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 14. Aries March 21 – April 20An issue that has no bearing on your work should be ignored at work. A perplexing situation eases out as the day comes to an end. Cosmic tip: Don’t discuss anyone else in their absence. Taurus April 21 – May 20Regularly clearing out cupboards, tidying the desk drawers, cabinets, etc. is good for keeping positive energy flowing. Be the first to make up after an argument/ quarrel.Cosmic tip: Work hard to be successful. GeminiMay 21 – June 21The boss may not be too supportive if you get yourself into an avoidable complication. Be careful to begin with, keeping opinions to yourself. Cosmic tip: Exercise will power to wake up early. Cancer June 22 – July 23Staying with the decided budget may be a challenge to meet. Some may want to consult their doctor or dietician about a diet plan. Cosmic tip: Refocus on important relationships, realizing their value. Leo July 24 - Aug 23Personal investments need more personal involvement. Students realize the value of regular studies and clocking in regular hours at college. Karmic justice is a balm. Cosmic tip: Be assertive if the issue demands it. Virgo Aug 24 – Sept 23Self-employed businesspersons could face a few budgetary issues that need careful handling or juggling around. Maintain a nutritious diet. Health is good.Cosmic tip: Work in solitary silence to get work in time. Libra Sept 24 – Oct 22Handle personal equations with the boss/ colleagues carefully, not allowing the ego to guide. Special relationships continue to be strong. Do sleep/ wake-up on time.Cosmic tip: Face the future with a positive mind-set. Scorpio Oct 23 – Nov 22Too much soul searching brings its own issues of regret and confusion. Leave it all behind, wishing it good luck. Enjoy a holiday.Cosmic tip: Avoid re-hashing the past. Go with the flow. Sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 22Leave aside petty arguments as you aren’t interested in proving you are right. Some may have relocated or planning to do so.Cosmic tip: Remain motivated, seeing a beautiful life ahead for you. Capricorn Dec 23 – Jan 20Today favours legalities and learning from other people’s experiences. Some may be considering writing a book about life’s experiences. A slightly slow moving day is annoying. Be patient.Cosmic tip: Make long term important decisions. Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19Don’t take any action unless sure of facts (find out the truth first). Networking is important for business, so continue.Cosmic tip: Accept you will have to work late for a couple of days. Pisces Feb 20 – March 20Self-employed Pisceans may want to modify or change their marketing approach to draw in more business. Some singles meet their soul mate.Cosmic tip: Don’t dig your heels in just to prove a point.
14 December,2024 12:03 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirley BoseA fire broke out at a shunting coach of a train on Friday evening at the Lower Parel workshop in central Mumbai during routine maintenance work, the officials said. Shunting coaches is the process of sorting and reassembling the coaches and wagons into trains or separating them from the trains. The officials said that the blaze was at around 6:45 pm on Friday. The fire quickly escalated, but the fire brigade was promptly called to the spot and the blaze was extinguished later, the officials said. There were no injuries or harm to any staff members, they said, adding that no other coaches were affected in the fire. The officials said that the incident occurred in a non-passenger area and there was no risk to passenger safety or disruptions to train operations. A fire broke out in an LBH coach at Western Railway's Lower Parel workshop around 6:45 PM during routine maintenance. The fire was swiftly extinguished by the fire brigade, with no injuries or harm to staff. As a non-passenger area, there was no impact on passengers or train… pic.twitter.com/Ds5EkJYeE5 — Mid Day (@mid_day) December 13, 2024 The incident will now undergo a thorough investigation to determine its cause, and suitable corrective measures will be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future, the officials said.
13 December,2024 08:56 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarThe Maharashtra cabinet expansion of the BJP-led government in state would take place on December 15 with the new ministers taking the oath of office at a ceremony in Nagpur, official sources said on Friday, reported the PTI. About 30 ministers would take oath, a senior BJP leader told PTI. The week-long winter session of the state legislature is slated to begin in Nagpur, Maharashtra's second capital, from December 16. Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Chief Minister with Shiv Sena leader Eknath shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar as his deputies at a grand ceremony in Mumbai on December 5. The council of ministers in Maharashtra can have a maximum of 43 members including the chief minister. Meanwhile, the ruling Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Maharashtra may not give another chance to three leaders in the new state cabinet even as they were ministers in the previous government in view of complaints about their performance and inaccessibility, a party leader said, the PTI had earlier reported. The party is likely to induct fresh faces in their place, as per a PTI report. A close aide of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and party MLA said several legislators raised concern regarding certain ministers. They said the three former ministers - one each from Konkan, western Maharashtra and Marathwada - were inaccessible even to the party MLAs, according to the PTI. "We have raised this issue with the deputy CM (Shinde) and demanded that they should not be inducted in the new cabinet. These ministers did not even meet their own party MLAs," the aide had earlier said. Shiv Sena MLA and spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat had earlier this week said that Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has made it clear that the cabinet expansion will take place before the winter session of the state legislature which begins from December 16. On complaints and possible exclusion of some former ministers in the previous government, Sanjay Shirsat said, "Such grievances must have reached Eknath Shinde saheb. He is the chief leader of the party and he will decide on it," the news agency had earlier reported. (with PTI inputs)
13 December,2024 08:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAlefiya Jane will not be making date rolls, among other items, this Christmas because of the rising prices of eggs in the city. While there are many other items on her menu that need eggs, the Uttan local says it is impossible for her to make the sweet treats without eggs. “The only reason I have not made date rolls this time is because eggs are expensive, and I have to use the egg yolk to brush the date rolls,” she says, continuing, “I cannot afford the extra cost of the eggs for them because I would need to buy eggs worth at least Rs 200-300 for the amount I usually make, which is a lot.” Jane, a home baker who runs ‘She Bakes’ in Dahisar, feels the pinch even more because she makes a wide variety of gourmet and bespoke cakes. She adds, “Eggs are crucial binding material for my cakes because their quality depends on the binding material that I am using depending on the clients I am catering for. For my heirloom recipe, I have had to make a vegetarian version to factor in the cost of dry fruits.” Pearl Dsouza’s Christmas menu also includes cookies While it is okay to give alcohol a miss, it is impossible to not use eggs. The 37-year-old prefers to buy premium eggs from Henfruit instead of the local seller as she is quite particular about their freshness. She buys a carton having 10 eggs for Rs 110, but the local ones, she says, have gone from R75 to R81-82. “The eggs I use are more yellow and much better tasting and also don’t have the after smell.” Bakers like Jane highlight that the cost of sugar and butter has also increased along with dry fruits, making it even more challenging for them. “I would have to increase the cost of my heirloom cake on the Christmas menu by about Rs 200-300 this year,” shares Jane, who says it happens because she wants to maintain the quality and doesn’t want to compromise on the eggs. “I would also have to decrease the quantity of my cake and increase the rate to factor in the quality for it to stay the same.” Jane would be selling the cakes this season priced at Rs 1,200 for 500 grams against the usual price of Rs 950 for 750 grams. Pearl Dsouza, another home baker from Bhayandar who runs Pearl Cakes, says while buying it in bulk may not make much of a difference, but buying eggs for one cake does. Apart from cakes, her Christmas menu also includes cookies, cupcakes, marzipans, and other Christmas sweets, most of which are made using eggs. Pearl Cakes in Bhayandar “People who buy a single cake do not understand that the butter, eggs, and even sugar is costing us so much to make one cake. They bargain, and it is difficult for home bakers to deal with it,” shares Dsouza, who says that home bakers have to often face the brunt of this price rise. Just like Jane, Dsouza, too, increased the prices of her items by Rs 200 based on current costs, but that was before the prices of eggs increased. “This year, the increase has been a major difference compared to the other years because of the prices of butter, eggs, and sugar, too,” she says. Dsouza, who usually gets a discount of Rs 75 on a bulk order of 100 eggs, is now getting only Rs 50. Dsouza observes that the prices of eggs have gone up from Rs 70 to Rs 85 before they shot up to Rs 100.
13 December,2024 08:08 PM IST | Mumbai | Nascimento PintoFollowing the Kurla BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) bus crash, the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) has started inspecting its bus drivers, focusing on their performance and health to ensure safety and prevent future mishaps. According to Vinod Keni, the head of the transport department at UMC, driver inspections will now be mandatory following the Kurla BEST bus crash incident, which has raised serious concerns over passenger safety on buses. “Drivers will be permitted to operate buses only after a thorough examination of their fitness and training,” said Keni. The driver of a BEST bus lost control and rammed the vehicle into several vehicles and pedestrians in a crowded locality in Kurla (West) on Monday night, leaving seven people dead and several others injured. UMC stated that all the staff, including drivers, currently undergo a month-long training programme and the physical and mental fitness of the drivers are regularly assessed. “We have not had a single serious bus accident in the past nine months, which is a result of the safety measures we have implemented and will continue to uphold,” said Keni.Recently, UMC had introduced 20 state-of-the-art electric buses under the Central Government’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) scheme. The fleet comprises 10 air-conditioned (AC) and non-AC buses each that ferry thousands of passengers across the city. The staff includes contractual employees, including 50 drivers and conductors each as well as additional personnel for technical maintenance.Currently, the AC buses operate on the Kalyan, Ambernath, and Badlapur routes, while the non-AC buses run within UMC limits, with both covering at least 160 km every day, according to civic body officials. They also revealed that the Central Government has approved more than 100 new buses for Ulhasnagar to enhance intra-city services.
13 December,2024 07:55 PM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya IyerA leopard was spotted near a warehouse in the Janwal Gram Panchayat area of Bhiwandi in Maharashtra, causing concern among locals in the area. The leopard was seen near a warehouse, prompting immediate action from the state forest department following which a rescue team arrived at the scene to ensure the leopard's safe capture and relocation. According to a Maharashtra Forest Department official, "The leopard was spotted near the storm water drainage between two warehouses." The official added, "The team, including the leopard rescue team, is at the spot and is finalising a strategy about how to safely rescue the leopard. It is believed that the leopard may have taken refuge in the dry storm water drainage. To ensure safety, one end of the drainage has been blocked, and a cage has been installed on the other end." The Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) Leopard Rescue Team, known for their expertise in handling such situations, is also present to support the Forest Department's efforts.
13 December,2024 07:51 PM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavMaharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday spoke to newly-crowned chess world champion D Gukesh over phone and congratulated him for the "marvellous achievement that inspired countless young hearts", reported the PTI. Chennai-based Grandmaster Gukesh on Thursday became the youngest world chess champion at 18 years after beating title-holder Ding Liren of China in the 14th and last game of the title showdown in Singapore. "Had a heartfelt conversation with Gukesh D to congratulate him on winning the 2024 FIDE World Championship in Singapore and becoming the youngest 18-year-old World Champion. A marvellous achievement that inspired countless young hearts," Fadnavis said in a post on X. A Heartfelt Call with the Youngest Chess World Champion, Gukesh D!♟️🇮🇳Had a heartfelt conversation with Gukesh D to congratulate him on winning the 2024 FIDE World Championship in Singapore and becoming the youngest 18-year-old World Champion. A marvellous achievement that… pic.twitter.com/Z8YeQO1I5y — Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) December 13, 2024 "Wished him continued success in all his future endeavours. Looking forward to welcoming and felicitating him in Maharashtra," the CM added. Gukesh became only the second Indian to clinch the coveted prize after the iconic Viswanathan Anand, who owned the crown five times in his career. PM Modi, B' Town congratulates D Gukesh Meanwhile, PM Modi and several Bollywood stars took to social media to congratulate Gukesh Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh made history by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion. The 18-year-old sensation's stunning victory over China's Ding Liren on December 12 has sent waves of pride across India, with Bollywood celebrities among the first to congratulate him. After a tied score of 6.5-6.5 heading into the final match, Gukesh delivered a stellar performance, securing a 7.5-6.5 victory and cementing his place in the annals of chess history. Filmmaker Karan Johar also expressed his admiration for the young chess champion. On his social media account, Karan shared a message that read, "Best thing you will see on the internet... the face of victory, of compassion, of years of resilience..." Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu, known for her heartfelt posts, also congratulated Gukesh. She wrote, "World champion. Champion of our hearts." Stars including Ranveer Singh, and Bhumi Pednekar, among others, also celebrated Gukesh's big win on social media. The International Chess Federation (FIDE) officially declared Gukesh as the "youngest world champion in history" via their X (formerly Twitter) handle. Gukesh's remarkable journey to the World Chess Championship began earlier in the year when he made headlines by becoming the youngest-ever challenger in the FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2024. (with PTI and ANI inputs)
13 December,2024 07:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay inspected an ongoing cement concretisation works in Dahisar under the R-North Zone of Circle 7 on Thursday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in an official statement. The inspection, conducted post-midnight, focused on ensuring adherence to quality standards for road construction in Mumbai. BMC has appointed IIT-Bombay as a third-party quality control authority to oversee cement concretisation projects. The institution is tasked with maintaining standards and offering technical guidance for road development initiatives. A four-member team from IIT-Bombay, led by Solomon, conducted the inspection alongside BMC engineers, representatives from the Radimix Concrete (RMC) plant, and officials from the Quality Management and Control Institute. During the inspection, the IIT team evaluated multiple parameters, including concrete temperature, slump tests, and flexural beam sample casting. The team also gave specific instructions during their visit to ensure compliance such as cutting the concrete groove within eight to 12 hours of concretisation, as it is critical for durability. BMC stated that IIT-Bombay’s recommendations addressed quality checks during and after concretisation, with an emphasis on adapting processes to prevailing climatic conditions. The team suggested better use of mobile apps to monitor humidity, wind direction, and speed, ensuring optimum outcomes. Additionally, skilled workers were provided demonstrations on surface brooming techniques post-concretisation to improve road finish. The inspection, which spanned from midnight to 2 am, also involved discussions on challenges and recommendations for the upcoming phases of the project. BMC officials stated that the expertise of the IIT team added significant value to the processes. BMC is currently executing an extensive road development project across Mumbai, involving 701 km in the first phase, 392 km in the second, and 309 km in the third. The civic body noted that IIT Bombay’s involvement ensures consistent quality checks and technical audits. The institution is responsible for quality assurance across five packages, including City Zone 1, East Zone 1, and West Zone 3 in Phase II, as well as one package in Phase I. The IIT team’s responsibilities include advising on maintenance, reconstruction, and rehabilitation methods, conducting inspections, preparing technical audit reports, and ensuring compliance with quality norms. BMC stated that their involvement will streamline operations and uphold standards across projects. BMC also highlighted IIT Bombay’s guidance on post-concretisation processes, such as curing methods and regular site visits.
13 December,2024 07:00 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has responded to the incident of a car soaring 25 feet in the air near the Talasari flyover on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, stating that the incident, which was captured on video, occurred due to possible overspeeding. Speaking to mid-day.com, Sumit Kumar, the Tech Manager at NHAI, said that the other vehicles which travelled by the same section of the highway after the Swift car, controlled their speed and were vigilant. "This looks more like a rash driving case as others could be seen to be cautions while driving," he said. Kumar also informed that to prevent such incidents owing to overspeeding, the ramp where the concretisation work is ongoing has been extended and smoothened for smoother ascend of vehicles. "As a long-term solution, the work of white topping of the entire 121-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway was conceived and has been taken up. The contract period is 18 months and completion date is April 30, 2025. The white topping has been completed on 86 km of the stretch. The project is likely to be completed within the scheduled timeframe," he said. According to Kumar, the incident took place where the white topping is completed in partial width. He also stated that reports about the section not having proper signboards are untrue. "Cautionary signboards such as 'Ramp ahead', 'Go slow', 'Work in progress' etc are being installed at such sections where white topping continuity has not been achieved," Kumar said. He also stated that while the vehicles which followed the Swift slowed down at the ramp, the car did not. "As seen in the full video, the bike and the car following the subject car have slowed down at the ramp. This subject vehicle might have been overspeeding at that location and may have not be able to control the speed at the time of approaching the ramp of white topping. There were other vehicles after this Swift car passed and they controlled their speed and were vigilant. This looks more like a rash driving case as others could be seen cautions while driving," said Kumar, adding that the white topping work started in December 2023.
13 December,2024 06:22 PM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar SharmaCentral Railway on Friday, while sharing Mumbai local train updates, said that it will operate mega block on its suburban sections to carry out various engineering and maintenance works on Sunday, December 15. The Central Railway also shared the details of the services those would be affected during the block period. Main Line Block Section: 5th and 6th lines between Vidyavihar and Thane stations from 08.00 am to 12.30 pm Diversion of UP Mail/Express trains Following UP Mail/Express trains will be diverted on UP Fast line at Thane. LTT bound trains will be re-diverted on 6th line at Vidyavihar station and will arrive destination 10 to 15 mins late. - Train no 11010 Pune-CSMT Sinhagad Express - Train no 12124 Pune-CSMT Deccan Queen - Train no 13201 Patna-LTT Express - Train no 17221 Kakinada-LTT Express - Train no 12126 Pune-CSMT Pragati Express - Train no 12140 Nagpur – CSMT Express - Train no 22226 Solapur-CSMT Vande Bharat Express Diversion of DOWN Mail/Express trains Following DOWN Mail/Express trains will be diverted on DOWN Fast line at Vidyavihar station and will be re-diverted at Thane on 5th line and handed over 10 to 15 mins late. - Train no 11055 LTT-Gorakhpur Express - Train no 11061 LTT-Jaynagar Pawan Express - Train no 16345 LTT-Tiruvanathapuram Netravati Express UP & DOWN Harbour lines between Panvel and Vashi stations (excluding PORT line) from 11.05 am to 04.05 pm Harbour Line Block Section UP Harbour line services towards CSMT departing Panvel from 10.33 am to 3.49 pm and DOWN Harbour line services to Panvel/Belapur departing CSMT from 9.45 am to 3.12 pm will remain cancelled. Trans Harbour Line Block Section UP Trans-harbour line services towards Thane departing Panvel from 11.02 am to 3.53 pm and DOWN Trans-harbour line services towards Panvel departing Thane from 10.01 am to 3.20 pm will remain cancelled. Special local trains will run on CSMT Mumbai – Vashi section during the block period. Trans-harbour line services will be available between Thane-Vashi/Nerul stations during the block period. Port line services will be available between Belapur/Nerul and Uran stations during the block period. "These maintenance mega blocks are essential for infrastructure upkeep and safety. Passengers are requested to bear with the Railway Administration for the inconvenience caused," the Central Railway statement said.
13 December,2024 06:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTo carry out the maintenance work of tracks, signalling and overhead equipment, a jumbo block of five hours will be taken on the Up and Down Slow lines between Borivali and Goregaon stations from 10 am to 3 pm on Sunday. According to a press release issued by Vineet Abhishek, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, all Up and Down Slow line trains will run on the Fast lines between Goregaon and Borivali during the block period. Some Up and Down suburban services will also remain cancelled while certain Andheri and Borivali locals will run up to Goregaon station. During the block period, no trains will travel from Platforms 1, 2, 3 and 4 at Borivali station. A detailed information about the block is available with the station masters. FOB at Nalasopara station to remain shut for 45 days As a part of the station improvement work, the railways has undertaken the work of the elevated deck connecting the south-end bridge and the second foot overbridge from south at Platform 1. As a result of this, the west side staircase landing of the foot overbridge (South-End Mid-Section) on Platform No 1 at Nalasopara station will remain closed for 45 days, starting December 20. The suburban services on Central Railway's harbour line were affected on the second day in a row on Thursday owing to technical glitches, an official said. Technical snag at CSMT delays Mumbai local trains A snag in a Mumbai local train at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus around 5.50 pm affected services, leading to delay on the route and overcrowding on trains and at platforms during the evening peak hours, he added. The train was "non responsive" for almost 25 minutes on platform number 2 at CSMT, he said. "To compound problems, the Auxiliary Warning System (AWS) of a CSMT-bound train got activated at Sandhurst Road for a few minutes and again near Chunabhatti a couple of times. This resulted in crowding at Kurla, a major station, resulting in hardships to people," the official explained. On Wednesday afternoon, services on harbour line were affected due to a snag in the track circuit between Panvel and Khandeshwar stations in Navi Mumbai, officials said. Around 10 lakh passengers use harbour line services. The route is from CSMT to Panvel in Navi Mumbai and till Goregaon on Western Railway.
13 December,2024 05:59 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
