India logs record 4,205 covid deaths in 24 hours, 3.48 lakh new cases

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake, and an aftershock of 6.8, hit central Myanmar at 12.50pm (local time) Friday. The epicentre was 16km northwest of the city of Sagaing, and at a depth of 10km, the United States Geological Survey said. 20 deaths have been reported - in Myanmar so far - by local media.

Deaths have also been reported from a mosque in Mandalay city, which collapsed while people were inside, praying and a university building in which a fire broke out. And a 1,000-bed hospital in Myanmar capital Naypyidaw has become a "mass casualty area", news agency AFP said.

The Myanmar junta has declared an 'emergency' and has appealed for international aid.

Tremors were felt as far away as northern Thailand, where some metro and rail services were suspended in Bangkok. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is holding an "urgent meeting" to review the crisis and she too has declared a state of 'emergency' in the capital city.

China's Yunnan province also reported strong tremors; the China Earthquake Networks Center said the magnitude was 7.9. And mild tremors were also reported from Kolkata in Bengal and parts of Manipur, where tremors of 4.4 magnitude were recorded as well as Dhaka and Chattogram in Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India is ready to offer any assistance needed. "Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone," he posted on X. "... have asked our authorities to be on standby."

Terrifying videos on X showed buildings shaking in Bangkok and other cities, with people running onto the streets in panic. "I heard it... I was sleeping in the house and then I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas out of the building," Duangjai, a resident of popular tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP.

One particularly horrifying video showed water from an infinity pool falling over the edge.

And another showed an under-construction skyscraper in Bangkok's Chatuchak neighbourhood collapsing. According to reports, 43 workers have been trapped amid the debris.

"When I arrived to inspect the site, I heard people calling for help, saying help me," Worapat Sukthai, deputy police chief of Bang Sue district, told AFP. "We estimate that hundreds of people are injured but we are still determining the number of casualties."

In Myanmar, an old bridge over the Irrawaddy River and some residential buildings having collapsed, with images from Mandalay (around 24km from Sagaing) suggesting more people may be trapped.

Other videos showed extensive damage to the airport in Mandalay and to a monastery near the city of Taunggyi, in Myanmar's Shan State that is on the border to Thailand.

Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or more struck between 1930 and 1956 near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the country.

A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake, in the ancient capital Bagan in central Myanmar, killed three people in 2016, also toppling spires and crumbling temple walls at the tourist destination.

The impoverished nation has a strained medical system, especially in its rural states.

Mangaluru International Airport (MIA), Karnataka’s second busiest airport, has seen 148.5kg of gold smuggled between 2019 and December 2024, with 90% arriving from the UAE. Customs officials recorded 346 cases, averaging 30kg of gold seized per year (2.5kg per month). Most smugglers are from Kerala and Bhatkal.

A senior customs officer revealed that MIA sees at least five gold smuggling cases per month. Numbers dropped during the pandemic but surged after flights resumed. Many offenders are first-time carriers, while some are habitual smugglers. With fewer flights, customs thoroughly checks passengers, making smuggling harder.

Smugglers constantly innovate concealment methods. Hiding gold in the rectum remains common, but gold is also found in trolley bags, mobile covers, chocolate boxes, milk powder, biscuit packets, and clothing layers. Electronic devices like car speaker magnets, LED bulbs, AirPods, wristwatches, and ballpoint pens have been used.

Unusual tactics include hiding gold in a woman’s hairband, a baby’s diaper, and even a kheer mix packet (347g). In one case, a passenger attempted to smuggle 100g in his mouth under a mask but was caught.

Officials note that while the UAE remains a key source, smugglers now bring gold from other Gulf countries, continuously adapting to evade detection.

Hyderabad: A police case has been registered in Telangana against 25 celebrities, including prominent actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Devarakonda, and Manchu Lakshmi, for allegedly endorsing illegal betting apps. The FIR was lodged following a complaint by businessman Phanindra Sarma.

The list of accused celebrities and influencers also includes Praneetha, Nidhi Agarwal, Ananya Nagalla, Siri Hanumanthu, Sreemukhi, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty, Amrutha Chowdary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Imran Khan, Vishnu Priya, Harsha Sai, Sunny Yadav, Shyamala, Tasty Teja, and Bandaru Sheshayani Supritha.

According to the FIR, these individuals promoted betting platforms through social media advertisements, encouraging users to invest money in illegal online gambling. "These platforms deal with transactions worth thousands of lakhs of rupees, pushing several families—especially from middle-class and lower-middle-class backgrounds—into financial distress," states the complaint.

The complainant alleged that many people have lost their savings due to these apps. He claimed that he himself almost deposited money on one such platform but refrained after being warned by his family. The FIR further accuses the celebrities of accepting substantial remuneration to endorse these apps, thereby influencing the public—particularly those facing financial hardship—to invest and eventually fall into addiction, leading to severe financial consequences.

The case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Information Technology Act, and applicable state laws concerning cheating and online fraud.

Reacting to the FIR, actor Prakash Raj clarified that he had endorsed such a platform back in 2015 but opted out within a year. He stated that he is currently gathering more details about the case.

This development comes amid heightened scrutiny of Telugu cinema celebrities. Notably, it follows the controversial arrest of Allu Arjun in December after a tragic incident at the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule in Hyderabad, where a woman lost her life due to a chaotic crowd surge. Police had claimed the actor’s presence at the event was unplanned and that no security measures were in place to control the large turnout.

The arrest of Allu Arjun had ignited a heated debate, drawing criticism from political opponents of the ruling Congress and key figures in the film industry. In response to the controversy, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy met with a delegation of filmmakers and actors, reassuring them of the state’s support for the film industry while asserting that law and order would remain a priority.