The Shillong Times

By Our Reporter Shillong, May 21: Nangkiew Irat SC recharged their interest in the 5th Meghalaya State League with a stunning 3-1 victory over Langsning FC at the SSA Stadium here this evening. Wallamsuk Nongkhlaw (25P) had Nangkiew Irat ahead through a penalty but substitute Kyrmenskhem Mukhim (42) headed Langsning back on level terms before []

Kolkata, May 21: East Bengal FC were crowned champions of the Indian Super League for the very first time here on Thursday, ending a 22-year-old title drought in the countrys top-tier competition and quenching their passionate fans yearning for silverware after a thrilling five-horse race to the top prize. East Bengal, one of the countrys []

By Our Reporter Shillong, May 21: The Meghalaya Roller Skating Association has announced the selection of young skater Prisha from Kendriya Vidyalaya Upper Shillong to represent Meghalaya at the 11th Ranking Open National Speed Skating Championship 2026 in Noida. The championship is scheduled to be held from May 21 to 24, where Prisha will compete []

Berlin, May 21: Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has been coaxed out of retirement for the World Cup by Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann. The 40-year-old Neuer retired after the 2024 European Championship but was included in Nagelsmanns 26-man squad for the upcoming tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States. His inclusion is a blow to []

Rio de Janeiro, May 21: Neymar has suffered a new injury scare less than a month before Brazils opening match of the FIFA World Cup against Morocco The 34-year-old Santos star missed his teams home Copa Sudamericana match against San Lorenzo on Wednesday due to a calf injury, though the Brazilian club sought to allay []

Prague, May 21: Attacking midfielder Adam Hlozek of Hoffenheim has recovered from a long-term injury to be included in the preliminary Czech Republic squad for the World Cup on Thursday. Hlozek missed most of the season due to calf and foot injuries but has been fit, said coach Miroslav Koubek, who wants to test him []

Actor Raashul Tandon, known for roles in films like Pink, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Kahaani and Heropanti, has spoken about the growing trend of casting social media influencers in films and web series. In a video shared on Instagram, he said production houses and streaming platforms are increasingly prioritising influencers for their fan following, but []

Music composer Pritam Chakraborty has denied plagiarism allegations over the song Mashooqa from the upcoming film Cocktail 2. The controversy began after social media users compared the track with the 1993 Italian song Se So Arrubate A Nonna by Bibi and Coco, claiming both tunes sounded nearly identical. A Reddit post featuring a comparison video []

Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev made a powerful return to the Cannes Film Festival with his new film Minotaur, a crime drama that explores murder, corruption, and moral decay in Russia during the early stages of President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine. The film premiered to strong acclaim and is being seen as a major contender []

Bollywood actors, front from left, Siddharth Jadhav, Jitendra Joshi, Riteish Deshmukh, Genelia Deshmukh, Bhagyashree and Fardeen Khan during the success party of film Raja Shivaji, in Mumbai, on Wednesday. (PTI)

By Ellerine Diengdoh Disclaimer: This op-ed is satirical and does not refer to any specific individual(s). If you feel personally addressed, that is a matter best taken up with your conscience and possibly your convoy(s). Politics is one of the oldest professions in the world, which is why it normally behaves like something that was []

Who owns a swarm of bees? And what happens when they stray onto a neighbours land? In early medieval Ireland, such questions were addressed by a remarkable set of laws known as the Bechbretha, which set out the rights and responsibilities associated with beekeeping. Also known as bee-judgments, these laws formed part of the wider []

Housed within a bony skull, the human brain remains, in large part, a mystery to all of us in the medical community. Structurally complex with a challenging anatomy, the brain is believed to comprise more than 3,000 different types of cells, whereas most tissues have no more than a dozen. It is dynamic, reacting to []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 21: Martin Luther Christian University organised a Peace Awareness Walk on Thursday to mark World No Tobacco Day and spread awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco use. Vice Chancellor Dr Ashish A Mao flagged off the rally from the universitys Nongrah campus. Around 500 students and staff participated in []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 20: The Department of English at North-Eastern Hill University, in collaboration with Sahitya Akademi and ICSSR-NERC, on Wednesday began a three-day workshop to translate 12 short stories from Garo, Khasi and Rajbanshi into English. Workshop coordinator Dr. Preetinicha Barman said the languages were chosen for their ethnic significance and long-standing []

LIMESTONE MINING PROPOSAL IN EAST JAINTIA HILLS By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 21: Two persons were reportedly injured after police cane-charged to stop a clash between two groups near the East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioners office in Khliehriat on Thursday morning. One of the groups supported the proposed public hearing on the Shree Cement limestone []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 21: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Thursday rejected allegations that the government is attempting to push through the proposed Shree Cement limestone mining project at Lum Syrman in East Jaintia Hills district by force. He told media persons that Fridays public hearing itself reflected a transparent and consultative approach. []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 21: The East Jaintia Hills district administration on Thursday said it was fully prepared to deal with any situation that might arise during Fridays proposed public hearing on the Shree Cement limestone mining project at Lum Syrman under Nongkhlieh Elaka in the district. Amid growing tension and protests surrounding the []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 21: The controversy surrounding the award of PHE projects worth nearly Rs 1,900 crore to Hyderabad-based BAC Infratech Pvt Ltd has intensified, with the Meghalaya PHE Contractors Association asserting that local contractors are fully competent to execute massive projects if the stringent tender conditions are relaxed. The Associations statement comes []

ISLAMABAD, May 20: Pakistans Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi travelled to Tehran for the second time within a week as Islamabad intensified diplomatic efforts to mediate between Iran and the United States amid rising tensions in West Asia. According to Geo News and Iranian state media, Naqvi is expected to meet senior Iranian officials to discuss []

TAIPEI, May 20: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said he would tell US President Donald Trump that Taiwan wants to continue buying US weapons, calling them vital for peace and deterrence amid rising pressure from China, which claims the island as its territory. Lai said only strength can bring peace and stressed that increased defence spending []

DHAKA, May 20: Awami League on Wednesday expressed serious concern over what it described as escalating targeted attacks on its leaders, activists and their families across Bangladesh in 2026. The party warned that continued silence from the international community could push the country towards deeper political violence and instability. The statement followed the death of []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | SOORYAVANSH BECOMES FASTEST, YOUNGEST TO REACH 500 RUNS IN A SEASON Todays Match Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings at 7:30 pm Kolkata, May 20: Kolkata Knight Riders lived to fight another day with a crucial four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians after Sunil Narine-led bowlers once again delivered on a []

Mumbai, May 20: Declining for the ninth consecutive session, the rupee depreciated 16 paise to close at a fresh lifetime low of 96.86 against the US dollar on Wednesday as elevated global crude prices amid the West Asia crisis stoked inflation worries. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 96.89 against the []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | SOORYAVANSH BECOMES FASTEST, YOUNGEST TO REACH 500 RUNS IN A SEASON Todays Match Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings at 7:30 pm Jaipur, May 20: Rajasthan Royals skipper Riyan Parag has slammed TV commentators and experts for making personal attacks on him during the ongoing IPL, urging them to respect []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | SOORYAVANSH BECOMES FASTEST, YOUNGEST TO REACH 500 RUNS IN A SEASON Todays Match Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings at 7:30 pm New Delhi, May 20: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will instill the same fear in the bowlers minds that West Indian marauder Chris Gayle had managed to do in his prime, []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 20: The Department of Sociology, North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, organised a two-day national seminar to mark 50 years of its academic presence and contribution to social science research in the region. The seminar, held at the Multi-Use Convention Hall, was themed Sociology and Social Science Research in Northeast India: []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 20: Breaking his silence on the allegations of favouritism in the award of contracts worth nearly Rs 1,900 crore to a Hyderabad-based firm, PHE Minister Marcuise N. Marak on Wednesday maintaining that all projects were allotted strictly through a transparent tendering process based on merit and technical eligibility. Responding to []

Sylhet, May 19: Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam claimed four wickets as Bangladesh moved within three wickets of a series sweep against Pakistan after reducing the tourists to 316-7 on day 4 of the second Test in the chase of an improbable 437. Mohammad Rizwan was batting on 75 as the last hope for Pakistan, with []

Kuala Lumpur, May 19: Indian shuttler Ashmita Chaliha defeated Pai Yu-po of Chinese Taipei in a tough three-game contest to qualify for the womens singles main draw of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 tournament here on Tuesday. Chaliha, 26, beat Yu-po 21-23, 21-16, 21-16 in the qualification match that lasted 56 minutes. She will take []

Bucharest (Romania), May 19: Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa played out his fourth draw, signing peace with American Wesley So in the fifth round of the Super Chess Classic, a part of the Grand Chess Tour. On a day without any decisive games, Germanys Vincent Keymer maintained his half-point lead, moving up to 3.5 points. Praggnanandhaa shares []

New Delhi, May 19: Hockey India has called an urgent executive board meeting to discuss stringent action, including possible life bans, amid a series of sexual harassment, misconduct and indiscipline cases that have rocked the sport over the last few months. In an email sent to executive board members, Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey stressed []

Amidst the alleged dowry death case of Twisha Sharma, actress and politician Kangana Ranaut has advised all parents not to simply abandon their daughters once they are married. Taking to the Stories section of her official Instagram handle, the Queen actress wrote, So many tragic news about married young women comes up every day. Many []

Actor-filmmaker Boman Irani has lent his voice to the documentary 1947: Brexit India, which re-examines Indias independence through an economic rather than purely political lens. Directed by Sanjivan Lal and written by acclaimed screenwriter Shama Zaidi, the project has been launched by Eclectic Films and Swarnjit Singh, who has spent over a decade researching the []

James Grays Paper Tiger has been widely praised at Cannes, with much of the attention focused on lead actor Miles Teller. The film follows Irwin Pearl, a 1980s New York family man whose life is upended after his brother draws them into a corrupt scheme involving the Gowanus Canal, leading to threats from the Russian []

London, May 19: Arsenal closed in on a first Premier League title in 22 years by seeing out a tense 1-0 win over Burnley on Monday in its penultimate game of the campaign, thanks to Kai Havertzs first-half goal. The result means second-placed Manchester City must end Bournemouths 16-game unbeaten run on Tuesday to take []

Paris, May 19: Jaime Faria produced one of the biggest upsets of the opening week of French Open qualifying after battling past former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov in a dramatic three-set encounter in Paris on Tuesday. The Portuguese player recovered from a set down to seal a hard-fought 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(10-6) victory and progress []

Mumbai, May 19: The rupee descended for the eighth consecutive session and ended 50 paise down at its lowest-ever level of 96.70 against the US dollar on Tuesday, weighed down by soaring crude oil prices, persistent foreign capital outflows, and a resilient dollar buoyed by global risk-aversion. Rupee, Asias worst-performing currency, has lost Rs 2.48 []

For most of the 20th century, the model of human origins was viewed as a tree: with the trunk dividing into branches, and then twigs. Each species of human relative (hominin) was considered a neat, single branch. Neanderthals, Homo erectus, and other ancient relatives were evolutionary dead ends unfortunate cousins who left no descendants. []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 20: Hyderabad-based BAC Infratech Pvt. Ltd. which has been in the news for bagging contracts worth over Rs 1,900 crore from the PHE Department, has now expanded its footprint in Meghalaya by bagging the prestigious Rs 732-crore Mawkhanu Stadium project, albeit through proxy. A reliable source informed The Shillong Times []

Basaiawmoit dubs it battle between rich and poor By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 19: Voice of the People Party (VPP) supremo Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Tuesday indicated he may contest from the Nartiang constituency in the 2028 Assembly elections if formally invited by Nartiang MLA and Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, describing the potential contest []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 19: The Meghalaya government on Tuesday acknowledged growing difficulties in negotiations over the sensitive Lapangap border dispute, alleging that the authorities in Assams West Karbi Anglong district have repeatedly backtracked on verbal understandings reached during the talks, complicating efforts to maintain peace and resolve the issue. Cabinet Minister and MDA-II []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 19: Despite facing intense heat over allocation of projects worth over Rs 1,900 crore to the Hyderabad-based BAC Infratech Pvt. Ltd., the state government on Tuesday defended the move, saying all due tendering process were followed. Cabinet Minister and MDA spokesperson Wailadmiki Shylla said the government followed established tender procedures. []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 19: With a wave of anxiety building among students, teachers, and academic stakeholders as North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) prepares to roll out the fourth year of its Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) under the National Education Policy 2020, the university has stepped forward to provide clarity. On Tuesday, Prof. Ghanashyam Bez, []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 19: Petrol and diesel prices went up by around 90 paise per litre on Tuesday, just four days after an earlier hike of Rs 3 per litre. Shillong has not yet witnessed panic-buying at petrol pumps, although many consumers have started topping up their vehicle tanks fearing another hike in []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 19: A highly-decomposed male body was recovered from a Forest Department quarter at Polo Hills near the Buddhist Temple on Tuesday. Following receipt of the information, personnel from the Pasteur Beat House rushed to the spot and found the body in a highly decomposed state. Sources said parts of the []

From Our Correspondent TURA, May 19: A lineman displayed exceptional bravery on Tuesday afternoon when he rescued his colleague from electrocution in Barengapara village under Dalu Police Station, West Garo Hills. The two employees of SAI Computers, who were repairing an LT line at Barengapara Bazar, received severe electric shocks due to a reverse current []

Tura, May 19: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday inaugurated the newly relocated 41 Meghalaya Battalion NCC at Cherangre, Tura, marking a significant step towards strengthening youth development and NCC activities in the Garo Hills region. The programme featured a Guard of Honour, ribbon-cutting ceremony, unveiling of the commemorative plaque, tree plantation, cultural []

Guwahati, May 19: Assam Minister Atul Bora has been given charge of the Parliamentary Affairs Department as an interim arrangement ahead of the first session of the newly constituted Assam Legislative Assembly, officials said on Tuesday. The official stated that Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, on the advice of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, had []

New Delhi, May 19: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)s decision to release the provisional answer key for the Civil Services (Preliminary) examination 2026 soon after the test, has been hailed by the exam bodys chairman as a new beginning, a move that will go a long way in addressing candidates grievances and also []