Breaking News Today Live Updates: Heads of CIA, MI6 issue joint call for ceasefire in Gaza

The death toll from a tragic fire at a primary school dormitory in central Kenya has risen to 21 children, the government announced on Saturday. "Investigations into the fatalities have been completed, and we are deeply saddened to report that 19 bodies have been recovered from the scene," government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said. He added that two more children died in the hospital.

Deutsche Bahn reports 'massive disruptions' to rail services in Central Germany due to technical fault

Russia announced on Saturday that its troops had captured another village in eastern Ukraine as their advance continues. The defence ministry stated that Russian forces "have liberated the village of Kalynove" in the Donetsk region, near the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk, which remains under Kyiv's control.

As per the news agency Reuters, Russian artillery shelling in Ukraine's Kostyantynivka has resulted in the deaths of three people, while three others have been wounded, according to the regional governor.

The attack adds to the ongoing devastation in the region as hostilities continue between Russian forces and Ukraine.

India has extended medical assistance to the Republic of Chad, delivering essential life-saving antibiotics and general medicines, informed MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on social media platform X.

This response comes in light of a recent deadly fire incident in the country. The aid aims to support Chad in managing the aftermath and addressing urgent healthcare needs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with National Award-winning teachers in Delhi and emphasised the importance of natural farming.

He stated, "Our focus is on natural farming. It has become imperative to save mother nature, especially given the atrocities we are committing against it. Natural farming seems to be a good remedy for this."

The interaction took place as part of PM Modi's discussions with the awardees. These teachers were awarded on the occasion of Teacher's Day on 5 September by President Draupadi Murmu.

BJP leader and former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, on Saturday, claimed that the recent political developments involving wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joining the Congress Party have proven his earlier accusations. Singh reiterated his stance that the wrestlers' movement, which had been protesting against him for alleged misconduct, was orchestrated by the Congress party as a political conspiracy.

Brij Bhushan Singh told news agency ANI, "On 18th January 2023, when the protest started at Jantar Mantar, I said that this is not a movement of sportspersons, Congress is behind it. Especially Bhupinder Hooda, Deepender Hooda, Priyanka ji, and Rahul ji. This is a movement of Congress. And today this thing has been proved. In this entire movement, the conspiracy that happened against us, Congress was involved in it and Bhupinder Hooda was leading it."

Singh’s allegations refer to the months-long protest led by prominent Indian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, demanding action against Singh for alleged sexual harassment against female athletes. The wrestlers claimed they were protesting to ensure justice and to safeguard the dignity of women athletes in the country. However, Singh has consistently denied these charges, arguing that the protests were politically motivated, with Congress playing a key role behind the scenes.

Further elaborating on his claims, Singh criticised the wrestlers for allegedly shaming Haryana's daughters through their actions. "Due to them, the daughters of Haryana are facing embarrassment. We are not responsible for it, Bhupinder Hooda and Deepender Hooda and these protesters are responsible for it," Singh said. He emphasised that the movement was not about fighting for women's honour but was driven by political interests. "They used daughters for politics and defamed daughters, especially women athletes. They were not fighting for the honour of daughters; they were fighting for politics."

Referring to the specific charges of misconduct levelled against him, Singh reiterated that he was not in Delhi on the day of the alleged incident and questioned the motives behind the accusations. He also accused Phogat, Punia, and Hooda of being responsible for the tarnishing of women’s reputations, adding that Congress would eventually regret its involvement in the protests.

Singh stated, "I am not guilty of disrespecting daughters. If anyone is guilty of disrespecting daughters, it is Bajrang and Vinesh. And the one who wrote the script, Bhupinder Hooda, is responsible for that."

This fresh statement from Singh comes just a day after wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress Party, ahead of the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. Both athletes have had distinguished careers, with Punia winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and Phogat recently becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the finals of the Paris Olympics.

Phogat has been fielded as a Congress candidate from the Julana constituency for the Haryana polls, while Bajrang Punia has been appointed as the working president of the All India Kisan Congress. Their decision to join the party follows their resignation from their respective positions in Northern Railways, signalling their entry into active politics.

Punia and Phogat joined Congress in the presence of senior party leaders KC Venugopal, Pawan Khera, Udai Bhan and Haryana in-charge Deepak Babaria, marking a significant political shift that has intensified the debate over the true motives behind the wrestlers' protests. Singh's remarks have once again sparked controversy, as the wrestlers and Congress continue to advocate that the protests were about ensuring justice and safety for women in sports.

In a tragic incident, four people lost their lives and six others were injured when a van collided with a truck in Vidisha district, Madhya Pradesh.

Local police confirmed the accident, and investigations are underway.

Boeing's uncrewed Starliner capsule successfully returned to Earth, landing gently in New Mexico at around 04:01 GMT.

The spacecraft, which had travelled to the International Space Station, returned without the crew due to Nasa's decision that the risk was too high.

During its landing, its descent was slowed by parachutes and cushioned by airbags.

In a tragic incident, two workers of the Mulund Cha Raja Ganpati Mandal were struck by a speeding car at 4:00 am. One worker has died, while the other is in critical condition.

Mumbai Police have registered a case and are actively searching for the driver responsible.

Two coaches of the Somnath Express derailed in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries have been reported so far. Further details are awaited as authorities assess the situation.

A man suspected of going on a three-hour shooting rampage in Northern California and killing 81 animals, including miniature horses, goats and chickens, pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty and other charges.

Vicente Arroyo, 39, made his first court appearance Thursday after Monterey County Sheriff deputies arrested him earlier in the week for allegedly using several weapons to shoot the animals being housed in pens and cages on a lot in the small community of Prunedale.

The animal owners do not want to be identified or speak with the media, Monterey County Sheriff Commander Andres Rosas told The Associated Press Friday.

“I went out there, and it was a pretty traumatic scene. These were people’s pets,” he said.

One of the miniature horses belonged to the owner of the lot where the animals were housed, and the other 80 belonged to someone who rented the land to house their pets, Rosas said.

France's next government will not be limited to members of his own conservative political grouping but will also include members of President Emmanuel Macron's centrist camp, Prime Minister Michel Barnier said on Friday.

Giving his first interview as government chief following his nomination on Thursday, Barnier said his government, which lacks a clear majority in a hung lower house of parliament, will also be open to members of the left.

"We need to open the door ... to all those who want it," Barnier said.

The Delhi government on Friday directed the government schools to conduct mental-health check-ups of the students for their well-being by introducing comprehensive counseling services, according to an official statement. Delhi education minister Atishi instructed the Directorate of Education (DoE) to draft a blueprint for the initiative following the success of a pilot phase that provided counseling to over 20,000 students across 20 schools, said the statement.

Atishi directed the DoE to prepare a blueprint for expanding counseling services to all government schools here, ensuring timely support for the students' mental health needs, it said.

She said that the pilot phase ran for a year in which the Educational and Vocational Guidance Counselors (EVGC) and school psychologists worked with the students to maintain their mental health, said the statement.

Atishi mentioned that group sessions and social-emotional learning programs helped the students manage stress and stay emotionally healthy, it stated.

The statement said that she also met with the school psychologists and EVGC counselors to discuss their experiences and gather feedback in a session.

Over a month after a BJP worker alleged that he was shot at and injured in Chandausi area of the district, he and three others were arrested on Friday for staging the incident, police said. "On July 27, Prem Pal (55), a worker of the BJP's local unit, had alleged that some people shot at him following a land dispute. His shoulder was also injured with an alleged gun shot wound," Circle Officer Pradeep Kumar said.

Based on Pal's complaint, the police, shortly after the incident, arrested Dileep, Shyam Lal and Hemant, who were later sent to jail, CO Kumar said.

However, further investigation revealed that Pal had staged the attack, he said.

"We found that Prem Pal with the help of Rahul and Jayveer and two compounders -- Amir and Sharafat -- had staged the attack. The aim was to frame Dileep, Shyam Lal and Hemant, with whom Pal had an ongoing land dispute, in a false case of attempt to murder," the CO said.

As part of the plan, Prem sought help of the two compounders to inflict a minor cut on his back and insert a bullet into the wound to make it appear as though he had been shot, Kumar said.

"Based on the findings of our investigation, Dileep, Shyam Lal and Hemant have been released from jail. We have arrested Prem Pal, Rahul and the two compounders. Efforts are on to arrest Jayveer," he added.

Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday graced the ground-breaking ceremony of India's first silicon carbide manufacturing facility to be set up in Odisha at an investment of Rs 620 crore. The project will be developed by RIR Power Electronics Limited, a leader in India's semiconductor power electronics technology at the EMC Park, Infovalley, Bhubaneswar.

This development places India and the state of Odisha squarely at the forefront of the global power electronics market, an official said.

Attending the event, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, "The establishment of RIR Power Electronics Limited's facility is another notable step in our ongoing journey to make Odisha a leading semiconductor hub in India."

He said this new facility will not only create state-of-the-art products but also open up a wealth of opportunities for our talented youth, providing them with avenues to work at the cutting edge of technology right here in Odisha.

"The facility will attract skilled professionals, foster local innovation, drive economic growth, and further solidify Odisha's position as one of India's most promising destinations for electronics and semiconductor manufacturing," the chief minister said.

Officials said that RIR's products are sold internationally, across North America, Europe and Asia for use in sectors such as Railway, Defence, Power, Transportation, Aerospace and Sustainable Energy.