Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh), May 13 (IANS) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday participated in…

Patna, May 13 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh’s Kadir Khan broke the 400m meet record twice inside 24 hours as Khelo India Youth Games 2025 saw another spate of good performances at the Patliputra Sports Complex here on Tuesday.Aditya Pisal became the fastest boy in the Games with a record performance as Maharashtra continued to lead the medal tally.In his maiden Khelo India Youth Games, Kadir Khan broke the 400m Games record on Monday and improved his 47.67 seconds in the final. He clocked 47.34 seconds to relegate Bihar’s Piyush Raj (47.43) to the silver. Karnataka’s Sayed Sabeer (47.50 sec) won the bronze. Both Raj and Sabeer improved on the previous meet record.Speaking to SAI Media, Khan said, “I did not expect that I would be able to run so well. This was my first Khelo India Youth Games. Now my effort will be to improve my record in the next edition of Khelo India Youth Games. I am happy that I was able to achieve my personal best in Patna.”On another sweltering day, Pisal clocked a record 10.62 seconds to erase the previous meet record of 10.63 seconds set by Sadanand Kumar in Panchkula in 2022. Bihar finished with a second silver when Prince Kumar (10.64 sec) finished behind Pisal in a thrilling finish. Pisal’s statemate Rudra Sachin Shini (10.78) won bronze. Bihar won a third medal, a bronze, when Vijay Kumar clocked 3:57.12 in the boys’ 1500 metres. The gold went to UP’s Bablu Kumar, who timed 3:56.36 seconds.Like the first three days in the weightlifting competition in Rajgir, Day 4 on Tuesday also saw records. Uttar Pradesh lifter Tushar Chaudhary’s performance was the highlight of the day as he broke both the clean & jerk and total lift records held by Goldi Khan of Himachal Pradesh set at Indian Weightlifting Federation’s National Championships in Nagercoil in January 2023.With stiff competition from Tamil Nadu’s R Kishore, who improved the snatch record twice and the overall lift record once, Chaudhary was unperturbed and produced a superlative performance to put his rival in shade and claim the gold. Chaudhary lifted 126kg in snatch and 163 in clean & jerk, a 10kg improvement in the discipline, and 7kg more than Goldi Khan’s overall total.In hockey at Rajgir, Odisha defeated Jharkhand 3-1 in a shootout to win the girls’ gold. Regulation time ended 1-1. Madhya Pradesh won the bronze. In the men’s final, Haryana beat Uttar Pradesh 1-0 to win the boys’ gold. Punjab won the bronze.Rajasthan were one of the biggest movers on the medal standings on Tuesday, mainly due to their cyclists. Rajasthan cyclists won five of the six medals on offer in the 30km boys and 20km girls Time Trials on the picturesque Marine Drive along River Ganga in Patna.Ramavatar Chhimpa, a sweetmeat shop owner’s son from Nokha in Bikaner district who trains in the National Centre of Excellence Patiala, and Manju Choudhary, a farmer’s daughter who moved from Barmer to Bikaner to pursue cycling, emerged winners of the boys and girls’ gold medals, respectively.The medal rounds in wrestling started in Patna and in Bhagalpur, the badminton competition ended with Uttarakhand’s Anish Negi beating teammate Nishcal Chandan 21-10, 17-21 and 21-16 for the boys’ singles gold.The girls’ singles gold went to Tanoo Chandra of Chhattisgarh. Tanoo defeated Rishika Nandi of Delhi 21-17, 21-9. The boys’ doubles gold went to Charan Ram Tippanna and Hari Krishan of Andhra Pradesh while the girls’ doubles title went to Gayatri Rawat and Mansa Rawat of Uttarakhand.Haryana dominated the wrestling competitions in both U-17 boys and girls’ categories winning four of the seven gold medals on offer on the day, with giant slayer Naina successfully defending her 49 kg Khelo India Youth Games crown, before her compatriots Rovind (65 kg Greco Roman), Harsh (51 kg) and Arjun Ruhil (92 kg) took home the yellow metal.Among others, Uttar Pradesh’s Shilpi and Aditya Gupta took home the gold medals in the girls’ 61kg and boys’ 55 kg GR categories, respectively. Maharashtra’s Param Laxman emerged champion in the boys’ 80 kg GR category.–IANShs/

Los Angeles, May 13 (IANS) Hollywood actor Mads Mikkelsen is set to star in ‘Sirius’. It marks the directorial debut of Lee Smith, the Oscar-winning editor of “Dunkirk” and “Inception”.
The Arctic action-thriller was inspired by a Danish special forces unit, known as Sirius Patrol, tasked with defending Greenland’s 8,700-mile frozen and formidable coastline, reports ‘Variety’.Mikkelsen is one of the busiest actors in international cinema. His long list of credits includes Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Pusher” film trilogy and “Valhalla Rising”, as well as his BAFTA-nominated work in Thomas Vinterberg’s “Another Round”.As per ‘Variety’, Hollywood tends to cast Mikkelsen to play the heavy, with the actor portraying antagonists in the likes of “Casino Royale”, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”, and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”. On TV, Mikkelsen played one of the biggest baddies of all, starring as Hannibal Lecter in the NBC series “Hannibal”.Smith won an Academy Award for editing Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk”. He was also nominated for Oscars for Peter Weir’s “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” and Nolan’s “The Dark Knight”. Additional credits include “1917”, “The Truman Show” and “Spectre”.Tony Mosher wrote the script for “Sirius”, which is currently in pre-production. Pascal Degove and Matt Williams will produce for Future Artists Entertainment and Deborah Acoca will executive produce. Decal, a Neon label that distributes third party films across all rights, will handle the film’s wide release domestically, marking the label’s first wide release as it ramps up its acquisitions and distribution efforts. Neon International will represent the foreign sales rights and introduce the film at Cannes.Neon has a busy Cannes ahead of it. At the film festival, it will premiere Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” and Julia Ducournau’s “Alpha”, as well as Raoul Peck’s “Orwell: 2+2=5” and Michael Angelo Covino’s “Splitsville” starring Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona.–IANSaa/

Bhopal, May 13 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh…

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) Active public participation is driving India’s mission to eliminate tuberculosis (TB), said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

He said this while chairing a meeting to assess the progress of the TB elimination campaign in the country.”Driven by active public participation, the movement has gained significant momentum over the last few years,” PM Modi said in a post on the social media platform X.”Our government remains committed to working closely with all stakeholders to realise the vision of a TB-free India,” he added, after the meeting that was also attended by Union Health Minister JP Nadda and other leaders.TB is the deadliest infectious disease globally, with 10.8 million new cases and 1.25 million deaths in 2023India has gained notable success in fighting TB cases, death rates, as well as in notification.According to the WHO Global TB Report 2024, India has witnessed a noteworthy 17.7 per cent decline in TB incidence from 2015 to 2023 — a rate that is over twice the global average decline of 8.3 per cent.TB deaths have also reduced by 21.4 per cent from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 22 per lakh population in 2023, as per the data.However, India reported 28 lakh TB cases, accounting for 26 per cent — the highest — global TB burden in 2024.The country also reported an estimated 3.15 lakh TB-related deaths, accounting for 29 per cent of the deaths globally.India aims to end TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target.To accelerate the fight against TB, the Health Ministry in December last year launched a 100-day intensified TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan that concluded on World TB Day on March 24.The campaign targeted 455 high-priority districts across 33 States/UTs to accelerate TB case detection, reduce mortality, and prevent new cases.With more than 1.94 lakh awareness activities, the Jan Andolan also led to the active involvement of over 33,000 elected representatives and 22-line ministries exhibiting a whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach to TB elimination.The campaign mobilised the community for effective nutritional support through 1.05 lakh new Nikshay Mitras, distributing more than three lakh nutrition food baskets.In addition, more than 13.46 lakh Nikshay Shivirs were held across states, where 12.97 crore vulnerable people were screened for TB. This targeted approach resulted in the identification of 7.19 lakh TB cases.And 2.85 lakh asymptomatic TB cases were identified early, who would have otherwise gone undetected, as per the Health Ministry.–IANSrvt/dan

Agartala, May 13 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday asserted that development and transparency were at the heart of his administration, even as he accused the Opposition of misleading the public with “false narratives” and politically motivated criticism.

Speaking at a ceremonial appointment event at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan in Agartala, where 975 new police constables formally received their appointment letters, Saha said his government was committed to delivering good governance, free of nepotism or political interference.”This mass recruitment of 643 male and 332 female police constables is a milestone in strengthening our law enforcement. Every appointment is being made through a clean, transparent process based on merit, and not on political slogans,” said the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio.Saha announced that the government is set to launch another round of recruitments, including 916 constables, 218 Sub-Inspectors, and 6,067 Special Executives, stressing that all selections will be conducted fairly and impartially.“Gone are the days when jobs were handed out based on protests or political identity,” Saha declared.“We have dismantled that system. Today, your merit and hard work speak louder than anything else,” he said.At the event, families of newly recruited constables expressed heartfelt gratitude to the government for maintaining fairness in the hiring process.Anjuli Shil, mother of a newly appointed constable, said, “My son has worked very hard for this opportunity. We thank the Chief Minister for ensuring that recruitment was fair and transparent. This gives us hope.”Sima Datta echoed the sentiment: “I had heard of appointments going to the well-connected in the past. But this government has proven that anyone with merit can get a job. I’m truly grateful.”Biprojit Paul, one of the newly appointed constables, said, “Getting this job means everything to me. I am proud to serve the people of Tripura and thankful that I was chosen through a fair process.”Sabana Begam, also among the fresh recruits, added, “It feels amazing. My whole family is happy today. I thank the government for giving us this opportunity.”CM Saha highlighted several improvements in law and order under his leadership: Tripura now ranks third-lowest in crime rate nationally, traffic accidents fell 13 per cent in 2024, and by 40 per cent in the first four months of 2025, drug seizures increased by 106 per cent and destruction of narcotics by 132 per cent in 2024, coordinated efforts by Tripura Police, TSR, and BSF led to an 18 per cent rise in FIRs and a 36 per cent increase in arrests for illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. Overall, he said, Tripura has seen a 30 per cent drop in crime over the past decade.The Chief Minister also took a hard line against those spreading fake news or provocative content online. “We are closely monitoring digital spaces. Anyone trying to incite unrest or circulate falsehoods will face strict action,” Saha warned.Highlighting the government’s employment initiatives, Saha said that 4,499 appointment letters were issued across departments between February 2 and May 13, 2025. Since March, 17,554 government jobs—including die-in-harness cases—have been filled through what he described as a “transparent and rule-based system.”CM Saha also expressed strong backing for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stand post-Operation Sindoor. “The PM’s message reflects the ideologies of Syama Prasad Mukherjee —nationalist, strong-willed, and clear in his priorities,” Saha said.On relations with Pakistan, he repeated PM’s stand that India wants peace, but “trade and terrorism cannot go hand in hand.” The future of bilateral ties, he said, depends on Pakistan’s conduct.–IANSbrt/dan

London, May 13 (IANS) Joel Ward will depart Crystal Palace this summer after 13 years…

Liverpool, May 13 (IANS) Everton Football Club is proud to announce that Goodison Park will become the permanent home of Everton Women, transforming English football’s first purpose-built ground into one of the most iconic venues in the Women’s Super League.
The decision follows an in-depth review of the Goodison Legacy project by The Friedkin Group (TFG) since their takeover in December. The Goodison Legacy project was launched in 2020 to define the future of Goodison. After an in-depth review, The Friedkin Group decided that football must be kept at the heart of Everton’s community.“This move is a testament to where the women’s game is right now and, more importantly, where it is heading. Goodison is a magical stadium with a deep heritage and close ties to the local community.”Leading the team out for that first home match of next season will be nothing short of a career highlight – and the prospect of what Everton Women can become with such an iconic ground to call our home is hugely exciting,” said Megan Finnigan, captain of Everton WomenWhen the Men’s Senior Team moves to the new stadium, Everton Women will relocate to Goodison for the start of the 2025/26 season. The move addresses Everton Women’s rapid growth and need for a larger, more suitable venue than Walton Hall Park.The move to Goodison will include enhancements that will be made over time and will ensure adequate facilities are in place before the start of the season. The relocation will also generate economic opportunities for local businesses through matchday footfall.Goodison will remain a central part of Liverpool’s sporting and cultural identity. In addition to hosting Everton Women, it will stage selected Academy matches and expand Everton in the Community’s L4 campus.Their previous stadium, the Walton Hall Park will continue to serve grassroots, community, and development programmes for women’s and girls’ football.–IANSaaa/

Ahmedabad, May 13 (IANS) A four-month-old infant was mauled to death by a pet Rottweiler in the Hathijan area in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

An official said that the incident occurred at Radhey Residency when the Rottweiler reportedly broke free from its leash and attacked Hina Chauhan, who was holding her infant niece, Rishika, in her lap.The dog snatched the baby and inflicted fatal injuries before residents could intervene. Rishika was rushed to the hospital, but doctors declared her dead on arrival. Chauhan sustained injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at LG Hospital. CCTV footage capturing the horrific moment has gone viral, intensifying public anger.Residents allege that the dog had previously displayed aggressive behaviour and had attacked others in the society. They submitted a written complaint to Vivekanandnagar Police Station, demanding strict legal action against the pet’s owner, Dilipbhai Patel.According to witnesses, Patel was distracted on a phone call when the dog slipped its leash and charged at the woman and the child. Locals say previous warnings to Patel about the dog’s behaviour had gone unheeded. The same Rottweiler had reportedly bitten Chauhan in a separate incident and injured at least three others.The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) confirmed that the Rottweiler was not registered with the civic body — a mandatory requirement for pet ownership.On Tuesday, AMC officials, along with police and a veterinary team, visited Patel’s home but found it locked. The dog was later traced to Memnagar, where it was taken into custody and shifted to a municipal shelter.Legal proceedings have been initiated against the pet owner for failure to register the dog and for endangering public safety.AMC officials said the case highlights the urgent need for responsible pet ownership and strict adherence to civic regulations concerning potentially dangerous breeds. Ahmedabad has seen a growing population of both stray and pet dogs in recent years.The estimated stray dog population in the city exceeds three lakh, driven by factors like urban expansion, lack of sterilisation, and food availability in public areas. These stray dogs are often seen roaming around residential colonies, markets, and public spaces, leading to public health and safety concerns, especially related to dog bites and rabies transmission.While the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has initiated sterilisation and vaccination drives under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) program, challenges persist due to limited resources, irregular implementation, and gaps in coordination with NGOs.–IANSjanvi/dan

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday held a comprehensive review of Invest India at a meeting held at Bharat Mandapam here.The minister emphasised on enhancing the performance, effectiveness and efficiency of Invest India to facilitate greater investments into India.He also discussed avenues for further strengthening investor engagement, empowering MSMEs and boosting manufacturing in the country.Invest India is the national investment promotion and facilitation agency of the Government of India and helps to expedite approvals for the setting up of manufacturing enterprises by speeding up clearances that are required, such as those for the allotment of land.Invest India serves as the first point of contact for global and domestic investors. It provides comprehensive, end-to-end support across all stages of the investment lifecycle — ranging from pre-investment advisory and facilitation to aftercare and expansion support — with a strong emphasis on enabling manufacturing through the Make in India initiative.India’s manufacturing sector is a significant part of the country’s economy, contributing about 17 per cent to the GDP and employing over 27.3 million workers. The government aims to increase its share to 25 per cent by 2025, driven by initiatives like the ‘Make in India’ policy and Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes.The Commerce and Industry Minister is keen to streamline Invest India processes further to attract more investments. His emphasis on MSMEs is part of the Government’s strategy to boost these labour-intensive enterprises as they have the highest potential for creating employment in the country.To revitalise the manufacturing sector, the Make in India initiative was launched in September 2014 to foster innovation, and position India as a global manufacturing hub by attracting domestic and foreign investment, building best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure, enhancing skill development, protecting intellectual property, and streamlining regulatory processes to create a conducive environment for businesses to thrive.Due to the sustained efforts of the government, during 2014-2023, Foreign Direct Investment equity inflow in the manufacturing sector increased by 55 per cent to reach $148.97 billion compared to $96 billion in the previous nine years (2005-2014).This achievement is due to the various policy initiatives taken by the government over the years. Under the existing FDI policy, nearly all sectors allow for 100 per cent FDI, except for certain prohibited sectors. The defence industry allows 74 per cent FDI under the automatic route and 100 per cent under the government route.For the broadcasting sector, FDI limits vary, differing between print and digital media. While the automatic route requires no approval from the Government of India for either non-resident or Indian companies, the government route necessitates prior approval from the Government of India before investment can proceed.–IANSsps/uk