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Digital Desk | Lisbon, Sep 23 (IANS) Cristiano Ronaldo has made it clear that he will continue to represent Portugal as long as the national team wants him, saying he would be the 'first one to go' if he feels he is no longer wanted or able to contribute to the side. Ronaldo, 41, had refused to confirm his international future after Portugal were knocked out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 by eventual champions Spain in the round of 16 in July. His inclusion in new head coach Jorge Jesus first Portug

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) Many in Ladakh welcomed the August 5, 2019, abrogation of Article 370, bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs), a demand they had been pushing for years, realising that they have been ignored in favour of Kashmir. Ladakh-based climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had then tweeted, Ladakh thanks @narendramodi @PMOIndia for fulfilling Ladakh's longstanding dream. It was exactly 30 years ago in August 1989 that Ladakhi leaders launched a mov

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with participants in the 'Seva Yatra' via video conference at 9 a.m. on Thursday, as 10 groups of Seva Yatris continue their motorcycle journey from Gujarat's Vadnagar to Varanasi. The Seva Yatra began on September 17 and is part of the wider 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' to highlight PM Modi's 25 years of public life. The participants are travelling through towns, districts, talukas and villages, with the programme focu

Digital Desk | Nagoya (Japan), Sep 23 (IANS) China defended its women's gymnastics team gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya on Wednesday, extending its dominance in the event to 14 consecutive titles. The team, comprising Ke Qinqin, Zhang Yihan, Du Siyu, Zhang Qingying and Qiu Qiyuan, won the title with 166.462 points. Japan took silver with 165.362 points, with DPR Korea finishing third on 158.329. China's women's gold follows on from the country's men securing gold in their team event

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) India has named designer and entrepreneur Masaba Gupta as its India Advocate for Maternal Health at a moment when the country stands closer than ever to eliminating preventable maternal deaths. She joins UNFPA India for a year-long push on maternal health, as the country's maternal mortality ratio falls to its lowest ever, 87 per lakh live births in 2022-2024, according to a statement released by the world body on

Digital Desk | Bhubaneswar, Sep 23 (IANS) The Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) workers and leaders on Wednesday staged a massive protest and clashed with the police at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar during the march towards the State Assembly demanding the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over printing blunders found in the school textbooks in the state. Braving the rainfall triggered by the deep depression, senior party leaders and legislators also joined the protest

Digital Desk | United Nations, Sep 23 (IANS) The Foreign Ministers of the G4 have expressed strong concern over the failure so far of the negotiations for reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to make headway after nearly two decades and said they would expand their outreach to other groups and forums. In a joint statement after a meeting in New York on Wednesday, Ministers of the G4, the group made up of India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, said the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (

Digital Desk | Geneva, Sep 23 (IANS) India highlighted its approach to inclusive tribal development at the Annual Panel on Indigenous Peoples at the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Wednesday, with an Indian NGO representative pointing to efforts that link development with dignity, identity, and community participation. Addressing the Council, Arushi Lal Santania, Representative of the Rajasthan Samgrah Kalyan Sansthan (RSKS India), illustrated the transformatio

Digital Desk | Bengaluru, Sep 23 (IANS) In view of the severe drought situation in the state, the Karnataka government is continuously taking measures to provide necessary relief to farmers and the public. Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara told the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that the Union government should relax the existing drought declaration norms and provide the financial assistance required to effectively address the situation. He said the state government h

Digital Desk | Ahmedabad, Sep 23 (IANS) The Rs 825-crore Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad's Naranpura area provides athletes with training, fitness, medical support, and accommodation, while adding infrastructure for the city to host national and international sporting events. Built with the support of the Gujarat and central governments, the complex was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on September 14 last year. Spread across 1.19 lakh square metres, it has indoor and outdo

Digital Desk | Durban (South Africa), Sep 23 (IANS) SA20 franchise Durban's Super Giants (DSG) on Wednesday unveiled a new logo and a bold new identity, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the next edition of South Africa's domestic T20 franchise league. The evolution brings Durban's Super Giants closer to Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred, creating a stronger and more recognisable Super Giants identity across three of the world's leading cricket m

Digital Desk | Srinagar, Sep 23 (IANS) A 650-year-old Chinar tree in Budgam district is among the oldest of the species in Asia, the J&K Assembly was informed on Wednesday. The information on the historic Chinar tree at Chattergam in Budgam was given in reply to a question by Budgam MLA Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi. The Forest, Ecology and Environment Department said some older and dried branches of the tree had naturally fallen, while the remaining portion continued to remain green. The government s

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 23 (IANS) Santosh Davakhar, the maker of 'Gondhal', India's official entry at the Oscars, has reacted to Anurag Kashyap's 'We Select Absolutely Wrong Films'remark. On Wednesday, Davakhar recalled introducing 'Gondhal' to Kashyap on a flight. He shared that the 'Gangs of Wasseypur' maker had assured him that he would definitely watch the movie. However, Davakhar claimed that the film has neither been screened nor is it available in Mumbai. He wrote on social media, I de

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) German Ambassador to India Jasper Wieck on Wednesday said the electoral gains of the far-right in recent regional elections in his country would have o impact on the thriving Indo-German partnership, while dismissing concerns that the results could affect cooperation on migration, mobility, technology, development, or the EU-India Free Trade Agreement. We recently had regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin, the capit

Digital Desk | Bengaluru, Sep 23 (IANS) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Karnataka Assembly Opposition leader, R. Ashoka, on Wednesday demanded the Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's resignation, alleging that the Congress government had failed to manage the state's finances and was making large financial announcements despite a shortage of funds. Ashoka was speaking at a BJP protest held near the Kengal Hanumanthaiah statue on the Vidhana Soudha premises. He alleged that Shivakumar

Digital Desk | Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 23 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Executive Member Kummanam Rajasekharan on Wednesday accused the V.D. Satheesan-led UDF government of turning its back on those who participated in the Sabarimala agitation, warning that those who came to power seeking votes in the name of protecting temple traditions should not kick aside the protesters after assuming office. Kummanam demanded the immediate withdrawal of cases registered against devotees durin

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to social media platforms to identify, prevent, remove, or block unlawful, provocative, hateful, abusive and misleading digital content, including fake news and statements allegedly capable of threatening public order and communal harmony. A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana declined to entertai

Digital Desk | Amaravati, Sep 23 (IANS) Four students died after being hit by a train in Andhra Pradeshs Srikakulam district, officials said. Another student was injured in the incident that occurred near Tekkali. According to police, the students were walking on the track and failed to notice the approaching Rajya Rani Express and were mowed down. Body parts were seen strewn on the track. The deceased were identified as Visakha Rao, Dileep Kumar, Shiva, and Sarath Kumar. They were coming to Tek

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) Reacting to the media report which claimed that two Election Commissioners had objected on record to several decisions taken by the poll panel, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Wednesday that deliberations are sign of a healthy democracy. Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Sambit Patra attacked the Opposition, saying that since the Narendra Modi government first came to power in 2014, opposition parties have been falling one after another. They

Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 17 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday ordered the freezing of the name and symbol of Trinamool Congress as a political party for the time being, for both the factions in Trinamool Congress the first being the original but minority faction led by the former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, and the second faction being the rebel but majority faction led by the expelled party legislator, Ritabrata Baner

Digital Desk | Ujjain/Bhopal, Sep 17 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh on Thursday witnessed a spectacular display of lights as 3.55 crore 'Ashirwad Diyas' were lit simultaneously across the state to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday and launch the month-long 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan'. The main celebration was held in Ujjain, where 33.27 lakh lamps were lit simultaneously at various locations, including the ghats along the Shipra River and Mahakal Lok corridor. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, BJP nation

Digital Desk | Guwahati, Sep 17 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday shared glimpses of statewide celebrations marking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, highlighting the participation of people across towns and villages in honouring the Prime Minister. In a series of posts on social media platform X, CM Sarma said that people across Assam came together to light the Ashirwad Ka Diya and extend their greetings and blessings to PM Modi on his birthday. Today the people

Digital Desk | Tumakuru/Shivamogga (Karnataka), Sep 17 (IANS) Minister of State (MoS) for Jal Shakti and Railways V. Somanna and Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President B.Y. Vijayendra on Thursday participated in various programmes to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 76th birthday and commemorate his 25 years of public service, praying for his long life and continued service to the nation. Somanna offered special prayers at the Sri Subrahmanya Temple in Tumakuru for the Prime Ministe

Digital Desk | Patna, Sep 17 (IANS) Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) President and Bihar Minister Santosh Kumar Suman has defended the proposed Deepotsav to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday on Thursday, saying there was no reason to object to the lighting of lamps as part of the celebrations. Addressing questions over the initiative, Suman asked why celebrating the birthday of the incumbent Prime Minister through a Deepotsav should be viewed as controversial when the birth anni

Digital Desk | Vadnagar, Sep 17 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday joined a cleanliness drive at the Vadnagar Bus Port, participating in Shramdaan and planting trees as part of statewide programmes marking Prime Minister Narendra Modis birthday and his 25 years in public service. Patel took part in the cleanliness activity at the bus port in Vadnagar, PM Modis birthplace, under the Swachhata Hi Seva initiative. He also planted trees under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign, c

Digital Desk | Jerusalem, Sep 17 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel would topple Iran's government, eliminate Hamas and continue its campaign against Hezbollah. We will eliminate Hamas, and first and foremost we will defeat the regime in Iran. We will topple it. It will fall, Netanyahu said at a ceremony honouring members of Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency, Xinhua News Agency reported. He also said that one of Israel's objectives, nearly thre

Digital Desk | Lucknow, Sep 17 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday extended birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while asserting that India has crafted an identity of its own under the latter's leadership. The Chief Minister made the remark after lighting earthen lamps in Lucknow during the 'Aashirwad ka Diya' ceremony, as part of the nationwide 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan'. Addressing a gathering, CM Adityanath said: Scores of earthen lamps are being lit acr

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 17 (IANS) Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar, who is gearing up for the release of her upcoming film Daayra starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Kareena Kapoor Khan, has credited the late actor Irrfan's powerful performance in 'Talvar' for convincing audience that Aarushi Talwar's parents weren't at fault. The filmmaker spoke with IANS during the promotions of Daayra in the Andheri West area of Mumbai. She said that Irrfan's portrayal of Ashwin Kumar, Joint-Director of CBI in Talvar

Digital Desk | Kottayam (Kerala), Sep 17 (IANS) A court in Kerala's Kottayam on Thursday convicted former Kerala Director General of Police Tomin J. Thachankary, once regarded as one of the most influential and controversial officers in the state police, in a disproportionate assets case that had remained pending for nearly two decades and sentenced him to four years rigorous imprisonment. The Kottayam Vigilance Court also imposed a fine of Rs 30,84,892 on Thachankary. With the sentence being fo

Digital Desk | Gandhinagar, Sep 17 (IANS) Gujarat is set to undertake GIS-based geo-tagging and mapping of its manufacturing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), with the data to be integrated with the 'PM Gati Shakti' portal to support infrastructure planning and policy formulation for the sector. The project, titled Mapping of Manufacturing MSMEs with the PM Gati Shakti Portal, is being implemented by the MSME Commissionerate of the state government under the Raising and Accelerating M

Digital Desk | Dehradun, Sep 17 (IANS) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi the architect of modern India during the 'Aashirwad ka Diya' event, held to celebrate the latter's birthday. The 'Aashirwad ka Diya' event, as part of the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan', is being organised in various states across the country, where NDA leaders and Ministers are lighting lamps at at significant venues and taking part in 'aarti' rituals at the banks of hol

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) On the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday donated blood and pledged to donate her organs while launching an organ donation portal. The Chief Minister joined the blood donation camp and launched the portal as part of the 'Sewa Sankalp Abhiyan' launched to celebrate PM Modi's birthday and 25 years devoted to public service. Chief Minister Gupta pledged to donate 14 organs, including heart, liver,

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) The government on Thursday refuted the allegation in a section of the media that the MDR on UPI transactions has been introduced because of external pressure, while referring to a US Trade Representative (USTR) report of 2026. According to a statement issued by the Finance Ministrys Department of Financial Services, he allegation that MDR has been introduced under any external influence is patently false and misleading. The Department has also released a

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is facilitating an overseas training stint for Indias senior judo team at Tsukuba University in Japan as part of preparations for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya and the World Judo Championships in Baku. SAI facilitates Japan exposure for Indian judokas ahead of Asian Games, World Championships New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) The Sports Authority of India (SAI) is facilitating an overseas training stint for Indias senior j

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf is looking to make his Test cricket return as he wants to put his name forward for the red-ball series against Sri Lanka, which will take place in November this year. Rauf reinstated his interest in Test cricket following his five-wicket haul for Pakistan Television (PTV) against Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in the President's Trophy as his 5-34 forced the opposition to follow-on. There's always a purpose th

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 17 (IANS) Singer B Praak has spoken about being part of the upcoming film Prem Keetanu through its song Ishq Ka Ghulaam. Sharing his excitement about the project, the singer said that being associated with the film feels surreal and that the song holds a special place for him. Speaking about the song, B Praak shared, It feels surreal to be a part of Prem Keetanu through Ishq Ka Ghulaam song, and bring the feeling of love a full circle through heartbreak, followed by th

Digital Desk | Balaghat, Sep 17 (IANS) The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday searched the residence of a cooperative society manager in Balaghat district in connection with a disproportionate assets case, officials said. A team led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police reached the residence of Vilas Chaure in the Neemtola area of Lanji early in the morning and began examining documents and records related to his assets and income. The search was underway, and the agency h

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 17 (IANS) The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will examine concerns raised by stockbrokers over the new Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework for UPI transactions, Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey said on Thursday, according to a report. On the sidelines of the NaBFID Infrastructure Conclave 2026, the SEBI chairman said some important issues have been raised and we will look into the concerns, according to NDTV Profit. The statement came a day after brokers a

Digital Desk | Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 17 (IANS) The CPI(M) in Kerala has moved swiftly to oppose Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan's proposal to relocate the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo to a forested setting, with senior party leader and former mayor V.K. Prasanth questioning the rationale behind the move and alleging that commercial interests could be driving the plan. Prasanth alleged that the proposal was driven by commercial interests and wondered whether the prime 36-acre property in the heart of t

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Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Congress MPs on Thursday expressed concern over the recently announced 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on certain Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions above Rs 2,000, claiming that the Parliament Standing Committee on Finance had not discussed the proposal. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced a 0.4 per cent charge that, according to the Congress MP, most merchants will have to pay to banks and payment processo

Digital Desk | Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Sep 17 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday urged the people of Kalyan Karnataka to remember the contributions of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge in securing Article 371J, which provides special constitutional status and benefits to the region. Addressing the Kalyan Karnataka Utsav in Kalaburagi on Kalyan Karnataka Liberation Day, Shivakumar said Article 371J had opened new opportunities fo

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Satish Salian, father of late Disha Salian, former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has sent a defamation notice seeking Rs 500 crore in compensation from Shiv Sena(UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and former Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh. The notice objects to certain statements made by the two leaders. Satish Salian has demanded an apology, retraction of the statements and compensation of Rs 500 crore. The two have been given seven days to c

Digital Desk | Sanaa, Sep 17 (IANS) Yemen's Houthi group has said that it had shot down a Saudi armed reconnaissance drone in Yemen's northeastern Marib province and intercepted Saudi warplanes over Yemen's western coast. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement carried by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Wednesday evening (local time) that the group's forces had a short while ago shot down an armed reconnaissance drone belonging to the Saudi enemy while it was carrying out hostil

Digital Desk | Chennai, Sep 17 (IANS) Director Gowtam Tinnanuri, who is to direct the eagerly awaited 'MS - A Legacy on Screen', the biopic of legendary Carnatic singer and Bharat Ratna Awardee M S Subbulakshmi, has now said that they would want to capture the human side of the iconic singer's life in the film. Speaking at the film's launch event which was held at the Music Academy here on Wednesday evening, director Gowtam Tinnanuri disclosed that his entire team had been researching on the gre

Digital Desk | Madrid, Sep 17 (IANS) Spain's World Cup-winning coach Luis de la Fuente has agreed to sign a contract extension to remain in charge until 2032, Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Raul Louzan said. The extension ensures De la Fuente will lead Spain through the 2030 World Cup, which the country will co-host with Portugal and Morocco, with a handful of matches also staged in Latin America. Speaking at the World Football Summit, Louzan said the decision to extend De la Fuent

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS) Trinamool Congress founder and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to stay out of poll contest in next month's Assembly by-elections despite being urged and encouraged by colleagues both former and present renewing discussions over her larger political interests. Her 15 years of uninterrupted rule ended this year with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning convincingly, and her close aide-turned-bitter adversary Suvendu Adhika

Digital Desk | Dhanbad, Sep 14 (IANS) Bunty Khan, brother of notorious gangster Prince Khan, was arrested by Dhanbad Police at Kolkata Airport with the assistance of West Bengal Police while attempting to flee to Dubai using forged documents, officials said on Monday. According to police, he was apprehended by a special team moments before boarding an international flight. Following his arrest, police on Monday paraded him through Dhanbad with a rope tied around his waist. Bunty Khan had been on

Digital Desk | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Sep 14 (IANS) Entering the 17th day of his hunger strike, Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Monday issued a highly emotional appeal to the Maratha community. Having discontinued IV fluids and medical treatment, Jarange Patil stated that his physical condition was rapidly deteriorating, warning that his upcoming journey to Mumbai might be his last encounter with the people of Maharashtra. Today is the 17th day of my fast. Removing the IV

Digital Desk | Tehran, Sep 14 (IANS) Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that a meeting between the foreign ministers of Iran and Gulf states scheduled to be held on the same day in Oman was postponed at Saudi Arabia's request. He made the remarks at the weekly press conference in the Iranian capital Tehran after Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi announced the meeting's deferral the previous day in a post on social media platform X. Baghaei reje