The Shillong Times

Indian Premier League New Delhi, March 28: Gujarat Titans wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler said the Indian Premier League (IPL), whose 19th edition starts from Saturday, has had the biggest influence on his cricketing career, adding that conversations he has had during his time in the tournament have served him well while representing England in all three []

Indian Premier League Mumbai, March 28: A robust Mumbai Indians outfit will begin their bid to end a five-year title drought in the Indian Premier League when they take on a depleted Kolkata Knight Riders in their tournament opener here on Sunday. It has been a while since Mumbai Indians, the joint most successful team []

Indian Premier League Mumbai, March 29: Mumbai Indians received a timely boost ahead of their Indian Premier League opener, with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah joining the squad and declared available for selection against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Head coach Mahela Jayawardene confirmed Bumrahs availability on the eve of the match. []

Indian Premier League Mumbai, March 28: Cameron Green wont be weighed down by his high price tag, says Kolkata Knight Riders coach Shane Watson, noting that the Australian all-rounder prefers to play with absolute freedom. Green, who has played for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the past, was picked up by KKR for []

Paphos (Cyprus), March 28: Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, Indias sole representative in the Open section of the eight-player elite field, faces a challenging task as the Candidates Tournament gets underway here on Sunday. The event, which will determine over the course of a fortnight the challenger to reigning world champion D Gukesh in the next World []

Tangier (Morocco), March 28: None of the Indian shooters could qualify for the finals of the skeet events at the ISSF World Cup for Shotgun here on Saturday. Olympian Maheshwari Chauhan came close to a top-eight spot after finishing the first day of qualification with a score of 69 out of 75. She shot 23 []

Suzuka (Japan), March 28: Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli took the pole for Sundays Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, just two weeks after he led qualifying and won the first race of his career at the Chinese Grand Prix. The 19-year-old Antonellis qualifying time Saturday was 1 minute, 28.778 seconds on the 5.8-kilometre Suzuka circuit in []

Odisha women dominate last day of swimming Raipur, March 28: Weightlifter Nikita ended hosts Chhattisgarhs wait for a gold medal while Odishas women swimmers clinched all the three yellow metals on offer on the fourth day of the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 here on Saturday. Nikita dominated the womens 77kg weightlifting event to comfortably []

TURA: District Administration aro West Garo Hills aro Goalpara-ni police baksa kumong nangrimgrikanina tomaha. Goalpara-ni District Commissioner & District Election Officer, Shri Pradip Timung, baksana agipi Superintendent of Police, Shri Navneet Mahanta, Meghalaya adokni West Garo Hills-ona mejal wenbaaha aro district administration aro police official-rang baksa tomanio chanchirimaha. Tomanio dingtangmancha sima ari biaprango namgija kam []

New Delhi, March 28: Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran on Saturday said that given the considerable impact of the ongoing West Asia conflict on Indias economy, the country should leverage the fallout to redouble its recent reform efforts to enhance Indias competitiveness and preparedness. The entrepreneurial mindset in bureaucracy, accompanied by enhanced speed of []

New Delhi, March 28: Gold prices gained 5.77 per cent during the week, amid sustained geopolitical tensions and pull back in crude oil prices. On Friday, MCX gold April futures added 0.15 per cent while MCX silver May futures declined 0.09 per cent. Currently, gold futures stand at Rs 1,44,500, while silver futures at Rs []

New Delhi, March 28: India has cautioned WTO members against weaponising transparency to justify trade retaliation or challenge legitimate domestic policies, saying it should be backed by sustained capacity-building support to ensure that all countries meet obligations fairly and effectively. Transparency is a key component of the technical barriers to trade agreement of the World []

New Delhi, March 28: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has stressed the importance of consensus-based decision-making and addressing structural imbalances in global trade as WTO members deliberated on reform issues during the second day of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Cameroon. Leading the Indian delegation, Goyal said that consensus remains the bedrock []

Mumbai, March 28: Former Raymond chairman Vijaypat Singhania died here on Saturday evening, his family said. He was 87. His son Gautam Singhania, the groups current chairman and managing director, announced the death on the microblogging platform X. Singhania passed away peacefully in Mumbai, and the last rites will be performed on Sunday, a Raymond []

History can sometimes take an unexpected turn. One of these curious, revolutionary twists came in the mid-19th century, when the tale of an unassuming everyday object the billiard ball ended in cinematic proportions. Billiard balls were originally made of ivory, and the need to replace this scarce material led to the invention of []

Odin was a kelpie. Attentive and protective, with a happy smile and an endless hope for food, he succumbed to a terminal disease late last year. At his death, a deep sense of grief ripped through the household of one of us (Andrew): while Odin was not human, he was an irreplaceable member of the []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 28: Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui has urged undergraduate students from across the Northeast to utilise platforms like the North East Graduate Congress to build confidence and leadership skills necessary for regional progress. Speaking at the 8th North East Graduate Congress 2026 held at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya []

Tura, Mar 28: Approximately 150 husbands of Nokmas of the Chokpot region in South Garo Hills (SGH) held a general meeting in the village of Chokpot to deliberate on various matters of public importance concerning the region. The meeting firstly reaffirmed the traditional rights and responsibilities of the Nokmas under the Garo Hills Autonomous District []

DUBAI, March 27: Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Iran on Friday, further escalating a conflict that has rapidly expanded across the Middle East. The attacks came even as US President Donald Trump said negotiations to end the war were going very well, though there is little evidence of progress on the ground. []

KABUL, March 27: Human Rights Watch (HRW), a US-based advocacy group, has strongly condemned Pakistani airstrikes on Kabuls Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, calling them an unlawful attack and warning they could constitute a war crime. The March 16 strike targeted the 2,000-bed facility, killing hundreds of civilians and injuring many others, including patients breaking their []

KATHMANDU, March 27: Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Balen Shah has made history as Nepals youngest democratically elected prime minister at 35. Sworn in on Friday by President Ram Chandra Paudel, Shah leads the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which won a landslide victory in the March 5 parliamentary elections, securing 182 of 275 seats in the House of []

Jerusalem, March 27: Israels defence minister said on Friday that Israeli attacks on Iran will escalate and expand. Israel Katz made the comment in a statement noting that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Iranian terrorist regime to stop firing missiles at the civilian population in Israel. Despite the warnings, the firing continues []

Actor Taylor Lautner, famous for playing Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga, announced that he and his wife, Taylor Dome Lautner, are expecting their first child. The couple, married in 2022, shared the news on Instagram with photos including a sonogram and affectionate outdoor shots, with Taylor kissing Tays baby bump. Their post humorously referenced []

Actor Ranveer Singh, riding high on the success of his blockbuster Dhurandhar 2, enjoyed a casual outing with wife Deepika Padukone in Mumbai. The couple visited a popular South Indian restaurant in Chowpatty, where they took a cheerful selfie with the restaurant staff. Ranveer, dressed in a black T-shirt, white cap, and sunglasses, posed alongside []

International comedy icon Russell Peters left Shillong in splits on Friday night, as a packed audience at Lariti erupted into waves of laughter during his live performance, organised by Rockski EMG. This event was a part of his Russell Peters Relax World Tour. On stage, Peters drew laughter with his observations on cultural differences within []

Shillong, March 27: Meghalaya demonstrated its potential in another martial art form after being crowned Champions of the Senior National Khelo India ASMITA Pencak Silat League 2025-26, which came to a conclusion at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre on the NEHU campus here on Friday. The two-day event saw the hosts bag 2 []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 27: Even as the state government claims to have sufficient stock of domestic LPG cylinders, consumers across Meghalaya have begun feeling the severe pinch of the shortage, with the state clearly heading towards a full-blown LPG crisis in the coming days. Residents in Shillong and parts of the state reported []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 27: A number of former legislators are likely to join the BJP in May as the party looks to strengthen its base ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections. Sources said that former MLAs like Mohendro Rapsang (who recently resigned from the NPP), Jemino Mawthoh (who had been with the UDP), []

From Our Correspondent TURA, March 27: Congress leader and former South Tura MLA John Leslee K. Sangma on Friday asserted that the Meghalaya governments recent gazette notification making a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate mandatory for candidates in Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections is not enough to fully safeguard the political and land rights []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 27: Following in the footsteps of the GHADC, the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) has initiated steps to bring in necessary amendments to the councils rules to make ST certificates mandatory in order to bar non-tribal candidates from contesting MDC elections. As a first step, a delegation of JHADC []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 27: A Special POCSO Court in East Khasi Hills on Friday has sentenced a 70-year-old man to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 50,000 for committing repeated sexual assault on his minor daughter. The convict was found guilty under Section 5(1)(n) of the POCSO Act, []

From Our Correspondent JOWAI, March 27: The Federation of Khasi Jaintia & Garo People (FKJGP), West Jaitia Hills unit, on Friday organised a rally and public meeting in Jowai to demand the immediate resolution of the long-standing interstate boundary dispute with Assam. The rally, which saw participation from FKJGP units of West and North Khasi []

From Our Correspondent JOWAI, March 27: The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO), Jaintia Hills, has urged the public to stop paying toll fees at the Ialong and Lumshnong toll plazas on National Highway-6. The call follows an inspection of the Jowai-Ratacherra stretch by HITO leaders, including Khiejoit Niang and WN Dkhar. During the inspection, the []

Devotees offer prayer on the occasion of Basanti Durga Puja, in the city on Friday. (ST)

Rymbui assures govt support to young creatives By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 27: The first edition of the Shillong International Film Festival (SIFF), organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), concluded successfully here with vibrant participation from students, filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts representing various colleges and universities across Meghalaya and beyond. The []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 27: The third edition of Culinary Cascade 2026, themed Crafted for All 5 Senses, has emerged as a vibrant platform for entrepreneurs, farmers and artisans to share their stories, showcase innovation and promote their products to a wider audience. The two-day festival, which got under way at Wards Lake here []

New Delhi, March 27: Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shahs cabinet reflects a mix of youth, gender, and personal experience that was finalised after prolonged discussions that had begun even before the final results of the March 5 national election were announced. Many of the cabinet members are new, some even first-time MPs, say reports from []

RI-BHOI (MEGHALAYA), MARCH 27 // The second day of the North East Graduate Congress (NEGC) 2026 at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya was marked by a grand Formal Inaugural Ceremony along with a vibrant cultural rally representing all eight North Eastern states, reflecting the rich diversity and unity of the region. The day []

New Delhi, March 27: Irans plan to establish a safe corridor in the Strait of Hormuz has been met with reluctance from China, even as the country along with Asias major economies facing serious issues amid disruptions in shipping traffic, a new report has said. The report from Turkey-based Anadolu Agency said Chinese vessels largely []

Kabul, March 27: The new academic year in Afghanistan schools began on Thursday without girls returning to classrooms above sixth class for the fifth consecutive year. The classes started amid calls for reopening schools for girls above sixth class, local media reported. The Talibans Education Ministry said that the new academic year started with senior []

KABUL, March 26: A second mass funeral was held in Kabul on Thursday for victims of a Pakistani airstrike that struck the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital on March 16. Bulldozers dug a large pit for 60 coffins, and Afghan officials now report 411 dead and 263 wounded, though the UN is still verifying the toll. []

Nagaland-born Trance Effect opens the evening with a thrilling performance By Our Reporter Shillong witnessed a landmark night for rock music as legendary British band Def Leppard took the stage for their much-awaited performance in the city. Produced and promoted by BookMyShow Live, the live entertainment experiential division of BookMyShow, the bands first show of []

Filmmaker Aditya Dhar dismissed circulating images of Ranveer Singh smoking while wearing a turban in Dhurandhar 2 as fabricated and created with AI. He stressed the film treats the Sikh community with respect and urged audiences to rely on official material. The clarification follows objections from a Sikh organisation. Released on March 19, the film []

Celine Dion is set to make a highly anticipated return to Paris for autumn concerts at the 40,000-capacity La Dfense Arena, two years after her show-stopping performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony. During the ceremony, Dion delivered a heartfelt rendition of Edith Piafs Hymne LAmour from the Eiffel Tower, impressing audiences []

Work ethic, not talent, defines me, says Anne Hathaway Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway says she feels defined by her work ethic rather than talent. The 43-year-old told Harpers Bazaar that while she grew up with certain privileges, her career success wouldnt be handed to her, so she has always focused on giving her maximum effort []

New Delhi, March 26: India came out strongly on Thursday for WTO reforms to be carried out through a transparent, inclusive and member-driven process that keeps the special rights of developing countries at its core in accordance with the foundational principles and objectives of the multilateral organisation. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, in his address at []

Kolkata, March 26: The West Asia crisis has pushed freight costs for Europe-bound cargo up by 60-80 per cent, with exports falling by as much as 50 per cent for some exporters while hundreds of containers got stranded at Kolkata port, industry representatives said on Thursday. Calcutta Customs House Agents Association (CCHAA) president Mannu Choudhary []

BANGKOK, March 26: There was no stopping the dominant run of Indias compound archers as the top-seeded mixed team pair of Rajat Chauhan and Chikitha Taniparthi stormed into the final but the recurve contingent endured disappointment in the Asia Cup World Ranking Tournament Stage 1, here on Thursday. For India, two bronze medals are already []

TANGIER (Morocco), March 26: Indias skeet shooters will have their task cut out as they face a strong line-up of participants on the first day of the season-opening ISSF Shotgun World Cup here on Friday. The event will feature some of the worlds most accomplished athletes competing in a strong field at the Club Tangerois []

RAIPUR, March 26: Medalling at the Asian Games remains the one milestone Mirabai Chanu is desperate to achieve this year, with the Tokyo Olympics silver-winning weightlifter terming it unfinished business in an otherwise illustrious career. For more than a decade, Chanu has been the face of Indian weightlifting. An Asian Games medal is the only []