Akshita Kapoor

[ad_1] CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary and leader of the opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami clarified Wednesday that the party's alliance with BJP is purely an electoral pact for contesting the 2026 assembly election and not a commitment to form a coalition govt after the polls.Addressing reporters Wednesday, Palaniswami emphasised that the distinction is critical to dispel misconceptions and political narratives suggesting a deeper integration. "Union home minister Amit Shah never said there would be a coalition govt in Tamil Nadu after the election. We only said we are part of an alliance. We never said we would form a coalition govt. Why is DMK irritated when we form an alliance? DMK is afraid. Even Amit Shah didn't mention coalition governance. He said, 'Modi for Delhi' and referred to me for Tamil Nadu (to lead the alliance)," Palaniswami said.Meanwhile, responding to Palaniswami's […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: SG said there was no basis for the apprehension of fresh scrutiny of ‘waqf by user’ properties. It was meant to enable only those Muslims who had already created a trust for charity, by assuring that their properties would not be treated as waqf property, he said. CJI said, “Before the British came to India, there was no concept of registering properties on transfer. How will someone produce documentary proof of a waqf if it was done during the 14th to 19th century. Jama Masjid in Delhi may be ‘waqf by user’. Who will produce documentary proof for this? But at the same time, no one can make an absurd claim that Parliament or Delhi HC land is waqf land.” Mehta said Muslim charity commissioners could enter temples and have been entering temples. “The Tamil Nadu govt […]

[ad_1] MUMBAI: In a gesture of support, Japan will gift India two Shinkansen train sets, E5 and E3, equipped for inspection on the under-construction Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor. The two trains are expected to arrive by early 2026 and will be instrumental in familiarising Indian engineers with Shinkansen technology ahead of the corridor's commissioning. According to a report by Japan Times, both countries are planning to introduce the next-generation E10 series Shinkansen trains on the MAHSR corridor in the early 2030s.Phase 1 of the corridor is expected to open on a 48 km stretch between Surat and Bilimora in Aug 2026. The other sections will be opened in phases as work is completed. Progress in Maharashtra remains sluggish, largely due to delays in the arrival of tunnel boring machines (TBMs). Tunnelling work, particularly in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), […]

[ad_1] Justice Dinesh Maheshwari (LEFT, Image Credit: X/@MLJ_GoI) NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday appointed former SC judge, Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, as chairman of the 23rd Law Commission. The terms of reference of the panel includes submitting a report on UCC, a study on laws affecting poor, and identifying laws that are hindrance to India's economic growth.The 23rd law commission, which was notified on Sept 2 last year, has a tenure of three years, till Aug 2027. It has provision for a chairman, four full-time members, including member secretary, two secretaries of law ministry and not more than five part time members. Justice Maheshwari retired from the apex court in May 2023.The 22nd Law Commission was headed by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, who demitted office before completing his tenure as he was appointed as member of the Lokpal. During his […]

[ad_1] A third senior Pentagon official has been placed on administrative leave, amid an ongoing investigation into information leaks at the department. Colin Carroll is the chief of staff to US deputy secretary of defense Steve A Feinberg. The two officials who have already been sent on leave are Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to defense secretary Pete Hegseth, and Darin Selnick, Hegseth's chief of staff.Also Read | Leaked War Chats: Who is Dan Caldwell? How is he linked to Signalgate - Trump admin's biggest scandal?"We can confirm Mr. Carroll has been placed on administrative leave pending investigation. We have nothing additional to provide at this time," Fox News Digital quoted a senior official as saying.Who is Colin Carroll?Carroll is a US Marine Corps intelligence officer, and he previously worked at Anduril Industries, a defense contractor which specializes in autonomous […]

[ad_1] Mamata Banerjee and Amit Shah KOLKATA: Mob violence in Bengal's Murshidabad over the new waqf law was "a pre-planned communal riot" orchestrated by BJP with the help of central agencies, CM Mamata Banerjee said Wednesday, insinuating that home minister Amit Shah had a role to play in it.Mamata also questioned what she said was an "unseemly hurry" to amend the waqf Act when the situation in neighbouring Bangladesh was still volatile.The CM urged PM Narendra Modi to "control him", alluding to Shah."They (BJP) have a lot of money; all IT networks are being used to spread fake news against Bengal. They are all Shah's companies. I have never taken his name earlier, but if the home ministry - like Kalidas - tries to chop off the branch it sits on, I will have to talk about it," she said. […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: A Delhi court directed Tihar Jail authorities on Wednesday to appear in person to explain how "such a desperate accused person", an undertrial named Shahnawaz, was kept together in isolation in prison with Christian Michel James, one of the alleged middlemen in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter case. The court of special judge Sanjeev Aggarwal sought a status report from the jail authorities on the issue by April 29.Meanwhile, talking to a few reporters just outside the courtroom on Wednesday, James, who was extradited from the UAE in 2018, said that inmates cut "deals" for "special treatment" inside Tihar. He described his time in prison, now more than six years, as not a waste of time but a "very good experience" despite the jail being a "terrible" and dangerous" place. However, underlining the threat to his life, he […]

[ad_1] Karnataka governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot BENGALURU: Karnataka governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot Wednesday reserved for President's assent the bill proposing a 4% reservation for Muslims in govt civic contracts valued up to Rs 1 crore, citing potential constitutional hurdles.Raj Bhavan sources confirmed the governor's decision to send back to the Congress government the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was passed by the legislature last month. The Raj Bhavan's move followed a request from BJP, which argued that the Constitution does not allow religion-based quota.Sources said in a formal communication to Siddaramaiah govt, the governor wrote: "The Constitution of India does not permit reservation based on religion, as it violates the principles of equality (Article 14), non-discrimination (Article 15) and equal opportunity in public employment (Article 16)." The governor cited Supreme Court's consistent view on the matter.A […]

[ad_1] Nicholas Suzuki and Sebastian Aho (Via: Getty Images) As every dramatic finale of NHL regulatory approaches, all eyes are on the Bell Centre, where the Montreal Canadiens, fleetly led by Nicholas Suzuki, will meet Sebastian Aho's Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday, April 16, at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Montreal Canadiens require just one solitary point to seal their playoff ticket, while the Hurricanes are already set for a postseason encounter with New Jersey, thus defining this game as one packed with emotional moments, experimentation, and surprise jumps from young players. Catch the live telecast on ESPN+ or stream on Fubo as playoff aspirations hinge on this contest.Rookies Rise, Veterans Rest: Nicholas Suzuki Faces Carolina's Youth MovementWith the postseason about to commence, the Carolina Hurricanes (47-28-5) have some veterans scheduled on rest now during the playoff opener. While exact names haven’t […]

[ad_1] Mumbai: In interim relief for comedian Kunal Kamra (36), who is in Tamil Nadu, the Bombay high court on Wednesday said until orders are passed on his plea for a stay of investigation, he shall not be arrested by Mumbai police.The HC's two-judge bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and S M Modak heard extensive arguments until 6.40 pm, when they concluded and reserved orders for Kamra's case. Kamra argued the FIR registered against him by Khar police over his show makes out no offence and the probe deserves to be stayed pending final disposal of his plea to quash the FIR itself.The bench, in a holding order, said, "as agreed by public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar, summons were issued under Section 35 (3) of BNS which specifically refers to notice being issued for recording the statement of the accused where […]