To enhance governance and public service delivery, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday directed all Deputy Commissioners to hold a weekly coordination meeting.

Emphasising direct public engagement, he asked the Deputy Commissioners and the Superintendents of Police for a night halt in villages once a month to address public grievances.

The Chief Minister reiterated the importance of strict compliance with directives regarding night halts and regular touring by the Deputy Commissioners and the Superintendents of Police to build public trust and improve law enforcement.

The EPFO has completed the full-scale rollout of the new Centralised Pension Payments System (CPPS) across all its disbursing offices in a landmark move towards enhancing pension services, the Ministry for Labour and Employment said.

About Rs 1,570 crore was disbursed as the pension amount to more than 68 lakh pensioners pertaining to all the 122 pension disbursing regional offices of EPFO for December 2024, the Ministry said.

The CPPS is a paradigm shift from the existing pension disbursement system that is decentralised, with each Zonal/Regional Office of EPFO maintaining separate agreements with only 3-4 banks. In CPPS, not only will the pensioner be able to take a pension from any bank, but there will also be no need for pensioners to visit the bank for any verification at the time of commencement of pension and the pension will be immediately credited upon release.

Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar is set to start filming for his upcoming movie ‘Bhooth Bangla’ on Sunday.

For the film, the superstar is joining forces with Priyadarshan. Both of them have delivered several blockbusters and cult films together including the fan favourite ‘Hera Pheri’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa', 'Garam Masala' and others.

The schedule will be shot in Jaipur after filming in Mumbai last month. The team is now heading to the Pink City, where the next chapter of the horror-comedy will unfold.

‘Bhooth Bangla’ promises to be a perfect blend of thrills and laughter, as the film explores the haunted house genre with a comedic twist. Akshay, known for his impeccable comic timing, is expected to bring his magic charm to the character, while Priyadarshan’s direction is anticipated to give the film a fresh, engaging vibe. The Jaipur schedule is expected to include several outdoor shoots in the city’s iconic locales, adding a rich cultural backdrop to the film.

Directed by Priyadarshan, Bhooth Bangla is produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ektaa R Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms and Akshay Kumar's production house, Cape of Good Films. The film is co-produced by Faara Sheikh and Vedant Baali. The story is written by Akash A Kaushik and screenplay by Rohan Shankar, Abilash Nair and Priyadarshan. The dialogues are by Rohan Shankar.

An infection from the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) can typically result in flu-like symptoms such as a cough, fever, a blocked nose, and some shortness of breath, said experts on Saturday, noting that there is nothing to worry about.

Several photos and videos emerged on social media showing hospitals in China swamped with people amid rising cases of HMPV -- causing respiratory illness --, and raising serious concerns of another pandemic akin to Covid-19.

“An HMPV infection results typically in a cough, fever, a blocked nose, and some shortness of breath. A small fraction, between 5 and 10 per cent of all respiratory infections during the flu season everywhere are caused by this virus,” said Menon.

To tackle traffic congestion, three flyovers will be constructed at Ghata Mor, Khushbu Chowk DLF and Pali Chowk Crusher Zone on the Gurugram-Faridabad State Highway.

The Public Works Department (PWD) officials said the consultant had prepared the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the project.

The PWD Department will soon complete all the formalities and send it to the Haryana government for further approval.

The officials said once the project is completed, it will provide great relief to the commuters travelling between the two major districts of the state.

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald accused India of intimidating 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas with the way visitors surrounded him at the end of Day 1 of the fifth Test in an intimidating celebration.

The incident took place on the last ball of Day 1, when young Konstas, who has repeatedly gotten under the skin of the visitors since making his debut in the fourth Test, was involved in an animated chat with skipper Jasprit Bumrah before the Indian spearhead went on to dismiss Usman Khawaja on the very next delivery.

A pumped-up Bumrah gave a fiery send-off instead to Konstas, with the Indian fielders joining in, as the visitors’ had some cheers at the end of a tough day.

"My conversation to him (Konstas) was just around whether he's okay. Clearly, the way that India celebrated was quite intimidating It's clearly within the Laws of the Game, within the rules and regulations – there's been no charges laid.

Former India spinner and Mumbai Indians captain Harbhajan Singh is all set to represent Haryana Gladiators in the upcoming Legend 90 League, which is scheduled to be played in February 2025. Harbhajan, a veteran of 103 Tests and 236 ODIs, will bring his unmatched experience and skillset to the Gladiators, making them a team to watch in this innovative tournament.

Joining Harbhajan in the Haryana Gladiators lineup will be former Australian cricketer Ben Dunk, Sri Lankan all-rounder Asela Gunaratne, and bowler Pawan Suyal. Indian players Anureet Singh and Praveen Gupta will also don the Haryana Gladiators colours, making it a formidable unit in the fast-paced 90-ball cricket. The Haryana Gladiators franchise is owned by Shubh Infra a leading real estate firm committed to excellence and innovation.

Speaking about the team, Harish Garg, Director of Shubh Infra said, "The Haryana Gladiators are a team built on the values of courage, determination, and excellence. With Harbhajan Singh leading the charge alongside a talented squad, we are confident of making a strong mark in the Legend 90 League."

Four army soldiers died and and one injured in a road accident in J&K’s Bandipora district on Saturday. Initial reports said that Army vehicle veered off the road suddenly and dropped into a deep gorge in Saderkoot Payeen area.

Five army soldiers were injured in this accident. They were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital where attending doctors said two soldiers were dead on arrival.

Three critically injured soldiers were bring shifted to Srinagar for specialised treatment.

Coal production reached an all-time high of 1,039.59 million tonnes (provisional) in 2024, marking a significant 7.28 per cent growth compared to the previous year’s total of 969.07 MT, the government said on Saturday.

Similarly, coal dispatches also reached a record high, with 1,012.72 MT (provisional) dispatched across the nation, surpassing the 950.39 MT recorded in 2023 by 6.56 per cent, revealed the government data.

"This consistent growth in both production and dispatch underscores the sector’s commitment to ensuring timely availability of coal for power generation and other industries, further bolstering national energy security," said the Ministry of Coal in a statement.

The ministry further stated that the focus on optimising coal production and infrastructure development aligns with the goal of reducing dependence on coal imports, strengthening the country’s self-sufficiency, and contributing to long-term sustainable growth.