Panaji (Goa), July 17 (IANS) Two-time champions Dempo Goa Challengers recorded a commanding 12-3 victory over Dabang Delhi TTC in Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 on Friday, equalling the biggest margin of victory in the five-match format and strengthening their grip at the top of the standings at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigao near Panaji.Earlier in the day, Ayhika Mukherjee became the first player to defeat Sofia Polcanova this season as HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades…

Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has paid rich tributes to Sir Garfield Sobers, the West Indies cricket legend who passed away in Trinidad on Friday, by penning a personal note and posting it on social media.”Rest in peace, Sir Garry. There will never, ever be another like you,” Gavaskar, the first batter to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, said in his note, in which he called the former West Indies captain “the ultimate standard of what a cricketer could be”.Sobers,…

Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) Veteran actor and politician Sunil Dutt had once opened up about his decision to send son Sanjay Dutt to a boarding school. During his appearance on Farooq Shaikh’s popular celebrity chat show, ‘Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai,’ he revealed that the choice was made out of love and a desire to instill discipline and good values in his son. Recalling Sanjay’s childhood, Sunil also shared a heartwarming incident that reflected the actor’s compassionate nature from a young age.W…

New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) Javier Eduardo Martinez-Acha Vasquez, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Panama, will be undertaking an official visit to India from July 19-23, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday.According to the MEA, the Foreign Minister of Panama will arrive in India on Sunday and will hold meetings with Piyush Goyal, Minister for Commerce and Industry, at the New Parliament Building and External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar at Hyderabad House on Monday.Af…

Beijing, July 17 (IANS) Eight people have been confirmed dead, and 34 others remain missing after a rainfall-induced mountain collapse occurred along a section of the Wujiang River in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality on Friday, local authorities said.Ten people have been rescued, and search and rescue operations are underway, according to a press briefing held on Friday night, Xinhua news agency reported.China activated a Level-II national emergency response for geological disasters afte…

New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) In a welfare decision for farmers, the Delhi government led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday approved an ex-gratia assistance of more than Rs 33.31 crore for agriculturists whose crops were destroyed due to heavy rain and waterlogging during August and September 2025. She said the affected farmers will receive relief at the rate of Rs 75,000 per hectare.Under this decision, the assistance will directly benefit farmers across more than 4,442.41 hectares of affecte…

Patna, July 17 (IANS) Political activity in Bihar has intensified ahead of the upcoming Legislative Assembly session and the Bankipur Assembly by-election. In view of these crucial political engagements, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has temporarily suspended its Janata Darbar (public grievance hearing) programme held at the party’s state office.According to a notice issued on Friday by State JD-U President Umesh Singh Kushwaha, the Janata Darbar will remain suspended from July 18 to August 2.The…

Jaipur, July 17 (IANS) The Rajasthan State Election Commission (SEC) has informed the Rajasthan High Court that it is fully prepared to conduct the long‑pending Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Body elections and can announce the poll schedule within two days, provided the state government finalises and notifies the reservation of seats. During the hearing of a contempt petition on Thursday, State Election Commissioner Rajeshwar Singh, appearing via video conferencing, told the court that the de…

Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) Artificial Intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and quantum technology are set to become the three primary pillars of future development. Emphasising this, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the state must focus on building a massive pool of skilled workforce in these sectors. He announced that the state will effectively implement the Maharashtra Quantum Technology Mission, aligned with the National Quantum Mission, to build a robust quantum ecosystem.T…

Jaipur, July 17 (IANS) Proving that determination can triumph over adversity, Sunil Lohar, a resident of Ward No. 12 in Reengus, Sikar district, has secured All India Rank 5,680 in the OBC category in the NEET examination. Born into the Gadiya Lohar community, Sunil once accompanied his family in their traditional occupation of collecting scrap from door to door. Today, his success story is being shared as a source of pride for both his family and community.What makes his success particularly in…