New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lauded the first freight train to the Kashmir valley.Calling it a “great day”, PM Modi said the achievement is set to boost “progress and prosperity” in the region.”Great day for commerce and connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir!” PM Modi shared in a post on the social media platform X.”It will enhance both progress and prosperity,” he added.Creating a historical milestone in goods transportation of Kashmir, the first freight train re…

Baba Bakala (Punjab), Aug 9 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Saturday assured Punjabis that once they form a SAD government in Punjab it would return all land acquired by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to farmers on the same pattern in which it had returned land acquired for the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal to the farmers in 2016. Addressing a political conference on the occasion of Rakhar Punya here, Badal said: “We are very clear. We can sacrifice our life but will no…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Congress Whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore on Saturday accused the government of running away from a discussion on the functioning of the Election Commission of India in Parliament, claiming that it is not a forbidden topic. Tagore, an MP for Virudhunagar, took to X and said, “Why is Honourable Parliamentary Affairs Minister @KirenRijiju afraid to allow a discussion on the functioning of the Election Commission in Parliament?”Citing previous instances of matters relat…

Chandigarh, Aug 9 (IANS) In a major breakthrough in a high-profile drug trafficking case dated to 2015, one of the main accused and former Personal Security Officer (PSO) of Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira has been arrested by the Punjab Police. Based on the police’s information and intelligence input, the CISF surveillance team arrested PSO Joga Singh from the Delhi Airport. Punjab Police had been keeping a close watch on his activities for a long time and was in constant touch with …

Shillong, Aug 9 (IANS) In a midnight daring attempt, some Bangladeshi armed men reportedly attacked villagers after illegally entering Indian territory in Meghalaya’s South West Khasi Hills district, officials said on Saturday. A senior official of Meghalaya police said that during the intervening night of Friday, eight to nine armed Bangladesh nationals entered Rongdongai village and fired at the villagers and assaulted an Indian villager. The Indian villager was stabbed after he detained a B…

Kozhikode, Aug 9 (IANS) Thamarassery Diocese Bishop Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil on Saturday strongly condemned recent attacks on priests and nuns in the country.His remarks came in response to incidents in Odisha where clergy and nuns were assaulted and also about the incident that took place in Chhattisgarh early this month, when two nuns was jailed for eight days.The two incidents at Chhattisgarh and in Jaleswar in Orissa has rocked the Christian community in Kerala.“Attacks against Christian…

Patna, Aug 9 (IANS) Two days after walking out of Beur Jail, former MLA Anant Singh met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at his official residence, sparking political buzz over his return to active politics. According to sources, the 15-minute meeting was cordial, with the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar enquiring about Singh’s well-being.During the interaction, Anant Singh is said to have expressed his desire to contest the upcoming Assembly elections from the Mokama constituency on a Janata Dal (Unit…

Bhopal, Aug 9 (IANS) Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Saturday countered the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) reference to a 2018 petition filed by the state Congress unit, saying it is misleading to cite the case in response to Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s recent allegations of fake voters. Kamal Nath’s media advisor and former journalist, Piyush Babele, said the Supreme Court had dismissed the MP Congress’s petition on…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) IT, healthcare, finance, and manufacturing are undergoing rapid AI-led transformation, creating demand for new roles such as AI imaging specialists, prompt engineers, and smart grid analysts, a report of FICCI and KPMG India said in a joint report on Saturday. The world transitions from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0, and India can emerge as a strategic exporter of AI talent, with countries like Germany, the UK, and the US facing acute shortages.”However, only 26.1 per cent…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday said that the state government will provide six months’ ration to families affected by the recent disaster and extend financial aid for damaged houses. Speaking about the ongoing Dharali rescue operation, the Chief Minister said the top priority was to move people to safety.“Despite adverse weather conditions, more than 1,000 people have been rescued so far, including local residents and pilgrims from across t…