Patna, July 9 (IANS) A major clash broke out on Thursday during an anti-encroachment operation in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) in Bihar’s West Champaran district after local residents protested against the Forest Department’s action to remove alleged encroachments from forest land.The confrontation took place at Dhanhiya, near Thadi village, under the Valmikinagar forest range, and resulted in injuries to several people as well as the burning of a JCB machine deployed for the operation.A join…

Ahmedabad, July 9 (IANS) The Ahmedabad Rural Police on Thursday arrested three more people in an alleged fake blood plasma racket, taking the total number of arrests to seven, as investigators expanded the probe to Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh after tracing the movement of adulterated plasma through an interstate supply chain.The latest arrests include Ajit Solanki, 33, of Bavla in Ahmedabad district, and Maharashtra blood bank operators Prakash Sangale and …

New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) In a swift and prompt action, the staff of Delhi’s Karawal Nagar Police Station apprehended a group of five female snatchers involved in a chain-snatching incident and ensured the immediate recovery of the stolen gold chain.On July 6, a woman registered a complaint stating that while shopping at the Monday Market near Akki Jewellers, Makhan Market, at about 8.40 p.m., an unknown woman approached her on the pretext of seeking assistance, claiming that her foot was spraine…

Kolkata, July 9 (IANS) Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy on Thursday came in defence of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after a video of her slapping a party worker surfaced online, saying that the alleged slap was “affectionate” and that all workers of the party faction led by the former Chief Minister are “like her own children”.A controversy erupted after a video showed Mamata Banerjee slapping a worker of the Trinamool Congress faction-led by her, amid chaos during the part…

Kolkata/Coimbatore, July 9 (IANS) The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) on Thursday stressed that development projects of national importance should be implemented with appropriate safeguards to minimise adverse impacts on wildlife and their habitats, in accordance with the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and other applicable environmental safeguards.The committee’s 91st meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Ch…

New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) Mother’s International School, Delhi, Mount Carmel School, Dwarka, G.D. Goenka School, Dwarka, Bharti Public School and Vinay Nagar Bangali Senior Secondary School progressed in the Boys’ category, while Mother’s International School and Bharti Public School advanced in the Girls’ section of the Oriental Cup 2026 in challenging conditions at the Dr. Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday.Even as rain showers continued to test the resolve of participants on Day…

New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) FIFA chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina has strongly defended the integrity and independence of match officials at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following criticism that emerged after Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Egypt in the Round of 16 stage.Speaking amid calls from the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) for an investigation into the officiating and the removal of the refereeing team from the tournament, Collina dismissed the allegations and reiterated FIFA’s confid…

Mumbai, July 9 (IANS) The makers of the upcoming film ‘The Vvaan’, which stars Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia, have announced the new release date of the film. The makers took to their social media on Thursday, and shared a new poster of the film announcing the fresh release date.The poster features a powerful hero standing between a circling bull and tiger. It is heavy on symbolism, and foreshadows the conflict at the heart of the story and deepens the mystery surrounding the film’s…

Rashmika Mandanna give peek into ‘Mysaa’ underwater action sequence: ‘Most challenging thing I’ve ever had to do in life’ The actress took to the Stories section of her Instagram on Thursday, and shared a picture of herself in which she can be seen standing in a pool with her back facing the camera.She wrote on the picture, “I know I’ve been MIA but this is what we’ve been doing. This is by far the most challenging thing I’ve ever had to do in life. We are crazy for this but that’s wha…

New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) India’s residential market saw its strongest first‑half sales performances during the first half this year, as residential sales across eight major cities stood at 171,471 units, a marginal 1 per cent increase from the same period in previous year, a report said on Thursday.The report from Knight Frank India said the real estate activity settled into a phase of consolidation, while developers launched 1,87,350 units, up 4 per cent year‑on‑year. The near‑flat sa…