Global football icon Lionel Messi made a special visit to Vantara, a wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation centre founded by Anant Ambani. At the centre, initiatives traditionally begin with seeking blessings in accordance with Sanatana Dharma, which emphasises reverence for nature and respect for all living beings. Lionel Messi marvels at a lion Messi’s visit…
Do you know what the stars hold for you in terms of love life, career, business and personal wellness today? Well, read on to know your astrological predictions as per your zodiac sign for December 17. Aries March 21 – April 20Singles find their spouse in an unusual manner. Wondering how to take career to…
Two people sustained burn injuries after a gas cylinder blast in a chawl at Mankhurd area of eastern Mumbai on Tuesday evening, civic officials said. According to the officials, the blast took place in a room of a chawl located on 30 Feet Road in Janata Nagar area of Mandala. The explosion damaged a portion…
Commuters travelling on the Jogeshwari–Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) in Mumbai on Tuesday evening faced severe traffic congestion near Powai, with many reporting delays of several hours. Traffic on the busy stretch came to a near standstill reportedly as large crowds gathered for IIT Bombay’s annual cultural festival, mood-indigo. Traffic officials said the spillover of students…
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday signalled a generational shift by placing party leader and Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray at the forefront of its poll campaign for the upcoming BMC Election 2026. Addressing party workers and leaders, Aaditya Thackeray showcased his party`s past records, achievements and works done by the Shiv Sena (UBT)…
A new elevated deck has been opened for passenger use at Vasai Road railway station to ease congestion on busy platforms, an official statement said on Tuesday. The facility has been commissioned by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) and is expected to significantly improve crowd movement at the station, it said. The elevated deck…
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra has set an ambitious goal of winning over 150 seats in the January 15 elections to the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), news agency PTI reported, quoting party leaders on Tuesday. Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam emphasised that the ruling alliance is working with a clear focus on crossing…
Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad on Tuesday said the party will contest the upcoming BMC Election 2026 on local civic issues, asserting that voters will not be influenced by what she described as the BJP’s “religious agenda”, reported the PTI. Elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, are scheduled to be held on…
Ahead of the BMC Election 2026 in January, the Mumbai civic body has launched a crackdown on political banners, posters, hoardings and flags in the city as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect on Monday. The BMC officials on Tuesday said that as many as 1323 political banners and 293 flags were…
The Czech Republic has reopened its Consulate in Mumbai, marking the return of consular operations to the city after nearly 15 years. The move is expected to significantly ease access to Czech (Schengen) visas for travellers from western and southern India, while strengthening leisure, business and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) travel ties with…
Over one crore voters in Mumbai will decide who governs the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the next five years when elections to the country’s richest civic body are held next month. The BMC on Tuesday published the final electoral rolls on its official portal, showing a total of 1,03,44,315 voters spread across all 227…
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said that his party and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will contest the upcoming BMC Election 2026 together, reported the PTI. He said that the alliance which was likely to be announced soon will also be in major cities, including Thane, Pune and Nashik apart…
A Level-1 fire broke out at the Perfect Paper Corn Company in the Charkop area of Mumbai’s Kandivali West on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. The incident was reported to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC’s) Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) at 2.37 pm. The fire, confined to electric wiring, installations, and paints, affected an area of approximately…
With the State Election Commission (SEC) preparing for civic elections across Maharashtra, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force. The MCC is a set of guidelines designed to ensure free, fair and impartial elections by imposing restrictions on governments, political parties and candidates once the election…
Mumbai is gearing up for its biggest civic battle. With 227 seats up for grabs, millions of voters, and strict spending limits for candidates, the stakes have never been higher. From ward-wise distribution to key voter statistics, understanding the numbers behind the polls gives a clearer picture of what’s at play in Asia’s richest civic…
NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming that recent statements made by leaders within the Mahayuti alliance during the municipal council elections have exposed growing internal discord. Pawar said the remarks indicated that political decisions were being driven by narrow self-interest, adding that the…
A Thane court has acquitted nine persons booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in a 2016 dacoity case, noting their identification was unreliable and the prosecution failed to prove the charges against them, reported news agency PTI. The mandatory requirement of the offence of organised crime as defined in Section…
A vehicle overturned on the Ghodbunder Road in Thane near Gaimukh Chowpatty on Tuesday, officials said. Despite the incident, traffic movement has not been severely affected, with two lanes remaining operational alongside the overturned vehicle. Authorities said vehicular flow in the area is moving smoothly and no major congestion has been reported. “At Gaimukh Chowpatty…
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Monday reacted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis`s remarks on seat-sharing in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, saying any stand taken by the Chief Minister would have been made after due consideration and would be final for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reported news agency…
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Monday questioned the logic behind holding elections to 29 civic bodies without correcting “irregularities” in the voters` roll, reported news agency PTI. Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the final rolls have not been released yet. “If there are mistakes in the final rolls,…
Reacting to controversial slogans raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Congress rally, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday urged political parties to maintain dignity and decorum, saying such remarks go against Indian culture and democratic values, reported news agency ANI. “The late Yashwantrao Chavan taught us the value of respect. In…
The State Election Commission (SEC) has announced elections for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on January 15, 2026. Polling will be held from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, and counting of votes will take place on January 16, 2026. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force on…
The city and its suburbs will experience mainly clear skies on Tuesday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting maximum and minimum temperatures of around 34 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius, respectively. However, air quality remains a concern. According to the Sameer app, the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) is 109, falling under…
Common name: Orange-headed thrush, Scientific name: Geokichla citrina, Location: Andheri West Common name: Golden-fronted leafbird, Scientific name: Chloropsis aurifrons, Location: Tungareshwar Common name: Black-naped monarch, Scientific name: Hypothymis azurea, Location: Tungareshwar Common name: Red avadavat, Scientific name: Amandava amandava, Location: Andheri West Common name: verditer flycatcher, Scientific name: Eumyias thalassinus, Location: Tungareshwar Common name: Greater…
The debate over the relocation of the high-frequency radars has intensified. Days after the BJP-led Maharashtra government announced plans to shift radars from Juhu and Dahisar to other locations, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray urged Mumbai citizens not to trust the government. Aaditya stated that for long, he and his party had been demanding…
After years of delays and growing pollution concerns, the long-awaited Indrayani river rejuvenation project is finally set to take off. The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has floated Rs 674 cr tenders to construct Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) along the river. The 105-km-long Indrayani, originating near Kurwande village in Maval and joining the Bhima…
As the Model Code of Conduct for the municipal elections came into force, there was a last-minute rush of inaugurations and announcements. On Monday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had three major functions (statue inauguration) for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Kondhwa (Pune), Punyashlok Rajmata Ahilyadevi Holkar in Sangli, and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in Kolhapur. Speaking at…
Bumpy rides along the two main arterial roads that connect South Mumbai to North Mumbai — till Bhandup in the East, and Dahisar in the West — could soon be a thing of the past. After facing flak throughout the monsoon season for pothole-riddled roads along the Eastern and Western Express Highway, the Brihanmumbai Municipal…
Mumbai has seen a 95 per cent decrease in the number of ‘severe’ Air Quality Index (AQI) days in the past four years, from 40 in 2022 to only one in 2025, according to information from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). In contrast, the city has seen a 21 per cent increase in ‘good’ and ‘satisfactory’…
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) will issue a notice to the ready-mix concrete (RMC) plant blamed for causing dust and air pollution near a residential area in Kurla. A senior MPCB officer told mid-day that officials inspected the site, found pollution violations, and sent a proposal for action to higher authorities. The official said,…
The Matunga Z Bridge, a crucial pedestrian link between the Central and Western Railway stations, has become the latest casualty of bureaucratic buck-passing. While commuters dodge trash daily, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Indian Railways continue to point fingers at each other over who is responsible for keeping the bridge clean. Despite being rebuilt…
Just five hours before his flight, a German tourist lost his passport bag in a cab at Vakola late Sunday night. He rushed to Vakola police, who traced the cab within an hour and recovered the documents from Andheri, allowing him to fly back to Germany on Monday morning. Ryan’s recovered passport The traveller, Ryan…
After a delay of almost three years, exactly 34 months, elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will finally be held on January 15, 2026, with counting on January 16. The previous five-year term ended in February 2022. Along with Mumbai, municipal elections will also be held the same day in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mira…
Early bird perks A Painted Stork fishes in the shallow waters of the Bhandup Pumping Station wetlands Bus routes and Bombay gupshup Heta Pandit, Kiran Rao, Paul Fernandes, and Rahul Mehrotra; (right) Fernandes signs a copy on a tabletop of his illustrations In a city that often gets a bad name for showing up fashionably…
Do you know what the stars hold for you in terms of love life, career, business and personal wellness today? Well, read on to know your astrological predictions as per your zodiac sign for December 16. Aries March 21 – April 20Self-employed Ariens have loads of work coming in, keeping you too busy. A legality…
A bike taxi rider was arrested in Kalyan area of Thane district in Maharashtra for allegedly molesting a 26-year-old woman passenger and stealing Rs 1,000 from her, police said on Monday. The 19-year-old accused, a Class VII dropout, was arrested on Sunday in connection with the incident that took place on Saturday, said an official….
Polling for elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), will be held on January 15, with the results scheduled to be declared the next day, the State Election Commission (SEC) said on Monday. According to the election schedule, nominations can be filed from December 23 to 30, while scrutiny…
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde on Monday announced several ambitious public utility projects for Thane, including the construction of an iconic tower-convention centre. Shinde said that the centre will be the country`s tallest and will be inspired by the concept of `mangal kalash`. The tower-convention centre will be built on a 50-acre plot…
Central Railway’s (CR) Mumbai Division has enhanced passenger amenities across several stations as part of its ongoing efforts to improve commuter convenience, safety and accessibility, according to a statement on Monday by Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Swapnil Nila. Multiple infrastructure upgrades were carried out in November, focusing on energy efficiency, improved passenger movement and…
In a shocking incident outside the Bombay High Court in south Mumbai on Monday, a man allegedly attempted to set himself ablaze, causing panic in the busy Fort area, officials said. The incident briefly disrupted traffic movement near the court. The court staff, lawyers, police personnel, and bystanders rushed to help the man and managed…
