New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) A controversial remark by former Samajwadi Party MP, ST Hasan, on the recent Uttarkashi cloudburst has sparked sharp criticism from BJP leaders, who have condemned the statement as divisive, baseless, and politically-motivated.Reacting strongly, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said Hasan’s statement was “completely baseless” and an attempt to inject communal undertones into a natural calamity.”What he said is completely baseless. A natural disaster can occur anywhere, and it …

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) In a major move to “clean up” the electoral system, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday delisted 345 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs), which have failed to fulfil the essential criteria of contesting even a single election for the last six years since 2019 and whose offices could not be physically located at the address mentioned in their registered documents. “After considering all facts and recommendations of CEOs, the Commission has deli…

Nairobi, Aug 9 (IANS) The World Health Organisation (WHO) certified Kenya as having eliminated human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, as a public health challenge, making it the 10th country to reach this critical milestone.”I congratulate the government and people of Kenya on this landmark achievement,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.”Kenya joins the growing ranks of countries freeing their popul…

Manchester, Aug 9 (IANS) Pep Guardiola says he hopes that Phil Foden will be in contention for the start of the Premier League season but wants to be careful with the return of Rodri. Both players stayed behind in Manchester as City travelled to Palermo for Saturday’s Anglo Palermitan Trophy.Rodri missed the majority of last season after suffering a knee injury – returning to feature in the final two games of the campaign before heading to the FIFA Club World Cup.Speaking ahead of the game i…

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 9 (IANS) The Congress party in Kerala has launched a blistering attack on the state government after the Argentine Football Association (AFA) accused it of breaching a contract to bring football icon Lionel Messi and the Argentina national team to the state.AFA’s Head of Marketing, Leandro Peterson, claimed the deal collapsed because the Kerala government failed to meet its contractual obligations — directly contradicting Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman and the event sp…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Barcelona have reinstated Marc-André ter Stegen as first-team captain, ending a brief but highly publicised fallout over the goalkeeper’s medical situation and its impact on the club’s ability to register new players.The decision came after the German signed the authorisation allowing Barcelona to send his medical report to La Liga. “The Club announces that the player Marc-André ter Stegen has signed the authorisation necessary for the Club to send La Liga the med…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) India’s second largest lender ICICI Bank has raised the monthly minimum average balance requirement for all customer segments, effective August 1.Customers at metro and urban locations who opened their savings accounts on or after August 1 have to maintain Rs 50,000 monthly average balance to avoid penalties, according to the latest notification on the bank’s website.The minimum average balance for older customers remains Rs 10,000.New customers in semi-urban locations …

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Former G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Saturday urged the need to strengthen the country’s tourism sector to earn big on exports, as well as tackle tariffs, imposed by US President Donald Trump.His remarks came amid concerns over the Trump’s escalation of tariff to 50 per cent on Indian goods.”India’s biggest export earnings can come from Tourism which is totally free from Trumps tariffs,” Kant said, in a post on social media platform X.”We must attract global tourists. Th…

Trinidad, Aug 8 (IANS) Debutant Hasan Nawaz announced himself on the international stage with an unbeaten 63, guiding Pakistan to a nervy five-wicket win over West Indies in the opening ODI of the three-match series. Nawaz’s match-winning knock included a decisive 104-run stand with Hussain Talat as the visitors chased down 281 with seven balls to spare. Earlier, the hosts posted 280, riding on half-centuries from Evin Lewis (60), Shai Hope, and Roston Chase. West Indies were well placed early…

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Lhakpa Tsering, one of India’s most seasoned cross-country rally drivers, gears up to compete in the prestigious Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) 2025.Held from August 8 to 16 in Thailand, the rally will cover over 3,400 kilometers through some of the toughest terrains ranging from dense forests and mountain trails to riverbeds and demanding off-road stretches. This ultimate test of endurance, navigation, and resilience will bring together elite teams from across Asia.Of…