The Shillong Times

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUNDUP Madrid, Feb 26: On a night charged with tension and emotion, Vinicius Junior delivered the final flourish as Real Madrid defeated Benfica 2-1 to book their place in the Champions League round of 16. A week after alleging racial abuse in the first leg in Lisbon, Vinicius responded in the most emphatic []

Europa League Nottingham, Feb 26: Nottingham Forest and Stuttgart looked in control of their Europa League playoffs and close to reaching the round of 16 on Thursday. Both sides took home a three-goal advantage from the first legs last week. Vitor Pereira made an impact in his first game in charge, leading Nottingham to a []

SPANISH LEAGUE Barcelona, Feb 26: Real Madrid will look to recover from a damaging La Liga defeat when they host Getafe CF on Monday, though doubts remain over the fitness of Kylian Mbappe. Mbappe, the leagues top scorer with 23 goals, is struggling with a knee issue and missed Madrids midweek Champions League win over []

GERMAN LEAGUE Berlin, Feb 26: The shine has faded from Der Klassiker. What was once German footballs fiercest duel now risks becoming a procession. Bayern Munich travel to face Borussia Dortmund on Saturday with an eight-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga and firm control of the title race. Bayern have won 12 of []

HOBART, Feb 26: Outplayed in the series-opener, reigning world champions India would aim for an improved batting effort in the second womens ODI against Australia to keep the three-match rubber alive here on Friday. Having won the T20 series 2-1, a below-par India started the ODI contests on a disappointing note, losing by six wickets []

ACAPULCO, Feb 26: Top sed Alexander Zverev bowed out of the Mexican Open after losing to Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, (3)6-7, 7-6(4). This is the second time Zverev has been knocked out in the round of 16 in Acapulco, after winning the title in the 2021 edition. Kecmanovic took advantage of Zverevs 34 unforced errors []

NEW DELHI, Feb 26: ONGC on Thursday launched the 7th Para Games 2026 at Thyagaraj Stadium here with participation from around 300 Divyang athletes from eight oil and gas PSUs. ONGC said it reflects the energy majors continued focus on inclusiveness and employee empowerment.Athletes from ONGC, IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, EIL, GAIL, OIL and MRPL are []

TIRANA (Albania), Feb 26: U23 world champion Sujeet Kalkal clinched the gold medal in the mens 65kg freestyle category at the Muhamet Malo 2026 wrestling tournament. He topped the podium with four straight wins on technical superiority. The 23-year-old Indian dominated Azerbaijans Rashid Babazade 10-0 in the final. He had a convincing 11-0 win over []

WASHINGTON, Feb 26: Chaotic starts, tricky overtaking, lifting off the gas on straights. Formula 1s new era of regulations could upend the series in unexpected ways when the season begins with the Australian Grand Prix next week. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, the two most successful drivers on the grid, were critical in testing of []

Superstar Aamir Khan has said he has been in touch with the family of veteran screenwriter Salim Khan and they told him that his health is improving. Aamir, a close friend of Salim Khans superstar son Salman Khan, said he recently went to visit the 90-year-old writer at the Lilavati Hospital here but could not []

In a significant development that has sent ripples through the film industry and political circles alike, the Kerala High Court on Thursday stayed the release of the controversial film Kerala Story 2 for 15 days, just a day before its scheduled theatrical debut. The film, which was slated for release on Friday, had already generated []

During a two-day official visit to Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with several delegates, engaging in discussions that aimed to deepen bilateral ties across various sectors including science, technology, innovation, research, cybersecurity, agriculture, water, defense, and trade. He also took some time off his schedule to get to know Israeli filmmaking by meeting the []

Actor Ileana DCruz has spoken out in support of music icon Rihanna as the singer continues to get targeted by online body shamers following the birth of her third child. Rihanna, who welcomed her daughter in September last year with partner A$AP Rocky, has lately been at the receiving end of harsh comments about her []

Theres a Bridgerton blow up and then a Bridgerton glow up, one a nod to the enormous popularity of the lavish Regency-era romance and the other to the starry shine characters get as they step into the spotlight with season progressions. If actor Yerin Ha is enjoying the first, her co-star Luke Thompson is loving []

At 5am, social media fills with proof that the early risers have already won the day. Cold plunges. Journals. Sunrise runs. Productivity gurus insist this is the routine that separates high performers from everyone else, reinforced by high-profile early risers such as Apple CEO Tim Cook, entrepreneur Richard Branson and Hollywood actor Jennifer Aniston. The []

People recovering from eating disorders often use social media for support, seeking out recovery content, body-positive creators and others with similar experiences. But recent research my colleagues and I have conducted suggests these platforms can also steer users back towards the very content they are trying to avoid. We carried out in-depth interviews with people []

New Delhi, Feb 26: Silver prices declined by Rs 7,400 to Rs 2.70 lakh per kg while gold dropped by Rs 1,300 to Rs 1.62 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Thursday due to weak global trends and profit-booking by traders. According to the All India Sarafa Association, silver fell by Rs []

Mumbai, Feb 26: Benchmark BSE Sensex slipped by 27.46 points to close at 82,248.61 in a volatile session on Thursday, dragged down by selling in HDFC Bank and other blue-chip stocks. Investors remained cautious amid the proposed US-Iran nuclear talks, AI-related developments and tariff concerns. The 30-share index opened higher and gained a further 303 []

SHILLONG: Sorkarini kamko kana gita dao adoktangni kusikrangko, mongsongbate Khasi aro Garo kusikrangko mangiparang ongna nangaha ine sorkarini niamko donangani jaman MLA-rangnaba, sal 10 ba sal 15-ni Khasi aro Garo course-ko abachengatna nangengani gimin Bristibar salo, adokni Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma kupattianiko onangaha. Assembly-o chanchirimanirangna aganchakaniko onangengon, MLA-rangnaba sal 10 ba sal 15-ni crash []

WILLIAMNAGAR: Bristibar salo, Tribal Affairs-ni Union Minister of State (MoS) Durgadas Uikey, East Garo Hills ajao ragate kaenggipa mamong sorkarini dingtang dingtang scheme-rangko nipilna gita East Garo Hills ajani Deputy Commissioner RP Marak, Additional Deputy Commissioner-rang, Block Development Officer-rang, PHE, PWD, ICDS, Social Welfare, Food and Civil Supplies, Williamnagar Municipal Board, District School Education Office, []

TURA: Meghalaya adokni State Reservation Policy-ni bidingo Expert Committee-ni ongipa report-ko Assembly-o parakatani jaman iani bidingo MLA-rang, dingtang agangriktaina Opposition dolni dilgipa Mukul Sangma aro Voice of the Peoples Party (VPP)-ni president Ardent M Basaiawmoit-ni Chief Minister-ko didiahani gimin Achik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM) raken jegalataha. Reservation Policy-ko gital dake nipiltaiani bidingo adokni dilgiparang, dingtang []

TURA: Rebaenggipa April jani 10 tariko ongatenggipa Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) election-na skang, Electoral roll-rangko gital dake nipiltaina Special Intensive Review (SIR)-ko ongatchina didie Achik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK), Union Home Minister Amit Shah-na sedoataha. Reanggipa January jani 9 tariko ACHIK-ni membor saksa Dilseng M Sangma-ko Rajabala jolo soote galani jaman, GHADC-ni []

Editor, Local politicians are right to demand an apology from Mr. Sunil Deodhar for his recent divisive speech at Pynter. However, this is not a child who accidentally broke a flower pot. In his apology, he even tries to hide behind Christian programmes conducted by his organization, but such programmes do not justify either his []

These are times when Truth is the first casualty. But whims cannot guide the destiny of a nation. Curiously, Supreme Court chief justice Surya Kant has taken umbrage at the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) after it carried a chapter in a school textbook on the role of judiciary in our society, []

By Patricia Mukhim The sudden demise of Dr Ricky Syngkon made us all wake up to the need for Cardio-pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). CPR is needed to prevent deaths when a person has sudden cardiac arrest and his/her heart has stopped beating and they are not breathing normally; when rescuing a drowning person; electrocution; drug overdose; []

By Lekha Rattanani The AI Impact Summit 2026 ended on February 20 in New Delhi on a celebratory note. That is, if you merely look at the numbers, the people who attended, and investment pledges. It brought 20 heads of State, the biggest names in the business from Sundar Pichai (Alphabet Google) to Sam []

Our Bureau SHILLONG/TURA, Feb 26: Are we back to square one on the contentious issue of the reservation policy? So it seems, if we go by the response of the Khasis, Jaintias and Garos on the reservation system. The Expert Committees recommendation to maintain status quo on Meghalayas 1972 Job Reservation Policy has sparked widespread []

Our Bureau SHILLONG, Feb 26: If the allocation has increased by 26 per cent, has governance also improved by 26 per cent? Voice of the People Party (VPP) chief and Nongkrem MLA Ardent M. Basaiawmoit raised this incisive query during the cut motion discussion on the budget hike for the Chief Ministers Secretariat, setting off []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Feb 26: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma defended the Meghalaya governments decision to borrow Rs 9,126 crore from External Funded Agencies (EFAs), including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), KfW Bank (Germany), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and New Development Bank (NDB). Replying to the Budget discussion in the Assembly, []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Feb 26: The High Court of Meghalaya, examining the status report filed by the government and other respondents in connection with the dynamite blast at Mynsngat-Thangsko that left 34 workers dead and five grievously injured, has found that the compensation measures and other post-investigation actions are not adequate to address the []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Feb 26: Many MLAs on Thursday urged the government to take steps to address the manpower shortage in the states police department and the alleged deployment of personnel for non-policing duties, forcing the government to assure the House that police personnel would be kept off non-policing duties. Raising the issue during []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Feb 26: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has informed the House that the state government is planning to shift the Meghalaya Secretariat to its new complex at Mawkhanu in New Shillong by the end of the next financial year (March 2027). Replying to the general discussion on the Budget in the []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Feb 26: A moving Bolero vehicle was partially gutted after it suddenly caught fire near Shillong Civil Hospital at around 12.30 pm on Thursday. The vehicle (ML05 Z 0515) was on its way through the area when smoke reportedly started emanating from the engine section. According to the driver, flames suddenly []

ICC Mens T20 World Cup Windies Left Reeling Ahmedabad, Feb 26: A clinical South Africa outclassed West Indies by nine wickets in their Super 8 clash to stretch their unbeaten run and all but seal a place in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup here on Thursday. A dominating show by the Proteas pacer []

ICC Mens T20 World Cup Ahmedabad, Feb 26: It doesnt feel easy, South Africa captain Aiden Markram insisted on Thursday, even as his team brushed aside another heavyweight opponent in West Indies for a sixth consecutive win in the T20 World Cup and put one foot in the semifinals. The Proteas latest triumph a []

ICC Mens T20 World Cup Ahmedabad, Feb 26: West Indies captain Shai Hope admitted that failure to quickly assess conditions and execute plans cost his side dearly as they slumped to their first defeat of the T20 World Cup against South Africa in the Super 8 stage here on Thursday. Hope said the result was []

Mumbai, Feb 25: Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty pared early sharp gains to close marginally higher in a volatile session on Wednesday as the US imposing 126 per cent import duties on Indian solar goods dampened investor sentiment and triggered profit-taking. Retreating around 674 points from the days high, the 30-share BSE Sensex finally []

New Delhi, Feb 25: Precious metal prices increased up to 2 per cent in the national capital on Wednesday, with silver rising to Rs 2.77 lakh per kilogram, and gold advancing to Rs 1.64 lakh per 10 grams, tracking strong global trends and sustained safe-haven buying. According to the All India Sarafa Association, the white []

HOBART, Feb 25: The Indian mens hockey team ended a prolonged losing streak in the FIH Pro League, upstaging world No. 3 Australia 3-1 in a shoot-out after both sides were locked 1-1 at the end of regulation time, here on Wednesday. It was a close battle between the two teams in the first three []

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: Cheating in chess is being portrayed as a bigger problem than what it actually is, says world champion D Gukesh, who does not support Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Kramniks controversial crusade against the menace that affects the online game. Kramnik, a former world champion, has sued the International Chess Federation (FIDE) for []

ACAPULCO, Feb 25: In his first competitive action since his defeat in an epic Australian Open semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz, world no. 4 Alexander Zverev advanced to the second round of the Mexcian Open with a 6-2,6-4 win against Frenchman Corentin Moutet. With his 15th win in Acapulco, Zverev (15-5) moved level with Rafael Nadal []

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu recorded big wins on the second day of the Senior National Mens Kabaddi Championship here on Wednesday. In Pool A, Haryana hammered Telangana 49-18 with Neeraj Narwal leading the team with 11 points. He was assisted by Nitin Kumar, who amassed nine points, along []

Croatias Duje Ajdukovic during the Maha Open ATP Challenger Tennis Cship, in Pune on Wednesday. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: Rising star Vaishnavi Adkar will be among a host of Indian players to feature in the ITF W35 Kalaburagi, the biggest international womens tennis tournament to be held here, from March 1 to 8.The USD 30,000 tournament, part of the ITF Womens World Tennis Tour, marks the citys first-ever ITF W35-level []

Islamabad, Feb 25: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Wednesday filed a petition in the countrys Supreme Court requesting the medical treatment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan at a hospital of his choice and permission for consulting his personal physicians, local media reported. PTI lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa filed the application in Supreme Court []

ICC Mens T20 World Cup Chennai, Feb 24: Indias march towards the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup now hangs by a thread. One crushing defeat. Seventy-six runs. And suddenly, what once looked like a comfortable campaign has turned into a mathematical maze. The heavy loss to South Africa did more than dent confidence []

ICC Mens T20 World Cup Chennai, Feb 24: Indias preparations for their crucial Super Eight encounter against Zimbabwe have been dealt an unexpected setback, with Rinku Singh leaving the squad just two days before the high-pressure clash in Chennai. The must-win fixture is scheduled for Thursday (February 26) at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium, where []

ICC Mens T20 World Cup Match starts at 7 pm Colombo, Feb 24: Sri Lanka will need to improve their batting against slower bowlers when they take on New Zealand in a must-win Super Eight game of the T20 World Cup here on Wednesday. The home team batters failed to chase a below par 147 []

Pallekele, Feb 24: Skipper Harry Brook played the most defining innings of his T20 career, smashing a 51-ball 100 to propel England into the semifinals of the T20 World Cup with a narrow two-wicket victory over Pakistan. Chasing a target of 165 on a slightly difficult surface, England were 35 for 3 and then 58 []

ICC Mens T20 World Cup Chennai, Feb 24: After battling sluggish, spin-friendly tracks through much of the T20 World Cup 2026, Team India may find conditions more to their liking when they take on Zimbabwe in a high-stakes Super Eight encounter on Thursday (February 26) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Indias campaign has reached a []