A dog on a scooter with Holi powder on its forehead shows how much Indians love their pets

A dog on a scooter with Holi powder on its forehead shows how much Indians love their pets

MUMBAI, India (AP) — On a normal day in India, this could be an ordinary picture of a dog sitting comfortably on the back of a scooter. Only it isn’t.

Perched on the vehicle, its forehead marked with bright red powder, the dog is emblematic of how many households treat pets as family and include them in festivities, including Holi, a Hindu festival of colors that was celebrated Friday. While colored powders are generally seen as harmful to their skin, fur and health, pets often have their foreheads marked by their owners on Holi, in a sign of love and affection.

The raucous spring festival sees Hindus take part in a kaleidoscopic celebration of the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil. It is celebrated by smearing each other with brightly colored powder, dancing to festive music and feasting on traditional sweets.

Police, street groups looking to extend co-ordinated outreach-first approach to drug-use, trafficking crackdown

Winnipeg police and street outreach groups are discussing how to extend an initiative that tries to link people with addictions and homelessness services, while targeting open drug use and dealing.

White-supremacist highway sign casts pall on Steinbach city council campaign

The RCMP is investigating a white-nationalist sign near Steinbach with racist messaging and alleged links to a known Canadian far-right group.

A sign hanging on a overpass at the intersection of Highways 1 and 12 read: “STEINBACH VOTES WHITE NOT BROWN,” according to photos posted on social media.

Also written was the name Nationalist-13, a men’s-only neo-Nazi group, also known as NS-13, primarily based in Hamilton, Ont. The Free Press couldn’t independently verify if the group is associated or who hung the sign.

“On Oct. 13, the Steinbach RCMP were made aware of this sign and have opened an investigation,” a spokesperson said in an email statement. They also said the sign has been removed.

Hydro’s unpredictable fortunes

Hope for rain. Or snow. Or both. There’s a truism buried deep in a financial outlook in Manitoba Hydro’s 2025-26 annual report, released in late September: “Manitoba Hydro’s net income is highly dependent on several uncontrollable factors.”

Today’s horoscope

MOON ALERT: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Sagittarius.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

This is a fantastic day to travel and do anything to expand your world. Sporting events, kids’ activities, the theatre or the arts will be exciting choices. You’ll also feel sympathetic to people in other nations. You might even act on this feeling in a practical way.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)