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PRAYAGRAJ: The initial survey for a proposed six-lane bridge over the Yamuna River in Prayagraj officially began, marking the first step in a major infrastructure project aimed at improving connectivity in the region ahead of the Maha Kumbh.
The bridge is proposed to connect Madouka in Naini to Karelabagh (near the Kareli area of the city) and is expected to ease traffic congestion and boost regional development.
The proposal for the bridge was passed during a cabinet meeting chaired by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on January 22. The meeting approved the construction of two new bridges—one, a six-lane bridge across the Yamuna from Madouka to Karelabagh, and the other, a four-lane bridge over the Ganga from Salori to Hetapatti.
Authorities started the initial survey work for both proposed projects. Last month, the initial survey was done for the bridge over the Ganga, and now preparations for the Yamuna bridge have already taken a concrete shape.
In just two and a half months since the cabinet approval, the survey work was initiated under the supervision of the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation.
The govt entrusted the corporation with the responsibility of preparing a detailed project outline, and within four days of receiving the directive, the departmental officials formed a dedicated team to begin the on-ground survey in the Madouka and Karelabagh areas.
The survey will focus on several key parameters such as the ideal location for the bridge’s entry and exit points, the required height considering the two existing bridges over the Yamuna, and the land acquisition necessary for the project.
Project Manager Rohit Mishra confirmed that the survey work will continue for two weeks, after which a detailed project report (DPR) will be compiled and submitted to the govt within 15 days.
This new bridge is expected to significantly enhance the transportation network of the Sangam city, especially as it gears up for the Maha Kumbh. Once completed, the six-lane bridge will not only improve intra-city travel but also play a vital role in managing the massive influx of pilgrims and visitors during the religious gathering.

US President Donald Trump wants other countries to import more American beef and poultry. Several countries have restricted importing these products for decades because they don’t meet their food safety regulations.
In an announcement on April 2, Trump called out Australian restrictions on US beef, saying: “We imported $3 billion [€2.7 billion] of Australian beef from them just last year alone. They won’t take any of our beef.”
His administration also singled out the UK and EU for “non-science-based” restrictions on importing US beef, and Argentina for its ban of live US cattle exports.
Trump has used these import bans as part of his rationale to impose new trade tariffs.
Why do countries ban US beef imports?
There are different reasons why Australia, Argentina, the European Union and the United Kingdom don’t import some American beef products.
For Australia and Argentina, the restrictions date back to 2003 when bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was detected in US cattle. BSE is a disease which affects the nervous system of cattle caused by misfolded proteins known as prions. It’s also known as Mad Cow Disease.
Humans can become infected with the disease when they eat meat contaminated with BSE. It is known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Globally, a total of 233 people have died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease after eating BSE-infected meat.
US health authorities reduced the spread of BSE among US cattle sufficiently to see the ban on beef exports to Australia lifted in 2019.
“There may be a feeling from some producers or companies in the US that Australia is banning US beef, but there’s no ban in place,” said Robyn Alders, a veterinary scientist at the Australian National University.
But US imports are still restricted if they don’t meet Australia’s strict biosecurity laws. For US beef to be allowed into Australia, US cattle farmers must prove their cattle are entirely bred, grown and slaughtered in the US.
“To do that [tracing] in a way that would still make their product a cost-efficient thing to ship that product across to Australia, there are very few companies — virtually none at the moment — that are willing to take that on,” Alders said.
Argentina lifted its BSE ban on American beef products in 2018 but has maintained the restriction on live cattle imports until the two countries finalize a new “sanitary certificate”.
No added hormones for Europe and the UK
The EU and UK have restricted US beef imports since 1989 because the US cattle industry sometimes uses growth hormones to increase meat and milk yields. The EU does import non-hormone-treated beef from the US.
US dairy and cattle farmers routinely use hormones like estradiol 17ß and testosterone to promote faster growth and improve feed efficiency.
The EU’s ban rationale, which is also maintained by the UK post-Brexit, is based on its own scientific evaluation showing that daily intake of growth hormones can have negative health impacts, including evidence that estradiol 17ß can cause cancerous tumor growth.
The US cattle industry has argued against the EU’s restrictions, saying food safety testing in the US shows no risk to adult health.
“[However], the European perspective is that the entire population does not consist only of health adults, but [also] of infants, children, the elderly, the immunologically compromised,” said Erik Millstone, an expert in food and science policy at the University of Sussex, UK.
“EU authorities have done a much more comprehensive assessment of the risk of consuming hormone-treated beef [compared to US authorities],” Millstone said.
Chlorinated chicken banned in Europe tooThe US has also criticized EU bans on importing US poultry that has been cleaned in chlorine.
US poultry farmers wash poultry meat in chlorine solutions to kill harmful bacteria such as campylobacter, which commonly causes food poisoning.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said that chemical substances in poultry meat are unlikely to pose a health risk for consumers.
However, European authorities are concerned that rinsing chicken in chlorine at the end of the food production process allows lower standards of hygiene and animal welfare in earlier stages.
EU regulations legislate animal welfare at all stages of the “farm to fork” process.
Millstone adds that some research shows that chlorine rinsing may not actually have the intended effect of decontaminating meat.
“The chlorinated water was not an effective disinfectant. The bacteria remained in place, remained pathogenic, remained dangerous, infectious, but were just not detected,” Millstone said.
As a result, rates of bacterial food poisoning in the US are substantially higher than they are in the European Union or UK, Millstone said.
What do US producers need to do?For the time being, US animal farming practices are either incompatible or too impractical to meet the food safety demands of export markets.
Australia and Argentina are open to importing US beef, but US producers must meet their regulatory standards.
For the UK and EU, it’s a more difficult path, which would require US producers to cease using growth hormones in beef production and end the practice of chlorine washing in poultry.
Polling data suggest Europeans are against allowing US meat products in — a 2020 poll found 80% of the British public are against allowing imports of chlorinated chicken.

Enjoying yourself and having a relaxing time are the main goals of any vacation. It is the perfect way to escape from the monotony of daily life. While planning the itinerary of all the stunning places you will visit is fun and exciting, getting to your hotel might be a problem if you are travelling with heavy luggage. In a viral Instagram video, an experienced traveller shared her secret trick to avoid using stairs while walking the streets in a new city. The expert said that Google Maps can be used to look out for a stairs free route to their destination.

Also Read: Watch: Ostrich Pecks Boris Johnson Through Window, Internet Can’t Stop Laughing 

To know about a stairs free route, first you will have to turn on Google Maps and type in your two and from destination. Then, you should click on the three little dots in the upper right hand corner and it’ll bring up “Options”. Click on the options and you’ll see a selection where you can slide over the button for wheelchair accessible. The woman claims that once you turn on the said option, Google Maps will suggest a route that will avoid stairs and even get you elevators to help you save your back on your travel adventures.

Watch the full video below:

Internet users shared their thoughts in the comment section. One user wrote, “Oh wow, I’m a wheelchair user and I didn’t know about this. Thanks for the info!”

Another added, “Wow! Thank you. Had no idea this was even possible to choose.”

Someone wrote, “Oh my goodness this is great! I have wanted to take those cruise offers to Europe but stairs were holding me back. Heading to Aruba soon and I will use this if I need to. Thanks.”

“Great advice thanks,” read a comment.

Also Read: European Airlines’ Mystery Destination Flight Sold Out In 4 Minutes – Here’s Where It Landed

Do you often travel with heavy luggage? Try this hack and let us know if you like it or not!

A Delhi court has received the trial records of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks ahead of its alleged mastermind Tahawwur Hussain Rana’s arrival in India from the US, a court source said.

Mr Rana, a key accused in the 2008 attacks, is being brought to India on a special flight on Thursday after his last-ditch attempt to evade extradition failed as the US Supreme Court justices rejected his application.

The records were received by the court of District Judge Vimal Kumar Yadav recently in pursuance of his January 28 direction to the staff of a Mumbai court to send the records.

The judge passed the order on an application moved by the National Investigation Agency in Delhi, seeking to retrieve the records from Mumbai.

The trial court records were previously sent to Mumbai due to the presence of multiple cases related to the 26/11 attacks in both cities.

In a setback to Mr Rana, a US court had earlier ruled that the Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman could be extradited to India where is wanted for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists.

Mr Rana, 64, is a close associate of one of the main conspirators of the attacks, David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani, a US citizen.

On November 26, 2008, a group of 10 Pakistani terrorists went on a rampage, carrying out a coordinated attack on a railway station, two luxury hotels and a Jewish centre, after they sneaked into India’s financial capital using the sea route in the Arabian Sea.

As many as 166 people were killed in the nearly 60-hour assault

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

Myanmar Earthquake (AP file photo)

MYANMAR: In the wake of Myanmar‘s devastating earthquake, thousands of displaced families now face an escalating health crisis, as the threat of dengue outbreaks rises sharply across makeshift camps, an official press release by the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated.
The WHO, in coordination with local health authorities, has stepped in to launch an urgent prevention and control effort in some of the country’s hardest-hit regions.
“We lost everything in the earthquake–then my daughter got sick with high fever,” said Daw Nandar, cradling her 8-year-old daughter under the plastic sheet they now call home in Mandalay.
“At first, we thought her fever was just from the stress and heat–after all we’d been through. But days passed, and it only got worse. We had no money for treatment, no clinic nearby, nowhere to turn. Luckily, the health workers arrived and tested her right away. Because of them, my daughter received all the care she needed. She is recovering faster now.”
Her voice echoes the experience of many in Sagaing, Mandalay, and Nay Pyi Taw–regions that not only suffered structural damage in the earthquake but are now grappling with fragile shelter conditions, stagnant water, and increased mosquito exposure. These compounding factors create ideal conditions for the rapid spread of dengue, a disease particularly dangerous for children and pregnant women.
To avert a secondary public health emergency, WHO is deploying 4,500 rapid diagnostic test kits to frontline responders and health workers. These will be used in displacement sites and remote villages to ensure dengue cases are detected and treated early.
In addition, 500 tent nets are being distributed to protect children and infants from mosquito bites. A shipment of 6.2 tons of Temephos is also being used for targeted larviciding in areas identified as high-risk mosquito breeding grounds.
“We cannot wait for dengue to become the next disaster,” said Elena Vuolo, Deputy Head of WHO Country Office Myanmar. “This intervention is not just about vector control. It’s about protecting lives, preventing further suffering, and making sure recovery is built on resilience. If we don’t act now, a dengue outbreak will follow soon in these open-air living conditions. The most important part of this initiative is that we are targeting our support to those who would otherwise be left behind.”
This dengue prevention push is a crucial part of WHO’s broader emergency health response, which includes treating earthquake-related injuries and preventing disease outbreaks in overcrowded camps. The challenge is compounded by the oncoming monsoon season, which could drastically increase mosquito populations and disease transmission, the press release stated.
Overcrowded tents, poor waste management, and damaged infrastructure have all contributed to mosquito breeding in affected areas. With water supply systems disrupted, families are being forced to store water in open containers–another major risk factor. Meanwhile, the absence of reliable healthcare access in quake-hit zones makes early diagnosis and treatment of dengue difficult, potentially leading to a surge in severe cases.
“This is what building resilience means,” Vuolo added. “We cannot wait for the next outbreak. We need to prevent it now and protect those most at risk–that’s how we lay the foundation for stronger, healthier communities after everything else has been lost.”
In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, WHO launched a Flash Appeal for USD 8 million to fund life-saving trauma care, prevent infectious disease outbreaks, and restore basic health services across affected regions over the next 30 days.
The agency continues to advocate for donor support, emphasising that each contribution helps sustain operations in the hardest-hit areas, stated the press release.
With temporary camps still overflowing and infrastructure in ruins, WHO’s efforts underline a simple but urgent truth: public health cannot be an afterthought in crisis response. For the families like Daw Nandar’s–living in uncertainty, clinging to recovery–the work of prevention may well be the difference between survival and collapse.

What started as widespread pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Bangladesh turned into an all-out attack on major international brands. As the Israeli offensive in Gaza intensified over the last couple of weeks, protesters turned violent, vandalising Bata, Pizza Hut and KFC stores.

In cities and towns across Bangladesh – including Dhaka, Bogra, Sylhet and Cox’s Bazar – large crowds gathered to voice support for Gaza. The demonstrations, initially peaceful, soon turned violent, targeting outlets believed to have links to Israel.

In Bogra, a group of protestors vandalised a Bata showroom, smashing glass walls. The crowd marched from local educational institutions before zeroing in on the store, according to Dhaka Tribune.

In Sylhet, KFC became a focal point of protest. Demonstrators damaged products and soft drinks associated with Israeli companies. Meanwhile, in Cox’s Bazar, protestors hurled stones at signboards of Pizza Hut and KFC, breaking windows and vandalising property.

Similar scenes played out in Chittagong, where KFC and Pizza Hut outlets were damaged.

On social media, several videos and images showed mobs vandalising properties across cities in Bangladesh.

Bata, KFC, and Pizza Hut outlets vandalised during nationwide protests in #Bangladesh over Israeli actions in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/ilUU6qHx9U

— The Federal (@TheFederal_News) April 9, 2025

SHOCKING NEWS ???? Bangladeshi radicals attack Pizza Hut, KFC, Bata stores.

They said these are Israel-linked businesses.

Mob is holding nationwide anti-Israel protests in Bangladesh. They even looted Pizzas & shoes.

Foreign investors must think twice before investing in… pic.twitter.com/fHCXe9TeZx

— Times Algebra (@TimesAlgebraIND) April 8, 2025

A massive protest march was organized by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Chattogram City in solidarity with #Palestine.#GlobalStrikeForGaza #FreeGaza #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/xJr3kBbdQ3

— Basherkella – বাঁশেরকেল্লা (@basherkella) April 8, 2025

Amid growing chaos, Bata issued a strong response refuting claims about its alleged political affiliations. “Bata Globally is a privately held, family-owned company founded in the Czech Republic, with no political ties to the conflict. It is deeply regrettable that some of our retail locations in Bangladesh have recently been subjected to vandalism, apparently triggered by these false narratives,” the company said in a statement, according to Dhaka Tribune.

The Inspector General of Police, Baharul Alam, has instructed officers across the country to identify and arrest those involved in the vandalism. Authorities are combing through video footage to pinpoint culprits, warning that any form of violence under the guise of protest would not be tolerated.

The security was heightened near the US Embassy in Dhaka, where protestors raised anti-American slogans – some even directed at US President Donald Trump.

The unrest has deepened the political rift between the caretaker government and the opposition. While interim leader Dr Muhammad Yunus condemned the violence, the Awami League – led by ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina – accused the government of allowing extremism to fester.

Air India Express pilot was not feeling well after landing at the Delhi airport.

A Bengaluru woman recounted her terrifying experience of being trapped in a malfunctioning lift at Kempegowda International Airport’s Terminal 2. In a post on X, Macqueline Fernandez described how she, her family, including two senior citizens were stuck in the erratic lift for nearly 15 minutes before their international flight. 

“Stuck in the lift of T2 for nearly 15 min with continuous jerking along with my family, including 2 senior citizens! Jolt bolting experience to go through just before boarding an international flight.Flight, if you ask me! What hazard standards are these?” the tweet read. She also tagged the Bengaluru airport and the Airports Authority of India. 

See the post here:

Stuck in the lift of T2 nearly 15min with continuous jerking along with my family including 2 senior citizens! Jolt bolting experience to go through just before boarding an Intl.Flight if you ask me! @BLRAirport @blrairport_kn @AAI_Official What hazard standards are these? pic.twitter.com/f1HQQCmJjC

— Macqueline Fernandez (@Macqueline1) April 8, 2025

In another tweet, she expressed her disappointment with the airport security staff’s response, stating that she received “zero empathy” after the distressing incident. She recounted how her family was on the verge of panic, fearing the lift might collapse, but was left to deal with the situation without any support or assistance from the security personnel.

She further highlighted the lack of amenities in the lift, such as a telephone, and the need to repeatedly press the alarm button to get attention. “No telephone inside the lift. If we hadn’t pressed the alarm button constantly, I don’t think we would have gotten attention. Calls out the absolute lack of control in such situations and a place like Blr International airport standards,” she wrote in response to a comment. 

Ms Fernandez later updated her social media post, sharing that she received an apology call from the airport authority, expressing regret for the distressing experience. “@BLRAirport Thanks for the call. The least I expect in a place like T2 is uninterrupted lift service. How can you have a lapse/break in power supply for an elevator?” she wrote.

@BLRAirport Thanks for the call. Mr. Guru was probably the only professional who empathised and spoke to me with courtesy about the situation. The least I expect in a place like T2 is uninterrupted lift service. How can you have a lapse/break in power supply for an elevator?

— Macqueline Fernandez (@Macqueline1) April 8, 2025

The official account of Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru also replied to her tweet, apologising and offering to address the issue. “Hello @Macqueline1, thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Your feedback is valuable and will be addressed as a priority. Kindly share your contact number via DM for our team to connect with you,” the tweet read.