Sringverpur Dham, another town linked to Lord Ram after Ayodhya, is set to become a new centre for rural, religious, and spiritual tourism in Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the upcoming Mahakumbh-2025 religious fair. The Uttar Pradesh government has developed Shringverpur Dham of Prayagraj with a budget of over ₹ 37.81 crores, enhancing the region’s cultural and spiritual heritage, inform officials. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Shringverpur Dham—named after Shringi Rishi and mentioned in the Hindu mythology— on December 13. Located on the banks of Ganga, about 35km from Sangam city along Prayagraj-Lucknow highway will be the firts stop before heading to Prayagraj city to officially inaugurate the 45-day Mahakumbh-2025. This historic site, a symbol of social harmony, is being revitalised with a renewed identity and significance, officials maintain. Regional tourism officer of Prayagraj Aparajita Singh, said, “The rejuvenation of Shringverpur Dham is nearing completion, with the Nishadraj Tourist Park developed in two phases at a total cost exceeding ₹ 37.32 crores as part of the initiative.” She said that phase-1 included the installation of a statue depicting the meeting of Nishadraj and Lord Ram, along with the construction of its pedestal, a podium, overhead tank, boundary wall, entrance gate, guard room, and other amenities at a cost of over ₹ 19.63 crores. “In Phase-2, additional developments have been carried out at Shringverpur Dham, including setting up of a gallery, paintings, meditation centre, caretaker room, cafeteria, pathways, drinking water and toilet facilities, kiosks, parking, landscaping, horticulture, outer road, solar panels, and an open-air stage, all completed at a cost of over ₹ 18.18 crore.” Aparajita Singh further shared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the grand Nishadraj Park, spread across 6 hectares, marking a major milestone in the rejuvenation of Shringverpur Dham. A detailed road map has been laid out to transform Shringverpur Dham into a centre for rural, religious and spiritual as a tourist tourism. Aparajita highlighted that a key aspect of the rural tourism is the establishment of homestays in nearby villages. Local residents are being encouraged to construct mud houses and huts, offering visitors an authentic and unique experience of rural life. These accommodations will feature thematic paintings, local cuisines, and showcase the region’s cultural heritage. Additionally, efforts are being made to immerse tourists in the local rural crafts, allowing them to actively engage with and experience the traditional lifestyle while staying at Shringverpur Dham. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Rama with brother Laxman and wife Sita stayed here at Shringverpur Dham for a night during the 14 years exile. Raja Nishad had helped Lord Rama to cross the river by ferrying a boat. The dham even today is frequently visited by Hindu pilgrims all through the year and is one of the significant tourist attractions of Prayagraj.Report: Jack Smith's Team Lawyers Up; 'Hunter' Becomes 'Hunted'LONDON — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor "brutally raped and battered" her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the "modest award." Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. "She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice," she said. "I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served." The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. "He's not a man, he's a coward," attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. "A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is." Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him "no" as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, "now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times," referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. "I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn't tell anyone so he wouldn't hurt me again," she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman's complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said "she never said 'no' or stopped" and testified that everything she said was a lie. "It is a full blown lie among many lies," he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. "How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings." McGregor's lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. "You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise," attorney Remy Farrell said. "I'm not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch." The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor's arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked "happy, happy, happy." McGregor said he was "beyond petrified" when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor's friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses decision to put a time limit on anesthesiaA “redditor” said AT&T charged him more than $6,000 in a single day after a mixup with his pay plan, . The user, , said he’d been a customer with AT&T for more than a decade and usually bought unlimited plans, which normally cost him about $250 – $266. So when he learned his Dec. 15 bill was $6,223.60, he figured there must have been a mistake. But when he spoke on the phone with , the customer service representative insisted the bill was only $205, not the astronomical figure the user suggested. Usual-Guava-8899 then visited the corporate store in Dallas, Texas, hoping for a solution. The issue had to do with the user’s having recently switched to , AT&T’s nationwide network designed for , which the user reportedly said he was. When his account shifted over to FirstNet, AT&T inadvertently placed him on a pay-per-use plan for a single day. On that day he used 3,097 megabytes of data and was charged accordingly. The issue hadn’t been fully resolved quite yet, however. A store associate told him he’d have to wait for a resolution from the company president’s office. So, the wait began, during which the user posted numerous updates. “I was told the office of the president sent it back to the store to take care of. Not sure if this is good or bad but a store manager is working on it from what I hear,” Usual-Guava-8899 wrote on Dec. 16. Another update followed. “I was contacted by AT&T help here on . They told me I should hear from somebody in 24 hours. I will keep everyone updated,” he wrote. “Also wanted to clarify i have not traveled internationally or been on a cruise during this pay period. Thank you,” he added. On Dec. 17 he posted yet another announcement about the troublesome mishap. “resolution update!! I just got off the phone with the office of the president. The gentleman I spoke with was excellent and told me they have credited my account and I should see a 0 balance in 24-48 hours,” he wrote. “Thank you to everyone who showed an interest in this. I am convinced without the Reddit community I would still not have a resolution.” The issue was ultimately resolved and Usual-Guava-8899 gave one final update about the conundrum. “For those following the issue has 100% been resolved. My balance now shows 0,” he wrote. “AT&T also extended me a good will credit which was very much appreciated. Hats off to the office of the president as they provided amazing service and got the issue resolved asap once they got involved.” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. .
Donald Hand Jr. racked up a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds to help Boston College stave off visiting Fairleigh Dickinson 78-70 on Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Chad Venning added 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting and Dion Brown contributed eight points, eight rebounds and four assists as the Eagles (8-5) wrapped up their nonconference slate with just their second win in six games. Ahmed Barba-Bey, a grad transfer from Division II, exploded for a season-high 31 points to power FDU (4-11). Barba-Bey buried 8 of 9 attempts from the 3-point arc. Terrence Brown added 15 of his 20 points in the second half, as the Knights made it close before falling to 0-10 on the road this season. Bismark Nsiah scored 10 points. Boston College led 70-59 with 3:39 to play when Barba-Bey was fouled attempting a corner 3. He made all three of his foul shots, and after a stop Brown got to the bucket to cut FDU's deficit to six. It was 72-67 when Venning made a clutch turnaround jumper from the high post with 51 seconds left. Boston College let Barba-Bey get loose for his eighth 3-pointer, pulling FDU within four, its closest margin of the half. But Hand drove to the basket and scored with 29 seconds on the clock, and FDU was out of time. The Knights trailed by as many as 12 in the first half, but Barba-Bey kept them in the game. He made a fastbreak layup off Brown's steal and added a 3-pointer on the next possession, turning what was a 10-point deficit to a manageable 29-24 game. Boston College led 38-28 at halftime, with Hand scoring 15 for the hosts and Barba-Bey pouring in 16 for the Knights, including 4-of-5 shooting from deep. FDU pulled within nine points three times in the early stages of the second half, the third coming when Nsiah knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 56-47 with about 10 minutes to go. --Field Level MediaCorporate Transparency Act: US appeals court halts enforcement of anti-money laundering law
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Wicked director Jon M. Chu explained his approach to the sweeping musical’s color grading, after some fans online lamented that the film did not contain the same technicolor prowess present in the original 1939 The Wizard of Oz. In a recent interview with Canadian outlet The Globe and Mail , the Crazy Rich Asians helmer was asked about his approach to the pink-and-green tinged movie, which the interviewer deemed “a little desaturated.” “I mean, there’s color all over it. I think what we wanted to do was immerse people into Oz, to make it a real place,” Chu said of the decision. “Because if it was a fake place, if it was a dream in someone’s mind, then the real relationships and the stakes that these two girls are going through wouldn’t feel real.” The filmmaker continued, “It’s also [presented in] a way we have not experienced Oz before. It’s been a matte painting. It’s been a video game digital world. But for us, I want to feel the dirt. I want to feel the wear and tear of it. And that means it’s not plastic.” Debate around the film’s look has stretched on since the beginning of September, lasting up and through the film’s theatrical premiere Nov. 22. Some users on X have expressed distaste for the “backlighting” and “drab” coloring of the movie, while others have defended the aesthetic and hit back at those trying to layer warming filters across shots of the film. Also notable is that the process of technicolor has largely been discontinued and deemed impossible to replicate, given its cost and that the tech required has gone out of vogue. “We have the environment. The sun is the main source of light. You see the vast landscapes. You see the air. You see creatures exist here. These two characters that will go through two movies, their relationship with the land is important; their relationship with the nature of this land that the wizard imposed himself. The [color] contrast goes up over time because that is what Elphaba brings to this world,” Chu concluded. Regardless, the discussion has not slowed the film down from defying gravity at the box office, breaking a slew of records including biggest global and domestic opening for a movie based on a Broadway show, for stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo and helmer Chu. The movie also had the largest global opening for a non-sequel film this year. One-half of “Glicked,” the theatrical event also featuring Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II , the musical fueled a $205 million opening weekend , marking the best pre-Thanksgiving box office in over a decade. Part One of the adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway production — itself based on Gregory Maguire’s bestselling novel, which retells the story of The Wizard of Oz from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West — follows Elphaba (Erivo) and Glinda the Good Witch’s (Grande) relationship prior to their eventual destinies. The film also stars Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater and Peter Dinklage.Environment Canada forecasts mix of freezing rain and rain for parts of Maritimes