Water Storage Breach At Vedanta Alumina Unit In Odisha Impacts Farm Land

A water storage facility breach at miner Vedanta Aluminium's unit in Odisha has impacted agricultural land, the company said on Monday.

The incident, which happened at Vedanta's Lanjigarh alumina refinery in Odisha on Sunday, has alarmed environment experts who pointed out it was a serious matter as the toxic byproduct 'red mud' was involved.

The pumped water level, or PWL, has causticity in water, meaning it can corrode organic tissue by damaging skin, eyes and mucus membranes.

The water overflowed due to heavy rain, Vedanta Aluminium said.

Visuals of the industrial incident show process water lake downstream of a pond that appeared to have been formed by 'red mud'. A large volume of muddy red water was also seen flowing into open areas. The water covered the ground where some trees stood, and ran over other forms of vegetation.

'Red mud' is the waste generated in production of alumina from bauxite. It is also known as 'bauxite residue'.

A major environmental issue in handling or disposal of 'red mud' is the alkaline nature of waste that may pose risk of contamination due to seepage or overflow, according to the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) guidelines for handling and management of red mud generated from alumina plants.

Historically, 'red mud' has been handled in slurry form and stored in ponds that have caused adverse impacts on the environment globally, including in India, the CPCB says in the guidelines.

There were no injuries or loss of livestock due to the flooding caused by the breach, a Vedanta spokesperson said in a statement.

"There is no disruption in our current operations and the refinery continues to operate in compliance with regulatory requirements. Additionally, there is no damage to our red mud storage facility," the spokesperson said.

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Kolkata Top Cop, Health Officials Removed After Mamata Banerjee-Doctors Meet

Bengal Chief Minster Mamata Banerjee, after meeting with the protesting junior doctors, has announced that she had agreed to three of the five demands of the protesting doctors -- the removal of two top officials of the health department and the Chief of Kolkata police.  Along with it, the police chief of the city's north zone – where RG Kar Medical College, the hospital where the rape-murder of a young doctor took place, is located -- will also be removed.  The formal orders will be issued tomorrow.

"I think the meeting was positive. Am sure they think too," she said. "Or why else we will sign the minutes of the meeting and they would sign it too?" she added.

"We have accepted more of their demands, because they are young. I know they say they will go and discuss and then will decide on lifting the ceasework. But I have requested them to do so, citing the condition of patients, especially in view of the floods in some of the districts," the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister's announcement took place close to midnight, after a two-hour meeting with the protesting doctors and another 2.5 hours to type out the minutes of the meeting.

The announcement is seen as a capitulation of sorts. The Chief Minister had earlier said that city police chief Vineet Goyal would be retained for at least the Durga puja.

The demand for his removal came in view of allegations about the police role in evidence tampering after the rape-murder of August 9. This was commented on multiple times by the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court.

Last week, the Central Bureau of Investigation or the CBI, which is investigating the case, has arrested the hospital's former Principal Sandip Ghosh and a senior officer of the local police.

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Asian Champions Trophy: Hosts China Stun Pakistan To Enter Maiden Final

In a mega upset, China stunned Pakistan 2-0 (1-1) in the shootout to enter the final of the Asian Champions Trophy at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulunbuir, China. This will be the first time in the history of the tournament that the Chinese national team has made it to the title round while the second-highest number of title winners Pakistan will play for the bronze medal against the loser of the second semifinal between India and Korea. The Chinese goalkeeper Caiyu Wang was outstanding in his efforts to keep a clean slate in the shootout while Benhai Chen and Chanliang Lin scored for China. Earlier in the match, Yuanlin Lu had given China an early 1-0 lead in the 18th minute.

The first semifinal of the day truly lived up to its billing with China posing a mega threat to Pakistan's hopes of making the final right from the start. They were gritty in their pursuit, dominated the ball possession and created early chances. China were buoyed by the unprecedented support from the home crowd, who turned up in large numbers as it was a government holiday on Monday for the Mooncake Festival which marks the post-autumn harvest celebrations across China.

After a 0-0 stalemate in the opening quarter, China scored in the 18th minute through Yuanlin Lu's powerful dragflick to convert from the PC. The 1-0 lead for China put Pakistan on the backfoot. China also came up with brilliant defending in the second quarter to stop Pakistan from scoring a PC. They had created as many as five PCs this quarter but could not breach the Chinese defence.

Ahead of the start of the match, China Head Coach Jin Seung Yoo, who was a former player for Korea, said, "It's an important game for us and we are totally charged up. This is the first time China is playing the semifinal of such a prestigious event in front of home crowd. Tahir Zaman, the Head Coach of Pakistan, and I have played quite a lot against each other (when Seung played for Korea) including the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Pakistan used to crush us (Korea) in the matches."

Seung ensured this time, his team was not going to be crushed by Pakistan as they put up an inspired show. They punctured Pakistan's attack and kept the pressure on through tactful defending. Though Pakistan mustered a goal in the 37th minute through Ahmed Nadeem, China ensured they didn't concede another goal.

They played a disciplined game, tackled Pakistani attackers with strong man-to-man marking to ensure they didn't create scoring opportunities. Though Pakistan made a handful of circle entries in the following minutes in the third and the fourth quarter, China restricted their shots on goal quite effectively to keep the scoreline at a 1-1 stalemate.

Hero of the Match, Yuanlin Lu of China said, "We prepared for this match with great enthusiasm. We discussed strategies in small batches before we finally got together as a team and prepared for the match against Pakistan. It also helped that we had played a few test matches against Pakistan just before this tournament. We had won against them in some of those matches, so we were quite upbeat. This was the first time I was playing the Asian Champions Trophy and to win the Hero of the Match is special."

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

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Watch: Teacher Joins Student For Epic 'UP Wala Thumka' Dance, Wins Internet

A video featuring a student and his teacher dancing to the classic Bollywood song "UP Wala Thumka" by Govinda has gone viral, capturing the attention of social media users. The clip, from OP Jindal University in Chhattisgarh, was shared by Adarsh Ag on Instagram and has amassed 8.4 million views and over 1 million so far.

In the video, the student begins by showing off his dance moves before the teacher joins him on stage. Wearing matching black shirts and trousers, the duo impresses the audience with their coordinated steps and dynamic energy. At one point, the teacher adds extra flair by donning black sunglasses mid-dance, sparking loud cheers from the crowd.

Social media users praised the performance, with one commenting, "The teacher literally nailed it," and another adding, "He stole the show with his control and swagger." Many viewers expressed admiration for the fun teacher-student interaction, with one remarking, "Ek aisa college toh main bhi deserve karti hoon (I also deserve a college like this)."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Adarsh Ag. (@iamadarshag)

"This is amazing! I've watched this video 7 to 8 times," one user wrote, while another said, "This is what swag looks like. Sir nailed it."

The song is featured in the film Hero No. 1, which follows the story of a wealthy business heir who undertakes household chores out of love. Under the guise of Raju, a versatile individual, he sweeps, mops, cooks, sings, and dances to win over his girlfriend's family.

Directed by David Dhawan, Hero No. 1 was released on February 21, 1997.

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Do Not Create Fuss Over Facilities: Jailer Warns Kannada Actor Darshan

The jailer of the Ballari Prison has warned the Kannada actor Darshan not to create any fuss over facilities provided to him inside the prison.

"There will be serious consequences if you continue with this arrogant and obstinate attitude," the jailer has reportedly told the actor.

Sources said that Darshan has been frequently arguing with the prison staff over facilities as the jailer informed him that they could only provide what is available within the prison and advised him to submit a petition to the court if he requires additional facilities.

The jailer also reminded Darshan that the court is closely observing his behaviour in custody and his adherence to prison rules. Instead of cooperating with the prison authorities, Darshan has been violating disciplinary norms, the jailer reportedly told him.

Darshan was also found making inappropriate gestures toward the media and his family when being brought for a family meeting. Additionally, he made demands for a television of his choice, according to sources.

They said that Darshan has become increasingly frustrated in prison as his bail petition has yet to be submitted to the court. In typical cases, murder accused are granted bail after 90 days or after the charge sheet is filed. However, in Darshan's case, with photos surfacing of him receiving luxurious treatment inside the Bengaluru Prison at the time of the charge sheet submission, the bail petition was delayed.

Recently, he was seen making gestures toward the media at the Ballari Prison.

Pavithra Gowda, Darshan's partner and the prime accused in the fan murder case, withdrew her bail petition from the High Court. Her counsel had vehemently argued that the court should consider her status as a woman and a single mother when granting her bail.

The court extended the judicial custody of Darshan, his partner Pavithra Gowda and 15 other accused in the fan murder case till September 17.

The Bengaluru Police recently submitted a 3,991-page charge sheet to the court against Darshan and others accused in connection with the kidnap and murder of his fan Renukaswamy.

Darshan, Pavithra Gowda, and his associates are in the dock for the gruesome murder of Darshan's fan Renukaswamy in Bengaluru on June 8. Renukaswamy was kidnapped from his hometown, Chitradurga, brought to Bengaluru, kept in a shed, and tortured to death. After he died, his body was thrown into a canal.

The incident came to light after the security personnel of a private apartment building saw the body being dragged by a pack of dogs.

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

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Brazil Court Blocks Couple's Chosen Baby Name To Prevent Bullying In Future

A Brazilian court banned a couple from naming their newborn after an Egyptian king, citing the possibility that it could lead to bullying. Catarina and Danillo Primola wanted to give their newborn boy the name Piye-a historic figure who was the first black pharaoh of Egypt. Piye was an important figure, ruling Egypt for 30 years while helping establish the 25th dynasty.

However, the court intervened stating a fear that the unusual name would expose him to ridicule and bullying during his lifetime. In coming to this judgment, the court clearly compromised its cultural objective of understanding the naming tradition for the potential social life the child was likely to face.

"There was a word there that talked about the black pharaoh," Danillo Primola told Daily Mail. "We went to research what it was like and we found the story of Piie, who was a Nubian warrior who fought and conquered Egypt and became the first black pharaoh."

They chose to name their son in honor of Piye because of the importance of maintaining a link to their African ancestry.

'Recovering African names is a powerful way to give a new narrative to the history of black people,' Danillo Prímola said. 'We have the right to educate our children with this strength, this culture and in a way that they have representation in their name.'

According to the news portal, in their ruling, court said that pronunciation of the pharaoh's name is similar to that of the Portuguese word 'plie,' which is a ballet dance step.

"That is why the sound and spelling of the name were preponderant for the rejection," the Minas Gerais Court of Justice said, 'since they would be capable of causing future embarrassment to the child."

"We know that bullying cannot be combated by prohibiting it, nor can it be combated by oppression," Danillo Prímola said. "Bullying can be combated by studying and working on the ignorance of society as a whole."

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'Dhoni Lost Cool, Kicked Water Bottle Out Of Park,' Reveals Ex-CSK Star

MS Dhoni is widely known as 'Captain Cool' for maintaining a calm demeanour even in adverse situations. This trait alongside his tactical acumen and self-belief has helped Dhoni become one of the greatest leaders of all time. Notably, Dhoni is the only captain in cricket history to win all three major ICC white-ball trophies - T20 World Cup (in 2007), Cricket World Cup (In 2011) and the Champions Trophy (in 2013). Not only this, Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a record equalling five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles as well.

Dhoni's former India and ex-CSK teammate Subramaniam Badrinath has revealed an unheard tale of the legendary player. The incident that Badrinath narrated had the rare instance of Dhoni losing his cool.

"He is also a human...he has lost his cool," Badrinath told InsideSport.

"But that has never happened on the field. He would never let the opposition know that he had lost his cool. In this match against RCB in Chennai, we were chasing 110 odd. We lost wickets in a cluster there and we ended up losing the match.

"I got out to a lap shot against Anil Kumble. I was LBW. So, I was standing inside the dressing room, and he was coming inside, where there was a small water bottle. MS just kicked it out of the park. We all just couldn't make eye contact with him," Badrinath added.

While the IPL mega auction is just some months away, the uncertainty over Dhoni's future in the tournament is still uncertain. Amid the speculations of his retirement, the player has remained tight-lipped about the chances of his participation in IPL 2025.

Additionally, a mega auction before the upcoming edition means that things are going to be tough for the CSK franchise if they opt to include Dhoni as a player.

43-year-old Dhoni, who called time on his international career in August, 2020, is close to his retirement from cricket. Hence, it would not be a right decision if CSK decide to retain him as it will fill one of the few slots that the franchise will be getting ahead of the auction. Meanwhile, CSK would also not want to exclude the legendary captain.

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