Vikings sign Odell Beckham Jr … for some reason

The massive effigy is being made by Asgar Ali and his family, a Muslim family that has been making Ravana effigies for three generations.

Just 20 Years Old & Ruling the Stage: How Shivam Barot Became Gujarati Folk’s Biggest Young Sensation. In an era where music trends shift overnight, true artistic talent always finds a way to command the spotlight. At just 20 years old, Shivam Barot is not merely participating in the traditional music scene—he is actively redefining […] The post Shivam Barot: The 20-Year-Old Who Just Changed Gujarati Music Forever! appeared first on Northeast News .

Delhi faces mounting costs from extreme heat and air pollution; Michael Greenstone warns of 15,800 heat deaths in India by 2026-27 and urges pricing pollution.

The recommendations come as the central bank manages inflation risks alongside pressure on the rupee and capital flows. A 50-basis-point increase in December would mark a sharper pace of tightening than Wednesday's hike, if inflation and global conditions take the expected path.

Digital Desk | Haldwani, Oct 7 (IANS) Uttarakhand's Silk Department is moving beyond silk cocoon production to the actual manufacturing of silk yarn. For the first time, the Kumaon Division Silk Department has initiated silk yarn spinning operations through women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs). The initiative, which kicked off some time ago at the Government Silk Farm in Haldwani, is promising to provide local employment and income opportunities for women while establishing a distinct market identity for the silk. Hemchandra, Deputy Director of the Silk Department (Kumaon Division), speaking to IANS about the initiative, said that this is the first time that silk yarn production has been launched, engaging women members of the Self-Help Groups (SHGs). He informed that the women's group named 'Maa Durga New Resham Self-Help Group' has been formed, which presently employs 14 women, generating a considerable source of income for them. “In a short period, the women in the group have earned approximately Rs 25,000. The yarn is being marketed through the Uttarakhand Cooperative Federation, Dehradun, and is currently fetching a price of around Rs 4,500 per kilogram,” he said while expressing optimism that this price could increase in the future. Hemchandra also stated that the project, launched in 2025, initially involved one or two women, but as the project started generating income, the SHG’s membership grew to 14. He described this as a new chapter for the silk sector in Uttarakhand. Vimal Jeena, a member of the self-help group, mentioned that the women were able to undertake this work with the co-operative support and are now producing silk yarn. Sunita, another member, said that the work of producing silk yarn is providing the women with an income and creating opportunities for self-employment. Rahul Pal, a scientist with the Sericulture Department, said that women are given a five-day training programme on yarn spinning, where they are taught techniques such as boiling cocoons, spinning, yarn preparation, and the nuances of maintaining quality. Previously, the Sericulture Department had trained self-help groups in the Haldwani region to create handmade decorative items, jewellery, and other products from silk cocoons. Many women became self-reliant as they earned income through these products. The department now plans to scale up this silk yarn production initiative, enabling women in remote rural areas to secure employment and a sustainable source of income close to their homes. The responsibility of yarn marketing lies with the Uttarakhand Cooperative Federation, and this also eliminates the need for women to travel to various markets to sell their finished products.

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) Capital markets regulator SEBI on Wednesday mandated the use of a colour-coded ‘Credit Risk-o-Meter’ for debt securities, a move aimed at helping investors better understand the credit risk associated with bond and debt market investments before committing their money. The new framework requires issuers and market intermediaries to prominently display the risk meter across a range of investor-facing documents and platforms, including offer documents, abridged prospectuses, private placement memorandums, advertisements, and websites and mobile applications of Online Bond Platform Providers (OBPPs). The requirement will apply to listed and proposed-to-be-listed debt instruments, including non-convertible securities, commercial papers, securitised debt instruments, security receipts and market-linked debentures, irrespective of whether they are issued through public offerings or private placements. Under the framework, credit ratings will be mapped to six risk categories, ranging from “lowest credit risk” for AAA-rated instruments to “high to very high risk of default” for securities rated B and below. Short-term debt instruments will have a separate version of the meter based on ratings ranging from A1+ to A4/D. SEBI said that where a security carries ratings from more than one credit rating agency, the Credit Risk-o-Meter will reflect the lowest available rating. Issuers will also be required to prominently disclose the rating and the name of the rating agency alongside the meter. Unsecured debt instruments must be specifically identified in bold red text to alert investors to the additional risk. The regulator has also introduced a separate grey “INC” category for cases where a credit rating agency classifies an issuer as “Issuer Not Cooperating” (INC), providing investors with a clear signal regarding disclosure-related concerns. To prevent misinterpretation, SEBI has prescribed standard disclaimers stating that the meter reflects only the credit risk of a security and should not be treated as investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell. Investors will also be cautioned about other risks, including market and liquidity risks. In the case of unsecured perpetual instruments such as Additional Tier-1 (AT1) bonds, disclosures must additionally highlight structural risks and the possibility of a complete loss of invested capital.

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) Former India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur reflected on the lessons she learned while leading the national side for more than a decade, saying the responsibility taught her to face both criticism and success head-on while remaining committed to the team’s progress. Harmanpreet, who took over the captaincy in 2012 and recently stepped down after leading India at the Asian Games, said leadership had taught her to take responsibility through every phase of the team’s journey. “The criticism came with the expectations people had of us. Sometimes it does hurt when you don’t meet your own expectations as a team, and of course, when the people watching and supporting you are also expecting you to do well. “Captaincy taught me to stand on the frontline and take responsibility, not just for the criticism, but also for the victories. It taught me that leadership is about standing with your team through every phase, learning from every experience and continuing to move forward,” Harmanpreet told IANS exclusively. Harmanpreet’s captaincy tenure encompassed some of the most significant moments in the growth of Indian women’s cricket, including the team’s World Cup triumph. Looking back, she said the position was never about personal stature but about using her experience and ideas to contribute to the development of the team and the sport. “For over a decade, since the responsibility of captaincy first came to me in 2012, I have cherished the opportunity and made several plans towards the development of Indian women’s cricket. It was never about an individual position. I simply wanted to use my instincts, experience and ideas to help the sport grow, encourage talent and fill the spaces that needed to be filled. Over the years, I have also realised that you may not achieve everything you set out to, and that is the nature of a team sport. Every day is different, and every player has a different journey,” she added. Her leadership, she said, also came with an understanding that personal objectives could sometimes take a back seat when the larger interests of the team demanded it. “As a player, you have a certain freedom to make choices, but as a captain, there are times when you have to put aside your personal dilemmas and move forward because you have a team following you. I wouldn’t say I had to compromise on my personal performances, but yes, sometimes my personal goals and targets had to take a back seat. I have always put my batting first, even during my captaincy, but now I want to approach my game with even more clarity — understanding my role, executing it well and, most importantly, enjoying every bit of cricket,” she stated. Harmanpreet also spoke about the importance of developing leadership qualities within the entire squad rather than allowing responsibility to rest solely with the captain. “I feel responsibility, captaincy and leadership will always remain a part of me, and I believe that leadership should evolve in every player who represents the country and has goals to achieve. “I have always wanted to plant that seed of leadership in every player because it teaches you to be responsible, accountable, empathetic, giving and kind, while also making you sharper and more decisive,” the ODI World Cup-winning skipper said. For Harmanpreet, the end of her captaincy is therefore not a rejection of leadership, but a change in the way she contributes to the side. With Smriti Mandhana now taking charge, she said she is looking forward to supporting a teammate with whom she has shared a long cricketing journey. “Now, as a player, I am looking forward to seeing someone else lead from the front and create an environment for the team. And I am very happy that it is Smriti, who has been alongside me for more than a decade. We have shared the same table, made decisions together and seen Indian cricket evolve, so I know that understanding will continue to be valuable,” she stated. The decision to step away, Harmanpreet stressed, was not prompted by a particular setback or tournament. Instead, it was part of her own assessment of where she wanted her career to go next. “Winning the World Cup was one big dream I wanted to live. And thankfully, it came in the early years of my journey as the ODI captain. “Today, what stays with me is immense satisfaction and gratitude. There are no regrets. “It hasn’t been as easy as we sometimes make it sound, but it also hasn’t been as difficult as it may seem from the outside. I am simply grateful for the journey and for everything we have achieved together,” Harman expressed. As she moves into the next phase of her career, Harmanpreet believes the leadership experience accumulated over the years will continue to shape the player she is, even without the captain’s title.

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) Minister of State for External Affairs and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh will be leading the Indian delegation to Iceland's Reykjavik from October 8-10 to participate in the annual meeting of the Arctic Circle Assembly (ACA), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Wednesday. According to the MEA, at ACA 2026, MoS Singh will participate in the plenary session titled 'Melting Poles: Perspectives from India and Singapore'. MoS will also deliver the opening remarks at the session 'Arctic and Climate Change Perspectives from Observer States', organised by India. "India's Arctic Policy 2022 is based on six pillars covering science, climate and environment, economic development, connectivity, governance and capacity building. Given the growing inter-linkages between the Arctic and Indo-Pacific regions, India has been enhancing cooperation with the Arctic, particularly in the fields of polar research, climate and environmental issues. MoS would be presenting India’s perspective on various aspects of the Arctic in the ACA meetings," the MEA noted. "MoS is also scheduled to hold a bilateral discussion with the Foreign Minister of Iceland while in Reykjavik. Bilateral relations between India and Iceland are friendly and have expanded significantly, driven by the recent landmark India-EFTA TEPA, regular high-level diplomatic dialogues, and partnerships in geothermal, fisheries and clean energy," it added. According to the organisers, the Arctic Circle Assembly is the largest annual international gathering on the Arctic, attended by up to 2500 participants from over 70 countries. The Assembly is held every October in Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center and the Reykjavik Edition, Iceland. Based in Reykjavík, the Arctic Circle Secretariat is responsible for organising the assembly and the forums as well as running the various Arctic Circle platforms. It is also responsible for the communication and collaboration with Arctic Circle partners, governments, media and those interested in the Arctic and its future. /as

Hyderabad, Oct 7 (PTI) Five golfers, including Gaganjeet Bhullar, packed the top of the leaderboard at five-under 65 as the AM Green IGPL Krishna Invitational Hyderabad presented by Punjab Raptors opened with a scoring spree at the Hyderabad Golf Association course here on Wednesday. Four-time IGPL winner Bhullar, in-form Aryan Roopa Anand, former Indian Open […]

Saudi Arabia has launched an air accident probe following last weeks cockpit stabbing on a flydubai jet as experts examine any fallout for aviation safety alongside a separate UAE-led criminal investigation three people close to the matter said

Amaravati Literature Festival 2026 opens at SRM University-A.P., spotlighting literature’s role in culture, memory, and societal change.

India’s participation at the U23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas has been thrown into uncertainty after nine wrestlers were refused US visas during appointments at the American Embassy in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The BJP has defended the revision process and accused the Opposition of questioning the functioning of constitutional institutions over the exercise.