National

High-Energy Campaign for Delhi Elections Wraps Up; Voters Now Take the Stage

Published

1 year ago

February 3, 2025

The intense campaigning for the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections, featuring a competitive triangular race among the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), BJP, and Congress, concluded on Monday night. Top leaders from these parties made fervent last-minute appeals to attract voters.

On the final campaign day, the atmosphere became charged with slogans emphasizing ‘Modi ki Guarantee’, ‘Kejriwal ki Guarantee’, and ‘Congress ki Guarantee’, as each party promised various incentives to entice the electorate.

This wrapped up the campaigning phase, ushering in a 48-hour Silence Period before the elections.

The leading parties, AAP, BJP, and Congress, mobilized their prominent campaigners extensively. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah took the lead, joined by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP National President JP Nadda, and Congress figures such as Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in addition to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, among others.

Throughout the campaign, key leaders from these major political factions actively engaged with the public through roadshows and gatherings. PM Modi conducted large-scale meetings in support of BJP candidates contesting in Delhi, launching pointed critiques against the AAP administration.

The campaign for the Delhi elections has been notable for its innovative use of AI-generated satire and memes, sharp political exchanges, and high-energy roadshows. On the final campaign day, the BJP executed 22 roadshows and rallies across the capital, while PM Modi released a video interaction with students, aiming to disrupt AAP’s streak of three electoral victories since 2013.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah intensified his criticisms of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal during the campaign’s final hours, accusing him of wrongdoing for claiming the Haryana government was ‘poisoning’ the Yamuna river. Speaking to thousands in the Bijwasan Assembly constituency, Shah remarked that Kejriwal, who once described himself as the “son of Haryana”, had shifted blame for his administration’s failings onto others.

“They’ve committed an injustice. Kejriwal alleged that the Haryana government was polluting the Yamuna. He once claimed to be Haryana’s son, yet now he has insulted the people of Haryana. They couldn’t manage to purify the water themselves and instead blame Haryana,” Shah told the crowd.

Just before the campaign concluded, Kejriwal claimed there was a conspiracy to tamper with electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the upcoming election, asserting that opponents planned to diminish AAP’s share of votes by about 10 percent. He urged AAP supporters to vote in overwhelming numbers, stating in a video, “Every supporter of our party must come out and vote on February 5.”

Meanwhile, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra conducted a roadshow in the Kasturba Nagar constituency, alongside Congress candidate Abhishek Dutt.

National

Delhi Techie Found Dead During Honeymoon Trip

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

Namma Kudla

National: A 27-year-old IT professional from Delhi was found dead at a homestay in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. The woman, P Radha Gayatri, had gone on a honeymoon trip with her husband.

According to police, the couple checked into a homestay on June 14. Her husband said they had consumed alcohol and went to sleep late at night.

The next morning, he found Gayatri unconscious on the floor. Police said she was lying in a pool of urine, and blood was coming from her nose. She was declared dead at the scene.

The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Police are investigating the case and waiting for the autopsy report to determine the cause of death.

National

Pakistan Ranked World’s Most Polluted Country in 2025

Published

5 days ago

June 13, 2026

Namma Kudla

Islamabad: Pakistan has been ranked as the most polluted country in the world in 2025, according to a new report released by Swiss air quality monitoring company IQ Air.

The report found that Pakistan’s average PM2.5 pollution level was 13 times higher than the safe limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). PM2.5 refers to tiny harmful particles in the air that can enter the lungs and cause serious health problems.

IQ Air said that only 13 countries and territories met the WHO air quality guideline of less than 5 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air in 2025. This was an improvement from seven countries in 2024.

The report also revealed that 130 out of 143 monitored countries and territories failed to meet the WHO standard.

Bangladesh was ranked as the second most polluted country, while Tajikistan secured the third position. Chad, which was the most polluted country in 2024, ranked fourth in 2025.

Experts said that Chad’s lower ranking may be linked to missing pollution data. In March 2025, the United States ended a global air quality monitoring program due to budget cuts. The program had collected pollution data from US embassies and consulates around the world.

Christi Chester Schroeder, the lead author of the report, said that the loss of data makes it difficult to know the true pollution levels in some countries.

Because of data shortages, Burundi, Turkmenistan and Togo were not included in the 2025 report.

The report also identified Loni in India as the world’s most polluted city. The city recorded an average PM2.5 level of 112.5 micrograms per cubic meter. Hotan in China ranked second with 109.6 micrograms.

According to the report, the 25 most polluted cities in the world were all located in India, Pakistan and China.

Only 14 percent of cities worldwide met the WHO air quality standard in 2025. This was lower than the 17 percent recorded in the previous year.

The report noted that large wildfires in Canada increased air pollution levels across the United States and even affected parts of Europe.

Countries that met the WHO air quality guideline in 2025 included Australia, Iceland, Estonia and Panama.

Meanwhile, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia reported significant improvements in air quality. Experts said wetter and windier La Niña weather conditions helped reduce pollution levels in these countries.

Mongolia also recorded a 31 percent drop in average PM2.5 levels during the year.

Overall, 75 countries reported lower pollution levels in 2025, while 54 countries experienced an increase in air pollution, according to the IQ Air report

National

Indian Air Force AN-32 Transport Aircraft Crashes

Published

5 days ago

June 13, 2026

Namma Kudla

Dispur: An Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport aircraft crashed at the Air Force Station in Jorhat, Assam, on Saturday. The aircraft caught fire after the crash.

According to reports, the AN-32 aircraft went down within the premises of the air base. A fire broke out immediately after the accident.

Rescue and firefighting teams rushed to the spot and launched an operation to control the flames. The fire was brought under control after their prompt response.

The exact cause of the crash is not known yet. Authorities are investigating the incident.

So far, there have been no reports of any deaths or injuries. The Indian Air Force has confirmed the accident and said that more details will be shared after a complete assessment of the situation.

Further information is awaited.