The Shillong Times

Canberra, Nov 7: The growing strategic alignment between India and Australia in the security and defence sector marks a significant development, shaped by shared concerns over Chinas assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific and the possibility of a more unpredictable US policy towards the region, a report has stated. During his July 2026 visit to Australia, his []

Ottawa, Nov 7: The so-called Khalistan referendums in Canada by the terror outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) are merely political theatrics with no legal standing in India and no bearing on the territorial integrity of the country. Despite their lack of legal consequence, they have triggered rallies, provocative displays and recurring confrontations on Canadian streets, []

Committee demands scrapping or relocation of project, alleges threat to Shillongs water security By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 6: The controversy over the proposed Shillong Peak ropeway project has intensified, with the Joint Action Committee (JAC) Against the Shillong Ropeway Project and for the Protection of the Lum Shyllong Catchment vowing to continue its agitation []

Dust from ongoing construction work at the erstwhile PWD Office premises at Barik, opposite the State Central Library, spills onto the adjoining road,inconveniencing commuters and pedestrians in the city on Friday. (ST)

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 6: The Meghalaya BJP has conveyed its displeasure to the partys central leadership over the recent cabinet reshuffle, particularly the removal of the Arts and Culture portfolio from its minister Sanbor Shullai without prior consultation, even as it seeks greater representation in the government following its increase in Assembly strength []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 6: The National Peoples Party (NPP) has maintained that there was no precondition or prior understanding with the BJP or other coalition partners regarding the induction of BJP legislators into the Meghalaya Cabinet, amid growing discontent within the ruling alliance over the recent Cabinet reshuffle. NPP state president and Cabinet []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 6: Leader of Opposition in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Titosstarwell Chyne, on Friday urged the VPP-led Executive Committee (EC) to stand by its decision to seal the lower terminal construction site of the Shillong Peak Ropeway Project at Madan Laban, asserting that the council must be prepared []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 6: The state government has reiterated its commitment to the proposed Shillong Peak Ropeway project despite continuing opposition, even as East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal on Friday evening visited the protest site and appealed to members of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) Against the Shillong Ropeway Project and []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 6: Bursting of firecrackers during Diwali celebrations in East Khasi Hills will be permitted only between 6 am and 7 am and 8 pm and 10 pm, in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines, Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal said on Friday. Speaking to reporters here, Baranwal urged residents to adhere to []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 6: The High Court of Meghalaya has appointed a retired judge of the Gauhati High Court as mediator to facilitate an amicable resolution of the long-pending Them Iew Mawlong relocation issue after both the state government and the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) expressed willingness to pursue mediation. A division bench []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 6: The East Khasi Hills district administration will continue its crackdown on the illegal sale of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in Urkaliar and Polo, while exploring alternative livelihood opportunities for those involved in the unauthorised trade, Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal said on Friday. Baranwal said the administration had received []

From Our Correspondent TURA, Nov 6: West Garo Hills district has joined the nationwide Green Diwali Campaign 2026, themed Say No to Crackers, Yes to Clean Air, being observed from October 20 to November 8. Deputy Commissioner Vibhor Aggarwal has called for wide publicity of the campaign to encourage an eco-friendly and pollution-free Diwali. Organised []

Guwahati, Nov 5: The Second Dr Bhupen Hazarika Oration Series, organised by the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Creativity at The Assam Royal Global University (RGU), featured an inaugural lecture by Prof. Alak Kumar Buragohain, Vice Chancellor of RGU, who explored the legendary cultural icons role as a public intellectual and an organic intellectual in []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 4: The BJP will press the Meghalaya government to improve the grassroots implementation of central welfare schemes, stating that central funds must reach intended beneficiaries rather than remain confined to official announcements and paperwork. Addressing reporters at the party office on Bivar Road on Wednesday, BJP North East Joint Coordinator []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 4: Flagging difficulties faced by tribal students in accessing scholarship benefits, Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) member and BJP leader Bernard N. Marak has urged the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs to simplify documentation requirements and ensure timely verification and disbursement under the Umbrella Scholarship Scheme for ST Students. []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 4: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday inaugurated an automated multilevel car park at Mawkhar and a fully mechanised facility at Motphran, developed at a combined cost of Rs 38.92 crore. The two facilities, which have a total capacity of 200 vehicles, are expected to ease traffic congestion in []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 4: The National Peoples Party (NPP) consolidated its position in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) on Wednesday with the induction of three Trinamool Congress (TMC) MDCs. The move raises the NPPs strength in the council to 21 and adds new political dimensions ahead of the upcoming council polls []

From Our Correspondent TURA, Nov 4: Cultural troupes from Assam, Tripura and Nagaland will join performers from 12 Achik sub-tribes to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Wangala Festival on November 11, which will feature a historic display of 1,000 drums. Informing this during a press conference on Wednesday, Chairman of the 100 Drums Wangala []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 4: The Sein Niamtre Ki Khynnah Pule, Shillong (SNKPS) has criticised the state governments decision to support two upcoming gospel concerts, questioning the use of public funds to promote a specific religion in a secular state. In a statement issued on Wednesday, SNKPS general secretary Budwanmi Dkhar clarified that while []

321 students receive degrees including 158 BTech, 56 MTech, 52 MSc, and 55 PhD graduates By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 4: With artificial intelligence (AI) and technological disruption reshaping the global workforce, Persistent Systems Founder, Chairman and Managing Director Dr Anand Deshpande on Wednesday urged NIT Meghalaya graduates to become job creators rather than job []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 4: More than a month after she was allegedly robbed by a suspected drug addict, Rawalpindi Sohlang has recovered her stolen gold earrings following the intervention of a former district council member. Addressing the media at the Shillong Press Club on Wednesday, Sohlang thanked former Sohiong MDC Sherborlang L Mawlong []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 4: Police recovered the bodies of two unidentified men from separate locations in the city on Wednesday. In the first incident, passersby spotted a body inside an abandoned house on the premises of the former PWD Central Division office at Barik around 2 am and alerted the authorities. Local sources []

Editor, When I saw the statement made by Paul Lyngdoh in the media I was flabbergasted. I gave my comments in the post but many do not understand the magnitude of the exaggerated figures, which have been said to have been quoted by him from the writings of some social scientist or so-called historian. Please []

TURA, Nov 4: Ahead of this years 1000 Drums Wangala Festival scheduled for November 11, a Press Conference was held by the 100 Drums Wangala Festival Committee at the Wangala Adam in Chibragre near Tura. Speaking during the conference, Chairman of the 100 Drums Wangala Festival Committee, Ronald Rikman Sangma, informed that this years celebration []

KHADC asserts jurisdiction over Sixth Schedule land SHILLONG, Nov 3: The Shillong Peak Ropeway controversy took a fresh turn on Tuesday when KHADC Leader of Opposition Titosstarwell Chyne contested the state governments claim of owning the land proposed for the project, asserting that the District Council retains complete jurisdiction over land falling within Sixth Schedule []

SHILLONG, Nov 3: Almost 14 months after he was given charge of the high-profile Tourism portfolio, Cabinet Minister Timothy D. Shira is set to be unceremoniously removed from the department as new inductee Paul Lyngdoh is set to reclaim his cherished portfolio. A bitter Shira on Tuesday lamented that Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma did []

SHILLONG, Nov 3: Reduced from a major coalition partner with 12 legislators to a party with just one MLA, the United Democratic Party on Tuesday pulled out of the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government with immediate effect, ending an eight-year political partnership with its ally. The decision, taken after hours of deliberations at an emergent []

SHILLONG, Nov 3: Ten pressure groups on Tuesday jointly issued a 30-day ultimatum to the Meghalaya government, accusing it of lacking the political will to protect the indigenous population and warning of public agitation if key laws remain unimplemented. The organisations, which met Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma at his official residence, demanded the enforcement []

SHILLONG, Nov 3: A representation seeking cancellation of an August 21 coal auction notice has been submitted to the authorities concerned. Issued by the office of the East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner, the notice proposed auctioning about 1,21,288 metric tonnes of seized coal. The submission cites alleged violations of court-mandated procedures. It also points out []

SHILLONG, Nov 3: The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has told the High Court of Meghalaya that expansion of the Shillong Airport has commenced. The court noted that Additional Solicitor General N. Mozika and Additional Advocate General N.D. Chullai tendered the status report on actions taken by the respective parties pursuant to its October 29 []

SHILLONG, Nov 3: The Department of Nanotechnology at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) organised a one-day workshop on Nano-Assisted Electrochemical Sensing Platform today to mark Nanotechnology Day. Held in collaboration with Class One Systems S&T Pvt. Ltd. (PalmSens), the event brought together academics, researchers, industry experts, and students to discuss advancements and practical applications in electrochemical []

TURA, Nov 3: The All Garo Hills Agri-Horti Suppliers Association has sought comprehensive policy and administrative reforms to strengthen government procurement, ensure accountability and protect the interests of genuine Meghalaya-based agriculture and horticulture suppliers. The association, comprising a large number of bona fide suppliers who have partnered with various government departments over several decades in []

SHILLONG, Nov 3: The Regional Centre for Organic and Natural Farming (RCONF), Imphal, in collaboration with the Bio-Resources Development Centre (BRDC), Shillong, began a two-day training programme on capacity building for Bio-Input Resource Centre (BRC) entrepreneurs here on Tuesday. Addressing the inaugural session at the BRDC conference hall as the chief guest, Meghalaya Agricultural Management []

Dancers clad in traditional attire take part in the Shad Nongkrem Dance at Smit, East Khasi Hills, on Monday. (ST)

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 2: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has re-inducted National Peoples Party MLA Paul Lyngdoh into the Cabinet and assigned him the Tourism portfolio, a move widely seen as a strategic response to mounting opposition against the Shillong Peak Ropeway Project. Lyngdoh was sworn in as Cabinet Minister on Monday by []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 2: Even as the National Peoples Party has emerged stronger within the MDA government in recent weeks, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday asserted that the party never deliberately sought to break its coalition partners. Speaking to media persons after the oath-taking ceremony of Paul Lyngdoh as Cabinet Minister, []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 2: The District Council Affairs Department and the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council have given conflicting accounts over whether the Council received an informal warning about problems in the 2026 Amendment Bill months before the Governor formally rejected it. The DCA Department says it passed on the Law Departments concerns []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 2: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday asserted that opposition to projects such as the Shillong Ropeway would directly affect the livelihoods of hundreds of local youths in the state. Reacting to the sustained resistance against the project, Sangma said the government remains ready to engage with stakeholders on []

City hosts first outstation hearing on FCRA Amendment Bill By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 2: Faith-based organisations account for only around six per cent of the roughly Rs 22,000 crore in foreign contributions received in the country, Joint Parliamentary Committee chairman Sanjay Jaiswal said on Monday after the panels first outstation consultation on the Foreign []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 2: Meghalaya is grappling with a deepening water crisis after an 85 per cent rainfall deficit in October left the state with just 38.3 mm of rain against the monthly normal of 255 mm. The shortfall followed an already weak southwest monsoon. Between June and September the state received only []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 2: A liver tonic marketed under the name LIVSAV-DS and sold in Meghalaya has brought into sharp focus allegations of trademark misuse involving a Shillong-based BJP functionary, while also raising serious questions about the regulatory scrutiny of the product circulating in the state. Hindustan Research Health Products, which claims to []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Nov 2: The five-day Shad Nongkrem festival, one of the most significant traditional religious celebrations of the Khasi community, concluded in a grand display of cultural splendour, devotion and traditional fervour at Smit, the headquarters of the erstwhile Khasi state of Hima Khyrim, about 15 km south of Shillong. The ancient []

TURA, Nov 2: Six student groups from South West Garo Hills have been selected to represent the district at the state-level 32nd National Childrens Science Congress, scheduled to be held in Shillong during the first week of December, following the district-level competition held at St. Claret Secondary School, Ampati, on Monday. Students from various schools []

LONDON, Nov 1: A compelling weekend of Premier League football delivered shockwaves across the division as Brighton & Hove Albion pulled off a stunning 1-0 upset against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, while Aston Villa stumbled at home to Fulham, and in-form Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur sustained their winning momentum. At the Etihad, Fabian []

Kane goes scoreless as Bayern held by Dortmund Berlin, Nov 1: Harry Kane endured a rare off-day on his return to action after winning the Ballon dOr, as Bayern Munich were held to a 2-2 draw by Borussia Dortmund in a thrilling Bundesliga Klassiker on Saturday. Kane, who scored 73 goals for club and country []

Jalandhar, Nov 1: Skipper Harmanpreet Singh continued his goal-scoring spree with a fine hat-trick as five-time champions India defeated Malaysia 4-2 to register their fourth consecutive win at the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament here on Sunday. It was a rematch of the Asian Games gold medal match where India prevailed over Malaysia 5-1 in []

Saarbrucken, Nov 1: Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu clinched her second title of the season, bagging the Hylo Open Super 500 tournament with a straight game win over world No. 25 Line Hojmark Kjrsfeldt of Denmark here on Sunday. A former world champion, Sindhu, who won the Japan Open in July and finished runner-up at []

London, Nov 1: Stoke City are exceeding their pre-season expectations and have emerged as genuine contenders for a Championship play-off place following an impressive run of results, according to BBC Radio Stokes Mark Elliott. The Potters strengthened their promotion credentials with a comfortable victory over Preston on Saturday, producing an improved second-half display that highlighted []

New Delhi, Nov 1: Indias hopes of reaching the 2027 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final remain alive, but their qualification prospects have suffered a major setback following an inconsistent campaign that has left them fifth in the standings. With seven Tests remaining in the current 2025-27 cycle, India will need a strong finish, potentially []

Paris, Nov 1: French authorities expressed relief Sunday after mass protests over rising living costs resulted in less violence than previous weekends. But authorities expect new demonstrations as high schools at the heart of the movement reopen Monday after their autumn break. Frances protests were overwhelmingly peaceful, with whimsical Halloween costumes lightening the mood, but []