Author: Rahul M

The Karnataka government Friday appointed 2001-batch IAS officer Dr J Ravishankar as the new managing director of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). He will replace Maheshwar Rao, who was holding the post on an additional charge.Ravishankar currently serves as the secretary in the state Agriculture Department. His appointment to the top post in BMRCL comes ahead of the launch of the long-pending Yellow Line metro network connecting RV Road and Bommasandra. A graduate in Dental Surgery, Ravishankar has previously held several important roles in the state bureaucracy. These include serving as secretary in the Housing Department, excise commissioner…

Months ahead of assembly polls in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came down heavily on the ruling Trinamool Congress. Speaking at a rally in Durgapur, PM Modi said that there will be real development in Bengal only when the TMC government is removed from power. He claimed that TMC is against investment and job creation in the state. Speaking on the riots in Murshidabad, Prime Minister Modi said such incidents happen in the state, and police take unilateral action. He also claimed that there is no ray of justice in Bengal and that the state government cannot protect the…

Lucknow: A strong power struggle is underway in Uttar Pradesh between civil servants, many of whom are seen to be close to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s office, and BJP politicians. When the chief minister ordered that senior officials should take calls to their internal phones, senior UP BJP leader and former BJP MLA from Manikpur constituency of Banda district Anand Shukla posted the news clip on his X account and wrote that “Banda’s District Magistrate does not follow even the chief minister’s order. He does not even call back. SDM and other officials are doing the same. It almost feels…

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav’s elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, may announce the formation of a new political party/ organisation today (Friday). According to reports, he is expected to hold a press conference at 5 PM at his residence, where he could officially reveal the details. This move comes just days after his father expelled him from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for six years and also disowned him from the family. Will Tej Pratap Form New Political Outfit? Notably, Bihar Assembly elections are due later this year (2025). However, no official announcement has yet been done by the Election…

England’s batting stalwart Joe Root is on the verge of setting a historic benchmark. The former England Test captain needs just 204 more runs to become the first-ever player to reach 6,000 runs in the World Test Championship (WTC),  a record no one else has touched since the competition’s inception. A Modern-Day Maestro in Whites Joe Root has long been the backbone of England’s Test batting lineup. His consistency, technique, and temperament have earned him global respect as one of the finest Test batters of this generation. In the World Test Championship era, Root has taken his game to another…

NORTHERN TERRITORY, Australia — What makes a creature a good pet? Roger Matthews likes that he can go to Europe for two months without worrying about feeding the ones in his backyard. Chris Horne is tickled by the adrenaline of having a ferocious predator in his garden. Trevor Sullivan is transfixed by the immemorial existence his companions evoke. “When you look into their eyes, you’re looking back 200 million years,” Sullivan said. All three are proud, unapologetic owners of pet crocodiles in Australia’s Northern Territory.Marrakai Sullivan, 23, Sullivan’s daughter, grew up with pet crocodiles and got her first as an…

Screenwriters in search of the next Timon and Pumbaa may want to look to the Amazon, where unlikely ocelot-opossum duos have been filmed hanging out together.Researchers at Cocha Cashu Biological Station in southeastern Peru set up a camera trap to study bird behavior, but they got a surprise guest appearance instead: an ocelot trailing an opossum through the jungle at night. The ocelot, a wildcat slightly larger than a house cat, and the common opossum, a marsupial, are usually predator and prey. But in this video, they moved in tandem. “We were skeptical about what we had seen,” said Isabel…

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has expressed concern over Rishabh Pant’s availability for the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford. He believes that Pant should not feature in the match as a ‘specialist batter’ if he is not fit enough to keep wickets. Pant sustained a left index finger injury while attempting to collect a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah during the third Test at Lord’s. Following the injury, Dhruv Jurel stepped in as a substitute wicketkeeper. Although Pant returned to bat in the second innings, he appeared to be in discomfort and was dismissed for just 9 runs…

Wheat and jowar rotis, both integral to Indian cuisine, bring their own unique textures, flavors, and health advantages to the table. While wheat rotis are soft and familiar—often the go-to in many households—jowar rotis offer a wholesome, earthy flavor and a nutrient-rich profile that’s gaining popularity. Wheat Roti: The Everyday Classic Wheat rotis are smooth, soft, and easy to work with, thanks to their gluten content, which also helps them puff up nicely when cooked. With a glycemic index ranging between 60 and 70, they provide steady energy and a moderate amount of fiber, especially when made with whole wheat…

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Top church leaders visited Gaza on Friday after its only Catholic church was struck by an Israeli shell the day before, an attack that killed three people and wounded 10, including a priest who had developed a close friendship with the late Pope Francis.The strike drew condemnation from the pope and U.S. President Donald Trump, and prompted statements of regret from Israel, which said it was an accident. Since ending a ceasefire in March, Israel has regularly launched far deadlier strikes across Gaza against what it says are Hamas militants, frequently killing women and…