Publication

Murshidabad fares worst in Bengal adjudication cuts

NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: Around nine million names were deleted as part of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Tuesday, adding that roughly 2.71 million of those voters...

US aviator rescued after tense search, Trump vows ‘hell’ if Strait stays closed

TEHRAN: US President Donald Trump on Sunday made expletive-laden new threats to escalate strikes on Iran and its infrastructure if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz by his deadline, after American forces rescued an aviator whose Iran-downed plane...

Trump gives new ultimatum, hunt for US pilot intensifies

TEL AVIV: The US military on Saturday searched for a missing pilot shot down over a remote area in Iran, while President Donald Trump remained silent on the incident but reminded Tehran of his Monday deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz: “48 hours...

Trump dashes hopes of quick end to war as Iran continues Gulf strikes

DUBAI: Iran fired more missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states Thursday, demonstrating Tehran’s continued ability to strike its neighbours even as US President Donald Trump claimed in a televised address the threat from the country was nearly...

EC transferred 483 officials in Bengal vs 23 in other poll states

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered the transfer of 483 administration and police officials in West Bengal since assembly elections were announced on March 15 — 21 times the 23 officers it has ordered transferred across the three other...

Trump slams allies, Iran seeks guarantees for truce

TEHRAN/WASHINGTON: 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 Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had the...

Rtd Brigadier out for walk dies as bullets fly after Doon brawl

A 70-year-old retired Army brigadier died in Dehradun on Monday morning after being hit by a bullet when an occupant of a car fired at another vehicle in the middle of a high-speed chase triggered by a late-night brawl at a club in the city, police...

DMK’s poll pitch: ₹8,000 coupons, higher pension

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin on Sunday released his party’s manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections, promising a ₹8,000 coupon scheme for women from families not under the income tax...

A month on, truce hopes dim, war inches closer to Red Sea ENERGY SUPPLIES COMFORTABLE, SAYS GOVT AFTER MINISTERS’ REVIEW

DUBAI: Iranian-backed Houthi rebels entered the month-old war in the Middle East on Saturday, claiming a missile launch that Israel said it intercepted. Pakistan said regional powers plan to meet Sunday to discuss how to end the fighting, while Iran...

Israel strikes Iran N-sites after Trump extends Hormuz date

DUBAI: Iran’s nuclear facilities came under attack on Friday, state media reported, just hours after Israel threatened to “escalate and expand” its campaign against Tehran. Iran quickly threatened to retaliate and Israel claimed responsibility for the...

Delhi govt’s ₹6.2-cr VIP boats plan runs aground

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has scrapped its plans to procure two air-conditioned boats at a cost of ₹6.2 crore for VIP inspections of the Yamuna, and suspended two senior officials involved in the procurement, minister Parvesh Verma said on...

India firms up its promise of emission cuts

NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday approved enhanced climate targets for the 2031-2035 period under the Paris Agreement, raising its commitments on emissions, clean energy, and forests at a time when the United States has withdrawn from the global climate...

Delhi Budget: CM Gupta junks AAP populism, pivots to capex

NEW DELHI: Delhi’s fiscal priorities have made a huge pivot from the politically rewarding populism of Aam Aadmi Party’s 10-year rule to capital expenditure under the current Rekha Gupta-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. This is best seen in...

Trump presses pause, Iran denies talks claim

DUBAI: US President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. was talking with a “respected” Iranian leader and claimed the Islamic Republic was eager for a deal to end the war. He also extended a deadline for Iran to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz or...

Delhi faces water supply woes as snag halts plant

NEW DELHI: Water supply to several parts of central, north and south Delhi is likely to be disrupted for at least three days after a damaged pipeline knocked the crucial Chandrawal water treatment plant out of action, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said on...

‘Collegium has failed to protect judges in past’

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court judge justice Dipankar Datta on Saturday said the top court’s Collegium has, in the past, failed to stand by judges who acted with courage and integrity, warning that such instances may discourage judges from prioritising...

Iran threatens world tourism spots as more leaders killed

DUBAI: Iran threatened to target recreational and tourist sites worldwide and insisted it was still building missiles. Its supreme leader issued another defiant statement on Friday, nearly three weeks into US-Israeli strikes that have killed a slew of...

BJP releases 1st Assam, 2nd WB candidate lists

GUWAHATI/KOLKATA: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday released a list of 88 candidates for Assam and 111 for West Bengal as it geared up for assembly elections next month in four states and a Union Territory. In Assam, where the BJP is hoping...

8 OF FAMILY DEAD AS EV CHARGER SPARKS FIRE IN INDORE HOUSE

BHOPAL/KISHANGANJ: Eight of an Indore family were killed on Wednesday after a fire broke out while their electric vehicle was being charged inside their twostorey house, which was engulfed in seconds as flames tore through commercial cylinders and...

Af-Pak fight spirals as Kabul strike kills 400

KABUL: More than 400 people were killed and 265 wounded in an airstrike by Pakistan on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, a spokesperson of the Afghan Taliban government said on Tuesday, in the deadliest incident since fighting between the two...

NDA makes gains in RS polls as cross-voting dents Oppn

BHUBANESWAR/PATNA: The Opposition suffered setbacks in Odisha and Bihar during Rajya Sabha polls on Monday as candidates backed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) benefited from cross-voting and lawmakers not showing up. In all, 37 Rajya Sabha...

4 states, 1 UT gear up for April poll battles; verdict on May 4

NEW DELHI: Roughly 174 million voters across four states and a Union Territory will vote in assembly polls next month, the Election Commission of India (ECI) declared on Sunday, setting in motion a crucial electoral cycle that will have deep...

US embassy hit as Iran strikes back over bombing on island

DUBAI: President Donald Trump’s administration has rebuffed efforts by West Asian allies to start diplomatic negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war, news agency Reuters reported on Saturday, as the conflict spiralled after the US struck military...

Self-identification not part of new trans definition bill

NEW DELHI: The Union government on Friday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha that significantly narrows the definition of transgender persons, removes the right to self-identification, introduces medical boards for certification, and prescribes...

SC closes MC Mehta PIL on Delhi pollution after 40 yrs

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday formally disposed of the landmark 1985 public interest litigation filed by environmentalist MC Mehta that led to nearly four decades of continuous judicial oversight on pollution control in Delhi — from the...

SC allows passive euthanasia for 32-yr-old in pivotal ruling

The Supreme Court on Wednesday permitted the withdrawal of life-sustaining medical treatment for a 32-yearold man who has remained in a permanent vegetative state for more than a decade, invoking the timeless Shakespearean dilemma of “to be or not to...

Cabinet eases investment rules for China, neighbours

Six years after India restricted investments from companies based in China and other countries that share a land border with it in local entities, the Union cabinet on Tuesday allowed the same conditionally, to boost specific sectors (such as...

Court erred with remarks on CBI in excise case order: HC

NEW DELHI: Observations made by a trial court while discharging former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and 22 others in connection with the now scrapped Delhi excise policy in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case were “prima facie...

Indian killed in Saudi amid rising hits on civilian infra

DUBAI: An Indian and a Bangladeshi were killed in Saudi Arabia when a “military projectile” fell onto a residential area in Al Kharj governorate south of Riyadh, the country’s civil defence agency said on Sunday, as the Iran war’s targets widened into...

Delhi max crosses 35°C, earliest in at least 15 yrs

The temperature in Delhi soared past 35°C on Saturday, the earliest it has crossed this threshold in at least 15 years, data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed, as Delhi checked off another grim touchpoint in an unusually hot...

Ex-rapper Balendra Shah set to become Nepal PM

KATHMANDU: Rapper-turnedpolitician Balendra Shah’s newly formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was on Friday heading towards a sweeping victory in Nepal’s first general elections since the violent Gen Z protests, shattering the dominance of established...

Baramati crash preliminary report puts visibility in focus

NEW DELHI: The VSR Aviation chartered jet carrying Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar crashed as the crew attempted to land in visibility of 3,000 metres, against a legal minimum of 5,000 metres for visual flight, the preliminary...

Canada PM begins India visit

India coast past Zimbabwe, stay in WC race

India beat Zimbabwe by 72 runs on Thursday to stay in the race for the T20 World Cup. The hosts scored 256-4, the tournament’s highest this year, after fifties from Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya. Zimbabwe managed just 184-6 despite Brian Bennett’s...

‘Golden age’: Trump’s pitch despite setbacks

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump boasted in his State of the Union address on Tuesday that he had ushered in “the golden age of America”, seeking to project an aura of success despite sagging approval ratings and deepening voter frustration ahead...

Publish WB lists even after cut-off: SC to EC

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday invoked its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution and directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to continue publishing supplementary voter lists even after the final electoral roll is...

TN final roll at 56.7mn, 11.6% drop from pre-SIR

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday published the final voter roll for Tamil Nadu after the monthslong Special Intensive Revision (SIR), excising nearly one in 10 names from the electorate of the southern state that goes to the polls this...

Super 8 setback for India

BATTING IMPLOSION The famed Indian batting line-up failed to fire as they lost an opener with the score on 0 for the fourth time in the tournament. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals as SA ended India’s 12-match winning streak at the T20...

From 10 to 15%: Trump raises US global tariffs

NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump raised his newly imposed global tariff to 15% on Saturday, maxing out the statutory ceiling of the legal provision he had invoked just a day earlier — and signalling that steeper levies were on the way. In a post...

SC orders deployment of district court judges to oversee Bengal SIR

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the deployment of serving and retired district court judges in West Bengal to adjudicate disputed voter claims in the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral roll, in an unprecedented exercise of its...

PM frames India as key player in AI ecosystem

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday outlined an ethical, sovereign, inclusive and globally oriented vision of artificial intelligence (AI) as he pitched India as a central player in the global AI ecosystem and called for stronger...

RS polls on Mar 16, NDA tally to go up

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced elections to the Rajya Sabha for 37 seats across 10 states on March 16 even as data suggested that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is set to expand its presence in the...

India, France boost security, energy ties

NEW DELHI: India and France on Tuesday upgraded their relations to a special global strategic partnership and took several steps to deepen ties in defence, technology, critical minerals and energy, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel...

India team heads to US to seal deal text

NEW DELHI: India’s chief negotiator Darpan Jain will visit the US next week to finalise the legal text for an interim agreement in line with the February 7 joint statement of the two countries, commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday, adding...

Reforms to innovation: PM sets decade’s agenda

NEW DELHI: Asserting that his government’s “Reform Express” is benefitting common citizens in a big way, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said his top three reform priorities for the next decade will be continued structural reforms, deepening...

Assam gets key project, Modi sharpens poll pitch

GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday stepped up the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) campaign for a third consecutive term in Assam with a sharp political attack on the Congress, while the Union cabinet in New Delhi separately...

Indian pleads guilty in US to Pannun assassination plot

WASHINGTON: Indian national Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty on Friday to plotting the assassination of pro-Khalistan activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York confirmed. Gupta, 54, appeared in...

While the Capital crawls, where are the traffic cops?

NEW DELHI: With key arterial roads across the Capital perennially choked, the Delhi Traffic Police appears to be battling a crisis of its own making. Operating at a staggering 20% vacancy — with another 10% of staff effectively unavailable due to...

Rahul slams govt on trade deal, gets cutting response

NEW DELHI: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took aim at the India-US trade deal, accusing the government of compromising on national interests and asserting that the INDIA bloc would have negotiated a superior...

Official Vande Mataram rules: 6 stanzas must; before anthem

NEW DELHI: The Union home ministry has mandated that a sixstanza-long, 3 minutes and 10 seconds version of Vande Mataram be played or sung at a raft of official occasions, including during the unfurling of the Tricolour, arrival of the President at...

St. Mark’s AIFW: A Festival of Friendship, Culture & Sustainability

Anjali Aggarwal, Co-founder of St. Mark’s Group of Schools, envisioned a classroom that transcends geographical boundaries, a space enriched by global understanding and meaningful connections. This inspiring vision found its true expression in Anjali...

ICC, PCB negotiate India-Pak WC clash

MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) held talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday after the latter softened its stance on boycotting its T20 World Cup group match against India and approached the governing body for discussions,...

5 knew Delhi biker fell into DJB pit, none helped; 1 held

NEW DELHI: A sub-contractor was on Saturday arrested in connection with the death of a 25-year-old bank telecaller who fell into an unsecured Delhi Jal Board (DJB) pit, investigators said, as it emerged that the man’s body lay there for nearly eight...

31 killed in suicide blast at mosque in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan’s capital, officials said, in one of the worst terror attacks targeting the community in recent...

18 workers die after blast in illegal Meghalaya coal mine

SHILLONG: At least 18 bodies have been recovered after an explosion ripped through an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills, as rescue teams continued to comb the remote site on Thursday amid mounting questions about the persistence of...

Family dynamics, K-fixation converge in Gzb girls’ fatal fall

Three sisters aged 11, 14 and 16, obsessed with Korean culture and influenced by a task-based online game, died by suicide by jumping off a modified window of their ninth floor flat in a Ghaziabad highrise in the early hours of Wednesday. Or did...

Tragic homecoming: Ajit Pawar dies in jet crash Astute leader who reshaped Maha politics

PUNE/NEW DELHI: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others were killed in a plane crash in Maharashtra’s Baramati town on Wednesday morning, ending an era in state politics and raising serious questions about the flight operator and...

SRINAGAR FLIGHTS CANCELLED

More snow fell on Kashmir late on Monday, forcing authorities to shut the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. At Srinagar International Airport, all 58 scheduled flights — 29 arrivals and 29 departures —were cancelled. Officials said snow made the runway...

Carney likely to visit in March as ties reset

OTTAWA: Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney will likely visit India the first week of March and sign deals on uranium, energy, minerals and artificial intelligence, Dinesh Patnaik, India’s High Commissioner to Canada said in an interview. Carney is...