Seoul, Aug 7 (IANS) South Korea’s justice ministry on Thursday was set to review a list of people to be granted special pardons on the occasion of Liberation Day next week, with all eyes on whether former minor party leader Cho Kuk will be included.Cho, who had led the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, is currently serving a two-year prison term after the Supreme Court finalised his sentence in December on charges of academic fraud involving his children and unlawful interference with a government i…

New York, Aug 7 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said that Washington and Moscow have made a “lot of progress” in working towards ending the Ukraine War and speculated the punitive tariff he imposed on India for buying Russian oil may have something to do with it. “We put a 50 per cent tariff on India,” he said on Wednesday (local time), “I don’t know if that had anything to do with it, but we’ve had very productive talks today” (with Russia).He announced a 25 per cent tariff on India in his gen…

Paris, Aug 7 (IANS) France is grappling with its largest wildfire in years, which erupted in the southern Mediterranean region near Spain, killing one person and injuring several others as it continues to spread rapidly. Authorities confirmed the blaze began Tuesday in the village of Ribaute, located in the Aude department, and has since consumed over 16,000 hectares of vegetation — an area larger than the city of Paris, according to local media reports.The inferno, described by officials as “a…

New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) North Delhi Strikers successfully defended their total of 163, defeating Outer Delhi Warriors by 19 runs in a thrilling encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium as the Warriors were restricted to 144 for 9 in their 20 overs.Chasing a competitive target of 164 runs, Outer Delhi Warriors began their innings with promise but ultimately fell short in what became a tale of missed opportunities and crucial partnerships that never quite materialised. The Warriors’ chase was ancho…

Gwalior, Aug 6 (IANS) The Pro Panja League Season 2 continued its thrilling journey on Day 2 at the Atal Vihari Bajpayee Training Centre for Disability Sports in Gwalior. The day witnessed fierce competition and surprising upsets as contesting franchises Jaipur Veers, Kiraak Hyderabad, Rohtak Rowdies and Sher-E-Ludhiana battled for supremacy. The matches, staged specifically at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Training Centre for Disability Sports, highlight Pro Panja league’s (co-founders Parvinn Dabas…

Mumbai, Aug 6 (IANS) When the Indian women’s cricket team participated in the World Cup in 1997 at home, they got Rs 1000 as match fee for each match. Things have come a long way from those dark ages to 2025, when in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) mini-auction, Simran Shaikh got a bid of Rs 1.90 crore, and the 16-year-old G Kamalini went for Rs 1.60 crore. The media has started taking attention, and the broadcasters are also showing women-only sports even amidst top-level men’s competition — …

Agartala, Aug 6 (IANS) The Tripura government on Wednesday served a showcause notice to the District Magistrate (DM) in Khowai district and suspended the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Teliamura, in connection with the tragic death of a truck driver in the district’s Chakmaghat areas, officials said. Chief Minister Manik Saha, in a Facebook post on Wednesday night said that in connection with the tragic death of Mihirlal Debnath, a truck driver, who lost his life on Tuesday in Teliamura, the…

Bengaluru, Aug 6 (IANS) Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has written to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Wednesday defending the move of the state government to shut down the Jan Aushadhi Centres from the premises of government hospitals and urged the Centre to supply medicines to the state health department at the same rates at which these are supplied to Janushadhi Kendras.In his letter, Minister Rao said: “As per the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pari Yojana (PMBJP) scheme,…

Bhopal, Aug 6 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh Motor Vehicle Taxation (Amendment) Bill 2025, was passed on the seventh day of the ongoing Monsoon session of the Assembly on Wednesday. The Bill, which was presented by the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government for discussion in the House on Tuesday, witnessed healthy discussion from the members of both — the Opposition and ruling party. The state government has introduced a provision for stricter penalties for unpaid vehicle taxes it levies through ‘motor v…

Mumbai, Aug 6 (IANS) In a bid to curb unauthorised constructions and protect the integrity of urban planning, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Wednesday has strengthened its enforcement mechanisms in areas where it operates as the Special Planning Authority (SPA). It has adopted zero tolerance for unauthorised constructions and deployed officials to scan key areas.“To uphold lawful urban development, designated officers have been appointed under Section 53 of the…