The Shillong Times News

New Delhi, Jan 6: Are the Left parties in India secular and liberal as they are usually considered? No, claims Bangladeshs exiled author Taslima Nasreen in a recent Facebook post. She points out the dichotomy among communists being very active against jihadists in Bangladesh today having once called her book on radical fundamentalism as lies, []

SHILLONG, Jan 5: The recent threat issued by the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) against Voice of the People Party (VPP) president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit has triggered serious questions, with sources suggesting that the warning may be linked to vested interests surrounding the export of limestone to Bangladesh through the Majai Land Customs Station []

MUMBAI, Jan 5: The Indian rupee continued its downward trend for the fourth straight session on Monday, closing 10 paise lower at 90.30 against the US dollar, reflecting heightened geopolitical uncertainty and weak domestic market sentiment. Since December 30, 2025, the rupee has lost 55 paise, highlighting persistent pressure on the currency amid rising dollar []

Mumbai, Jan 5: Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended lower on Monday, dragged by blue-chip HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries and IT stocks amid fresh warning from the US to further raise tariffs against India. The 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 322.39 points or 0.38 per cent to settle at 85,439.62. During the day, it tanked []

Manchester, Jan 5: Ruben Amorim is out as coach of Manchester United after just 14 months in the job. The Premier League club announced on Monday that Amorims reign was over with the decision coming a day after he made provocative comments about his position following a 1-1 draw with Leeds. With Manchester United []

London, Jan 5: Manchester United have begun the process of appointing a new permanent manager following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim, just 14 months into his tenure. Amorim was relieved of his duties on Monday after his latest public criticism of the clubs hierarchy, bringing another short-lived managerial era at Old Trafford to an abrupt []

Serie A Milan, Jan 5: Napoli recorded a comfortable 2-0 win at Lazio amid a chaotic finish to their Serie A match as the defending champion continued its good form from the end of 2025. Leonardo Spinazzola and Amir Rrahmani scored in the first half of Napolis first match of 2026 as Antonio Contes side []

LALIGA Barcelona, Jan 5: Gonzalo Garca scored his first, second and third goals in La Liga for Real Madrid with his hat trick dominating a 5-1 rout of Real Betis. The 21-year-old forward was making a rare start in place of the injured Kylian Mbapp, the leagues top scorer, who is sidelined with a left []

PREMIER LEAGUE London, Jan 5: Stoppage-time goals dominated a dramatic Premier League evening, with Chelsea denying Manchester City victory at the Etihad Stadium before Fulham struck even later to snatch a thrilling draw against Liverpool at Craven Cottage. Fernandez rescues Chelsea as City falter again Enzo Fernandez struck deep into stoppage time as Chelsea capped []

Ligue 1 Paris, Jan 5: Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain stayed one point behind surprise Ligue 1 leader Lens after beating Paris FC 2-1 in the first capital city derby in French mens league soccer since 1990. Star forwards Dsir Dou and Ousmane Demble struck for PSG. Inconsistent Marseille is now eight points behind Lens in []

Kolkata, Jan 5: East Bengals Moroccan forward Hamid Ahadad has parted ways with the club, joining several foreign recruits leaving their respective Indian Super League (ISL) sides in recent days in the wake of the delay of the 2025-26 season. The 31-year-old Ahadad, who has played 20 times for Morocco in the past, did not, []

Rabat, Jan 5: Brahim Daz kept Moroccos Africa Cup of Nations title hopes on track while five-time winner Cameroon beat South Africa 2-1 for a showdown with the host nation in the quarterfinals. Daz sent Morocco through with a 1-0 win over Tanzania on Sunday before Cameroon held on to beat South Africa for the []

Editor, On December 18, hardly two weeks ago, Nitish Kumar, the sitting Chief Minister of Bihar pulled down the Hijab of a Muslim doctor. Kumar was distributing appointment letters to newly appointed AYUSH (alternative medicine) doctors, and while handing the appointment letter to a female Muslim doctor, Kumar insisted that she remove her veil (Hijab), []

Amidst the worsening security scenario in the geopolitical region, India has embarked on a major tranche of defence procurements worth nearly $9 billion (Rs 790 billion). The deal cleared by the defence acquisition council chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh in December 2025 involves purchase of missiles, rockets, radar systems, drones and support platforms, []

By Napoleon S Mawphniang Look I need to be honest here. When I first heard about the Taj coming to Umiam Lake, part of me felt proud. You know that feeling? When your stateyour homegets recognized by a big brand. When the Chief Minister stands there, hands over 66 acres, and everyones talking about Rs []

U.S. Invasion of Venezuela may set the process of Trumps downturn in November Mid Term By Nitya Chakraborty The invasion of Venezuela by the United States on the early hours of January 3 along with the kidnapping of President Nicholas Maduro and his wife marks a new phase in Donald Trumps foreign policy which has []

Sydney, Jan 5: Joe Root made his second hundred of the series, while Travis Head closed in on his third, as Day 2 of the final Ashes test between Australia and England closed evenly poised on Monday. England was bowled out just before tea for 384 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with Joe Root leading []

Benoni, Jan 5: Skipper Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hammered a 24-ball 68, a blazing knock that included 10 sixes, as India U-19 recorded an eight-wicket win via DLS method to take an unassailable 2-0 lead against South Africa in the Youth ODI series here on Monday. India had earlier won the first ODI by 25 runs via []

Dubai, Jan 5: Suryakumar Yadavs poor run of form over the last 18 months has surprised Australian great Ricky Ponting, who believes the Indian skipper should think about scoring runs and not getting out in the lead up to the T20 World Cup. Ranked world no 1 not so long ago, Suryakumar spent a torrid []

Cape Town, Jan 5: Seasoned South African batter David Miller and all-rounder Corbin Bosch believe that competing in the ongoing SA20 is ideal preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup as it will help them tackle the pressure of playing in front of huge Indian crowds. South Africa, who lost to India in the 2024 []

Cape Town, Jan 5: Skipper Sikandar Raza believes that the upcoming T20 World Cup is a perfect chance for struggling Zimbabwe to regain its presence in the cricketing map with a clutch of strong performances. The African side has been clubbed in Group B alongside former champions Australia and Sri Lanka, and hopefuls Ireland and []

New Delhi, Jan 5: Cricket in South Asia has traditionally thrived on continuity. Barring the long-frozen IndiaPakistan relationship, the region has relied on regular tours, predictable calendars and a shared understanding that cricketing engagements would continue even amid political or administrative discomfort. That assumption is now being seriously tested and Bangladesh finds itself at []

Protesters rally in front of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday, after the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a military operation. (PTI)

Vijay Hazare Trophy Bengaluru, Jan 5: India superstar Virat Kohli will not feature in Delhis fixture against Railways in the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Tuesday, head coach Sarandeep Singh told PTI. Kohli, who made 131 and 77 on his return to the premier domestic one-day competition, will soon rejoin the national team for the []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Jan 5: Two persons have allegedly died in a dynamite blast that occurred on December 23 at a stone quarry at Thangsko (Mynsngat) village in East Jaintia Hills, a delayed report said here on Monday. Videos of several persons suffering burn injuries have gone viral after being widely shared across the []

PREMIER LEAGUE MANCHESTER, Jan 4: A dramatic Premier League Sunday delivered late equalisers, title-defining goals and contrasting emotions across the table, as Manchester United were held at Leeds, Arsenal tightened their grip at the summit, Newcastle extended their winning run and Brentford enjoyed a statement away victory. Cunha saves point Matheus Cunha once again proved []

London, Jan 4: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim struck a measured yet revealing tone after his side battled to a 1-1 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road, praising his players resilience while making pointed remarks about his position and responsibilities at the club. Short of several key players due to injuries and AFCON commitments, []

LA LIGA Barcelona, Jan 4: Goalkeeper Joan Garca shrugged off the jeers and vitriol in his return to Espanyol and Barcelona teammate Fermn Lpez set up two late goals for a 2-0 victory in a heated Catalan derby. Fermn assisted fellow substitutes Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski in the 86th and 90th minutes to tilt []

Ligue 1 Paris, Jan 4: Midfielder Pavel Sulc kept his scoring run going with two goals as fifth-placed Lyon won at struggling Monaco 3-1 in Ligue 1. Sulc is one of the best signings this season in French soccer and took his tally to 11 goals in 23 games since joining from unheralded Czech club []

Serie A Milan, Jan 4: Gian Piero Gasperinis return to Bergamo ended in defeat as his Roma lost at Atalanta 1-0 in Serie A. Giorgio Scalvini claimed the only goal in the 12th minute and Atalanta rose to eighth place. Roma could have moved level with second-placed Inter Milan with a win but instead was []

The Ranveer Singh starrer spy-action thriller Dhurandhar has scripted history by becoming the first Hindi film to cross the Rs 800 crore mark in India in terms of net collections. The film reached this milestone within a month of its release, a feat that, just a month ago, seemed almost unreal for a Hindi film. []

Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio says he is unsure if the audience still has the same appetite for cinema halls amid the surge of streamers and wonders if theatres will become as rare as jazz bars and other cultural rarities. DiCaprio said there is a huge transition. Its changing at a lightning speed. Were looking at []

Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani spotted at a studio, in Mumbai, on Sunday. (PTI)

Ever since the makers of Border 2 released the Ghar Kab Aaoge track from the film, it has been receiving a lot of love from music lovers. Not just the common man, it seems like our Indian soldiers are also in awe of the patriotic number. Recently, the leads of the forthcoming war drama, Varun []

A casual outing in the evening turned into a chaotic situation for Telugu star Allu Arjun and his wife, Sneha Reddy, after the couple was mobbed in Hyderabad. In visuals going viral on social media, Allu Arjun and Sneha could be seen stepping out of a venue, surrounded by a packed crowd of fans. Visibly []

Washington, Jan 4: US President Donald Trump said the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro should serve as a warning to adversaries, declaring that the United States would not tolerate threats to its security or sovereignty. This extremely successful operation should serve as a warning to anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American []

New York, Jan 4: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has condemned the US action on Venezuela, stating that the attack on any sovereign nation is considered an act of war as it was a violation of international law. This came after US President Donald Trump announced that American forces carried out a large-scale attack []

Washington, Jan 4: Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has strongly criticised President Donald Trumps actions in Venezuela, calling them unlawful, dangerous and driven by political ambition rather than national interest. In a sharply worded post on X, Harris warned that the move risks destabilising the region while putting American lives and resources at stake. []

Dhaka, Jan 4: The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has imposed a ban on all types of public gatherings in key areas in Bangladeshs capital, including near the Secretariat and Jamuna, the official residence of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, local media reported on Sunday. According to the notice issued by DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali, []

Dhaka, Jan 4: Three persons were arrested on Sunday in the case of hacking and burning to death a Hindu businessman in Shariatpur district of Bangladesh, local media reports said. Khokon Chandra Das, 50, was assaulted near Keurbhanga Bazar in Damudya in Shariatpur district, about 100 kilometres south of Dhaka, on Wednesday night. He died []

Kathmandu, Jan 4: Nepals ousted prime minister KP Sharma Oli on Sunday sent a formal reply to a letter from a probe commission seeking clarification over the excessive use of force during the Gen Z movement, an official said. The commission had sought a reply from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) chair in []

Kathmandu, Jan 4: Protests over a video with alleged religious content on social media turned violent as tension flared across two places in southern Nepal, near the Indian border, on Sunday. Police lobbed tear gas shells to contain the situation in Birgunj town of Parsa district, bordering Raxaul in India, where demonstrations were held to []

What makes mountain birds sing at dawn and why are they sometimes quiet? Ecologists explain three species of the melodic African warbler bird refuse to get up early and sing their customary daybreak songs when the weather is cold. This new discovery was made recently by a team of soundscape ecologists in South Africas []

Regular eating of fast foods, ranging from deep-fried snacks served as street food to quick-service restaurant chains, can cause serious damage to health, which can, in the long run, lead to several diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular conditions, contributing to death, said experts here on Saturday. The doctors said this as social media was recently []

Mumbai, Jan 4: The Indian stock market is expected to stay active in the coming sessions as investors assess a combination of domestic economic signals and global developments. With the Q3 earnings season approaching, market sentiment will be guided by key data releases, geopolitical developments and trends in commodities and currencies. Commenting on Nifty technical []

Editor, Meghalaya, known for its pristine beauty and distinct tribal culture is also a state grappling with deep-seated anxieties over its demographic future and the economic well being of its indigenous communities. A persistent and growing demand across civil society and political spectrum is for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) . []

An aggressor tag is not new to the United States of America. That the US acts, de facto, as the global police, targeting those that are on its wrong side, has been well-documented. Adding to this, President Donald Trump got away with the worst provocation in geopolitical engagements on Saturday. The elected head of Venezuela, []

By Prof Mahmood Alam Spearheaded by leaders such as Pradyot Debbarma, Conrad Sangma, Daniel Langthasa, and Mmhonimo Kikon, the recent political and civil mobilization around the idea of unity and fraternity amongst the indigenous and tribal populace marks a significant moment in the history of a region India in the northeast. Articulated through a []

By R C Sharma Bangladesh is on edge, gripped by state and fundamentalist sponsored unrest since the dethroning of Sheikh Hasina and installation of the interim administration of Muhammad Yunus. The current unrest in Bangladesh is laced with a heavy cocktail of anti-Indianism. This situation was avoidable, had India been correct in its foreign policy []

Dhaka, Jan 4: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Mens T20 World Cup, to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, with Litton Das set to lead the side. Litton continues as captain, while Mohammad Saif Hassan has been named []