Author: Team Admin

New Delhi: World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has backed Javokhir Sindarov as the favourite ahead of the upcoming World Chess Championship clash against defending champion D Gukesh, while urging the Indian star to approach the match without the pressure of defending his title. Gukesh will face Uzbekistan’s Sindarov in the World Chess Championship in Geneva, Switzerland, from November 24 to December 12. Carlsen believes the word “defend” itself could create unnecessary pressure for Gukesh. Instead, he feels the Indian grandmaster should approach the contest with the mindset that he has everything to gain. According to Carlsen, Gukesh has already demonstrated…

New Delhi: Shafali Verma produced a match-winning batting display as India secured a place in the Women’s Asia Cup final with a comfortable 40-run victory over Bangladesh in Dubai. Batting first on a slow surface, India struggled to score freely but reached 149 for five in their 20 overs. Shafali stood apart from the rest of the batting lineup, smashing 64 from just 40 deliveries at a strike rate of 160. Her innings included three sixes and several attacking strokes against both pace and spin. The opener was given three lives, being dropped on 6, 11 and 56, and Bangladesh…

New Delhi: The discovery of five baby orangutans in a forest in Odisha’s Balasore district has raised concerns over a possible international wildlife trafficking network, with Indonesia calling for an investigation into how the animals reached India. The five orangutans were rescued by the Odisha Forest Department from the Bichitrapur forest area under Bhograi block on September 8. Their presence in the region surprised authorities as orangutans are not native to India and naturally occur only in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. Indonesia is closely monitoring the case and coordinating with Indian authorities to determine the animals’ origin and explore…

“The issue at Bhoma is not merely about whether a temple will be spared demolition. It is about what happens to an entire village when a major highway expansion cuts through it. Villagers have pointed out that four laning could fragment the settlement and affect the character of the village, its religious activities and the way people move and live. They have also questioned the decision to beautify the temple lake when their larger concerns about the highway alignment remain unanswered. This is precisely where Gadkari needs to pause and listen. The Union minister should not allow officials to reduce…

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has hit back at ally Congress over its objection to the full rendition of Vande Mataram, asking whether the party wants people in Kashmir to face legal action for following government protocol. The dispute follows the playing of the complete national song at the opening ceremony of the International Film Festival in Srinagar. Omar Abdullah and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah stood during the full rendition, including all six stanzas. The Congress had urged its alliance partner to follow the party’s 1937 position, under which only two stanzas of Vande Mataram…

New Delhi: Twenty five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, one of the most unusual investigations linked to the tragedy began in Mumbai with the arrest of a young man who claimed he had been involved in an Al Qaeda conspiracy. Mohammed Afroz came under the Mumbai Police radar in October 2001 after intelligence agencies flagged his overseas travel for pilot training. His background immediately attracted attention. Afroz lived in Cheeta Camp near Trombay, while his father worked as a tailor. Investigators questioned how the family could have financed expensive training abroad. Police eventually traced Afroz to a hotel…

New Delhi: Bengal’s long standing debate over vegetarian and non vegetarian food during religious festivals has gained fresh attention after BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari participated in the traditional fish bhog at Kolkata’s Kalighat temple. Adhikari visited the historic temple on the occasion of Kaushiki Amavasya and was seen having bhog that included a fish head, fried fish and basanti pulao. The meal reflects a long standing tradition at Kalighat, where fish and sacrificial goat meat are offered to Goddess Kali and subsequently consumed as bhog by devotees. His visit came amid a growing controversy over comments by Bageshwar Dham priest…