Rajeev Sharma, Author at National Times

16 Dec

Mamata Banerjee Accepts Aroop Biswas’s Resignation as Sports Minister After Messi Event Row

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaAroop Biswas resignation, Lionel Messi Kolkata event, Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal sports minister

Kolkata, December 16, 2025: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Aroop Biswas as the state’s sports minister following the controversy over alleged mismanagement during football icon Lionel Messi’s visit to Kolkata last week, a senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader said.Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister and retain charge of the power department. Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh confirmed that the resignation had been accepted and said Mamata Banerjee would now directly oversee the sports and youth…

16 Dec

Rupee Hits Record Low, Breaches 91 per Dollar Amid FII Outflows and Trade Uncertainty

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsBusiness, IndiaFII selling, foreign fund outflows, rupee all-time low, rupee falls, USD-INR

New Delhi, December 16, 2025: The rupee slipped to an all-time low on Tuesday, breaching the 91-per-dollar mark against the US dollar for the first time, as persistent foreign fund outflows and trade-related uncertainties continued to weigh heavily on the domestic currency.The fall extended the rupee’s losing streak, with the currency weakening steadily over recent sessions and repeatedly touching fresh record lows. Over the last 10 trading sessions, the rupee has depreciated from the 90-per-dollar level to 91, while it has lost nearly one per cent against the greenback in the past five sessions alone. At 11.38 am, the rupee…

16 Dec

Bondi Beach Shooting: Telangana Police Say Suspect Sajid Akram Had No India Link to Radicalisation

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, World NewsAustralia terror, Bondi Beach shooting, Hyderabad, Sajid Akram, Telangana Police

Hyderabad/Australia, December 16, 2025: One of the suspects in the deadly mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach has been identified as Sajid Akram, a native of Hyderabad, Telangana Police confirmed on Tuesday, while ruling out any connection between his radicalisation and India.In an official statement, the office of the Telangana Director General of Police said Sajid Akram had migrated to Australia nearly 27 years ago and had only limited contact with his family in Hyderabad. The police clarified that there was no evidence to suggest that the radicalisation of Sajid Akram or his son, Naveed Akram, was influenced by any…

16 Dec

Indian Army Receives Final Batch of Apache Attack Helicopters, Completing 2020 Deal

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaApache AH-64E, Army Aviation Corps, attack helicopters, Boeing, Indian Army

New Delhi, December 16, 2025: The Indian Army on Tuesday took delivery of the final batch of three Apache AH-64E attack helicopters from US aerospace major Boeing, marking the completion of a six-helicopter procurement agreement signed in 2020.A cargo aircraft transporting the helicopters landed at the Indian Air Force base in Hindon, about 20 kilometres east of the national capital. Army sources confirmed that the helicopters’ rotors will be fitted at Hindon, following which a few test sorties will be conducted by Boeing’s technical team as part of final checks. After completion of these procedures, the helicopters will be ferried…

16 Dec

Two Punjabi Students Fatally Shot in Canada; Families Fear Case of Mistaken Identity

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsAlberta, Canada, TrendingCanada

Edmonton/Chandigarh (Rajeev Sharma): Tragedy struck two young men from Punjab when they were fatally shot in Edmonton, Canada, leaving their families devastated and searching for answers. The incident occurred early Friday, and authorities have not yet established a clear motive. The victims, Gurdeep Singh (27) from Barre village and Ranvir Singh (19) of Uddat Saidewala village in Mansa district, were attacked shortly after leaving a friend’s birthday celebration. According to family accounts, the two had just entered a car when another vehicle arrived, and the assailants opened fire before fleeing the scene. Ranvir, seated in the driver’s seat, was directly…

16 Dec

Pollution Levels Dip Marginally in Capital, Smog Persists Across Delhi

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, TrendingDelhi

New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): Delhi recorded a slight easing in air pollution on Tuesday, though overall conditions remained unhealthy, with the city’s average Air Quality Index settling at 377 during the morning hours. Despite the decline from the previous day, the air quality continued to fall under the ‘very poor’ bracket. The improvement followed two days of extremely high pollution, when several parts of the capital reported AQI readings above 400, classified as ‘severe’. On Tuesday, official monitoring showed that 11 out of 40 air quality stations were still registering severe pollution levels. Jahangirpuri, Mundka and Wazirpur remained among the…

16 Dec

Counter-Intelligence Unit Launches Valley-Wide Action in Militancy Probe

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, TrendingJammu and Kashmir

Srinagar (Rajeev Sharma): In a significant security operation, the Counter Intelligence branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Police carried out simultaneous searches at multiple locations across the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday morning, officials said. The exercise began in the pre-dawn hours and extended to seven districts. Authorities stated that the move is linked to an ongoing investigation into suspected terror-related activities, including efforts to spread extremist narratives and encourage radicalisation among local youth. According to officials familiar with the operation, the searches are part of a case targeting individuals believed to be involved in supporting or endorsing militant groups, either…

16 Dec

Dense Fog and Toxic Air Disrupt Flights at Delhi Airport, Advisory Issued

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia

National Times Bureau :- Dense fog and hazardous air quality continued to disrupt normal life in the national capital on Tuesday, prompting the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport to issue a fog advisory warning passengers of possible delays and disruptions in flight operations. In an early morning update shared on social media around 6:06 am, Delhi Airport authorities said that flight services were gradually recovering, but some arrivals and departures could still be affected due to reduced visibility. Passengers were advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest and most accurate information regarding flight schedules. The…

16 Dec

Four killed after buses and cars collide, catch fire due to dense fog on Delhi-Agra Expressway

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaAccident, Agra, Delhi, India

National Times Bureau :- A fatal multi-vehicle accident caused by dense fog on the Delhi–Agra Expressway in Uttar Pradesh claimed four lives and injured about 25 others early Tuesday. The crash involved eight buses and three cars that collided in quick succession and caught fire. According to Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar, the incident took place on the Agra–Noida stretch of the Yamuna Expressway. Thick fog severely reduced visibility, leaving drivers little time to react as vehicles slammed into one another. The collisions triggered a major fire that rapidly spread, engulfing the buses and cars. The force of the impact…

15 Dec

PM Modi Begins Landmark Jordan Visit to Boost Strategic and Economic Ties

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndiaIndia-Jordan relations, Jordan visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Amman (Jordan): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Jordan on Monday for a two-day visit aimed at deepening bilateral relations between India and the Arab nation, marking a significant diplomatic milestone as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties.The Prime Minister was received at the airport by Jordan’s Prime Minister Jafar Hassan. Jordan is the first stop of Modi’s four-day, three-nation tour, which will also include visits to Ethiopia and Oman.During the visit, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold a one-on-one meeting with King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein, followed by delegation-level talks covering a wide range…