THE HEADLINES:
- Three people killed due to cloud burst in Seri Bagna area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district; 40 residential houses damaged and over 100 people rescued after flash flood hits Dharam Kund village of the district.
- India’s forex market doubles in last four years from 32 billion to 60 billion dollars, says RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra.
- US Vice President JD Vance to arrive in New Delhi tomorrow on a four-day visit to India.
- Easter, signifying the resurrection of Jesus Christ, being celebrated across the globe today.
- In Squash, India’s Veer Chotrani and Anahat Singh qualify for World Championships to be held in United States next month.
- In IPL T20 Cricket, Punjab Kings to take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru this afternoon, while Mumbai Indians to face Chennai Super Kings in the evening.
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In Jammu and Kashmir, at least three people lost their lives due to cloud burst in Seri Bagna area of Ramban district in Jammu region today. Ramban region witnessed heavy hailstorm, multiple landslides and gusty winds throughout last night. Over 100 people were rescued after heavy rain triggered a flash flood in Dharam Kund village in the district early this morning. 40 residential houses were damaged in the village due to violent weather condition in the region. Talking exclusively to Akashvani News, Deputy Commissioner Baseer-ul-Haq Chaudhary, said multiple vehicles were swept away in the flood caused by overflowing of river streams.
The Deputy Commissioner said, vehicular movement along the strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is blocked due to landslides and mudslides following heavy rainfall.
Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri Road, historic Mughal Road and Sinthan top road are also closed.
Talking to media, Deputy Traffic Inspector Javed Kataria said, restoration work is underway but is being hampered by adverse weather conditions. He advised commuters not to travel on the arterial road till the weather improved and the roads are cleared.
Ramban district administration has released emergency contact numbers for 24×7 help at District Control Room 01998-295500, 01998-266790.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. The Union Minister in a social media post said, he is in constant touch with Deputy Commissioner of the district. He said, every kind of relief, both financial and otherwise, is being provided.
Taking to the social media, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said, they are in touch with the local administration to ensure immediate rescue efforts wherever needed. The Chief Minister informed that he will be reviewing restoration, relief, and repair plans later in the day.
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In Ladakh, a rare late-April snowfall has thrown normal life out of gear in Kargil, causing widespread damage to trees, property, and power infrastructure. Power supply has been hit in many areas due to unexpected weather with the Electric Distribution Division in the Union Territory working around the clock to restore electricity amid challenging conditions.
The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert, warning of potential avalanches and flash floods in vulnerable zones. Residents have been urged to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel due to the risk of landslides and other hazards.
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RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra has stated that India’s forex markets have doubled in last 4 years from 32 billion to 60 billion dollars. Addressing the annual conference of Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India at Bali in Indonesia today, he said India’s financial markets have developed into a dynamic and resilient force to fuel economic growth with an almost doubling of the foreign exchange market from 32 billion dollars in 2020 to 60 billion dollars in 2024. The Governor said the average daily volumes in the overnight money markets have also surged from about 3 lakh crore rupees to over 5.4 lakh rupees during the period. Mr Malhotra further stated that the levels of transparency in Indian markets are at par with the best in the world.
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US Vice President J.D. Vance will arrive in New Delhi tomorrow morning on a four day official visit to India. He will be accompanied by Second Lady of the US, Usha Vance, their children and senior members of the U.S. Administration. This will be Vice President Vance’s first visit to India. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow evening. The Vice President and his delegation will have other engagements in Delhi and are also scheduled to visit Jaipur and Agra before departing for Washington D.C. Our correspondent has filed this report:
“The visit of US Vice President J D Vance to India will provide an opportunity for both sides to review the progress in bilateral relations and the implementation of the outcomes of the India-U.S. Joint Statement issued on 13th February this year during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s to the US. The two sides will also exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest. India and United States enjoy a comprehensive global strategic partnership covering almost all areas of human endeavour, driven by shared democratic values, convergence of interests on a range of issues, and vibrant people-to-people contacts. Regular dialogue between the Leaders of both sides is an important element of the expanding bilateral ties. ANUPAM MISHRA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive in Jeddah on Tuesday on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, marking the first visit by an Indian leader to Saudi Arabia’s commercial hub in over four decades. The high-profile visit highlights the remarkable transformation of India-Saudi relations from modest beginnings to a comprehensive strategic partnership spanning economic, defense, and cultural dimensions. Speaking about the significance of the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister, Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Suhel Ajaz Khan described it as an important visit which aims to boost strategic partnership between two countries.
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The festival of Easter is being celebrated across the world today. It signifies the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion and death at Calvary on Good Friday.
Reports of Easter celebrations have been received from different parts of the country and abroad. Special mass is being held at churches to mark the day.
In Kerala, thousands of people thronged churches across the state to celebrate the festival. More from our correspondent:
“Cutting across various denominations, Christians celebrated Easter with traditional zeal and fervour, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ after crucifixion. Bishops and senior clergymen led the Easter Mass at various churches, exhorting people to remain peaceful, and considerate to the deprived and the needy in the society. The celebrations signal the end of a season of renunciation, prayer and contemplation of the sufferings undergone by Jesus Christ for the betterment of humanity. Christian homes prepared traditional feasts as part of the celebrations. State BJP President and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar visited the Lourdes Syro Malabar Forane Church in Thiruvananthapuram and attended the Easter Prayers. Raj Mohan, Akashvani News, Kochi.”
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended their greetings to people on the occasion.
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The Jammu and Kashmir’s Labour Department has initiated the registration process for Service Providers associated with the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2025. A helpdesk-cum-registration counter has been set up at the Office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner in Jammu, to facilitate the registration process. Assistant Labour Commissioner Jammu urged all ponywallas, palkiwallas, pithus and hawkers intending to take part in the upcoming yatra to get their registration completed at the earliest. Registration can be done free of charge, upon identity verification.
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Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta today flagged off over one thousand one hundred GPS-enabled water tankers from Burari in the National Capital. The tankers will be deployed across the city, especially in the areas facing water shortage or where piped supply is not feasible. Along with Ms Gupta, Ministers in Delhi Government and Members of Parliament from the city were present during the event.
Addressing the event, Delhi Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi government is working with full transparency to develop the national capital.
On the occasion, Water Minister in the Delhi government, Parvesh Verma said that Delhi people can track the GPS-enabled water tankers and its actual location.
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The Bharatiya Janata Party today launched a nationwide campaign- ‘Waqf Sudhar Janjagaran Abhyan’ to spread awareness about the benefits of the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The campaign will continue till 5th of next month. Under the campaign, BJP leaders and workers will visit to Muslim communities and make them aware about the amended act.
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In Squash, India’s Veer Chotrani and Anahat Singh have qualified for the 2025 World Championships, set to be held at Chicago in the United States next month. Veer secured the coveted spot by winning the Asia Qualifying Event with a dominant 3-NIL victory over home favourite Ameeshenraj Chandaran in the men’s final held in Malaysia. 17-year-old Anahat, seeded fifth, secured the spot after defeating Hong Kong’s Toby Tse, 3-1, in the women’s singles title clash this afternoon.
The World Championships are scheduled to take place in Chicago from 9th to 17th of May.
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In IPL T20 Cricket, Punjab Kings will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Chandigarh this afternoon.
In another match, Hosts Mumbai Indians will face Chennai Super Kings this evening. The match will start at 7:30 PM in Wankhede Stadium.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Three people killed due to cloud burst in Seri Bagna area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district; 40 residential houses damaged and over 100 people rescued after flash flood hits Dharam Kund village of the district.
- India’s forex market doubles in last four years from 32 billion to 60 billion dollars, says RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra.
- US Vice President JD Vance to arrive in New Delhi tomorrow on a four-day visit to India.
- Easter, signifying the resurrection of Jesus Christ, being celebrated across the globe today.
- In Squash, India’s Veer Chotrani and Anahat Singh qualify for World Championships to be held in United States next month.
- In IPL T20 Cricket, Punjab Kings to take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru this afternoon, while Mumbai Indians to face Chennai Super Kings in the evening.
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