Veteran Telugu actor and former Andhra Pradesh MLA, Kota Srinivasa Rao, passed away at the age of 83. Rao was known for his versatility and powerful screen presence. Rao had a Telugu cinema and theatrical acting career spanning nearly four decades.

Rao made his debut in 1978 with the Telugu film Pranam Khareedu and went on to star in over 750 feature films across Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and other Indian languages. Known for his exceptional range, Rao received nine prestigious Nandi Awards in categories including villain, character actor, and supporting actor.

In 2015, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian award, for his significant contribution to Indian cinema. One of his most memorable Bollywood appearances was as the antagonist in the iconic film Sarkar, where he acted opposite Amitabh Bachchan.

The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly unanimously passed the Special Public Security Bill, aimed at curbing extremist threats to constitutional institutions and national integrity. Responding to the debate, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis explained that “radical left-wing ideology” refers to groups that reject the Constitution and aim to weaken democracy. Citing precedents, Mr. Fadnavis noted that similar laws exist in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand, under which 48 organizations have been banned. He emphasized that the application of the law will be guided by Supreme Court rulings. The Chief Minister assured the House that the law will not be misused under any circumstances.

A day ahead of the Kanwar Yatra, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said that the state government has launched 'Operation Kalanemi' to take strict action against imposters who are duping people in the name of 'Sanatan Dharma' and hurting religious sentiments.

In a post on X, the chief minister said several cases have come to light in the state where anti-social elements have been found deceiving people, particularly women, by posing as saints and seers.

"This not only hurts the religious sentiments of people but also tarnishes the image of social harmony and Sanatan tradition. Strict action will be taken against such elements, regardless of their religion," Dhami said.

Ireland all-rounder Curtis Campher made history by becoming the first male player in professional cricket to claim five wickets in five balls, achieving the feat on Thursday.

He did so while playing for Munster Reds during their Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy clash against the North-West Warriors in Dublin, with Munster ultimately winning the match by 100 runs.

Campher began his spell by bowling Jared Wilson and trapping Graham Hume lbw to end the 12th over, then returned in the 14th to complete a hat-trick with the dismissal of Andy McBrine, before removing Robbie Millar and Josh Wilson to finish the streak.

The Indian Army has launched ‘Operation SHIVA 2025’, a high-intensity annual security exercise to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Friday.

This year’s deployment comes amid heightened threats from Pakistan-backed proxy groups, following recent operations in the Valley, officials said.

Planned in coordination with the civil administration and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the operation aims to strengthen security along both the northern and southern routes of the pilgrimage.

According to the Army, over 8,500 troops have been deployed this year, supported by a multi-layered counter-terror grid, advanced surveillance tools and disaster response measures.

The ‘Hem Bahadur Malla Award 2080’, has been conferred on former Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha. The award was established in honour of the founder of Salt Trading Corporation, the late Hem Bahadur Malla. Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut handed over the award to Shrestha at an event organised jointly by the Nepal Public Administration Association and the Corporation in Kathmandu on Thursday.

The award was conferred on former Chief Justice Shrestha in recognition of his contributions to judicial leadership and institutional development. The prize carries a purse of Rs 200,000 along with a certificate of honour. Shrestha had served as the 25th Chief Justice. He played vital roles in transitional justice, inclusive democracy and environmental justice.

Shrestha was recommended by the selection committee chaired by former Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Umesh Mainali. On the occasion, Chief Justice Raut mentioned that Shrestha had remained a towering figure of entire judicial history of Nepal. Shrestha expressed worry over growing difficulty to establish good governance in the country owing to underperformance of State agencies.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the National Cadet Corps, NCC, as a platform that serves as an ideal for the youth of the country. He referred to former NCC cadets as strong pillars of the nation, who are contributing to its development in diverse fields, not just passively, but as active drivers. The Defence Minister today chaired the first Governing Council meeting of the National Cadet Corps Alumni Association (NCCAA) in New Delhi. He expressed confidence that the NCCAA will infuse new energy and direction into the NCC. The NCCAA is a flagship association of NCC alumni that aims to carry forward the legacy of the world’s largest uniformed youth organisation by bringing together former and current cadets under one umbrella and enhancing their participation in nation-building.

taly have qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time in their history, scripting a landmark moment despite a defeat to the Netherlands in their final qualifier. The side edged out Jersey on net run rate to seal their spot in the tournament, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka next year.

Jersey pulled off a stunning upset by beating Scotland in their final game, but it wasn’t enough to overturn the NRR deficit. Italy’s consistency across the tournament proved decisive, as they held firm in the qualification race and secured a historic berth on cricket’s biggest T20 stage.

The government is planning to roll out a 1,345 crore rupees subsidy scheme to promote the production of rare earth magnets in the country. Inter-ministerial consultations are underway in this regard. This was informed by Secretary in Ministry of Heavy Industry, Kamran Rizvi during a function in New Delhi. He added that the scheme will provide end-to-end support for the conversion of rare earth oxides into magnets. The subsidy will facilitate investment for establishing processing facilities for companies to convert rare earth oxides into magnets. The proposed scheme comes in the wake of China restricting exports of rare earth magnets, that has hit global supplies, impacting EV makers. 

Amid high reliability in India’s homegrown air-defence system during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday successfully conducted twin flight tests of beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) Astra from the frontline fighter aircraft Sukhoi 30 MK-I off Odisha coast.

Equipped with indigenous radio frequency (RF) seeker, which is a critical component of the missile’s guidance system, the indigenously developed missile was test-fired twice against high-speed unmanned aerial targets at different ranges and launch conditions. The missiles destroyed the targets with pin-point accuracy in both the cases, defence sources said.