The Shillong Times

Nagoya, Oct 4: The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games came to a spectacular close on Sunday, with a dazzling blend of music, lights and Japanese culture bringing an end to more than two weeks of competition involving athletes from across Asia. The 90-minute closing ceremony at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium featured colourful performances, laser displays and []

Mullanpur, Oct 4: Wary of not being able to field a settled eleven because of injuries and tight scheduling, India skipper Shubman Gill wanted to give regular opportunities to the players who will potentially make it to the ICC World Cup 2027 in the upcoming ODI matches. India fielded largely second string players against the []

New Delhi, Oct 4: Indias fielding unit appears to be undergoing a quiet tactical shift under Subhadeep Ghosh, who has taken over from T Dilip in the national setup. Ghosh, who has worked extensively with India A and age-group teams besides his association with the National Cricket Academy, has brought a more methodical approach to []

New Delhi, Oct 4: Hardik Pandyas return to competitive cricket has suffered another setback, while fast bowler Harshit Rana has also seen his rehabilitation programme disrupted, putting their availability for Indias upcoming series against New Zealand in doubt. Pandya, who has been out of action for an extended period, developed pain in his right calf []

Beijing, Oct 4: Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka was bundled out in the third round of the China Open in straight sets by the Czech Republics Nikola Bartunkova on Sunday. The No. 34-ranked Bartunkova defeated the four-time Grand Slam champion 6-4, 6-3 in just over an hour and a half leaving the tournament without its two top []

New Delhi, Oct 4: Homegrown polymer science firm Uflex, in partnership with the US-based Spectra Systems, has submitted bids for the proposed polymer banknote programme as the RBI evaluates potential suppliers to manufacture polymer-based currency substrate, sources said. The programme was initiated by Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Pvt Ltd (BRBNMPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of []

New Delhi, Oct 4: RBIs interest rate decision, TCS earnings, crude oil prices and global bond yields will be important factors to determine stock market movement this week, analysts said. Macroeconomic data announcements and foreign investors trading activity will also guide market trends, they added. RBIs monetary policy meeting will be closely watched. The policy []

Mumbai, Oct 4: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to increase the repo rate by 0.25 per cent in the October monetary policy review due to mounting inflationary pressure amid the re-escalation of the West Asia crisis and also the rate hikes by global central banks, according to economists and bankers. If the []

New Delhi, Oct 4: Indias economic growth remains impressive, but policymakers and businesses must stay vigilant against an increasingly uncertain global environment marked by geopolitical tensions, shifting trade dynamics and supply chain disruptions, leading economists and policy experts said on Sunday. Speaking to IANS on the sidelines of 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave 2026 here, Washington []

SHILLONG, Oct 4: Continuing to train his gun at UDP president Metbah Lyngdoh, the partys working president Paul Lyngdoh on Sunday said the former would be the best person to explain why he is now seeking action against legislators who have joined the BJP after having, as Assembly Speaker in 2021, upheld the merger of []

SHILLONG, Oct 4: The State Congress has accused NPP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar of allegedly using money and threats to influence voters, with MPCC president Vincent H. Pala claiming that Dhar offered Rs 20 lakh to villagers in return for votes. Pala alleged that political interference had reached the grassroots to such []

SHILLONG, Oct 4: VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Sunday criticised the state government over the death of a three-year-old child who allegedly died on the way to a health facility because of poor road connectivity. The child, from Domkyrkoh village under the Rambrai constituency, died on October 1 while being taken for medical treatment, []

SHILLONG, Oct 4: East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem has advised people with evidence of wrongdoing to register formal complaints rather than depend on social media posts and posters. His comments came in the wake of a deepfake video and wall posters that targeted him and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong after allegations []

Bijoya Sawian What remains in the end, what you leave behind is your reputation We are at the edge of a precipice and only if we accept this in all humility and take a U turn and think, we will sink. It is the same all over the world but I wish to []

Sujoy Dhar, journalist and travel writer, returns to the Thousand Islands in Ontario a decade after he first fell for themand finds the place has aged like good wine, while he has simply grown more certain of his love for it. Some places you visit. Others you carry around with you long after youve left. []

Denied entry into temples, they did not argue they carried Ram on their skin instead. TWF-IBNS correspondent Souvik Ghosh traces how Chhattisgarhs Ramnami Samaj, a Dalit devotional community that began tattooing the name of Ram across their bodies in the 1890s as a quiet act of resistance against caste exclusion, has travelled from the []

Co-pilot, identified as Omani national, used crash axe to attack captain CAIRO, Oct 3: The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain on an Israel-bound flight with an axe and trying to seize the controls was an Omani national whod been barred from flying on his countrys airline because of concerns about extremist views, officials said []

Dubai, Oct 3: Five Indian nationals were rescued after a Kuwait-flagged tanker was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, the Indian mission in Oman said on Saturday. In a post on X, the Indian embassy said it coordinated the rescue of the five Indians on board the MT Kazimah III, with all []

Islamabad, Oct 3: Pakistan on Saturday summoned the Indian Charge dAffaires to lodge a strong protest over the killing of two people by Indias Border Security Force (BSF) a day ago, saying they were civilians. BSF troops on Friday shot dead two suspected Pakistani intruders along the international border in Punjab, officials said. Tarn Taran []

Kyiv, Oct 3: A Russian strike damaged Kyivs Northern Bridge early Saturday, suspending traffic and causing tailbacks for a third day, in Moscows latest effort to disrupt life in the Ukrainian capital. The strike came a day after Russian assaults forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyivs six road bridges over the []

Cast: Veer Pahariya, Aafiya Sayed, Aparshakti Khurana, Rakesh Bedi, Nikhil Vijay, Duration: 2h18m, Rating: 4 stars There is more to Prem Keetanu than a boy falling for a girl and another boy trying to win her over. Yes, the film has the familiar ingredients of a youthful romantic comedy crushes, awkward conversations, friendship, jealousy, []

Mlaya-Assam border dispute SHILLONG, Oct 3: The state BJP has pitched for a broader effort to address the interstate boundary issue with Assam following fresh reports of disputes in some areas despite the settlement of six areas in the first phase of the border talks. Senior BJP leader and Pynthorumkhrah MLA AL Hek said the []

SHILLONG, Oct 3: The VPP will hold a mass gathering at Polo Ground on October 10 to mobilise its supporters behind the partys candidate, Batskhem Myrboh, for the Shillong Parliamentary constituency by-election. VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Saturday announced that the gathering would begin at noon and called upon party supporters from across the []

SHILLONG, Oct 3: Following the allegations of illegal collection from trucks on the Shillong bypass, the Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills, on Saturday ordered the transfer and posting of 15 police personnel, including inspectors, UB Sub-Inspectors, Head Constables and UB constables, with immediate effect. The order, issued on October 1 on the recommendation of []

SHILLONG, Oct 3: Jowai South MDC Moonlight Pariat joined the BJP on Saturday, saying he would highlight the problems faced by the district councils and ensure that their concerns were conveyed to the central leadership in Delhi. He said several proposals relating to the district councils had failed to make any headway as political parties []

SHILLONG, Oct 3: The BJP is pursuing the small-scale coal miners concerns with its national leadership, senior party leader and Pynthorumkhrah MLA Alexander Laloo Hek said on Saturday, as miners seek a scientific mining framework suited to their scale of operation. The party and its leaders are pursuing this, he said, adding that the matter []

SHILLONG, Oct 3: Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla urged Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya to constitute the Games Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) for the National Games at the earliest. Following the ministers return from an exposure trip to the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, Shylla met the Union []

SHILLONG, Oct 3: State BJP has supported the amendment to the voter rules in the GHADC to restrict electoral participation in council elections to native tribal communities. Governor CH Vijayashankar recently gave his assent to the amendment to the voter rules to restrict electoral participation in council elections to native tribal communities only. Reacting to []

SHILLONG, Oct 3: Rilbongs centenary celebrations came alive with food, music and community participation as the Rilbong Food Fest brought together participants and families to celebrate the localitys 100-year journey on Saturday. Held as part of the Rilbong 100 Years celebrations (19262026), the food festival featured competitions across a range of categories, alongside music, games []

SHILLONG, Oct 3: After receiving several complaints about the condition of the Lailad-Nongmensong road, Pynthorumkhrah MLA AL Hek on Saturday said that the pending work on the road will be completed once the weather conditions become suitable for bitumen work. The legislator said he had received several complaints about the unfinished stretch and had taken []

Nongpoh, Oct 3: Two persons were injured after the two-wheeler they were riding was hit by a 407 truck along the NH-6 in Ri Bhoi district on Saturday evening. It was informed that the accident occurred at around 5 pm, following which the truck driver allegedly fled the scene. Eyewitnesses informed the police and the []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Oct 2: An ailing infant died in his mothers arms on the way to treatment after his parents had to carry him on foot for nearly three hours from Domkyrkoh village under Rambrai C&RD Block in West Khasi Hills. The family had tried to get a vehicle during the night. Drivers []

SHILLONG, Oct 2: A local court in West Khasi Hills has sentenced a man to life imprisonment without any parole for murdering two women five years ago. The District and Sessions Judge, Nongstoin, convicted Banphrangkupar Nongbri for murdering 79-year-old Phlesis Syiem and her 25-year-old domestic help, Maitlynti Lyngdoh Marshillong, in 2021 and also imposed a []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Oct 2: An 18-year-old working in Shillong was found dead in his rented room at Thana Road, Khyndai Lad, in the early hours of Friday. The death is being treated as a suspected suicide. The youth has been identified as Sajan Borman of Bendal/Pyndan Borsora village under Mawsynram in East Khasi []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Oct 2: The BJP, now the second-largest partner in the MDA after eight UDP MLAs crossed over, is seeking three Cabinet berths, with talks also on for a Deputy Chief Ministers post and key portfolios, even as party spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang said more senior leaders are expected to join in the []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Oct 2: The State Congress on Friday dismissed the demand for changes to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act as a possible whitewash and questioned whether the NPP can be trusted on issues concerning Meghalaya and the Northeast. Congress leader Manuel Badwar said the FCRA demand, one of the issues raised by []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, Oct 2: Meghalayas revenue surplus has virtually disappeared in the first five months of the current financial year, falling to just Rs 6.39 crore by the end of August 2026, from Rs 833.27 crore during the corresponding period last year, according to the latest provisional accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor []

By Bhogtoram Mawroh Last week, I was invited by the Sauramandala Foundation to take part in a workshop organized by the Neighbourhoods of the Future (NOTF). It was quite an engaging programme, with many people sharing different aspects of what they love about the city of Shillong, its challenges, and how they envisage its future. []

By S. N. M. ABDI It has become rather easy to predict the scenario that invariably unfolds these days after a founder- centric regional political party is evicted from power in any state of the country. While the dazed founder-leader is licking his wounds after the poll debacle, the heir apparent is viciously and mercilessly []

Mumbai, Oct 1: Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty extended losses for the fourth straight session on Thursday as heavy FII selling, high bond yields and a fresh spike in crude oil prices weighed on investor sentiment. The BSE Sensex dropped 570.59 points, or 0.79 per cent, to settle at 71,909.70. The 30-share benchmark shed []

Mumbai, Oct 1: The rupee slumped below the psychologically important 96 per dollar mark on Thursday to close at 96.25 against the US dollar, the lowest level in more than two months, on risk aversion in global markets amid surging global bond yields and selling pressure from foreign investors. Forex traders said the rupee is []

SHILLONG, Oct 1: KSU general secretary Reuben Najiar on Thursday said the union was prepared to take responsibility for the violence that erupted during the August 19 black-flag bike rally, while questioning why the police did not step in when the situation turned violent. Najiar spoke to reporters before surrendering in court after his 14-day []

SHILLONG, Oct 1: East Khasi Hills Police on Thursday suspended a head constable and three constables and transferred an officer-in-charge after videos put out by the Khasi Students Union showed personnel allegedly collecting money from trucks at Mawkhanu and Thangshalai on the National Highway. The union said drivers were being made to pay between Rs []

SHILLONG, Oct 1: The BJPs sudden rise to 10 MLAs may figure in talks with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to Meghalaya on October 4 and 5, senior leader and Pynthorumkhrah MLA A.L. Hek indicated on Thursday, even as he left a Cabinet reshuffle to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma. Asked whether []

SHILLONG, Oct 1: President of the High Court of Meghalaya Bar Association K.S. Kynjing has objected to the boycott of courts and tribunals from Thursday, saying the call was taken without the President or the Executive Committee and runs against the law laid down by the Supreme Court. In a letter to Association Secretary General []

Mumbai, Sep 30: Benchmark stock indices Sensex and Nifty closed lower for the third consecutive session on Wednesday, dragged down by last-hour selling in metal and pharma shares amid firm crude oil prices and elevated global bond yields. Giving up all intraday gains, the 30-share BSE Sensex declined 48.78 points, or 0.07 per cent, to []

New Delhi, Sep 30: Gold prices rebounded from a two-month low, rising Rs 700 to Rs 1.49 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Wednesday as investors resorted to value buying at lower levels amid a firm global trend. The yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity ended a two-session decline, climbing Rs []

NEW DELHI/SHILLONG, Sep 30: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday extended the timeline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Meghalaya, with the final revised electoral roll now scheduled to be published on October 26. The earlier deadline for publication of the final electoral roll was October 21. The decision []

SHILLONG, Sep 30: Lawyers in Meghalaya will resume their agitation from Thursday by abstaining from judicial work over the continued appearance of Advocate General Amit Kumar in matters concerning the State Government. The decision was taken at an emergent joint executive committee meeting of the High Court of Meghalaya Bar Association and the Shillong Bar []