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Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) After the Gurugram hit-and-run case involving biker Shivani Chauhan, alias Sia, said on Friday that the matter became a 'national issue' because everyone could relate to the incident, and that her fight is not just for her own benefit. The woman biker who was hit by a car while driving said, ...Everyone has supported this cause because everyone has related to this issue. Somewhere or another, some female biker, some girl in some way, or any ordinary person

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Indian mens kabaddi team captain Sunil Kumar believes the side is well prepared for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, with an extended training programme helping the players build combinations, work on tactics and strengthen their individual skills ahead of the continental showpiece. The 27-year-old right defender, who was part of Indias gold-medal-winning campaign at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022, will lead a squad that combines experienced players

Digital Desk | Ayodhya, Sep 18 (IANS) Reacting to actress Swara Bhaskar's controversial statement on the Ram temple case verdict, former Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi litigant Iqbal Ansari said on Friday that the court judgment on the Ram temple was announced by the Supreme Court, and people across the country respected the decision given by the apex court. He also added that there were no communal disharmony anywhere in the country following the verdict. Ansari said, The Ram Temple verdict was a

Digital Desk | Haridwar, Sep 18 (IANS) Dharmender, a local, who helped Surendra Koli land a job at a tea stall in Uttarakhand's Haridwar, said on Friday that he was not aware that the latter had been an accused in the sensational Nithari killings case. This comes hours after Surendra Koli committed suicide by hanging himself. His body was found at the tea stall. Speaking to IANS, Dharmender said: I met him 15 days back when he begged me for a job. He had told me that he knows cooking, so I arran

Digital Desk | Nagoya, Sep 18 (IANS) In a bizarre mix-up, the national anthem of North Korea was played before the hockey match of South Korea's men's team against Bangladesh at the Asian Games 2026 on Friday. The incident left the South Korean players baffled, with some players running their hands through their hair over the mishap ahead of their game at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Gifu, which remains nearly 30 kilometres from Nagoya. The organisers corrected the mistake and played So

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Political analyst and former BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday took a swipe at the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, saying that he can become the Prime Minister of Pakistan or of any of those countries where he goes on vacations. Speaking exclusively to IANS, Poonawalla said: Rahul Gandhi can become the Prime Minister but perhaps of Pakistan. If he prefers, of Italy, or whichever country he frequently visits, like Bangkokif he wi

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) India on Friday rejected Pakistan's allegations over the collision between the Indian Navy's INS Kolkata and Pakistani naval ship Hunain in the western Arabian Sea on September 15, terming them as usual prevarication. Addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that Pakistani naval ship Hunain's conduct was unacceptable and unprofessional , which caused the collision. Ho

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) The Marathi language film Gondhal has been selected by the Film Federation of India as India's official entry for the upcoming 99th edition of the Academy Awards. The Film Federation of India made the announcement in Mumbai on Friday. There were 33 films in contention this year, and the jury picked Santosh Davakhars film to represent India in the Best International Film Category for the 99th Academy Awards. The film stars Kishor Kadam, Ishita Deshmukh, Yogesh

Digital Desk | Ranchi, Sep 18 (IANS) Roopi Soren, the mother of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, was admitted to a private hospital in Ranchi on Friday after her health suddenly deteriorated. She is currently undergoing treatment under the supervision of a team of doctors at a private hospital in Ranchi. According to hospital sources, Roopi Soren complained of breathing difficulties and was admitted to the hospital. Medical examinations confirmed a chest infection, and doctors said her con

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Growing concerns are being raised in Pakistan over the continued increase in fuel, electricity and gas prices with the absence of significant public resistance reflecting both deep economic vulnerability and a lack of effective political leadership, according to a report. A report from The Friday Times has pointed to repeated hikes in petroleum product prices and utility tariffs and said the rising cost of living is placing severe pressure on households al

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sept 18(IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ram Kadam said on Friday that Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray waited six-and-a-half years to say that he has no connection to the Disha Salian case. Speaking to IANS, Kadam reacted to Disha Salian's father issuing a Rs 500 crore defamation notice to Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray. The BJP MLA said, It took Aaditya Thackeray six-and-a-half years to say that he has no connection with (Disha Salian case) it. Even i

Digital Desk | Nagoya, Sep 18 (IANS) The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Friday explained the decision not to build a traditional athletes' village for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, saying that while such a facility would be preferable, organisers also needed flexibility. We wish that we have an athlete village, number one. But, number two, we also have to be flexible, OCA Director General Husain A H Z Al-Musallam said at a press conference. He said organisers needed to consider the circumstanc

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Legendary football manager Jose Mourinho reiterated his love for Formula 1 as he paid a visit to the Madring circuit ahead of the recent Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday. The Real Madrid manager has been at F1 circuits before too, and with the Madring hosting its first-ever F1 race, and with it being in the vicinity of Real's training ground, Mourinho came to the hybrid street/permanent circuit on Sunday after a 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga. Ive enjo

Digital Desk | Amaravati, Sep 18 (IANS) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), a Navratna Defence PSU under the Ministry of Defence, will develop a modern greenfield shipyard at Dugarajapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, it was announced on Friday. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) towards this effect was signed between MDL Chairman & Managing Director Captain Jagmohan (retd) and National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park-Andhra Pradesh (NSHIP-AP) Managing Director Praveen Adhithya on Friday in

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Indian rower Poonam is gearing up for her first-ever appearance at the Asian Games as she will be competing in the Women's four event in Aichi-Nagoya. From taking up the sport almost accidentally to now enjoying it with every stroke feeling like music, Poonam has come a long way from competing at the university level to now representing India at the Asian Games. She began her career with athletics but switched to rowing to get admission for her graduation.

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Global brokerage Bernstein has raised its earnings estimates for Paytm after the final UPI merchant discount rate framework came in better than expected, pointing to sharper monetisation of the company's payments business across both the consumer and merchant sides. Bernstein said the framework gave consumer payment apps a better than expected deal, with consumer TPAPs or third party application providers, now earning a merchant discount rate broadly compa

Digital Desk | Islamabad, Sep 18 (IANS) Pakistan remains vulnerable to the persistent threat of violent extremism, which has shaken national security and unsettled the countrys social fabric, a report has stated. Citing recent reports, it said government figures recorded 5,397 incidents of terrorism in 2025, while the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) documented 1,066 militant attacks. The violence continued in 2026, with 118 attacks reported in June, around 99 in July

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) Actress Soni Razdan recently shared a candid and amusing video featuring her daughter Alia Bhatt, in which the actress opened up about a quirky habit of her father, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. Sharing the video on Instagram, the veteran actress wrote, When my daughter (@aliaabhatt) gets real about her dad, you listen because when it comes to dads, we all have a familiar story to tell. BYOB Bring Your Own Baap!. In the video, Alia was asked about one quirk about h

Digital Desk | Nagoya, Sep 18 (IANS) Indian mens soft tennis team, comprising Jay Meena, Yogesh Choudhary, Aryan Thakur, Aniket Patel and Om Yadav, concluded its Asian Games 2026 campaign with a 02 defeat against Indonesia in the quarterfinals. Jay and Yogesh lost the first men's doubles tie to Tio Hutauruk and Fernendo Sanger 25, before Aryan Thakur lost to Bagus Pradewa 34. With this loss, Indias mens team campaign come to an end at the Asian Games 2026. However, the competition continues for

Digital Desk | Patna, Sep 18 (IANS) JD(U) National President and former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday inaugurated a day-long orientation programme for the partys MLAs and MLCs at Karpoori Hall in the party headquarters in Patna. The meeting, attended by legislators and senior party leaders, is aimed at familiarising elected representatives with their legislative responsibilities and the functioning of the state legislature. Bihar Health Minister Nishant Kumar shared the stage with

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the operation of a Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment which had declared Section 147A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 unconstitutional and set aside reassessment notices issued by jurisdictional Assessing Officers. A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran passed the interim order while hearing a special leave petition (SLP) filed by the Union of India and other Income Tax authorities challenging the High C

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Ryan Williams is set for a memorable homecoming when he returns to Bengalurus Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Indias colours for the first time, three years after beginning his Indian football journey at the same venue. The 32-year-old, who plays his club football for Bengaluru FC, will trade the familiar blue of his club for Indias blue when the Blue Tigers begin their international window against Panama on September 25. Williams, who made his India debut in M

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Indias central bank should consider acting early on rates to strengthen credibility, support the currency and reduce the need for larger tightening later, a report said on Friday. Suggesting the RBI to consider hiking early to hike less, the report from HSBC Global Investment Research said it maintained its view of two 25 basis point hikes in the October and December meetings, taking the repo rate to 5.75 per cent. We also expect further clarity/steps on l

Digital Desk | Hyderabad, Sep 18 (IANS) The makers of director Suparn S Varma's eagerly awaited film, 'Zombie Reddy2 NXT LVL', featuring actor Teja Sajja in the lead, on Friday released the first look poster of Kannada star Upendra in the film, much to the delight of fans and film buffs. The first look poster of the actor was to mark his birthday on Friday. Sources close to the unit say that Real Star Upendra will be seen in a prominent role in the film, which will also mark the debut of actress

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray faction MP Sanjay Raut on Friday launched a sharp attack against the late Disha Salians father following reports that the latter planned to visit Matoshree to hand a legal notice for defamation to party leader Aaditya Thackeray. Raut labelled the move a drama orchestrated by political rivals to malign the Thackeray family. Speaking to reporters, Raut urged those involved to put an end to the political theatrics. This drama must stop

Digital Desk | Chennai, Sep 18 (IANS) Actor Nivin Pauly, who has played the lead in director Girish AD's recently released blockbuster Malayalam film 'Bethlehem Kudumba Unit', on Friday penned a note of gratitude in the wake of the film's collections going past the Rs 300 crore mark. Taking to his Instagram page, Nivin Pauly wrote, 300+ Crores Worldwide Gross!Thank you for the endless love! The frame would have been truly complete with our music magician Vishnu Vijay in it. Sending you all the l

Digital Desk | Patna, Sep 18 (IANS) A young man was shot in the leg following a dispute between two groups at a roadside eatery in Bihar's Vaishali district late on Thursday night, police said on Friday. The incident occurred at Vinod Singh Line Hotel at Bedauli Chowk near Jaitipur village under the Lalganj police station limits, where customers were having dinner around 10 p.m. when an argument between two groups reportedly escalated into a violent confrontation. The injured man, identified as

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) Legendary actress Helen Mirren has shared her candid take on marriage and divorce, saying she has nothing against tying the knot but has something against divorce. Speaking to actress Drew Barrymore on her chat show, the icon recalled waiting until she was 38 to marry Taylor Hackford, explaining that she wanted to be sure the relationship was built to last. A video shared by the show on Instagram, showed Barrymore speaking about how her friend wanted to set h

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Rain is expected in Delhi-NCR on Friday, with the Meteorological Department forecasting partly cloudy skies and the possibility of light to moderate showers. As the monsoon begins to withdraw, only minimal rain clouds are forming over the region. However, the weather department has not issued any warning of heavy rainfall or thunderstorms. The daytime temperature is expected to remain between 33 degrees Celsius and 35 degrees Celsius, while the minimum tem

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Ordinary Indian passports issued to children below 15 years of age will now be valid for five years or until the child turns 18, whichever is earlier, under the new rules notified by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026, published in the Gazette of India on September 17, amend the Passports Rules, 1980. Under the amended Rule 12(1A), a 36-page ordinary passport issued to a child under 15 will remain in force for a p

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 17 (IANS) Filmmaker and writer Luv Ranjan has opened up about launching newcomers in Pehla Pyaar Doosri Baar. He described the experience as both challenging and exciting. Reflecting on the project, he said he did not want to let the opportunity pass when he got the chance to introduce fresh faces to audiences. Speaking about the same, Luv Ranjan said, Introducing newcomers is always a challenge, but its the one I genuinely look forward to. Fifteen years ago, I got tha

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 17 (IANS) Singer Miley Cyrus has talked about the deeply personal process of creating her new album Bass Persuades and shared that it feels special to see the record keep pace with the way her life has evolved in real time. Cyrus took to Instagram, where she shared a glimpse of the monochrome music video and went onto thank everyone who contributed to the album. She wrote as the caption: BASS PERSUADES. THE ALBUM. LETS GET MARRIED. THE VIDEO. 9/17 AT 9PM PT. Its been l

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Thursday extended birthday greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and praised his leadership for improving India's global standing and driving development across various sectors of society. PM Modi was born on September 17, 1950, in Gujarat's Vadnagar. He has served as the Prime Minister since May 26, 2014 -- currently in his third term. He is the longest-serving continuously elected Prime Minister of the country. PM

Digital Desk | Chennai, Sep 16 (IANS) Director Ashwath Marimuthu, who is now directing Tamil superstar Rajinikanth's next film 'Dharman', on Wednesday shared that he was back with Superstar Rajinikanth for the third schedule of the film. Taking to his X timeline to share a BTS clip of Rajinikanth and Raashi Khanna shooting for the film, director Ashwath Marimuthu wrote, Back with Thalaivar for Dharman 3rd schedule #superstar @RKFI. The video clip he posted showed Rajinikanth, seated with his bac

Digital Desk | Mandya (Karnataka), Sep 16 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, on Wednesday alleged that it was in the blood of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to treat Hindus as inferior, and accused Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of functioning as a puppet of the Congress leadership. Addressing reporters in Maddur while participating in a Ganesh immersion procession, Ashoka said the BJP had no expectations from the Chief Ministe

Digital Desk | Gorakhpur, Sep 16 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday accused the previous Samajwadi Party (SP) government of taking bribes for issuing medical licenses in the state. The Chief Minister was in Gorakhpur for the inauguration of the IMA Charitable Blood Centre. Urging citizens to donate blood, Chief Minister Adityanath said: Medical facilities, equipments and medicines can be made to suit modern standards but blood cannot be made. It is a symbol of compa

Digital Desk | Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 16 (IANS) The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched a national initiative to identify, incubate, mentor and finance startups and enterprises led by Scheduled Tribe (ST) entrepreneurs, with Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) among 10 institutions selected to implement the programme. Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said the initiative was aimed at harnessing the potential of tribal youth and creating both job creators and job seekers by expanding o

Digital Desk | Shimla, Sep 16 (IANS) Indias diplomatic dining experience at Rashtrapati Bhavan is set to acquire a distinct Himachali touch, with traditional cuisines from the Himalayan state -- with a touch of nature's earthiness and the unmistakable aroma of guchhi, one of the worlds most prized morel mushrooms grown in high mountains -- being introduced to the menu for visiting dignitaries and elite guests after a special culinary training programme conducted by a government chef from Himacha

Digital Desk | Mysuru, Sep 16 (IANS) Mysuru-Kodagu MP and royal scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar on Wednesday said the BJP was not opposed to Muslims and clarified that the party's protest in T. Narasipura town was against remarks made by a police inspector regarding a procession in front of a mosque. Speaking in Mysuru, Yaduveer said the BJP had staged the protest condemning the police inspector's statement that a procession would not be allowed in front of a mosque. We are opposed

Digital Desk | Dhaka, Sep 16 (IANS) Bangladesh's Awami League categorically rejected the death sentences handed down to seven party leaders and activists by the country's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), describing the ruling as one-sided, biased and fabricated. The remarks came after the ICT on Tuesday sentenced Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and six other senior leaders of the party and its affiliated organisations to death for crimes against humanity linked to the July 2024

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath on Wednesday backed the recently introduced Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on person to merchant UPI payments and said it was probably required as the digital payment system gained widespread adoption. In a post on social media platform X, Kamath said the introduction of MDR could help address the current concentration in the UPI ecosystem where three apps account for more than 95 per cent of the market. I think MDR on UPI was proba

Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 16 (IANS) A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday quashed the notice of eviction served by the West Bengal Fire Services Department to the office of the Trinamool Congress general secretary and the partys Diamond Harbour MP, Abhishek Banerjee, on Camac Street in Central Kolkata. Previously, the Calcutta High Court had given an interim stay on the notice by the fire services department. The matter came up for hearing again on Wednesday, and at the

Digital Desk | Islamabad, Sep 16 (IANS) Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan's sisters were once again denied a meeting with him at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, in violation of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) orders, local media reported on Wednesday. Advocate Awais Younas Chaudhry said Imran Khan's sisters and six lawyers reached outside the prison to meet him, however, they were once again denied a meeting with him, Pakistan-based daily Dawn reported. The sisters waited there even after 6:3

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Finance Ministry on Wednesday debunked claims which suggested that the MDR change in the UPI ecosystem is due to foreign influence, stressing that Indias digital payments decisions are made independently. Since its launch in 2016, UPI has grown into the worlds largest real-time interoperable payment system entirely on Indias own terms, the ministry posted on social media platform X. Such claims are false. Indias UPI policy decisions are made independently

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 16 (IANS) Television actress Mahhi Vij revealed that she was originally selected by filmmaker Mani Ratnam for the role that Kareena Kapoor eventually played in the 2004 film Yuva, opposite Vivek Oberoi. During a conversation with fellow Bigg Boss 20 contestant Kanika Mann, Mahhi opened up about her early days in the entertainment industry and recalled how she moved from music videos and South Indian films to what could have been her Bollywood debut. Mahhi said that aft

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 16 (IANS) Bhojpuri actress Aamrapali Dubey took a trip down memory lane during an episode of Bigg Boss 20. She recalled an anecdote from the sets of the Bhojpuri film Ganga Jamuna Saraswati, involving actors Ravi Kishan, Manoj Tiwari and Dinesh Lal Yadav, popularly known as Nirahua, calling it all hilarious. While chatting with fellow contestants, Aamrapali narrated how a fight sequence between Ravi Kishan and Manoj Tiwari had reportedly brought the shooting to a stand

Digital Desk | Bengaluru, Sep 16 (IANS) Heavy rains lashed Bengaluru, inundating several residential areas and causing damage in parts of the city, even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast widespread rainfall, including heavy showers, across several districts of Karnataka over the next 24 to 48 hours. The heavy downpour in Bengaluru on Tuesday night resulted in the collapse of a military compound wall in the Domlur area, leaving three cows dead and Muniraju, the owner, seriousl

Digital Desk | Meerut, Sep 16 (IANS) Panic spread in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut after a chlorine gas leak was reported at a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in N Pocket of Pallavpuram Phase-2, prompting residents in the surrounding area to take precautionary measures and leave their homes. The gas leak was reported from the STP premises on Tuesday evening, following which local residents were alerted and advised to exercise caution. The Pallavpuram Residents Welfare Association (RWA) appealed to people

Digital Desk | Dehradun, Sep 16 (IANS) The Uttarakhand government has decided to reimburse the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) collected on tickets for screenings of the film 'Hanuman Ansh' in cinemas and multiplexes across the state as part of an initiative to promote the film. Director General of Information Banshidhar Tiwari has issued an order in this regard, directing the State Tax Department to take necessary steps for reimbursement of the SGST applicable to ticket sales for the film.

Digital Desk | Seoul, Sep 16 (IANS) An appellate court in South Korea on Wednesday acquitted former President Yoon Suk Yeol of committing perjury during the insurrection trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The Seoul High Court ruled that Yoon did not appear to have given false testimony during the November trial when he claimed to have intended to convene a Cabinet meeting before he declared martial law on December 3, 2024. The ruling is consistent with a lower court's acquittal in May.