NEW DELHI: India’s festive retail sales have reached an all-time high this year, highlighting the impact of recent economic policies, including GST rate rationalisation, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday.

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Friday extended heartfelt greetings to Zambian Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe, the government and the people of Zambia on the occasion of their Independence Day, reaffirming India’s commitment to deepening the long-standing partnership between the two countries

CHANDIGARH: Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Punjab Kings (PBKS) announced on Thursday that former India cricketer Sairaj Bahutule has joined as the new spin bowling coach ahead of the IPL 2026 season.

NEW DELHI: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on Thursday declared 112 drug samples tested by the Central and state drugs regulatory authorities as ‘Not of Standard Quality (NSQ)' in its monthly drug alert for September.

MUMBAI: Actor-comedian Kapil Sharma has unveiled the motion poster of his upcoming comedy “Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2.”

NEW DELHI: The Chief Ministers of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi on Thursday extended warm wishes to the people on the occasion of 'Bhai Dooj', a Hindu festival celebrating the special bond between brothers and sisters.

DUBAI: India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah remains at the top of the ICC Men’s Test bowler rankings, but the latest update has brought some movement among Indian players and increased competition.

NEW DELHI: The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has ordered the start of insolvency proceedings against Bhilai Jaypee Cement, a subsidiary of debt-laden Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL), for failing to pay dues of Rs 45 crore to a supplier.

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Wednesday ordered 15 army officers to be sent to jail over three separate cases of enforced disappearances, killings, and other crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the Awami League government, local media reported.

BEIJING: China's national observatory on Wednesday issued a yellow alert for typhoon Fengshen, the 24th typhoon of the year, as it is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the country's southern regions.

GORAKHNATH: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended his greetings to the people of the state on the occasion of Govardhan Puja, wishing them happiness, prosperity, and well-being.

DUBAI: India's opener Smriti Mandhana has strengthened her position at the top of the ICC Women's ODI Batter Rankings as the top players in the ongoing ICC Women's Cricket World Cup made progress in the latest rankings update.

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend Diwali greetings and picked up tips for serving people with renewed energy.

NEW DELHI: Buoyed by GST reforms and strong consumer demand, India saw Diwali sales reach Rs 5.40 lakh crore in goods and about Rs 65,000 crore in services across the country, industry figures showed on Tuesday, marking the highest-ever festival season turnover in the country's retail and trading history.

MUMBAI: Ananya Panday celebrated Diwali in a traditional, heartfelt manner this year. The actress took to her social media to share glimpses of her festive celebrations, which quickly won over fans for their simplicity and for their sentiments attached.

NEW YORK: Hundreds of thousands of people across the US, from coast to coast, north to south, participated in protests against President Donald Trump under the banner of “No Kings”, accusing him of turning the nation onto an authoritarian path. 

NEW DELHI: In a late-night encounter in the forests near Bhavisa village under Kandhla police station limits in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district, notorious gangster Nafis alias Muda, carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, was shot dead by the police. 

NEW DELHI: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Saturday accused former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of exerting undue influence over a 1977 Indian Airlines aircraft purchase, alleging that he intervened to secure a deal with Boeing for personal commission instead of opting for Airbus, despite opposition from key government bodies.

AMRITSAR: In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Punjab, in a joint operation with Amritsar Rural Police, arrested gangster Jasvir Singh alias Lalla — a key associate of foreign-based gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Jatt and Bambiha Gang, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday. 

MUMBAI: The Indian stock market extended its winning streak on Thursday, with both Sensex and Nifty closing higher for the second straight session.

IMPHAL: Security forces in Manipur have arrested six militants belonging to different banned outfits and seized drugs worth Rs 7.26 crore, besides apprehending six drug peddlers in separate operations conducted over the past 24 hours, officials said on Thursday.

KARNATAKA: The reduction in Goods and Services Tax (GST) on bio-pesticides and micronutrients will bring direct benefits to our farmers and empower them, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday.

SYDNEY: Sydney police have arrested three men after seizing over 400 kg of drugs, as well as firearms and cash, during an investigation into a transnational organised crime network.

BATHINDA: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today flagged off trucks carrying 500 quintals of certified seed for the flood affected farmers of Ajnala constituency even as he condemned chief minister Bhagwant Mann for making a mockery of compensation by releasing only Rs 1.16 crore to the farmers of Ajnala.

MUMBAI: Indian stock markets opened higher on Tuesday as investors looked past global uncertainties caused by the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China, while also tracking quarterly earnings from Indian companies.

NEW DELHI: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified three adulterated syrups manufactured in India, including the infamous Coldrif cough syrup, and has urged authorities worldwide to report to the agency if any of these products are detected in their respective countries.

AGARTALA: The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a joint operation have seized drugs worth Rs 16 crore in Tripura and arrested a woman drug peddler in Tripura on Monday, officials said.

MUMBAI: Actress Parineeti Chopra, who is expecting her first baby, is making sure her pregnancy cravings are both delicious and nutritious.

CHANDIGARH: Reiterating their firm commitment to help the flood ravaged state, NRIs from Australia and New Zealand on Sunday assured fulsome support and cooperation to the Mission Chardikala started by the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police's Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) have arrested two operatives of the Davinder Bambiha gang and recovered six pistols from their possession, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said here on Sunday.

CHENNAI: In a first-of-its-kind initiative to strengthen grassroots democracy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin will Saturday address 10,000 Gram Sabha meetings across the state through video conferencing, according to Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Additional Chief Secretary of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker S. Kultar Singh Sandhwan extended greetings to the people of state on the auspicious occasion of Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Ramdas Ji.

CHANDIGARH: In a bid to prevent any untoward fire incident thus bringing far more efficiency in the fire safety infrastructure across the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday dedicated new multipurpose fire and mini fire tenders in the 20 newly established fire stations.

NEW DELHI: The much-awaited 47th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting, with its focus on GST rate restructuring and extension of GST compensation cess, will now possibly be held in the first week of May, once the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman returns from her 10-day visit to the US after attending the World Bank-IMF meeting earlier this month.

MUMBAI: The trailer of the dance film 'Dehati Disco', which stars veteran choreographer Ganesh Acharya, Ravi Kishan and 'Super Dance 3' finalist Saksham Sharma in pivotal roles, was released on Friday on the occasion of International Dance Day.

NEW DELHI: The combined holdings of the domestic mutual funds and direct households in stocks have risen over 600 basis points since 2015, whereas those of foreign portfolio investors (FPI) have declined about 150 basis points, said global investment bank Morgan Stanley.

NEW DELHI: The combined holdings of the domestic mutual funds and direct households in stocks have risen over 600 basis points since 2015, whereas those of foreign portfolio investors (FPI) have declined about 150 basis points, said global investment bank Morgan Stanley.

MUMBAI: Urvashi Rautela, who is one of Bollywood's youngest superstars, has no way to look back in all the ways possible. The actress is climbing the ladder of success every day. Urvashi who is always known for her scintillating personality and charismatic looks has yet again made our heart skip a beat as the actress looks stunning as she gets clicked by the shutterbugs at the Mumbai Airport

LUCKNOW: In a second such incident this month, a nine-year-old boy was attacked by a pack of dogs in the congested Maulviganj area of state capital Lucknow.

CHANDIGARH: In an ongoing drive against absconding gangsters, Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Punjab Police arrested two aides of slain gangsters-turned-drug smugglers Jaipal Singh Bhullar and Jaspreet Singh alias Jassi from Tarn Taran.

NEW DELHI: This century is going to be shaped by what happens in the Indo-Pacific, said India's Minister of State (External Affairs) Meenakshi Lekhi on Wednesday pointing out that India will have its own element of existence and challenges.

CHENNAI: Global credit rating agency S&P Global Ratings anticipating a certain default by Future Retail Ltd on its $500 million senior secured notes lowered the credit ratings from 'CCC-' to 'CC'.

NEW DELHI: India reported 2,483 fresh Covid cases in the past 24 hours, a marginal decline against previous day's 2,541 infections, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

CHANDIGARH: Continuing the efforts to eliminate unauthorised hoardings, banners and posters from the City of Chandigarh, the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh removed more hoardings today and a penalty of 31294/- imposed against JAC as per the violation of Advertisement Control Order 1954.

AMRITSAR: The Indian Custom Department have seized heroin (drug) in large quantity at Indo-Pak Attari border which was smuggled here in India in the Consignment packed from Afghanistan via Pakistan.

SAS NAGAR(MOHALI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday underscored the need for developing indigenous anti-drone technology to check the supply of drugs and weapons through drones effectively from across the border.

MUMBAI: In a shocker, the Maharashtra GST Department raided and detected cash, silver bars worth Rs 10 crore, plus a business turnover of a staggering Rs.1,764 crore from an office measuring just 35 sq.feet -- smaller than a home toilet.

NAWANSHAHR: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sandeep Sharma said that the civil and police administration would launch a massive awareness drive against drug menace from Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh on April 25.

NEW DELHI: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday said that he felt like Sachin Tendulkar upon his arrival (in Ahmedabad) and also like Amitabh Bachchan when he saw (his) hoardings everywhere during his visit to Gujarat.

NEW DELHI: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson termed his India visit as "auspicious" and told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the ties between the two countries are strong and good.

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested two superintendents in CGST and Customs Excise department, Bhopal, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from the complainant.

MUMBAI: One look at the Punjab Kings batting order and the average cricket fan will be in envy of it: The left and right opening combination of Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal, an explosive Liam Livingstone at three, Jonny Bairstow slotted at four, Jitesh Sharma providing finishing touches alongside Odean Smith.

MUMBAI: Punjab Kings' ultra-attacking approach proved to be their undoing against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday night, and their batter Jitesh Sharma admitted there was no 'Plan B' in place for the side, which has gradually slipped on the points table after starting on a positive note.

NEW DELHI:The Delhi Police's Crime Branch investigating the Jahangirpuri violence case has revealed that the prime accused, Mohammed Ansar Sheikh, was also involved in drug supply and had also seized a BMW car belonging to a South Delhi-based businessman, according to sources.

Thiruvananthapuram: An elderly man on Wednesday hacked his wife to death and hanged himself, police said.

MUMBAI: 'Vagsheer', the state of the art 6th Scorpene submarine under Project-75 was launched at the Mazagaon Docks on Wednesday as part of the 'Make In India' initiative.

THIRUVANANTHAPUR: An elderly man on Wednesday hacked his wife to death and hanged himself, police said.

HYDERABAD: On the occasion of his mother Indira Devi's birthday, 'Murari' actor Mahesh Babu took to social media to share a sweet and lovely message.

MUMBAI: Punjabi superstar Gippy Grewal is all set to headline a new yet-to-be-titled Punjabi film where he will be seen sharing the screen with his son Shinda Grewal.

ETAH: Former Samajwadi Party legislator Rameshwar Singh Yadav has been booked under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti Social Activities (Prevention) Act for grabbing government land.

CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh administration, alrmed over rising Covid cases in certain states, reimposed the restrictions and made it compulsary to wear masks in Public transport like buses, trains and taxis.

CHENNAI: The protests against Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi over the anti-NEET Bill issue has turned murkier. The Dalit outfit Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Dravida Kazhagam (DK) activists along with the CPI and CPI-M workers on Tuesday staged a black flag demonstration against Ravi at Myladuthurai.

MUMBAI: Further hikes in retail fuel prices may be required for state-run oil marketing companies' marketing margins to reach pre-November levels, Fitch Ratings said on Tuesday.

CHANDIGARH: A day after the BJP slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over a meeting between its Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and visiting British Labour Party MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, who was critical of the Centre over issues associated with the farmers' stir, the AAP on Monday questioned the saffron party over the British MP's meetings with its own leaders in the past.

CHENNAI: Global credit rating agency S&P Global Ratings on Monday said the Indian renewable energy sector will be highly leveraged owing to the growthopportunities.

PANAJI: The Goa-based Climate Action group - Climate Crisis Action Forum (CCAF) has set a very ambitious target of planting 10 crore saplings this monsoon with the help of volunteers in the States of Maharashtra and Goa.

NEW DELHI: Byju's-owned online coding platform WhiteHat Jr has posted a massive Rs 1,690 crore loss in the financial year 2021, while generating an operating revenue of Rs 484 crore in the same period.

NEW DELHI: Accompanied by Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday flagged off 900 oxygen concentrators from here for Himachal Pradesh.

NEW DELHI: India's gross GST revenue collection fell below the psychological mark of Rs 1 lakh crore for the first time this year, clocking Rs 92,849 crore in June 2021, as collections fell due to disruptions caused by the fresh wave of Covid-19.

NEW DELHI: With 34,703 fresh Covid cases, India on Tuesday recorded lowest spike since March 17, said the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, as only 553 deaths were reported in the biggest relief since April 6.

LUCKNOW:Uttar Pradesh has planted a massive 25.5 crore saplings across the state in a single day, as part of a mega plantation drive.The Yogi Adityanath government had fixed the target of planting 30 crore saplings in July, out of which 25.5 crore were planted on Sunday alone.

NEW DELHI: Even as intelligence agencies are not unaware of the fact, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) continues to pump illegal drugs into India through Punjab -- the state lying on the border between the two neighbouring countries.ia

BENGALURU: The members of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), led by its president Perikal M. Sundar, on Friday appealed to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to bring petrol and diesel under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime besides reducing the GST on commodities required for daily needs to contain inflation.

BENGALURU: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday that a special session of the GST Council will be held soon to discuss all compensation-related issues.

COLOMBO: Amidst the fear of losing the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade preferential access to European markets, Sri Lanka informed the European Union (EU) that it was ready to amend the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the highly criticised law which was used to arrest a large number of Tamil political prisoners and detained them extensively during and after the ethnic war against Tamil separatists in the northern part of the island nation.

HYDERABAD: The Prohibition and Excise department of Telangana busted a drug racket and arrested two peddlers including a Yemen national in Hyderabad on Thursday.

CHANDIGARH: A prominent educationist and academician Dr Navjot Kaur today took charge as Principal of prestigious educational institute Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Chandigarh being run by the Sikh Educational Society in the presence of its president Gurdev Singh Brar and secretary Col (Retd.) Jasmer Singh Bala. She had joined in the college as lecturer in English and is currently serving as Associate Professor.

CHANDIGARH: Despite the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic and strict lockdown restrictions, business community of Punjab has shown remarkable resilience by not only complying with the return filing requirements but also paying their GST dues in a timely manner during the month of June, 2021. Resultantly, the GST revenue collected during the month stood at Rs. 1087 crore which was Rs. 869.66 crore during the month of June, 2020.

AMARAVATI/NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan and several other leaders from the state on Thursday extended birthday greetings to Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, who hails from the southern state.

CHANDIGARH: Virasat-e-Khalsa, the landmark museum showcasing heritage and culture of Punjab at Sri Anandpur Sahib has accomplished a rare achievement by bagging the top state energy conservation award for the third year in succession. The award has been announced by Punjab Energy Development Agency, the state sponsored agency that the gives these awards annually for making extra efforts for Efficient Utilization, Management and Conservation of Energy in different sectors.

BENGALURU:Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Tuesday flagged off a 'Kisan' Rail service to New Delhi, with 250-tonne mangoes from Chintamani in Kolar district from the Yelahanka railway station here.

SAN FRANCISCO: Google-owned video-streaming giant YouTube TV is introducing a new add-on that introduces 4K quality, downloads and unlimited simultaneous streaming on a home network to the Google live TV subscription service.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the principal opposition parties -- the Congress led UDF and the BJP led NDA, on Tuesday, slammed the CPI-M for shielding alleged gold smugglers and rapists, the party however ruled out any dealings with the smugglers or of shielding any corrupt party members.

NEW DELHI:India reported 37,566 new Covid-19 cases and 907 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to data released by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Tuesday. This is lowest fresh cases of Covid since March 18.

NAWANSHAHR:Farmers under the banner of Kirti Kisan Union today strongly protested with black flags before Congress MP Munish Tewari from Shri Anandpur Sahib on his arrival here. On learning about Tewari's visit to Nawanshahr, the workers of Kirti Kisan Union marched towards the Civil Hospital carrying the party flags and black flags.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab School Education Department has directed to hold parent-teacher meetings in all the schools on 1st and 2nd July 2021 for planning and further improving the education level of the students from pre-primary to XII classes.

CHANDIGARH: Reiterating his demand for a National Drug Policy to tackle the scourge, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday underlined the need for more synergy between the STF, the Police and the Intelligence wing to eliminate drugs from the state.

CHANDIGARH: In a bid to send strong message about the ill-effects of drugs, the Punjab Police, on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Saturday, organised various awareness activities to sensitise the people in all the districts across the state.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking said that drugs bring with it darkness, destruction and devastation and we should save lives and realize the vision of Drug free India.

AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh on Friday reported 4,458 new Covid cases, pushing the tally to over 18.7 lakh, even as the state's active caseload dropped to 47,790.As many as 6,313 more persons have recovered in the past 24 hours, raising the total recoveries to over 18.1 lakh, health officials said.

DELHI: India recorded 42,640 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest since March 23, according to data released by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Tuesday.

CHANDIGARH: With a 21.49 m Shot Put throw, Tajinderpal Toor has today qualified for Tokyo Olympics after breaking his own National Record at Indian Grand Prix at NIS Patiala.

KOLAR (Karnataka): A special train 'Kisan Rail' carrying 250 tonnes of mango grown in Kolar region left Doddanatta Halt Station (Chintamani), Kolar district for Adarsh Nagar railway station in Delhi on Saturday, an official said here.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday gave the go-ahead for regularisation of standalone buildings constructed outside municipal limits, without approval of Housing & Urban Development department, but with strict adherence to building bye-laws.

WASHINGTON: One person was killed and 12 others were injured in a series of shootings in several places in the Phoenix metropolitan area in the US state of Arizona, police said, adding that the suspect has been arrested.

PATNA: An international criminal wanted in over a dozen cases of heinous crimes including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and bomb blasts was arrested by the Bihar Police on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: India on Friday recorded 62,480 new cases of Covid and 1,587 fatalities in the last 24 hours, lowest in the last two months, according to data released by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry.

AMRITSAR: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Bibi Jagir Kaur immediately dismissed four employees of Gurdwara Gangsar Sahib Jaito in Faridkot district on charges of violating service rules and defaming the management of Guru Ghar. Has taken a tough decision.

NEVADA: Hindus feel that associating luxury handbags made of cow leather with “Brahmin” was very inappropriate; and are urging the Charlotte (North Carolina) headquartered department store chain Belk to withdraw these “Brahmin” leather bags from its nearly 300 stores and website.

NEW DELHI: Punjabi pop music icon Daler Mehndi says that he is personally against the use of dirty, obnoxious words in music. "Since I am a teetotaler, I strongly condemn showcasing, promoting tobacco, alcohol or guns in songs," he says.

SAN FRANCISCO: Google-owned YouTube Music has added "Replay Mix" for several users that include their most commonly played songs from the past few weeks.

LUCKNOW: With a massive push to the production and branding of Siddhartha Nagars famous Kala Namak rice, the area under the rice cultivation has gone up from 2,805 hectare in 2019 to 5,000 hectare in 2020.