Chandigarh, Aug 8 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday jointly launched 24 sector-wise industrial advisory committees, a step to establish the state a hub of industry and commerce. Addressing the gathering during the launch of this first-of-its-kind initiative, Kejriwal termed it a historic day for Punjab. He said the era prior to 2022 was dominated by extortion, where industrialists were coerced by political leaders to …

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the construction of a 4-lane highway from Marakkanam to Puducherry in Tamil Nadu, stretching across a length of 46 km. The project will be developed on Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a total capital cost of Rs 2,157 crore.Currently, connectivity between Chennai, Puducherry, Viluppuram, and Nagapattinam is dependent on the existing 2-lane National Highway 332A (NH-332A) and…

Bhopal, Aug 8 (IANS) In a striking act of civic dissent, passersby at a busy Bhopal square turned their frustration into a chorus of honking as Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s convoy passed through. The protest – peaceful yet piercing – was captured on video and quickly went viral across social media platforms, amplifying public outrage against India’s entrenched VIP culture.The convoy, reportedly comprising over 18 vehicles and flanked by a platoon of police, brought traffic and daily life to …

Hyderabad, Aug 8 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday alleged that former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao tapped the phones of his daughter K. Kavitha, son-in-law Anil Kumar and nephew and then minister T. Harish Rao.He claimed that the phones of politicians were tapped in the name of Maoists during the rule of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and that thousands of crores were looted through phone-tapping.Bandi Sanjay appeared before Special Inve…

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) As many as 725 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), including 392 exclusive POCSO (ePOCSO) Courts, have collectively disposed of 3.34 lakh cases till June 30, since their inception in 2019, the Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, in a written reply, said that the government has released Rs 1,034.55 crore to the States/UTs since the Nirbhaya Fund’s inception to ensure the smooth functioning of FTSCs….

Bengaluru, Aug 8 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, on Friday, appealed to party leaders and workers to intensify a ‘do or die’ movement — modeled on Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India Movement — to bring down the NDA government at the Centre. Addressing a large gathering at Freedom Park in Bengaluru during a protest against alleged election fraud, Kharge said, “Rahul Gandhi has already clearly explained how, in 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister through electoral…

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the Narcotics team of Delhi Police’s North-West District arrested two drug peddlers and recovered 1.081 kg of fine quality opium from their possession. The arrests were made near Gate No. 5, Azadpur Mandi, following a specific tip-off. The accused have been identified as Ranjeet (25) and Rajesh Singh (21), both residents of Nathupur in Gurugram, Haryana. Along with the contraband, police also seized a motorcycle allegedly used i…

Guwahati, Aug 8 (IANS) India’s star woman footballer Manisha Kalyan stated that she is dreaming of playing in the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics following India’s historic qualification for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia next year. Manisha was the cynosure of all eyes at the ASMITA under-13 league for girls here at Nehru Stadium on Friday. The 23-year-old forward, the only Indian footballer to have played in the UEFA Champions League for women, said ASMITA is a “rare platform for …

London, Aug 8 (IANS) Enzo Maresca says Jorrel Hato is ‘more mature than his age’ but stresses the defender will need time to acclimatise to life at Chelsea. The 19-year-old completed his switch to Stamford Bridge on Sunday and has spent the past week training with his new team-mates at Cobham.Hato has arrived with more than 100 senior appearances under his belt following three seasons in the Ajax first team.He also captained the Dutch club on several occasions and has been capped six times b…

Mumbai, Aug 8 (IANS) After a thrilling run in Group E, Jonas Wirth (Jonny), representing S8UL Esports, the Mumbai-based global powerhouse in esports and gaming content, has qualified for the playoffs of the FC Pro 25 World Championship at the ongoing Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In a hard-fought Upper Bracket semifinal, the seasoned EAFC pro from Germany defeated Italy’s Samuele Prestigiacomo (Samugamer_07) with a 4-3 scoreline. He then overcame Argentina’s Facundo C…