Author: TheStateLine

Feb192026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Rita Ora recites mantras to herself every morning to help ignore trolls

Mumbai, Feb 19 (IANS) Pop star Rita Ora says she recites mantras to herself in the mirror every day about ignoring online trolls.The 35-year-old singer said nasty comments on social media can "cut", but daily she tells herself she "can't control" what others say and tries not to think about it, reports femalefirst.co.uk.She said in an Instagram series: "You can’t be afraid of something you can’t control. You can’t control it, stop thinking about it. These are the mantras I say to myself every day in the mirror. Being on social media puts you under a definite microscope."I don't think there are many people out there who haven't felt the impact of it in some way."Whether you are in the public eye or you're not, comments can cut. Every tiny thing gets magnified, and everyone can see through...

Feb192026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Harmanpreet becomes most-capped player in women’s international cricket

SPORTS

Canberra, Feb 19 (IANS) India captain Harmanpreet Kaur etched her name into the record books on Thursday, becoming the most-capped player in women’s international cricket during the second T20I against Australia at the Manuka Oval.The landmark appearance marked Kaur’s 356th international match for India, taking her past the previous record of 355 matches held by New Zealand great Suzie Bates.With the record, Kaur now leads the all-time list of international appearances in women’s cricket, ahead of Bates, Australia’s Ellyse Perry (349 matches), and former India captain Mithali Raj (333 matches). England legend Charlotte Edwards rounds out the top five with 309 appearances.Kaur, who made her international debut in 2009, has built an extensive career across all three formats. Her record tally...

Feb192026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Agniveer allegedly shoots himself dead in Jammu

INDIA, TOP STORIES

Jammu, Feb 19 (IANS) An Agniveer allegedly shot himself dead with his service rifle at an army camp in J&K’s Jammu on Thursday, officials said.The 24-year-old Agniveer, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, was on guard duty at the Nagrota garrison when he allegedly took the extreme step around midnight.The soldier died on the spot, and his body was shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital for post-mortem.The reason behind the soldier’s extreme step is yet to be ascertained. Police have initiated inquest proceedings in the matter, the officials said.The Agnipath Scheme, launched by the Indian government in June 2022, recruits youth aged 17.5 to 23 years into the Army, Navy, and Air Force for a four-year tenure as Agniveers.This short-term service aims to create a younger, more te...

Feb192026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Cong is vast ocean, no impact of Bhupen Borah’s exit: Assam MLA

INDIA, TOP STORIES

Guwahati, Feb 19 (IANS) Assam Congress MLA Rakibuddin Ahmed on Thursday said the resignation of former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah will have no impact on the party, describing it as a “vast ocean” that remains unaffected by individual exits. Reacting to Borah’s resignation from the Congress party and his scheduled joining of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on February 22, Ahmed said that such political developments are not new and will not weaken the organisation. “The Congress is an ocean. Even if one stream flows out, the ocean remains the same. Bhupen Borah’s departure will not affect the party in any way,” he told reporters. Ahmed exuded confidence that Congress will form the next government in Assam, asserting that the “ocean of Congress” will...

Feb192026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Digital world returns to its homeland: Brazil President Lula hails India’s AI Impact Summit

INDIA, TOP STORIES

New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) Spotlighting that an ancient Indian mathematician was the first inventor of the Binary number system, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday hailed the AI Impact Summit being hosted by New Delhi, asserting that the digital world has returned to its homeland.The Brazilian leader who sat alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inauguration ceremony of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam hailed the landmark event being held at a time when, according to him, societies find themselves at crossroads. "For Brazil, it is a pleasure to participate in the Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit organised by the Indian government, the first time it has been held in the Global South," President Lula posted on X. "Here in Delhi, the...

Feb192026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Karnataka healthcare system ‘crumbling’: BJP demands Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao’s resignation

INDIA, TOP STORIES

Bengaluru, Feb 19 (IANS) Asserting that Karnataka's healthcare system is "crumbling", the BJP on Thursday demanded the resignation of the state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.The Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka stated on Thursday in Bengaluru that "First, there were reports of medicine shortages in government hospitals. Now, the Congress government in Karnataka has failed to clear Rs 143.78 crore in dues to CT and MRI service providers, pending for the last three years.""This is not a minor administrative lapse. This is financial paralysis in the Health Department," Ashoka said.Because of this irresponsibility, essential diagnostic services across Karnataka are under threat. If CT and MRI services are disrupted, it is the poor and middle-class patients who will suffer - accident victi...

Feb192026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

‘Pasting stickers on old schemes’: Palaniswami attacks CM Stalin

INDIA, TOP STORIES

Chennai, Feb 19 (IANS) AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, accusing him of claiming credit for welfare measures introduced by the previous AIADMK government and engaging in what he termed “sticker politics”.In a post on his social media handle, Palaniswami alleged that the DMK government had failed to implement any significant new schemes since assuming office and was instead rebranding AIADMK-era initiatives.“After coming to power, they have not delivered a single meaningful scheme. All they have done is paste stickers over projects launched by the AIADMK,” he said.He accused Stalin of attempting to take credit for the 3 per cent reservation in government jobs for sportspersons, ...

Feb192026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Pabitra Margherita calls Priyanka Gandhi political tourist; highlights ‘New Assam’ under BJP

INDIA, TOP STORIES

Guwahati, Feb 19 (IANS) Union Minister Pabitra Margherita on Thursday took a sharp dig at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over her visit to Assam, terming her a “political tourist” and urging her to witness the transformation the state has undergone after the end of Congress rule.In a post on social media platform X, Margherita welcomed Priyanka Gandhi to Assam and contrasted what he described as “Congress-era stagnation” with the “New Assam” shaped under the BJP's governance.He said Assam has made significant strides in infrastructure, employment, security and heritage conservation over the last few years.Highlighting industrial growth, the Union Minister pointed to the ₹27,000-crore semiconductor facility coming up at Jagiroad, stating that the project reflected Assam’s emergence a...

Feb192026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Akshay Kumar calls out racism against North-east Indians: They have given their blood for India, they are Indians

ENTERTAINMENT

Mumbai Feb 19 (IANS) On Wheel of Fortune India, Akshay Kumar did what very few celebrities consistently choose to do, he turned a mainstream entertainment platform into a space for social reckoning, further acknowledging the racism that takes place against North East Indians.It all began when a contestant shared her lived experience of racial abuse faced by people from the Northeast, to which Akshay leaned into and completely acknowledged it, further making his stand known.Rather than positioning himself as a distant ally, he made the issue personal. The actor further called his makeup artist Kim, who is from Manipur, onto the stage.He stated, “There is a boy with me, who does my makeup and takes care of me.He is here, Kim.”Further when Kim narrated his experience of being mocked, stere...

Feb192026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

‘What culture are we developing?’: SC questions growing trend of election-time freebies

INDIA, TOP STORIES

New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday made strong oral observations against the growing trend of political parties and state governments announcing "freebies" ahead of elections. A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi made the remarks while hearing a writ petition filed by Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Company Ltd challenging Rule 23 of the Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2024, relating to tariff subsidies and recovery of power costs.Cautioning that indiscriminate welfare distribution could adversely impact the country’s long-term economic development, the CJI-led Bench questioned the practice of states absorbing electricity bills and extending blanket subsidies without distinguishing between those who can affor...