Author: Agencies
NEW DELHI: In a major crackdown on illegal online gambling, the Centre on Friday banned around 300 websites and mobile applications involved in betting and casino-style gaming activities. The blocked platforms include online sports betting sites, casino apps offering games such as slots and roulette, live dealer platforms, and peer-to-peer betting exchanges. Authorities also targeted Satta/Matka networks and real-money gaming applications. Officials said that a total of nearly 8,400 such platforms have been blocked so far, with around 4,900 taken down after the enactment of the Online Gaming Act. Earlier this year, in January, the government had already blocked 242…
JAMMU: Prices of premium petrol variants have been increased by around ₹2–2.3 per litre across select cities, even as regular petrol and diesel rates remain unchanged nationwide. The hike applies to high-octane fuels such as IndianOil XP95 sold by Indian Oil Corporation and “Power” petrol marketed by Hindustan Petroleum. According to dealer inputs, the revised rates have come into effect from Friday. Why premium petrol prices are rising The increase comes amid a sharp surge in global crude oil prices, with Brent Crude trading above $100 per barrel due to escalating tensions in West Asia and concerns over supply disruptions.…
CHENNAI: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh was today conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award in Medicine & Diabetes at the Chennai National Meet for, as the award citation describes, “his outstanding contribution as a distinguished medical professional, author and advocate for advancing Diabetes care and public health”. This is the second Lifetime Achievement Award for medical excellence conferred on Dr Jitendra Singh, the first one having been conferred in July 2024 at an International Meet held at Chennai. The award today…
JAMMU: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Friday staged protests at University of Jammu, demanding the withdrawal of a chapter on Muhammad Ali Jinnah included in the revised postgraduate Political Science syllabus under the National Education Policy 2020. The university, however, defended the inclusion, stating that the topic aligns with guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and is part of curricula followed by several universities across the country. Led by ABVP Jammu and Kashmir secretary Sannak Shrivats, activists assembled on campus, raised slogans against the administration, and demanded immediate removal of the chapter from the “Modern Indian Political…
KATRA: Braving inclement weather, over 31,000 pilgrims thronged the holy town of Katra and paid obeisance at the revered Vaishno Devi Temple atop the Trikuta Hills in Reasi district on the first day of Navratri, officials said on Friday. “As many as 31,690 pilgrims visited the cave shrine and paid obeisance on the first day of Navratri (Thursday) till 10 pm,” a senior official of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said. The nine-day Navratri festival commenced on March 19 with great fervour, and officials expect a daily footfall of over 30,000 pilgrims. The festival will conclude on March…
JAMMU: Heavy snowfall across parts of the Jammu region has disrupted vehicular movement, prompting the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to intensify snow clearance operations on key routes, officials said on Thursday. The strategically important Mughal Road, which connects the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri with south Kashmir’s Shopian, was closed for traffic following heavy snowfall earlier this week. “Snow clearance is underway on Mughal Road in Poonch after heavy snowfall disrupted connectivity. The BRO’s 79 RCC team is working round the clock to reopen the route swiftly,” officials said. They added that BRO’s 52 RCC has managed to clear…
POONCH: In a remarkable humanitarian effort, police in Poonch district reunited a mentally unwell woman from Uttar Pradesh with her family after a separation of eleven years. According to officials, the woman, identified as Leelawati and a resident of the Dwaj area in Uttar Pradesh, had gone missing over a decade ago and was found living in the Surankote area. Acting on the case, police at Surankote Police Station initiated efforts to ascertain her identity. Despite her limited ability to communicate, the team worked patiently, piecing together clues based on the information she could provide. Station House Officer Syed Abid…
SRINAGAR: Banking activity across Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a sharp spike during the Eid al-Fitr shopping period, with digital platforms driving the surge as consumers increasingly opted for cashless modes of payment. Official data from Jammu & Kashmir Bank revealed that non-branch banking transactions between March 16 and 19 touched ₹8,393.88 crore, spread across 5.94 crore transactions, indicating strong economic activity in the run-up to the festival. The data pointed to a clear shift towards digital payments, with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) emerging as the dominant channel. UPI alone accounted for 4,00,48,711 transactions worth ₹3,125 crore during the four-day…
Dhurandhar: The Revenge, starring Ranveer Singh and directed by Aditya Dhar, has taken the box office by storm with a record-breaking opening. According to early estimates from Sacnilk, the film collected nearly ₹100 crore nett on Day 1, making it one of the biggest openers in Indian cinema history. The political action drama had already set the tone with ₹43 crore nett from premiere shows, pushing its two-day total to around ₹143 crore nett. 🔝 Top 10 Indian opening day collections (nett) The film has surpassed major releases like Jawan, Adipurush, and Salaar: Cease Fire – Part 1 in terms…
NEW DELHI: India will celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Saturday, March 21, after the crescent moon of Shawwal was not sighted on Thursday, according to religious authorities. Mufti Adil of the Ru’yat-e-Hilal Committee at Jama Masjid confirmed that the festival will be observed on Saturday. A similar announcement was made by Syed Shaban Bukhari. In Lucknow, Maulana Khalid Rasheed, Chairman of the Islamic Centre, also declared that Eid will be celebrated on March 21. The Deccan Muslim Ulema Council likewise confirmed the date, stating that the moon was not sighted across the country. With the announcement, Muslims across India will complete…