Month: May 2025

[ad_1] KRISHNAGIRI: Devotees found a dead snakelet in the 'puliyodharai' prasad distributed to them at the Chandra Choodeswarar Temple in Hosur in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. The Chandra Choodeswarar Temple, perched on a hill at Therpettai in Hosur, is managed by the Hindu religious and charitable endowment (HR&CE) department. On Tuesday, C Madanika of Bommasandra in Bengaluru visited the temple with her friend Jayalakshmi and had a darshan of the deity. After the darshan, she got tamarind rice as prasad. She was horrified to find a snakelet in the prasad. “At first, I thought it was a worm,” she told TOI, noting that her friend later clarified that it was a dead snakelet.Madanika filed a complaint with the temple executive officer M Samidurai. Samidurai said, “We hold an annual tender for the supply of temple prasad. This year, for the […]

[ad_1] Industry organisations on Tuesday welcomed the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), asserting it will significantly support Indian exporters aiming to expand their presence in the UK market, particularly in the face of current global economic uncertainties. The agreement aspires to elevate bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030. Experts cited by news agency PTI emphasised that the FTA’s success will hinge on effective implementation and the capacity of Indian businesses to capitalise on enhanced market access while navigating competition from UK imports. Industry leaders underscored that the FTA would provide a strong push to sectors such as fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), healthcare, and innovation-led enterprises. Ficci President Harsha Vardhan Agarwal said, "Guided by Prime Minister Modi's bold and strategic leadership, this milestone reflects India's growing stature as a global economic force and a trusted partner in progress." The […]

[ad_1] Donald Trump (File photo) Donald Trump deals a blow to Indian films! The proposed 100% tariffs on foreign films by US President Donald Trump presents an unexpected challenge for the Indian film industry, potentially impacting its commercial success and sustainability in a crucial international market, according to industry leaders. Trump's justification for this measure stems from what he describes as "a very fast death" of the American film industry.The United States remains a crucial territory for Indian cinema, with a substantial Indian population of approximately 5.2 million, as reported by the Pew Research Centre. Hindi films derive 40-60% of their international earnings from the US, whilst South Indian productions generate between 12-70% of their overseas revenue from this market.The proposed tariff would require distributors to pay an additional $1 million in taxes when securing US distribution rights for an […]

[ad_1] Mumbai: Mumbai Indians' Hardik Pandya with GT batters S Gill and J Buttler during the IPL 2025 cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans at Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai. (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil) Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya on Tuesday bowled the joint-longest over in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history with 11 deliveries against Gujarat Titans at the Wankhede Stadium. Pandya equaled the record of Tushar Deshpande (2023), Mohammed Siraj (2023) and Shardul Thakur (2025).Hardik conceded 18 runs in his over. He bowled five extras in the over, including three wides and two no balls.Most balls in an over in IPL11 balls Mohammed Siraj vs MI Bengaluru 2023 (Over No 19)11 balls Tushar Deshpande vs LSG Chennai 2023 (Over No 4)11 balls Shardul Thakur vs KKR Kolkata 2025 (Over No 13)11 balls Sandeep Sharma vs DC Delhi 2025 […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan has proposed to increase its defence budget by 18%. The proposal comes days after India has cornered Pakistan in the aftermath of Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned of strict action against terrorism saying that the country will "identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers". He has also given complete freedom to the armed forces to decide on the "mode, targets and timing of response".Following the attack, the two nations have engaged in sporadic exchanges of gunfire along the Line of Control with Pakistan violating the ceasefire for the 12th consecutive time on Monday night drawing India's response.Meanwhile, another neighbour, China, has expressed support for Pakistan, its "all-weather strategic cooperative partner", and categorically said that […]

[ad_1] Officials have characterised the UK-India FTA as India’s most extensive agreement. (AI image) India-UK trade deal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on X (formerly Twitter), the ‘historic milestone’ that India and the UK have achieved in concluding a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries. The agreement is anticipated to be officially signed when the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits India this year.The agreement eliminates tariffs on 99 per cent of Indian products entering the UK market, whilst facilitating the movement of Indian professionals to Britain for employment opportunities, without altering the UK's existing points-based immigration framework.The United Kingdom and India, the world's sixth and fifth-largest economies respectively, finalised their agreement following three years of intermittent discussions.The trade volume between India and the UK rose to $21.34 billion in 2023-24, compared to $20.36 billion in 2022-23. The […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Indian ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra has issued a strong rebuttal to The Irish Times over its editorial on the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, accusing the publication of downplaying terrorism and echoing narratives that provide "cover fire" to its perpetrators.In a post on X, Mishra condemned the editorial for failing to unequivocally denounce the terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir. Instead, he mentioned, it chose to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “rattling sabres,” and drew an equivalence between India and Pakistan, a country Mishra described as the "global epicentre of terrorism."“Our reply to a malicious Irish Times editorial on the terrorist attack in Pahalgam,” India envoy wrote. “Instead of condemning terror and sympathising with innocent victims, it provides cover fire for the terrorists and their sponsors by charging […]