The Shillong Times

Baghdad, April 1: An American journalist has been kidnapped in Baghdad by a suspected Iran-backed Iraqi armed group, the US Department of State confirmed, raising fresh concerns over the safety of foreign nationals in the region. The State Department said it is actively working to secure the journalists release at the earliest. The US Department []

Indian Premier League Mullanpur, March 31: Young southpaw Cooper Connolly marked his IPL debut with a decisive 44-ball 72 after Yuzvendra Chahals artistry with the ball to power Punjab Kings to a three-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans here on Tuesday. After PBKS opted to field first, leg-spinner Chahal (2/28 in 4 overs) brought his years []

Indian Premier League Bengaluru, March 31: The atmosphere in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru camp is much calmer than last year and players have a lot more understanding of their roles this season, says Krunal Pandya. RCB won the Indian Premier League trophy for the first time in 18 years in 2025 and Pandya was the []

Indian Premier League Bengaluru, March 31: In a landmark moment that once again underlined his enduring greatness, Virat Kohli became the first batter in the history of the Indian Premier League to surpass 4,000 runs in successful run chases. The milestone was achieved during the IPL 2026 season opener between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru []

Indian Premier League New Delhi, March 31: In an era where noise often drowns nuance, Auqib Nabi has quietly carved a space of his own built not on hype, but on balance, clarity, and an unwavering belief in his craft. Fresh from securing an INR 8.4 crore deal with Delhi Capitals at the IPL []

Indian Premier League Match today Delhi Capitals vs Lucknow Super Giants at 7:30 pm Lucknow, March 31: Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant will have little room for error in a critical year as his side begins its IPL 2026 campaign against a well-rounded Delhi Capitals here on Wednesday. Pant could not deliver as []

Indian Premier League Sydney, March 31: Cameron Green is dealing with huge expectations both in the IPL and in the Australian cricket set-up but the all-rounder has what it takes to balance it out for a career that will trend upwards, his national head coach Andrew McDonald has said. Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahanes []

Indian Premier League Guwahati, March 31: Ravindra Jadeja etched his name further into the record books by becoming the ninth-highest wicket-taker in the history of the Indian Premier League, overtaking former Sri Lanka pacer Lasith Malinga during Rajasthan Royals IPL 2026 opener here on Monday. The milestone came as Jadeja claimed two wickets in the []

Indian Premier League New Delhi, March 31: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi taking down world class bowlers in his IPL 2026 opening knock was a reflection of his special talent and fearless approach, feels former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar. The 15-year-old smashed a 15-ball fifty to set up Rajasthan Royals roaring win over CSK on Monday. A []

Indian Premier League New Delhi, March 31: The IPL governing council on Tuesday expressed deepest condolences on the untimely death of Jan William Langford, a British broadcast engineer who was working with the BCCI for the 2026 edition of the league, and assured help to his bereaved family. The 76-year-old Langford was found unconscious in []

Kochi, March 31: Australian-born Ryan Williams made a dream India debut as his fourth-minute strike set up the home sides 2-1 win over Hong Kong in an inconsequential Asian Cup qualifying round match here on Tuesday. Akash Mishra scored the other goal for India in the 50th minute, also his first international strike, to help []

Dubai, March 31: President Donald Trump expressed frustration Tuesday with allies who have been unwilling to do more to support the US war effort, telling them to go get your own oil as the conflict with Iran and its closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent average US gas prices past USD 4 a gallon. []

Bystanders look at rising smoke as an Israeli strike hits a building near the airport road in Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday. (PTI)

WASHINGTON, March 31: Gulf allies of the United States, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are urging President Donald Trump to continue prosecuting the war against Iran, arguing that Tehran hasnt been weakened enough by the monthlong U.S.-led bombing campaign, according to US, Gulf and Israeli officials. After private grumbling at the []

London, March 31: King Charles III is going ahead with a state visit to the United States next month despite calls for the ceremonial event to be called off due to US President Donald Trumps repeated criticism of the British government for failing to support the war in Iran. The king and Queen Camilla would []

Kyiv, March 31: European foreign ministers visited Ukraine on Tuesday to mark the fourth anniversary of atrocities committed in a town near Kyiv by Russias invading forces. A group of 12 European foreign ministers arrived by train in Kyiv, where they were welcomed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who noted the grim anniversary of []

Kathmandu, March 31: The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) on Tuesday announced a two-week-long protest starting April 11 against the arrest of deposed prime minister and party chair K P Sharma Oli. The former prime minister and then home minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested on Saturday for their alleged involvement in suppressing last years []

Havana, March 31: The Russian vessel Anatoly Kolodkin docked Tuesday at the Cuban port of Matanzas laden with 730,000 barrels of oil, marking the first time in three months that an oil tanker reached the island. The administration of US President Donald Trump had allowed the shipment to proceed despite its ongoing energy blockade. Cubans, []

Editor, The recently concluded Shillong International Film Festival is a welcome and much-needed initiative for Meghalaya. As highlighted in its vision, the festival aims to create a platform for cinematic exchange, celebrate regional and global storytelling, and nurture a film culture within the state. Such intent is both timely and important, especially in a region []

Curiously, but certainly, the reach of social media has expanded beyond expectations. The spread of mobile phones with internet links in recent years created a wired community, which has both information and entertainment on their fingertips without resorting to any additional communication equipment. With the Internet having become cheap, unlike in the initial years when []

By Kitdor H. Blah According to the social evolution theory of state, people have existed prior to the State, and the State arises out of the need for a neutral arbitrator of justice. Consistent with this school of thought, history tells us that the Khasi people would choose a Chief/Syiem from outside the clans that []

By Tanveer Singh Imagine you are a biologist walking through a forest where the ground floor is a tropical rainforest and the top floor is a Himalayan snowfield all within the same 1,985 square kilometres, smaller than Goa, and packing more species per square kilometre than almost anywhere else in Asia. And yet, entire []

At this stage, profit is no longer our concern. Our immediate priority is survival and ensuring that our employees continue to have jobs By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 31: Restaurants and cafs across Shillong are staring at possible closure as an acute shortage of commercial LPG cylinders continues to disrupt operations, leaving business owners struggling []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 31: With the enforcement of digital verification norms tightening, LPG consumers have been rushing to their respective agencies across Shillong since last week to complete their mandatory biometric Aadhaar authentication (eKYC) and Digital Authentication Compliance (DAC) procedures. The sudden surge follows a public advisory issued by the Office of the []

Party demands immediate arrest of ex-MLA Mominin Our Bureau TURA, March 31: The Congress party has sought elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) within two months, while raising concerns over the delay in arresting former MLA, S.G. Esmatur Miminin, who the party described as a key accused in the recent unrest in []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 31: The Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL) has secured a B+ grade in the Consumer Service Rating of Discoms (CSRD), conducted by the Ministry of Power in association with the Rural Electrification Corporation. Among 66 power distribution companies across the country, MePDCL was ranked 48th. MePDCL performed strongly in []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 31: The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) has intensified its demand for electoral and legal reforms, calling for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and amendment of the Scheduled Tribes List of 1950. Following a meeting on Tuesday, CoMSO chairman Roy Kupar Synrem said the organisation will []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 31: The Tourism Department on Tuesday clarified that reports circulating on social media regarding the proposed Taj Umiam Resort & Spa project are factually incorrect and misinformed. The department stated that concerns suggesting environmental unsustainability or adverse ecological impact on Umiam Lake and Lumpongdeng Island are unfounded. The project is []

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 31: The next round of Indias population census will commence in phases from April 2026, with Meghalaya set to begin its part of the exercise from mid-May, officials informed on Tuesday. Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan said Census 2027 will mark a transition to a fully digital []

An unexploded artillery shell recovered from a construction site in Qualapatty area of the city on Tuesday evening. East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said Lumdiengjri Police Station received information following which they cordoned off the area and deployed a bomb squad which took away the shell for proper disposal.

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, March 31: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Tuesday officially confirmed Batskhem Myrboh as the party candidate for the by-election to the Shillong Parliamentary seat. The announcement came after Myrbohs candidature was approved by the partys state executive committee. Party spokesperson Londoner Murphy Sohtun said that the decision was []

From Our Correspondent SHILLONG, March 31: The KHADC opposition on Tuesday welcomed the Executive Committees (EC) decision to constitute a Special Committee to examine amendments to the ADC Rules, while simultaneously seeking detailed clarification on the suspension of EC Secretary D.G. Syiemiong and the resignation of Standing Counsel T.T. Diengdoh. The issues were raised during []

Moscow, March 31: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has expressed that Moscow is expecting a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a bilateral summit later this year, local media reported on Tuesday. This year it is Russias turn to host the Russian-Indian summit. We hope that the Indian Prime Minister will take advantage []

Tura, Mar 31: Congress leader and former South Tura MLA John Lesley K Sangma on Tuesday sought the immediate arrest of former GHADC MDC Esmatur Mominin in connection with the recent communal violence in Garo Hills which led to the loss of two lives. Giving his statement to the media in Tura, the former MLA []

Guwahati, March 31: Prabhat Jyoti Gowala, an alumnus of The Assam Royal Global University (RGU) has earned recognition as an Art Grantee at the prestigious Art for Hope 2026 exhibition, organized by Hyundai Motor India Foundation at Travancore Palace in New Delhi. The 5th edition of the exhibition was held from 19 th to 22 []

Tokyo, March 31: Japans Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that long-range missiles with counterstrike capabilities have been brought into service for the first time at two Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) bases in the country, a move that has sparked domestic opposition. The deployment of the missiles at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, and []

Nantes, March 30: A commercial court in France has dismissed Welsh club Cardiffs claims for compensation in the death of soccer player Emiliano Sala. Seven years after the plane crash that killed Sala, Cardiff was still seeking more than 120 million euros ($138 million) from the players former team Nantes following a series of previous []

By Our Reporter Shillong, March 30: The knockout stage gathered pace, the air thick with anticipation, as the East Khasi Hills District League T20 Cricket Tournament moved into its decisive phase with two gripping quarterfinal encounters. In Quarterfinal 3, Laitkynsew MC opted to bat first after winning the toss against Sohra Combine. Their innings, however, []

New Delhi, March 30: The WTO ministerial conference in Yaounde, which concluded on Monday, failed to reach any agreement on key issues, including the extension of the moratorium on e-commerce and reforms of the global trade body. The 14th ministerial conference (MC), which concluded in the early hours on March 30 in the capital city []

Dubai, March 30: US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened widespread destruction of Irans energy resources and other vital infrastructure, including desalination plants, if a deal to end the war is not reached shortly. Tehran meanwhile struck a key water and electrical plant in Kuwait, and an oil refinery in Israel came under attack. Israel []

Dubai, March 30: An Indian national has been killed in Kuwait in Iranian strikes on a power and water desalination plant, taking the total number of Indian fatalities from the ongoing conflict in West Asia to eight since it began a month back. Kuwaits Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said a service building []

Islamabad, March 30: Pakistan announced on Sunday that it will soon host talks between the US and Iran, though there was no immediate word from Washington or Tehran, and it was unclear whether discussions on the month-long war would be direct or indirect. Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and the US have expressed []

Aboard Airforce One, March 30: US President Donald Trump on Sunday night said he has no problem with a Russian oil tanker off the coast of Cuba delivering relief to the island, which has been brought to its knees by a US oil blockade. We have a tanker out there. We dont mind having somebody []

Kathmandu, March 30: Nepals Supreme Court on Monday refused to provide interim relief to former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, arrested over the 2025 Gen Z movement crackdown, even as protests continued in Nepal over his detention. Oli and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak were arrested on Saturday for their alleged involvement in suppressing []

Bangkok, March 30: Myanmars Parliament on Monday began the process of electing the countrys next president, which will mark a nominal return to an elected government after five years of military rule, but is widely considered to be an effort to keep power in the hands of the army. The process began the same day []

SHILLONG: Meghalaya adokni Umiam Lake-o donggipa Lumpongdeng Island-o five-star luxury hotel aro spa kulina gita sorkarini tik kaaniko Meghalaya Pradesh Mahila Congress (MPMC) aro Green-Tech Foundation (GTF) Meghalaya raken jegalataha aro ia chichango five-star hotel-ko kulianiara, samtangtango ongtelaigiparangna nangchakeaniko rabagen ine mikrakataniko onangaha. Umiam Lake-o five-star hotel aro spa kulina sorkarini tik kaaniko jegalatengon, ia []

SHILLONG: Meghalaya adoko drugs ba pekatgipa samrangko jakkalgipa chadamberang batrorobaengani gimin Tura-ni Lok Sabha MP Saleng A Sangma, antangni suk onggijaniko parakatenba, adoko pekatgipa samrangko jakkalgipa chadamberang dao lak gittam batpilengaha ine janapataha. Adoko pekatgipa samrangko jakkalgipa chadamberangni tarakbee batroroenganiara, adok gimiknan jajrengna nangani ongenga ineba ua aganaha. Daaloba anchingni gisepo drugs-ko jakkalgiparang taraken batrorobaenga []

TURA: Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC)-ni ningo dingtang dingtang kamrangko kae chaenggiparang, bading chiwalgiparang, skulko chalaienggiparang, bank-rang, daldalgipa company-rang aro dingtang dingtang kamrangko kaenggipa manderang, antangtangni gamna nangenggipa tax ba kajinarangko gamtokjaengani asel GHADC-ko name chalaina manjaenga ine Sombar salo, GHADC-ni Deputy Chief Executive Membor aro Taxation-ni Executive Membor In-charge Stevie M Marak parakatenba, []

Editor, Apropos of the news Small eateries feel the heat of commercial LPG shortage. (ST March 30, 2026), the LPG crisis in India is directly linked to the ongoing war in West Asia, where U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran have disrupted supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz. However, responsibility is shared: while []

The Government of Meghalaya appears to be working only at the directive of the High Court or the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the issue of rivers. Recently the Government reconstituted the River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC) ostensibly to prepare and execute an action plan for restoring identified polluted river stretches. The mandate of this Committee []