Ahmedabad, Aug 8 (IANS) The Gujarat Legislative Assembly will convene for its Monsoon Session on September 8, 9, and 10, as announced on Friday. Governor Acharya Devrat has called for the seventh session of the current Assembly. The official notification regarding the session was issued by the Assembly Secretariat.Speaker Shankar Chaudhary shared details of the upcoming session, stating that MLAs can submit starred questions till August 20.The short, three-day session is expected to cover key le…

Patna, Aug 8 (IANS) The spiritual and cultural landscape of Bihar is set to witness a historic moment as Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone for the Maa Sita Temple at Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi. Political leaders across party lines, including the BJP and JD(U) on Friday hailed the move as the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream of every Bihari and a proud milestone for the state. Located in Punaura Dham, believed to be the mythological birthplace of goddess Sita, the tem…

Mumbai, Aug 8 (IANS) The country’s largest lender State Bank of India on Friday reported a 12.5 per cent increase in net profit at Rs 19,160 crore for the April-June quarter of the current financial year, compared to the corresponding figure of Rs 17,035 crore in the same quarter of the previous fiscal.SBI’s operating profit for Q1 FY26 grew by a robust 15.49 per cent year-on-year to Rs 30,544 crore.Net Interest Income (NII), which reflects the difference between the interest earned on loans…

Guwahati, Aug 8 (IANS) Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that the Assam Police busted an interstate drug peddling attempt and recovered a significant cache of narcotic substances.The operation was carried out in the Cachar district, and two persons were arrested on the charges of drug peddling.The police recovered 50 bags of cannabis from the possession of the drug peddlers.Taking to X, CM Sarma wrote, “Stride against drugs continues. In an intel backed operation, @cacharpolice i…

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) A Delhi court has rejected the plea of Christian Michel James, a British national and the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, who sought release on the grounds that he has already served the maximum punishment of seven years for the offences he was extradited for.Special Judge (PC Act) Sanjay Jindal observed that Michel, who was extradited from the UAE in December 2018, cannot be released as he is also facing charges under Section 467 of the Indian …

Jaipur, Aug 8 (IANS) The film ‘Udaipur Files’, based on the Kanhaiyalal murder case, was released on Friday in 4,500 screens across the country, including three in Udaipur — Celebration Mall, Urban Square, and Lake City Mall. Each venue will host only one show, and police have been deployed in and around the malls to ensure security.Kanhaiyalal’s sons — Yash and Tarun Teli — attended the screening while holding their father’s picture in their hands. Yash stated that the movie portrays the b…

Ahmedabad, Aug 8 (IANS) Gujarat Industry Minister and Banaskantha District In-charge Minister Balvantsinh Rajput inaugurated an advanced centralised data centre at the Ambaji Temple.The initiative aims to make pilgrim services like prasad distribution, donations, and Bhadarvi Poonam fair registrations more transparent, efficient, and accessible.Speaking at the inauguration, Minister Rajput said that the centralised server-based data centre would offer seamless online services such as prasad book…

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) Union Minister and senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav launched a fierce attack on Leader of Opposition (LoP), Rahul Gandhi, during a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Friday, claiming that the Congress leader’s statements lack credibility and should be discounted by “at least 60 per cent.” “Rahul Gandhi has no credibility left. Whatever he says, we should reduce its value by 60 per cent right away,” Yadav claimed, rejecting LoP Gandhi’s recen…

Guwahati, Aug 8 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday highlighted a series of initiatives undertaken by his government to promote the welfare and heritage of the Tai Ahom community, calling their upliftment central to safeguarding the state’s cultural identity. In a post on social media platform X, CM Sarma said, “Our indigenous communities shape every decision we take. To uplift the Tai Ahom community, we have launched key initiatives — from the majestic Lachit statue …

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) Singapore’s High Commissioner in India, Simon Wong on Friday celebrated the ‘ASEAN Day’ with the ASEAN New Delhi Committee (ANDC). An ASEAN flag raising ceremony was also held following which a video message from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was played. In a post on X, Simon Wong stated, “Happy to celebrate ASEAN Day with our ANDC Family in New Delhi with the ASEAN Flag Raising Ceremony and a video message from Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim. Many thanks to our frie…