Students and others during an Art Workshop in Kishtwar on Monday.
Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, May 4: A vibrant National Art Workshop titled ‘Jashan-e-Bahar’ is being organized at TRC Chatroo from May 4 to 8, 2026, bringing together art, culture and creativity on a single platform.
The workshop, themed ‘With Colours’, offers a unique opportunity for participants to engage, learn and paint alongside renowned national-level artists, including Shalender Singh (Delhi), Aditya Shankar Prasad (Noida), P. Devaraj (Tamil Nadu), Sharmila Sharma (Delhi), Govind Vishwas (Gujarat) and Apurba Karati (West Bengal).
The programme is being organized by Master Sansar Chand Baru Memorial Charitable (MSCBMC) Trust in collaboration with 11 Rashtriya Rifles.
Students from various institutions actively participated in the workshop, showcasing their creativity and enthusiasm. Personnel from the Rashtriya Rifles also took part in the event.
Speaking on the occasion, the Trust president, Anuradha Rishi, said the initiative aims to provide a meaningful platform to youth and aspiring artists.
She further said that such programmes play an important role in engaging youth in positive activities while strengthening the cultural harmony and national integration.
KOLKATA, May 4 : The BJP stormed past the majority mark in the West Bengal assembly on Monday, winning 156 seats and leading in 52 others, taking its overall tally to 208, according to the Election Commission.
The halfway mark stands at 148 in the 294-member House, but with counting of votes currently underway for 293 seats as polling in Fata was countermanded, the majority mark dropped to 147.
The BJP cut through the ruling TMC’s traditional strongholds and expanded its footprint in both urban and rural belts.
With this victory, the BJP will form its first government in the state, ending the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government’s 15 years in power. (PTI)
KOLKATA, May 4 : BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari defeated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the prestigious Bhabanipur seat by a margin of 15,105 votes on Monday, the EC said.
While Adhikari bagged 73,917 votes, Banerjee secured 58,812 votes.
The result marks a virtual “action replay” of the 2021 Nandigram battle, where Adhikari had unseated Banerjee in a fiercely fought contest that redefined Bengal’s political narrative. PTI
NEW DELHI, May 4: Silver prices plunged Rs 3,917 to Rs 2.47 lakh per kilogram in futures trade on Monday as elevated crude oil rates amid inflation concerns dampened investors sentiment.
On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), the white metal for July delivery decreased by Rs 3,917, or 1.56 per cent, to Rs 2,47,020 per kg in a business turnover of 7,234 lots.
Last week, silver gained Rs 879 to settle at Rs 2.50 lakh per kg on the MCX. In the overseas market, Comex silver futures for the July contract slipped USD 1.57, or 2.06 per cent, to USD 74.85 per ounce in New York.
Silver faced a week defined by the hawkish Fed-oil-inflation feedback loop suppressing rate-cut expectations, partially offset by yen-driven dollar weakness, Renisha Chainani, Head of Research at Augmont, said.
Physical demand and central bank buying remain structurally supportive, but near-term direction will depend on developments around the Strait of Hormuz, US payroll data due on May 8 and the trajectory of Treasury bond yields under incoming Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, she added.
Chainani noted that jewellery demand fell to a record low in the first quarter due to affordability pressures, while bar and coin investment offered partial support with resilient retail interest.
On the industrial front, strong earnings from global technology firms such as Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon highlighted robust investments in artificial intelligence, supporting long-term demand for silver in electronics and data infrastructure.
According to Chainani, silver is expected to trade in the range of USD 71-80 per ounce in international trade, equivalent to Rs 2.35-2.55 lakh per kilogram in the domestic markets. (PTI)
LONDON, May 4: European leaders on Monday said US President Donald Trump’s snap decision to pull thousands of American troops out of Germany came as a surprise but is a fresh sign that Europe must take care of its own security.
The Pentagon announced last week that it would pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, but Trump told reporters on Saturday that “we’re going to cut way down. And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000”.
He offered no reason for the move, which blindsided NATO, but his decision came amid an escalating dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the US-Israeli war on Iran, and Trump’s anger that European allies have been reluctant to get involved in the conflict in the Middle East.
Asked about the decision to pull out 5,000 troops from Germany, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said: “I wouldn’t exaggerate that because I think we are expecting that Europe is taking more charge of its own security.”
“I do not see those figures as dramatic, but I think they should be handled in a harmonious way inside the framework of NATO,” he told reporters in Yerevan, Armenia, where European leaders are holding a summit.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said, “There has been a talk about withdrawal of U.S. troops for a long time from Europe. But of course, the timing of this announcement comes as a surprise.”
“I think it shows that we have to really strengthen the European pillar in NATO,” she said.
Asked whether she believes that Trump is trying to punish Merz, who said that the US has been humiliated by Iran in talks to end the war, Kallas said: “I don’t see into the head of President Trump, so he has to explain it himself.”
Over the weekend, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said that officials at the 32-nation military alliance “are working with the US to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany”.
European allies and Canada have known since just after he came to office again last year that Trump would pull troops out of Europe – indeed some left Romania in October – but US officials had pledged to coordinate any moves with their NATO allies to avoid creating a security vacuum.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte played down the move, saying that “there has been at this point disappointment on the US side” about European support for the war on Iran.
Notably France, Spain and the UK have declined to give US forces free rein to use bases on their territory to attack Iran. Spain has denied them the use of its airspace and bases there for the war.
But Rutte, who has championed Trump’s leadership at NATO despite the US president’s criticism of the majority of the allies, said: “I would say the Europeans have heard a message. They are now making sure that all the bilateral basing agreements are being implemented.”
Rutte added that European nations “have decided to pre-position assets, key assets, close to the theatre for the next phase.”
He provided no details, but the Europeans have insisted they would not help police the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy trade route, until the war is over.
French President Emmanuel Macron said “if the United States is ready to reopen Hormuz, that’s great. That’s what we’ve been asking for since the beginning.” But he underlined that the Europeans are not ready to get involved in any operation “that does not seem clear to us”.
In another sign of friction with Merz, Trump has accused the EU of not complying with its US trade deal and announced plans to increase tariffs next week on cars and trucks produced in the bloc to 25%, a move that would be particularly damaging to Germany, a major automobile manufacturer.
Without mentioning Trump or the United States, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen listed recent trade deals that the bloc has sealed with Australia and India, and is now working on with Mexico.
“With like-minded friends, you have stable, reliable supply chains and Europe has the biggest network of free trade agreements,” von der Leyen, who is from Germany, told reporters. (AP)
Participants posing for a group photograph along with dignitaries during a programme.
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 4: The Department of Philosophy, University of Jammu, in collaboration with Shri Aurobindo Gyan Kendra, organised a public lecture on “Aspiration, Rejection and Surrender: Psychological Foundation of Spiritual Transformation in Integral Yoga” today. The lecture was delivered by Dr Vijay Laxmi Rai from the Department of Philosophy.
The programme was conducted under the guidance of Vice-Chancellor, Prof Umesh Rai, who has consistently encouraged the integration of India’s spiritual and philosophical heritage into contemporary academic discourse.
In her lecture, Dr Vijay Laxmi Rai elaborated on the three core psychological processes of Integral Yoga—aspiration, rejection, and surrender—as essential for spiritual transformation. She explained that aspiration represents the soul’s sincere movement towards the divine truth, going beyond desire and intellectual curiosity. Rejection, she said, involves the conscious elimination of ignorance, ego, fear, and habitual tendencies, describing it as a process of awareness and purification rather than suppression.
She further described surrender as the offering of one’s ego, will, and actions to the divine consciousness, adding that these processes together enable transformation without withdrawing from worldly life.
Earlier, Deepti Padmanabhan introduced the objectives of Shri Aurobindo Gyan Kendra, while Prof Jasbir Singh, Head of the Department, highlighted the contemporary relevance of Integral Yoga.
Among those present were Prof Sangeeta Gupta, Prof Namrata Sharma, Prof Anupama Vohra, Prof Sunita Sharma, Prof Dushyant Rai, Prof Shallu Sehgal, Dr Anjuman Ara, Dr Panu Sharma, Dr Ashwin Khushwaha, Dr Koshika Sharma, Dr Suman Verma, Shalini Gupta and Dr Ajai Kumar Mishra.
A view of a dilapidated wooden bridge at Thajwas glacier site in Sonamarg. —Excelsior/Firdous Ahmad
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 4: Safety concerns are mounting over a dilapidated wooden bridge at the Thajwas Glacier tourist site in Sonamarg, with locals and tourism stakeholders warning of potential accidents amid rising visitor footfall.
The temporary bridge, constructed a few years ago by the Wildlife Department to facilitate crossing over a stream, has deteriorated significantly and is now considered unsafe.
As a key access route to several popular spots in Thajwas, the fragile structure is forcing tourists to navigate hazardous conditions, heightening fears of mishaps if repair is not undertaken promptly.
With tourist inflow picking up in recent days, stakeholders say the risk is likely to escalate, particularly during the peak season when water levels rise and submerge parts of the bridge.
Shahid, a resident of Kangan associated with the tourism sector, said locals have been carrying out makeshift repairs each year to keep the bridge functional.
“In summers, the water level rises above the bridge, creating serious issues for tourists trying to cross,” he said, adding that elderly visitors face the most difficulty.
He urged authorities to either undertake repairs or allow locals to put in place proper arrangements.
NEW DELHI, May 4 : Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday reviewed the proposed high-speed corridors, high-density corridors and other important National Highway corridors in Maharashtra, according to an official statement.
During the review meeting in New Delhi, Gadkari discussed several key highway development projects including six-laning of the Nagpur–Bhandara section, four-laning of the Taloda–Burhanpur section, the Durg–Gadchiroli–Mancherial corridor, the Gadchiroli–Kanker (Raipur–Vizag) corridor, and the Gwalior–Nagpur corridor among others, according to the statement.
The review meeting also included discussions on nine State BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) projects covering a total length of 527 km on National Highway stretches in Maharashtra.
These projects include Shirur–Ahilyanagar (4-lane), Ahilyanagar–Wadala (4-lane), Wadala–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (4-lane), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–Jalna (4-lane), Jalna–Watur (4-lane), Nanded–Narsi–Deglur (4-lane & 2-lane), Jam–Warora (4-lane), Warora–Chandrapur–Bamni (4-lane), and Malkapur–Chikhli (2-lane) corridors.
The statement said the review focused on accelerating project planning and execution to strengthen road connectivity and support economic development in the region. (PTI)
SEATTLE, May 4: Few cities in North America can lay claim to better summer weather than Seattle, neatly nestled in the Pacific Northwest with sunny skies and little humidity after Memorial Day.
But the Emerald City, which will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in its history, is a destination city for more reasons beyond its temperate climate.
Landmarks/Places to SeeA trip to Seattle is not complete without a visit to the Space Needle, which underwent a $100 million remodel in 2018. Pike Place Market, one of the oldest continuously operating public farmers markets in the United States, is always hopping with tourists and locals alike. Both Gas Works Park and Kerry Park offer panoramic views of the city.
Food Scene in SeattleNot many metro areas can top Seattle’s abundance of seafood restaurants, which range from dive bars that serve fresh oysters to fine establishments that offer Alaskan King crab legs. There are plenty of Japanese and Hawaiian restaurants in the area, too, many of which specialize in fresh sushi rolls and chicken teriyaki, respectively. Any evening is best topped off with a visit to Molly Moon’s ice cream, a local’s favorite.
Fan ZonesOutside of Seattle, there will be nine fan zones scattered across the state of Washington: in Bellingham, Bremerton, Everett, Olympia, Tacoma, Spokane, Pasco, Vancouver and Yakima. They all vary considerably in what they will offer, and where they will take place. Spokane’s fan zone is located on an island in the middle of the Spokane River. The Puyallup Tribal Headquarters, meanwhile, will host Tacoma’s fan zone.
Transportation OptionsSeattle has a public transportation system that is among the better ones in the United States. The Link, a light rail system in the Seattle metropolitan area, has the “1 line,” which stops at Stadium station, located just a couple blocks away from Seattle Stadium. Special “Sounder game trains” traveling from north and south of Seattle will operate to and from King Street Station, which is across the street from Seattle Stadium.
Stadium TipsFew stadiums in North America get quite as loud as Seattle Stadium, which has changed its name from its usual moniker (Lumen Field) for the World Cup. The 67,000-seat, open-air stadium has exposed views to the north and south, the former of which offers glimpses of downtown Seattle. In April, a grass field was installed at Seattle Stadium, which typically uses an artificial turf for Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC games. (AP)
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 4: Ek Saath Rang Mandal (ESRM) here today staged a street play ‘Muft Ka Chandan Gissey Mere Nandan’.
Vishwas Ramaya, a retired Army-man is committed to stop drug addiction among the younger generation at any cost.
He always educates the young people about the repercussions of drug addiction and tells them that people who are drug addicts often have one or more associated health issues like lung and heart diseases and they may face stroke, cancer or mental health disorders.
“Addiction to drugs may even destroy the nerve cells in brain or in the peripheral nervous system,” Ramya maintained adding if one avoids drugs, one can be healthier, have low risk of death, can keep a good job, can preserve relationships, will have more money and will be liked by the people.
Actors who performed in the play were Shalley Singh, Romika and Vijay Malla.
