Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 12 (IANS) When Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Divi Bijesh sits before a chessboard, the world around her disappears.At just 10 years old, the fifth-grade student of Allen Feldman Public School in the state capital already boasts an enviable resume. Her latest feat — a silver medal at the National Under-11 Girls Chess Championship in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, last week — is yet another jewel in her crown.In Jalgaon, Divi tied for first place with 9 points alongside Maharashtra…

Gandhinagar, Aug 12 (IANS) On the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a spirited Tiranga Yatra was held across the country on Tuesday to ignite patriotism and unity ahead of Independence Day. Gujarat’s Gandhinagar witnessed a vibrant display of national pride as hundreds of citizens gathered for the yatra, which commenced from Sector 6 and stretched over 2 to 3 kilometres. The rally saw enthusiastic participation from Minister Bhanuben Babaria, MLA Rita Patel, Mayor Meera Patel, District Colle…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Congress MP Amar Singh on Tuesday alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party used all kinds of tactics to win the Ludhiana and Jalandhar bypolls in Punjab, suggesting that vote theft may have taken place. Speaking to IANS, Amar Singh said, “The AAP has done everything to win these elections. They have used various tactics. There must have been vote theft, as they have their own government there. They have distributed scooters, goods, fridges — I haven’t seen an election like th…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) In a rare and constitutionally significant move, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday formally read out the impeachment motion against Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma, marking the beginning of proceedings under Articles 124 (4) and 217 and 218 of the Constitution for his potential removal from office.Speaker On Birla said he had received a motion on July 31 backed by Ravi Shankar Prasad and a total of 146 members from the Lok Sabha and 63 from the Rajya Sabha, foll…

Patna, Aug 12 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday alleged that the Election Commission of India was not functioning transparently and has removed the names of a large number of voters in Bihar. Speaking to reporters in Patna, Tejashwi claimed that while Bihar has not been granted special state status, its democratic rights are being “violated”.”I am not against revising the voter list,” Tejashwi said, “but I oppose the opaque functioning of the Election Commission. A lar…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Congress Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday strongly criticised the Central government for remaining silent on Israel’s military actions in Palestine, asserting that such inaction amounts to complicity. Taking to X, she wrote, “The Israeli state is committing genocide. It has murdered over 60,000 people, 18,430 of whom were children. It has starved hundreds to death, including many children, and is threatening to starve millions.””Enabling these crimes by silenc…

Ahmedabad, Aug 12 (IANS) Ahmedabad Police have seized illegal liquor valued at Rs 54 lakh from SP Sing Road in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad. The Zone 7 Local Crime Branch (LCB) team recovered 15,456 bottles of fake Indian liquor.Acting on a confidential tip-off about the arrival of large quantities of illicit liquor in the city ahead of upcoming festivals, the Ahmedabad Police and Zone 7 LCB launched a targeted operation.The container was found hidden in the parking area, leading to its seizure and the a…

Ahmedabad, Aug 12 (IANS) The Special Operations Group (SOG) police conducted a raid in Kalasar village of Chotila taluka in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district and arrested 42-year-old farmer Bhabhalu Nathabhai Khachar for illegal cultivation of marijuana. Acting on a tip-off, the SOG team raided Khachar’s residence and seized 38 green marijuana plants weighing approximately 1.55 kg, with an estimated market value of Rs 15,500. During interrogation, Khachar admitted to growing the plants in his c…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) While India today is among global space-faring nations, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai was the visionary space scientist who laid the foundation for Indian Space Programme, said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), celebrating his 106th birth anniversary on Tuesday.Born in Ahmedabad in 1919, Dr Sarabhai came to be known as the father of the Indian space programme. India today is among the global space-faring nations, but without Dr Sarabhai, the country wouldn’t have it…

Ahmedabad, Aug 12 (IANS) Gujarat experienced widespread rainfall, with 50 talukas reporting precipitation as clouds moved steadily towards the central and northern parts of the state. According to data from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) in Gandhinagar, the heaviest rainfall in the past 24 hours was recorded in Sinor, Vadodara, at 0.91 inches.While Sinor led the state in rainfall, most other talukas received less than half an inch. Excluding Sinor and Mangrol in Surat, the remaining…