New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) The government has increased usage charges for gunny bags by nearly 40 per cent, bringing financial relief to state governments and union territories (UTs).The government has revised usage charges from Rs 7.32 per used bag to Rs 10.22 per used bag or the actual cost incurred by the state government/UT, which ever lower.The usage charges for used gunny bags are increased in proportion to increase in cost of new gunny bags from KMS 2017-18 to KMS 2024-25.The revised rate i…

Tokyo, Aug 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sendai, Japan, on Saturday, where he travelled aboard the iconic Shinkansen (bullet train) alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.Sharing a glimpse of the journey on social media platform X, PM Modi posted: “Reached Sendai. Travelled with PM Ishiba to this city on the Shinkansen.”As the Prime Minister reached Sendai, he was greeted with enthusiastic chants of “Modi-san, welcome!” by members of the Indian diaspora and …

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) The government has reaffirmed its commitment to enriching India’s economic indicators by integrating Ocean Ecosystem Accounts alongside traditional measures, an official statement said on Saturday.The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) and Kerala’s Directorate of Economics and Statistics held a one-day workshop in Kochi on “Capacity Building of Coastal States on Development of Ocean Accounts”.N.K. Santoshi, Director General (Central Stati…

Jammu, Aug 30 (IANS) Ten people were killed and three went missing in the landslide and cloudburst that hit Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi and Ramban districts overnight.State government officials said that seven people died in a landslide that flattened a residential house in the Mahore area of Reasi district on Friday night.The officials said that the incident occurred after intense overnight showers lashed the area.”Among the seven dead are a couple and their five children. Heavy rain in the Badde…

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) The ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, led by Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, entered its 14th day in Bihar on Saturday, drawing a massive show of Opposition unity with the participation of Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahani. The yatra, which aims to raise public awareness against alleged “vote theft” and to protect democratic rights, has now become a symbo…

Chennai, Aug 30 (IANS) The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) will hold a crucial consultation meeting of its district secretaries on Saturday at the party’s headquarters in Royapettah under the leadership of General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS).EPS recently completed the third phase of his statewide campaign, covering 118 Assembly constituencies under the slogan ‘Protect the People, Save Tamil Nadu.’The fourth phase of his tour is set to begin from Madurai next Monda…

Tokyo, Aug 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the success of his two-day official visit to Japan, calling it a “productive” engagement that yielded several significant outcomes aimed at deepening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Taking to the social media platform X, PM Modi wrote, “Productive outcomes during a productive visit. May India-Japan friendship scale newer heights in the times to come!”The post came shortly after the Ministry of External Aff…

Jammu, Aug 30 (IANS) At least three people have lost their lives and five others remain missing after a sudden cloudburst struck Rajgarh tehsil of Ramban district early on Saturday, officials have said. Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene, and search operations are underway to locate those missing. So far, three bodies have been recovered from the affected area.The cloudburst triggered flash floods that swept through several villages, causing severe damage to property and disru…

Jammu, Aug 30 (IANS) Union Home Minister, Amit Shah will visit Jammu division for two days on August 31 and September 1 to assess the damage caused by the recent heavy floods in the region.Official sources said HM Amit Shah will visit Jammu for two days to assess the damage caused by the recent floods and he will also visit the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine base camp Katra in Reasi district and Kishtwar.The visit will be with the aim to assess the damage caused by the recent floods in which nearly 15…

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) Union Minister and BJP National President, JP Nadda, is set to visit Maharashtra on Saturday as part of his participation in the ongoing Ganeshotsav festivities. During his visit to Pune, Union Minister Nadda will offer prayers and perform pooja at several iconic Lord Ganesh idols established by renowned public Ganesh Mandals.As per the official itinerary, JP Nadda will visit four prominent Ganpati Mandals in Pune on Saturday. These include: The Shri Sai Mitra Mandal, Ko…