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Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Kerala Janapaksham (Secular) chief PC George merged his party with the BJP on Wednesday. Mr George along with his son Shaun and other Kerala Janapaksham (Secular) leaders joined the BJP in Delhi in the presence of the saffron party's in-charge for political affairs in Kerala Prakash Javadekar and other senior leaders. "We are very delighted to welcome Kerala Janapaksham (Secular) leaders P C George, Shaun George and George Joseph," Mr Javadekar said at a joint press conference at the BJP headquarters in Delhi. Mr George, BJP national secretary Anil Antony and Union minister V Muraleedharan were also present at the press conference. Mr Javadekar described Mr George as "a fiery speaker and a great catholic diocese leader". "We will win a minimum of five (Lok Sabha) seats in Kerala. That's the difference we are going to make in Kerala politics," the BJP leader said. A big rally will be held in Kerala. The first me...

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has sent back an ordinance mandating 60 per cent use of Kannada in signboards of businesses and establishments to the state government. This was revealed by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday. "We (the government) approved an ordinance on signboards. The Governor has sent it back saying it should be passed in the Assembly. He could have given his assent now. Giving protection and respect to Kannada is our government's commitment," Mr Shivakumar said. However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the Governor has sent the ordinance back to the government, and wants a bill to be placed before the Legislature and passed, considering that the Legislature session is round the corner. The Karnataka Cabinet had on January 5, given its approval to an ordinance to amend the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act that mandates 60 per cent use of the state's language in signages. As of now, the law requires...

Another controversy has engulfed Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district on the heels of the Mandya flag controversy. This involved the removal of a right wing flag and a board bearing the name of right wing icon VD Savarkar. A protest took place over the removal in Bhatkal's Tenginagundi today and the local BJP workers and panchayat members got into an altercation with panchayat officials. The workers argued that VD Savarkar's name board was installed with the approval of the panchayat, and they protested against the removal of the flagpole with the right wing flags. The officials claimed that no permission was sought from the gram panchayat. "Don't think we are sitting quiet. We have permission. Is it a Pakistan flag that we put up? Who gave you the order to raze this?" said one of the angry villagers. The Zilla Panchayat chief, along with senior authorities, decided to issue notices for all such structures built in the area under the panchayat. They will be...

Two students were recorded on camera, cleaning toilets in a government school in Karnataka's Chikkaballapur on Monday. This incident follows a pattern that has emerged across various schools in the state, marking the third such case in the past two months. The previous incidents include students being sent down toilet pits in Kolar at the Yelavalli Morarji Desai Residential School, and self-cleaning duties enforced at Andarahalli Government School in Bengaluru. Each incident has sparked outrage and calls for immediate action. The video from the Government Senior Primary School in Chikkaballapur went viral and prompted a visit by a state government team that recorded statements from students. Another similar incident was reported from Shivamogga in December last year when students were forced to clean and scrub school toilets in a video that went viral on social media. The Karnataka Education Department suspended the headmistress of the school, with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shiv...

Popular actor Vijay has begun the process of launching in own political party in Tamil Nadu. According to sources, Vijay has been elected as party president. "We are in the process of registering the party with the Election Commission of India," said a key member of the team to NDTV. Sources say that around 200 members of the party's general council had attended a meeting ahead of the registration. The party's General Secretary and Treasurer too have been appointed and a Central Executive Committee has been constituted as well. The council has authorised Vijay to decide on the name and registration of the party and take the plunge into electoral politics. On when exactly he would take the plunge, one source said, "He will enter politics ahead of the 2026 state polls in Tamil Nadu." On the possible name, he added, "It will definitely have Kazhagam in it, keeping in line with traditions in Tamil Nadu." Seen as the next Rajinikanth of Tamil cinema,...

A Kerala court on Tuesday handed the death penalty to 15 men - associated with the now-banned Popular Front of India - convicted of the murder of Ranjith Srinivasan , who was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The 15 men were found guilty last week. The court ruled that eight - identified by news agency ANI as Nizam, Ajmal, Anoop, Mohammed Aslam, Abdul Salam alias Salam Ponnad, Abdul Salam, Saffaruddin, and Manshad - had been directly involved in the killing of Ranjith Srinivasan. Four others were found guilty of murder because they came to the scene of the crime armed with deadly weapons; their objective, the court said, was to prevent Srinivasan from escaping and stop anyone trying to help him. The three others were convicted of conspiracy to murder. The prosecution had sought the maximum sentence for all 15, arguing they constituted a "trained killer squad", and the cruel and diabolical manner in which Srin...

Four students were killed and eight others sustained injuries when the school bus they were travelling in collided with a tractor near Alagur village in Jamkhandi taluk of this district on Monday, police said. Police said the students of Vardhaman Mahaveer Educational Society at Alagur aged between 13 and 17 were returning from Kavatagi village when the mishap happened. The injured students have been admitted to a nearby hospital, police said. Expressing condolences, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a Rs two lakh ex gratia to the next of kin of those killed in the accident, and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured.   (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) source https://www.ndtv.com/karnataka-news/4-students-killed-as-school-bus-collides-with-tractor-in-karnataka-4952900

In the Keragodu village of Karnataka's Mandya, a controversy over a Hanuman flag has led to political confrontations, protests, and police intervention. The incident took place last week when a group of men erected a 108-foot flagpole and raised a Hanuman flag. The village panchayat had granted permission for the installation of the flagpole, but complaints were filed against it, prompting officials to request the removal of the Hanuman flag. Villagers, however, stood firm in their decision, accusing a few individuals of attempting to politicise the matter.  A large police contingent was deployed, and members of the BJP, JD(S), and Bajrang Dal joined villagers in protesting against the removal. Protests escalated on Saturday when villagers closed their shops in defiance. Yesterday, Gram Panchayat officials visited the village to remove the flag, leading to a gathering of villagers chanting slogans of 'Go Back' in protest against the officials. The controversy took a poli...

In a major embarrassment to Karnataka Congress, its veteran leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa urged Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency residents to re-elect BJP MP BY Raghavendra, son of former chief minister BS Yediyurappa. MLA Shivashankarappa asked people to re-elect Raghavendra at the Guru Basavashri Award Pradhan and Spirituality Conference organised at Bekkina Kalmata in Shivmogga, where he received the Guru Basavashri award. "I noticed that the development works are in Shivmogga district. You have chosen a good MP. The public must elect him further. Shimoga district needs to develop more. You are blessed to have Lok Sabha members like BY Raghavendra. All the work to be done in the district has been completed and has progressed. Development work for the people should be the first priority," said Mr Shivashankarappa at the conference. "Lok Sabha members who have worked as per the will of the people should win in the upcoming elections as well. Veerashaiva Lingayats...

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who switched back to the BJP from the Congress yesterday, on Friday refuted claims that BJP promised him a ticket for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The INDIA alliance, comprising his previous party Congress, will not work in Karnataka, he asserted in an exclusive interview with NDTV. "There was an insistence from BJP workers in Karnataka and state leadership. Even national leadership welcomed me to the party. This is my house. We built the party. Coming back with the wishes of the Karnataka BJP cadre," he said on switching loyalty. Mr Shettar said he joined BJP unconditionally, denying Congress claims that his move was prompted by the BJP promising him a Lok Sabha election ticket, "At yesterday's discussion with the national leadership, I did not put any condition on them. I joined the BJP unconditionally," he said. Mr Shettar, a Lingayat politician, had walked out of the BJP less than a year ago claiming ...

The Tamil Nadu government suffered a massive setback in the Supreme Court on Thursday in a corruption case against an Enforcement Directorate officer. The court has restricted the state police from probing the Ankit Tiwari bribery case, the latest point of friction between Tamil Nadu and central governments, and directed them to produce before it the material collected in the case. The Supreme Court also said it will frame guidelines for states to share information with the ED without disturbing the principles of federalism. This assertion comes amid several opposition-ruled states alleging misuse of central agencies, which in turn accuse states of non-cooperation. Mr Tiwari was arrested in December after he was caught accepting Rs 20 lakh as bribe - the first arrest of a central agency officer in Tamil Nadu. The state cops had also filed a case detailing his role in the alleged crime. The ED had filed a petition in the Supreme Court to transfer the bribery case from the Tamil Nadu a...

At least four people were killed in a devastating accident involving four vehicles in Tamil Nadu's Dharmapuri district. Eight other people were injured in the accident which unfolded in a matter of seconds and left a trail of destruction on the Thoppur Ghat. CCTV footage obtained from the scene shows the sequence of events. The visuals show a speeding truck ramming into another truck, which leads to a chain reaction. The truck which was hit spins out of control and crashes into another truck and a car gets caught between the two vehicles. The impact crushed the car on the spot, while the truck hit the railing and flipped off the bridge. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed deep sorrow over the incident and promptly announced financial assistance for the affected families. He announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those undergoing treatment for injuries. Rescue operations were swiftly initiated, with the fire brigade and o...

Luxury watches and gold jewellery were among the assets worth Rs 100 crore recovered from a real estate official during anti-corruption raids in Hyderabad. Rs 40 lakh in cash and dozens of electronic gadgets were also seized in the disproportionate case by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Shiva Balakrishna, secretary of Telangana State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TSRERA) the former Director of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), had amassed crores by allegedly facilitating permits for numerous real estate companies, alleged the ACB. The searches were being held in 20 locations including his and his relatives' houses and offices. The raiding teams have combed through the offices of the HMDA and RERA too. Mr Balakrishna's home and other key locations linked to the probe were also raided. The raids revealed flats, bank deposits, and benami holdings after allegations that his amassed assets were beyond his known sources of income. The seized items inc...

A shocking video of two Telangana policewomen dragging a protesting student by her hair has emerged online and is being widely circulated. The video shows the policemen on a scooty chasing a young woman. She runs for a few steps then falls as the policewoman riding pillion grabs her long hair. The student reportedly belonged to ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad), a student group linked to the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. They were protesting against the state government's recent decision to allocate land belonging to Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) for the construction of the new High Court complex. "The recent incident involving Telangana police is deeply concerning and absolutely unacceptable," posted Kavitha, leader of the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samith, on X, formerly Twitter.. The recent incident involving Telangana police is deeply concerning and absolutely unacceptable. Dragging a peacefu...

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said caste and religious differences were created "later" to destroy Tamils' unity and urged them to conduct cultural festivals like the traditional bull-taming sport jallikattu unitedly as Tamils. In his address after inaugurating a grand jallikattu arena named after his father and late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, Mr Stalin also charged the central BJP with "enacting a drama" over granting permission to hold the sport in the state, before the Supreme Court gave a favourable verdict on the matter. He recalled that DMK founder, the late CN Annadurai gave Tamil Nadu its name (it was earlier known as Madras Presidency) while Karunanidhi ensured classical language status for Tamil. His "Dravida model government" has constructed the grand arena in this district to highlight "aeruthazvhuthal which is a symbol of Tamils' culture," he said. "At this juncture what I want to tell you is--ca...

A class 7 student allegedly died by suicide by jumping from the balcony of her 29th floor apartment in southeast Bengaluru, police said today. The only child of her parents, the 12-year-old girl was depressed, the police said, without sharing further details. No suicide note was found, they told Press Trust of India. According to the police, a security guard of the apartment complex heard some noise at around 5 am on Tuesday and rushed to the corridor where he saw the girl lying in a pool of blood. He immediately alerted representatives of the apartment association. She was taken to the nearest hospital where she was declared 'brought dead', a senior police officer said. The girl's mother had seen her outside her room at around 4:30 am and when asked why she was up so early, the girl gave a vague reply and went inside her room, the police said. "It's a suicide. We did not find any suicide note but we learnt that the child was depressed. The post-mortem has be...

A 12-year-old boy who went missing from Bengaluru on Sunday was traced to a metro station in Hyderabad this morning after a request on social media prompted a frantic search for him. The two metro cities are about 570 km apart. Parinav, a Class 6 student of Deens Academy, managed to escape the cops trying to track him for three days and by the time they reached the places he was spotted, he had already left for another. He was seen leaving a coaching centre in Whitefield around 11 am and then at a petrol pump near Yemlur around 3 pm. He was last spotted deboarding a bus that evening in Bengaluru's Majestic bus terminus, the fulcrum that connects the city to every other corner in Karnataka and beyond. His worried parents took to social media to seek help in locating their child. They initiated an online request to find their child along with a CCTV footage showing him walking across a road. This prompted a frantic search by social media users with a few even volunteering to phys...

A special court in Bengaluru has directed the transfer of valuables seized from former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa to the government of the neighbouring State. The Tamil Nadu Government will then take necessary action on the disposal of these gold and diamond jewellery which were part of the material evidence in the disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa and others. The trial was held in Karnataka on the direction of the Supreme Court and therefore all material evidence is in the Karnataka treasury now under the custody of the court. Judge H A Mohan presiding over the XXXII Additional City Civil & Sessions court passed the order on Monday. The court had earlier held that the family of Jayalalithaa were not entitled for the properties which are confiscated by the State. The Special CBI Court had thus rejected the petition filed by J Deepa and J Deepak, the niece and nephew of Jayalalithaa, respectively. Ordering the transfer of the jewels to the Tam...

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has fired a salvo of posts on X alleging "repression" in Tamil Nadu to prevent people from watching the live stream of the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya today. Her comments came shortly after the Supreme Court this morning recorded the statement of the Tamil Nadu government, which claimed no restriction has been imposed on temples to live stream the Ram temple consecration event. The Supreme Court ordered the state government to consider applications, if any, for telecasting the pran prathistha ceremony live. The Tamil Nadu Police had removed some LED screens set up by BJP leaders at public places over allegations that they did not take permission to do so. The state unit of the BJP then approached the Supreme Court, asking for permission to allow live stream from Ayodhya in LED screens installed across the southern state. Continuing her posts from yesterday, when she pointed out Tamil Nadu has over 200 ...

BRS Working President KT Rama Rao on Saturday said people should not pay their power bills until the Congress government in Telangana provided free electricity under the 'Gruha Jyothi' scheme as per its election promise. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had said during the recent Assembly election campaign that party leader Sonia Gandhi would pay the electricity bills after the Congress came to power and people should send their bills to Sonia Gandhi's house at 10, Janpath in New Delhi, Mr Rama Rao said. If officials ask for payment of power bills, Revnath Reddy's video should be shown, he said, addressing the BRS leaders of Hyderabad and Secunderabad Parliamentary constituencies as part of preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. "KTR stated that people should not pay the power bills until free electricity was provided under the Gruha Jyothi scheme as promised by Revanth Reddy," a release from his office said. The promise of 'Gruha Jyoti' incl...

In yet another incident of moral policing in Karnataka's Haveri, an inter-faith couple was subjected to harassment and threats by a group of nine individuals Friday evening. As the couple was heading home on a bike, they were stopped by a group, who questioned the couple's religious differences. The situation quickly escalated, with the men attempting to manhandle the man and coercively separate the couple. The victims defended themselves by saying that they were merely friends and colleagues. A bystander, who saw what was unfolding, alerted the police. Following the victims' formal complaint, seven individuals were arrested, identified as Abdulkhader Mudgal, Mansoor Tandoor, Mehboobakhan Badigera, Riaz Halageri, Alwaj, Abdul Desura, and Khader Kanake. However, two suspects remain at large. The recent incident in Haveri took place just days after six men barged into the room of a lodge and assaulted a couple for the 'crime' of being together despite following dif...

The CEO of a private firm lost his life, while another official suffered serious injury in a freak accident during the silver jubilee celebrations of the company at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, police said on Friday. During the celebrations on Thursday evening, Vistex CEO Sanjay Shah and his colleague entered into an iron cage, which was to be lowered from a height, when the iron chain supporting it broke on one side, and both of them fell, they said. They were taken to the hospital but Sanjay Shah died while undergoing treatment, and his colleague's condition is serious, the police said. A case was registered against the Film City event management authorities based on a complaint made by another official of the company, the police added.   (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) source https://www.ndtv.com/hyderabad-news/hyderabad-ceo-dies-in-freak-accident-during-firms-silver-jubilee-function-48948...

A 25-year-old man died on Friday after falling from a moving train bound for Thiruvananthapuram, the police said. The tragic incident occurred when Deepak George Varkey, returning from Pune after completing his Hotel Management course, was trying to disembark from the train at Kottayam station after retrieving his forgotten glasses, they said. Deepak George Varkey had brought out all his belongings from the train onto the platform when he realised that he had forgotten his glasses. He went back into the train, but by then it had started moving. While trying to get off quickly, he slipped beneath the train and died, police said. The incident came to light only when Deepak George Varkey's friends, who were waiting to receive him at Kottayam railway station, could not locate him. They then went to the next station, Changanassery, but found no sign of him there as well and proceeded to the following Thiruvalla railway station. Despite attempting to contact Deepak George Varke...

India will not have to wait too long for a Boeing aircraft that is designed and manufactured in the subcontinent, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the inauguration of the plane maker's engineering centre in Bengaluru today. The Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC) in Bengaluru is the company's largest facility outside of the US. It will focus on research and development. At the event, which was also attended by senior Boeing executives including Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Pope, PM Modi stressed the need to build an aircraft manufacturing ecosystem in India. "Given that there is so much potential in India, we need to rapidly build an aircraft manufacturing ecosystem in the country," PM Modi said. BIETC was built at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore on a 43-acre plot at Hightech Defence and Aerospace Park in Devanahalli, on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The facility is expected to become a cornerstone for partnerships with vibrant startups, and pri...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated Boeing's new global engineering and technology centre campus near Bengaluru. Built at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore, the 43-acre state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC) campus is the planemaker's largest such investment outside the US, the company said. The campus at Hightech Defence and Aerospace Park in Devanahalli on the city outskirts will become a cornerstone for partnerships with the vibrant startups, private and government ecosystem in India, and will help develop next-generation products and services for the global aerospace and defence industry, Boeing said. The Prime Minister also launched the Boeing Sukanya Programme that the company said aims to support the entry of more girl children from across India into the country's growing aviation sector. The programme will provide opportunities for girls and women from across India to learn critical skills in the science, technology, engineerin...

The Chennai Police has filed a case against the son and daughter-in-law of DMK leader Karunanidhi for allegedly abusing an 18-year-old girl who used to work at their home, police said. Refusing to divulge more details of the case, a police officer told NDTV that they had been unable to meet the girl.   "We have not been able to meet the girl. She's being shielded. We don't know why. It would be clear soon," the officer said. The girl belongs to a scheduled caste and was preparing for the medical entrance exam NEET. She was working as a domestic help to be able to enroll for NEET coaching. Police said that she had been working at the house of the DMK leader's son for the last year. Doctors allegedly found injury marks on her and suspect that she was beaten up and also had cigarette burns. "The young lady was taken to an Ulundurpet hospital for treatment and doctors there alerted the nearest police station. We are trying to speak to her to register a case. ...

A decade of BJP rule at the Centre has led to states losing their rights, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin claimed on Thursday and said that a new government piloted by the INDIA bloc, which he believed would be in power after the Lok Sabha election this year, would respect state autonomy. He also pointed to the "authoritarian tendency" to run the government through governors and not by an administration elected by the people, saying it was against states' interests as well as violative of the Constitution of India. "Ten years of BJP rule at the Centre has made many states lose their rights. The Centre continues to usurp the rights of the states on education, language, finance, and judiciary. The authoritarian tendency to run the government with appointed governors as opposed to a government elected by the people is not only against the states but also the Constitution of India," Stalin who is the president of the ruling DMK said. In an epistle to party wo...

A man was found hanging from a fan inside a train compartment at a Bengaluru railway station on Wednesday. The man, reportedly from Kerala, had three train tickets in his pockets which detailed his journey from Kerala's Thrissur to Bengaluru and Bengaluru to Mysuru. He also had a return ticket from Mysuru, police said. His body was found by the cleaning staff, police said, adding, prime facie it seems the man, about 45 years old, had died by suicide. The body was found on the fully unreserved Mysuru-Karaikal Express train at the SMVT railway station. The coach was segregated from the rest of the train after the body was recovered. According to preliminary information, he died between 3-3.30 AM, reported The New Indian Express . The body is yet to be identified and has been kept at the mortuary of CV Raman General Hospital in Bengaluru, police said. The Government Railway Police (GRP) has filed a case of unnatural death under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)...

Plummeting temperature in this hill district has left people grappling with biting cold in what seems to be an unseasonal climatic phenomenon that has also affected farming. The lush green lawns are covered with frost and dense fog has affected visibility, as locals struggle with health issues due to the dipping temperatures. Such cold, dry spell is unusual, locals said. In many places, people were seen trying to keep themselves warm by sitting around bonfire. According to official data available, temperature was recorded at 1 degree celcius at Kanthal and Thalaikuntha in Udhagamandalam while the mercury was a notch higher at 2 degree celcius in Botanical Garden. Sandynallah was at 3 degree celcius. Residents and environmental activists are worried over the relatively 'unseasonal' cold that has gripped the mountains. V Sivadas of the Nilagiri Enviroment Social Trust (NEST) believes the change is due to global warming and El-nino effect. "The onset of the cold is dela...

A groom riding a camel, with 25 people accompanying him, caused a traffic jam on a busy road in this north Kerala district, following which the local police booked them for causing disruption. Police said that the groom Riswan, a native of Valapattanam, and his companions were booked by Chakkarakkal police after he led a camel procession to his wedding venue earlier this week. The camel procession, accompanied by cracker bursting and band music, resulted in traffic snarls on a busy road, causing vehicles heading to the airport and an ambulance to get stuck. Responding to complaints from locals, the police arrived at the scene and forcibly cleared those causing the traffic block. Subsequently, a case was registered against 26 people, including the groom, for charges of unlawful assembly and causing a traffic block, police said. The visuals of the controversial camel ride has gone viral on various social media platforms. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by N...

The official account of Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on X, formerly known as Twitter, has been allegedly hacked, police said on Wednesday. The X account was "hacked" three days ago and some messages were posted on it, after which Raj Bhavan officials lodged a complaint with cyber crime unit of Hyderabad police. Based on the complaint, a case was registered and investigation is on, they said. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) source https://www.ndtv.com/telangana-news/telangana-governor-tamilisai-soundararajans-x-account-hacked-case-filed-4879474

Two people, including a boy, were gored to death by bulls at a Jallikattu venue at Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga district today. According to police, the tragic incident at Siravayal near Madurai did not take place during the Jallikattu event, but after the run when the bull owners had gathered to collect their animals. At that point, police said, the bulls ran helter-skelter and the victims were gored to death by separate animals.  A total of 186 bulls were part of this Jallikattu event that is still underway, police said. The incident raises question marks on the safety measures in place for the bull-taming sport. Safety norms mandated by the Supreme Court include double barricading of the entire arena and steps to ensure no animal injures spectators. Injuries have been reported from other Jallikattu venues too. At least 60 people were injured yesterday at Palamedu in Madurai district. The event is underway at Alanganallur, seen as the capital of Jallikattu. Traditionally pl...

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to interfere with a Madras High Court order quashing criminal proceedings against actor Dhanush and others for the posters of the 2014 Tamil film 'Velaiyilla Pattathari' that showed the actor smoking a cigarette. A private complaint had been filed in the matter alleging that the advertisement had directly or indirectly suggested or promoted the use or consumption of cigarettes. The plea, challenging the July 10 last year order of the high court, came up for hearing before a bench of justices A S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan. "After having perused the copies of the advertisements, we are of the view that sub-section (1) of section 5 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 was not applicable in this case. Hence, the Special Leave Petition is dismissed," the bench said in its order. The complainant had alleged that the a...

YS Sharmila - the daughter of former (undivided) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, and the sister of current Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy - has been appointed as President of the Congress' state unit, a statement signed by General Secretary KC Venugopal said. "Honourable Congress President has appointed YS Sharmila Reddy as the President of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect..." the brief note signed by Mr Venugopal said. The previous state Congress chief, Rudra Raju, resigned Monday. He has been appointed Special Invitee to the Congress Working Committee, the party's highest decision-making body. Ms Sharmila joined the Congress this month, merging her YSR Telangana Party with weeks for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and months before an Assembly election. She joined the Congress in the presence of party boss Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Rahul Gandhi on January 4. After supporting the Congress in last year's Telan...

The Centre on Monday told the Kerala High Court that it has issued an order under the Companies Act for an investigation into the alleged irregularities by the software firm of Veena T, the daughter of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Orders have been issued under Section 210 (investigation into affairs of company) of the Companies Act and the same will be produced on record by the next date of hearing, it said. Noting the submission, Justice Devan Ramachandran directed the Centre to file on record the order issued by it before January 19 and listed the matter for hearing on January 24. The court said that by then the respondents, including the Chief Minister, his daughter, her firm, Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) and Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd, were at liberty to respond to the Centre's order. The court was hearing a plea by Shone George, a lawyer and son of veteran politician P C George, seeking an investigation into Veena T's company under...

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter is under investigation after complaints about alleged fraud within Veena Vijayan's company. The probe has put the ruling CPI(M) in a fix as it gears up for the campaign ahead of Lok Sabha polls. The probe was ordered by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to investigate complaints about illegal transactions between a private company and Ms Veena's IT firm. Ministry officials confirmed that a joint director at the Office of the Director General of Corporate Affairs had ordered the probe. According to local media reports, the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd allegedly paid Rs 1.72 crore to the Chief Minister's daughter. The payments were made between 2017 and 2020. The minerals firm had an agreement with Ms Veena's firm for consultancy and software support services. But no service was provided by Ms Veena's firm. Yet the Kochi-based company made monthly payments "due to her relationship with a prominent person...

A woman was burnt to death and three others suffered injuries when a private bus they were travelling in caught fire following an accident in Gadwal district of Telangana early on Saturday. The woman got trapped inside the burning bus after the mishap and died, police said. #WATCH | Telangana: One person died after a fire broke out in a private bus early this morning at Beechupally in Jogulamba Gadwal district. More details awaited: Sub-inspector, Itikyal police station, Ashok. pic.twitter.com/wHxFk7YWSO — ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2024 Three other passengers of the bus, heading to Chittoor in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, sustained injuries and are said to be safe. Police suspect that the driver was speeding or may have dozed off at the wheel and lost control of the vehicle. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) source https://www.ndtv.com/telangana-news/woman-burnt-alive-as-bus-catches-fire-in-telangana...

The Karnataka government on Friday launched the Congress party's fifth 'guarantee' offering monthly unemployment stipend of Rs 3,000 to graduates and Rs 1,500 to diploma holders. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah handed over cheques to six beneficiaries to symbolically kickstart the 'Yuva Nidhi' scheme, meant for the graduates and diploma holders who passed in the academic year 2022-23 and remained jobless even after 180 days of completion of their education. The stipend will be given only for two years, and it will end soon after the beneficiary gets a job. Those who have enrolled for higher education and continuing studies are not eligible under the scheme. The state government has earmarked Rs 250 crore for the scheme in the current financial year. It expects that next year, it will cost Rs 1,200 crore to the state exchequer and, from 2026 onwards, Rs 1,500 crore annually. Addressing people, the chief minister said, "Many people were questioning why the 'Y...

The Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to field a host of new faces in Karnataka for the April/May Lok Sabha election , party sources told NDTV Friday, indicating new candidates could be offered to voters in as many as 11 of the 25 seats the party currently holds. Sources said the decision was taken after several sitting MPs expressed a desire to not contest this election. It is, however, also being seen as an attempt to ward off possible anti-incumbency, particularly in a state the party has performed well in over the past two general elections; in 2014 the BJP won 17 seats (the Congress got nine) and, in 2019, it went eight better and cornered over 51 per cent of the total votes. Among the BJP leaders not contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha election is former Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda; the 70-year-old Bengaluru (North) MP in November said he was quitting politics. GM Siddeswara, a four-time MP from the Davangere seat and ex-union minister, and Ramesh Jigajinagi, a six-time MP (th...