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Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) The Congress and the Trinamool Congress on Friday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while referring to the upcoming bypoll in West Bengal's Nandigram Assembly constituency as farce, after the grand old party's candidate was arrested in an old murder case. Earlier in the day, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had extended support to Congress' Milan Pradhan after, Sanchita Dey Pradhan, the candidate of the Trinamool Congress faction

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Day 2 of SEMICON India 2026 witnessed 25 key announcements and collaborations covering various segments of the semiconductor value chain, including semiconductor manufacturing, materials, logistics, chip design, advanced packaging, power electronics and workforce development, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT on Friday. Indias Tata Electronics and L&T Semiconductor Technologies signed MoUs and partnership agreements with

Digital Desk | Ujjain, Sep 18 (IANS) Lyricist Manoj Muntashir on Friday criticised the practice of limiting 'Vande Mataram' to only two stanzas and took a strong jibe at former Prime Minister late Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress while addressing the Youth Dharma Sansad in Ujjain. The three-day Youth Dharma Sansad is being organised from September 17 to 19. On the second day, a lecture session was held at Geeta Bhawan. The event was attended by around 1,700 young students from across the countr

Digital Desk | Pune, Sep 18 (IANS) Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Friday inaugurated the 38th Pune Festival at Shri Ganesh Kala Krida Rangmanch, Pune, reminding the nation must never forget its history and the great sacrifices made by its heroes. The Vice President said the vision of Viksit Bharat encompasses not only economic growth and infrastructure but also an inclusive and equitable society rooted in its civilisational heritage. He noted that events such as the Pune Festival can prom

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by his family. Chaudhary shared details of the meeting through a post on his X handle, triggering speculation across political circles. The meeting assumes significance as Chaudhary is scheduled to address a massive rally in Muzaffarnagar on September 20. Political observers are interpreting the pre-rally interaction as an important sig

Digital Desk | Agartala, Sep 18 (IANS) The Assam Rifles on Friday organised a display of weapons and equipment in Agartala to showcase its capabilities, operational preparedness and role in safeguarding the nation and maintaining security in the Northeast. A defence spokesman said that the Assam Rifles organised a weapons and equipment display at Saheed Bhagat Singh Youth Hostel in Agartala on Friday for NCC (National Cadet Corps) cadets as part of its continued efforts to enhance awareness abou

Digital Desk | Hyderabad, Sep 18 (IANS) The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, has arrested Kailash Chand Mangla in connection with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) ghee adulteration case. Kailash Chand Mangla, promoter of Sukriti Foods Pvt. Ltd., was arrested on Thursday under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. He was produced before the Special Court (PMLA), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, which remanded him to judicial custody, the

Digital Desk | Bengaluru, Sep 18 (IANS) Government-owned aerospace giant Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed over two Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas final operational clearance twin-seater trainers and three HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF), along with four Dhruv next-generation helicopters to Pawan Hans Limited, on Friday. The platforms were displayed, and a pooja was performed in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of Civil Aviation

Digital Desk | Lucknow, Sep 18 (IANS) Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Friday held a review meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to assess progress on measures to improve air quality in Delhi-NCR. Yadav emphasised the need for accelerated implementation, stronger inter-agency coordination and strict enforcement to ensure substantial reduction in air pollution levels before the onset of winter. Emphasising the urgency of timely acti

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Amidst fast-paced developments on Friday, West Bengals electoral politics stand poised for a major shift, with Trinamool Congress founder and former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee facing the prospect of going unrepresented in the high-profile Nandigram Assembly seat when the by-election is held on October 6. Sanchita Dey Pradhan, the candidate nominated from the Mamata-led Trinamool faction for Nandigram, withdrew her nomination after meeting Chief Ministe

Digital Desk | Hyderabad, Sep 18 (IANS) A city court on Friday rejected the remand of BRS leader Manne Krishank, hours after his dramatic arrest by police, who broke open the locked door of his residence. Nampally court refused to send Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) social media convenor Krishank to judicial custody after his arrest over a social media post. On a remand petition filed by the police, the court said it was rejecting the remand request in view of the guidelines laid down by the Supre

Digital Desk | Washington, Sep 18 (IANS) The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has called on the US President Donald Trump and his administration to raise the issue of Uyghur genocide in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, as well as transnational repression of diaspora communities by Chinese authorities, during President Xi Jinpings visit to the US on September 24. According to the WUC, the United States formally recognised the deteriorating situation in Xinjiang as genocide for the first

Digital Desk | Seoul, Sep 18 (IANS) India suffered a difficult opening day in their Davis Cup in Qualifiers 2nd Round tie against Korea as Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal both surrendered leads in three-set battles to leave the visitors 0-2 down at the Olympic Tennis Court here on Friday. For the first time, Korea was one victory away from a Davis Cup quarter-finals spot after Soonwoo Kwon and Hyeon Chung staged dramatic comebacks against Indias top two singles players. The turnaround came

Digital Desk | Dhaka, Sep 18 (IANS) Several leaders of Bangladeshs radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami had repeatedly urged the partys top leadership to issue a formal and unconditional apology for opposing the countrys independence from Pakistan in 1971. Despite multiple drafts being prepared over the years, the efforts failed to materialise amid resistance from influential figures within the party, local media reported, citing the posthumous memoir of former Jamaat leader Abdur Razzaq, who

Digital Desk | Hong Kong, Sep 18 (IANS) India and Russia are seeking to deepen their decades-old defence relationship by moving beyond conventional arms sales towards greater technology and industrial cooperation, with missile exports and fighter-jet offers emerging as indicators of the evolving partnership, a report said this week, citing analysts. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged a handshake and warm embrace ahead of last weekends BRICS summit in New

Digital Desk | Helsinki, Sep 18 (IANS) Ambassador of India to Finland, Hemant Kotalwar, on Friday met Soile Lahti, Mayor of Kuopio and discussed India-Finland bilateral relations and opportunities for closer cooperation. During his visit to Kuopio, Ambassador Hemant Kotalwar met Mayor Soile Lahti and discussed India-Finland bilateral relations and opportunities for closer cooperation. The Mayor briefed the Ambassador on Kuopios strengths in health, education and research, Pharmaceuticals and bio

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Nepal's Finance Minister, Swarnim Wagle, on Friday thanked the Government of India for its support in rescue and relief efforts following the recent flash flood in Rasuwa, the Embassy of Nepal in India stated. Hon. Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Finance Minister of Nepal, met H.E. Dr. S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, in New Delhi. Minister Wagle thanked the Government of India for its support in rescue and relief efforts following the recent flash flo

Digital Desk | Colombo, Sep 18 (IANS) The government of India has extended the Viability Gap Funding for the NagapattinamKankesanthurai passenger ferry for another year, marking the third consecutive year of support. Government of India has extended the Viability Gap Funding for the NagapattinamKankesanthurai passenger ferry for another year, marking the third consecutive year of support. Since its resumption in August 2024, the ferry has carried over 52,000 passengers, strengthening connectivit

Digital Desk | Panna, Sep 18 (IANS) Fortune has once again favoured hardworking farmers in Madhya Pradeshs diamond-rich Panna district. Badri Patel and five of his associates have discovered a 4.70-carat gem-quality diamond in a mine in the Pati area. The stone is estimated to be worth around Rs 15 lakh. The team had begun excavation work in the mine only 15 to 20 days earlier. After persistent digging, they spotted a glittering stone, later confirmed to be a gem-quality diamond. The discovery h

Digital Desk | Geneva, Sep 18 (IANS) An Indian civil society representative has raised concerns over the shrinking civic space and alleged human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) during the ongoing 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Speaking during the General Debate under Item 3 on civic space and democratic participation, the representative said an open, free and inclusive civic space was essential for meaningful democratic particip

Digital Desk | Srinagar, Sep 18 (IANS) Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Rohit Jain, on Friday reviewed banking operations in Jammu and Kashmir, emphasising the need for a stronger credit push and wider adoption of the Unified Lending Interface (ULI). An official statement said Jain convened a meeting with Zonal Heads of major banks operating in J&K. In his opening remarks, he highlighted banks' role in supporting economic activity and strengthening financial inclusion in the r

Digital Desk | Islamabad, Sep 18 (IANS) Leading human rights organisation Amnesty International condemned the re-arrest of Pakistani human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha just hours after Pakistans Supreme Court granted them bail, accusing authorities of misusing the justice system to target critical voices.The remarks came after a division bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday granted both lawyers bail and suspended their sentences in the social media posts case,

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday announced the results of All India Ayush Post Graduate Entrance (AIAPGET) 2026, with Vinod emerging as the topper in the Ayurveda discipline and Ayyamolia Akshaya coming first among Homoeopathy course aspirants, an official said. In a post on X, the NTA said, AIAPGET 2026 final answer keys officially released. Candidates can access the final answer keys and check their answers at the official examination portal.

Digital Desk | Jaipur, Sep 18 (IANS) The Rajasthan Congresss old fault lines have once again come to the fore, with a fresh war of words between former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and senior party leader Sachin Pilot following the partys performance in the recently concluded urban local body elections. The BJP emerged as the largest party in civic polls. However, the statewide vote-share contest between two principal parties was remarkably close. The BJP polled 35.18% of the vote against 34.24%

Digital Desk | Jhalawar, Sep 18 (IANS) A 40-year-old man from Jhalawar, Rajasthan, died after allegedly setting himself ablaze at the Maa Jwalamukhi Temple, a Shaktipeeth in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, on Thursday evening. The deceased, identified as Ramdas, son of Gajanand, reportedly poured petrol on himself and set himself on fire outside the sanctum sanctorum around 7 p.m. He suffered burns over nearly 70 per cent of his body. Temple staff and devotees present at the spot extinguish

Digital Desk | State taking drought measures, open to suggestions from Sharad Pawar: CM Devendra Fadnavis Mumbai, September 18 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that the Maharashtra government has already initiated several key measures regarding drought mitigation and farmer relief. He noted that the overall drought situation and prospective financial assistance were formally discussed during the recent Cabinet meeting. He was responding to a letter written to him by the NCP

Digital Desk | Patna, Sep 18 (IANS) Three people, including two teenagers, were killed and two others injured in a head-on motorcycle collision near Natinia Mai temple between Baghini and Bahdura villages under Mohania police station limits in Bihars Kaimur district on Friday. Police identified the deceased as Vikas Kumar, alias Vikas Chaudhary, son of the late Awadhesh Chaudhary; Bittu Kumar, 18, son of Ramashankar Chaudhary; and Dilkhush Rai, 16, son of Zainu Rai. All were residents of Baghini

Digital Desk | Vijayawada, Sep 18 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against nine accused before the Special NIA Court, Vijayawada, in an online radicalisation case. The chargesheet has been filed against Mohammad Rehmatullah Shariff, Mohammed Danish, Mirza Sohail Baig, Lucky Ahmad, Jishan Abdul Majid, Mir Ashif Ali, Abdul Salaam, Sharuk Khan and Shaikh Faiz ur Rehman, all alleged members and supporters of the terrorist organisation ISIS. They have been charge

Digital Desk | Hanoi, Sep 18 (IANS) A delegation from the Ministry of Civil Aviation visited Vietnam and held discussions with the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) on the IndiaVietnam Air Services Agreement, the Embassy of India, Hanoi, said on Friday. India and Viet Nam take forward air connectivity. Boost to people-to-people linkages. A delegation from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, visited Viet Nam from 1718 September 2026 and held discussions with the Civil Av

Digital Desk | Shivamogga (Karnataka), Sep 18 (IANS) The BJP staged a protest in Shikaripura town in Shivamogga district against what it alleged were the Karnataka governments anti-farmer policies. BJP State President, B.Y. Vijayendra, accused the government of failing to understand and address the problems faced by farmers in the state. Addressing the protest, Vijayendra claimed the agitation was aimed at warning the government about the hardships faced by farmers and demanding that it take ste

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) The Delhi BJP announced plans to hold a protest on Saturday outside the office of Aam Aadmi Partys Trilokpuri municipal councillor Vijay Kumar, who is facing allegations of financial fraud and abetment of suicide of a civic worker. A day after Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra pointed to the registration of an FIR against Vijay Kumar, the ruling partys spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that on Saturday the BJP Mahila Morcha will hold a protest outs

Digital Desk | Harare, Sep 18 (IANS) Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) have announced that it will host West Indies for a six-match womens white-ball series starting in Harare later this month. The series will feature three ODIs and is followed by as many T20I games. The three-match ODI series is a part of the ICC Womens Championship pathway, and will be played at the Harare Sports Club on September 24, 27, and 30 respectively. Both teams will then move to the Takashinga Cricket Club for the T20I fixtures s

Digital Desk | Madrid, Sep 18 (IANS) Fresh from their historic 2026 FIFA World Cup triumph, Spain will return to international action with a 26-member squad for the opening fixtures of the UEFA Nations League, with Fermin Lopez and Dean Huijsen among the notable inclusions. Head coach Luis de la Fuente has retained several key members of the squad that helped Spain lift the World Cup while also making changes as the team begins its new international cycle. Fermin makes his return to the national

Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 18 (IANS) Milan Pradhan, the Congress candidate for the forthcoming bypoll for Nandigram Assembly constituency in East Midnapore district of West Bengal, was arrested on Friday in an old case, confirmed an official of the East Midnapore district police. The arrests took place hours after Sanchita Dey Pradhan, the candidate from the Mamata Banerjee-led faction in the Trinamool Congress for the bypoll in Nandigram, withdrew her nomination and the former West Bengal Chie

Digital Desk | Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 18 (IANS) The Satheesan government has stepped up its crackdown on tax evasion, with the State GST Department detecting alleged evasion of Rs 7.56 crore in vehicle parking services at railway stations across Kerala. The Chief Minister's office brought the evasion to light on Friday. The GST Intelligence and Enforcement wing detected the evasion during a statewide operation on September 16. Officials inspected 69 locations linked to 22 taxpayers providing pa

Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 18 (IANS) Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha member from Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district of West Bengal, Mahua Moitra, on Friday lodged a complaint at Tehatta Police Station in the same district against eight Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists over the alleged egg attack on her while she went to attend a party meeting at Tehatta on September 16. Among the eight BJP activists named in the complaint are the panchayat samiti chief and deputy chief of Teha

Digital Desk | Madrid, Sep 18 (IANS) Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia has been ruled out of Saturdays La Liga trip to Sevilla after suffering a minor knee injury, with the setback also forcing him to withdraw from Spains squad for the upcoming international break. Garcia sustained the injury during Barcelonas 7-2 victory over Racing Santander on Wednesday. The goalkeeper started the match but was replaced by Wojciech Szczesny at the beginning of the second half after experiencing discomfort in h

Digital Desk | Bhopal, Sep 18 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh is looking to develop Bhopal, the Indore-Ujjain metropolitan regions, and other parts of the state as potential centres for semiconductor-related businesses, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Friday. He made the remarks after inaugurating a semiconductor lab at the Madhya Pradesh Pavilion at SEMICON India 2026 in New Delhi, where the state is showcasing investment opportunities in the semiconductor and electronics sectors. The youth of our sta

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Apples iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are seeing stronger initial demand in India than their predecessors despite higher prices, with analysts and retailers reporting a 1528 per cent yearonyear uptick at launch. While it's too early to share definitive sales figures, initial demand for the 18 Pro is outperforming the 17 Pro YoY, said Tarun Pathak, Research Director, Counterpoint Research after the firm checked data from 12 stores. Burgundy color is in

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Friday staged a protest, accusing the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) of rigging the upcoming Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) polls that is currently underway. During the second phase of voting for the DUSU elections, ABVP supporters climbed onto police barricades outside the Law Centre and raised slogans against the NSUI. Speaking to IANS, ABVP National General Secretary Virendra Singh Sola

Digital Desk | Jaipur, Sep 18 (IANS) The battle for the top posts in Rajasthans urban local bodies has entered a decisive phase following the announcement of councillor election results, with the BJP claiming unopposed victories for its candidates as chairpersons, sabhapatis and presidents in 25 civic bodies across the state. The BJP has also secured unopposed mayoral victories in the Bharatpur and Bhilwara Municipal Corporations, although the political circumstances in the two corporations are

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 18: smartData Enterprises (India) Limited (smartData, The Company), a global technology services provider engaged in delivering information technology (IT) services and digital solutions with a focus

Digital Desk | Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 18 (IANS) The standoff between the Kerala Crime Branch and the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) over alleged irregularities in the State Planning Board examinations appears headed for a fresh confrontation after the investigating agency secured a legal opinion backing its authority to question PSC members. According to sources, the legal opinion states that the constitutional status enjoyed by the PSC does not exempt its chairman or members from appea

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to UK national Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi in seven cases arising out of alleged terror-related conspiracies in Punjab, holding that his continued incarceration of more than eight years, coupled with the slow progress of the trial, warranted his release on bail. A Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja set aside the orders passed by the trial court and directed Johal's release on bail in all seven

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) The India Digital Payment Intelligence Corporation (IDPIC) is already operational on a pilot basis with eight banks, and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is working to expedite its rollout, RBI Deputy Governor Shirish Chandra Murmu said on Thursday. Speaking to IANS on the sidelines of an event here, Murmu said, It is already running on a pilot basis in eight banks. We are trying to expedite it. The government and the RBI have been taking several measures to s

Digital Desk | Bhubaneswar, Sep 18 (IANS) Odisha Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Department on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Bank of India (SBI), through its payment aggregator service SBIePay, to strengthen digital payment infrastructure and facilitate seamless, secure and citizen-centric payment services across Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the state through the SUJOG platform. According to an official statement, under the partnership, citizens will be ab

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) The Delhi High Court has granted 30-day custody bail to an accused in an alleged ISIS conspiracy case to undergo surgery and medical treatment at a private hospital of his choice in Delhi-NCR. A Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan passed the order while dealing with an appeal filed by Farhan Ansar Suse, challenging an order of the Special NIA Court at Patiala House Courts which had rejected his interim bail plea on medical

Digital Desk | Jaipur, Sep 18 (IANS) A political controversy has erupted over the Bharatpur Municipal Corporation mayoral election after Independent candidate Vichitra Singh withdrew her nomination, clearing the way for BJP candidate Anuradha Singh to be elected unopposed. Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, termed the development extremely unfortunate and condemnable and alleged that the Independent candidate was intimidated into withdrawing her nomination.

Digital Desk | Manila, Sep 18 (IANS) At least three people were killed and six others injured after a shooting incident at Banga National High School in Banga in the Philippines' South Cotabato, on Friday, local media reported. South Cotabato Governor Reynald Tamayo has confirmed the casualties, Philstar reported. Philippines Red Cross said that it has mobilised to provide critical life-saving assistance after the school shooting incident at Banga National High School in Banga on Friday. In a st

Digital Desk | Thimphu, Sep 18 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Friday concluded a productive visit to Bhutan, during which the two neighbouring countries discussed various aspects of bilateral cooperation. Concluded a productive visit to Bhutan. Touched by the warmth of our unique ties of friendship. Kadrinchey La!, EAM Jaishankar stated on X, sharing highlights of his visit. EAM Jaishankar paid an official visit to Bhutan at the invitation of Bhutanese Minister for Foreig