Surge in Election Spending Poised to Boost Rural Economy, Experts Predict Even as the 2024 Lok Sabha polls have started to unfold, anticipation remained high not only in the political landscape but also about the ripple effects on the economy, particularly in rural India, as experts described the elections as the most expensive one ever fought in the country's history. With an expenditure of a staggering Rs 1.35 lakh crore estimated by N Bhaskara Rao, who chairs the Centre for Media Studies and

Miller backs struggling Gill as GT skipper Shubman Gill is having a tough initiation into Gujarat Titans captaincy, but senior batter David Miller backed him, saying the 24-year-old is increasingly adjusting to the role. Under Gills captaincy the Titans who were champions in 2022 and runners-up last year under Hardik Pandya are languishing at the ninth place on the table with no real hope of entering the playoffs. Shubman is an exceptional player, as we all know. He is still young and has a lo

Army Helicopter Lands Safely in Maharashtra's Sangli, No Injuries Reported An Advance Light Helicopter of the Indian Army has made a ''precautionary landing'' at a farm in Maharashtra's Sangli district due to a technical issue in its engine, police said. Three Army personnel - two pilots and a technician - were on board at the time of the incident on Saturday morning, they said, adding that there was no casualty. The helicopter, belonging to the Army Aviation Corps, was going from Nashik in Maha

New Study: Information and Belief Changes Have Limited Effect on Individual Behavior Change Social support and tapping into an individual's habits can have a more ''sizeable impact'' when trying to bring about behavioural changes in people in times of a pandemic or for tackling climate change as strategies like giving accurate information or trying to change beliefs have ''negligible effects,'' a new study has found. Removing practical obstacles to behaviour like providing health insurance to en

Messi's Masterclass: Goal and 5 Assists Lead Inter Miami to 6-2 Victory over Red Bulls Lionel Messi had a record setting night for Inter Miami. He scored a goal and had five assists as Inter Miami trounced the New York Red Bulls 6-2 on Saturday night with the Argentine great and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner as the game's best player setting no fewer than three Major League Soccer records in the effort. The six goal contributions, five assists and five assists in a half were all MLS records. Me

Unlocking Mindset Shifts: Embracing Self-Respect for Persuasive Communication Washington Washington, May 5 (The Conversation) Why is persuasion so hard, even when you have facts on your side? As a philosopher, Im especially interested in persuasion not just how to convince someone, but how to do it ethically, without manipulation. Ive found that one of the deepest insights comes from the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, a focus of my research, who was born 300 years ago: April 22, 1724. In his

Bruised and Battered Bayern Falls to Madrid, Dortmund Thunders Over Augsburg Bayern Munich suffered a 3-1 loss at Stuttgart and an injury to Raphal Guerreiro in its last Bundesliga game before the Champions League semifinal second leg at Real Madrid. Guerreiro went off early with what looked like a muscular injury and is a doubt for Wednesday's decisive match in Madrid. Borussia Dortmund's B-team warmed up for Tuesday's semifinal at Paris Saint-Germain with a 5-1 rout of visiting Augsburg. Dortm

Trudeau Emphasizes Rule of Law in Canada Following Arrests in Nijjar Murder Investigation Canada is a ''rule-of-law country'' with a strong and independent justice system and a fundamental commitment to protect its citizens, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said, a day after three Indian nationals were charged with the murder of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. Karan Brar, 22, K

Fake videos of Modi aides trigger political showdown in India election Manipulated videos are taking centre stage as campaigning heats up in India's election, with fake clips involving two top aides of Prime Minister Narendra Modi triggering police investigations and the arrest of some workers of his rival Congress party. In what has been dubbed as India's first AI election, Modi said last week fake voices were being used to purportedly show leaders making statements that we have never even thou

Abhishek Banerjee Expresses Willingness for Congress Alliance Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said his party was keen on an alliance with the Congress, for which he even went to meet Rahul Gandhi at his residence at 6 am. Abhishek, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and heir apparent to the party, asserted that Trinamool Congress candidates are the true representatives of the INDIA bloc in West Bengal. ''Had I not been serious, I would not have rushed to Rahul Gandhi's

14-year-old girl in Chhattisgarh kills elder brother for stopping her from using mobile phone A 14-year-old girl allegedly hacked her elder brother to death with an axe after he scolded her for talking to boys on mobile phone in Chhattisgarh's Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district, police said. The teenager has been detained for the offence that took place at Amlidihkala village under Chhuikhadan police station limits on Friday, the police said in a statement on Saturday. The girl told the poli

Australian police shoot boy dead after stabbing with 'hallmarks' of terrorism Australian police said on Sunday they had shot dead a boy after he stabbed a man in Western Australia's capital Perth, in an attack authorities said indicated terrorism. There were signs the 16-year-old, armed with a kitchen knife, had been radicalised online, state authorities said, adding they received calls from concerned members of the local Muslim community before the attack, which occurred late on Saturday night.

Australian police shoot dead a 16-year-old boy armed with a knife in Perth A 16-year-old boy armed with a knife was shot dead by police after stabbing a man in the Australian west coast city of Perth, officials said Sunday. The incident occurred in the parking lot of a hardware store in suburban Willetton on Saturday night. The teen allegedly attacked the man and then rushed at police officers before he was shot, Western Australian Premier Roger Cook told reporters on Sunday. There are indicatio

Saree's Timeless Charm Captivates Times Square in Global Showcase The iconic Times Square here was awash with varied hues and styles of sarees as hundreds of women from the Indian-American community as well as other nations showcased the timeless elegance, heritage and cultural diversity of the garment at a special event. The Saree Goes Global event was held in the heart of Times Square Saturday, with participation from over 500 women from the Indian community as well as those from at least nine

Indian men's 4x400m team suffers setback at World Relays, second leg runner bows out injured Second leg runner Rajesh Ramesh pulled out injured as the Indian men's 4x400m team failed to finish its heat race at the World Athletics Relays here on Sunday, during round one of Paris Olympics qualifications. The Indian quartet of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammed Ajmal and Amoj Jacob was hoping to book a Paris ticket with a top-two finish in heat number four, but in utter heartbreak, Rames

Celebrating Saris in Times Square: Global Event Highlights Tradition and Elegance The iconic Times Square here was awash with varied hues and styles of sarees as hundreds of women from the Indian-American community as well as other nations showcased the timeless elegance, heritage and cultural diversity of the garment at a special event. The Saree Goes Global event was held in the heart of Times Square Saturday, with participation from over 500 women from the Indian community as well as those fr

Australian police shoot dead boy after stabbing with 'hallmarks' of terrorism Australian police said on Sunday they shot dead a boy after he stabbed a man in Western Australia's capital Perth, in an attack authorities said indicated terrorism. There were signs the 16-year-old, armed with a kitchen knife, had been radicalised online, state authorities said, adding they received calls from concerned members of the local Muslim community before the attack, which occurred late on Saturday night. The

Dozens arrested in weekend of protests on US campuses Police on Saturday arrested at least 25 pro-Palestinian protesters and cleared an encampment at the University of Virginia, the university said in a statement, as U.S. campuses braced for more turmoil during graduation celebrations. Tensions flared at UVA's campus in Charlottesville, where protests had been largely peaceful until Saturday morning, when police officers in riot gear were seen in a video moving on an encampment on the campus' la

Soccer-Heavy rain in Porto Alegre forces CONMEBOL to postpone Libertadores and Sudamericana matches South American football's governing body, CONMEBOL, postponed on Saturday the Libertadores and Sudamericana matches scheduled for next week in Porto Alegre, Brazil, due to heavy rains. The government of Rio Grande do Sul declared a state of emergency on Thursday following the intense rains that have hit the region. CONMEBOL has decided to postpone the Libertadores match between Chile's Huachipato

UAW workers ratify US labor deal with Daimler Truck Members of the United Auto Workers on Saturday ratified a new labor contract with Daimler Truck that includes at least a 25% general wage increase over the four-year deal. The vote was 94.5% in favor of the new contract, which covers more than 7,300 hourly UAW workers after a tentative agreement was reached in late April, averting a strike at the 11th hour. The contract covers hourly workers at six facilities in southern states where unionizati

Incoming PM Wong to Foster Continued Growth in Singapore-India Relations: SICCI Singapore's ties with India will continue to flourish under the leadership of the country's incoming Prime Minister Lawrence Wong who will be sworn in on May 15, the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) has said. ''As Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong prepares to hand over (leadership of the city-state) to his successor, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, we are confident that Singapore-India ties

North Korea's UN ambassador says new sanctions monitoring groups will fail (Changes headline from U.S-led to ew, in first paragraph adds other Western countries, full quote from English KCNA in paragraph 4) SEOUL, May 5 (Reuters) - Efforts led by the U.S. and other Western countries to form new groups to monitor sanctions on North Korea will fail, the country's U.N. envoy said on Sunday, according to state media KCNA. Ambassador Kim Song made the comment in response to a joint statement the U.S

North Korea's U.N. ambassador says US-led sanctions monitoring groups will fail U.S.-led efforts to form new groups monitoring sanctions on North Korea will fail, the country's U.N. envoy said on Sunday according to state media KCNA carrying his statement. Ambassador Kim Song made the comment in response to a joint statement the U.S. and its allies issued this week calling to continue the work of a U.N. panel of experts monitoring longstanding U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang for its nuclear wea

Trump, RNC raise over $76 million in April, half from small donors Former U.S. President Donald Trump's election campaign and the Republican National Committee said on Saturday that they raised more than $76 million in April, over half of it from small donors. The monthly fundraising haul exceeded the $65.6 million raised in March by Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, and the RNC. With half of funds raised coming from small dollar donors, it is clear that our base is energized. The Re

UPDATE 1-Pro-Palestinian protests briefly disrupt University of Michigan graduation Pro-Palestinian protesters briefly disrupted a commencement ceremony at the University of Michigan on Saturday while demonstrators faced off with police at the University of Virginia as U.S. colleges braced for more turmoil during graduation festivities. Students across the U.S. have rallied or set up tents at dozens of universities to protest the months-long war in Gaza and call on President Joe Biden, who has s

France's Macron set to press visiting Xi on trade, Ukraine China's President Xi Jinping heads to Paris on Sunday for a rare visit, with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron set to press him to reduce trade imbalances and try to convince him to use his influence on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Neither aim will be easily fulfilled during Xi's two-day stay in France, where he arrives at a time of growing trade tensions between Europe and China. France is backing a European Union probe into Chi

Russian Orthodox Christians mark Easter with nighttime service in Moscow cathedral Worshippers including President Vladimir Putin packed Moscow's landmark Christ the Savior Cathedral for a night-time Easter service led by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church and an outspoken supporter of the Kremlin. The traditional sung service begun late Saturday, with Kirill delivering well-wishes to Orthodox believers which were broadcast on Russian TV. A procession of white-robed clergy the

Motor racing-Magnussen helped Hulkenberg with 'well-deserved' penalties Kevin Magnussen said he had to resort to 'stupid tactics' as he collected three time penalties in helping Haas team mate Nico Hulkenberg score precious points in Saturday's Miami Formula One sprint race. The Dane had 25 seconds added to his time and ended up 18th and last on track after holding up Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and RB's Yuki Tsunoda in a battle for eighth and the final point. Stewards were not impressed with Magnu

Togo ruling party wins sweeping majority in legislative poll, final provisional results show Togo's ruling party has won 108 out of 113 seats in parliament, according to the final provisional results of last month's legislative election announced on Friday. The sweeping majority secured by President Faure Gnassingbe's UNIR party follows the approval of controversial constitutional reforms by the outgoing parliament that could extend his 19-year rule. The new charter adopted in March also introdu

Heavy rains in southern Brazil kill nearly 60, over 70 still missing Heavy rains in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul this week killed at least 55 people, local authorities said on Saturday evening, while dozens remain unaccounted for. Rio Grande do Sul's civil defense authority said 74 people were still missing and more than 69,000 had been displaced as storms in the last few days have affected nearly two thirds of the 497 cities in the state, which borders Uruguay and Argentina.

Motor racing-Red Bull's Max Verstappen takes pole for Miami Grand Prix Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen claimed pole position on Saturday for the Miami Grand Prix, to start from the front of the grid for the sixth straight race this season. The pole, Verstappen's seventh in a row going back to last year in Abu Dhabi, adds to what has so far been a perfect weekend for the Dutchman, who topped the timesheets in the only practice session and sprint qualifying on Friday then winning t

Thousands of Madonna fans gather on Copacabana beach for free concert Thousands gathered on Rio de Janeiro's famous Copacabana beach on Saturday ahead of a free open-air concert by pop star Madonna that was expected to attract some 1.5 million people. The Brazilian show marks the end of Madonna's greatest hits world tour, Celebration, which started in late 2023. Rio's city government has said it would deploy thousands of police officers around the concert area, managing the crowds with a strateg

Pro-Palestinian protests briefly disrupt University of Michigan graduation Pro-Palestinian protesters briefly disrupted a commencement ceremony at the University of Michigan on Saturday while demonstrators faced off with police at the University of Virginia as U.S. colleges braced for more turmoil during graduation festivities. Students across the U.S. have rallied or set up tents at dozens of universities to protest the months-long war in Gaza and call on President Joe Biden, who has supported

44 Victims of Devastating Bus Crash on Easter Sunday Laid to Rest in Botswana At least 44 people who died in a horrific bus crash during Easter weekend in South Africa were laid to rest in neighbouring Botswana on Saturday. About 5,000 mourners clad in black gathered in the Botswana village of Molepolole to pay their last respects nearly a month after the bus crash that claimed the lives of everybody on board except one 8-year-old child. The bus driver, Ogaufi Noonyane, was buried separately in

Southern Brazil Devastated by Historic Floods, Death Toll Rises to 39 Heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul killed 39 people, with another 68 still missing, the state civil defence agency said Friday, as record-breaking floods devastated cities and forced thousands to leave their homes. It was the fourth such environmental disaster in a year, following floods in July, September and November 2023 that killed 75 people in total. The flooding statewide has surpassed that

Brazil's Bolsonaro discharged from hospital after skin infection Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro had to be hospitalized for a brief period on Saturday in the Brazilian northern city of Manaus due to a skin infection caused by a bacteria, his spokesperson Fabio Wajngarten told Reuters. Bolsonaro had erysipelas, according to Wajngarten, a skin disease he had already been infected with in November 2022, after losing a bid for reelection to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the month be

Labour victories in key UK mayoral polls deal fresh blow to Sunak Britain's Labour Party won mayoral polls in London and central England on Saturday, in crushing defeats for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's unpopular Conservatives ahead of a national election due later this year. While Labour politician Sadiq Khan's re-election as London mayor was widely expected, Labour also snatched a surprise, narrow victory in the central West Midlands region that is home to Britain's second-largest city of Birm

Israeli forces kill Hamas gunmen in overnight raid near West Bank's Tulkarm Israeli forces killed five Palestinians, including four fighters from the militant group Hamas, in an overnight raid near the city of Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli officials said on Saturday. Hamas confirmed that four of the men killed during the raid in Deir al-Ghusun village were from its al-Qassam armed wing. The Palestinian health ministry said their bodies had been taken by the Israeli m

Thousands of Israelis protest to demand hostage return Thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday, demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accept a ceasefire agreement with the Islamist movement Hamas that would see the remaining Israeli hostages brought home from Gaza. At a rally in Tel Aviv that took place as Hamas officials were meeting Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo, relatives and supporters of the more than 130 hostages still in captivity said anything possible had to be done t

Bodies Found Believed to be Missing Australians and American Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor's office said Saturday. While there has not yet been confirmation based on forensic examination, physical characteristics including hair means there is a high likelihood that the bodies are those of the three tourists, local TV network

Dead bodies in Mexico most probably are missing U.S., Australian surfers The three dead bodies found in Mexico's Baja California state are highly likely to be the American and two Australian tourists who went missing last week, a senior official from the region said on Saturday. Mexican authorities are conducting forensic tests after finding the bodies on Friday in a well following a days long search for Australian brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, as well as American Carter Rhoad, 30.

Tennis-Swiatek outlasts Sabalenka in marathon final to win Madrid Open World number one Iga Swiatek edged Aryna Sabalenka 7-5 4-6 7-6(7) in a gripping Madrid Open final to win the title for the first time on Saturday in what was a repeat of last year's summit clash at the WTA 1000 claycourt tournament. Sabalenka had won the 2023 final in three sets but it was Swiatek who triumphed this time after saving three championship points to secure her 20th career title and deny the Belarusian a third tit

Russia hits Ukraine regions, Zelenskiy says Su-25 bomber downed Russian attacks on Ukraine's Kharkiv and Dnipro regions and the Black Sea port city of Odesa killed at least two civilians, set a food factory ablaze and damaged other infrastructure, homes and commercial buildings on Saturday, regional officials said. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had used eight missiles of various kinds and nearly 70 guided aerial bombs against communities and frontline positions during the day, after

Teen boy allegedly sexually assaulted in Delhi Metro, police looking into matter A 16-year-old boy was allegedly sexually assaulted and chased by a man in Delhi Metro. The city police said they are looking into the matter. The alleged incident happened on Friday night at Rajiv Chowk metro station. The teenager took to social networking platform X to share his ordeal. In a series of posts, the boy wrote, ''I just got assaulted in Delhi Metro right now at Rajiv chowk station. I am a 16-year-old bo

Adityanath Warns Against Extremist Rhetoric, Emphasizes Protection of Democracy Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that those who talk about 'jihad' are tarnishing democracy and they should remember that India is the land of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna. Adityanath was addressing a public meeting in Farrukhabad in support of sitting BJP MP Mukesh Rajput, who is seeking re-election from the Lok Sabha constituency. His remarks came days after Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mar

Dead bodies in Mexico likely are missing U.S., Australian surfers The three dead bodies found in Mexico's Baja California state are highly like to be the American and two Australian tourists who went missing last week, a senior official from the region said on Saturday. All three bodies meet the characteristics to assume with a high degree of probability that they are the American Carter Rhoad as well as the Robinson brothers from Australia, said Baja California's state Attorney General Maria El

Cyclone Hidaya Downgraded to Tropical Storm as It Nears Tanzania Coastline Cyclone Hidaya significantly weakened as it approached Tanzania's coastline, the country's meteorology department said Saturday. Officials warned residents to remain cautious, however, as the cyclone brings heavy rain and strong winds to the country through Sunday. The meteorology department did not say what the cyclone's updated maximum wind speeds were. A major blackout hit most of Tanzania Saturday as heavy rains and s

Netherlands remembers World War Two dead amid tight security due to Gaza war (Updates with remembrance ceremony passing smoothly) AMSTERDAM, May 4 (Reuters) - Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Prime Minister Mark Rutte joined around 4,000 people on Saturday for the country's annual World War Two remembrance ceremony amid restricted public access and heightened security due to the war in Gaza. The ceremony on Amsterdam's central Dam square, with the traditional two minutes of silence at 8 p.m. (180

Boeing Poised to Launch Astronauts with Latest Spacefaring Capsule After years of delays and stumbles, Boeing is finally poised to launch astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA. It's the first flight of Boeing's Starliner capsule with a crew on board, a pair of NASA pilots who will check out the spacecraft during the test drive and a weeklong stay at the space station. NASA turned to US companies for astronaut rides after the space shuttles were retired. Elon Musk's SpaceX has ma

Motor racing-Ricciardo savours his first points of the season in Miami Daniel Ricciardo savoured his first points of the Formula One season on Saturday and said it was good to silence some of his doubters. The RB driver, who started the campaign tipped for a return to champions Red Bull next year but has struggled to deliver, started and finished fourth in the Miami sprint race for five points. Fourth, albeit in a 100km race without pitstops, was the Australian's highest placing in any format si