Kolkata, Sep 18 (IANS) A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Thursday, directed the Indian Railways authorities as well as the West Bengal government to take appropriate action so that the rail blockade movement on September 20 by the people from the Kurmi community does not affect normal life in the state on that day.Last month, Adivasi Kurmi Samaj, the largest association of the Kurmi Community, gave a call for a rail blockade simultaneously in the tribal dominated pockets in the thr…

Amaravati, Sep 18 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh Assembly session, which began on Thursday, will continue till September 30. There will be holidays for the House on September 20, 21 and 28. Every day, the House will function from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.The decision was taken at the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), chaired by Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu.Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Legislative Affairs Minister Pyyavula Keshav, and Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar, who represent …

New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Calling for Pan-India celebrations to mark the centenary of Indian hockey – a journey which began in 1925 when the first national sports body was formed, Hockey India has launched the 50-day countdown which will culminate into special celebrations on November 7. While the actual details of the celebrations will be revealed in due course, Hockey India delved into the sport’s incredible history underlined by the eight Olympic Gold medals – maximum won by any country in the…

New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) Punjab Kings cricketer Shashank Singh shared what keeps him motivated and energised during tense moments, as well as how he manages disappointing situations. He was last seen on the field during the IPL 2025 final in Ahmedabad, where his team finished runners-up as Royal Challengers Bengaluru claimed their first trophy. Shashank was very vocal about his aspirations and mentioned how his dream to represent India at the biggest stage keeps him motivated to do well. He spok…

Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) Influencer and actor Nagma Mirajkar, who was recently evicted from the “Bigg Boss 19” house, made a lot of headlines due to her bond with fellow contestant Awez Darbar.During an exclusive conversation with IANS, Nagma was asked, “There was a lot of discussion about your bond with Awez. Would you like to clarify?”Speaking to IANS, she replied that nobody is there to judge anyone’s character. “I’ve known Awez for a long time, and I know everything about him. I don’t…

Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) Music composer-singer Amaal Mallik opened up about the sacrifices he made to be a part of “Bigg Boss 19” and revealed he left three films and 25 stage shows. “I left 3 films and 25 shows to come to Bigg Boss,” he shared, adding that even his parents had questioned his decision.“My mom and dad were like, why do you have to? How will you manage in this depressive phase? But I wanted to see how I’ll tackle the challenge myself.”Tanya explained the house dynamics …

Mumbai, Sep 18 (IANS) Actor Akash Jagga, who is seen as Kundan in the show “Prathaon Ki Odhe Chunri: Beendani” believes that writing is more than just a hobby for him; it’s a passion that runs alongside his love for acting.He revealed that he deeply enjoys writing. Opening up about his journey with writing, Akash said: “I started writing when I was in school, around eighth or ninth standard. Back then, I would write short stories on paper, decorate them with nice covers, and create small col…

Chennai, Sep 18 (IANS) The makers of director Arun Prabhu’s eagerly awaited neo political thriller, ‘Sakthi Thirumagan’, featuring actor Vijay Antony in the lead, on Thursday released a sneak peek of the film, a day before its release. Actor Vijay Antony, who plays the lead in the film, took to his X timeline to share the link to the sneak peek video of the film. He wrote, “Sneak Peek of #ShakthiThirumagan. Releasing worldwide tomorrow. #VA25″The sneak peek video shows events that happen in the …

New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) The Indian pharmaceutical sector is expected to achieve 7-9 per cent revenue growth in FY 2026, driven by strong domestic and European demand, despite a significant slowdown in its US market, a report said on Thursday.Ratings agency ICRA, in a report, said that global headwinds and regulatory uncertainties cast a shadow over its largest export market in the US, but 8-10 per cent growth is expected in the domestic market, with 10-12 per cent growth in Europe.The operating…

New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS) The new Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates will benefit 11 of the top 30 consumption items and a third of an average consumer’s monthly expenditure, a report said on Thursday. These 11 items include essential milk products, discretionary products (automobiles, beauty services) and goods, seeing a surge in demand over the past few years (processed food).”Rough calculations indicate the simple average GST rate based on these top 30 consumption items falls from 11 per cen…