Latest news with #Bilaspur
United News of India
02-08-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Malayali Nuns arrested in Chhattisgarh granted conditional bail
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 2 (UNI) Two Malayali nuns arrested and jailed in Chhattisgarh have been granted conditional bail by the Bilaspur NIA Court today. Sister Vandana Francis from Udayagiri Parish in Thalassery, Kannur, and Sister Preethi Mary from Elavoor Parish in Angamaly, Kerala, were granted bail on the condition of two sureties of ₹50,000 each. The court also directed them to surrender their passports and prohibited them from leaving the country. The nuns had been in jail for the past nine days, facing charges related to religious conversion and human trafficking. Sisters Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis, along with Sukaman Mandavi, were taken into custody at Durg railway station on July 25, following a complaint filed by a local Bajrang Dal functionary. The complaint alleged that the trio was attempting to forcibly convert three girls from Narayanpur and traffic them. The prosecution did not strongly oppose the bail plea during the previous hearing and limited its arguments to technical grounds. The prosecutor informed the court that the investigation is still in its early stages. Meanwhile, leaders of the Congress, CPI(M), and BJP welcomed the court's decision to release the nuns from Kerala, as the state had witnessed several protests alleging that the Sangh Parivar was blocking the release of the nuns by involving the NIA in the case. UNI DS GNK
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
SECR's Sana Machu to represent India at World Boxing Championship in England
RAIPUR: Sana Machu, a woman boxer and Commercial-cum-Ticket Clerk in South East Central Railway's (SECR) Bilaspur division, has been selected for the Indian women's boxing team for the upcoming World Boxing Championship in Liverpool, England, from 4 to 14 September 2025. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Her selection has been widely praised, with SECR officials and Vishnu Deo Sai calling it a proud moment for both the state and the nation. Sana earned her place in the team through hard work, discipline, and strong sportsmanship. Her achievement has brought honour to SECR and serves as an inspiration for women employees and young athletes across the country. SECR General Manager Tarun Prakash, senior officials, and members of the South East Central Railway Sports Association congratulated her and wished her success in the championship. Chief Minister Sai also sent his best wishes to Sana, stating that her selection reflects the talent, dedication, and growing confidence of daughters from Chhattisgarh. He added that he is hopeful Sana will make the country proud with her performance and inspire future generations.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Cancer patient's grey hair ‘turned black gradually' during therapy, study says
A cancer drug used to treat advanced kidney cancer appears to have reversed grey hair in an older man, a rare side effect that researchers say could offer new clues about how hair colour might be restored. Researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bilaspur (AIIMS Bilaspur), published the study in BMJ Case Reports on June 27. It describes a man in his late 60s who was being treated for metastatic renal cell carcinoma with axitinib, a targeted cancer drug. After six months on the medication, his hair began changing colour. 'The patient observed that the hair on his moustache and scalp, which had previously turned grey due to ageing, turned black gradually, starting from the margins of the hairline on the scalp,' study authors Avita Dhiman, Pravesh Dhiman and Manju Daroach wrote. Grey hair study (a) Blackening of moustache hair and (b) blackening of scalp hair. Credit: BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2025. They added the effect continued to progress over the following months without the use of hair dye or other treatments. Axitinib belongs to a class of cancer therapies known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), which block specific cell signals that promote tumour growth. In this case, researchers believe the drug also triggered melanogenesis, the process that produces melanin, the pigment responsible for hair, skin and eye colour. 'Although several TKIs have been associated with hair repigmentation, this appears to be the first documented case of axitinib-induced hair repigmentation,' the authors wrote. They point to axitinib's role in blocking signalling pathways linked to pigment production, saying the drug may help protect the cells that produce melanin from damage and promote a key enzyme in melanin synthesis. The man's hair gradually darkened from the front of his scalp toward the back, with more of the occipital region turning black by the end of the ninth month. Despite the unusual side effect, doctors chose to continue the cancer treatment because the patient was responding well to it. 'Our hair … has some degree of melanin to give it its colour, otherwise it would be white or grey,' explained Dr. Monica Li, clinical assistant professor with the Department of Dermatology and Skin Science at the University of British Columbia, in a video interview with grey hair study Blackening of hair started from the hairline. Credit: BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2025 'As we get older, stress, certain medications, poor diet, vitamin deficiencies … could decrease how robust hair growth is, but also the colour,' she said. 'That's why as we get older people show gray and white hair, because the melanin production is less.' Li cautioned, however, that while the case is intriguing, it remains an isolated finding. 'It is a case report, meaning it's a sample size of one,' she said, adding there need to be more reports to confirm if this is 'a consistent observation.' Li says hair colour changes have been observed with other TKIs, such as sorafenib, and the effect is often temporary, meaning that once the patient stops taking the drug, the hair tends to return to its original state. The researchers also acknowledge that hair colour changes aren't unheard of with cancer drugs, saying up to 30 per cent of people receiving targeted therapies may notice some kind of pigmentation shift. While the greying reversal was not the intended goal of treatment, researchers say it's a sign of how certain drugs may influence biological systems far beyond cancer. 'The observation … could have broader implications for understanding their role in non-cancer-related processes, reversing grey hair and developing specific drugs … which may be used to reverse greying of hair,' the authors conclude. grey hair study (a) Blackening of hair over the occipital area and (b) follow-up after 2 months revealed that more hair had turned black. Credit: BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2025 But Li emphasized that the drug in question is not something to be taken lightly. 'This is an anti-cancer medication,' she said, warning that there are serious potential side effects, from high blood pressure and diarrhea to rare, but life-threatening events like hypertensive crisis and blood clots. 'We have to understand that in general, medications have their advantages and disadvantages, and all medications have side effects,' Li explained. 'Some are common, some are not so common, but the uncommon ones are devastating and life-threatening.' She added that while repigmentation may seem like a cosmetic bonus for patients already undergoing cancer treatment, the risks of using such a drug solely for reversing grey hair would far outweigh the benefits. 'We all age and it's totally normal to see changes in the colour of our hair,' Li said. 'We're far, far away from even considering using an anti-cancer medication, just so that we can have hair greying improve.'
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
CCPL day 3: Raipur Rhinos & Bilaspur Bulls crush opponents
Raipur: Day three of the second edition of the Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League (CCPL) featured two thrilling matches on Sunday, with Raipur Rhinos and Bilaspur Bulls emerging victorious. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Raipur Rhinos defeated Surguja Tigers by eight wickets in a high-scoring chase. After winning the toss and opting to field, Raipur restricted Surguja to 197 for 6 in 20 overs. Shashwat Sharda top-scored with 56 off 41 balls, while Anand Rao smashed a brisk 51 off 27 balls. For Raipur Rhinos, Mayank Yadav took two wickets. In response, Raipur chased down the target of 198 with ease, reaching 203 for 2 in 19.4 overs. Despite an early setback, Captain Amandeep Khare (82 off 45) and Anuj Tiwari (77 off 56) stitched a record 152-run partnership. Rohan Taank and Swapnil Chaddha claimed a wicket each for Surguja Tigers. Earlier in the day, after choosing to field first, Bilaspur restricted Raigarh to 157 for 8 in 20 overs. Anurag Sahu scored 55 off 47 balls and Aditya Singh added 44. Bilaspur's Harsh Rathore and Mohit Raut took two wickets apiece. Due to rain, Bilaspur's target was revised to 130 in 16 overs under the DLS method. They chased it down in 15.3 overs, losing just three wickets. Ayush Pandey top-scored with 50, while Mohit Raut contributed 35 runs. Ayush Singh Thakur took two wickets for Raigarh. Raut was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance. Raipur: Day three of the second edition of the Chhattisgarh Cricket Premier League (CCPL) featured two thrilling matches on Sunday, with Raipur Rhinos and Bilaspur Bulls emerging victorious. Raipur Rhinos defeated Surguja Tigers by eight wickets in a high-scoring chase. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now After winning the toss and opting to field, Raipur restricted Surguja to 197 for 6 in 20 overs. Shashwat Sharda top-scored with 56 off 41 balls, while Anand Rao smashed a brisk 51 off 27 balls. For Raipur Rhinos, Mayank Yadav took two wickets. In response, Raipur chased down the target of 198 with ease, reaching 203 for 2 in 19.4 overs. Despite an early setback, Captain Amandeep Khare (82 off 45) and Anuj Tiwari (77 off 56) stitched a record 152-run partnership. Rohan Taank and Swapnil Chaddha claimed a wicket each for Surguja Tigers. Earlier in the day, after choosing to field first, Bilaspur restricted Raigarh to 157 for 8 in 20 overs. Anurag Sahu scored 55 off 47 balls and Aditya Singh added 44. Bilaspur's Harsh Rathore and Mohit Raut took two wickets apiece. Due to rain, Bilaspur's target was revised to 130 in 16 overs under the DLS method. They chased it down in 15.3 overs, losing just three wickets. Ayush Pandey top-scored with 50, while Mohit Raut contributed 35 runs. Ayush Singh Thakur took two wickets for Raigarh. Raut was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
SECR's Pooja sprints to 2 gold medals at Taiwan open meet
Raipur: Pooja, a South East Central Railway (SECR) athlete and ticket collector-cum-commercial clerk in the Bilaspur division, clinched two gold medals at the Taiwan Open Athletics Meet 2025, dominating both the women's 1,500 m and 800 m events. Her wins included a meet-record-setting 2:02.79 in the 800 m event and an impressive 4:11.63 in the 1,500 m, marking her fourth consecutive international medal triumph. Over the span of just one week, Pooja's medal haul grew to four international awards: two golds from Taiwan, a silver in the 1,500 m at the Asian Athletics Championships 2025, and a bronze in the 800 m at the same continental meet. SECR general manager Tarun Prakash extended his heartfelt congratulations for her exceptional achievements.
