The Morning Standard - April 20, 2025

In this issue

April 20, 2025

Remove Azhar's name from stand of Uppal stadium, says Ombudsman

CITING conflict of interest, Ethics officer and Ombudsman (additional charge) of Hyderabad Cricket Association Justice V Eswaraiah on Saturday directed the cricket body to remove the name of former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin from the North Pavilion Stand of the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium and ensure that no tickets are printed with the name of the former India captain henceforth.

1 min

Game-changer: Zeeshan gives family a better life through cricket

AT the age of 25, Uttar Pradesh leg-break googly bowler Zeeshan Ansari is looking after a family of 19 including his parents, siblings, uncles and their families.

1 min

11 Killed as 4-Storey Building Collapses

A multi-storey residential building collapsed at Shakti Vihar in northeast Delhi's Mustafabad early Saturday, leaving 11 people dead and 11 injured.

1 min

Systematic Persecution': India Rap on Hindu's Murder in B'desh

IN a sharp escalation of tensions over attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, India on Saturday condemned the brutal killing of community leader Bhabesh Chandra Roy as part of a \"systematic persecution\" and firmly urged Dhaka to protect its minorities without offering excuses or justifications.

1 min

JEE-Main: Raj leads with 7 toppers, 2 from Delhi

TWENTY-FOUR candidates scored a perfect 100 in the engineering entrance JEE (Main) 2025, the results of which were announced by the National Testing Agency on Saturday.

1 min

Putin Springs a Short Easter Truce Surprise

Unilateral Russian gesture after US hard talk

1 min

First in-person trade talks with US next wk

AIMING to quickly wrap up the first phase of the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the US before the September-October deadline, India is sending a small delegation of five-six negotiators to the US on April 23.

1 min

Tales of loss, courage and grief amid debris pile-up

Locals say they heard a loud noise when the building collapsed but couldn't see anything due to thick dust, only screams came out

3 mins

City to Witness Thunderstorms During Weekend

A day after parts of Delhi-NCR experienced a sudden spell of thunderstorms, lightning and rain, bringing much-needed relief to the residents of the area who have been wilting under the scorching heat, the weather department has warned of more storms and lightning strikes on Sunday and in the coming week.

1 min

AISA-DSF panel slams ABVP for poll violence

THE United Left Panel, comprising AISA and DSF, held a press conference at the JNU campus gate on Saturday, condemning alleged violence by ABVP during the JNUSU polls nomination withdrawal process on April 17 and 18.

1 min

Manipur Woman Dies by Suicide in Kilokari

A 20-year-old woman from Manipur allegedly died by suicide after jumping off the terrace of her house in southeast Delhi's Sunlight Colony on Saturday morning, police said.

1 min

Parties Bet Big on Experience for MCD Mayor Polls

WITH the MCD mayoral elections approaching, both the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP are strategising to secure victories for their respective candidates.

1 min

Kapurthala House now 'marriage palace of eminence': BJP on Kejriwal daughter wedding

AFTER former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal's daughter Harshita tied the knot with her classmate Sambhav Jain from IIT Delhi in a low-key ceremony in Lutyens' Delhi, political controversy erupted over the venue.

1 min

Govt to fast-track old age pensions

THE Delhi government is set to fast-track the disposal of applications under the old age pension scheme.

1 min

Protest Against New Rail Project Turns Violent

PROTEST by local villagers against the new rail line project of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) at Barkani took a violent turn on Saturday when an agitator was killed while over 18, including eight police personnel and the Bisra additional tehsildar, sustained injuries.

1 min

No-confidence motion against mayor cleared

With the support from 74 members, the no-confidence motion against Mayor Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari of the YSRCP was passed in the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) council meeting on Saturday.

1 min

67 Ex-Bureaucrats Write Against Telangana Plan to Auction Kancha Gachibowli Land

A collective of former civil servants, under the banner of the Constitutional Conduct Group, has criticised the Telangana government over the recent clearance of vegetation, including trees, in Kancha Gachibowli, Hyderabad.

1 min

Norms on 3% horizontal quota to sportspersons in Andhra recruitments out

THE State government on Saturday issued a notification for the implementation of 3% horizontal reservation to the meritorious sportspersons of Andhra Pradesh in direct recruitment without the requirement of appearing for competitive examinations in government departments, local bodies, Public Sector Undertakings, and uniformed services, including police, excise and forest departments.

1 min

Rift in MDMK as Vaiko son resigns

MP cites 'persistent personal attacks' as reason for departure day before high-level party meet

2 mins

Kerala actor arrested in drugs case, released later

TWO days after allegedly fleeing the scene during a narcotics raid at a Kochi hotel, film actor Shine Tom Chacko was on Saturday arrested and released on bail.

2 mins

Odisha govt to follow Kerala model in bridging sex gap

EXPRESSING concern over the skewed sex ratio in the state affecting gender equality and social stability, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Saturday called for creating massive public awareness to address the societal biases for male children.

1 min

In a first, PDS provisions reach remote Tamil Nadu villages on horseback

In a landmark initiative, provision items from a public distribution system (PDS) shop under the Cooperative Department (Dindigul) were delivered to the doorstep of residents in Vellagavi village, Kodaikanal, for the first time.

1 min

One Who Speaks Through Art

The popular saying \"where there is a will, there is a way\" rings true for 29-year-old Suhail Mohammad Khan, a resident of Hanipora village in Jammu & Kashmir's Pulwama district, who has overcome his deafness and inability to speak through his art.

2 mins

Cop's crusade to illuminate minds

A 38-year-old police sub-inspector, Ajay Bahadur Singh, is on a mission; in the Maoist-affected villages in Bihar's Gaya district, the unyielding cop is bent on bringing education to children in the remote villages of the backward district.

2 mins

Tariff Crisis and Breathless Hopes for Reforms

In India's political economy, change is defined by Newton's laws of physics.

3 mins

When The Fashion Police Go On Patrol

WE live in interesting times when originality is an increasingly contested word in art, fashion, and music.

3 mins

The Changing Algorithm of Terror

The sanguine saga of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the successful extradition of its mastermind Tahawwur Hussain Rana—more than 16 years after the heinous crime—and his subsequent arrest by the National Investigation Agency make for a fascinating thread in bringing out the rot in the Indian administrative-political system and the perceptible change it's undergoing.

4 mins

When 'Raj' Escaped, Choksi Choked

Once a leading figure in India's diamond industry, Mehul Choksi is now infamous as the mastermind behind one of the country's largest banking frauds and is currently facing extradition from Belgium to India.

2 mins

Be alert against online booking scams targeting pilgrims, tourists: MHA

The Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) cyber security arm I4C on Saturday issued a nationwide alert about a sharp rise in online booking frauds, mostly targeting religious pilgrims and unsuspecting tourists.

1 min

After Vance's Visit, Focus Shifts to Europe

FOLLOWING US Vice President J D Vance's visit from April 21 to 23, Indian diplomatic engagements will shift its focus to Europe next month.

1 min

India, Saudi to boost energy, defence ties

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia from April 22.

1 min

FIR can be filed 10 yrs after crime in different place: SC

The Supreme Court has dismissed the plea filed by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Bihar, Somesh Kumar Mishra, against whom a First Information Report (FIR) was registered after a 10-year delay at a location where the alleged crime did not occur.

1 min

Reserve posts in police for Agniveers, states told

Employment for 75 per cent Agniveers

2 mins

BrahMos export: Second battery of missile shipped out for Philippines

THE second battery of the BrahMos cruise missile has been moved out for the Philippines, marking a milestone in Indian defence exports.

1 min

Indian student from Punjab killed in Canada

A 21-year-old Indian student, Harsimrat Kaur Randhawa, hailing from Dhunda village in Goindwal Sahib of Punjab's Tarn Taran district, died in Canada after being struck by a stray bullet on Wednesday.

1 min

Guv reaches Murshidabad, meets victims

WEST Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday met with the families of victims who lost their lives during the communal violence triggered by protests against the anti-Waqf Act in Murshidabad district.

1 min

Mithun bats for Prez rule, says deploy military

BJP leader and actor Mithun Chakraborty created another controversy after he called for the imposition of the President's Rule in West Bengal in the wake of deadly violence in Murshidabad.

1 min

Nitish misusing govt funds for campaign: RJD

Leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Saturday accused the Nitish Kumar government of indulging in gross financial irregularities to launch its political campaign in the state.

1 min

2 ISI-backed terror modules busted in Punjab; 13 held & arms recovered

THE Punjab Police have nabbed 13 alleged members of two ISI-backed Khalistani terror modules that were being run from abroad and seized two rocket-propelled grenades, as many hand grenades, a couple of IEDs, 2-kg RDX, five pistols, six magazines, 44 live cartridges, one wireless and three vehicles.

1 min

Thackeray cousins hint at Maha Marathi reunion

Both say ready to set aside trivial fights for larger interest of the state

1 min

Agra Decked Up To Welcome Vance On April 23

Will spend two days in Rajasthan first

2 mins

Nails pulled out and given electric shocks to workers for 'theft' in C'garh factory

Stripped and beaten: Victims recount ordeal

1 min

Assam has emerged as most socially equal state in country, says Himanta

IN Assam, people belonging to general category and Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes have nearly the same purchasing power, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

1 min

Thousands rally for trans rights after UK woman definition ruling

THOUSANDS of trans rights protesters gathered in central London on Saturday, days after the U.K.'s Supreme Court ruled that a woman is someone born biologically female and that transgender women are excluded from that legal definition.

1 min

Cambodia and China Seal $1.2B Deal for Canal Project

CAMBODIA and China have signed a $1.2 billion deal to finance an ambitious canal project that aims to boost trade efficiency by linking a branch of the Mekong River near Phnom Penh to a port on the Gulf of Thailand, the Cambodian government agency heading the project announced Friday.

1 min

2nd indirect round of N-talks with US constructive: Iran

THE United States and Iran on Saturday concluded a second round of high-stakes talks on Tehran's nuclear programme, with Iranian media saying the discussions took place in a \"constructive atmosphere\".

1 min

Nepal Finds Billions in Graft at China-Built Airport

A Nepal parliamentary committee has uncovered large-scale corruption worth around Nepalese ₹14 billion in the construction of the Pokhara International Airport, built by a Chinese company with a soft loan from China.

1 min

Israeli strikes kill over 90 in Gaza as attacks intensify to pressure Hamas

ISRAELI strikes in Gaza have killed more than 90 people in 48 hours, Gaza's Health Ministry said Saturday, as Israeli troops increase their attacks to pressure Hamas to release remaining hostages and disarm.

1 min

Supreme Court blocks deportation of Venezuelans under US wartime law

Trump administration is expected to quickly ask the Supreme Court to lift its temporary order

1 min

Robots Race to Finish in Beijing's First Half-Marathon

STEP by mechanical step, dozens of humanoid robots took to the streets of Beijing early on Saturday, joining thousands of their flesh-and-blood counterparts in a world-first half marathon showcasing China's drive to lead the global race in cutting-edge technology.

1 min

ICICI Bank profit jumps 18% to ₹12,630 crore, driven by rise in margins; beats Street estimates

THE second-largest private sector lender, ICICI Bank, on Saturday reported a street-beating earnings for the fourth quarter of FY25. The bank reported 18% year-on-year rise in standalone net profit at ₹12,629.58 crore, driven by a steep rise in margins, better asset quality and higher recoveries.

1 min

ICICI Bank profit jumps 18% to ₹12,630 crore, driven by rise in margins; beats Street estimates

THE second-largest private sector lender, ICICI Bank, on Saturday reported a street beating earnings for the fourth quarter of FY25.

1 min

Grey areas of using corporate funds for personal luxury

These days, executive compensation of promoters and professional executive directors of listed companies are closely scrutinized by shareholders.

2 mins

Yes Bank Reports 63% Rise in Net Profit to ₹738 Cr

IMPROVED asset quality and lower provisions for dud loans, along with higher fee income, buoyed the bottomline of Yes Bank at 63.3% year-on-year to ₹738.12 crore in Q4FY25, helping the lender to nearly double its annual earnings to ₹2,406 crore, the highest since its crisis in March 2020.

1 min

Elon Musk to visit India later this year

SPACE X founder Elon Musk, in a social media post, on Saturday said he spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone and is planning to visit the country later this year.

1 min

HDFC Bank profit up 6.7% at ₹17,616 cr

THE largest private sector lender, HDFC Bank, on Saturday reported Street-beating numbers. The bank reported a 6.7% year-on-year growth in standalone net profit at ₹17,616 crore for the fourth quarter of financial year 2024-25.

1 min

The unraveling of Gensol Engineering saga

Sebi report earlier this week highlighted Gensol misled everyone — from rating agencies, regulators to investors

3 mins

Gujarat batters ace chase after Prasidh's star act

A thrill-a-minute unbeaten 97 from Jos Buttler helped Gujarat Titans to a seven-wicket win over Delhi Capitals on Saturday.

1 min

Life Gets A Decent Lift

Sport can change the world. SRH's Zeeshan Ansari can vouch for it. Firoz Mirza on how the Ansaris used cricket to build better tomorrow

5 mins

Gukesh doesn't need to prove anything to anyone: Srinath's reply to doubters

D GUKESH became the youngest-ever world champion in history in Singapore last year, but his achievement has not been acknowledged gleefully by players like Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik.

2 mins

Baboo clinches 35km race walk gold; women miss full course

IN an embarrassing organisational 'goof up', the participants at the women's 35km race walk crossed the finish line without completing the full course while national record holder Ram Baboo clinched the men's 35km gold during the Indian Open Race Walking Competition here on Saturday.

1 min

This edition has the best Chepauk wicket: Raina

EARLIER in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) coach Stephen Fleming quibbled about the surfaces in use at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

1 min

CSK hope for encore against back-in-form MI

ON an unusually sluggish Wankhede wicket, the hosts defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad comprehensively to register their second straight win on Thursday.

1 min

We were 10-15 runs short: Delhi Capitals skipper Axar after loss

SKIPPER Axar Patel on Saturday conceded Delhi Capitals fell short by 10 to 15 runs after Gujarat Titans clinched a seven-wicket victory.

1 min

QUANTIFYING THE STATE OF INDIA'S JUSTICE SYSTEM

A reality check by the India Justice Report 2025, which ranks states on the capacity of their police, judiciary, prisons and legal aid, found structural inefficiencies and chronic under-resourcing of institutions. A look at where they stand

10 mins

Text and Testament

Anita Dube's works are an exploration of pleasure, politics, and the philosophical movement toward love and the sublime

2 mins

Living Life with a Laugh

From Wall Street to comedy street and now the happy lane, this Delhi-based life coach has made the right turns

3 mins

The World of Courts, Courtiers, Court Jesters and Fools

Barbed Words

3 mins

Stories Etched in Stone

The sandstone cliffs of Jabal Ikmah—world's largest Dadanitic and Lihyanite inscriptions—remains a hidden gem in Al-Ula

3 mins

Good Will Baking

This Hollander is serving the most authentic Dutch pastries in Kochi

2 mins

Of Smart Sisters and Misogynistic Misters

One of the most beautiful things about art is its ability to transcend the limitations and the constraints of existence, even while exploring the same comfortably close quarters, while on a quest for the raw in all its exquisite and elusive glory, utterly shorn of artifice.

3 mins

The Buzzing Newbie

Sadia Khateeb on her latest release The Diplomat and her desire to work in a mainstream masala film

2 mins

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