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Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Brussels in December to formally sign the India-European Union free trade agreement in major step to strengthen economic ties between the two sides, European Council President Antonio Costa said on Thursday. Prime Minister Modi will come in December to sign the deal,: Costa said at an event organised by the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations in Canada. The visit is expected shortly before a meeting of European lea

Digital Desk | Johannesburg, Oct 28 (IANS) South Africa must urgently improve its international air connectivity and streamline visa processing procedures to unlock the full economic potential of its tourism sector, Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille stated on Wednesday. In a keynote address delivered to delegates at the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) Tourism Leadership Conference, held at the Sun City Resort in the North West Province, de Lille highlighted the crucial role

Digital Desk | Seoul, Oct 28 (IANS) South Korea's broadcasting and telecommunications regulator said on Wednesday it will impose a combined 63.7 billion won ($45 million) worth of fines on Google and Apple for restricting app developers' payment options through their in-app policies. The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) approved fines of 42.9 billion won for Google and 20.81 billion won for Apple for violating the Telecommunications Business Act over their app store payment polic

New Delhi [India], October 26: Apollo Micro Systems Ltd, a defence electronics and technology company, reported strong financial performance for the second quarter of FY27, with consolidated net profit rising

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) Chinas economic model, which catapulted the communist nation into becoming a factory for the world, is no longer politically tenable as it has resulted in hurting industries in other countries, which has led to a loss of jobs and slowed down growth, according to an article. The article on the Time news website highlights that the United States has imposed hefty tariffs and export controls on Chinese goods, while multinational companies have adopted China p

Digital Desk | Washington, Oct 23 (IANS) Laos, a landlocked nation ruled by a fellow communist government, appears to be a natural ally for China, as it does not perceive Beijing as a direct security threat. Chinese assistance in air force training and support could strengthen Laos military capabilities while providing access to economic assistance, despite the risks of increasing dependence on Beijing, a report has stated. It noted that by positioning itself as Chinas preferred partner, the Sou

Digital Desk | Hyderabad, Oct 23 (IANS) AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday demanded that a comprehensive and independent report should be presented before the country on the serious situation at the China border. The Hyderabad MP said that even a special session of Parliament be convened to discuss the situation and the current governments policy towards China. He also demanded Modi government to issue a clarification on the number of places in Arunachal Pradesh where Chinese troops have

Digital Desk | Bhopal, Oct 23 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition, Umang Singhar, on Friday questioned the BJP government over the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), asking why it was not responding to demands for holding elections through ballot papers and why it was describing as a mob, people who were protesting against the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Umang Singhar made these comments on EVMs, SIR, protests against the Chief

Digital Desk | Chandigarh, Oct 23 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Rajan Singh Katodiah, partner of Chandigarh-based M/s Sawan Jewellers, in connection with the alleged Rs 645-crore IDFC First Bank scam involving the embezzlement of government funds from various departments of the Haryana government and the Chandigarh Administration, an agency statement said on Friday. Katodiah was arrested by the ED's Chandigarh Zonal Office-II on Thursday and produced before the Special Cou

Digital Desk | Kolkata, Oct 23 (IANS) National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets of the West Bengal and Sikkim Directorate received appreciation on Friday for their service during Durga Puja in Kolkata and the districts of West Bengal. Maj Gen APS Chahal, ADG, NCC, West Bengal and Sikkim Directorate, appreciated the dedication, discipline and sense of responsibility displayed by the cadets at a ceremony held at the Corps Directorate in New Alipore, Kolkata. More than 8,000 cadets, both boys and girls, as

Digital Desk | Jaipur, Oct 23 (IANS) Acting on the directions of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Headquarters, the ACB unit in Banswara conducted a trap operation on Friday and caught Bhupendra Jain, a Chemistry teacher at Global BD College, Barodiya, Banswara district, red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a complainant. The college director, Siddhant Jain, and Political Science lecturer Dr Siddhant Jain were also arrested in connection with the case. The ACB's Banswara

Digital Desk | Bhopal, Oct 22 (IANS) In a major push to transform Madhya Pradeshs economy, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has announced that fisheries will no longer remain a traditional occupation but will be elevated to the status of a full-fledged industry. Speaking at the National Fisheries Conference held at the Kushabhau Thakre Auditorium in Bhopal, he said the sector would be integrated with food processing and the MSME sector, making it eligible for the same exemptions and incentives availab

Digital Desk | Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 23 (IANS) BJP national secretary K. Surendran on Friday accused the V.D. Satheesan government of attempting to shield political leaders and officials facing corruption allegations by exempting key sections (T Sections) of the Vigilance Department from the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, however, defended the decision, saying the T sections had been exempted because Vigilance investigations were confidential in nature. Confi

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) Following an overwhelming public response, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has decided to offer 1,648 additional LIG flats in Narela under the Awaas Nivesh Yojana 2026 from October 29, an official said on Friday. Additional flats in Pocket 1, Sectors G2G6, Narela, will be offered at a flat 25 per cent discount, at approximately Rs 14.95 lakh per flat, the official said in a statement. Online booking for this lot of flats will commence on October 29 a

Digital Desk | Patna, Oct 23 (IANS) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will visit Patna on October 25 to attend a state-level celebration marking the birth anniversary of Shrikrishna Singh, popularly known as Bihar Kesari and the first Chief Minister of Bihar. The event will be held at Bapu Sabhagar, where Congress leaders will pay tribute to his contributions to the freedom struggle, social justice and the development of modern Bihar. The announcement was made at a joint press conference by

Digital Desk | Bhubaneswar, Oct 23 (IANS) Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Friday assured the public that the state government is fully prepared and has completed all the preparations to tackle the impending cyclonic system. While speaking to media persons, Pujari urged the people not to panic as the state has extensive experience handling severe weather disasters and is ready to face such challenges. He said the administration is prepared for the worst-case scena

Digital Desk | Patna, Oct 23 (IANS) Polling for eight Bihar Legislative Council seats concluded at 4 pm on Friday, with the four teachers constituencies recording a higher voter turnout than the four graduate constituencies. According to Election Commission data, turnout stood at 43.87% in the graduate constituencies and 74.55% in the teachers constituencies as of 4 pm. Polling began at 8 am and continued until 4 pm. A total of 150 candidates were in the fray for the eight seats, with the counti

Digital Desk | Gandhinagar, Oct 23 (IANS) Gujarat will send a delegation to Scotland to study its expertise in offshore energy, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said on Friday after the state government signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Scottish Government to strengthen cooperation in renewable energy, sports, education, trade and investment. The agreements were signed in Gandhinagar in the presence of Patel and Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, who was accompanied by a del

Digital Desk | Guwahati, Oct 23 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday announced that veteran playback singer Usha Mangeshkar will be conferred the Bhupen Hazarika Award during the centenary celebrations of the legendary Assamese singer-composer in New Delhi on November 29. Addressing the media after a state Cabinet meeting, Sarma said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend the commemorative programme, which will be held at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital. The award

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) The Congress on Friday accused the Narendra Modi government of pursuing a weak-kneed policy towards China, alleging that its approach had emboldened Beijing's aggressive posture along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and compromised India's national interests. Addressing a press conference here, Congress Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera alleged that Prime MinisterModi's response to the 2020 Galwan clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers were

Digital Desk | Bengaluru, Oct 23 (IANS) Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) Member Siddaramaiah on Friday named a journalist and Congress leader, Krupa Alva of Mangaluru, as those allegedly behind the sting operation, describing it as a systematic conspiracy to blackmail him and tarnish his image through false allegations. Speaking to the media at the Suttur branch mutt in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah, who filed a complaint in the case, said the matter had come to his no

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Oct 23 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached an immovable property spread over approximately 14.51 acres in Kolkata valued at Rs 85.20 crore, in connection with a bank fraud and money laundering case involving M/s Unity Infraprojects Ltd. (UIL) and others, the agency said on Friday. According to the ED, the attached land, located at Mouza Chakgaria in Kolkata, is held in the name of M/s Suburban Agriculture Dairy & Fisheries Pvt. Ltd. (SADAFPL)

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Oct 23 (IANS) In a matter related to fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim's brother, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) lodged an FIR seeking action against miscreants who trespassed a Thane flat that was attached earlier in connection with an extortion case registered against Iqbal Ibrahim Kaskar, an officials said on Friday. The flat was attached by the ED in 2022 during money laundering investigation in a case relating to extortion by accused Iqbal Kaskar, younger brother of under

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) Weak monsoons coupled with strong El Nino, protracted geopolitical tensions, rising international commodity prices, additional frictions in global trade, and tightening of global financial conditions could adversely impact the growth outlook, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Friday. The outlook remains vulnerable to geopolitical developments, volatility in global energy markets and weather-related uncertainties, the central bank said in the October

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) claims that the eal motive behind the anti-SIR protests is to force a egime change, recalling that the Opposition had united during the tenure of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to defeat the government that had imposed the Emergency. At an interactive session at the NDTV World Summit, Tharoor said: (PM Narendra) Modi does keep talking about the Emergency and how the Em

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) Navigating the global uncertainty, the Indian economy has been anchored by solid macroeconomic fundamentals and policy interventions to cushion downside risks, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in its October 2026 issue of its monthly Bulletin on Friday, adding that the domestic economy continues to demonstrate strength as evidenced by high-frequency indicators across both industry and services. Despite being a net energy importer, GDP growth has been s

Digital Desk | Kolkata, Oct 23 (IANS) The forensic report on the pandal of Chorbagan Sarbojanin community Durga Puja in Kolkata, where a tragic stampede on the night of October 17 taking a toll of 19 lives, suggest that there was lack of adequate ventilation and cooling arrangements within the pandal premises. The forensic report had also suggested that because of the inadequate ventilation and cooling arrangements some kind of claustrophobia might have developed within the pandal at the time of

Digital Desk | Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 23 (IANS) The Kerala government, led by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, has introduced a calendar-based approach to prevent communicable diseases, with health workers, including health inspectors, set to visit households across the state to spread awareness and promote preventive measures. Health Minister K. Muraleedharan on Friday released the calendar at the Secretariat here, marking the first time the Health Department has prepared such a document to help

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) India and Germany have discussed opportunities for closer industrial collaboration and the potential of the IndiaEU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to expand bilateral trade and investment, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. Goyal held a series of high-level engagements in Berlin to strengthen IndiaGermany trade, investment and industrial cooperation. The Berlin engagements form part of ongoing efforts to deepen the IndiaGermany Strateg

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) While China is flooding world markets with cheap goods, a growing number of Chinese factories have started running into losses, with London-based research firm Capital Economics estimating that the share of Chinese industrial firms that are losing money has doubled since 2018 to 30 per cent this year. Losses are piling up at Chinese firms even as exports surge. Local governments regularly prop up unprofitable enterprises to preserve employment and meet eco

Digital Desk | Aizawl, Oct 23 (IANS) The Assam Rifles has seized heroin and dry areca nuts, also known as Burmese betel nuts, worth approximately Rs 2.74 crore in two separate operations in Mizoram and arrested four persons, including a Myanmar national, officials said on Friday. A defence spokesman said that, acting on credible intelligence regarding the transportation of narcotics, the Assam Rifles launched an operation in the Ngur area of Mizorams bordering Champhai district. During the opera

Digital Desk | Bhubaneswar, Oct 23 (IANS) With just one point from two games, Odisha FC will look to secure their first win of the Indian Super League (ISL)_2026-27 season when they host NorthEast United FC at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. The Highlanders have won both their opening matches to sit at the top of the standings, while Odisha have collected just one point from their first two games. The fixture brings back memories of their previous meeting in March, when Odisha re

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) India is on track to develop its own globally competitive smartphone brands within the next two years, with Indian-designed, Indian-manufactured and Indian-branded mobile phones expected to emerge by 2028, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday. Speaking at the NDTV World Summit in the national capital, Vaishnaw expressed confidence that India would witness its own Apple and Samsung moment in the smartphone industry, marking a significant step i

Digital Desk | Agartala, Oct 23 (IANS) The School Education Department of Tripura has issued show-cause notices to three government school teachers over allegations relating to professional conduct and paid private coaching for candidates preparing for the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET-I and TET-II), officials said here on Friday. A senior official of the School Education Department said that the notices, issued by the District Education Officers (DEOs) of South Tripura and Sepahijala district

Digital Desk | Kochi, Oct 23 (IANS) The Kerala High Court has permitted the termination of a 27 week pregnancy of a 16-year-old girl who was a victim of sexual assault, taking into account the psychological trauma and mental distress faced by the minor rape victim. The High Court issued the order on a petition filed by the girl's mother, who sought permission to terminate the pregnancy, stating that continuing it would cause further mental anguish to her daughter. The court accepted the stand ta

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) The National Highways Authority of India has issued guidelines for the upgradation, maintenance and smart monitoring of public toilet facilities and designated parking areas at toll plazas to improve citizencentric services along National Highways, an official statement said on Friday. The guidelines prescribe standards for upgrading existing facilities, regular cleaning, technology-enabled monitoring, citizen feedback and performance-based accountability

Digital Desk | Jaipur, Oct 23 (IANS) BJP Rajasthan chief Madan Rathore on Friday questioned the use of the name Rajiv Gandhi in reference to Raihan Vadra, as the political dispute surrounding the removal of photographs from his exhibition at Delhis Bikaner House continues to intensify. Raihan Vadra is the son of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and businessman Robert Vadra. Perhaps I shouldn't say it; you might end up calling it a controversial statement, but if you look into it, he is being refe

Digital Desk | Chandigarh, Oct 23 (IANS) Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon on Friday criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over his speech in the Assembly regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Calling Manns speech surprising, Dhillon said, You run the state government, your officers carried out the exercise, and you yourself conducted the SIR. Now you are the one raising questions about it. He said the entire process was carried out by the state governments

Digital Desk | Patna, Oct 23 (IANS) Police detained Chhotu Singh, a supporter of Mokama MLA Anant Singh, in Patna on Friday amid polling for eight Bihar Legislative Council seats. The District Intelligence Unit (DIU) team reportedly apprehended him from the Karbigahiya area under the jurisdiction of the Jakkanpur police station over concerns about a possible law-and-order situation. He was subsequently handed over to the local police for further action. The detention comes amid heightened securi

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) The National Commission for Women has sought a report and directed the state police to conduct a time-bound investigation into a reported incident in which a Muslim teenage girl in Uttar Pradesh was shot in the head by her father for opposing a forced arranged marriage, an official said on Friday. No one has the right to dictate a womans choice of partner through violence. Honour-based violence and attempts to silence women through fear will not be tolerat

Digital Desk | Almaty, Oct 23 (IANS) Daniil Medvedev continued his defence of the Almaty Open title as he marched into the semifinals at the ATP 250 event with a win over France's Terence Atmane 6-4, 6-4 here on Friday. Medvedev put up a strong performance, using the depth of the court to the full extent and nailing the first serves. He won 91% of the first-serve points for a staggering 31 of the 34 points won on it, while he also broke the Frenchman twice without losing his serve. He also fired

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Oct 23 (IANS) MNS Chief Raj Thackeray on Friday demanded an impartial probe in the controversial Rs 500 crore audio clip row that has stirred the political landscape of Maharashtra in the last few days. The controversy came to light after Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil played an audio clip during a press conference, claiming that he was offered Rs 500 crore by Shiv Sena through MP Shrikant Shinde. The Shiv Sena Shinde faction responded, saying that this was a plot to

Digital Desk | Anand, Oct 23 (IANS) A police inspector posted at Anklav police station in Gujarats Anand district was caught by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on October 22 while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000 from a factory owner after threatening to shut down the unit over alleged pollution, according to the ACB. The accused, Rajdeepsinh Vanar, a Class-II police inspector, had allegedly demanded a 1.5-tonne air conditioner from the complainant. When the complainant refused to provi

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) Showcasing his admiration for India's dynamism and diversity, Japanese Ambassador to India, Ono Keiichi, said on Friday that potential of bilateral ties has grown as he looks forward to strengthening friendship between the two nations. Ono Keiichi made the statement as he marked two years since he arrived in India as Japan's Ambassador. He mentioned that he has completed 36 trips across 18 states during his tenure in India. He shared a collage of pictures

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday expressed caution with the way China has ehaved on our borders and Beijing's overt support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, calling for predictable relationships where trade won't be weaponised against India. Tharoor's remarks came amid a political row over Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) chief Shatrujeet Kapur's purported remarks that the Army is successfully dealing with a face-off (with China) in Arunachal Pr

Digital Desk | Srinagar, Oct 23 (IANS) Police in J&Ks Baramulla district said on Friday that they have detained an alleged drug peddler under the prevention of illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (PIT-NDPS) act. A police statement said that they have detained an alleged drug peddler under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act. The detained person has been identified as Muzamil Majeed Bhat alias Hashim, son of Abdu

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) During the 2020-2021 protests against the three agricultural laws, an umbrella platform was formed to coordinate various organisations and unions involved in the demonstrations, which now continues its role but has extended from a focused farmers campaign into a broader political mobilisation directed against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government. During the demonstrations, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) emerged as one of the most influential ma

Digital Desk | Bhubaneswar, Oct 23 (IANS) Following the directions of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das, a party fact-finding team visited Jaleswar in Baleshwar district on Friday to investigate the rape and murder of a minor girl whose decomposed body was recovered on Thursday. According to an office order of the OPCC, the Congress fact-finding team will proceed to the victim girls native village and meet the deceased's family as well as visit the spot of the

Digital Desk | Gandhinagar, Oct 23 (IANS) Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi will hold a series of meetings with South Korean companies in Seoul on Friday to explore investment and industrial collaboration in sectors ranging from advanced technology and artificial intelligence to textiles, biotechnology, electronics and food processing. The high-level delegation, which is visiting South Korea as part of efforts to attract investment under the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit initiative, i

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, undertook a flying sortie with a senior wing cadet, Jakkula Tejasvi Reddy of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal (Hyderabad) on Friday. This comes days ahead of the Air Chiefs final flying sortie with his first flying instructor. With this one-of-a-kind initiative, NCC cadet Jakkula Tejaswi Reddy got an opportunity to get a closer understanding of the world of aviati