CHENNAI: Debutants Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara led from the front as Indian mens and womens archery teams secured quarterfinal spots in their respective team events at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. Bhakat cruised past Deepika Kumari, the four-time Olympian, to come out on top at 11th ranking in the womens individual recurve qualifications, while Bommadevara finished fourth in the mens individual event behind two archers from South Korea and one from Germany. With that debutants also c

NEW DELHI: As part of its anti-terror and counter-financial measures, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has blocked over 5.8 lakh SIM cards and 1,08,000 IMEIs of mobile handsets since Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed his first government in 2014, Minister of State (MoS) for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar said. Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the MoS (Home) said, Till date, more than 5.8 lakh SIM cards and 1,08,000 IMEIs, as reported by police authorities, have been blocked by the G

GUWAHATI: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who left for Delhi on Thursday, will have his first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in more than 14 months since the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities broke out on May 3 last year. Singh told the media in Imphal on Thursday that he was visiting Delhi to attend a meeting of the NITI Aayog and a conclave of the chief ministers. I am visiting Delhi especially to attend a meeting of the NITI Aayog. It will be chaired by P

CHANDIGARH: Thousands of government doctors in Haryana went on an indefinite strike on Thursday, hitting services in state-run hospitals, with long queues outside OPDs and patients complaining they were being treated by interns or retired doctors. The strike has been called by the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association, which represents government doctors in the state, to protest the non-fulfilment of their various demands. In a bid to resolve the issue, government representatives are holdin

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi said Thursday that the detention of an elected MP under the NSA was part of an undeclared emergency by the Centre, drawing a sharp response from the BJP who said he was referring to jailed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh. During a debate in Lok Sabha, the former Punjab chief minister referred to the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and said, This is also an emergency that a Member of Parliament elected by 20 lakh people in Punjab has b

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent official visit to Moscow continues to disturb various nations, including the US. The US recently expressed its disappointment over the same. However, India has responded to this saying that it has the freedom to decide who it wants to connect with. India has a long-standing relationship with Russia that is based on mutuality of interests. In a multipolar world, all countries have the freedom of choice. It is essential for everybody to be mindful of

CHANDIGARH: Expressing solidarity with the INDIA bloc, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will not attend the Niti Aayog meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government took this decision yesterday, a day after the INDIA bloc on Tuesday alleged that the Union Budget for fiscal 2024-25 ignored non-NDA-ruled states and the Congress and the DMK subsequently announced to boycott the Niti Aayog meeting. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK St

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted jailed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal permission to hold two extra meetings per week with his legal team while he remains in Tihar Jail. The decision comes amidst Kejriwal's ongoing legal battles related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy of 2021-22. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, presiding over the case, justified the ruling by emphasizing the importance of ensuring Kejriwal's right to a fair trial and effective legal represen

NEW DELHI: State governments should not intrude into matters beyond their constitutional jurisdiction, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday, days after the Kerala government tasked a senior official for 'external cooperation'. The Constitution of India under the 7th Schedule list 1- Union list, item 10, clearly specifies that foreign affairs and all matters which bring the Union into relation with any foreign country, are the sole prerogative of the Union Government, MEA spokesp

NEW DELHI: India currently has 52 comprehensive lactation management centres (CLMC) equipped to provide safe and pasteurized donor human milk to preterm, premature, low birth weight, and sick babies, the Rajya Sabha was informed. According to Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi, 19 of the 52 lactation management units (CLMC) in India are located in Tamil Nadu. Additionally, Tamil Nadu houses 20 of the 49 lactation management units (LMUs) in the country, the minister said in

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand, renowned globally for its spiritual and domestic tourism, is facing an unprecedented challenge with its floating population surging eight-fold annually. Disappointed in the omission of the key issues pertaining to Uttarakhand in the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, the state government have decided to approach the Centre via Niti Aayog for help in coping with the massive tourist influx. Finance Minister Premchand Agarwal had earlier

President Droupadi Murmu has announced the renaming of two significant halls within Rashtrapati Bhavan, marking a symbolic shift towards embracing Indian cultural values and ethos. The historically renowned 'Durbar Hall' and 'Ashok Hall' will now be known as 'Ganatantra Mandap' and 'Ashok Mandap,' respectively. Rashtrapati Bhavan, the office and the residence of the President of India, is a symbol of the nation, and an invaluable heritage of the people. Continuous efforts are being made to make

VIRUDHUNAGAR: A 26-year-old man was brutally murdered by a gang in Sivakasi on Wednesday night. The victim has been identified as M Karthik Pandiyan (26). Police arrested the victim's brothers-in-law P Dhanabala (26), P Balamurugan (27) and S Siva (23) in connection with the murder. Sources said that Karthik Pandiyan and Nandhini Kumari (22) fell in love with each other and got married eight months ago. Karthik Pandiyan was working in a workshop in Sivakasi while Nandhini was employed in a super

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was scheduled to leave for New Delhi on Thursday to attend the NITI Aayog meeting on July 27, has decided to postpone her visit by a day, TMC sources said. The development comes a day after Congress chief ministers decided to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled for July 27 in protest against alleged discrimination against opposition-ruled states in the Union Budget. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has also decided to boycott the

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday asked members to maintain respect and not make remarks that would hurt the dignity of the House amid opposition protests over BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay's comments that were later expunged. He also said the member had been cautioned not to make such remarks in the future. During a discussion on the Union Budget on Wednesday, BJP MP and former Calcutta HC judge Gangopadhyay made remarks about Mahatma Gandhi and his assassin Nathuram Godse during

COLOMBO: New India head coach Gautam Gambhir will have the onerous task of choosing between Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson during the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka starting from Saturday. While most of the key stars of the T20 World Cup winning side sans the retiring duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are in the Island nation, the choice between two flamboyant wicketkeeper batters Pant and Samson won't be an easy one. Worse, even with two slots vacant, one can't fit in both the hard-

MUMBAI: Heavy rains lashed Mumbai and its suburbs on Thursday, causing waterlogging on roads in some areas that led to traffic snarls and also delayed local train operations. Owing to incessant rains in the catchment areas, Vihar and Modak Sagar lakes started overflowing. With this, four of the seven reservoirs providing potable water to the metropolis are now overflowing, which improved the overall water stock, officials said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted moderate to heav

LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Thursday demanded the scrapping of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test and reinstatement of the old system of medical admissions. Several opposition parties have slammed the BJP-led central government over alleged irregularities in the medical entrance examination NEET. The irregularities in the All-India NEET-UG Medical Examination is a serious issue and has reached Parliament and the Supreme Court. Whatever be the result, the pain and menta

CHENNAI: The Union Budget has completely deceived Safai Karmachari community. There is no mention of persons engaged in manual scavenging, in entire Budget, the Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA) said. Even the scheme meant for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers (SRMS) has been outragesously scrapped. This disappointing budget has once again demonstrated the clear apathy of union government towards Safai Karmacharis, especially the manual scvengers, the Andolan said in a statement. The statemen

NAGPUR: Senior NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh on Thursday dared Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to make public the video clips against him purportedly showing him speaking against NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray. Addressing a press conference here, Deshmukh said, Fadnavis should make the video clips public because I know he possesses none. Deshmukh also showed a pen drive, saying that it contains evidence about the allegations he made against Fad

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday took up the role of a teacher for students of a central school in the President's Estate, interacting with them on the issue of global warming while also suggesting ways for environment conservation. During her interactive session with Class 9 students of Dr Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya in Delhi, she also emphasised the need for water conservation and encouraged them to plant more trees in a bid to reduce the impact of climate change. We shou

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in money laundering and corruption cases related to the alleged excise scam. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja extended Kejriwal's custody in a money laundering case, being probed by the Enforcement Directorate, till July 31, while his judicial custody in a corruption case, lodged by the CBI, was extended till August 8. The judge also extended the judicial custody of Aam Aadmi Party leader and former D

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, the party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, on Thursday filed an adjournment notice to address the series of tragic train accidents across India. In a letter to the Lok Sabha Secretary General, Gogoi highlighted that the recent wave of tragic train accidents has resulted in immense loss of life, suffering, and economic disruption. Just last week, on July 18, four people died and several others were injured after the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express derailed near Uttar Prade

BENGALURU: Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil on Thursday slammed the opposition BJP over its all-night agitation in the Karnataka legislature after the party's demand to discuss the MUDA 'scam' was denied. Patil said the BJP has used the ongoing legislative session for their political advantage despite explaining to them why the adjournment motion into the alternative site (plot) scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) cannot be taken up. He said Chief Mini

Heavy rains has swept several parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai with the IMD issuing red alert for multiple districts. Severe waterlogging reported in several parts of the financial capital. Pune is among the worst affected with several parts of the city being inundated due to heavy rain. Four persons are reported dead in the city amid heavy rain with three people being electrocuted due to waterlogging in the city. The Khadakwasla Dam reached full capacity following heavy rain in the region.

NEW DELHI: In a setback to the Centre, the Supreme Court on Thursday held that states have the legislative competence to impose taxes on mines and mineral-bearing lands under the Constitution. In a majority verdict of 8:1, a nine-judge Constitution bench held that royalty payable on minerals is not a tax. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, who read out the verdict for himself and seven judges of the bench, held that Parliament does not have the power to tax mineral rights under Entry 50 of List II of

NEW DELHI: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday hit out at opposition leaders, contending they had resorted to abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the debate on the Union Budget in Parliament instead of speaking on the finer aspects of the document. Addressing a press conference here, he said the manner in which some opposition leaders made their speeches amounted to insulting the House and lowering the dignity of the Budget session. Let us respect the mandate of the p

RANCHI: Jharkhand government to set up Hotel Taj, involving Rs 400 crore, at Ranchi by 2028. According to officials, the hotel will be spread over six acres of land in Ranchi Smart City Campus. For this, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Urban Development and Housing Department and The Indian Hotels Company Limited (A Tata Enterprises) in presence of CM Hemant Soren on Wednesday. Tata Steel CEO and MD, TV Narendran, was also present during the programme. The proposal has

THOOTHUKUDI: Urging the state government to fulfil their demands, including insurance payout for crop losses during the financial year 2023-24, farmers of Vilathikulam region staged a protest at Melakaranthai on the Thoothukudi-Madurai national highway. Meanwhile, the Ettayapuram police arrested 151 farmers for blocking the national highway. The farmers, led by Karisalboomi Vivasayigal Sangam, demanded the state government to provide adequate insurance relief. Crops such as black gram, green gra

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has held a meeting with Union Home Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah in Delhi. Sources close to Pawar confirmed the development and said the meeting took place late on Wednesday night. Pawar is likely to make another visit on July 28, they said. The meeting assumes significance as the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP and NC

SULTANPUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will appear before the MP-MLA court on Friday for the hearing in a defamation case. Congress district president Abhishek Singh Rana said on Thursday that Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, will land at Lucknow airport at 9 am on Friday and then proceed towards Sultanpur. Local Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Mishra filed a defamation case on August 4, 2018, against Gandhi for making alleged objectionable remarks against the then BJP pre

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court dismissed a public interest litigation filed by a city-based chartered accountant, a pregnant woman and doctor of law, challenging the Rs 2 hike in milk price by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF). The division bench of Chief Justice N V Anjaria and Justice K V Aravind dismissed the petition filed by Dr Amrithalakshmi R, a resident of Bilekahalli in the city. The price of milk was increased on June 26. She questioned the hike on the grounds that there was no

BENGALURU: A delegation from Gangktok, the capital of the Himalayan state of Sikkim, led by Mayor Nell Bahadur Chettri, on Wednesday visited the BBMP and discussed solid waste disposal practices being followed in Bengaluru. Gangtok Municipal Corporation Mayor Chettri and Deputy Mayor Tshering Palden Bhutia visited the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML). They got acquainted with the solid waste management methods being followed in the corporation, the role of the corporation in soli

BENGALURU: Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda informed the Council on Wednesday that 38,78,525 farmers were given drought relief compensation in 2023-24, which is the highest in a year so far. Replying to a question by BJP MLC Keshava Prasad, Gowda said that in the past, aid provided to 23,42,667 farmers was the highest. This year, Rs 4,047 crore has been spent towards the same. The aid was provided after the officials visited the fields and conducted a crop loss survey. The aid was d

BENGALURU: The State Government has decided to introduce counseling sessions for students belonging to the SC/ST and Backward Classes communities studying in residential schools run by the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS), including Morarji Desai Residential Schools. The counseling will include the physical, mental, and academic well-being of the students. Cutting across party lines, MLAs raised the issue of the poor condition of hostels run for students belonging t

UDUPI: The loco pilot and the assistant loco pilot of Matsyagandha Express train averted a possible mishap by stopping the train in the nick of time after spotting a big tree fallen on the tracks in Udupi on Wednesday. As the incident occurred a little away from Udupi railway station, the railway gangmen later rushed to the site and cleared the tracks. Sources from Konkan Railway said that the train was approaching from Barkur to Udupi and at that time the loco pilot and the assistant loco pilot

BENGALURU: Karnataka has been allocated Rs 7,559 crore for railway projects in the Union budget for 2024-2025, said Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday. Addressing a virtual news conference from New Delhi, he said the total outlay for Indian Railways in the budget was Rs 2.62 lakh crore, including Rs 1.09 lakh crore for safety-related activities. South Western Railway General Manager Aravind Srivastav later told reporters that this was the highest budget allocation under working

BENGALURU: Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Wednesday said all measures should be taken to prevent illegal felling and smuggling of sandalwood trees. He said an action plan should also be prepared to protect sandalwood trees. After holding a meeting with officials of the forest department and Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd (KSDL), he said sandalwood is vital for KSDL so the action plan should also include measures on increasing the area of sandalwood plantation. K

HYDERABAD: Imagine not being able to light up a single matchstick on a freezing cold night in order to be safe from being bombarded. Moving from one camp to another continuously while being bitten by poisonous snakes and scorpions in hot desert, our bravehearts have endured severe weather conditions and much more while fighting in the Kargil War. As India marks the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26, we honour all the Indian soldiers who fought and sacrificed their lives for their

CHENNAI: The Lord of the Rings is back! The Grand Sovereign of all sporting events opens in Paris on July 26, as the world awaits with bated breath and anxious hopes. Countries send their best of the best to compete for those beckoning medals and the deserving best descend on territory that may speak an alien tongue but voices their collective dreams for success. The Olympics, dear Compatriots, is finally here to distract us from gloomy newspaper headlines, even if ever so briefly! Before you wo

BENGALURU: A man armed with a knife entered a womens paying guest (PG) facility in the city on Tuesday night and allegedly murdered a 24-year-old woman. According to the police, the man stabbed the girl several times after slitting her throat at her room on the third floor of the PG facility on 1st Cross Road, 6th Block, VR Layout, Koramangala. The deceased has been identified as Krithi Kumari, an employee of a private company. Kumari, who hailed from Bihar, was murdered between 11.10 pm and 11.

HYDERABAD: Sarees are the most comfortable and preferred choice of many women in the country. Not just Indians, but people across the world love to drape a saree. Celebrities who choose to be seen in this traditional attire are always admired, and one such actress is Raasi, a senior actress in the Tollywood industry. She was recently seen at the ongoing Silk of India Handloom Expo held at Sri Satya Sai Nigamagamam. Speaking about the expo and what she liked most about the event, Raasi said, I am

CHENNAI : How much can a persons clothing reveal about who they are? To women in the humble northeastern state of Tripura, a narrow piece of cloth hides away centuries of indigenous history. The risha assumed to have etymological origins in the old Kokborok language, is a conjunction of the words ri meaning cloth and brsha, meaning small. On Friday, textile designer and founder of Tilla, Aratrik Dev Varman, and designer and illustrator at Tilla, Jisha Unnikrishnan, joined in conversation with th

TIRUCHY: The city corporation on Wednesday convened its council meeting for July. In this several important announcements were made, including its plan to make licence mandatory for pet dogs. Mayor Mu Anbalagan, who chaired the meeting, said that sanitation officials will visit residents in the coming days in order to collect the details of dog owners and vaccination status of their pets. Before commencing discussion on various topics, the mayor presented the status of the civic bodys stray dog

BENGALURU: BJP and JDS legislators staged a dharna in both Houses on Wednesday night in protest against the Assembly speakers decision of not allowing a debate on the alleged irregularities in allotment of sites by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka alleged that Speaker UT Khader acted in a partisan manner and did not allow the House to discuss the MUDA issue in which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is allegedly involved. The Speaker, who should

HYDERABAD: Interior design involves understanding the fundamental principles and elements that contribute to creating aesthetically pleasing and functional spaces within buildings. It goes beyond just decorating a space; it encompasses aspects such as space planning, colour theory, furniture design, lighting, materials selection, and more. While the monsoon offers a welcome break from the uncomfortable hot summer, the high humidity, heavy rains, and wetness can bring about a host of issues. Taki

BENGALURU: The Assembly witnessed a heated exchange between ruling and opposition members on Wednesday after Leader of Opposition R Ashoka tried to move an adjournment motion on MUDA scam. Speaker UT Khader denied permission, resulting in a heated debate, especially between former Law Minister Suresh Kumar and Law Minister HK Patil. Patil said that since the MUDA scam has been entrusted to a commission for probe, it cannot be discussed under adjournment motion in the House as per rule. The State

HYDERABAD: With tilaks on their foreheads and topis on their heads, the spiritual evening for the audience began at the national award-winning vocalist Mahesh Kales concert, Abhangawari. Organised by Tatvaa Arts in association with the Department of Language and Culture, Government of Telangana, the concert brought together the spiritual community of Hyderabad to celebrate Marathi abhangs. Originally rooted in the spiritual ideologies of the Bhakti saints of Maharashtra, Marathi abhangs are a ty

CHANDIGARH: A rather surprising proposal of the Haryana government to decorate six police officers with the Presidents Medal for Gallantry for stopping protesting Punjab farmers at the Shambhu and Khanauri inter-state borders in February this year has raised eyebrows. This has prompted the Union home ministry to seek clarification from the state. Haryana government said in its recommendation on July 2 that the six officers displayed exceptional bravery in stopping the farmers who were marching t

HYDERABAD: Though we live in a world where we often hear the words women empowerment and feminism, there are always some women whose freedom is still tied down. Taking inspiration from these women and from her own life, professional artist Chaitali Maji hosted a solo exhibition, Inner Aura & Divine Aura, which features two different themes: women and divinity. Representing the struggles of women over the years through art, Chaitali beautifully depicted themes of freedom, passion, motherhood, sha