The Shillong Times

Conrad meets Himanta in Guwahati, discusses Lapangap border tension SHILLONG, GUWAHATI, May 29: While farmers in West Jaintia Hills remain barred from their fields by Assam Police outposts, full-scale border resolution talks have been deferred until the new Assam Cabinet is sworn in, while only short-term measures have been offered to defuse the simmering tension []

SHILLONG, May 29: While the border dispute between Meghalaya and Assam remains unresolved, the State Election Department admitted on Friday it has no official record of dual voters in contested areas, even as it prepares to launch a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls based on 20-year-old data. Speaking to reporters, Chief Electoral Officer []

SHILLONG, May 29: UDP president and Cabinet Minister Metbah Lyngdoh on Friday admitted that Meghalayas education system is crippled by decades of fragmented policy and deep-rooted structural failures, even as he shielded the current MDA government by claiming recent reforms need more time to rescue the state from its bottom-tier national ranking. Speaking to reporters, []

Mlaya fully prepared for June 18 polls: CEO SHILLONG, May 29: As Meghalaya counts down to the June 18 Rajya Sabha polls, the conspicuous absence of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Voice of the People Party (VPP) from a crucial briefing on Friday signals a brewing political storm over who will occupy the []

SHILLONG, May 29: The unity of the Regional Democratic Alliance (RDA) is under threat as the HSPDP on Friday pointedly withheld its endorsement of the UDPs Lok Sabha candidate, Vivan GK Kynta, just 24 hours after his formal unveiling. While the UDP and HSPDP have traditionally backed a common nominee to consolidate the Khasi-Jaintia vote, []

SHILLONG, May 29: A search is under way to identify the parents of a newborn male infant abandoned on the premises of Ganesh Das Hospital on May 25. The discovery at the states premier maternal health centre has raised urgent questions regarding the social pressures and lapses in support systems that lead to such tragedies []

SHILLONG, May 29: Residents across Meghalaya must brace for a season of persistent darkness as Power Minister Metbah Lyngdoh on Friday admitted that frequent power shutdowns are unavoidable while the state struggles to overhaul its aging electricity grid. Acknowledging growing public frustration over erratic supply, Lyngdoh stated that the interruptions are directly linked to large-scale []

From CK Nayak NEW DELHI, May 29: The historically clean Northeastern region, including Meghalaya, has transformed into a pollution hotspot due to overall particulate matter (PM) pollution over the last few years, a recent study said. Between 2000 and 2024, PM pollution across Northeast India shifted drastically, transforming the region from a historically clean area []

SHILLONG, May 29: JCI Shillong Pinecity organised an awareness programme on menstrual hygiene and HPV vaccination to educate the youths on womens health and preventive care. According to a statement here, the session featured Dr. Alok Deb, a gynecologist and laparoscopic surgeon, who discussed the importance of breaking social stigmas and fostering open conversations about []

SHILLONG, May 29: Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday said Indias youth must be guided with clarity of purpose and collective direction to realise the vision of a developed India by 2047, asserting that officers working at the grassroots level have a crucial responsibility in shaping future leadership and instilling []

By Our Reporter Shillong, May 29: Nongkseh SSCC took one giant step towards the 5th Meghalaya State League title by defeating a spirited Rymbai Shkenshynriah SC 3-0 in the first semifinal at the SSA Stadium here on Friday. The thrilling match was played out in front of another packed stadium as football fans, including plenty []

By Our Reporter Shillong, May 29: The District Sports Officer (DSO), East Khasi Hills, has announced that the District Level Inter-School Subroto Cup Football Tournament 2026 will tentatively begin from June 15. The tournament will be conducted for schools across East Khasi Hills district in three categories Under-15 boys, Under-17 boys and Under-17 girls.According []

By Our Reporter Shillong, May 29: A 16-member contingent of the Meghalaya State Kickboxing Association (MSKA), comprising 14 boys and two girls, left for Odisha on Friday to participate in the Junior Boys and Girls National Kickboxing Championship, scheduled to be held in Khurda from May 30 to June 3. The Meghalaya team will be []

By Our Reporter Shillong, May 29: The Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA) on Friday extended a warm welcome to Indian Olympic Association President P. T. Usha on her maiden visit to Shillong. Dr Usha arrived in the city at around 2 pm and was received by MSOA officials at the Shillong Marriott Hotel. During the []

WASHINGTON, May 29: Donald Trump said Friday that he was holding a high-level Situation Room meeting at the White House with senior advisers to make a final determination on whether to proceed with a tentative agreement aimed at extending the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran. The proposed arrangement, negotiated over recent days, []

Singapore, May 29: A report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies says Chinas key maritime vulnerability begins at the Strait of Hormuz rather than the Strait of Malacca, creating a new zone of strategic competition in the Indian Ocean involving China, India, France and the United States. Released ahead of the Shangri-La Dialogue summit []

Filmmaker Karan Johar sparked widespread speculation after netizens noticed major changes to his Instagram following list, with the director unfollowing several Bollywood celebrities, close friends and collaborators. Among those reportedly removed from his following list were Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Malaika Arora, designer Manish Malhotra, and his Student Of The Year protgs Varun []

Bollywood stars are preparing to celebrate Hema Malinis 60-year journey in Indian cinema through a special Hema Malini Live-in Concert scheduled for July 10. Celebrities including Anu Malik, Padmini Kolhapure, Poonam Dhillon and actress Upasana shared heartfelt tributes to the veteran actor-politician. Padmini Kolhapure recalled her long-standing bond with Hema Malini and praised her humility []

Asian shares decline Bangkok, May 28: World shares declined Thursday following more of what the US military said were defensive strikes against Iran. Oil prices gained more than USD 2 a barrel after having dropped sharply a day before. In early European trading, Germanys DAX was nearly unchanged at 25,175.63 and the CAC 40 in []

New Delhi, May 28: Gold and silver traded lower in international markets on Thursday as a stronger US dollar and renewed geopolitical tensions following fresh US military action against Iran weighed on sentiment and heightened concerns that inflation could remain elevated for longer. Spot gold slipped nearly 2 per cent to $4,368.99 per ounce, while []

New Delhi, May 28: China has stepped up enforcement against unauthorised overseas stock trading channels as regulators move to tighten oversight of capital outflows amid rising demand from mainland investors for access to global equities, according to multiple reports. The clampdown comes as financial regulators intensify action against platforms facilitating offshore trading outside approved investment []

Piyush Goyal concludes landmark visit Toronto/New Delhi, May 28: With India-Canada bilateral trade currently standing at approximately $8.5 billion, both governments remain committed to their shared and ambitious target of expanding it to $50 billion by 2030, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said as he concluded a highly-productive and landmark three-day visit to Canada, []

New Delhi, May 28 :Indias corporate bond market has grown steadily but still offers significant room to expand, which will be crucial to adequately finance the countrys long-term growth ambitions, a report said on Thursday. The report from CareEdge Rating said Indias corporate bond market has grown from $360 billion in 2016 to $645 billion []

New Delhi, May 28: Asias second richest man Mukesh Ambani drew nil salary from his oil-to-telecom-and-retail conglomerate Reliance Industries for the sixth year in a row and dividends remain his main source of earnings. Ambani, 69, had capped his annual remuneration at Rs 15 crore from financial year 2008-09 (April 2008 to March 2009) to []

Whether youre commuting to work or roadtripping up the coast, driving can be tiring. Thats because driving is a complex task that requires multiple parts of your brain including those that help you plan, stay alert, and perceive the world- to work together. But when youre tired, these parts of your brain may not []

Editor, The recent editorial (26/05/2026), along with the thoughtful observations made by Dr Andy T G Lyngdoh and Dr Veronica Pala in their Letters to the Editor, and the Special Article by Forwardman Nongrem (27/05/2026), deserve sincere appreciation for drawing public attention towards the educational challenges confronting Meghalaya today. What makes these writings important is []

THE Congress party is effecting a smooth leadership transition in Karnataka, where a power-shift in its favour in 2023 provided the party the moral courage to reassert its relevance in national politics. Now, veteran Siddaramaiah moves aside and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, is tipped to take charge as the chief minister as per a decision []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 28: The Meghalaya Alliance of Contractors and Suppliers Welfare Association on Thursday called on the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) to demand a more stringent policy on issuing trading licenses to outside firms and individuals. During the meeting, the association urged the KHADC []

By Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh This write up is a response to the news item which appeared in your esteemed daily under the caption, Church Hits out at Synod- Ousted Pastor. The news item is based on information shared by a few members of the rival minority faction, with a vested interest. Let me state that I []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 28: Supercare Hospital has achieved a significant medical breakthrough by successfully performing the Meghalayas first Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) on a 74-year-old woman from Sohra. The patient was diagnosed with severe aortic valve stenosisa life-threatening condition where the hearts aortic valve narrows and fails to function properly due to []

By Eldora Lyngdoh The Church once warned us that Satan would enter through temptation. We imagined he would arrive through violence, atheism or persecution. We pictured him as an external enemy, loud and visible, confronting faith from outside its walls. We were taught to guard against the world beyond the sanctuary, to be vigilant against []

From Our Correspondent TURA, May 28: A resident of West Garo Hills has filed a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner alleging large-scale irregularities in the issuance of MGNREGA job cards under the Patharkata Village Employment Council (VEC) in Demdema Block. In his complaint, Shahidur Islam revealed that while East Patharkata VEC has only 600 registered []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 28: An initiative in Meghalaya is working to reform menstrual hygiene by combining health, environmental sustainability, and rural self-reliance. Launched by the Shubham Charitable and Welfare Association, the SHE RISE Zero Waste Period Mission aims to reach one million women and make Meghalaya Indias first zero-waste period state by []

From Our Correspondent RESUBELPARA, May 28: Leader of Opposition Mukul M. Sangma has rubbished recent claims in various media outlets of shifting his political allegiance to the National Peoples Party (NPP) claiming the same was only like it sounded speculation. Speaking to The Shillong Times on Thursday near Resubelpara in North Garo Hills (NGH), []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | SOORYAVANSHI BREAKS GAYLES ALL-TIME SIXES RECORD; HITS 65 SIXES IN A SINGLE EVENT Mullanpur, May 27: The cricketing world once again bowed down to the generational talent of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi following his six-laden 97 off 29 balls before Jofra Archer broke the backbone of Sunrisers Hyderabads muscular batting to set up []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | SOORYAVANSHI BREAKS GAYLES ALL-TIME SIXES RECORD; HITS 65 SIXES IN A SINGLE EVENT CHENNAI, May 27: The MS Dhoni frenzy had reached fever pitch on Wallajah Road in Chennai, with growing anticipation that the legendary player would finally take the field on May 18 in what was Chennai Super Kings penultimate []

Chelmsford (UK), May 27: India will look to regain consistency and finalise their combination in the final dress rehearsal for next months womens T20 World Cup when they take on hosts England in a three-match series starting here on Thursday. With the global event set to begin on June 12, the tour assumes added significance []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | SOORYAVANSHI BREAKS GAYLES ALL-TIME SIXES RECORD; HITS 65 SIXES IN A SINGLE EVENT Mullanpur, May 27: It was in Dharamsala couple of years ago that injury and poor form forced Rajat Patidar out of the India setup for the foreseeable future. His horror run, including six dismissal in three games to []

Manchester, May 27: Two of footballs all-time greats will likely make their final bows on the sports biggest stage at the 2026 World Cup. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can finally pass the baton on to a new generation including Spains Lamine Yamal. Kylian Mbapp who was only 19 when he won the World []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 27: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has strongly defended the ongoing foreign trips undertaken by several Meghalaya politicians and senior IAS officers, even as the Centre has urged all states to adopt austerity measures in response to the challenging global economic situation. Sangma clarified that the foreign visits in question []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 27: The state government on Wednesday attributed Meghalayas poor performance in the national Performance Grading Index (PGI) to long-standing structural and administrative challenges in the education sector. The government is hopeful that reforms initiated over the past few years would gradually improve the states rankings. Briefing reporters, Chief Minister Conrad []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 27: The NPP on Wednesday said decisions relating to the June 18 Rajya Sabha election would be taken collectively through internal discussions among party legislators, amid opposition claims of growing divisions within the ruling party. NPP national president and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the party did not function []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 27: Tension at Lapangap continues to simmer despite ongoing talks between Meghalaya and Assam over the disputed area, with indications that the understanding at the Chief Ministers level has yet to reflect on the ground amid concerns over the role of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council in the stand-off. Briefing []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 27: Amid growing criticism and allegations of favouritism, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday strongly defended the state governments decision to award massive infrastructure projects worth over Rs 1,900 crore to Hyderabad-based BAC Infratech Pvt. Ltd. Sangma stated that the government is bound to follow all established procedures, rules, []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 27: Shifting from his earlier opposition, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday indicated a more flexible and relaxed position on the proposed Uniform Civil Code, citing comfort with recent laws enacted in Assam and Uttarakhand that exempted tribal customary laws. Sangma, however, maintained that the Meghalaya government would reserve []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 27: A small but remarkable discovery has emerged from the leaf litter at the sacred groves at Mawphlang in East Khasi Hills. Scientists have identified a new species of toad now named Duttaphrynus dhara in honour of the traditional Khasi female attire Dhara. The name is a beautiful []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 27: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday said that local-level concerns and alignment disputes are delaying the completion of the Indo-Bangladesh border fencing in Meghalaya, though over 90% of the work is already finished. Responding to queries on border security, Sangma noted that Meghalaya has progressed faster than several []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 27: Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, Prem Kumar, is currently in Meghalaya on an official study tour aimed at examining legislative functioning and parliamentary activities in the state. Kumar arrived in Shillong on Tuesday and will remain in Meghalaya until May 29. The visit forms part of a parliamentary []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 27: Ferrando Secondary School secured both the first and third prizes at an inter-school quiz competition organised by the Rotary Club of Shillong for the Umroi-Bhoirymbong area on Wednesday. Held at the Umroi Presbyterian HS School hall, the event featured 16 teams from eight local schools. While Ferrando Secondary School []

From Our Correspondent TURA, May 27: The West Garo Hills Police has issued a clarification regarding the registration of cases linked to the vandalism at Chibinang on March 9. According to Superintendent of Police Abraham T Sangma, a joint FIR was lodged on March 18 by the GSU Chibinang and Phulbari regional units against former []