New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) The Congress on Sunday slammed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his frequent digs at Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi over alleged Pakistan links. Notably, the war of words between Sarma and Gogoi escalated after the Assam CM’s fresh claims about the Congress MP’s Pakistan visit, which the Deputy LoP described as “nonsense”.Taking to X, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote: “The personal attacks on my colleague Gaurav Gogoi being continued by the Assam CM are worse than atrocious. Mr. HBS is simply unable to come to grips with the fact that a year back the people of Jorhat voted resoundingly in favour of Gaurav Gogoi and totally rejected the campaign managed by the Assam CM and his colleagues. These attacks are also meant to divert attention away from the Assam CM’s own monumental corruption and misdeeds. He knows well that he is the outgoing CM of Assam and hence his increasing desperation.”Earlier, on Sunday, Assam CM Sarma claimed that Gaurav Gogoi visited Pakistan at the invitation of the neighbouring country’s Ministry of Interior.Sarma posted on X: “I reiterate, with full authority and responsibility as the Chief Minister of Assam, that Shri Gaurab Gogoi, Member of Parliament from Assam, visited Pakistan at the invitation of the Ministry of Interior of the Government of Pakistan. He spent several days there. We are enquiring further into the details surrounding this visit and related associations.”Hours later, Gaurav — son of late former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi — responding to the claims, said “he is worried about Sarma’s health”.”I am worried about the health of the Chief Minister of Assam. For some reason best known to him I have been on his radar since my entry into Assam. He has made many baseless remarks about me in the past 13 years. The most recent one borders on insanity and the absurd. It is often said that when there is something bothering at home, it reflects in the mental state of the person. We will ensure that after 2026 he gets to have some rest,” the Congress MP wrote on X.Further criticising CM Sarma, Gogoi said: “The script that the Chief Minister is following is worse than a B grade film. It is said to cover up one lie a person has to say countless lies. That is exactly what the Chief Minister is doing. He is not giving out any facts and simply behaving like a IT cell troll.”A Chief Minister should not be a troll. If he has any facts supporting his most recent allegation he should put out in public domain. The farce cannot be hidden for too long.”Challenging CM Sarma to present facts about the claims he has been making, Gogoi said: “Ninety-nine per cent of what the Chief Minister has been saying is nonsense. He should put out the facts in public domain and stop hiding behind an imaginary September deadline. I doubt if even in September the Chief Minister can put out any concrete facts. I remember how during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Assam he created a fuss about a supposed body double of Rahul Gandhi.””The Chief Minister can remain insecure with me as he has been for the past 13 years. For the Congress party we will focus on the dire economic situation of the state and the coal-drug mafia being run under political protection,” Gogoi wrote on X.A few days ago, CM Sarma during a media interaction in Guwahati, said that they are awaiting certain official correspondence to take further action. He claimed that Gogoi had stayed in Pakistan for 15 days in a personal capacity, accompanied initially by his wife, who returned after seven days.The CM questioned the motive behind Gogoi’s extended stay, especially as his wife had returned to India. “What was he doing in Pakistan while his wife was here?” he asked pointedly.The CM further alleged that after returning, Gogoi took around 90 students to the Pakistan Embassy, and some of them were reportedly unaware of their destination.He also alluded to the Gogoi family’s foreign citizenship and claimed that all his immediate family members are non-Indian citizens, raising concerns about national security and political accountability.Sarma stated that once official documents are received by September 10, he will share them with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and the Lok Sabha Speaker, acknowledging that further decisions would lie with parliamentary authorities given jurisdictional limits.–IANSpgh/

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) KL Rahul shined on his promotion to the openers role by slamming a majestic 112 not out and carry Delhi Capitals to a massive 199/3 in their 20 overs against Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.On a slightly slower pitch, Rahul was at his clean and pristine best in strokeplay, especially when hitting through the line to hit 112 not out off 65 balls – his fifth IPL hundred. His spectacular knock included 14 fours and four sixes as Rahul also became the first ever batter to score IPL centuries for three different teams – having done this previously for Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants.Apart from being the team’s main driving force with the bat, Rahul also finished the innings well to ensure DC posted a total which can challenge GT’s top-order might. He found great support from other batters – Abishek Porel sizzled with a 19-ball 30, skipper Axar Patel hit two fours and a six in his 16-ball 25 and Tristan Stubbs was unbeaten on 21 off 10 balls.Pushed into batting first, Rahul found two boundaries in the opening over off Mohammed Siraj – one via a misfield at deep third man, while the other came off a pristine backfoot cut past point. With Faf du Plessis struggling for timing against GT’s pacers and holed out to mid-on off Arshad Khan, there was no stopping Rahul.When Siraj pitched it short and outside off-stump, Rahul was quick to cut past backward point and pull over mid-on for two boundaries. Against a returning Kagiso Rabada, Rahul was at his terrific best – moving slightly across to get inside line of the short ball and played swivelled across over square leg for a six.Two balls later, Rabada offered room and Rahul, who also became the fastest Indian batter and third overall by innings to complete 8000 runs in men’s T20s, reached out to carve him over point, before standing tall to launch the pacer for a towering six down the ground, as 17 runs came off final power-play over, with DC closing the phase at 45/1.Rahul was then proactive in rotating the strike off Prasidh Krishna and Rashid Khan, before sweeping the latter for a boundary to bring up his fifty off 35 balls, with the home crowd chanting his name loudly. Luck was also on Rahul’s side as R Sai Kishore couldn’t reach out in time to catch his top-edge on sweep and conceded a boundary.Rahul left everyone jaw-dropped by backing away and lofting a half-volley from the pacer down the ground for six. Rahul then pressed the accelerator button by hitting Kishore for a hat-trick of boundaries – unfurling a powerful straight drive which ran through the bowler’s legs, a flick being parried over boundary rope by Rabada and edge running through vacant first slip.Despite not getting much strike in last four overs, Rahul unfurled a lofted off-drive against Prasidh for six, before pulling him powerfully to get his century and soaking in the applause from a joyous home crowd. Rahul applied finishing touches by reverse-paddling and driving Siraj for two boundaries, and set GT on an uphill chase.Brief Scores: Delhi Capitals 199/3 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 112 not out, Abishek Porel 30; Arshad Khan 1-7, Prasidh Krishna 1-40) against Gujarat Titans–IANSnr/

Chennai, May 18 (IANS) Actress Nikki Galrani on Sunday posted an adorable post for her husband, actor Aadhi, on the occasion of their third wedding anniversary.
Taking to her Instagram page to post pictures of their time together, Nikki wrote a heartfelt post, in which she said, “Thanks for being my best friend, my daily dose of laughter, and the one who turns all my weirdness into laughter. Three years of laughs, love, and late-night snacks we swore we wouldn’t eat — and I wouldn’t trade a single moment. You’re my safe place, my human heater, my favorite chaos and the one I wanna grow old and silly with. Happy three my Nanu.”Several other stars congratulated the couple on their third wedding anniversary. Some of those who congratulated the couple included actors Aishwarya Rajesh and Kiki Vijay.Interestingly, the couple were among several celebrities who were spotted offering prayers at Tirupati on Sunday.Actor Adhi wed actress Nikki Galrani in a grand ceremony in May the year 2022. In August the same year, the actor shared a cute behind the scenes video of their wedding ceremony.Taking to X, Aadhi had then said, “Almost three months as Mr and Mrs already. Feels like yesterday. Here is a small glimpse of what our magical day looked like.A day we will cherish, forever! Much love to our families & friends who were a part of our big day and made it special. Lots more wedding madness coming your way.”The one-minute-and-36-second long video clip showcased some of the happy moments both the bride, the groom, their respective families and friends had before and during the wedding ceremony. The video had a song, sung by singers BRK and Kamalaja Rajagopal and set to tune of music director Achu Rajamani, as its background score.–IANSmkr/

Narainpur, May 18 (IANS) Mizoram booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Swami Vivekananda Men’s U20 National Football Championship from Group D after demolishing Tripura 11-1 at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Stadium, on Sunday. Jharkhand defeated Himachal Pradesh in the other match of the group.Mizoram are now top of the group with nine points from three matches, an unassailable lead. Maharashtra and Tripura are behind them with six pints, but even if they catach-up to Mizoram, the northeastern side have beaten both, and will be ahead by dint of a better head-to-head record.Nine goals in the second half saw Mizoram claim a massive 11-1 victory against Tripura, to seal their last eight spot. Mizoram led 2-1 at half-time.Mesak Lalrinngheta (15’, 83’, 90’, 90+1’) and PC Pazawna (47’, 52’, 54’, 77’) scored four each for Mizoram, while Michael Lalbiaksanga (60’, 63’) netted two and Ngurthanmawia (31’) one. Sukha Dayal Jamatia (29’) scored the only goal for Tripura.Earlier in the day, Jharkhand defeated bottom side Himachal Pradesh 2-1. The former led 1-0 at half-time.Chandra Mohan Soy (10’) gave Jharkhand the lead early on, before Aryan Thakur (53’) equalised in the second half. Parity did not last long, however, as Daksh Kumar Mahli (55’) scored the deciding goal a couple of minutes later.On Saturday, Uttar Pradesh provisionally went to the top of Group C in the Swami Vivekananda Men’s U20 National Football Championship after they drew 2-2 with Sikkim. In the second match of the day, Manipur defeated Ladakh 4-1.While UP are currently top of the group with seven points from four matches, Manipur and Punjab are in close pursuit with six points after having played one match less than the current toppers. UP have finished all their matches in the group, however, and it will all depend on the results in the matches between Punjab and Ladakh, and Manipur and Sikkim, on May 19. Only the top team will progress to the quarter-finals.–IANSaaa/

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) With Delhi’s AQI recorded as ‘moderate’ on Sunday, a day…

Thiruvananthapuram, May 18 (IANS) A massive fire broke out at a three-storied wholesale textile store in Kozhikode on Sunday evening, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky and triggering panic in the bustling New Bus Stand area.

An official said that firefighting operations have been underway for more than three hours, with firefighters working tirelessly to contain the blaze.The fire was first spotted around 5 p.m. on the second floor of a shopping complex that houses the textile outlet.Eyewitnesses reported seeing smoke and flames billowing from the upper floors, soon engulfing the entire building. Fortunately, police confirmed that no injuries or casualties have been reported so far.Local shopkeepers said the textile shop had received large consignments of school uniforms and related goods over the past week, anticipating a surge in demand ahead of the new academic year.The materials were stacked densely in the store’s godown, which likely added to the intensity of the fire.The building, being fully air-conditioned, posed a significant challenge to the fire and rescue personnel attempting to break through and assess the fire’s spread.Firefighters equipped with oxygen cylinders made several attempts to enter the building, battling both heat and visibility issues. One of the primary concerns was preventing the fire from spreading to a large adjacent commercial building. Fire units have been strategically stationed at both ends of the shop complex and near the bus stand to combat the flames from multiple directions.Additional units are being dispatched to Mananchira for water refilling. Crowd control has also emerged as a concern, with hundreds of onlookers gathering on either side of the road, obstructing the movement of emergency vehicles. Police have cordoned off the area and are using public address systems to urge the public to vacate the vicinity.By late evening, fire officials reported that the blaze had been brought under control within the building, though cooling operations were still underway.An investigation is expected to be launched into the cause of the fire and potential safety lapses.–IANSaal/dan

Visakhapatnam, May 18 (IANS) In a heart-wrenching tragedy, four children suffocated to death inside a locked car in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayanagaram district on Sunday.The tragedy struck Dwarapudi village under Vijayanagaram Cantonment.According to police, four children, all aged below 10 years, entered a parked car while playing. The car doors were locked, trapping them inside.The incident came to light after the parents of the children launched a frantic search for them after they were not seen since morning. Eventually, their bodies were found in a car parked near the local Mahila Mandali office.Uday, 8, Charumati, 8, Charishma, 6, and Manasvi, 6, had gone out to play on Sunday morning. Charumati and Charishma were sisters, while the two others were their friends. When they did not return home for a long time, their parents began searching for them.As the doors of the car parked in the area were not locked, the children opened them and sat in the vehicle. The doors then got accidentally locked, trapping them inside. All four died of suffocation.The death of four children plunged the village into a gloom.This is the second such incident in Telugu states in the last month. In April, two girls died of suffocation after getting trapped in a locked car in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district.The incident had occurred in Damaragidda village in Chevella mandal. Two cousins, aged four and five, who had come to attend a relative’s wedding, entered a parked car while playing outside the house. The car doors accidentally locked, trapping the children inside for a prolonged period in the rising heat.Family members began searching for the girls after they had been missing for a long time. They were eventually found unconscious in the vehicle and rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead.Meanwhile, in another tragedy in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, three children drowned in a pit filled with rainwater on Sunday.The incident occurred in Devarajapuram of Kuppam mandal. The deceased were identified as Shalini, 5, Ashwin, 6, and Gautami, 8.–IANSms/vd

Agartala, May 18 (IANS) In a significant step towards scaling up fish production and making the coastal states self-sufficient in fish production and consumption, the Centre has begun the process of setting up 11 Integrated Aqua Parks across the country.Rajiv Ranjan Singh, the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy, on Sunday, laid the foundation stone for the Integrated Aqua Park in Tripura’s capital. He also visited various fish stalls during the ground-breaking ceremony for the Integrated Aqua Park at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan in Agartala. He was accompanied by Minister of State S.P. Singh Baghel and Tripura’s Fisheries and ARD Minister Sudhangshu Das, and Social Welfare Minister Tinku Roy.Speaking to press after the event, the Union Minister shed light on the Centre’s ambitious project on enhancing fish production in coastal states and also highlighted the immense potential for fish production in Tripura.“A total of 11 Integrated Aqua Parks have been sanctioned across the country. Out of this, four are being set up in the Northeast—one each in Tripura, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland, to make the region self-sufficient in fish production,” he told the press.He also said that Tripura has huge potential and the Centre will extend all possible assistance to the state government in achieving the stipulated target.Sudhangshu Das, Tripura’s Fisheries and ARD Minister said that he was very excited and looking forward to the project.He informed that the Integrated Aqua Park will fix the existing deficit in fish production and consumption in the state.“More than 95 per cent of residents consume fish. About 1,17,000 metric tonnes of fish are required every year in Tripura. Since the production is around 85,000 metric tonnes, there is a gap of 31,000 metric tonnes every year, which the state government accounts for by importing it from coastal states like neighbouring states like West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha,” he said.He further said that this project will go a long way in addressing the state’s needs for fish harvesting.–IANSmr/dan

Imola, May 18 (IANS) Max Verstappen delivered a commanding performance to secure his second victory…

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) India has been ranked the world’s largest market for electric three-wheelers, above China, for the second straight year with a 20 per cent surge in sales to 7 lakh vehicles in 2024, according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).The IEA’s Global EV Outlook 2025 report points out that the three-wheeler market is highly concentrated, with China and India accounting for more than 90 per cent of electric and conventional 3W sales.”Electrification of 3Ws in China has stagnated at less than 15 per cent over the past three years. In 2023, India overtook China to become the world’s largest market for electric 3Ws, and it maintained this position in 2024, with sales growing close to 20 per cent year-on-year to reach nearly 7,00,000 vehicles,” the report states.The report states that this rising trend is likely to continue with the government’s support under the new PM E-DRIVE scheme, which supported the roll-out of more than 3,00,000 electric 3Ws for commercial use in 2024.According to the report, China, India, and Southeast Asia remain the world’s largest 2/3W markets, accounting for around 80 per cent of 2024 global sales, with 2/3Ws serving as the primary mode of private passenger transport in these regions.”India’s increasingly dynamic electric 2W market hosted a total of 220 OEMs in 2024, up from 180 in 2023, although the four market leaders accounted for a combined 80 per cent of the 1.3 million electric 2Ws sold in the country in 2024 (6 per cent of the overall 2W market),” the report said.While the upfront purchase price of electric 2Ws remains higher on average than that of conventional 2Ws, increasing competition is prompting OEMs to offer more affordable electric models.”Policy support is also helping to bridge the affordability gap between electric and ICE 2W models, with the new PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) policy continuing financial support formerly provided under both Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME)-II and Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme measures,” the IEA report states.The scheme is planned to operate until March 2026 to support the roll-out of about 2.5 million electric 2Ws, up from 1 million targeted under the previous FAME-II policy.On the manufacturing side, the 80 largest electric 2W makers in India accounted for a combined production capacity of 10 million electric 2Ws in 2024, almost 8 times the domestic sales that year. The capacity is expected to increase to 17 million electric 2Ws in the near term, if all OEM announcements come to fruition.The IEA report also states that total sales of electric cars in India increased by a mere 2 per cent to around 1,00,000 units in 2024.Sales in India grew 45 per cent year-on-year, nearing 35,000 electric car sales for the first quarter of 2025.”In India, high import duties on EVs and the availability of locally made, affordable electric models meant the share of Chinese imports in the country’s EV sales remained below 15 per cent in 2024.”While the cheapest battery electric car model was produced locally by a Chinese OEM (SAIC’s city car, the MG Comet EV, priced under $8,000), the average price of imported Chinese BEVs was twice that of those made by domestic manufacturers,” the report pointed out.In 2024, all battery electric vehicle (BEV) models manufactured by Indian carmakers started below $20,000, while none of the imported Chinese BEV models were priced under that threshold.Overall, the average price gap between battery electric and ICE cars fell below 15 per cent for small cars and 25 per cent for SUVs in 2024.IEA said India has also seen rapid growth in electric bus deployment since 2020, with the number jumping nearly 4-fold from below 3,000 to more than 11,500 at the end of 2024.–IANSsps/vd