More than 11,000 dancers, drummers and singers from India’s north-eastern state of Assam have set a Guinness World Record for the largest dance performance at a single venue.
Wearing traditional clothes, artists — both men and women — danced and sang as they performed bihu at the Sarusajai Stadium in state capital Guwahati on Thursday.
The indigenous folk dance is performed on Rongali Bihu, Assam’s main festival to celebrate spring, on April 13 every year.
Women wear traditional mekhela chador, a two-part sarong, and put flowers in their hair while men wear a tunic, and dhoti, a traditional long loincloth, in red and white or red and cream colour, that denotes fertility.
The women sway briskly while men play flute and drums.
A video shared by state chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also attended the event, showed rows and rows of dancers, singers and drummers at the huge stadium dancing in perfect sync.
He called the feat a “new awakening for Assamese culture”.
“We are committed to taking the heritage, arts and culture of Assam to the world stage. The whole world will be able to learn about the rich traditions and culture of Assam,” Mr Sarma said.
The participants were picked from across the state and had practised for months for the mega event organised by the state government to promote the cultural heritage of the remote state.
They will be given a grant of 25,000 rupees ($300) for participating in the historic event and certificates from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be in the state on Friday to celebrate its spring festival.
India is a land of agriculture and almost all the communities celebrate the onset of spring in April.
People in southern Tamil Nadu and northern Punjab are celebrating Chithirai Puthandu and Baisakhi — their version of the spring festivals — on Friday with full pomp and grandeur.
Tamils celebrate the day, also considered the first day of the Tamil year, by making designs on the floor using coloured rice flour and eating special dishes and singing devotional songs. Sikhs across the country visit Gurudwaras — their temples ― and distribute traditional offerings among people, mainly those who are destitute. They also perform gidda, a traditional dance form.
People from coastal Kerala and eastern West Bengal will be celebrating Vishu and Poila Boishakh on Saturday.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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The specs
Engine 60kwh FWD
Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power 204hp Torque 360Nm
Price, base / as tested Dh174,500
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PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
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6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) | US$95,000 | (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) ) | $175,000) | (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) ) | $135,000 ) | (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 3 (TB) ) | $300,000) | (T) 2,810m
8.50pm: Curlin Handicap Listed (TB)) | $160,000) | (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB)) | $175,000) | (T) 1,400m
10pm: Handicap (TB) ) | $135,000 ) | (T) 2,000m
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now