A 22-year-old factory worker sustained severe internal injuries and is battling for his life after two colleagues allegedly forced compressed air into his body through his rectum, purportedly as a prank, at a manufacturing unit in Greater Noida’s Rabupura area on Tuesday, police said.
Worker critical after colleagues force compressed air into body as prank in Greater Noida; 2 held
Both accused, one of whom is the victim’s cousin, have been arrested and booked for attempted murder.
The victim, who hails from Kashipur in Uttarakhand, works as a daily wage labourer at an FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) flexible packaging factory in Rabupura, police said.
According to the FIR lodged by the factory’s plant manager, the incident occurred around noon on Tuesday while the man was sweeping the factory floor. The accused allegedly used an air pipe connected to a compressed-air machine and forced air into the victim’s body, causing severe intestinal injuries.
Police said the equipment is typically used for cleaning factory floors. Within minutes of the incident, the man complained of severe abdominal pain and began bleeding, following which the factory staff rushed him to a nearby private hospital.
“He is currently on ventilator support and his condition is critical. Doctors have indicated that surgery may be required,” said Shyam Babu Shukla, station house officer of Rabupura police station.
Preliminary inquiry suggested the men had previously engaged in similar acts. The accused allegedly told investigators that Tuesday’s incident was intended as a prank, but it turned serious.
Police registered a case under Section 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and arrested both accused.
Lionel Messi has still got it. Even as he closes in on 39, he has arrived at this World Cup with a point to prove. The Argentina captain is showing every player and every team that he remains among the very best in the game. His performances suggest he is nowhere near ready to step aside, and he looks determined to lead Argentina’s title defence from the front. For all the talk about a new generation taking over, Messi is making it clear that dethroning him will not be easy, even at this stage of his remarkable career.
Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick against Algeria. (Getty Images via AFP)
It was not easy being Messi before the 2021 Copa America. For years, he faced criticism for failing to win a major trophy with Argentina despite building one of the greatest club careers football has ever seen at Barcelona. That narrative finally changed in Brazil when Argentina lifted the Copa America and Messi got the international title many believed he deserved. From that point, the bond between Messi and the national team seemed stronger than ever. Argentina played for their captain, fought for every ball and gave everything to help him succeed, while Messi responded by leading from the front.
He arrived at the 2022 World Cup carrying enormous expectations and delivered in spectacular fashion, guiding Argentina to the title while producing decisive performances throughout the tournament. Many expected him to step away from international football after finally completing the sport by winning the World Cup, but Messi had other ideas.
His move to MLS after leaving Paris Saint-Germain led to questions about whether he could still perform at the highest level and remain Argentina’s main man. Yet when the 2026 World Cup began, he quickly silenced those doubts. Despite coming into the tournament after recovering from a hamstring issue, Messi looked sharp, fit and fully in control. In Argentina’s opening match, he reminded everyone why he remains the heart of the world champions and why writing him off has always been a dangerous mistake.
Messi thought he had opened the scoring in the sixth minute when he rounded Algeria goalkeeper Enzo Zidane and found the net, only for the offside flag to cut short the celebrations. It did little to slow him down. The Argentina captain continued to trouble the Algerian defence with his movement, close control and ability to find pockets of space. His reward came in the 17th minute when he unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the box. Enzo got a hand to it, but the power behind the effort was simply too much as the ball flew into the net. It was a goal of the highest quality, and the entire stadium rose to applaud. As thousands celebrated around him, Messi was seen with tears in his eyes, a reflection of what the moment meant on the opening night of his sixth World Cup.
Even after breaking the deadlock, he showed the same hunger that has defined his career. He tracked back, pressed opponents and remained heavily involved. At the same time, he could often be seen walking between phases of play, scanning the field and studying defenders’ movements. It is something that once attracted criticism, but over the years, many have come to understand that it is part of how he reads the game and identifies spaces others fail to notice.
Argentina carried a 1-0 lead into the interval, and with Algeria having competed well in the first half, there was still a sense that the contest remained alive. Messi ended those hopes after the restart. In the 60th minute, he reacted quickest after an Alexis Mac Allister effort was saved by Enzo, charging in to convert the rebound and double Argentina’s lead.
But he was not done. With history in sight, Messi chased something he had never achieved before at a World Cup. In the 76th minute, he completed his first World Cup hat-trick with a superb left-footed finish that curled beyond the goalkeeper and into the far corner, a trademark Messi goal that capped another unforgettable night.
Lionel Messi now joint-highest goal-scorer in World Cup history
The hat-trick took Messi to 16 World Cup goals, drawing him level with German great Miroslav Klose as the joint-highest scorer in the tournament’s history. It was also the first World Cup hat-trick of his career, adding another milestone to a résumé already overflowing with records and achievements. The Argentina captain also became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s mark of 33 years, set when he scored thrice against Spain in 2018.
What Messi produced in Kansas City was more than just a brilliant individual display. It was a statement from both the player and the defending champions. Argentina arrived at the tournament determined to retain their crown, and their captain made it clear that they would not surrender it easily. At 38, Messi looked as influential and decisive as ever, dictating the game and delivering when his team needed him most.
His performance earned admiration from across the football world. Even Erling Haaland, who scored a brace for Norway in their victory over Iraq on the same day, took time to salute the Argentine star. Haaland described Messi as a “madman” on social media, a tribute to the remarkable standards he continues to maintain at an age when most players have long stepped away from the spotlight.
The message is clear – Lionel Messi still rules the game!
Phase one of the 2027 Census — house listing and housing census (HLO) — has been completed in 23 states and Union territories so far, a government statement said Tuesday.
Teams of census officials doing door-to-door house listing and housing surveys under the census 2027 in Srinagar. (Waseem Andrabi/HT)
A 15-day self-enumeration process is underway in Kerala and Nagaland, followed by a field operation starting on July 1 and continuing until July 30, it said.
The field operations for the phase commenced in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, and are already underway in Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Puducherry and Uttar Pradesh.
“Residents who have completed self-enumeration are requested to keep their generated self-enumeration ID ready and share the same with the enumerator during the field visit to complete the HLO process. Households that have not opted for self-enumeration will be covered during the physical house-to-house visit by enumerators,” the statement said.
The ₹11,718 crore census exercise, which is the eighth since Independence, is being conducted in two phases — the first stage is known as house listing and housing census, while the second stage is the population census.
The housing listing and housing census, which started on April 1 and will continue till September 30, will systematically list all structures, houses, and households throughout the country to provide a sound framework for the population enumeration.
In a first, the exercise will be digital, with enumerators using a special mobile application to collect the information.
During the housing listing field operations, enumerators will physically visit each house and building and ask citizens 33 questions about basic facilities in their homes, information about the head of the household, such as name and sex, and ownership status, among others.
Self enumeration provided
For the first time, citizens have also been provided a self-enumeration platform on a specially developed website where they can answer the notified questions, generate an ID and provide it to the field enumerator when they come for verification, saving valuable time.
Every state will have to provide a 15-day window for self-enumeration immediately preceding the month-long field operations during which enumerators will go door-to-door with their questionnaire to collect data.
The state and UTs can choose a period –15 days of self-enumeration followed by 30 days of field exercise — between April 1 and September 30 to complete the HLO phase.
The second phase of the census — population enumeration — will be conducted in February next year, in which demographic, social, and economic particulars of every person in the country will be recorded. Caste-related questions will also be part of the second phase.
The reference date for Census 2027 will be March 1, 2027, for all States and Union Territories, except for the Union Territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, where the reference date will be October 1, 2026.
The US and Iran have agreed to a framework deal that targets to end the long war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This development has slightly eased worries about the rising cost of living for people in the US. However, experts say it is still unclear how big the impact will be or how long any relief will last.
US-Iran peace deal may lower oil prices, slow inflation and ease cost of living. (Pexel/Representative image) (Pexel)
Analysts warn that similar ceasefire hopes have happened before, but results were not always stable or long-lasting. If the war truly ends, it could lead to lower oil prices, lower bond yields, and slower inflation, but this will not happen immediately, as reported by USA Today. Even with all the uncertainty, small improvements in prices and inflation can still help households that are already under financial pressure.
1. Gas prices may come down
The US and Iran have agreed to end the long war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which is a major oil shipping route. Because worries about oil supply are reducing, global oil prices have started to come down. Brent crude has fallen to about $82 per barrel, which is its lowest level since early March, according to a GasBuddy report. In the US, the average gas price briefly fell to about $3.99 per gallon, the lowest since mid-April.
Expert Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy said in the report by USA Today that the gas prices could keep falling if tensions stay low and oil supply keeps flowing smoothly. However, prices may rise again if the deal slows down or shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is interrupted again, as per the warning by analysts at Oxford Economics.
Lower oil and fuel prices can reduce transport and production costs, which helps bring down prices of everyday goods, as per the Oxford Economics. Even small changes matter, such as every $0.10 drop in gas prices can free up about $12.3 billion in US consumer spending power.
Before the war, US inflation was around 2.4%, but it rose to 3.3% in March and 3.8% in April as fuel prices and supply costs increased, as per the US Labor Department, as cited by USA Today. It will take a few months for global supply chains to get back to normal, even after the war ends. Because of this delay, price pressure may stay higher for some time even after the peace deal.
3. Impact on interest rates and the US economy
Lower inflation could give the US Federal Reserve more confidence to pause interest rate hikes at its next meeting, which is on June 17. Some economists say the recent oil price drop may be “transitory” relief, meaning inflation could calm down at least temporarily, as reported by USA Today. Bond investors are still not fully convinced that inflation is under control, so they remain cautious even after the peace deal news.
US Treasury yields rose earlier due to inflation fears, which made borrowing more expensive for the government and kept mortgage rates high. If inflation stays low for a longer time, borrowing costs may go down. But if it doesn’t, high interest rates and tight budgets could continue to limit government spending.
Tata’s iPhone parts factory contaminated farmland water, India pollution body alleges
BENGALURU, – An Indian pollution regulator has alleged wastewater discharged from a Tata components factory for Apple’s iPhone has contaminated the groundwater for nearby farms and warned of a forced shutdown unless Tata gives a satisfactory explanation.
India’s Tata Electronics is central to Apple’s push to diversify iPhone production beyond China and is the second-biggest supplier to Apple in South Asia after Taiwan’s Foxconn.
The Tata plant under investigation is in Hosur in southern Tamil Nadu state and makes back panels and other components for iPhones. Farmland owners near the plant had complained for months to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board that wastewater from the factory was contaminating their land and open wells.
The complaints led to five state inspections between December 2025 and May 2026, according to details from a previously unreported regulatory notice dated May 25 and reviewed by Reuters.
The inspections found that Tata discharged wastewater into a rainwater harvesting pond inside its facility and that the pond overflowed to contaminate “groundwater in the open wells located in the adjacent agricultural lands”, the pollution board’s warning notice to Tata said.
Tata had not taken any corrective actions on instructions issued by the pollution board in a previous letter dated December 23, 2025, it said in the three-page notice.
Tata Electronics told Reuters in a statement it had commissioned an independent analysis through an accredited laboratory and that the study determined the company was “in full compliance with all regulatory norms”.
Tata said it was “committed to responsible business practices and protection of the environment and local communities”, and that it had responded to pollution authorities, although giving no further details.
The pollution board in its May notice asked Tata to explain why power to the unit should not be cut and the unit closed for its alleged breach of the rules.
Apple, which has strict rules on how its suppliers handle wastewater, and the Tamil Nadu government did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
PLE’S STRUGGLES IN INDIA
Companies have often faced disciplinary action from pollution authorities in India. In 2024, Mercedes-Benz improved wastewater and air pollution management at its only car factory in India after officials detected lapses in compliance with environmental law.
India’s environment ministry told parliament in February that 4.4% of 544,364 industries were found non-compliant with environmental standards in the last five years, and 3,600 were shut down by pollution control departments.
The Tata notice adds to a series of issues that have dogged Apple’s India supply chain. A fire at Tata’s Hosur plant in September 2024 halted iPhone component production briefly, while a fire in September 2023 at former supplier Pegatron’s iPhone plant shut production for days.
In 2024, a Reuters investigation found that major Apple supplier Foxconn systematically excluded married women from iPhone assembly jobs at one of its plants in India, although the company said at the time that it complied with all laws.
India is projected to make 26% of all iPhones globally in 2026, from just 6% four years ago, according to research firm Counterpoint.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Filmmaker Anil Sharma says the moment he got Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’s script in hand, he knew it had the potential of becoming India’s biggest hit film. Twenty-five years later, after making several records and a hit franchise, he feels blessed that the film is “still alive in people’s hearts”.
Director Anil Sharma with Sunny Deol and son-actor Utkarsh Sharma during the shoot of Gadar in Lucknow
The film starred actors Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, Amrish Puri in leading roles and released alongside Aamir Khan‘s Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India on June 15, 2001.
He tells HT City, “The day film’s writer Shaktimaan Talwar narrated the story, I knew it had the potential to become India’s biggest hit film, and it did. Mother India (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Sholay (1975) have been my favourite films and I tried to make this in that level and it made it to top list. Besides blockbuster business, it got 10 crore footfall and no film has achieved that till date. Even Gadar 2 had half of this footfall.”
On the biggest clash on the day of release he says, “Today we discuss competing against Lagaan, par koi competition nahi tha! In those days two-three big movies used to release together and work as well. The audience used to watch one show of this and another of that back-to-back. Woh marketing nahi, woh dil ka daur tha.”
Sharma adds, “People ask me if there was a choice of cast but there were no two choices be it Sunny Deol, Amrish Puri or others.”
And is Gadar 3 in the making? “After Utkarsh (Sharma, son-actor) grew up, people started saying Jeete ka kahani laao. But for me, if the Gadar story was a bomb, I would only make Gadar 2 if I get an atom bomb story and it made history. Now, if I get a nuclear bomb story then only I will make it. We are working on the script and God-willing if all goes on track we will start Gadar 3 next year!” he reveals.
On shooting in Lucknow, where the iconic handpump scene was shot at La Martiniere College and the Pakistan portion was shot, the filmmaker says, “The city an important role in the film and now it’s play another role in city’s tourism. Autowallah, guides and rickshaw-pullers take tourists to spots where the film was shot and have iconic spots. People keep telling me stories. We shot Gadar 2 in Lucknow and whenever third one happens we will surely shoot there. Gadar without Lucknow is not possible!”
He has started shooting for Arjun Naga but has not made an official announcement yet.
