Top officials of the environment ministry, Delhi Development Authority and municipal commissioners also stayed away from the deliberations.
In a stern message to its neighbours, China today said it is determined to defend "every inch" of its territory and there was "no room for compromise" with Japan over territorial or historical disputes.
The money-spinning Indian Premier League has mulled a closed-door edition in a desperate bid to avoid cancellation as the deadly COVID-19 sent Indian sports into quarantine after a government directive for fans to be kept away from all action to prevent the pandemic from spreading.
Perhaps the calculation is that economic recovery will have been achieved before the next general election comes around, but such assumptions can come unstuck if current directions are not reversed quickly, cautions T N Ninan.
Where we bring you a taste of the best celebrity foodgasm moments.
Tawang is very much a part of India, and if the present Dalai Lama decides one day to take rebirth in Tawang, the Indian government will openly welcome him and support him, notes Claude Arpi.
East Zone bowlers led by the seasoned Laxmi Ratan Shukla rattled South Zone in the final hour reducing them to 236 for nine despite Robin Uthappa scoring a well-crafted hundred on the first day of the Duleep Trophy semi-final in Lahli on Wednesday.
Jyoti Punwani pays tribute to Syed Feroze Ashraf, the eternal do-gooder who changed the lives of many children.
Two persons were pulled out alive after being buried for over 60 hours in a landslide that struck an industrial estate in China's Shenzhen city.
The fast-growing, high-margin branded spices business is turning out to be an interesting growth opportunity, which to an extent was reflected in the Sunrise-ITC deal, with multiple parties from PE to strategic players joining the fray.
Policemen were on their toes as heavy rush was expected on the day of "Aadi Amavasya" on Wednesday.
'Astad had the courage to plough a lonely furrow. He made a life of his own, on his own, and created a path-breaking dance style.' 'Only a few in the performing arts could do what he did.' 'A classical dancer can fall back on tradition, but Astad created something absolutely new.'
Like millions of people across the world, the year 2020 had dealt me irreplaceable losses and the lowest of blows. Like I have always done at such junctures, I had sought the refuge of the mountains. I wanted to end the year on a high, to show the finger to life, says Sumit Bhattacharya after a memorable journey to North Sikkim.
Again would offer two variants of double-toned milk with almonds, cashews, dates; and strawberry, chocolate, jaggery - and two variants of double-toned yoghurt - alphonso mango; and carrot, orange, banana.
Dylan is not really a writer and awarding the prize to him in the literature category is a "great insult to all the writers who have already received the award and also to those who rightly deserve it", the author said.
The Renault Triber is an ideal vehicle which has enough buff in its looks and enough practical space for a family of 5 to go out on a weekend getaway, says Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com.
NIA had sought 15-day custodial interrogation of the accused who were arrested from various parts of the national capital and Uttar Pradesh.
"Collective conscience of the society shaken. In our society, minor girls are worshipped as goddess," the POCSO court said.
'Let the Congress high command decide who will replace Captain Amarinder because they are far wiser than I am.'
Sukanya Verma feels wonderment for Dil Se's fabulous, flawless frames, and she tells us why.
Mayhem and panic gripped a country music festival in Las Vegas when a gunman opened fire on revellers.
'Notwithstanding the realisation among the Indian leadership to build up its navy for the force's expanding role, the Indian Navy was allocated only 15% of the interim defence budget presented in Parliament in February 2019.' 'The outlay for the navy's capital acquisition is not even adequate to meet its committed liabilities,' points out Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd).
The ABVP on Friday demanded a fresh inquiry and sought an FIR against ASA and SFI leaders claiming that certain lines of Rohith's suicide note implicating them were struck off.
Ahead of the India-China summit, Mahabalipuram, the ancient coastal town near Chennai, has been virtually turned into a fortress with unprecedented security arrangements while the beautification and other preparations touched a feverish pitch on Wednesday.
The balance of power will shift to the East as India and China continue to grow over the next decades, says a leading American business magazine.
Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, along with his disciples, paid obeisance to the idols on their respective chariots.
'When India's adversaries are going all out in information warfare, the Indian Army will have to think out of the box to effectively counter them,' says Colonel S Dinny (retd).
At All India Institute of Medical Sciences, critically ill dengue patients are being treated on stretchers in corridors due to absence of beds.
Voter turnout was 67.47 per cent in 2015 assembly election. The voting percentage was 57.04 till 6 pm deadline, and rose to 61.46 per cent as those in queues at polling stations were allowed to vote, poll officials said, adding it may increase further.
I M Vijayan is amazed at Indian football's leap from amateurism to professionalism.
China is now the most significant strategic concern in Washington, as in most of the world's capitals, especially the democracies. Today, strategic autonomy has acquired a sharper definition: To ward off the Chinese challenge to India's territorial integrity, sovereignty and regional stature, observes Shekhar Gupta.
India needs a National Trade Policy Council, chaired by a minister who reports directly to the PM, says Jayanta Roy, former economic advisor to the Union commerce ministry.
Five years after Operation Neptune Spear took out Osama bin Laden, US President Barack Obama relives the historic night with television channel CNN's Peter Bergen at the Situation Room of the White House.
'The undiminished threat, therefore, has the potency of sustaining itself in multiple ways in the near and medium term.' 'The state agencies need to utilize innovative methods in countering radicalization and violent extremism to address this growing threat'.
'These are challenging times and we get energised by that.' 'I don't feel that 'I am tired now and I should relax', because even if someone calls us at 12 o'clock I have to answer his call.'
'Infectious disease is a given of humankind. There will always be another around the corner.'
The attackers snatched the walkie-talkie of the station master, and forced staff of a goods train standing outside the station to shut down the engine.
no flight will depart or arrive at the Kolkata airport between 9.30 pm of May 3 and 6 pm of May 4
