VK News Today https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html ‘I’m not going to worry about expectations’: Virat Kohli reveals how he plans to bat in new ODI role After 11 years, Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg put their Illinois retreat up for sale at $2.8 million How to wear coloured gemstones with confidence In 2012, scientist Julian Bayliss spotted an untouched rainforest inside Mozambique’s Mount Lico on satellite images; in 2018, a team climbed a 125-metre cliff and confirmed a new butterfly species ‘Tried to strangle me’: Woman attacked by husband, 2 others inside UP court Sep 26, 2026, 13:17 IST Vrattini Purohit hails singing ‘Amba Ramva Aave’ for Gujarati film ‘Amba’ ‘a beautiful and deeply fulfilling experience’: ‘It’s a joy to be part of something that celebrates our culture’ – EXCLUSIVE Mississippi River islands near Iowa have been disappearing; a $40 million project is now rebuilding the habitat with dredged material and is designed to protect or restore about 630 acres of river and backwater habitat ‘October 7 attack equal to sixteen 9/11s’: Israeli PM Netanyahu in UN speech Mayank Yadav: Rebuilding the 150kph dream, with an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup Motivational quote of the day by Mariah Carey: ‘When you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong’ a powerful life lesson to look within, stay hopeful and find the courage to keep going US Immigration authority has 10-day deadline on home address; says: You are responsible for keeping your … Sep 26, 2026, 12:44 IST Raza Murad questions Bollywood stars’ absence at Mushtaq Khan’s funeral: ‘Afsoos baat yeh hai koi bhi star unhe apna aakhiri salaam pesh karne nahi aaya’ When does healthy independence become emotional distance? 5 signs to watch for Google engineer quits his “amazing” job over AI, and says the doomers have it wrong: I am not convinced the chance of ASI doom is… Shailene Woodley joined scientists in the Sargasso Sea to collect microplastics; why this remote Atlantic ecosystem became a real-world pollution laboratory | World News Tributes pour in for former PM Manmohan Singh on his birth anniversary. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tribute to former prime minister Manmohan Singh on his birth anniversary, remembering his long public life and service to the nation.”Tributes to our former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh Ji on his birth anniversary. He spent many years in public life and served the nation with dedication,” PM Modi said in a post on X.Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi also paid floral tributes to the former prime minister on his birth anniversary.Sharing a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “On the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh ji, I pay my humble respects to him. With his humility, integrity, and foresight, he gave a new direction to the country’s economy and social justice. His historic decisions and invaluable contributions to the making of India will forever continue to guide us.”Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also paid tribute to Singh saying, “I offer my humble respects. As a skilled economist and successful politician, Dr Manmohan Singh ji imparted extraordinary momentum to India’s development and elevated the nation’s prosperity to new heights.””Through his visionary and inclusive economic policies, he enriched every section of society. Dr Manmohan Singh ji’s unprecedented contributions to the country’s development will always be remembered. I pay homage to his memories,” he added.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also remembered the former prime minister, saying, “We remember with profound respect the extraordinary contribution of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to India’s nation-building. A visionary statesman, his landmark economic reforms transformed India’s growth trajectory, created new opportunities and helped lift millions out of poverty. His humility, integrity and wisdom defined his public life.””He led with quiet dignity and compassion, placing inclusive growth and the welfare of the most vulnerable at the heart of governance. The rights-based framework of his government remains an enduring testament to this vision. On his birth anniversary, we pay our heartfelt homage to a statesman whose legacy of honest public service, inclusive development and transformative reforms will continue to inspire generations,” he added.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesManmohan Singh was born on September 26, 1932, in Gah, in present-day Pakistan, then part of undivided India. He died in New Delhi on December 26, 2024.Singh became India’s 14th prime minister on May 22, 2004, and returned for a second consecutive term on May 22, 2009. He served as prime minister until 2014.Before becoming prime minister, Singh served as Union finance minister from 1991 to 1996. During his tenure, India introduced a wide-ranging programme of economic reforms that reshaped the country’s economy and earned international recognition.Singh’s public life spanned several decades, during which he held key positions in government and played a significant role in shaping India’s economic policy.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorKanchan YadavKanchan Yadav is a writer at The Times of India, where she covers business, politics, international affairs and social issues. Her reporting also focuses on policy, governance and economic developments, with a close lens on how decisions in corridors of power affect everyday lives and community well-being.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging“Terror, Theatrics Won’t Repay Loans”: India Hits Back At Pakistan At UNHRCBJP’s ₹529 Crore Poll Spending Revealed; Bengal Alone Accounted For ₹287 Crore, EC Data Shows123Hot PicksMandeep K BhandariBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingNorma DumontRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court ‘Ab tak band ho jati’: Virat-Rohit retirements spark viewership debate; Sehwag explains why cricket will survive ‘Hanuman Ansh’ box office collection Day 51 [LIVE]: Vishal Chaturvedi and Shobhinaw Satyaa’s spiritual biopic on Neem Kaorli Baba biopic nears Rs. 300 crore India net, eyes Rs. 400 crore worldwide gross Russia targets Ukraine’s digital nerve centres as war reaches data infrastructure A California homeowner was checking the crawl space beneath his house and discovered the remains of a 29-year-old woman killed in 2006; years later, police arrested her ex-husband | World News Updated: Sep 26, 2026, 12:08 IST Kim Kardashian shares why she didn’t want her sons to play baseball: ‘If you know, you know. It’s long hours’ How to make a DIY lint remover for sofas and clothes Her employer deducted Rs 3.91 lakh TDS but failed to deposit it; Mumbai IT professional got just Rs 79,030 credit and faced Rs 3.36 lakh demand, ITAT gives relief White House bars CNN from Air Force One press pool for Trump’s upcoming trip Congress has held nationwide protests demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s removal NEW DELHI: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Saturday hit back at West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya after the latter said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar deserved the Padma Bhushan for his role in conducting the state’s recent assembly election and revising the voter list.Reacting to Bhattacharya’s remarks, Khera said, “The Padma Bhushan is a very small thing. Make him the Prime Minister. After all, a person who can make others Prime Minister should be made one himself.”Bhattacharya had earlier praised the CEC while speaking to reporters at Panihati in North 24 Parganas district, saying the CEC deserved the Padma Bhushan “at the very least”. He credited Kumar with ensuring a violence-free election in West Bengal and with “cleansing” the electoral roll by removing illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.”Gyanesh Kumar deserves to be awarded, at the very least, with the Padma Bhushan. The people of West Bengal are delighted that, after so long, intimidation was kept at bay, that there were no incidents of murder during the elections and people were actually allowed to cast their votes,” the BJP leader said.He also claimed that Kumar had played a key role in the revision of the voter list.”In a border state like West Bengal, Gyanesh Kumar took the initiative to remove the names of Bangladeshi infiltrators from the voter list,” Bhattacharya said.”The people of West Bengal have rarely witnessed an election like this. Therefore, the general public of West Bengal is grateful to Gyanesh Kumar and has blessed him with all their hearts,” he added.The BJP leader’s comments came amid a growing controversy over the functioning of the Election Commission during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. An Indian Express report said that two election commissioners had objected to decisions allegedly taken in their names have triggered criticism from the Opposition.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesCongress has held nationwide protests demanding Kumar’s removal and arrest, while a plea has also been filed in the Supreme Court challenging election-related orders and alleged software changes attributed to the CEC without the concurrence of the other two election commissioners.The row has also drawn criticism from Rahul Gandhi, who accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and Kumar of being “traitors” and alleged that they were destroying the foundation of India’s democracy by rigging elections.Bhattacharya, however, dismissed Gandhi’s remarks, saying, “The Congress itself doesn’t pay heed to him. His own party doesn’t take him seriously, and you are talking of Rahul Gandhi.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorVivek DubeyA digital news desk journalist at The Times of India with over two years of experience. Closely tracks foreign affairs and international politics. Fondness for precise language and clever headlines. When not editing news, he is usually refining a turn of phrase.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? IIT-Bombay, Election Commission Face Accountability Questions | PrasangMassive Protest Erupts At Delhi’s Jantar Mantar Against Gyanesh Kumar Over EC-SIR RowUAPA ‘Missing’: What Allowed VanDyke, 6 Ukrainians To Leave India? The Legal Gap Explained‘Made In UP’ Missiles Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights: Amit Shah On BrahMosOmar Abdullah Moves Full Statehood Resolution In J&K Assembly, BJP Protest Sparks House UproarThird Bihar Harassment Case In A Week: Minor Girl Targeted In Banka, Video Surfaces’You Cannot Keep Playing’: CJP’s Dipke Challenges Opposition Over Alleged Election Rigging“Terror, Theatrics Won’t Repay Loans”: India Hits Back At Pakistan At UNHRCBJP’s ₹529 Crore Poll Spending Revealed; Bengal Alone Accounted For ₹287 Crore, EC Data Shows123Hot PicksMandeep K BhandariBank strikeNEET PG ResultGold Rate TodayOctober 2026 School HolidaysTN programmePunjab school holidayMadurantakam bypollDr MonishCBSE Date SheetTop TrendingNorma DumontRahul GandhiPowerball JackpotDelhi Hit and RunUP EncounterDonald TrumpPM ModiNaomi OsakaJoe ThomasSupreme Court India to face Afghanistan in Asian Games quarter-final after Nepal-Japan game washed out ‘I have no reason to be upset’: Joy Mathew responds to social media jibes after Raveendran’s Chalachitra Academy appointment, recalls ‘Chirakodinja Kinavukal’ role Inside Mika Singh’s 100-acre farm near Delhi: Mustard fields, private helipad, Gurudwara & jobs for 150 families | Jay Meena battled typhoid, hip injury and self-doubt to win historic Asian Games medal Mark Zuckerberg’s wife Priscilla Chan gave $1.48 million to a Hawaii hospital through Chan Zuckerberg Initiative; it will fund an MRI and 3D mammography machine | World News NEW DELHI: The United States on Saturday said that it was looking to meet India’s massive energy needs, days after US President Donald Trump signed the ‘Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026’, which authorises him to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries buying Russian oil and gas.”We are looking to also become a huge source of India’s energy needs. We’re increasing our hydrocarbon exports,” a senior US state department official told news agency PTI.“The demands are great, and the needs for oil are there. We are looking for alternatives. But I would say before even the war, India had been looking to diversify when it came to energy for a long time. It’s not a new concept. We just need to expedite it faster,” he added.The US official also played down New Delhi’s warning over the contentious law and said that India’s response was expected after the US Congress took a pretty hard approach, especially publicly.“India has been looking for a long time to diversify its energy sources. They’re a country that has massive energy needs,” the official told PTI.“You had members of Congress calling out India in particular, so of course India has to respond. We understand that. They have a domestic constituency, as do we. Like, there are no sort of hard feelings on any of that kind of activity,” he added.Last week, the ministry of external affairs warned the US of the legislation’s potential impact on the US-India relationship.“This issue has been discussed at high levels in recent months with various US interlocutors. Its potential implications for not just the bilateral relationship but also the international energy market have been very clearly articulated by the Indian side,” the ministry said.The official said that the new act gave President Trump a new tool in his toolbox.“That doesn’t necessarily mean he deploys it tomorrow, but he has the opportunity to. His focus is on ending this war. It’s been something he campaigned on and something he’s been dedicated to from the beginning,” he said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines“We’re looking for our friends, especially like India, to help support that effort. But I think you’ll have to stay tuned on how the bill gets implemented. But there is a broad national security waiver, so you can imagine also the president, there’s a scenario, the president uses that as well,” he added.”Now, with President Trump’s incredibly successful operation in Venezuela, we are moving into a better position that countries like India are going to be able to get access to that market,” he added.Last week, US President Donald Trump signed into law the ‘Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026′, which authorises him to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries buying Russian oil and gas, including China and India.The law is named after late Senator Lindsey Graham, who had proposed a sanctions bill imposing 500 per cent tariffs on countries for buying Russian oil.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorRohitashwa RanjanRohitashwa Ranjan is a digital journalist with The Times of India, where he decodes Indian politics as a carefully staged production with scripts, subtext and everything behind. His stories track elections, party dynamics and the things that often are buried beneath the headlines. When not parsing vote shares or alliances, he is usually reading between the lines, where the real story tends to reside.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘A Terrorist Country Asking Me That Question’: Jaishankar’s Sharp Reply To Pak Journalist At UN’SIR’ Under Fire? 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What happens when those 99 years end? | In 2024, Allen Treibitz paid $50 for a painting at a Hamptons barn sale; months later it was authenticated as Emily Carr’s 1912 Masset, Q.C.I. and sold at a Toronto auction for C$290,000