Kolkata

Marco Rubio visits Saint Teresa's Mother House, children's home in Kolkata

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Kolkata on Saturday for his four-day diplomatic tour to India, with the city marking the opening leg of a visit that carries considerable political and historical resonance. His arrival in the eastern metropolis ended a 14-year hiatus since an American secretary of state last visited the city, coming only weeks after West Bengal witnessed a landmark political transition with a BJP-led government assuming office. In a post on X, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said, "Secretary Marco Rubio has landed in Kolkata. This is his first trip to India. Later today, we will call on Prime Minister @narendramodi in New Delhi. Trade, Technology, Defense, QUAD, and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days!" Rubio became the first US secretary of state to set foot in Kolkata since Hillary Clinton visited the city in May 2012. Although the US Department of State was yet to publish Rubio's Kolkata itinerary, sources in the US ...

Sanjeev Sanyal explains: Revival of Kolkata key to eastern India’s growth | Indian Economy

Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Sanjeev Sanyal says, “The relative performance of the Indian states shows one or two very clear trends.

Security tightened ahead of Suvendu Adhikari's swearing-in as Bengal CM

Security was tightened across key locations in Kolkata on Saturday ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of the first BJP government in West Bengal, including at the residence of chief minister-designate Suvendu Adhikari, Brigade Parade Grounds and outside former CM Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence. Heavy security deployment was seen outside Adhikari's Chinar Park residence here. Security arrangements were also intensified at the RCTC Ground, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to land before attending the ceremony. A multi-layered security apparatus, including central forces and Kolkata Police personnel, was put in place at Brigade Parade Grounds, the venue of the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected BJP government. CRPF personnel were deployed outside Banerjee's Kalighat residence amid heightened political activity in the city. The BJP registered a historic win in the polls, ending Trinamool Congress' 15-year rule in the state. Meanwhile, BJP supporters from nor

TMC stages sit-in outside EVM strongroom in Kolkata alleging irregularities

Hours after party supremo Mamata Banerjee urged TMC leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil over strongrooms housing EVMs, party candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja staged a sit-in protest at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra on Thursday, alleging irregular activities inside the facility. The protest came a day after the second phase of polling in West Bengal on Wednesday, following which EVMs were stored in strongrooms at the centre. Meanwhile, TMC sources said that the CM was also heading to the centre to take stock of the situation. Alleging procedural lapses, TMC leaders claimed party workers stationed outside the strongroom were asked to leave in the afternoon and later received information that the strongroom would be reopened at 4 pm. Speaking on the incident, Ghosh claimed, "Party workers and supporters were present outside the strongroom till 3.30 pm. Suddenly, an email was sent informing that the strongroom would be opened again at 4 pm. We contacted o

Nipha Group to expand agri machinery business across 20 states, 10 nations

Kolkata-based Nipha Group has launched a brand OneHorn, as part of a push to expand its agriculture machinery business in at least 20 states and 10 countries, including the US and European markets, company officials said on Sunday. Its chairman Mahesh Chandra Shah said the Indian agricultural ecosystem was at an inflection point where mechanisation and entrepreneurship must come together. "With our brand, we are building a structured, partner-first platform that enables our channel associates to grow as agripreneurs - stronger, more profitable, and future-ready," he said. The company, which began its agri-business journey in 1988 with spare part supplies before graduating to components and then full machines, claimed that OneHorn is the first brand in eastern India to offer a diversified range of agri equipment with a make-in-India focus. Executive Director Aakash Shah said the brand is designed to give partners "the right products, systems, and support to scale their business with

Former Union minister Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury dies at 89 in Kolkata

Former Union minister Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury died in Kolkata due to age-related ailments, his family said. Choudhury, popularly known as Dalu, was 89. He is survived by wife and a son, Congress's Malda Dakshin MP Isha Khan Choudhury. His death marks the end of an era in the politics of Malda district, where he remained a key figure for decades. Choudhury, a veteran Congressman, had been suffering from multiple age-related complications. He died at a private hospital in Kolkata late on Wednesday, his family said. The last rites will be performed in Malda on Thursday. Born on January 12, 1938, into the prominent Khan Choudhury family of Malda, Dalu Choudhury entered politics under the guidance of his elder brother, the venerable ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, also a former Union minister. After his brother's demise, he emerged as the principal political figure in the family and played a crucial role in maintaining the Congress's hold over the district. He served as an MLA of the Kali

IndiGo aircraft hit by unmanned vehicle at Kolkata airport, plane grounded

An unmanned third-party vehicle on the apron hit a parked IndiGo aircraft at Kolkata airport on Tuesday, prompting the airline to ground the plane for inspection, the carrier said. "A third-party unmanned vehicle on the apron moved and came in contact with a parked IndiGo aircraft at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata on April 7, 2026. The relevant authorities have been informed," an IndiGo spokesperson said. The aircraft has been grounded and is undergoing thorough inspections and necessary maintenance before being cleared for operations, the spokesperson added. The plane was scheduled to operate flight 6E 6663 from Kolkata to Guwahati, but the airline arranged an alternate aircraft to operate the service. No injuries were reported.

Nexus Select Trust to acquire Kolkata's Diamond Plaza mall for ₹347.5 cr

Acquisition of Diamond Plaza in Kolkata will help Nexus Select Trust expand its footprint in eastern India and strengthen its retail portfolio

Mamata demands PM's resignation over silence on Pak's 'Kolkata threat'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not raise Pakistan's threat to attack Kolkata, during his poll rallies in West Bengal a day earlier. "You (PM) target Bengal during election rallies; but when Pakistan talks of attacking Bengal, you do not utter a word. You should resign," she said at a poll rally here in Nadia district. "Why did the prime minister not raise the issue during his rally in Bengal? When Pakistan's defence minister says they will attack Kolkata, why didn't the prime minister say that 'we will take strong action'?" she posed a day after Modi addressed a poll rally in West Bengal's Cooch Behar. "Just like we do not accept any threat to the country, we will also not take the threat to Kolkata lying down," she said. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday warned India that it would respond with a strike in Kolkata to any "future misadventures". "If India tries to stage any false flag operation this

WB polls: RG Kar case looms over Panihati as victim's mother enters contest

Twenty months after the rape and murder of a young doctor inside Kolkata's state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital triggered nationwide outrage, the politics of that crime has caught up with Bengal's election battlefield. In Panihati, a constituency that for nearly six decades changed hands only between the Left and the Congress and later TMC, the April 29 contest is no longer just another election. In this north Kolkata suburb, now regarded as a safe TMC seat, voters are being asked less about local grievances and more about a question that has haunted Bengal since August 2024: "Who failed the RG Kar victim, and who can still deliver justice?" With the BJP fielding the victim doctor's mother, the TMC defending a fortress built over three decades, and the CPI(M) trying to reclaim a protest movement it helped lead, Panihati has become the constituency where Bengal's most emotionally charged issue is headed for its fiercest political test. The BJP has fielded the victim doctor'

Political storm erupts after man dies in Kolkata's RG Kar hospital lift

A man died after allegedly getting trapped in a lift at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata on Friday, sparking a political storm ahead of the Assembly elections, with the opposition BJP alleging negligence and demanding a murder probe. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari termed the death "murder" and held Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also heads the health department, along with Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam and hospital authorities, responsible. "I have documents with me... they intentionally killed (the man) using a lift that was being repaired. A case of murder should be immediately registered," Adhikari told reporters while campaigning in Purba Medinipur. According to the victim's family, the man, in his early 40s, got stuck inside the elevator when it suddenly malfunctioned. They alleged that the lift was under maintenance, had no operator on duty, and was not properly secured. A senior hospital official said the man was ..

How West Asia war and tariffs are shaking Kolkata’s $4.5 bn leather industry | Iran-US war

Kolkata’s $4.5 billion leather industry is facing fresh uncertainty. After tariff shocks from the US, the ongoing West Asia war is now disrupting logistics and delaying shipments.

'Countdown has begun, change in Bengal inevitable': PM Modi in Kolkata

Addressing a rally in Kolkata ahead of West Bengal Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the TMC government of lawlessness and announced infrastructure projects worth ₹18,680 crore

Sankar's Calcutta, still alive in city's people, their promise, and pain

Sankar brought Kolkata (then Calcutta) to life from the corridors of the Calcutta High Court to the bustling streets of Chowringhee

Earthquake tremors felt in Kolkata, adjacent districts of West Bengal

Earthquake tremors were felt in Kolkata and adjacent districts in West Bengal on Friday afternoon, triggering panic among people. There was no immediate report of any loss of life or damage to property. The magnitude and epicentre of the quake are not yet known. The tremors, which lasted for a few seconds, were felt in several parts of the city and adjoining areas, including high-rise residential complexes and busy marketplaces. Residents in many neighbourhoods said ceiling fans swayed, furniture shook and windows rattled during the tremors, with the impact more noticeable in multi-storey buildings. Further details are awaited.

Kolkata Port begins first-ever night pilotage to cut vessel turnaround time

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority (SMPA) on Thursday said it has, for the first time in its 155-year history, carried out night-time pilotage in the Upper Reaches of the Hooghly river, a move expected to reduce vessel turnaround time and improve overall port productivity. Upper Reaches refers to the upstream stretch of a river closer to the inland port, and, in this case, the segment of the Hooghly River between Diamond Harbour and Kolkata. Kolkata Port said its experienced pilots safely navigated container vessel Sinar Pangalam Susu on her inward voyage through the narrow channel of the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) during hours of darkness on the night of February 25, a statement said. SMPA said the successful night transit follows a trial movement undertaken on May 2, 2025, with outward-bound container vessel Sinar Penida, which laid the groundwork for round-the-clock navigation. The inbound vessel, with a length overall of 128 metres and a draft of 6.1 metres, completed the ...

Shillong-bound aircraft stranded in Kolkata for few hours due to bomb hoax

A Shillong-bound aircraft was stranded at Kolkata airport for around four hours on Saturday following a bomb threat, an official statement said. The IndiGo flight 6E 7304 was moved to the isolation bay after the discovery of a handwritten note claiming that a bomb had been placed on the plane, it said. The threat, however, later turned out to be a hoax, and the flight left for its destination at 1.33 pm following a thorough search as per standard security protocols. An Airports Authority of India (AAI) spokesperson said the note was discovered in the lavatory by one of the crew members around 9.15 am, around 15 minutes before its scheduled departure time. Some of the 60 passengers had already boarded the plane. The passengers were safely deboarded, and the aircraft was moved to the isolation bay. Standard security protocols were followed and a thorough inspection was conducted by the agencies concerned, he said. Upon completion of all safety checks and clearance by security ...

Tremors felt in Kolkata after earthquake hits Myanmar, Bangladesh, Tibet

Earlier on Tuesday, an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck Myanmar at about 9:04 PM. It occurred at a depth of 27 km, making it susceptible to aftershocks

Bombs hurled, firing reported during clash in south Kolkata; 10 held

Bombs were hurled and bullets fired during a clash between two groups here, leaving two persons injured, police said on Monday. At least 10 people were arrested in the clash that broke out in south Kolkata's Golpark area under the Rabindra Sarobar Police Station limits on Sunday night, a senior officer said. "The situation is now under control. Ten people were arrested early on Monday, and raids are underway to arrest others involved in the clash," he said. The violence broke out on Kankulia Road around 8.30 pm on Sunday when a group of youths from another area entered the locality and were confronted by locals, he said, adding that "two persons were injured in the incident". Stones were hurled from both sides, creating panic in the area, the policeman said. "Crude bombs were thrown, and at least one round of bullets was fired during the clash. Empty cartridges and splinters have been recovered from the area," the officer said. A mob later vandalised several motorcycles and made

SpiceJet to connect Imphal with Kolkata, Guwahati, Mumbai from Feb 10

Budget carrier SpiceJet on Friday said it will enter Imphal with the launch of its first-ever flight services to the Manipur capital, strengthening air connectivity to the Northeast. Starting February 10, SpiceJet will operate daily flights to Imphal from Kolkata, Guwahati and Mumbai, using Boeing 737 aircraft, the company said in a statement. "The new routes will significantly improve access to the northeastern state, offering passengers seamless and reliable connections to the region while enhancing travel options for both leisure and business travellers," it added. Passengers flying from Kolkata and Guwahati will benefit from non-stop services, while those travelling from Mumbai will enjoy a single-aircraft journey with a short stopover in Kolkata, eliminating the need to change aircraft, the company said. "The launch of these services assumes particular significance for Manipur, a state that currently has limited air connectivity options. The new daily flights are expected to .