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TVK chief Vijay announces slew of freebies for women, including 8 gm gold

In poll-bound Tamil Nadu, Vijay announced several welfare promises for women a day ahead of International Women's Day

RSP's Balendra 'Balen' Shah defeats Oli, set to form next govt in Nepal

RSP's Balendra Shah on Saturday defeated four-time PM K P Sharma Oli by a huge margin and set to form the next government in Nepal, decimating traditional political parties in the first general elections since last year's violent Gen Z protests demanding generational change and corruption-free regime. Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah 'Balen,' the prime ministerial candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) defeated Oli, the chair of Nepal's legacy party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified MarxistLeninist) -- CPN-UML -- by a huge margin of about 50,000 votes in Jhapa-5 constituency. Balen, 35, secured 68,348 votes against 74-year-old Oli's 18,734, the Election Commission (EC) said. The RSP, which was formed in 2022 by Ravi Lamichhane, has won 62 seats out of the 78 seats for which results have been declared by 6:30 pm, according to the Election Commission (EC). RSP's seats include a clean sweep in all 10 constituencies of Kathmandu district even as it is leading in 60

US FDA vaccines chief Vinay Prasad set to leave his post next month

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary thanked Prasad for his service in a post on X late Friday, noting his division hit a record number of approvals in December

At least 41 killed, 40 wounded in Israeli airstrikes in eastern Lebanon

Lebanese health officials said on Saturday that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 16 people and wounded 35 others in overnight Israeli airstrikes in the mountain town of Nabi Chit. The Lebanese Health Ministry offered the figure. The Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with an Israeli force that landed late Friday in the mountains of eastern Lebanon. Israel has yet to comment on the fighting there.

Russian missile hits building in Ukraine's Kharkiv; 8 killed, 10 injured

At least seven people were killed and 10 others, including three children, were wounded on Saturday by a Russian missile that hit a five-story residential building in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, officials said. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack and called for an international response. He said that Russia struck Ukraine overnight with 29 missiles and 480 drones, targeting energy facilities in Kyiv and other central regions and with damage reported in at least seven other locations across the country. According to preliminary data, air defence systems downed 19 missiles and 453 drones, with hits from 9 missiles and 26 strike drones recorded at 22 locations. In Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors. In the Kyiv region, damage from debris was reported in three districts, according to local authorities. In the southern Odesa region, 80 firefighters were called in to help battle massive fires at ...

West Asia conflict puts $11.8 bn of India's agri exports at risk: GTRI

India's agri and food products exports worth USD 11.8 billion to West Asia are at risk as the conflict in the region is disrupting shipping routes, raising insurance costs and creating uncertainty in logistics, think tank GTRI said on Saturday. In 2025, India exported about USD 11.8 billion of agricultural and food products such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and spices to West Asia, accounting for 21.8 per cent of India's total exports in this sector. "The Gulf region's geographic proximity and large expatriate Indian population have historically made it a natural market for India's food exports. "However, the conflict in the region is disrupting shipping routes, raising insurance costs and creating uncertainty in logistics," the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. India exported USD 7.48 billion of cereals, fruits, vegetables and spices to West Asia in 2025, with the region accounting for 29.2 per cent of India's global exports in this category. Key ..

SBI launches $500 million social loan to boost women's economic empowerment

Country's leading lender SBI on Saturday announced the launch of a USD 500 million syndicated social term loan facility, focused exclusively on women empowerment with a greenshoe option, on the eve of International Women's Day. This syndicated transaction is a milestone for SBI and the global ESG financing landscape, for the noble cause of women empowerment, the bank said in a statement. This financing is focused on accelerating social impact and demonstrates SBI's commitment to reduce 'the gender gap' and contributes meaningfully to United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 -- 'Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls'. On the occasion, SBI Chairman C S Setty said, "On this women's day, we are happy to announce that as a responsible organisation, we are deeply committed to fostering women empowerment as a cornerstone of sustainable development." This landmark social loan embodies the bank's dedication to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ...

India got best trade deal with US among competing nations: Piyush Goyal

India has secured the best trade deal with the US compared to its competing nations, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday, noting that the two countries share a "very powerful" relationship. He said that the US is the world's largest economy - USD 30 trillion - and nobody can wish it away. "It has been a fantastic journey. We have the best of relations. You would have observed that through the last year, President Donald Trump has always had the best of things to say about India as a country, and about Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi. We have fantastic relations with our counterparts there. "Even within your family, sometimes you can have one or two misunderstandings. It's a part of the course. I think it's a very, very powerful relationship that the US and India share. And we got the best deal amongst all the nations with whom we compete," Goyal said when asked about the trade relations with the US. He was speaking at Raisina Dialogue 2026 here. The ministe

Bengal to give ₹1,500 monthly allowance to jobless Class 10 passouts: CM

Ahead of the assembly polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that from Saturday unemployed young job seekers, having passed secondary examination (class 10), will receive Rs 1,500 allowance every month to help them move towards a self-reliant future. The TMC supremo made this announcement - on the eve of International Women's Day on March 8 - during her speech at the sit-in against large-scale deletion of names of voters by the Election Commission during Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral roll exercise. She said young men and women - aged 2140 years - who have passed the secondary exams - will receive Rs 1,500 per month from March 7. Bannerjee said while the assistance was originally scheduled to begin in April, it will now start immediately. "In the case of Yuva Sathi, all those who are still studying and are not beneficiaries of any schemes other than scholarships will receive the amount. We had earlier stated that the money would be given on April 1. Bu

West Asia crisis: Govt asks ports to consider waiving charges, issues SoP

Union Shipping, Ports and Waterways Ministry has proposed that ports may consider requests regarding reduction, waiver or remission of charges, including change of vessel charge, and also rolled out a standard operating procedure (SoP) for them to deal with issues arising from the West Asia crisis. As part of the SoP that followed extensive consultations with all stakeholders on Friday, each port will appoint a nodal officer at the level of head of department or deputy head of department, who will be the single point of contact for addressing the issues coming up for consideration at ports. The nodal officer will be responsible for taking up the matter with the competent authority and ensure that the action is taken within 24-72 hours. Also, as per the SoP, port chairpersons should have periodical meetings with stakeholders such as shipping lines, exporters, terminal operators, customs, among others to closely monitor the situation and ascertain and address legitimate concerns. The

No plan to carve UT out of Bihar, Bengal districts: Nityanand Rai

Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, on Saturday dismissed speculations that a move was afoot to form a new centrally administered territory by carving districts out of Bihar and West Bengal. Rai, who is also a former Bihar BJP president, came out with a post on his X handle, rubbishing the claim of Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav. "It is totally contrary to facts that there is any plan to carve some districts out of Bihar and West Bengal to form a Union territory. Nobody should take the tweet of Pappu Yadav seriously," said Rai, who also tagged the Purnea MP, who supports the Congress. Yadav had on Friday alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's decision to move to Rajya Sabha, and the appointment of Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain, as the new governor, was part of the "BJP's game-plan" to create a Union territory after carving out Bihar's Seemanchal region and West Bengal's Muslim-dominated districts of Malda, Murshidabad and Uttar ...

Santal freedom fighters not given due recognition: Droupadi Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said the contributions of the Santals to the country's freedom struggle have not received due recognition, and asserted that the names of several legends belonging to the community were "not deliberately included in history". After inaugurating the ninth International Santal Conference at Bidhannagar in Siliguri in West Bengal's Darjeeling district, she stressed the need for education for Santal children. "I know how much the Santals have contributed to the country's freedom struggle. But the names of Santal legends have not deliberately been included in history," she said. The President urged the community to ensure that the younger generation receives proper schooling. "I want all children of the Sanal community to get a good education, and this would help them become independent and stronger," Murmu said. The President said the community should also learn languages in addition to Ol Chiki to expand opportunities. In 1925, Pandit Raghunath M

Dubai says airport, Emirates to resume operations after Iran attack

Dubai and its long-haul carrier Emirates said Saturday the airline would resume operations after temporarily halting them following an Iranian attack on the city-state. The news brought cheers in Dubai International Airport, where passengers had been sheltering after hearing a large boom overhead. Authorities have not explained if there was an interception or damage at the airport, which is the world's busiest for international travel.

Discovering Nature in Delhi: Tracing the capital's secret natural world

In her new book, Neha Sinha explores Delhi's hidden wilderness-from the Aravalli Range to the Delhi Ridge-revealing the capital's rich but overlooked biodiversity

CBSE cancels Class X exams, postpones Class XII in West Asia region

Students are advised to stay in close contact with their schools and follow official announcements carefully

More tankers hit in Gulf waters as US-Iran war spreads to oil routes

Iraq has cut its oil production by nearly 1.5 million barrels a day as it ran out of storage and was unable to load tankers, officials told Reuters

Sri Lanka lets 2nd Iranian ship dock at Trincomalee, evacuates 208 on board

Sri Lanka on Thursday allowed a second Iranian ship to dock at the eastern port of Trincomalee and evacuated all 208 personnel on board, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, a day after another Iranian frigate was sunk near the island nation. In a televised address, Dissanayake said the vessel, IRINS Bushehr, had sought permission to enter Sri Lankan waters, citing an engine failure. "We wanted to remain neutral while dealing with a humanitarian response," he said, adding that Sri Lanka's role was limited to responding to a request from one party involved in the conflict. "No one deserves to die. Every life is precious," the President said. He also criticised opposition parties for attempting to politicise the situation. "We won't succumb to pressure. We will maintain our neutrality," Dissanayake said. According to the President, the ship had 208 personnel on board, comprising 53 officers, 84 cadets, 48 senior sailors and 23 seamen, all of whom were evacuated after the ship w

Pentagon preparing for US war with Iran to last until September: Report

US military planners are said to be allocating resources for a conflict that could extend well beyond Donald Trump's earlier four-to-five week estimate, Politico reported

Students Etched in Memory: Perumal Murugan's learning curve and his bond

The author's affectionate bond with his students in this book makes readers wish they had teachers like him

Air India to launch Hanoi-Delhi, Tokyo-Mumbai non-stop flights services

Air India on Thursday announced the launch of its non-stop flight services on the Hanoi-Delhi and Tokyo (Haneda)-Mumbai routes starting in the June quarter as part of its expansion across Asia. The Tata group airline already operates to Vietnam and Japan with flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Tokyo (Haneda) from the national capital. The new five-time weekly services to Hanoi, starting from May 1, will complement daily flights to Ho Chi Minh City. This provides greater flexibility to travellers who intend to visit Vietnam with open jaw itineraries-entering from Hanoi and exiting Ho Chi Minh City or vice versa, Air India said, adding these services will be operated with a A320neo aircraft in a three-calss configuration--business Premium economy as well as Economy Class. The opening of this new route adds 7,028 seats to and from Vietnam each month, Air India said. Vietnam, which now ranks as the third-most-visited country in Southeast Asia, having recorded over 20 million visitors in