KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday expressed shock over the death of a Booth Level Officer (BLO) in Jalpaiguri's Mal block, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has imposed inhuman pressure on field workers and led to 28 deaths so far. The chief minister claimed the deceased, an anganwadi worker engaged as a BLO, died by suicide due to the unbearable pressure of the revision exercise being undertaken by the Election Commissio

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Amit Katyal, a real estate businessman considered close to RJD chief Lalu Prasad's family, in a money laundering case linked to alleged cheating of homebuyers in Gurugram, official sources said. Katyal was taken into custody by the Gurugram zonal office of the agency on Monday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. A special court in Gurugram sent him to six-day ED custody. The investigation pertains to the allegations

BHOPAL: Inspector Ashish Sharma of the Madhya Pradesh Polices elite anti-Naxal unit, the Hawk Force, was killed in action during an early-morning encounter with armed Naxal cadres in the dense forests near the MPChhattisgarhMaharashtra tri-junction on Wednesday. Sharma, around 40 and a decorated officer with two gallantry medals, sustained fatal bullet injuries in the thigh and abdomen while leading the Hawk Force team in a coordinated operation with Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra police. The gunf

CHANDIGARH: Tibetan spiritual leader and Nobel laureate the 14th Dalai Lama has received his first-ever Grammy nomination for his spoken-word album Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The work has been shortlisted in the Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording category for the 68th Grammy Awards, to be held on February 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. The album features the 90-year-old Dalai Lamas reflections on compassion, peace and inner well-being, interwoven wi

With the new Bihar government set to be formed on Thursday, the JD(U) and BJP held their legislature party meetings on Wednesday, retaining the status quo among their top leaders. JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar has been chosen as the leader of the partys legislature wing during a meeting of newly elected MLAs in Patna, while the BJP elected Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha as leaders of its legislature party. JD(U) minister Shrawon Kumar said that the decision was taken ahead of a meeting of N

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it cannot pass lanket orders protecting doctors involved in protests in the aftermath of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma said any order passed would amount to interference with the authority of the police. Observing that the matter cannot be heard piecemeal, the apex court said it was inclined to transfer the matter to the Calcut

MUMBAI: NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto on Wednesday said the reported friction between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena ministers indicates that the BJP no longer needs Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Referring to reports that Shinde attended a cabinet meeting alone after his ministers allegedly stayed away, Crasto said the developments show Fadnavis has no respect for Shinde and that the ministers themselves have scant respect for the deputy CM. If Eknath Shinde has any s

RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has apprehended two juveniles in Raipur for allegedly being in contact with Pakistan-based handlers linked to an ISIS module and attempting to influence others through social media. According to officials, both minors were influenced by the handlers and operated fake social media accounts to disseminate ISIS ideology and circulate violent, provocative content aimed at drawing more youths into the network. State Home Minister Vijay Sharma said t

A new United Nations assessment on global methane emissions has warned that India, already the worlds third-largest methane emitter, does not have a dedicated policy framework to reduce emissions from its biggest source: agriculture and livestock. The Global Methane Status Report highlights that Indias agricultural activities alone contribute 12% of global agricultural methane emissions, among the highest shares worldwide, largely driven by its vast livestock population and extensive rice cultiv

GUWAHATI: The Centres continued delay in implementing the Constitution (125th Amendment) Bill, 2019 has caused resentment among Bodo stakeholders, including All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), a signatory of the historic Bodo Territorial Region (BTR) Accord of 2020 that ensured the return of peace in insurgency-ravaged Bodoland. The ABSU and other signatories of the peace accord will stage a protest in New Delhi on November 20 and 21 to press the Centre to implement the pacts clauses and fast-track

KONDAGAON: Five people were killed and seven others injured after the sports utility vehicle (SUV) they were travelling in rammed into a stationary truck on National Highway-30 in Chhattisgarh's Kondagaon district, police said on Wednesday. The accident occurred on Tuesday night near the Masora Toll Plaza, when the victims were returning to Bade Dongar-Bhainsabeda after watching a movie in Kondagaon, a police official said. As many as 12 persons were on board the SUV, a Scorpio, when it crashed

SRINAGAR: Security experts and political leaders have raised serious questions over the handling and storage of nearly 3,000 kilograms of explosives at Nowgam Police Station in a densely populated area, following a devastating blast during sampling that killed nine people and injured 32 others. Former J&K police chief S P Vaid said explosives should never be stored in residential areas. Established guidelines require explosive materials to be kept in isolated and safe locations. I dont know whet

IMPHAL: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to arrive in Manipur on November 20 for the first time since ethnic violence broke out two years ago, a functionary of the organisation said on Wednesday. During his three-day stay, Bhagwat will interact with citizens, entrepreneurs, and representatives of the tribal community, RSS state general secretary Tarunkumar Sharma told PTI . Our Sarsanghchalak's visit to the state is in connection with the centenary celebrations of the RSS. He is arriving fro

JAMMU: The Counter Intelligence Unit of Jammu and Kashmir police on Wednesday conducted a raid on the high-security Kot Bhalwal jail here, officials said. The raids are underway at the central jail, which houses hardcore Pakistani and local terrorists besides notorious criminals, the officials said. They said the raids are part of an operation to expose terror networks reportedly run from inside the prison. The raids on the Kot Bhalwal jail comes in the backdrop of a major crackdown following re

SRINAGAR: In a 29-page draft submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have demanded 6th Schedule status for Ladakh, the creation of a 30-member Legislative Assembly under a proposed Article 371-K, and a general amnesty for those arrested in connection with the September 14 violence in Leh. The document, titled Sixth Schedule Provisions and a case for Statehood: Draft Framework for Ladakh, was submitted to the MHA on November 14

RAIPUR: Seven Maoists were killed on Wednesday in an exchange of fire with security forces in the Maredumilli area of Andhra Pradesh, police said, marking the second major blow to Maoist ranks within 24 hours. The development comes a day after six Maoists, including Madvi Hidma, who heads the Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion 1, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitaramaraju district. Addressing a press conference, AP Intelligence ADG

CHENNAI: Amidst diplomatic strain between the two countries, the womens cricket series between India and Bangladesh slated for December has been postponed. Interestingly, this comes a day after former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was handed a death sentence by a tribunal court in the country for alleged crimes against humanity. Earlier in August 2025, India had also postponed mens bilateral series to September 2026. The womens series would have been the first assignment after winning

NEW DELHI/PATNA : Amid hard bargaining among NDA allies over plum portfolios in the new Bihar ministry on Tuesday, the Speakers post is expected to stay with the BJP, while Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may retain Home despite the BJP pressing him to part with it. Sources said on the names of two prominent BJP leaders for the position of Speaker have already been considered, one of whom will be finalised at Wednesdays BJP legislature party meeting in Patna. While earlier it was speculated that Chi

NEW DELHI: India is set to witness the inaugural run of its first bullet train in August 2027, operating between Surat and Vapi in Gujarat. The initial stretch will cover 100 km and will gradually be expanded to the full 508 km route once the high-speed rail corridor between Sabarmati (Ahmedabad) and Mumbai is completed by 2029, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday. Speaking to the media after launching the rationalisation of bulk cement rates and the policy for bulk cement terminal

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain an appeal of the CBI seeking direction to initiate a preliminary inquiry into allegations of irregularities in appointments and promotions in Jharkhand Assembly Secretariat. Sorry, we are not inclined at this stage, said a two-judge bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran. Why do you (CBI) use the machinery for your political battles? ... We have told you so many times, observed the CJI and rejected its appeal. La

NEW DELHI: Stepping up his attack on Election Commission of India (ECI) and vote theft allegations, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday cast doubts over the SIR process at a meeting with key AICC office-bearers of 12 states and Union Territories where the revision of electoral rolls is underway, and said the party must challenge the exercise politically, organisationally and legally, according to sources. During the meeting, Gandhi also said it is the Election Commissions duty to provide cle

BELEM(BRAZIL): The UN climate summit in Brazil is in its second and final week. Negotiators have till November 21 to untangle the knots they have not been able to resolve in the 29 meetings since Berlin 1995. Delegates must navigate four major sticking points climate finance, weak national climate plans, trade, and transparency. Officials have moved these issues into separate closed-door consultations. That alone signals how hard it is to find consensus. The world is warming faster than expecte

SRINAGAR: As the investigation into the white-collar inter-state terror module involving medical professionals continues, locker checks were carried out in hospitals in Jammu on Tuesday. Authorities conducted thorough checking and screening of lockers belonging to doctors and staff at Government Medical College (GMC) and Sri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) hospitals in Jammu. Officials opened each locker in both hospitals and searched them thoroughly. The hospitals have also introduced numerical cod

Haryana DGP OP Singh sparked a controversy by stereotyping Thar owners as prone to a type of road behaviour. He stated, The choice of vehicle reflects your mindset, and cited an incident where an ACPs son, driving a Thar registered in the fathers name, ran over someone. He wanted his son freed, and we asked him whose name the car is registered in. Its in his name, Singh added. Singh later clarified on X, saying his remarks were made during a discussion on traffic management. His point was that p

GUWAHATI: On the 53rd birth anniversary of music icon Zubeen Garg on Tuesday, the Centre granted the mandatory sanction to the Assam Police to proceed against the accused linked to his death in Singapore on September 19. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Home Minister Amit Shah granted the sanction under Section 208 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Section 208 of BNSS says: if a crime is committed outside India, the case can be taken up by the court only after the Central

PATNA: Bihar Congress on Tuesday initiated disciplinary action against 43 leaders, including former ministers and MLAs, for their alleged involvement in anti-party activities during the assembly elections. The party suffered a severe drubbing with only six seats in its kitty. The partys disciplinary committee issued show-cause notices to 43 party leaders for deviating from party lines and making anti-party statements. The committee has asked the leaders to reply in three days, failing which stri

MUMBAI: Ministers from Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Tuesday boycotted the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in protest against induction of a Sena leader from Dombivali into the BJP, a development that shows cracks in the MahaYuti alliance ahead of the Maharashtra civic elections. BJP state president Ravindra Chavan inducted the Sena leader from Dombivali after a string of such moves by the BJP in Palghar, Thane and other districts, which the Shinde party calle

MUMBAI: After the majordebacle in Bihar, the Congress party has decidedto junk the traditional allies and contest the local body and Asias richest civic body separately in Maharashtra and planned to ally with smaller parties in view of strengtheningits cadre and inculcating new local leadership. Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkap said that they have decided torespect the sentiments of party workers who want to contest the local body elections separately and party strength. He sai

BHOPAL: High drama unfolded on board a private bus in Madhya Pradeshs commercial capital Indore on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, after a national-level woman shooter accused the conductor of touching her inappropriately. According to Indore police sources, the shooter, who hails from Pune, was in Bhopal recently for a national level shooting competition. She boarded the private bus from the MP capital on Monday to return to Pune via Indore. The shooter, aged around 30 years, alleg

Bhopal: As many as nine luxurious foreign immovable properties in Dubai have been attached provisionally by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a Rs 1266.63 crore fraud case committed by Madhya Pradesh branch of the State Bank of India (SBI). The attached properties are in the form of apartment and commercial spaces, having a worth of Rs 51.70 crore. The concerned luxurious foreign assets are located in Centurion Residence Dubai Investment Park Second, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Liwa

NEW DELHI: Calling for the world to show zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, India on Tuesday said that there can be no justification or whitewashing of terror at the SCO Heads of Government meeting. It is imperative that the world display zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. There can be no justification, no looking away, and no whitewashing. As India has demonstrated, we have the right to defend our people against terrorism and

KOLKATA: Raj Bhavan on Tuesday filed a defamation case with the Calcutta High Court against the veteran Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee for making invective remarks against West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose aggravating the spat between the two for the past couple of days. It has not yet been confirmed whether the complaints have been treated as an FIR so far till tonight. The charges are so serious that it may sentence an accused to jail for maximum seven years. While reacting to Raj Bh

BHOPAL: Two Ujjain Simhastha-2028 (Kumbh Mela) related projects have been scrapped due to massive protests by farmers and local residents in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain and Omkareshwar. Buckling under sustained pressure by farmers led by RSS-affiliated outfit Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), the government decided on Monday evening to repeal the land pooling scheme for building a permanent spiritual city in Ujjain. The project required permanent acquisition of 2,378 hectares of farmers' land falling in t

RANCHI: Jharkhand is all set to introduce an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Elephant Alert System in regions bordering Chhattisgarh. According to officials, states first AI-based camera hooter system will be installed near Rajabasa village under the Chakulia Range of Jamshedpur Forest Division as a pilot project. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Saba Alam Ansari informed that it will be Jharkhands first such AI-powered hooter system designed to detect elephants entering a particular area auto

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, Chairman of the Al Falah Group, after a day-long raid at the premises of the trust. The Al-Falah University based in Haryana has come under the scanner after three doctors working there were accused in the Red Fort blast , that killed 12 people. They were allegedly part of what the investigative agencies have described as the white-collar terror module. According to ED, Jawad Ahmed has been arrested in a differ

NEW DELHI: With the nationwide rollout of e-passports, a major technological upgrade designed to enhance security and streamline global mobility is on the cards for Indian passport holders. Introduced under the Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Version 2.0), the initiative represents one of the most ambitious e-governance projects undertaken in the country, which integrates cutting-edge digital tools into the travel documentation system. What makes the E-Passport different? At the core of the e-pass

NEW DELHI: Signalling the intent to advance their strategic partnership, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Tuesday co-chaired the India-Germany High Defence Committee meeting with the State Secretary, German Ministry of Defence, Jens Plotner. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, The co-chairs reaffirmed commitment to enhance military-to-military cooperation with a focus on developing defence ties as a key pillar of the Strategic Partnership between India and Germany. They discussed a range

BHOPAL: Four including a deputy police superintendent and a constable have been arrested in connection with the infamous Rs 2.96 crore alleged hawala money loot case by cops in Seoni district. With this, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to 15, including 13 Madhya Pradesh police personnel. Taking the ongoing probe into the high-profile case ahead, the special investigation team (SIT) made four arrests on Tuesday, including Pankaj Mishra who is a deputy SP posted in Hawk Force-Bal

After some private TV channels carried reports on how to make explosives, in the aftermath of the deadly Red Fort blast , the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday issued an advisory against telecasting visuals that could aid, abet or promote unlawful activities. It has come to the notice of this ministry that some news channels have been broadcasting content related to alleged persons involved in Red Fort blasts, justifying their acts of violence, as well as information videos of

AHMEDABAD: Dr Ahmed Mohyuddin Syed, accused in a terror case, was brutally assaulted inside Sabarmati Central Jail after an early-morning confrontation with three undertrial inmates. The clash left him with severe eye and facial injuries, triggering a formal FIR and a high-level internal probe. The incident has brought the jail under fresh scrutiny over the security of high-risk prisoners. The incident unfolded around 7 am, when a confrontation between Dr Ahmed Mohyuddin Syed and three inmates s

JAIPUR: In a significant move, the Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Rajasthan government on the controversial Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the order after hearing the petition filed by the Jaipur Catholic Welfare Society and sought a response from the Rajasthan government within four weeks. The law, which, according to the government, is intended to curb alleged illegal religious conversions i

NEW DELHI: General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), arrived in Sikkim on Tuesday on a two-day official visit. This follows his comment on Monday that relations between India and China have improved a lot over the last year . He attributed this change to a rise in communication at various levels between the two countries. General Dwivedi will be meeting the commanders posted there and review the operational preparedness of the force. The Trishakti Corps based in Sukna, West Bengal, is

RAIPUR: Maoist commander and Central Committee Member Madvi Hidma, his wife Madkam Raje (DKSZC Member), and four others were killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Tuesday. The four others who were killed in the gun battle have been identified as Lakmal (DCM) Kamlu (PPCM), Malla (PPCM) and Deve (personal guard of Hidma). A native of Purvati village under Jagargunda police station in Sukma district, Hidma also known by aliases Hidmanna, Hidmalu, and Deva, join

RANCHI: Senior High Court Advocate Rajiv Kumar has registered a complaint former DGP Anurag Gupta alleging him of conniving with criminals to extort money from businessmen and contractors. Kumar in his complaint alleged that Anurag Gupta, in connivance with notorious Jharkhand criminal Sujit Sinha and other criminals, formed an organisation called Koylaanchal Shanti Samiti (KSS) and collected crores of rupees from coal traders, contractors, transporters, doctors, businessmen across the state. I

NEW DELHI: Voicing serious concern over a news report that claimed that in every eight minutes, a child goes missing in the country, the Supreme Court -- while hearing a petition filed by an NGO -- on Tuesday termed it as serious issue. I have read in a newspaper that every eight minutes, a child goes missing in the country. I don't know if this is true or not. But this is a serious issue, Justice B V Nagarathna, who was heading the two-judge bench, observed orally on Tuesday. The apex court com

NEW DELHI: Latest intelligence inputs have suggested that Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is planning a recent Delhi and 2019-Pulwama-like high-intensity Vehicle-Bound IED (VB-IED) blast in Kashmir Valley, sources said on Tuesday. In the view of the alert, an advisory has been sent to the J&K police and the civil administration to keep high vigil across the Union Territory, as JeM operatives, who have acquired the skill of exploding bombs in a moving car, which they used in the recent Delhis Red Fort bla

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said the BJP-led Centre had agreed to defer as many as 11 agenda items related to the state, which were part of the deliberations during the meeting of the North Zonal Council (NZC) in Faridabad on Monday. Speaking to reporters, CM Mann said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had ordered a status quo on most of the issues related to Punjab. The issue about staff appointment in the administration and institutions of Chandigarh has been referre

NEW DELHI: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships on Tuesday apprehended three Bangladeshi fishing boats (BFBs), along with 79 crew members, for engaging in illegal fishing inside Indias Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on 15 and 16 November 2025. The Bangladeshi fishing boats were detected operating well within Indian waters while an ICG ship was undertaking IMBL surveillance in the northern Bay of Bengal. The ICG statement said, The fishing boats were operating in violation of the Maritime Zones of I

NEW DELHI: More than one in every three new TB cases worldwide is reported in the South-East Asia region, home to less than a quarter of the global population, said WHO on Tuesday. Urging countries to intensify action to end tuberculosis (TB), the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that despite the progress, the South-East Asia Region, including India, remains off track to meet the 2025 End TB milestones. According to the latest WHOs Global Tuberculosis Report 2025, 10.7 million people develop

Anmol Bishnoi, wanted for the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, is set to be brought to India from the United States. Reports said that Anmol's deportation process has been completed, and he has been removed from the US by the federal government. He is expected to arrive in India on November 19. The Department of Homeland Security informed Zeeshan Siddique, Baba's son, about Anmol's removal via email. The email read, This email is to inform you ANMOL BISHNOI has been removed from the United St