Akshita Kapoor

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: India's economy grew faster than expected at 7.4% in the Jan-March quarter, led by robust growth in agriculture and construction. The strong quarterly showing - the fastest in the fiscal year - pushed overall growth in 2024-25 to 6.5%, according to data released by the National Statistics Office.The Jan-March figure outperformed the upwardly revised 6.4% in the Oct-Dec period, and pointed to robust momentum in the fourth quarter amid global uncertainty. India remained the fastest growing major economy in the March quarter, followed by China at 5.4% and Indonesia at 4.9%. The full-year growth estimate was in line with expectations and the second advance estimate, but the lowest in 4 years, on the back of 9.2% expansion in the previous year.Chief economic adviser V Anantha Nageswaran Friday said robust domestic demand has supported GDP growth and private […]

[ad_1] High Court: Denial of childcare leave violation of law KOLKATA: Calcutta high court rapped a city college for cancelling an economics professor's child care leave (CCL) of six months, availed to look after her one year old twin daughters, and withholding her salary for the period."If nourishing years of the two infants are not the right time to grant CCL to petitioner, then one wonders whether the governing body of the college was trying to save it for a later period, when there may possibly be no need for such leave," Justice Jay Sengupta observed in his May 19 order.HC directed Calcutta Girls College authorities to sanction 189 days of CCL to the assistant professor, and release her salary dues for the period within six weeks. Denying the petitioner such leave would amount to flouting the applicable law, the […]

[ad_1] File photo: PM Narendra Modi (Picture credit: PTI) KANPUR/ BIKRAMGANJ: PM Narendra Modi Friday said Pakistan had to 'beg for a ceasefire' during Operation Sindoor, in yet another assertion by India that contradicts Donald Trump's claim that the US President had brokered peace between the two neighbours."We penetrated hundreds of miles into Pakistan and destroyed the hideouts of terrorists," the PM said at a rally in Kanpur. "Due to the bravery of our army, Pakistan had to plead and beg for a ceasefire," he said, adding: "The one who was begging during Operation Sindoor must not forget - it is not over yet."A day after a video of Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, during his recent trip to Azerbaijan, went viral in which he is heard admitting that India's pre-emptive BrahMos missile strikes at military sites impeded Islamabad's attempts to […]

[ad_1] Image credit: X/ DogeDesigner President Donald Trump bid farewell to Elon Musk in the Oval Office today as Musk officially steps back from his role at Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). As a goodbye gift, Trump presented a gold White House key to the Tesla CEO for establishing and leading the task force aimed to cut federal spending. “Elon gave an incredible service” Trump told the reporters, adding “nobody like him, because he's an incredible patriot. The good news is that 90% of the country knows that and they appreciate it and they really appreciate what he did. I just want to thank Elon and all of his people.”Giving the golden White House key to Musk, Trump said that he gives it to “very special people,” stating that it was a “presentation from our country.”During the press conference, the […]

[ad_1] Xi Jinping's daughter reportedly lives in Massachusetts though nothing about her is known. MAGA activist Laura Loomer threatened that she will confront Chinese president Xi Jinping's daughter who lives in Massachusetts, protected by PLA guards. "Communists don't belong in our country. I think I'm going to confront her on video and ask her about her father," Laura Loomer said as US announced a major crackdown on Chinese students. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that the US will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Commuist Party or studying in critical fields. Rubio said that the visa criteria for China and Hong Kong will be revised and some strict scrutiny will be imposed. China's Xi Jinping Blasts Trump In Blistering Attack; Beijing Rains Fire Over Visa Crackdown | WatchXi Jinping's daughter studied […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump on Friday again said he stopped India and Pakistan from fighting and that he told both countries that his government cannot trade with nations that are in conflict."We stopped India and Pakistan from fighting. I believe that could have turned out into a nuclear disaster,” Trump said during a press conference in the Oval Office with Elon Musk, who is leaving his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).Trump said he wanted to thank "the leaders of India, the leaders of Pakistan, and I want to thank my people also. We talked trade and we said 'we can’t trade with people that are shooting at each other and potentially using nuclear weapons'."He also said that the leaders of both India and Pakistan are "great leaders" and "they understood, and they […]

[ad_1] LeT commander Saifullah Kasuri (Picture from X @OsinTV) NEW DELHI: Top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander and one of the plotters of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack Saifullah Kasuri made inflammatory remarks against India at a rally in Lahore on Wednesday. Surrounded by Pakistani security forces, fellow terrorist commanders and officials of Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, Kasuri seemed to relish the infamy he had attracted for the massacre of innocent civilians marked out on the basis of their faith."I have become more famous since being accused of the attack," he gloated, as per information reaching here.Kasuri, who had earlier disclaimed responsibility for the slaughter in Pahalgam, was sharing the stage with US-designated terrorist Talha Saeed, son of Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed, along with Malik Ahmad Khan, speaker of the Punjab assembly - something that once again laid bare Pakistan's claim of […]

[ad_1] File photo: Jammu and Kashmir’s lone AAP MLA, Mehraj Malik (Picture credit: ANI) JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir’s lone AAP MLA, Mehraj Malik, has been booked for alleged defamation, criminal intimidation, and insulting the modesty of a woman doctor in Doda district. An FIR was lodged against him after Madhu Chib, head of the gynaecology and obstetrics department, Govt Medical College and Hospital, Doda, made a police complaint.Malik allegedly entered the hospital’s labour room, a restricted area, along with his associates and started live-streaming on social media, the Jammu Doctors’ Forum alleged. He made vile and derogatory remarks against her such as, “I will drag you and strip you”. Dushyant Chowdhry, president of the forum, said, Malik’s remarks were a direct assault on her dignity and a shameful attempt to outrage the modesty of a woman doctor serving in challenging […]

[ad_1] Assam picking up B'deshi illegals, dumping them in no-man's land GUWAHATI: Assam's BJP-led govt has accelerated the process of tracking down individuals declared illegal foreigners by Foreigners' Tribunals and is pushing them back into the no-man's land between India and Bangladesh.At least 49 such "declared foreign nationals" were pushed back from western and southern Assam on May 27 and 29, after which at least three petitioners have separately moved the Supreme Court and Gauhati HC seeking the whereabouts of their family members, suspected to have been pushed back, and a halt to the ongoing drive.Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday that "30,000 people, after being declared foreign nationals by various tribunals over the years, have disappeared. We have decided to speed up the process of detecting them, which was paused when the NRC was being updated. The […]

[ad_1] Rohit Sharma (image credit: BCCI/IPL) NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians held their nerve better in a pressure-cooker Eliminator to outclass Gujarat Titans by 20 runs in a high-scoring IPL 2025 clash on Friday. Rohit Sharma (81 off 50) capitalised on early chances to play a pivotal knock, while Jonny Bairstow (47 off 22) made an instant impact on debut, powering MI to a commanding 228 for five in their 20 overs.After sealing a place in Qualifier 2, Player of the Match Rohit Sharma expressed pride in his side's all-round effort."I have got only four fifties. Would have loved to score more fifties. Good day for us as a team. I do understand the importance of playing this Eliminator and going through this and taking the next step forward. Really proud of a complete team effort," Rohit said at the post-match […]