contest will be for national capital Delhi, where the BJP swept all seven seats in 2019. This time, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party is out to prise a few with its "Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se" campaign. AAP is contesting four seats in the national capital, its ally Congress three.
5. The phase will be crucial for NDA, which has to keep its score intact to meet its "400-plus" target. In 2019, the BJP alone won 40 of the 58 constituencies going to polls today in the Hindi heartland and the east. Its NDA allies won five more seats.
6. The parties of the Opposition INDIA bloc -- Trinamool Congress, National Conference and Samajwadi Party – had won five seats, the Congress none.
7. Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party -- which contested the election in alliance with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party in 2019 and is now unaligned -- and Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal also won a few.
8. The key candidates for this phase are the BJP's Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan from Sambalpur,  Manohar Lal Khattar from Karnal, Sambit Patra from Puri, Maneka Gandhi from Sultanpur, late Union minister Sushma Swaraj's daughter Bansuri Swaraj from the New Delhi constituency, Manoj Tiwari from North East Delhi and industrialist Naveen Jindal from Kurukshetra.
9. On the Opposition bloc are former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti from Anantnag, actor-turned politician Raj Babbar from Gurgaon, Deepender Singh Hooda from Rohtak, JNU students' union's former president Kanhaiya Kumar from North East Delhi.
10. The counting of votes will be held on June 4 after the last phase of the election ends on June 1.

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CSK CEO's New Twist To MS Dhoni Retirement Saga, Says "We Do Expect..."

Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan said he is 'very, very hopeful' of former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni participating in IPL 2025 as a player. Dhoni, who led CSK to a record five Indian Premier League titles, stepped down as the skipper before the start of the ongoing season, handing the responsibilities to Ruturaj Gaikwad, who led the team to a fifth place finish. Speculations have been rife that this could be Dhoni's final season in the tournament but Viswanathan asserted that it was completely up to the former India captain to take a final call on his future.

"I do not know. It is a question which only MS can answer. The question for us, we have always respected the decisions taken by MS. We have left it to him," he said to a question on CSK's YouTube channel.

"As all of you know, he has always taken his decisions and announced them at the appropriate time. We do expect that we will get a decision as and when he decides.

"But we are very, very hopeful that he will be available for CSK the next year. That is the view and expectations of the fans and mine."

Dhoni, who had undergone surgery to treat a knee injury issue last year, scored 161 runs in 73 balls at a strike rate of 220.55 this season. He was also good behind the stumps.

A mega IPL auction has been scheduled later in the year and if Dhoni continues, CSK will undoubtedly be retaining him.

However, the number of players allowed to be retained still needs clarity.

Viswanathan said that discussions are yet to take place on the same with the BCCI.

"It is too early because we have still not heard from BCCI on the kind of retentions which are going to be part of the next cycle of auction.

"So we are expecting that the BCCI would discuss with all franchise owners before they take a decision on retention."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Video: Noida Man's Bizarre 'Stunts' In SUV Involve Scaring College Students

A 25-year-old Delhi resident, accused of endangering the safety of pedestrians by allegedly driving his SUV recklessly on a street here, was arrested on Friday, police said.

Prince Mavi has been booked for violation of road traffic rules and fined Rs 35,000 as a penalty, they said.

In videos that surfaced on social media, he is seen driving an SUV on a street near Amity University and braking close to pedestrians, leaving them terrified. Those terrified by his acts included college-going men and women, it was seen in the videos.

"On Friday, a viral video on social media came to the notice in which a Mahindra Thar registered in Haryana was seen dangerously performing stunts, putting the lives of people in danger on the road of a private university in Sector-125, Noida," a police spokesperson said.

"Based on the video, an FIR was registered at the local Sector-126 police station and an investigation was launched, after which the driver of the car, accused Prince Mavi, son of Pitambar Mavi, resident of Hari Nagar Extension Part-2 in Delhi, was arrested," the official said.

The vehicle has been impounded, police said.

Separately, the traffic police said it has slapped challans totalling Rs 35,000 on Mavi for flouting multiple rules of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Use of tinted glasses, faulty number plates (which had casteist mentions on them), dangerous driving, and violation of prescribed levels of air pollution, were among the violations, police said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Indian Student From Andhra Pradesh Dies In Bike Accident In New York

In a tragic incident, an Indian student In New York died after he met with a bike accident.

Shri Belem Atchyuth from Andhra Pradesh was a student at The State University of New York (SUNY) and passed away in a bike accident Wednesday evening.

"Saddened to learn about the untimely demise of Shri Belem Atchyuth, a student at SUNY who met with a bike accident and passed away yesterday evening," the Consulate General of India said in a post on X.

Saddened to learn about the untimely demise of Shri Belem Atchyuth, a student at SUNY who met with a bike accident and passed away yesterday evening; our deepest condolences to the family; @IndiainNewYork is in touch with the bereaved family & local agencies to extend all…

— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) May 23, 2024

Expressing "deepest condolences" to his family, the Consulate said they are in touch with the "bereaved family & local agencies to extend all assistance including sending the mortal remains back to India".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Did Mallikarjun Kharge Say 'Congress Is Finished'? A Fact Check

A video circulating on social media claims that Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that "the party is over" during a 2024 Lok Sabha election rally. In the video, Mr Kharge says in Hindi, "Congress is finished. Congress is dead. And now you can't see Congress anywhere."

The posts sharing this video claim that Mallikarjun Kharge admitted Congress has been disbanded and is no longer functioning. Archived versions of similar posts can be viewed here and here.

Screenshot of viral posts shared on social media (Source: Instagram/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, our investigation reveals that Mr Kharge's video was edited and shared with a misleading narrative. The original video shows him quoting remarks by Congress critics in Ahmedabad.

What did we find?

A reverse image search of a screenshot from the viral clip led us to a YouTube video live-streamed on the official channel of the Indian National Congress (archived here) on May 2, 2024. In the video, Mr Kharge is speaking at an election rally in Ahmedabad.

At the 12:04 timestamp, he discusses Ahmedabad and says, "Ahmedabad is one such big and famous city. Mahatma Gandhi ji, Sardar Patel ji, Dadabhai Naroji, and many more great leaders were born here. They made Gujarat great. Gandhi ji and Sardar Patel, Bhulabhai Desai, Vithalbhai Patel, and the Speaker of our Lok Sabha, Mavalankar ji - all the leaders have built the country, and among them, three members became the presidents of our Congress party - Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi ji, UN Dhebar - all of them held the position of party president and strengthened it."

He then says, "So, I want to say, the foundation of the Congress party in Ahmedabad city is very strong. No one can remove it, and no one can dare to say that we will finish the Congress. Few people say, 'Congress is finished, Congress is dead, and Congress will not be seen anywhere for you' - the leaders here say this. I only want to ask them this: this Ahmedabad city is Mahatma Gandhi ji's holy place. But it is surprising that in this land, people with such ideology are born who are thinking about finishing Gandhi ji's ideology."

The part of the speech highlighted in bold above has now been selectively edited and circulated with a misleading narrative, alleging that Mr Kharge said the 'Congress party is finished'.

Logically Facts debunked several such election rally videos shared out of context. Our checks can be found here, here, and here.

The Verdict

The viral video falsely portrays Mallikarjun Kharge as saying that Congress is "over" during an election rally in Ahmedabad. In reality, he was quoting critics who claim the party is "finished." As a result, the claim has been marked as misleading.

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"Non-Recovery Of Cash Can't Be...": High Court In Manish Sisodia Hearing

Non-recovery of cash cannot be a prima facie proof that no corruption has taken place as the offender's mind uses new technology to commit offences without leaving behind any trace, the Delhi High Court has held while denying bail to AAP leader Manish Sisodia in the excise policy scam cases.

The high court said it cannot accept the argument put forth by Mr Sisodia about the non-recovery of cash from him in view of the statements of some hawala dealers and other witnesses recorded during the investigation.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed the bail pleas filed by the former Delhi deputy chief minister in the corruption and money laundering cases lodged by the CBI and ED, respectively, in connection with the alleged liquor scam.

While the two petitions were dismissed on Tuesday, the detailed order was uploaded on the high court's website on Wednesday.

“This court is of the view that the prosecution has made out a prima facie case of commission of money laundering under Section 3 of PMLA against Manish Sisodia, at this stage. It is to be noted at the outset that the requirement of recovery of cash amount from a particular person may not necessarily be a mandatory requirement in a money laundering case where the allegations are of being part of a conspiracy consisting of multiple accused persons,” the high court said.

“In this court's opinion, non-recovery of any amount of money in cash cannot be a proof prima facie that no corruption has taken place since the offender‘s mind uses the new technology to commit offences without leaving traces of commission of offences,” it said.

The court observed that the case involves commission of "serious offence" of corruption in public office and money laundering.

These offences "strike at the heart of our economic and social systems, undermining the rule of law and eroding public trust in our institutions", it said.

“Moreover, the form of corruption which has the tendency of stealing the legitimate resources of the poor ordinary people and giving it to the rich can be one of the worst forms of corruption,” the high court said in a 106-page judgment.

The court said small and medium-sized enterprises, which are managed by common people and are the backbone of economic growth and job creation, are particularly vulnerable to the detrimental impacts of corruption that is prima facie visible in the formulation of the new excise policy.

It said the new excise policy has “eradicated” the common and small-time businesses and gave the entire playing field in the liquor business to those who had “money, power and had created a cartel” on the basis of financial gains to those formulating a policy, which adds to the seriousness of the offence.

“The courts of law may be considered as constant thorns in the way of free-flowing corruption and, even if that be so and are termed as thorns, it scores the victory for the masses,” Justice Sharma said.

The high court observed in its order that the matter involved grave misuse of power and breach of public trust by Mr Sisodia.

The AAP leader's conduct amounted to a "great betrayal of democratic principles", the court said, adding he allegedly indulged in destruction of crucial evidence, including electronic evidence.

It said Mr Sisodia was a very influential person within the power corridors of the Delhi government as he had the responsibility of 18 portfolios in the city dispensation.

The former deputy chief minister had challenged a trial court's April 30 order by which his bail pleas were rejected in the corruption and money laundering cases lodged by the CBI and ED, respectively, in connection with alleged irregularities in the formulation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22.

While seeking bail for Mr Sisodia, his counsel had submitted before the high court that the ED and CBI are still arresting people in the money laundering and corruption cases, and there is no question of early conclusion of the trial.

Both the ED and CBI opposed Mr Sisodia's bail pleas on grounds that concerted efforts were made by the accused to delay the process of framing charges.

Mr Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26, 2023, for his alleged role in the liquor "scam". The ED arrested him in the money laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023.

He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28, 2023.

The probe agencies have alleged that the beneficiaries diverted "illegal" gains to the accused officials and made false entries in their books of account to evade detection.

According to the probe agencies, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to the licence holders.

The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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England vs Pakistan 1st T20I Live Score Updates: Will Rain Play Spoilsport?

England vs Pakistan 1st T20I, Live Updates: England will be taking on Pakistan in the 1st T20I of the four-match series on Wednesday in Leeds. Pakistan will be coming to clash after winning the three-match T20I series against Ireland by 2-1 scoreline. Babar Azam and co have released pacer Hasan Ali from the squad, seeing the fitness of Haris Rauf. On the other hand, England will be playing without Liam Livingstone, who is recovering from his knee injury. Apart from this, the likes of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Phil Salt, Sam Curran, and others have joined the England squad, coming from IPL. (Live Scorecard) 

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Sanjay Dutt Quits Akshay Kumar's Welcome 3 Due To Health Issues: Report

Sanjay Dutt has reportedly quit Akshay Kumar's Welcome 3 due to health issues. According to a Pinkvilla report, the actor had shot only one day for the film. Pinkvilla quoted a source stating, "The actor had shot for the film headlined by Akshay Kumar for only one day in Madh Island." The souce added, "His character had a lot of action in the movie, and hence, he decided to walk out considering his health issues." Sanjay Dutt joined the shoot of Welcome 3 last December.

Welcoming Sanjay Dutt onboard, Akshay Kumar shared a reel on his Instagram. In the reel, we can see Akshay Kumar riding on a horse while Sanjay Dutt follows him on a bike. Incidentally, the first film of the Welcome franchise, Welcome, completed 16 years on that very day. Mentioning that, Akshay Kumar wrote in the caption, "What a lovely coincidence that we celebrate 16 years of Welcome today while I am shooting for the franchise's third part WelcomeToTheJungle. And it's wonderful to welcome Sanju Baba in this one. What do you think?" Take a look:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar)

FYI, Sanjay Dutt is a cancer survivor. In October 2020, Sanjay Dutt shared that he was cancer free. Sharing a tweet, he said, "My heart is filled with gratitude as I share this news with all of you today. Thank you."  In the post, he said, "And today, on the occasion of my kids' birthday, I am happy to come out victorious from this battle and be able to give them the best gift I can- the health and well-being of our family." Take a look:

My heart is filled with gratitude as I share this news with all of you today. Thank you 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/81sGvWWpoe

— Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay) October 21, 2020

Welcome 3 has a huge cast. The film stars Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Krushna Abhishek, to name a few. Ahmed Khan is directing the film.

Welcome released in 2007. Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar headlined the film. Anees Bazmee directed the film.

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"Most Heart-Breaking Photo": SRH Batter's Distraught Reaction vs KKR

Mitchell Starc stuck thrice in the powerplay as Kolkata Knight Riders bowled out Sunrisers Hyderabad to 159 in Qualifier 1 of the IPL here on Tuesday. Rahul Tripathi top-scored for SRH with 55 off 35 balls while Heinrich Klaasen smashed 32 off 21 balls. The 62-run stand between Tripathi and Klaasen was the lone positive in an otherwise underwhelming batting effort.

Tripathi was run out after a superb effort by Andre Russell. HIs reaction after getting out has gone viral.

Well Played Champ Rahul Tripathi.
Not only survived the fiery spell of Starc but also took us back into the game from nowhere. pic.twitter.com/VDzdEBvTVv

— Rampy (@RiserTweex) May 21, 2024

MOST HEARTBREAKING PICTURE OF THE DAY.

- Rahul Tripathi sitting in tears on the stairs. He's absolutely devastated. You gave your best, Tripathi! pic.twitter.com/bV1nhkzcjs

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 21, 2024

Rahul Tripathi in tears after getting out...!!! pic.twitter.com/WrUbDpQCZe

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 21, 2024

Tripathi pic.twitter.com/Z3jOqcXWvA

— Pushkar (@musafir_hu_yar) May 21, 2024

IPL's third highest run-getter Head was all over the place when he went for a wild heave against the lanky Australian, who got the ball nipping slightly away after pitching and knocking down the off and middle stumps to dismiss the batter for his second consecutive duck.

Starc then bounced out Reddy with wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz settling himself well under the ball for a simple grab.

Shahbaz was the next to depart as he chopped one onto his wickets looking to guide it down to the third man.

Starc's opening spell of 3-0-22-3 gave KKR complete control of the proceedings as the other bowlers thrived in the situation to drive home the advantage.

Reduced to 39/3, SRH needed a counterattack and that came from Rahul Tripathi (55 off 35) but it was far from enough.

Tripathi soaked in pressure well to keep the boundaries flowing for SRH but he did not find enough support from the other end, beyond a 62-run stand for the fifth wicket with Heinrich Klaasen.

The burly South African, who had scored a vital 49 in the last match, did not go all out but played a crucial knock of 32, which came off 21 balls with three fours and a six until he found the man at deep midwicket off Varun Chakravarthy in the 11th over.

Facing the task of rebuilding again, there was no respite for the struggles that SRH had to endure when Tripathi was run out after a brilliant effort in the field from Andre Russell caught the SRH batter halfway through the pitch when there was perhaps no run on offer.

Abdul Samad hammered a six off his first ball but his resistance too did not last long enough and the last of the recognised SRH batters, impact player Sanvir Singh, was cleaned up by Sunil Narine (1/40) on the first ball he faced.

SRH skipper Pat Cummins played a crucial knock of 30 off 24 while also putting on a vital 33-run stand for the last wicket with Vijayakanth Viyaskanth to take SRH beyond the 150-mark.

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UK's Infected Blood Scandal That Killed 3,000 Was Covered Up: Report

A decades-long UK scandal in which thousands of people died after being treated with infected blood was covered up and largely could have been avoided, according to a bombshell report published Monday.

More than 30,000 people were infected with viruses such as HIV and hepatitis after being given contaminated blood in Britain between the 1970s and early 1990s, the Infected Blood Inquiry concluded.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday said he was "truly sorry" for the decades-long institutional cover-up that saw thousands of people receive infected blood products. "I want to make a wholehearted and unequivocal apology for this terrible injustice," he told MPs, promising to pay "whatever it costs" to compensate those affected and the families of victims who died.

Victims included those needing blood transfusions for accidents and in surgery, and those suffering from blood disorders such as haemophilia who were treated with donated blood plasma products.

Some 3,000 of them died, and more will follow, in what has been described as the biggest treatment disaster in the eight-decade history of the state-run National Health Service (NHS).

In some instances, children with bleeding disorders were treated as "objects for research". Many went on to develop and die from HIV and hepatitis.

The long-awaited report, running to more than 2,500 pages, laid bare a "catalogue of failures" with "catastrophic" consequences for victims and their loved ones.

"I have to report that it could largely, though not entirely, have been avoided," concluded its author, judge Brian Langstaff.

His team found that successive governments and health professionals failed to mitigate risks despite it being apparent by the early 1980s that the cause of AIDS could be transmitted by blood.

Blood donors were not screened properly and blood products were imported from abroad, including from the United States where drug users and prisoners were used for donations.

Too many transfusions were also given when they were not necessarily needed, the report added.

There were even attempts to conceal the scandal, including evidence that officials in the health department destroyed documents in 1993.

"Viewing the response of the NHS and of government overall, the answer to the question, 'Was there a cover-up?' is that there has been," the report stated.

"Not in the sense of a handful of people plotting in an orchestrated conspiracy to mislead, but in a way that was more subtle, more pervasive and more chilling in its implications.

- 'Vindicated' -

"In this way there has been a hiding of much of the truth," it added.

On top of the 3,000 who died, many more were left with lifelong health problems.

Langstaff said that "the scale of what happened is horrifying" and said people's suffering had been compounded by repeated denials and false assurances that they had received good treatment.

When victims were told the truth, sometimes years later, this was sometimes done in "insensitive" and "inappropriate" ways.

"What I have found is that disaster was no accident. People put their trust in doctors and the government to keep them safe and that trust was betrayed," Langstaff told reporters.

He recommended that victims now received compensation. The government is expected to announced a package worth about 10 billion pounds (12 billion dollars) on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to express regret when he speaks in parliament later on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the inquiry, a government spokesman said: "This was an appalling tragedy that never should have happened. We are clear that justice needs to be done and swiftly."

Former prime minister Theresa May launched the inquiry -- one of the country's largest -- in 2017.

Campaigners hailed the report as the culmination of a decades-long struggle but noted that it came too late for many of the victims who will never see justice.

Andy Evans, chairman of the Tainted Blood campaign group, described the report as "momentous" and that he felt "validated and vindicated".

"We have been gaslit for generations... Sometimes we felt like we were shouting into the wind during the last 40 years," he told reporters.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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