The Shillong Times

Bengaluru, Aug 2: India will host Malaysia U-21 mens hockey team for a eight-match exposure series at the SAI Netaji Subhas Southern Centre here from August 7 to 13. The Malaysia U-21 mens hockey team will take on the Indian junior mens side in five matches and the SAI team in three matches. The series []

New Delhi, Aug 2: The legendary P R Sreejesh has advised the Indian mens hockey team to leave behind the unnecessary jersey controversy and off-field noises and focus on ending the countrys 50-year World Cup medal drought in next months quadrennial event in the Netherlands and Belgium. The two-time Olympic bronze medallist said there was []

Madrid, Aug 2: Levante have moved quickly to strengthen their attack following the departure of striker Carlos Espi to Real Madrid, announcing the signing of promising Belgian forward Yanis Musuayi from Club Brugge on a five-year contract. The 19-year-old has signed a deal until June 2030 in a transfer reportedly worth around three million euros, []

New Delhi, Aug 2: Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri said that Jamshedpur FCs decision to shut down operations and withdraw from the Indian Super League (ISL) is a punch to the gut, and appealed to the owners to pick heart over head and reconsider the move. The Tata Group-owned club announced on Friday that it []

New Delhi, Aug 2: The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) commenced the NRAI National Electronic Scoring Target (EST) Course at the Goldfinch Hotel in New Delhi. The four-day intensive programme brings together 33 selected officials from across the country for specialised training in the operation, management, and technical maintenance of electronic scoring systems used []

Chicago/Miami, Aug 2: Robert Lewandowski scored two goals, including the winner, in his home debut for the Fire, helping Chicago beat Charlotte FC 2-1. Lewandowski, who made the move from FC Barcelona in a two-year deal with Chicago, equalised in the 20th minute off a screamer from outside the box that tied the game at []

Zurich, Aug 2: At a time when Indian football is striving to strengthen its global standing through improved governance, youth development and aspirations of hosting more FIFA events, an unprecedented leadership crisis engulfing world footballs governing body could have far-reaching implications. FIFA president Gianni Infantino is battling for his political survival after a controversial investment []

New Delhi, Aug 2: From former Premier League footballers to academy graduates of European giants Real Madrid, Ajax and Liverpool, the All India Football Federations (AIFF) search for overseas talent with Indian roots has evolved into one of the most fascinating stories in Indian football. Long criticised for its limited player pool and lack of []

New Delhi, Aug 2: Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has forced his way back into Indias 2027 ODI World Cup conversation following a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Once considered out of the national reckoning after his last ODI appearance in January 2022, the 35-year-old is now being backed by several former []

SHILLONG, Aug 2: Meghalaya on Sunday joined the nationwide Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan, with Governor CH Vijayashankar and state educational institutions participating in the virtual launch led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The campaign was launched simultaneously at around 28,000 locations across the country, with more than one crore youths participating []

SHILLONG, Aug 2: A local court in Nongstoin has remanded a 22-year-old man to six-day police custody for allegedly murdering the father of his partner, 60-year-old Elbin Kharbani, at Mawrok Porsohsat village in West Khasi Hills district. The accused, Koldingstar Thongni, was produced before the court following his arrest and has been remanded for further []

MAWKYRWAT, Aug 2: Mawkyrwat MLA Renikton L. Tongkhar on Saturday inspected several internal roads in Jakrem village to begin infrastructure preparations for two major religious events scheduled for 2028 and 2029. The inspection followed a request from the Jakrem Dorbar Shnong for the construction and blacktopping of 20 internal roads. These upgrades are intended to []

SHILLONG, Aug 2: Nine Child and Adolescent Digital Libraries established in the Khatar Shnong-Laitkroh C&RD Block are ready for use but remain unopened pending the release of final funds and the supply of books from the Education department. Speaking to The Shillong Times, Sohra MLA Gavin Miquel Mylliem stated that while the infrastructure for all []

TURA, Aug 2: The Nokma Sani Union has called for the direct empowerment of traditional institutions in the Garo Hills, alleging that substantial funds intended for grassroots governance are being diverted and misused. During an awareness meeting with the Nokmas of Chokpot Sub-Division in South Garo Hills on Saturday, the union observed that while the []

SHILLONG, Aug 2: Former Congress leader and former All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) Meghalaya president Charles Pyngrope has a word of advice for the Congress high command if it is serious about reviving the fortunes of the grand old party ahead of the 2028 Meghalaya Assembly electionsrestore the partys internal democratic traditions through organisational elections. []

Pilot project seeks to take the process closer to the people SHILLONG, Aug 2: An initiative to conduct driving tests at the block level is expected to make life easier for driving licence applicants, especially the learners. The move to make the process more direct, transparent, and convenient is likely to benefit applicants from rural []

TURA, Aug 2: Senora Johny Arengh, the former president of the Non-Gazetted Employees Association (NGEA), has been reinstated to his post in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) following a directive from the High Court of Meghalaya. Arengh was dismissed from service after leading protests to demand the payment of long-pending salaries for council []

EB 8-0 CISF KOLKATA, Aug 1: East Bengal FC produced a ruthless attacking display to register a thumping 8-0 victory over CISF Protectors in their Group A fixture of the 135th Durand Cup at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Friday. The Red-and-Gold Brigade raced into a 3-0 lead before half-time and showed no []

BAKU, Aug 1: Indias women wrestlers continued their strong showing at the 2026 U17 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, adding two silver medals and two bronze medals to the national haul across four podium bouts. In the 46kg category, Sandhya Vishnoi put together an impressive tournament run to reach the championship final. Facing Japans Kokona []

GENEVA, Aug 1: Successfully stopping Gianni Infantinos FIFA plan to sell World Cup profits to private investors was the first half of a high-stakes game in global football politics. The second half kicked off Saturday with what seemed a clear aim of ending Infantinos decade-long presidency. No option should be off the table, said European []

COMMONWEALTH TT NEW DELHI, Aug 1: India stamped its authority on the penultimate day of the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, with all eight paddlers storming into the mens and womens singles semifinals at the Thyagaraj Stadium here Saturday. The women completed a clean sweep to set up an all-Indian semifinal lineup, while the men also []

red-ball season kicks off on August 23 New Delhi, Aug 1: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unveiled the schedule for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy, with the prestigious domestic red-ball tournament set to kick off the Indian first-class season from August 23 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Featuring []

Nagpur, Aug 1:A promising 17-year-old woman cricketer allegedly died by suicide in Nagpur after reportedly struggling to cope with the disappointment of not being selected for a higher-level cricket team, police said. The tragic incident has sent shockwaves through the local sporting fraternity and once again drawn attention to the immense pressure faced by young []

New Delhi, Aug 1: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering shifting the Pakistan Super League (PSL) back to its traditional February-March window in a bid to avoid a direct clash with the Indian Premier League (IPL), a move aimed at ensuring greater availability of leading overseas cricketers. The scheduling issue dominated discussions during a []

Shillong, Aug 1: The inaugural Meghalaya State Lawn Bowling Championship concluded at the Laitumkhrah Assamese Secondary School grounds, marking a significant milestone in the promotion of the sport in the state. Organised by the Meghalaya Lawn Bowling Association (MLBA), the week-long championship brought together participants from various districts, reflecting the growing interest in lawn bowling []

SHILLONG, Aug 1: Senior BJP leader and MLA, AL Hek on Saturday cautioned that the party might face serious discontent among its workers and supporters in Meghalaya if it decides against contesting the upcoming by-election to the Shillong Lok Sabha seat. Hek said staying away from the election could create an impression that the BJP []

SHILLONG, Aug 1: Humbled by three failed attempts to find takers for its flagship Polo Commercial Complex, the Meghalaya government has slashed rental rates in a desperate fourth attempt to breathe life into a facility that has sat empty since its high-profile inauguration by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman a year ago. Shillong Smart City []

SHILLONG, Aug 1: Meghalaya recorded an unusually dry July this year. All districts except South West Khasi Hills reported deficient or largely deficient rainfall, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. Five of the states 11 districts saw rainfall drop by 50 to 80 per cent below normal. South West Khasi Hills was the sole []

SHILLONG, Aug 1: Hundreds of clan elders, traditional leaders and scholars from across the Khasi and Jaintia Hills assembled at Smit Village on Saturday as the Synjuk Ki Rangbah Kur Ka Bri U Hyniewtrep (SKRK) advanced its Tipkur Tipkha Movement, an initiative aimed at strengthening clan institutions and preserving the indigenous heritage, matrilineal system and []

SHILLONG, Aug 1: The East Khasi Hills district administration has launched a new initiative, A Day at DC Office, to provide students with first-hand exposure to the functioning of the district administration and public service delivery. The programme, designed to help students understand governance and civic institutions, saw its first batch of participants from Government []

SHILLONG, Aug 1: The East Khasi Hills district administration and the Indian Army on Friday conducted a joint inspection of GTC Happy Valley to finalise arrangements for the upcoming Agniveer Recruitment Rally. The rally, scheduled from August 22 to 24, will see the participation of 941 candidates who qualified through the Common Entrance Examination (CEE). []

SHILLONG, Aug 1: The University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) and the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Meghalaya have secured national recognition for their sustainability efforts, ranking 13th and 36th, respectively, in the National Green University Ranking (NGUR) 2026. The rankings, released by Green Mentors, evaluate institutions on parameters such as climate action, biodiversity []

SHILLONG, Aug 1: The Hajong Students Union (CEC) and the Meghalaya Hajong Welfare Association (MHWA) have submitted formal representations to the Director of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, seeking the immediate rectification of the departments online recruitment portal. In a statement, the organisations said they have identified a significant discrepancy in the reservation category options. According []

SHILLONG, Aug 1: Shillong Airport, which is currently awaiting expansion, has finally been equipped with an ATM kiosk to cater to the needs of travellers.The State Bank of India (SBI) facility was inaugurated recently following persistent demands from passengers.In addition to the banking service, a retail eating joint is expected to open at the airport []

Tura, July 30: The Meghalaya High Court has ordered the reopening of a licensed liquor shop at Danakgre in West Garo Hills, ruling that moral objections raised by church elders and local organisations cannot override the law. The case was filed after the shop owner challenged the closure of the outlet despite obtaining all the []

Glasgow, July 29: Seasoned Indian swimmer Sajan Prakash failed to qualify for the mens 200m freestyle finals at the Commonwealth Games, signing off a disappointing fifth in his heat and 20th overall here on Wednesday. Only the eight fastest swimmers advance to the final and Sajan was way off the mark at 1.51.99 seconds. His []

TAROUBA (Trinidad), July 29: Paceman Jayden Seales claimed his fourth five-wicket haul to bowl West Indies to a 90-run victory over Pakistan in the opening Test in Tarouba on Tuesday. After eking out a 29-run first-innings lead, West Indies made 181 in their second innings to set Pakistan a target of 211. Seales (5-20) and []

TAIPEI CITY, July 29: Seasoned shuttler HS Prannoy and Unnati Hooda, the spearheads of Indias campaign, advanced to the second round of their respective singles events at the Taipei Open Super 300 here on Wednesday. Seeded seventh, Prannoy defeated Minoru Koga of Japan 21-11 21-14 in his opening round mens singles match that lasted just []

HANGZHOU, July 29: Double Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker has mixed feelings about the 25m pistol bronze medal she won in the just-concluded World Cup in Hangzhou, acknowledging that she could have done better in the event. Bhaker was outperformed by Esha Singh, who took the gold, ensuring a double podium for India. Bhaker is still in []

LONDON, July 29: Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali says the current world championship could end in Europe if the war in the Middle East affects races planned in Qatar and Abu Dhabi at the conclusion of the season. Domenicali said a decision wont be made before mid-September. For us today, the races in Qatar and []

Actress Karishma Tanna and her husband Varun Bangera have welcomed their first child, a baby boy, on the auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima, July 29. The couple announced the news through a joint Instagram post featuring a monochrome picture of their newborns feet, writing, Its a boy! The announcement was met with warm wishes from []

Global K-pop group BTS has announced that it will not submit its music for consideration at the 69th Grammy Awards, scheduled for February 7, 2027. The decision was announced through a joint statement by all seven members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook on their Instagram accounts. The group said it []

Actor Alia Bhatt has urged people to support relief efforts for Assam, which is battling severe floods that have caused widespread destruction. Sharing a post on Instagram, Bhatt highlighted the scale of the crisis, noting that dozens of lives have been lost, lakhs of people displaced, and families left without homes, land or livestock. She []

MUMBAI, July 29: Indian benchmark equity indices ended sharply higher on Wednesday, led by strong buying in information technology, FMCG and metal stocks. The Sensex surged 889 points, or 1.16 per cent, to close at 77,654.60, while the Nifty advanced 265 points, or 1.10 per cent, to settle at 24,250.20. Commenting on Nifty technical outlook, []

NEW DELHI, July 29: Generative artificial intelligence (Gen-AI) is likely to transform the way Indians work rather than lead to widespread job losses, with nearly half of Indias non-agricultural workforce expected to use AI as a productivity tool, a report has said. According to an analysis of Goldman Sachs, Gen-AI could automate 9-17 per cent []

NEW DELHI, July 29: The first tranche of the bilateral trade agreement between India and the US will come into operation as soon as the United States is able to ensure that India gets a comparative advantage over its competitors, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday. He also said that as long []

SHILLONG, July 29: The Meghalaya governments flagship Shillong Ropeway project is mired in a jurisdictional and ecological standoff, with questions arising on environmental logic of planting trees in South West Khasi Hills to replace a centuries-old forest axed in Shillongs most critical water catchment zone. Laban-Mawprem MDC Ricky Shullai on Wednesday stepped up his opposition []

The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has expressed concern over the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, stating that it would stand by religious institutions in Meghalaya if the legislation adversely affects their functioning and charitable activities. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem said the organisation has not taken a formal []

SHILLONG, July 29: Even as Parliament prepares to take up the proposed amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), the ruling National Peoples Party (NPP) on Wednesday admitted that it has no knowledge of whether the Centre has accepted the amendments it had jointly proposed with church leaders from the Northeast. The admission by []