The Shillong Times

PREMIER LEAGUE London, Jan 19: Aston Villas push to stay in the Premier League title conversation faltered on Sunday evening, as Unai Emerys in-form side suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to a revitalised Everton at Villa Park a result that not only halted an astonishing run of victories at home, but also damaged their []

From Our Correspondent Khliehriat, Jan 19: A new futsal ground aimed at fostering sports engagement across age groups in East Jaintia Hills was inaugurated on Monday at Dkhiah East village. The facility, funded under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) scheme for 202526, was officially opened by Khliehriat MLA Kyrmen Shylla. Delivering his address as Chief []

By Our Reporter Shillong, Jan 19: Newly elected Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) president James PK Sangma has declared that building a dedicated cricket stadium in the State will be his administrations top priority, arguing that world-class facilities are essential if Meghalaya is to elevate its standing in Indian cricket and host major matches in the []

From Our Correspondent Jowai, Jan 19: The 2026 edition of the Basketball Tournament, hosted in memory of the late Lily Mary Laloo, was formally inaugurated on Monday by Health & Family Welfare and Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla. Organised jointly by Seng Samla CMC IawmusiangKhimusniang and the SYM, the event is being held []

London, Jan 19: The Premier League weekend draws to a close on Monday night with an all-south-coast meeting that could carry weight in the race for European football. Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Bournemouth to the Amex Stadium, with both sides eager to build momentum though the visitors arrive severely depleted. Brighton step into []

By Our Reporter Shillong, Jan 19: A 15-member squad was named on Monday by the Meghalaya Cricket Associations senior womens selection committee for the BCCIs Senior Women One Day Trophy 2025-26 plate group, which will be held next month. The team will be captained by stalwart Debasmita Dutta, with Monica Lyngdoh Phawa as the vice-captain. []

By Our Reporter Shillong, Jan 19: Sohra is set to host one of the regions most eagerly awaited grassroots cricket competitions, as the East Khasi Hills Cricket Association announced the return of the 5th District League T20 Cricket Tournament. The annual event, which showcases emerging cricket talent from across the district, will begin in the []

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is sure Aditya Dhars directorial Dhurandhar 2, scheduled for release in March, will become the largest multi-starrer in the history of cinema. Released in December 2025, Dhurandhar featured Ranveer Singh in the lead role and revolved around covert intelligence operations set against a backdrop of geopolitical and terror events like Kandahar []

Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn and producer Danish Devgn announced their upcoming AI-powered film Bal Tanhaji under their new Lens Vault Studios (LVS). A spiritual successor to the 2020 blockbuster Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, the film aims to reimagine the franchise for audiences across platforms and formats. Ajay described the project as the studios first step []

Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji is set to appear on The Great Indian Kapil Show ahead of her upcoming film Mardaani 3. The trailer of the episode shows Kapil Sharmas iconic couch transforming into a crime scene as Rani enters as Senior Inspector Shivani Shivaji Roy. Her presence instantly shifts the vibe from casual fun to []

Dolphins, whales and seals are highly social animals. Many live in groups, form long-term relationships, and repeatedly interact with the same individuals over years or even decades. Some dolphins have preferred companions, while others move between groups in fluid, ever-changing social networks. These social lives bring many benefits, from cooperative foraging to protection against predators. []

A long-running Swedish study has followed adults for nearly five decades, uncovering when physical decline truly begins. Fitness and strength start slipping around age 35, then worsen gradually with age. The encouraging twist: adults who began exercising later still improved their physical capacity by up to 10 per cent. Its a powerful reminder that staying []

SHILLONG: Niam gri bikotgimin koelarangko sandie manani jaman adokni bangbata koela adamrangon bikotgimin koelarang gimaroroenga ine nikahani gimin East Jaintia Hills ajao niam gri bikotgimin metric ton lak 1.43 koelarangko Coal India Limited (CIL)-ni dongimin depot-rangona salatchina Meghalaya High Court-ni songe ongipa Justice (Retd) BP Katakey-ni committee, District Administration-na geetaniko onataha. Garuda-ni drone-rangchi amsandie mangipa []

SHILLONG: Gital ragatgipa Immigration & Foreigners Act-o Inner Line Permit (ILP) gita dakgipa niamko ragatna sorkari miksongengon, Meghalaya adokna ILP gita dakgipa niamkode nangja ine Tura-ni Congress MP Saleng A Sangma-ba parakataha. ILP gita dakgipa niamni gimin aganengon, nasimang Meghalaya adokni manderangko togina manjawa, ine Sangma aganaha. Adokona niam gri napsrukbaenggipa manderangko champengna gita Meghalaya []

TURA: Adita salrangna skang, West Garo Hills ajani Rajabala jolo donggipa Goalgaon songo, ACHIK dolni membor Dilseng M Sangma-ko sootani bidingo sandirokna gita West Garo Hills ajani Police-rang, Special Investigation Team (SIT)-ko songaha. Iani bidingo uiataniko onatengon, Goalgaon songo ACHIK dolni membor saksako sootanio jak donggipa manderangko sandina, Dadenggre-ni Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) RA Sangma-ni []

WILLIAMNAGAR: Adita salrangna skang, a Hills ajani Rajabala jolo donggipa Goalgaon songo, ACHIK dolni membor Dilseng M Sangma-ko kasaninggija dake soote galanina jegale Sombar salo, East Garo Hills ajani dingtang dingtang dolrang, chongmotan Garo Students Union (GSU) Eastern Zone, Mothers Union, GES, AOSW, APA, FKJGP, Pick-Up Association, AHAM, ACHIK, AIGU, Simsanggre Indigenous Peoples Forum (SIPF), []

Editor, I am writing in response to Mr. Toki Blahs impassioned letter regarding the rumoured dismantling of the English Service Church at Police Bazar. While Mr. Blah begins with a disclaimer that his fears are based on hearsay, history in Shillong has taught us that rumours of demolition are often just the prelude to the []

The editorials here have harped on the illegalities that are allowed to carry on with impunity insofar as coal mining is concerned. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has taken the view that a traditional livelihood activity dating back to 200 years cannot be done away with by a sleight of hand of the National Green Tribunal []

By Melarbor L Thabah MAGA stands for Make America Great Again through policies that will benefit America First and its people from the perceived erstwhile non-beneficial policies. During Trumps first term, there was great fanfare because here comes a man who was not directly connected nor intrinsic to the Washington DC elites. He was an []

Biochar for Greener Meghalaya By Dr Subhash Ashutosh Meghalaya stands at a crucial juncture where the pursuit of organic agriculture, climate resilience, and sustainable rural livelihoods can be meaningfully aligned. Biochara carbon-rich material produced through the pyrolysis of biomass in a low-oxygen environmentoffers a powerful and locally relevant solution to achieve these interconnected goals. With []

Bangladesh Must Decide by Jan 21 or Scotland Take Their Spot New Delhi, Jan 19: Bangladeshs place in the 2026 ICC Mens T20 World Cup remains shrouded in uncertainty, with the sports governing body setting January 21 as the decisive date by which the Bangladesh Cricket Board must confirm whether the national team will take []

Johannesburg, Jan 19: South African allrounder Donovan Ferreira faces an uncertain road to the upcoming T20 World Cup after sustaining a shoulder injury during the SA20. The 24-year-old, representing Joburg Super Kings (JSK) against Pretoria Capitals on Saturday, dived at the cover boundary to stop a potential four off the final ball of the innings. []

New Delhi, Jan 19: India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has decided against taking a break after the recent 50-over loss to New Zealand and will play the next Ranji Trophy game for Punjab against Saurashtra at Rajkot, starting Thursday. Gill, who featured in all three ODIs in the just-concluded series that India lost []

New Delhi, Jan 19: Australian batting great Steve Smith has come to terms with his omission from Australias T20 World Cup preliminary squad, but the veteran is far from done with his international 20-20 ambitions. Although missing out on the squad was a setback, Smith remains determined to represent Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles []

Melbourne, Jan 19: Australias mens chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that star pacer Pat Cummins is expected to miss at least the opening games of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Cummins is still recovering from a lumbar bone stress injurytiny cracks in the lower spine caused by the repeated strain of fast bowlingsuffered ahead []

Nagpur, Jan 20: With just five matches left before India begin their T20 World Cup title defence, the team management appears to have most of their core combination in place. At least seven members of the starting XI look locked in eight if Tilak Varma proves his fitness leaving conditions to decide the []

Mumbai, Jan 19: The Indian mens ODI cricket team came under fire on social media on Sunday as it went down to a depleted New Zealand side 2-1 in the three-match ODI series, losing the series-deciding third and final ODI by 41 runs at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. With this, New Zealand won an []

Indore, Jan 19: Daryl Mitchell says New Zealands historic triumph was built on calm decision-making under pressure and collective belief, as the visitors sealed their first-ever bilateral ODI series victory on Indian soil. India threatened to nail a stiff chase of 338 with a key partnership between centurion Virat Kohli and Harshit Rana but fell []

Australian Open MELBOURNE, Jan 19: Iga witek knows she has plenty to work on in her bid for a first Australian Open title and a career Grand Slam. The No. 2-ranked witek never got comfortable in a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over No. 130-ranked Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue in the first-round on Monday night. Novak []

New Delhi, Jan 19: Taking note of the organisational lapses that plagued the India Open badminton tournament here, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya met officials of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Monday to discuss corrective measures that would prevent a repeat of the fiasco. It is reliably learnt that the minister held a meeting []

Tokyo, Jan 19: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday announced that she will dissolve the House of Representatives on Friday and hold a snap general election on February 8, local media reported. While addressing a press conference on Monday, Takaichi said official campaigning will begin on January 27 after she dissolves the Lower House []

New Delhi, Jan 18: The government has formulated specific guidelines for Indian missions abroad as it steps up efforts to boost exports through market diversification amid global economic uncertainties, an official said. The official said trade promotion guidelines for Indian commercial missions abroad include management of non-tariff barriers, market engagement activities, planning and resource management, []

New Delhi, Jan 18: Power distribution utilities in the country collectively recorded a profit of Rs 2,701 crore in FY25 after having incurred losses for several years, an official statement said on Sunday. Distribution utilities as a whole have been reporting losses for past several years since unbundling and corporatization of State Electricity Boards. The []

New Delhi, Jan 18: The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) is organising a Business Expo- Bharat Vyapar Mahotsav at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital to showcase the strength, scale and diversity of Indian trade, manufacturing and services under one roof, according to a statement issued by the traders body. The event, to be []

New Delhi, Jan 18: Brazil and Nigeria are emerging as key export destinations for Indian pharmaceutical firms amid global economic uncertainties, according to the commerce ministry data. Nigeria emerged as one of the fastest growing destinations, adding USD 179 million in exports and contributing over 14 per cent to the total export growth during the []

New Delhi, Jan 18: Foreign portfolio investors withdrew over Rs 22,530 crore (USD 2.5 billion) from Indian equities so far this month amid rising US bond yields and a stronger dollar, continuing their selling streak from last year. This came following an outflow of Rs 1.66 lakh crore (USD 18.9 billion) recorded in 2025, triggered []

Mumbai, Jan 18: Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption at workplaces is outpacing corporate training programmes, with 71 per cent of professionals believing their roles will change over the next few years as new tools and workflows become mainstream, according to a report. There is a sharp gap between AI adoption and training, as employees brace for []

SHILLONG: Sorkarini kamrangko kaanio, antangtangni dakrongbewalosan ongaigija, manderangni janggi tanganiko namdapatna gitasa gisik onbate kam kachina dingtang dingtang department-rangko adokni Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma didiangaha. Chief Minister-ni aganani gitade, sorkari department-rang pilakan apsan nisan ba miksonganiko chusokatna kam kaengoba, dingtang dingtang ongesa kamko karongengani gimin kamrangko chusokatna krenganio kucholsan ongani dongjaenga. Adokni namroro silroroanina []

Australian Open Melbourne, Jan 18: Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz fulfilled expectations on opening night of the Australian Open, the No. 1 seeds advancing in straight sets in a Sunday session that started with tennis royalty Rod Laver and Roger Federer in the crowd. Rod Laver Arena was heaving for their first-round matches, capping a []

New Delhi, Jan 18: Chinese Taipeis Lin Chun-Yi claimed his maiden Super 750 title in mens singles, while world number one An Se Young of South Korea underlined her supremacy by securing the womens singles crown at the USD 950,000 India Open here on Sunday. The 26-year-old Lin, currently ranked 12, completed a sharp turnaround []

New Delhi, Jan 18: The Badminton World Federation (BWF) will test its 25-second time clock at the Indonesia Masters next week, continuing trials at select World Tour tournaments to curb tactical delays and standardise match flow, a move that has drawn mixed reactions from players and coaches. Under the system, the clock starts once the []

Kartik Karkera reacts after winning the Indian Elite Mens race of the 21st edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label Race, on the illuminated Bandra-Worli Sea Link, in Mumbai, on Sunday. Ethiopians Tadu Abate Deme and Yeshi Kalayu Chekole won the mens and womens elite titles respectively. Sanjivani Jadhav emerged champion []

WPL 2026 Vadodara, Jan 18: On a roll, the Smriti Mandhala-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to extend their winning run when they face Gujarat Giants in the Womens Premier League here on Monday. Unbeaten RCB are the team to beat in the tournament, having registered their fourth consecutive win on Saturday. GG, on the []

Wijk Aan Zee (The Netherlands) Jan 18: Top seed Arjun Erigaisi scored a convincing victory over compatriot R Praggnanandhaa, while World Champion D Gukesh played out a hard-fought draw against World Cup winner Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan in the first round of the Tata Steel Masters here. After a delayed start caused by environmental activists []

Pune, Jan 18: The Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026, which offers 2028 Los Angeles Olympics qualification points and features 164 riders from 28 teams across 35 countries, will be flagged off here on Monday. The event marks countrys first-ever Continental multi-stage Road Race for Men and is classified as a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) 2.2 []

Bengaluru, Jan 17: After months of uncertainty, the Karnataka State Cricket Association on Saturday received permission from the state Home Department to host international and IPL matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Home Department gave the go-ahead to conduct matches after examining the report submitted by a government-appointed task force, which found the security []

PREMIER LEAGUE MANCHESTER, Jan 17: The Premier League produced a weekend packed with drama, historic victories, and last-minute heroes, as Manchester United stunned Manchester City in the derby and several other fixtures delivered tense finishes. Heres a detailed look at all the action. Carricks Reds Dominate the Derby Michael Carricks second spell as Manchester United []

Barcelona, Jan 17: Vladyslav Vanat scored penalties in stoppage time of each half as Girona beat Espanyol 2-0 in a fiercely contested Catalan derby in La Liga. It was the first time Girona has won three on the trot since November 2024. The result lifted it into ninth place in the table. Espanyol remained fifth.Girona []

Paris, Jan 17: Ousmane Dembele put transfer talk behind him and scored a crucial brace for Paris Saint-Germain in a 3-0 win over Lille that returned it to the top of Ligue 1. French media last week reported that the 2025 Ballon dOr winner rejected a new contract offer. His coach Luis Enrique called the []

New Delhi, Jan 17: Indian womens football stalwart Ashalata Devi says the dream of seeing the country play at the FIFA Womens World Cup remains alive, but stressed that sustained progress at the grassroots level is crucial to bridge the gap with the worlds elite. Our dream of the World Cup is still alive. We []