The Shillong Times

THE Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is faced with a serious predicament after its what could be called a poaching game by the BJP in the national capital. Now the game has extended to Punjab, another province where the regional party is well-entrenched. With a set of AAP parliamentarians led by Raghav Chadha quitting the parent []

By H.H. Mohrmen On its journey to discover the universe, when the Voyager reached a point of no return Carl Sagan asked the controller to turn the Voyagers camera toward Earth and take one last photograph of our home. And that was the beginning of the story of The Pale Blue Dot a photograph of []

By Satyaprakash Mehta The public backlash against local RTI activist Disparsing Rani has been swift and unforgiving. A few wordsinterpreted as suggesting that sex work plays a role in preserving social stabilityhave ignited criticism across platforms. For many, the reaction is understandable. The idea that any group of people exists to serve a social function, []

Meta and Microsoft are the latest software companies to announce big cuts to their global workforce. Both companies are also making big investments in artificial intelligence (AI). The link seems obvious. Metas chief people officer, Janelle Gale, said the job cuts- about 10 per cent of staff or almost 8,000 workers serve to offset the []

Students participate in the 24th edition of Annual Inter-School English Recitation Competition held at the State Central Library Conference Hall on Saturday. Over 12 schools and 220 participants partook in the competition organised by the Metallica-Sargam Sports and Cultural Club.

From Our Correspondent TURA, April 26: The 29th Pabuni Festival of the Koch community was celebrated with traditional fervor on Sunday at Chenga-Benga, Gandhipara, South West Garo Hills. The event was organised by the Meghalaya Koch Association in collaboration with the Meghalaya Koch Students Union (MKSU). The programme began with the hoisting of the flag []

Dubai, April 26: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Sunday met UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and discussed measures to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership and the regional situation. The Indian Embassy in the UAE said Doval conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modis greetings to the UAE leader during his official visit to the []

Beijing, April 26: China has not openly backed its comprehensive strategic partner Iran as the West Asia conflict continues to intensify, and discussions within Beijing suggest that it never committed to take the bullet for Tehran, according to a recent report. In the early phase of the US-Iran conflict, Beijing signalled both to Iran and []

Kabul, April 26: Afghanistan has been ranked at the fifth spot among the worlds worst affected nations for acute hunger, according to a report, local media reported on Sunday. According to the Global Food Crises 2026 report released by UN agencies, the European Union, and partners, 17.4 million people, about 36 per cent of Afghanistans []

Bamako, April 26: Mali Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an attack on his residence in the town of Kati, near the capital Bamako, carried out by armed terrorist groups, local sources reported. According to the sources, who requested anonymity, armed terrorist groups launched coordinated attacks on several cities across the country on Saturday, []

New Delhi, April 26: The Pakistan government and its military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, have, as part of their propaganda campaign to woo the US, been presenting the countrys mineral wealth as a source of unlimited riches ready to be reaped at short notice, but the ground realities are far more complex. The official []

Washington, April 26: US President Donald Trump and several senior US officials were evacuated from the annual White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday night after multiple gunshots were reported. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Secret Service agents and other security personnel rushed into the banquet hall as panic spread among attendees. Guests reportedly []

Imphal, April 26: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved Rs 424.36 crore for the operation of relief camps set up by the Manipur government to provide shelter to people affected by the ethnic violence in the state, officials said. According to the state Home Department, the MHA has also sanctioned Rs 523 []

Jaipur, April 26: Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif hailed young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as a once-in-a-generation talent after his breathtaking century powered Rajasthan Royals to 228/6 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday. Sooryavanshis explosive 103 off just 37 balls, studded with 12 sixes and five fours, lit up Jaipur and []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | IPL 2026 HAS SEEN 21% FEWER SPIN OVERS THAN 2025 MATCHES TODAY CSK VS GT AT 3:30 PM | LSG VS KKR AT 7:30 PM New Delhi, April 25: Punjab Kings rewrote the T20 record books with a breathtaking batting blitz, pulling off the highest-ever successful chase in the formats []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | IPL 2026 HAS SEEN 21% FEWER SPIN OVERS THAN 2025 MATCHES TODAY CSK VS GT AT 3:30 PM | LSG VS KKR AT 7:30 PM Jaipur, April 25: Vice-captain Ishan Kishan played a brilliant knock of 74 runs as Sunrisers Hyderabad chased down 229 runs target in 18.3 overs and []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | IPL 2026 HAS SEEN 21% FEWER SPIN OVERS THAN 2025 MATCHES TODAY CSK VS GT AT 3:30 PM | LSG VS KKR AT 7:30 PM New Delhi, April 25: Delhi Capitals pacer Lungi Ngidi is stable and will be discharged shortly from a local hospital where he underwent medical examination []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | IPL 2026 HAS SEEN 21% FEWER SPIN OVERS THAN 2025 MATCHES TODAY CSK VS GT AT 3:30 PM | LSG VS KKR AT 7:30 PM Bengaluru, April 25: Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan etched his name in Indian Premier League history by becoming the fastest batter to reach 2,000 runs []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | IPL 2026 HAS SEEN 21% FEWER SPIN OVERS THAN 2025 MATCHES TODAY CSK VS GT AT 3:30 PM | LSG VS KKR AT 7:30 PM Bengaluru, April 25: Former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn heaped praise on Virat Kohli after the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star produced a match-winning knock []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | IPL 2026 HAS SEEN 21% FEWER SPIN OVERS THAN 2025 MATCHES TODAY CSK VS GT AT 3:30 PM | LSG VS KKR AT 7:30 PM Chennai, April 25: Riding a resurgent run, Chennai Super Kings will look to consolidate their position in the top half, while Gujarat Titans aim to []

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE | IPL 2026 HAS SEEN 21% FEWER SPIN OVERS THAN 2025 MATCHES TODAY CSK VS GT AT 3:30 PM | LSG VS KKR AT 7:30 PM Lucknow, April 25: The adage that a captain is only as good as his team holds a grim truth for Rishabh Pant and Ajinkya Rahane. []

By Our Reporter Shillong, April 25: Sunrise Academy and BK Bajoria School emerged victorious in their respective fixtures of the Inter-School Under-18 and Under-15 Cricket Tournaments organised by the Shillong Cricket Association, producing contrasting wins in closely followed encounters. In the Under-18 tournament, Sunrise Academy registered a convincing 40-run victory over RB AnupChand Hindi High []

Rihanna lit up Mumbai with her presence as she visited the city for the grand launch of her globally celebrated cosmetics brand, Fenty Beauty. The high-profile event took place at Phoenix Palladium and drew a star-studded crowd from Indias entertainment and fashion circles, including Isha Ambani, Janhvi Kapoor, Kanika Kapoor, Aditi Bhatia, Pashmina Roshan and []

As the biopic of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson garners positive response at the theatres, the late superstars estate is facing a new wave of molestation allegations. This time, the allegations have been levelled by four siblings from New Jersey who say they were groomed and abused for years and that the many handlers []

The Karnataka High Court on Saturday indicated it will pass an order after examining Bollywood actor Ranveer Singhs affidavit and objections raised over his apology in a case seeking quashing of an FIR. The FIR was lodged after Singh allegedly insulted Chavunda Daiva, a deity from Dakshina Kannada, during a Filmfare Awards event in Goa, []

Bollywood actor and producer Sanjay Dutt and his wife Maanayata Dutt attend the unveiling of the film Khalnayak Returns, a sequel backed by Three Dimension Motion Pictures, Aspect Entertainment and Jio Studios, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, on Friday. (PTI)

Fresh off his Oscar win, Michael B. Jordan is set to produce and potentially star in a big-screen adaptation of the popular video game franchise Battlefield. The project will be written, directed, and produced by Christopher McQuarrie, best known for the recent Mission: Impossible films, with Electronic Arts (EA), the games publisher, also on board []

ISLAMABAD, April 25: Irans foreign minister left Pakistan on Saturday evening, two Pakistani officials told The Associated Press, before any sign that U.S. envoys had even arrived for indirect talks on the fragile ceasefire. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was seen off at an airport, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they []

A police officer walks past posters of U.S. and Iran talks near a designated venue in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday. (PTI)

SHILLONG: Adokni gimik educational institution-rangni admissions aro fee structures-ko nirokna gita commission-ko songchina HID Foundation Shillong, sorkariko molmolaha. April 24 tariko Education-ni Minister Lahkmen Rymbui aro Education Department-ni Commissioner and Secrtary-na ongipa memorandum-o foundation, sorkari aro private institution-rang gegnion regulatory framework-ko donchina molmolaha. Uni gisepon foundation, Meghalaya Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Prohibition

SHILLONG: BJP Mahila Morcha-ni Meghalaya unit, North Shillong wing-ni dilanio Sonibar salo Khyndailad point-o tomtom asonge jingjengatange 33% women reservation-na dabiangaha. Jingjengatao Mahila Morcha-ni bangen memborrang bakko raangaha. Kobor ratimgiparang baksa agangrikmitingo BJP Mahila Morcha-ni Arena Hynniewta, Congress-ko women reservation bill-ko Parliament-o pass kana onjani gimin matnangaha. Jingjengatgiparang placard-rangko dee, legislative aro local governance institution-rango []

WILLIAMNAGAR: South Garo Hills ajao, miksonga gnang chadrape sootna jotton kaanina saksa Garo Student Union-ni dilgipani kosako mokor doma (FIR) kadoaha. Ia onga obostani bidingo Nongalbibra Police outpost-ni ningo gaakgipa Jadi-ni Francis S. Marak, Rongsa Awe jolni Raindon M. Sangma-ni kosako matnange Jadi Police Outpost-o FIR-ko segataha. FIR-o janapgimin gita, April 23 tarikni wal 9:40 []

WILLIAMNAGAR: Buring Bolgrim-ko ripinge rakkina miksonganio Meghalaya sorkari East Garo Hills ajao Bijasik Matwa Apal Community Reserve-ko parakata, uandake ia Reserve-ko Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 ni ningo chelchake rakkianggen. Batanggimin April 22 tariko Forest & Enviroment Department-ni uiatani gita, Songsak Block-o donggipa ia Reserve-ko janapgimin niamni Section 36 C-ni ningo ragatenga ine uiataha. Adok sorkarini []

TURA: Sukrobar salo, dakgrik dinggrikarangni somoio ranggitik asel obostarangni bidingo manderangni gisepo mikrakataniko bilakbatatna miksongao, Air Raid aro Blackout -ni bidingo statewide mock exercise-ko dakangao West Garo Hilla ajani Tura-oba chusokgipa onge dakangaha. Ia mock exercise-ko gegni phases dake ongatangengba, skanggipao phase-ko Tura-ni Pechon Memorial Higher Secondary School, Gorkha Secondary School aro Tura Super Market-o, []

Resubelpara: MPOWER Youth Employment & Economic Growth Component-ni gita Sonibar salo Resubelpara-ni Bakra Multi Facility Hall-o salsana workshop-ko ongatangaha. Government Innovation Lab (GIL), Harvard Growth Lab, Meghalaya Institute of Governance (MIG) aro Indian School of Business (ISB) bakrime, programo ongataha. Uandake Tourism, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare-ni Minister Shri Timothy D Shira, tomanio mongsonggipa sokgipa onge []

SHILLONG: May-ni skanggipa ba gnigipa antirango Shillong Parliamentary Bye Election-ko ongatna amenggiparangna Congress party-ni gita candidate-na bimingko minggen. Bye election-ni bidingo agangrikna AICC-ni gita chanchirimna uko okamaha ine Congress president Vincent Pala aganaha. Party candidate sawa onggen ine singaha, election-o susana party-ni dambe dilgipa Manuel Badwar-ko ua nangnika jeon ia election-o Badwar antangba susana sikenga []

SHILLONG: Samtangtango donggiparangko nost kaanina dalbea jakuko deaha, East Khasi Hills district-ni administration, district gimiko niamgri ancheng bikotani kamrangko kaenggipako taraken dondipataha, niam pegiparangko rakgipa niamo jaku dena mikrakataniko onaha. Geetaniko Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita-ni section 163-ni ningo nakatataha, chiringrangoni anchengrngko bikotengani bidingo mikrakataniko onrikrikengaha dingtangmancha Myllem sepang jolni Wahniangleng chibimaoniko bikotako champeng

Mumbai, April 25: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday urged all entities in the financial sector to be exceptionally vigilant on cybersecurity. Without naming Mythos, the newly minted platform from leading AI company Anthropic, Sitharaman said artificial intelligence tools are making cyberattacks faster and more adaptive. Such tools can also evade detection by deploying []

SHILLONG: Sonibar salo Voice of the People Party (VPP), Education Minister Lakhmen Rynbui-ni kosako matnangataha, teacher-rangko gimaatna baseanichi court-ni niamrangko ragatanina uko matnangataha. Ian aiao inmanani aro kadingani gita ongpilaha, jeon minister party president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit-na Teacher Eligibility Test (TET)-o Supreme Court-ni chanchianiko poraina uni sunglass-ko oke galchina aganangaha, ine VPP dilgipa Batskhem Myrboh []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, April 25: A domestic feud turned deadly in Shillongs Mawblei neighbourhood on Saturday morning when a 40-year-old man was allegedly bludgeoned to death by his co-tenant using a No Parking board following a row over a suspected affair. The deceased, identified as Sumeet Kr Singha, was reportedly assaulted by Sanjay Kumar []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, April 25: Questions are mounting over the mysterious disappearance of a 27-year-old Guwahati teacher who was recovered from inside a Shillong bank on Saturday, three days after she sent a frantic SOS to her family claiming she was in danger. Bhabana Sarma, who had recently resigned from her position at a []

From Our Correspondent PHULBARI, April 25: Tensions on the Meghalaya-Assam border have escalated into a war of nerves as the Garo Students Union (GSU) Phulbari regional unit warned of a proportionate counter-blockade against Assam, responding to AAMSUs calls for economic sanctions over the controversial labour entry ban in Garo Hills. The stand-off follows a recent []

The govt uses court rulings to suppress teachers when it suits the treasury, while ignoring judicial decisions that would provide them financial relief By Our Reporter SHILLONG, April 25: The war of words over Meghalayas education crisis escalated on Saturday as the VPP accused Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma of legal cherry-pickingalleging the government strictly []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, April 25: Meghalayas unregulated private education sector faces a legal ultimatum as calls grow for a statutory commission to end the arbitrary fee hikes and lack of transparency that have long burdened parents across the state. The HID Foundation has submitted a memorandum to Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma and the []

From Our Correspondent RESUBELPARA, April 25: Agriculture Minister Timothy D. Shira on Saturday urged the youths of Meghalaya to embrace entrepreneurship in the agriculture and horticulture sectors, so as to ensure sustainable economic growth. Speaking as the chief guest at a workshop under the MPOWER Youth Employment & Economic Growth Component, Shira highlighted the regions []

Partys Mahila Morcha stages demonstration in state capital By Our Reporter SHILLONG, April 25: The Meghalaya unit of the BJP Mahila Morcha, led by its North Shillong wing, staged a sit-in protest at Khyndai Lad on Saturday to demand 33 per cent reservation for women in elected bodies. During the demonstration, protesters held placards and []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, April 25: The Drug Reduction, Elimination & Action Mission (DREAM) has stepped up its efforts to combat substance abuse in the Garo Hills through a series of coordinated interventions on April 23 and 24. On Thursday, the mission conducted a site inspection for a proposed rehabilitation centre in West Garo Hills, []

From Our Correspondent MAWKYRWAT, April 25: Mawkyrwat MLA Renikton L Tongkhar on Friday inspected the water sources for five villages in the Manad area following complaints from the headmen of Manad and Mawbidong villages regarding supply issues. Accompanied by senior officials from the PHE Mawkyrwat Division and village leaders, the MLA visited the Phot Umthot []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, April 25: The Deen Dayal Upadhyay Community and Skill Development Center (DDUCC), Wahiajer, a constituent college of NEHU, organised a capacity-building programme on Friday for 250 farmers from Laskein Block. According to a statement here, the event titled Skill Enhancement for Horticultural Development and Sustainability was held in collaboration with ICAR-IIHR, []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, April 25: Curtain came down on the five-day North East NSS Festival 2026, themed Empowered Youth for Viksit Bharat, at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) on Saturday. The event brought together NSS volunteers and programme officers from across the region for activities focused on leadership, community service and []