9+ min ago (335+ words) Published - December 01, 2025 02:37 am IST - Malaysia In an entertaining final, Belgium beat India 1-0 in a closely-fought encounter to lift the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia on Sunday (November 30, 2025). India were forced to settle for a silver, thanks to Thibeau Stockbroekx's lone goal of the match in the 34th minute. This is Belgium's maiden Sultan Azlan Shah title and only their second appearance in the event. Unfortunately for India, who were coming into this match after a high-scoring 14-3 win against Canada on Saturday (November 29, 2025), they couldn't convert the three penalty corners. While Jugraj Singh, Amit Rohidas and Sanjay have been successful in the PC attack during this tournament, they could not beat the Belgian defence. This was India's second defeat in this tournament after losing 2-3 to the European powerhouse in the league stage. There were intense midfield battles and with experienced stars…...

19+ min ago (599+ words) Updated - December 01, 2025 07:28 am IST - New Delhi The government will introduce two bills in the Lok Sabha on Monday (December 1, 2025) to levy excise duty on tobacco and tobacco products, and a new cess on manufacturing of pan masala. The Central Excise Amendment Bill, 2025, will replace the GST compensation Cess, which is currently levied on all tobacco products like cigarette, chewing tobacco, cigars, hookahs, zarda, and scented tobacco. Also read | From tea stalls to tumours, tobacco affordability fuelling cancer epidemic in India The Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeks "to give the government the fiscal space to increase the rate of central excise duty on tobacco and tobacco products so as to protect tax incidence," once the GST compensation Cess ends, according to the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill. The Health Security se National Security Cess Bill, 2025, seeks to levy…...

54+ min ago (286+ words) Published - December 01, 2025 01:51 am IST - NEW DELHI On the evening of November 10, Shania Parveen, 23, was excitedly shopping for her wedding at Chandni Chowk, near the historic Red Fort, in old Delhi. By late evening, she was in a hospital following a blast that ripped through the area, leaving her almost deaf. Nearly three weeks later, the once-vibrant lanes of Chandni Chowk are back to business -- almost. But Ms. Parveen has lost not just her hearing but also her job. She recently received a message from her employer that the private company, where she was working as an accountant, won't be able to retain her services since she has not been able to go back to work. Doctors at the Lok Nayak Hospital, where she is undergoing treatment, told her a surgery could help her regain her hearing abilities but Ms. Parveen…...

1+ hour, 26+ min ago (588+ words) As India transitions into the NACP Phase-VI for 2026-31, it must confront the reality that India's HIV epidemic is still evolving, and in some places, is accelerating...

1+ hour, 29+ min ago (279+ words) Published - December 01, 2025 01:16 am IST - Islamabad Pakistan on Sunday (November 30, 2025) rejected UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk's concern about the 27th constitutional amendment as "ungrounded and misplaced apprehensions". In a statement issued in Geneva on Friday (November 28, 2025), the human rights chief said the latest constitutional amendment, like the 26th amendment last year, had been adopted without broad consultation and debate with the legal community and wider civil society. The Foreign Office in a press release said that "like all parliamentary democracies, all legislation as well as any amendment to the constitution remain the exclusive domain of the elected representatives of the people of Pakistan. "While Pakistan gives due importance to the work of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, it is regrettable that Pakistan's views and ground realities were not reflected in the statement issued, it said. It said Pakistan remains…...

1+ hour, 39+ min ago (491+ words) Have you noticed how an insurance agent or call-centre executive never lets go when they want to sell you a policy or renewal? That may sound harsh, but the frustration is widespread " and growing. Recently, a senior retired insurance executive wrote on LinkedIn about his experience as a motor insurance customer. His two cars were insured through a broker belonging to the same conglomerate that manufactures and sells that brand of vehicle. Everything should have been seamless, smooth and professional. Instead, it unfolded like an existential satire. He emailed them regarding a requirement related to the issuance of the policy as there was no direct line to speak to anyone. He did receive a response " but before he could even read the email, another message arrived declaring that his service request had been "resolved" and closed. In his words, dripping…...

1+ hour, 48+ min ago (405+ words) Updated - December 01, 2025 12:59 am IST - Kolkata The Election Commission of India (ECI) has admitted its mistake by extending the deadline for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by seven days, the Trinamool Congress leadership said on Sunday (November 30, 2025), adding that the ECI should apologise to the people of West Bengal for the deaths which have allegedly occurred during the "hurriedly carried out" revision. The ECI on Sunday (November 30, 2025) announced the extension of the schedule of the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in nine States and three Union Territories by one week. Senior West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and Barrackpore MP Partha Bhowmick held a press conference and said that Trinamool Congress was correct when it had pointed out that SIR was a hurriedly-held exercise. "From the Trinamool Congress, we have been repeatedly saying that the time given by the EC for SIR is…...

1+ hour, 57+ min ago (386+ words) Updated - December 01, 2025 06:15 am IST - Dhaka A commission set up to investigate a violent mutiny that saw dozens of senior army officers massacred 16 years ago on Sunday (November 30, 2025) said former premier Sheikh Hasina had ordered the killings. Rampaging troops from the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) murdered 74 people, including military officers, during the two-day revolt that began in Dhaka and spread across the country in 2009, destabilising the government of then-premier Ms. Hasina, weeks after she took office. After Ms. Hasina was ousted last year following a student-led uprising, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus formed a commission to investigate the incident. Ms. Hasina, 78, has since sought refuge in India, defying court orders that she return to Bangladesh. According to the commission's report submitted on Sunday (November 30), the then-Awami League government led by Ms. Hasina was directly involved in the mutiny. Former member…...

2+ hour, 16+ min ago (282+ words) Published - December 01, 2025 12:29 am IST - MUMBAI Ahead of the local body elections, the Maharashtra Minister of Sports and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate has criticised the BJP, an alliance partner in the State, for "creating splits and divisions" for the entirety of its political history. The BJP, Mr. Kokate said is "fully diluted." "The conflicts are only amidst the Mahayuti. The election struggle is in our alliance. The Opposition is nowhere to be seen. However,Shiv Sena (UBT) can still be seen, but they are diluted. Splits here, splits there, the BJP is only creating divisions. Amid all this, veteran workers are sitting at home, as many did not get tickets. Mr. Kokate was speaking at a campaign meeting in Nashik district's Sinnar region in Maharashtra for the upcoming Nagar panchayat and Nagar parishad elections scheduled for December 2. The BJP has fired…...

2+ hour, 34+ min ago (930+ words) ["The possibility of different support structures for the Test and white-ball formats might just be a crucial question that needs an immediate answer; sometimes when there is a surfeit of cricket, it can leave the most passionate and even a battle-hardened coach and support staff physically and mentally drained, inadvertently opening the doors for disasters","Can shared coaching roles rejuvenate India's red-ball cricket amidst the evolving demands of international formats?"]...