New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) The government has denied reports suggesting that it has permitted private sector participation in the exploration and mining of atomic minerals such as uranium and thorium from the country’s offshore regions by notifying the Offshore Areas Atomic Minerals Rules, 2025.The Ministry of Mines called such media reports “misleading and factually incorrect”.The Offshore Areas Atomic Minerals Operating Rights Rules, 2025 provide the procedure for the grant of operating rig…

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will hold meetings with senior Russian officials in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss India-Russia defence and security cooperation.The visit comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has announced that he will announce “very substantial” increases to the 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods because of New Delhi’s oil purchases from Russia.Trump has accused New Delhi of “fuelling the war machine” by buying cheaper Russian oil an…

Kolkata, Aug 6 (IANS) West Bengal BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar on Wednesday came down heavily on the state government following the alleged attack on Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari’s convoy, stating that the law and order situation under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s rule is “against democracy and constitutional norms”.The incident took place on Tuesday, August 5, when Adhikari was on a visit to Cooch Behar to lead a BJP rally outside the office of the district’s Superintendent of Police.As…

Mumbai, Aug 6 (IANS) National Award-winning actress Divya Dutta, who plays a politically charged leader Iravati Bose in “Mayasabha: The Rise of the Titans”, feels her character’s manipulative traits are a blend of strength, flaw, and survival instinct. Talking about whether she views the manipulative and calculative traits of Iravati as flaws, strengths, or simply survival instincts, Divya told IANS: “I think it’s a mix of everything. It should be like that because I’m talking only as an…

Seoul, Aug 6 (IANS) The ruling Democratic Party (DP) said Wednesday it has decided to expel Rep. Lee Choon-suak for triggering public outrage over allegations of stock trading under a borrowed name.The decision came a day after Lee left the DP after a press photo captured him checking and trading stocks on a mobile phone using his aide’s account, in an allegation that tarnished the government’s policy of reinvigorating the stock market via transparent trading practices.”I know that the public is…

Dhaka, Aug 6 (IANS) The Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of the Awami League, has launched a scathing attack on the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, accusing it of dismantling democratic institutions and pushing the nation toward becoming a “failed and fragmented state.” The student body claimed that Bangladesh has effectively turned into a “graveyard of democracy” under the current regime.The student body asserted that the defeated anti-liberation forces —“Jamaat-Shibir…

Chennai, Aug 6 (IANS) While poll-bound Bihar is grappling with the exclusion of over lakhs of migrant workers from the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Tamil Nadu has emerged as a model state in documenting its inter-state migrant (ISM) workforce.According to official data, Tamil Nadu has registered over 12.17 lakh guest workers employed across various sectors. Of these, more than 2.51 lakh workers hail from Bihar, making them the second-largest ISM group in the state…

Chennai, Aug 6 (IANS) At least 14 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy in the early morning hours of Wednesday. The fishermen were in two boats, with 10 in one and four in the other. They were apprehended for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and engaging in fishing activities in Sri Lankan waters.Reports indicate that the arrests took place in the Kalpitiya lagoon area, where the fishermen were accused of violating maritime bo…

Washington, Aug 6 (IANS) US President Donald Trump’s administration will first require visa applicants from Zambia and Malawi, two African countries, to pay bonds of up to $15,000 for some tourist and business visas, the State Department said.”Starting August 20, 2025, any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these countries who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must post a bond in amounts of 5,000, 10,000, or $15,000, determined at time of visa interview,” the…

Baghdad, Aug 6 (IANS) Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani affirmed his country’s commitment to Lebanon’s stability and its support for the Lebanese people. Al-Sudani made the remarks when meeting here with Lebanese Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar on Tuesday, during which they reviewed bilateral ties, developments in Lebanon, and the overall regional situation, read a statement by al-Sudani’s media office.The two sides discussed several topics of mutual interest, including cooperation in…