Bathinda: With persistent rains lashing southern Malwa, Punjab's water-sensitive cotton crop has begun to suffer, particularly in areas where water stagnation is occurring. The damage is most pronounced in Fazilka district, where cotton cultivation spans over 60,000 hectares. Crop damage has already been assessed in more than 2,000 acres, just as the first picking was expected to begin within a fortnight.Experts warn that if water remains stagnant around cotton plants for over 72 hours, the plan...Read More
Bengaluru, Aug 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) The BJP and Congress led government in Karnataka have taken opposition positions with regard to inauguration of the Dussehra festivities by Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq. The BJP has questioned whether Banu Mushtaq will accept Hindu culture, traditions and practices. The Congress led government has maintained that whether she believes or not is not a question and she is being invited to inaugurate the festival of the land. Speaking to the media at the BJP ...Read More
NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leaders have objected to the Karnataka government's decision to invite Booker Prize-winning author and activist Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate this year's Mysuru Dasara celebrations. Karnataka minister G Parameshwara, however, countered the criticism, saying, "This is not a religious issue."Former minister and BJP MLC CT Ravi argued that it was inappropriate for someone "whose faith is uncertain" to lead a religious ceremony.Former Mysuru MP Pratap Simha said while he respects ...Read More
New Delhi, August 25: India has reportedly extended a gesture of goodwill to Pakistan on Sunday, August 24, after alerting Islamabad about a potential flood in the Tawi River. The information was shared through the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, bypassing the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) that remains suspended following the Pahalgam terror attack in April, as per multiple reports. Sources quoted in local media said the alert was issued on humanitarian grounds, despite heightened tensions betw...Read More
New Delhi [India], August 25 (ANI): India and Fiji on Monday unveiled significant initiatives to bolster defence and maritime security cooperation between the two nations, including the creation of a Defence Attache post at the High Commission of India in Fiji capital of Suva. According to the Joint Statement issued following the joint press conference by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka earlier today, there is growing momentum in bilateral ties aimed at pr...Read More
Shimla, August 25: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in three districts of Himachal Pradesh, Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi, for the next 48 hours. Orange and yellow alerts have also been issued for several other districts in the state. According to the IMD's latest forecast, a red alert has been issued for Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi on August 25. For August 26, the red alert remains in place for Chamba and Kangra, while Mandi moves ...Read More
BANGKOK: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has attended a dinner reception hosted by Thailand's former Prime Minister and prominent business leader in the telecommunications sector, Thaksin Shinawatra, in Bangkok. The event was also attended by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thailand's youngest former female prime minister. Both Thaksin and his daughter extended a warm welcome to the Punjab chief minister. During the meeting, Thaksin conveyed goodwill and best wishes for Pakistan Muslim Leagu...Read More
New Delhi: In a rare diplomatic gesture amid heightened tensions, India has shared details of the flood situation in Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan, citing humanitarian concerns, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The communication was made on Sunday by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marking the first time such information has been relayed through the High Commission rather than through the traditional Indus Water Commission...Read More
Batala (Punjab) [India], August 25 (ANI): In a significant breakthrough in the ongoing efforts to maintain peace and security in Punjab, Batala Police have foiled a Pakistan-ISI-backed terror plot with the recovery of explosives and communication devices near the Amritsar road, officials said on Monday. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that four SPL HGR-84 hand grenades (also known as Arges HG-84) and a 2kg RDX-based improvised explosive device (IED) were recovered from...Read More
New Delhi [India], August 25 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Monday stated that the Right to Information (RTI) Act was enacted to ensure transparency in governance, not to serve as fodder for sensationalism. Justice Sachin Datta observed that even seemingly innocuous disclosures could open the floodgates of indiscriminate demands, motivated by idle curiosity or sensationalism, rather than any objective public interest consideration. Delivering the verdict in a case relating to Prime Minister Na...Read More
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police has busted an alleged Pak-ISI backed terror module with the recovery of four SPL HGR-84 hand grenades and one RDX-based improvised explosive device (IED) from the bushes near the road leading to Amritsar from Batala. The IED weighs nearly 2 kg and was packed in a black metallic box. Director General of Police, Punjab Gaurav Yadav said on Monday that in addition, the police teams have recovered a Baofeng dual-band FM transceiver set, a D-shaped headset commonly used wi...Read More
Batala (Punjab) [India], August 25 (ANI): In a significant breakthrough in the ongoing efforts to maintain peace and security in Punjab, Batala Police have foiled a Pakistan-ISI-backed terror plot with the recovery of explosives and communication devices near the Amritsar road, officials said on Monday. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that four SPL HGR-84 hand grenades (also known as Arges HG-84) and a 2kg RDX-based improvised explosive device (IED) were recovered from...Read More
Mumbai, Aug 25 (PTI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday accused Maratha quota agitation spearhead Manoj Jarange of making foul remarks against the mother of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a charge denied by the activist. Saffron party leaders alleged Jarange, who has warned of launching a new phase of agitation for Maratha quota in government jobs and education later this week, harbours hatred towards Fadnavis and his family. Senior BJP leader and MLC Pravin Darekar said...Read More
Kolkata, Aug 25 (PTI) A quarrel within the head family of the politically significant Matua community has erupted into open feud between Union minister Shantanu Thakur and his elder brother, BJP MLA Subrata Thakur, leaving West Bengal's political circles abuzz with the fallout ahead of the assembly polls. The confrontation has left the state BJP leadership squirming in discomfort, unsure how to handle the rift within a community it banks on electorally, while the TMC is gleefully eyeing the dis...Read More
Lucknow, Aug 25 (PTI) Rashtriya Kisan Manch on Monday demanded that astronaut and IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla be honoured with Bharat Ratna -- India's highest civilian honour. In a post on X in Hindi, Manch's president, Shekhar Dixit, said, "Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station (ISS). Hearty welcome and felicitation on his arrival in Lucknow today. He (Shubhanshu Shukla) has made the entire nation proud and has proved...Read More
New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on the bills to remove the prime minister and chief ministers, saying it is now clear that the BJP "conspired" to remove Arvind Kejriwal from the post of Delhi chief minister. The AAP's response came after an X post from the Shah's office quoted his statement that it was inappropriate for a chief minister or prime minister accused of corruption or serious crimes to run government fro...Read More
New Delhi: People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti staged a protest in Srinagar on Monday, demanding the release or transfer of Kashmiri prisoners detained under stringent laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA). The protest, held at Sher-i-Kashmir Park near the PDP office, was part of a broader campaign against what Mufti described as the "prolonged and inhumane detention" of Kashmiri ...Read More
Chandigarh: Punjab police on Monday claimed to have busted a Pak-ISI backed terror module with the arrest of an accused and recovery of four SPL HGR-84 hand grenades - also known as Arges HG-84 - and one RDX-based improvised explosive device (IED) weighing about 2 kg, from Batala area. Communication Equipment Recovered Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, said that the police teams have also recovered a Baofeng dual-band FM transceiver set, a D-shaped headset commonly used w...Read More
New Delhi, Aug 24 (PTI) A five-year-old boy sustained multiple deep bites after being attacked by a stray dog inside a police colony in east Delhi's Shakarpur, officials said on Monday. The incident occurred on Sunday when the boy and his father had gone to meet their relatives living in the police colony, they said. The stray dog suddenly pounced on him and bit him multiple times, police said. Hearing the boy's screams, a police inspector staying there rushed to the spot, freed him from the ...Read More
Lucknow, Aug 25 (PTI) Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla urged students at his school to aspire to be on the Indian spaceflight to the Moon but warned them they may have "competition" in store for the coveted spots on the crewed mission. "I am going to be in competition!" he said in a lighter vein, eliciting peals of laughter from the young crowd at his alma mater, City Montessori School (CMS) in Lucknow on Monday. "So work hard and we will compete together and let's see who goes to the Moon in 2040,"...Read More
New Delhi, August 25: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday that the Opposition should not teach him lessons on morality, adding that when he was accused and the CBI sent him a summons, he resigned the very next day. He said he did not take the oath for any constitutional post until all the charges against him were dismissed. Pushing for the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill 2025, the Home Minister said that if someone is neck deep in corruption, then he will be arrested, he will have t...Read More
Greater Noida dowry death: Nikki's father alleged that her daughter's in-laws demanded a car and burnt Nikki alive over the same The Uttar Pradesh police on Monday arrested all four accused in Greater Noida's dowry murder case and informed that they will be interrogated. Vipin Bhati, the victim Nikki's husband and prime accused was apprehended on Sunday, after which the woman's in-laws were also arrested. Nikki, who tied the knot with Vipin in 2016, was allegedly set ablaze by her husband and ...Read More
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 25 (ANI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in three districts of Himachal Pradesh, Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi, for the next 48 hours. Orange and yellow alerts have also been issued for several other districts in the state. According to the IMD's latest forecast, a red alert has been issued for Chamba, Kangra, and Mandi on August 25. For August 26, the red alert remains in place for Cha...Read More
New Delhi, Aug 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday that the Opposition should not teach him lessons on morality, adding that when he was accused and the CBI sent him a summons, he resigned the very next day. He said he did not take the oath for any constitutional post until all the charges against him were dismissed. Pushing for the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill 2025, the Home Minister said that if someone is neck deep in corruption, then he will be arrested,...Read More
Srinagar, Aug 25 (PTI) Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Monday appealed to political and social groups in Kashmir to jointly strive for the release of prisoners, saying playing politics on this humanitarian issue will be a shame. "Efforts to highlight the plight of the thousands of Kashmiri prisoners languishing in jails in the Union territory and across India, and for their relief and release is the moral responsibility of all Kashmiris," Mirwaiz said in a post on X. He sai...Read More
Ranchi, Aug 25 (UNI) The second day of Jharkhand Assembly's supplementary monsoon session turned stormy as repeated disruptions and walkouts overshadowed proceedings. The session, convened after being cut short earlier this month following the death of veteran leader Shibu Soren, was expected to debate the first supplementary budget of the financial year worth Rs 4,296.62 crore. Instead, clashes between treasury and opposition benches dominated the day, forcing multiple adjournments. The House...Read More
Chennai, Aug 25 (UNI) Taking exception to the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) granting permission for ONGC for oil and gas exploration in Ramanathauram district, the Tamil Nadu government today said it would never allow any hydrocarbon project in the state and that Chief Minister M K Stalin was firm on it. The government has also directed the SEIAA to withdraw the clearance granted to the ONGC for digging wells for hydrocarbon exploration, soon after it came to its...Read More
Aug 25 (Reuters) - Credit-rating firm Fitch maintained India's sovereign rating at 'BBB-' on Monday, citing levels of fiscal deficits and debt that are still high, crushing the government's hopes for a lift in ratings by all three major providers. This month, S&P upgraded India to 'BBB', its first such upgrade in 18 years, prompting the government to respond that it expected other rating houses to follow suit. Fitch has rated India at 'BBB-' since 2006, while Moody's has retained its 'Baa3' ra...Read More
New Delhi, August 22 (IANS) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Friday approved a major top-level bureaucratic reshuffle of as many as 14 Secretary-rank IAS officers across various ministries and departments of the Centre. The appointments, which include several officers on special duty (OSD) who are taking charge of posts to replace incumbent officers who are retiring, will see new faces in top positions of the Central government. As part of the reshuffle, Atish Chandra, an IAS...Read More
New Delhi, August 22: The government has officially notified the Income Tax Act, 2025, which consolidates and amends the income tax law provisions, replacing the over six-decade-old Income Tax Act, 1961. The Act received the President's assent on August 21, according to a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice. The new simplified Act, which will come into effect from April 1, 2026, does not impose any new tax rate and only simplifies the language, making it easier to unde...Read More