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The coming by-polls in West Bengal are expected to be bellwether for which way the political winds are blowing in Mamata Banerjee's West Bengal after the massive protests over the rape-murder of a Kolkata doctor. The protest, strongly backed by the urban middle class, has shaken the state and despite protesters' claims that it was apolitical, it had received significant support from the opposition. By-polls are due in six seats in various parts of the state - their geography and demography are expected to be strong indicators of the political trend. The seats include Naihati, the urban centre close to Kolkata, the minority dominated Haroa, Taldangra with a significant tribal population, Sitai with a chunk of minority and Rajbanshi vote, the tea garden seat of north Bengal. Madiahat and Medinipur. Many believe that the results now could throw light on whether the RG Kar protests will impact future elections. The Opposition BJP, which has been trying to dislodge Mamata Banerje

Bhutan, considered one of the happiest countries in the world, is working on a mega project, one that has the potential to redefine not just how sustainable living can be achieved, but become a global model unlike any other in the world today. The project - a mega 'Mindfulness City' in Gelephu. Though it is called a city, it is massive - spread over 2,500 square kilometers. It is a Special Administratve Region (SAR). It will have its own government and have the independence to have its own lawmaking, as well as an independent judiciary. But what makes it special? Photo Credit: big.dk The Gelephu 'Mindfulness City' will have two protected areas - a national park and a wildlife sanctuary. It will have rivers that will have the potential to generate 4,000 to 5,000 megawatts of electricity through renewable energy. It has forests, biological corridors and is teeming with wildlife. It has its own agricultural hubs and small towns. Photo Credit: big.dk The 'Mi

US health authorities said Wednesday that slivered onions used by McDonald's triggered an e.Coli outbreak that sickened 90 people. "Fresh, slivered onions served on Quarter Pounders and other menu items from McDonald's are the likely source of this outbreak," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. These particular onions were supplied by Taylor Farms, which issued a voluntary recall. McDonald's also pulled the onions. Restaurants in a dozen US states temporarily pulled the burgers from their menus this month amid the outbreak linked to them. The number of people sickened now stands at 90, including 27 who had to be hospitalized, and an elderly man in Colorado died. McDonald's on Sunday said it would resume selling its Quarter Pounder hamburgers after tests for e.Coli came back negative. The e.Coli bacterium causes stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting that last three to four days. Most people recover without needing treatment but some devel

The country is celebrating the festival of lights Diwali today. On this special occasion, the who's who of Bollywood and the South film industry extended warm wishes to their fans. The celebrities posted pictures of diyas and festivities on their official Instagram handles and fans commented sharing their love. Stars from across the country wished for happiness and prosperity for all. Kareena Kapoor shared a photo of herself from vacation and wrote, “Dare to dream …Look ahead…Look after your mind and heart…Feel the light …Happy Diwali Friends #2024.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) Akshay Kumar shared a small clip of lighting diya on his Instagram Stories. The text on the video read, “Shubh Deepawali”. Parineeti Chopra shared a photo of herself holding a plate of diya. The actress wore a traditional green attire for the occasion. "Wish you all a CHAMKILA diwali!,"

Nawab Malik, now the official candidate of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, told NDTV today that the allegations now levelled at him were "irresponsible" and the verdicts in the cases would vindicate him. His response was to the remarks of senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who had called him a "terrorist". "These are irresponsible statements. Nawab Malik was never a terrorist nor was ever with any terrorist or any criminal. Nawab Malik has been in politics in this country for 50 years," Mr Malik told NDTV in an exclusive interview.  Some people think giving such comments would help increase their vote bank but it actually has the opposite effect, he said. "Now the matter is sub judice, so I can't obviously discuss it. Once the verdict comes, everything will be clear," he added. Mr Malik was arrested by central agencies in an alleged  money laundering case involving mafia don Dawood Ibrahim and his associates Chhota

Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri bagged the Ballon d'Or 2024 title, beating Real Madrid duo Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham to the top podium spot. The name of the winner was leaked on social media hours before the official announcement was made in a glittering ceremony in France, prompting an intense debate on social media. After Real Madrid decided not to travel to Paris, making their stance clear to boycott the event, it became clear that the leaks were, in fact, correct. As Rodri was officially named the winner of the men's Ballon d'Or 2024, a section of fans expressed their disappointment, suggesting the Brazilian Vinicius should've bagged the prized individual honour. But, was Vinicius truly robbed of the award? How is the Ballon d'Or winner decided? According to UEFA, the Ballon d'Or honour is awarded every year by an international jury of specialised journalists, with one representative per country, from the top 100 in the latest FIFA ra

Elon Musk, the Tesla owner, showed up on Monday, at Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally in a strange cap.  The official "Make America Great Again" or "MAGA" cap is red in colour with the text in white. However the one Musk wore was black in colour with the text embroidered in an irregular font usually associated with heavy-metal bands and newspapers.  "I'm dark gothic MAGA," Musk said. The internet, however, has read it differently. The font on Musk's cap looks suspiciously similar to the ones used for Nazi typography or "blackletter". The font on Musk's cap looks suspiciously similar to the ones used for Nazi typography or "blackletter" (Image posted on X by @elonmusk According to a report by FastCompany Magazine, Cheryl Jacobsen, an adjunct professor of lettering at the University of Iowa, said that blackletter was used in Germany as a folk style for the Bible. Regardless, during the rise of Adolf Hitler

An Arctic seed vault on Norway's Spitsbergen island received new samples last week from the largest number of depositors since 2020, reflecting fear about the threat of conflict and climate change to food security, a custodian of the facility said recently. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, set deep inside a mountain to withstand disasters from nuclear war to global warming, was launched in 2008 as a backup for the world's gene banks that store the genetic code for thousands of plant species. Billed as a doomsday vault protected by permafrost, the deposit has received samples from across the world, and played a leading role between 2015 and 2019 in rebuilding seed collections damaged during the war in Syria. "Climate change and conflict threaten infrastructure and impact food security for over 700 million people in more than 75 countries worldwide," Executive Director Stefan Schmitz of the Crop Trust said in a statement. Among the new desposits, Bolivia's first

The organisers of the Ballon d'Or award insisted on Monday that "no player or club" knows who has won the award, responding to Real Madrid's decision to boycott the event because they believe that  Vinicius  would not win. "All the clubs and players are in the same boat," a Ballon d'Or source told AFP, pointing out the strict confidentiality rules laid down for this 2024 edition. Real Madrid said they will stay away from the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris on Monday as they are convinced that their striker  Vinicius , the favourite to win the men's award, has been snubbed. The club told AFP it questioned the methods behind the selection of the Ballon d'Or winner, saying that defender Dani Carvajal, another of the 30 players nominated, had also been unfairly overlooked.  "If the award criteria doesn't give it to  Vinicius  as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner," the club told AFP.  "

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole today said that he was "friends" with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut amid reports of tension between the two allies. "I am friends with Sanjay Raut. I don't understand why people create disputes between us," said Mr Patole at NDTV Marathi's Jahirnama event. Terse remarks by Mr Patole and Mr Raut amid the delay in the seat-sharing announcement for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra triggered the rift buzz. To a veiled swipe of Sanjay Raut where he said the Congress leaders are "not capable of taking decisions", Mr Patole shot back, "If Sanjay Raut is controlling Uddhav Thackeray, that is their issue. We have the responsibility of telling the reality of our leaders and we are doing that. We do not want to speak anything on what Sanjay Raut does." Other Congress leaders, however, played down the statements insisting that talks were going smoothly. During the event, Mr Patole also a

Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Saturday lashed out at Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi for charging the newly formed political party with bribing voters in by-elections to four assembly seats of Bihar. Mr Manjhi, who is also a former Chief Minister of Bihar, had made the allegation on Friday evening, at a rally in Imamganj which has fallen vacant upon his election to Lok Sabha and from where his daughter-in-law Deepa is trying her luck as the candidate of his Hindustani Awam Morcha. "The Jan Suraaj people are making people sign forms pledging support for the party in the by-polls. The voters have been promised cash reward of Rs one lakh each in the event of Jan Suraaj candidate's victory", Mr Manjhi had said. When asked about the charge, Prashant Kishor, who was on the campaign trail in Tarari, shot back "Does Manjhi realise what he is saying? In almost every assembly segment, there are about two lakh voters. If we are promising to give Rs one lakh to each o