India

Historic 300-Year-Old Koder House in Fort Kochi Destroyed by Fire

A devastating fire has completely gutted Koder House, a centuries-old heritage structure located in Fort Kochi, Kerala. The building, which dates to the 1800s, held deep historical significance as it was associated with the prominent Koder family of the local Jewish community. In recent years, the structure had served as a boutique hotel and a venue for Jewish cultural events. The loss of Koder House has reignited concerns about the preservation of heritage buildings in the Fort Kochi region.

Hostel Residency Among Female Students in India Shows Steady Rise

Data from the All India Survey on Higher Education indicates a growing number of female students are living in hostels across India. This trend reflects increasing access to higher education for women in the country. As more women move into campus accommodations, questions about the safety and adequacy of hostel infrastructure have come to the fore. The rise in hostel residency highlights the need for institutions to ensure secure and supportive living environments for female students.

Four CISF personnel killed in firing incident at Sewa Project in J&K’s Kathua

Billionaire tears down Phil Collins' Miami Beach mansion to build flood-resistant home

Tech billionaire Orlando Bravo purchased Phil Collins' historic Miami Beach estate for $39.25 million and received approval to demolish it. The property will be replaced by a newly designed luxury mansion built to withstand flooding risks. The decision has sparked debate among preservationists concerned about the erosion of early 20th-century architectural heritage in South Florida. Advocates warn that climate-driven redevelopment could accelerate the loss of historically significant structures across the region.

MP Nursing Council Issues Certificate to Donkey, Exposing Registration Portal Flaws

NSUI state vice-president Ravi Parmar conducted a test of the Madhya Pradesh Nursing Council's online registration portal to assess its verification process. He successfully obtained a nurse registration certificate in the name of a donkey, revealing that the portal failed to verify applicant identity or mandatory documents. The incident has prompted authorities to place nursing registrations on hold in Madhya Pradesh. The expose highlights serious gaps in the digital registration system meant to credential healthcare professionals.

Travis Kelce and Childhood Friend Aric Jones Share a Bond Rooted in Cleveland Heights

Travis Kelce and Aric Jones first met as children in Cleveland Heights, where they connected over a shared love of youth hockey. Their friendship strengthened through their high school years and has continued well into adulthood. Kelce later invited Jones to live with him in Kansas City, further deepening their relationship. What began as a rivalry on the ice evolved into a close, lasting personal bond between the two.

Racist altercation: Punjabi man stabbed to death in Canada

Allahabad HC rules hookah service banned even in designated smoking areas

The Allahabad High Court has ruled that hookah cannot be served in restaurants even within designated smoking areas. The ruling came in response to petitions filed by restaurant owners who held valid food establishment licences. The petitioners had sought court permission to serve hookah in smoking zones and requested protection from police action against their businesses. The court rejected their plea, effectively upholding restrictions on hookah service regardless of designated smoking provisions.

UP Police Arrest 6 After 15-Day-Old Infant Sold for Rs 5 Lakh

Uttar Pradesh police have arrested six people in connection with the illegal sale of a 15-day-old baby. The infant was allegedly sold for Rs 5 lakh to a woman named Sulochana, wife of one Pritam. The baby's own parents are among the six individuals taken into custody. The case came to light during a police investigation into the suspected child trafficking transaction.

US, China in competitive mode, India & others need to de-risk, diversify to secure interests: Jaishankar

4 CISF personnel killed after colleague opens fire in J&K's Kathua

PRAGATI-50 Initiative Targets 50 Indian Cities to Raise Cleanliness Standards

The Indian government has launched PRAGATI-50, a new initiative selecting 50 cities to strengthen cleanliness and sanitation across urban areas. The programme operates within the existing Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban 2.0 framework, with participating cities required to adopt focused, time-bound action plans. Union Minister Manohar Lal will personally oversee regular review meetings to track progress across selected cities. State governments and local bodies have been directed to develop concrete implementation strategies to meet the initiative's goals. The programme also emphasises active citizen participation as a key component of its approach to improving urban sanitation.

Eiffel Tower Chief to Resign Over Exclusion of Women Staff for Hindu Group

Patrick Branco Ruivo, the head of the Eiffel Tower since 2018, has announced he will step down by the end of the year. His departure follows controversy over the removal of female staff members during a visit by a Hindu religious group. The incident raised serious concerns about gender discrimination and the management of the iconic Paris landmark. Ruivo's resignation marks the end of a tenure spanning several years at one of the world's most visited monuments.

Teen swimmer Zhang Zhanshuo claims 7 gold medals at 2026 Asian Games

Chinese swimmer Zhang Zhanshuo, aged 19, delivered a historic performance at the 2026 Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. He won seven gold medals in total, sweeping the men's freestyle events across the 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1,500m distances. Zhang also contributed to three relay gold medal victories, further cementing his dominance in the pool. His haul set a new Asian Games record and equalled the highest individual gold medal tally in the competition's history.

‘Assembly or panchayat?’: J&K legislators slam law secretary’s letter against statehood resolution

Meet Henry and Jack Grover, twins whose wildfire hydrogel beat water ninefold

Maria Menounos bought Encino home for $2.3m; 21 years later, it asks $6.995m

Cash deals offer Indians up to 6% discount on gold amid informal market revival

Indian gold buyers are obtaining discounts of around Rs 5,000 per 10 grams by paying cash in off-the-record transactions. For bulk purchases, these informal deals can bring prices down by as much as 6% below prevailing market rates. Dealers accepting cash are able to sidestep certain taxes and pass a portion of those savings on to buyers. The resurgence of this grey market has emerged as an unintended consequence of a government policy originally designed to curb India's gold demand.

How Roger Federer Built a $550M Fortune Beyond Tennis

Roger Federer has accumulated an estimated $550 million fortune by converting his tennis stardom into a diversified commercial empire. A landmark apparel deal with Uniqlo provided him with substantial guaranteed earnings after leaving Nike. His early investment in Swiss sportswear brand On Running gave him considerable equity gains as the company grew globally. Federer also partnered with luxury and automotive giants Rolex and Mercedes-Benz, while co-founding the TEAM8 management agency and the Laver Cup team tennis tournament. Together, these ventures illustrate how elite athletes can build lasting financial empires that far outlive their playing careers.

Ted Turner sells SC island to state for $4.9M, well below appraised value

Media mogul Ted Turner has sold St. Phillips Island, a 4,680-acre property in South Carolina, to the state government for $4.9 million, significantly below its appraised market value. Turner originally purchased the island in 1979 with the intention of protecting it from commercial development. Over the decades, he preserved the island in its natural state, keeping its ecosystem largely undisturbed. The island will now be integrated into South Carolina's state park system, with a primary focus on environmental conservation. Public access will be restricted, though the site will support educational initiatives and eco-tourism activities.