Browsing: India

Lab-grown diamondSurat: India’s polished lab-grown diamond exports have overtaken natural diamonds in volume for the first time, in FY 2025-26, marking a decisive shift in the global diamond trade driven by rapid manufacturing growth and rising affordability.Provisional data for FY 2025-26 shows India exported 18.8 million carats of polished lab-grown diamonds (LGD), compared to 16 million carats of cut and polished natural diamonds. Industry players say the gap is expected to widen further as LGD manufacturing capacity grows.A decade ago, the picture was starkly different. In 2015-16, India exported 33.51 million carats of cut and polished natural diamonds, while polished…

Vadodara: Dahod police’s crime branch seized Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) worth Rs 19.38 lakh after intercepting a Rajasthan-registered truck on the Zalod-Sanjeli road, with the consignment concealed under cement bags.Crime branch personnel were on patrol when they got intelligence about a truck bearing registration number RJ-09-GE-6721 transporting liquor through the district. Acting on the information, the team kept watch and intercepted the vehicle for a search.The search led to the recovery of 499 boxes containing 14,040 IMFL bottles and beer cans. The driver, Raju Keer, 29, a resident of Sakariya village in Nimbaheda taluka of Chittorgarh district in Rajasthan, was…

Kolkata: In a major shift in state’s sports policy, Bengal will now come under the purview of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, as the state government decided to adopt it here immediately. This will help the state sports units get recognition from national federations and the Central government easily and ensure transparency in their operations too.The days of athletes from Bengal shifting base to other states seeking greener pasture seems to be over as the government came out with a host of sports-friendly policies.In a boost to Bengal athletes winning medals at different national and international tournaments, state sports…

The fallout of conflict in West Asia is real, immediate and deeply unsettling The growing confrontation between Iran and the United States is no longer a narrowly defined regional dispute. It has begun to cast a long and troubling shadow over the global order. What may appear, at first glance, to be another episode in West Asia’s turbulent history is in fact a crisis with consequences far beyond the battlefield. It is unsettling energy markets, disturbing trade routes, raising inflationary fears, and reminding the world how fragile peace and economic stability have become. The most immediate impact is being felt…

Kolkata Knight Riders kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a hard-fought four-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in a rain-interrupted clash at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, KKR bowlers quickly put Mumbai under pressure. MI’s batting lineup once again struggled badly, slipping to 41/4 inside the powerplay after early wickets of Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav.Captain Hardik Pandya attempted to rebuild the innings with a cautious 26, while Tilak Varma added 20. The duo stitched together a slow but important 43-run partnership off 49 balls to steady Mumbai after the…

ED officials produce Ashok Kharat before a Special PMLA Court in connection with a Rs 70 crore money laundering case Mumbai: Seeking custody of Ashok Kharat, a Nashik-based astrologer accused of running a money laundering operation by exploiting spiritual faith, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday submitted how through repeated meetings and rituals presented as “religious guidance and business support,” he extorted over Rs 5.6 crore from a businessman. This amount includes travel, including foreign trips costing about Rs 1 crore, a luxury vehicle costing Rs 95 lakh, medical treatment in the US costing Rs 30 lakh, and farmhouse-related expenses…

New Delhi: Delhi govt on Wednesday launched a talent hunt scheme to promote young people across the city in diverse creative fields such as singing and dancing to theatre and digital arts. With a proposed budget of Rs 10 crore, the scheme will offer cash prizes of up to Rs 2.5 lakh and provide a competitive platform for people aged 16 to 35 through a four-stage selection process under seven categories.“The objective of the scheme is also to create an inclusive and accessible platform that encourages diversity, self-employment and self-reliance among talented youth,” chief minister Rekha Gupta said while launching…

GCCs are maintaining a healthy pace of talent expansion, although hiring is becoming more selective Bengaluru: In 2026, GCCs in India are paying higher salary increases than traditional IT services firms, even as compensation patterns become increasingly differentiated, driven by AI-led pay polarisation and a growing emphasis on skills.The sector is registering an average annual salary hike of 9.8%, according to a Zinnov report on compensation, attrition, and hiring trends. Hiring activity remained strong at around 27.4% annually, while average attrition stood at 16%, indicating continued employee movement across the industry.The findings suggest GCCs are maintaining a healthy pace of…

Hyderabad: Madhira Rural police arrested a man on Wednesday in connection with the murder of a 28-year-old woman.According to Wyra ACP Sarangapani, the accused Y Chennarao (30) was arrested in connection with the murder of G Kalpana (28), a resident of Meduru village in NTR district.Police said Kalpana, who worked at a private finance company, went missing on May 15 while travelling to Madhira for work. Based on a complaint filed by her brother, police launched a search operation and later found her body in the Nakshatra Open Venture area near Krishnapuram village.Investigation revealed that the accused and the victim…

Dehydration and reduced water intake are also aggravating related illnesses such as tick fever and kidney complications Dehydration and reduced water intake are also aggravating related illnesses such as tick fever and kidney complicationsAhmedabad: A week ago, an Ahmedabad resident took his labrador for a walk around noon. Within minutes, the otherwise active dog suddenly collapsed and had to be rushed to a veterinary clinic. The veterinarian found the dog’s body temperature to be extremely high and immediately placed him in a tub of cold water to bring down the temperature before administering fluids and medication.In peak summer months, when…