महाराष्ट्र में 20 नवंबर को विधानसभा चुनाव के लिए वोटिंग होनी है, इसे लेकर प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने गुरुवार को मुंबई के दादर स्थित शिवाजी पार्क मैदान में रैली की, लेकिन इस रैली में डिप्टी सीएम अजित पवार और उनकी पार्टी के अन्य वरिष्ठ नेताओं ने हिस्सा नहीं लिया. साथ ही NCP उम्मीदवार सना मलिक, नवाब मलिक और जीशान सिद्दीकी भी महायुति गठबंधन की रैली में शामिल नहीं हुए. जबकि शिवसेना (शिंदे गुट) और रामदास अठावले की अगुवाई वाली आरपीआई समेत महायुति के सभी उम्मीदवार रैली के दौरान मंच पर मौजूद थे.

पीएम मोदी ने रैली के दौरान कहा कि महाविकास अघाड़ी के लोग तुष्टिकरण के गुलाम हो चुके हैं. ये वो अघाड़ी है, जो राम मंदिर का विरोध करते हैं. भगवा आतंकवाद शब्द गढ़ते हैं. कश्मीर में 370 की वापसी के लिए प्रस्ताव पारित करते हैं, आज महाराष्ट्र विधानसभा चुनाव की मेरी आख़िरी सभा है. हर क्षेत्र के लोगों से मेरा संवाद हुआ है. उन्होंने कहा कि पूरे महाराष्ट्र का आशीर्वाद आज महायुति के साथ है. 

‘सरकार बनाने के लिए कांग्रेस बिना पानी के मछली जैसी तड़प रही’

उन्होंने कहा कि महाविकास अघाड़ी वालों के लिए देश से ऊपर उनका दल है. जब भारत आगे बढ़ता है, तो अघाड़ी वालों को तक़लीफ होती है. ये लोग भारत की उपलब्धि पर सवाल उठाते हैं. अघाड़ी के लोग जाति के नाम पर लोगों को लड़ाने में लगे हैं. सरकार बनाने के लिए कांग्रेस बिना पानी के मछली जैसी तड़प रही है. 

‘एससी-एसटी की जातियों को लड़ाना चाहती है कांग्रेस’

पीएम ने कहा कि कांग्रेस एससी-एसटी की जातियों को आपस में लड़ाना चाहती है. मैं बार-बार कह रहा हूं कि जिस प्रकार से महाविकास अघाड़ी के लोग कारनामे कर रहे हैं, जिस प्रकार से ‘कांग्रेस के शहज़ादे’ तबाही की भाषा बोल रहे हैं, ऐसे में एक बात बहुत ज़रूरी हो गई है- ‘एक हैं तो सेफ हैं’.

महाविकास अघाड़ी पर साधा निशाना

पीएम मोदी ने कहा कि अघाड़ी में एक ऐसा दल है, जिसने बालासाहेब का अपमान करने वाले दल के हाथ में अपना रिमोट सौंप दिया है. हिम्मत है तो एक बार को ‘कांग्रेस के शहज़ादे’ के मुंह से निकलवाइए- हिंदू हृदय सम्राट बालासाहेब ठाकरे. उन्होंने कहा कि ‘आज देश में मोदी की सरकार है, आतंक के आकाओं को पता है, इन अघाड़ी वालों को पता हो या ना हो कि भारत के खिलाफ कुछ किया, मुंबई के खिलाफ कुछ भी किया तो पाताल में भी मोदी नहीं छोड़ेगा.’

Lisa from BLACKPINK revealed a unique skill she learned to “survive.”

The 27-year-old Thai rapper and singer of the popular K-pop girl group learned four different languages as a survival skill.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, the How You Like That singer, whose real name is Lalisa Manobal, stated that she got fluent in speaking English, Korean, Chinese and Japanese, determined to get ahead in life.

“I mean, I don’t know that I have gotten so good!” as the artist said of how her language skills did not come naturally but eventually, she added, “I don’t think I have the talent for languages, but in Korea, I had to live, so I had to learn.”

Lisa, who has also released music in Korean, Japanese and English, she mentioned, “I had to survive, I guess.”

“It was just common sense, like to get what I want, I had to learn and try to speak with local people, and I was spending more and more time on that,” the music star further mentioned.

Noting that she particularly learned Korean to enjoy K-dramas easily, the Pink Venom hitmaker said, “(K-dramas are) nothing too serious, so when I need to try to calm myself down, I watch them, and it really helps.”

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that Iran will not negotiate under “intimidation” as he held crunch talks with the UN nuclear chief weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said achieving “results” in nuclear talks with Iran was vital to avoid a new conflict in the region already inflamed by Israel’s operations against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

His visit comes just days after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Iran was “more exposed than ever to strikes on its nuclear facilities” giving Israel “the opportunity to achieve our most important goal”.

Grossi said Iranian nuclear installations “should not be attacked” but Trump is expected to give Israel a far freer rein after he takes office in January. The IAEA chief described his meeting with Araghchi as “indispensable” in a post on X.

Araghchi was Iran’s chief negotiator in talks that led to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, abandoned three years later by Trump.

Araghchi posted that their meeting was “important & straightforward”. He said Iran was “willing to negotiate” based on the “national interest” and “inalienable rights,” but was not “ready to negotiate under pressure and intimidation”.

“We agreed to proceed with courage and goodwill. Iran has never left the negotiation table on its peaceful nuclear programme,” he said. Grossi also met the head of Iran’s atomic energy organisation, Mohammad Eslami.

Eslami told a joint news conference that Iran would take “immediate countermeasures” against any sanctions from the IAEA’s board of governors. “Any interventionist resolution in the nuclear affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran will definitely be met with immediate countermeasures,” Eslami said.

Grossi’s visit is his second to Tehran this year but his first since Trump’s re-election.

During his first term in the White House from 2017 to 2021, Trump adopted a policy called “maximum pressure” which reimposed sweeping US economic sanctions that had been lifted under the 2015 deal.

Search for solutions

In response, Iran started to gradually roll back its commitments under the deal, which barred it from enriching uranium to above 3.65 per cent.

The IAEA says Iran has significantly expanded its stocks of uranium enriched to 60pc, a level that has triggered international alarm as it is much closer to the 90pc level needed for a nuclear warhead.

Iran has blamed the incoming US president for the standoff. “The one who left the agreement was not Iran, it was America,” government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Wednesday. “Mr Trump once tried the path of maximum pressure and saw that this path did not work.”

Trump’s looming return to the White House in January has only added to international fears of an all-out conflict between Israel and Iran after the archfoes exchanged unprecedented direct attacks earlier this year.

“The margins for manoeuvre are beginning to shrink,” Grossi warned in an interview with AFP on Tuesday, adding that “it is imperative to find ways to reach diplomatic solutions”.

No country, including India, raised any concerns about the proposed schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan during the ICC Board meeting in Dubai last month, held alongside the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Minutes from the board meeting indicate that the schedule, also approved by ICC broadcasters, was shared with all participating teams, and no objections were raised, highly placed sources confirmed.

“A match schedule has been developed in conjunction with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The 15 matches are to be hosted across three venues in Pakistan: Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi.

“The match schedule has been approved by ICC’s main broadcast partner, Star, and each participating team has received a copy of their schedule for the event. No member has raised any concerns with the schedule as circulated,” it stated.

A source in Islamabad with knowledge of the matter suggested that recent developments, including India’s verbal communication to the cricket’s regulatory body about its inability to travel to Pakistan, may point to “mala fide intentions” aimed at creating disruption ahead of the Champions Trophy.

“There was no discussion of such concerns during the ICC Board meeting, the appropriate forum to address such matters. Yet, just as Pakistan was set to host an event marking 100 days to the tournament, the BCCI informed the ICC of its position verbally,” the source said.

The source further confirmed that a high-profile event was planned for November 11 to unveil the match schedule, event identity, and trophy tour.

During the October board meeting, the PCB had also provided updates on the progress of development work at the three venues.

The source added that the ICC had also green-signalled the PCB to host an international testing event at all three venues before the Champions Trophy which the PCB was planning to hold in January.

Before the October meeting, the PCB and ICC had jointly briefed security managers from all participating teams on the tournament’s master security plan. No objections were raised at any stage, the source added.

The PCB, meanwhile, is awaiting a response from the ICC to a questionnaire sent two days back following India’s verbal communication to the ICC about its inability to travel to Pakistan.

“The delay in ICC’s reply suggests there is no written communication from the BCCI. If such a document existed, it would have been shared with the PCB by now. It has been two days since PCB wrote to the ICC,” the source noted.

“Pakistan was announced as the host of the Champions Trophy long ago, and the host agreement was signed in December 2023. Why didn’t the BCCI consult its government about travelling to Pakistan when the event was announced? Why wait until the last minute?” the source questioned.

With less than 100 days to go before the ICC Champions Trophy, the uncertainty surrounding the schedule is not only frustrating cricket fans globally but also affecting stakeholders with commercial interests tied to the tournament.

“A lot of branding and brand activation activities are currently on hold due to this uncertainty,” another source said.

The final schedule, though already shared with participating teams and broadcasters, for the Champions Trophy 2025 is yet to be announced, officially.

Folic acid is to be added to non-wholemeal wheat flour in the UK to help prevent birth defects.

Adding folic acid to flour could prevent around 200 cases of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, every year, and improve the health of pregnant women, says the government, which is giving manufacturers until the end of 2026 to conform to the new legal requirement.

Expectant mothers and women trying to conceive should continue to take supplementary folic acid – the synthetic version of the vitamin folate – as currently advised by medical practioners.

Folic acid is particularly important in early pregnancy, aiding proper development of the baby’s brain, skull and spinal cord.

Experts, many of whom have called for the move for a number of years, have welcomed the government’s decision.

The announcement follows health improvements in other countries, such as Australia and Canada, where the practice is already carried out.

Some say the change doesn’t go far enough, however, and more foods should be included.

Prof Neena Modi, professor of neonatal medicine at Imperial College London, said: “This will disadvantage groups such as women who are sensitive to gluten, eat rice in preference to bread, and products made from wholemeal flour – excluding them and their babies from benefiting, and thus adding to the considerable health inequities that already exist in the UK.”

The vitamin folate, also known as vitamin B9, is found in everyday foods such as beans and some green vegetables, meaning most people receive a sufficient dose from eating a regular, healthy diet.

In addition, the NHS recommends women who are trying for a baby take folic acid supplements for approximately three months before getting pregnant, and for at least 12 weeks after becoming pregnant. This recommendation will remain in place.

It is estimated that half of all pregnancies in the UK are unplanned. The fortification of flour will therefore help boost intake of folic acid across the population, and, indirectly, better protect unborn babies.

The government’s independent advisory body has looked at all the evidence and is satisfied that fortification is the right course of action for society as a whole.

Small-scale millers (producing less than 500 metric tonnes of flour a year) will be exempt.

Flour is already fortified with calcium, niacin, thiamine and iron as a means of improving public health.

Scientists say they have found the world’s largest coral near the Pacific’s Solomon Islands, announcing Thursday a major discovery “pulsing with life and color.” The coral is so immense that researchers sailing the crystal waters of the Solomon archipelago initially thought they’d stumbled across a hulking shipwreck.

“Just when we think there is nothing left to discover on planet Earth, we find a massive coral made of nearly one billion little polyps, pulsing with life and color,” marine ecologist Enric Sala said.

The standalone structure, formed from a “complex network” of tiny coral polyps, has likely been growing for 300 years or more, the researchers said.

At about 111 feet wide and 104 feet long, the team said the “mega coral” was three times bigger than the previous record holder — a coral dubbed “Big Momma” in American Samoa. The massive coral is not a coral reef, structures that can be far larger but are comprised of many distinct coral colonies, they explained.

“While Big Momma looked like a huge scoop of ice cream plopped down on the reef, this newly discovered coral is as if the ice cream started to melt, spreading forever along the seafloor,” said lead scientist Molly Timmers.

It’s longer than a blue whale and thought to be “so colossal” that it could be seen from space.

The coral was discovered at the southeastern tip of the Solomon Islands, in an area known as the Three Sisters. It was spotted by a National Geographic team embarking on a scientific expedition in the region.

Hotter and more acidic oceans have drained the life from corals in many of the region’s tropical waters, a process called bleaching, including Australia’s famed Great Barrier Reef. But this latest discovery offered a small glimmer of hope, the research team said.

“While the nearby shallow reefs were degraded due to warmer seas, witnessing this large healthy coral oasis in slightly deeper waters is a beacon of hope,” said coral scientist Eric Brown.

The lush rainforests and pristine waters of the Solomon Islands have long been celebrated for their ecological diversity. Wildlife observations made in the area in the 1920s helped prove a key part of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

“There is so much to learn about the richness of marine life and the ocean ecosystem, but this finding opens doors of knowledge,” said top Solomon Islands official Collin Beck. “More scientific research is needed to better understand our rich biodiversity and our planet.”

The discovery was announced as representatives from around the world meet in Baku, Azerbaijan for the COP29 United Nations summit on climate change.

The Solomon Islands national climate minister, Trevor Manemahaga, told CBS News’ partner network BBC News at the summit that his nation was proud to be the home of the massive, newly discovered coral.

“We want the world to know, that this is a special place, and it needs to be protected,” he told the BBC. “We rely mostly on marine resources for economic survival, so coral is very, very important.”

Small, low-lying island nations such as the Solomons are among the most vulnerable to the increasing effects of climate change and sea-level rise.

Feeding your children with powdered milk and cereals may make them significantly vulnerable to the risk of diabetes later in life, warned health experts on Wednesday, ahead of World Diabetes Day. 

World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on November 14, and the theme this year is “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps”.

India is known as the diabetes capital. The country is home to an estimated 77 million people with diabetes and 25 million prediabetic.

Besides environment and genes, lifestyle factors play a huge role in the onset and progression of the disease. And it begins from the womb, said experts.

“If we reduce sugar intake during pregnancy and early life, we are reducing the risk of diabetes, blood pressure, and other metabolic diseases later in life,” Dr. Ambrish Mithal, Chairman & Head – Endocrinology & Diabetes, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, told IANS.

“Our bodies get programmed according to the environment that we are in utero. These are epigenetic phenomena, which are added on to our genetic predisposition, especially during intro uterine life,” he added.

A recent study, published in the journal Science, showed that children who were in the womb or born during times of sugar restrictions during their first 1,000 days after conception had up to 35 per cent lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

While exposure to limited sugar before birth was enough to lower risks, continued sugar restriction after birth increased the benefits, revealed the study.

“The role of processed diets, mainly powdered milk, and cereals, in a baby’s early nutrition loaded with refined sugars and carbohydrates is known to take a toll on the child’s metabolic health. Early exposure to such ingredients may spike blood glucose in later life,” Dr Shashank Joshi, Consultant Endocrinologist, Lilavati Hospital Mumbai, told IANS.

“Processed diets including powdered milk and cereals contain sugar. Nutrition during early infancy and childhood can impact our propensity to develop metabolic disorders later in life. Hence, consumption of processed food including powdered milk and cereals could contribute significantly to the development of diabetes and other metabolic diseases later in life,” added Mithal.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), no processed diet including powdered milk and cereals for babies and added sugars for children up to 2 years is advisable.

“After six months, when solid foods are introduced, it’s essential to be mindful of sugar’s impact on the child’s body. Children over the age of 3 should avoid added sugars entirely,” Joshi said.

“This means no sweetened snacks or drinks, as even natural sources like fruit juices can contribute excess sugar that’s not necessary at this stage,” he noted.

The experts said fresh fruits can satisfy children’s sweet cravings while also providing vital nutrients and fibre.

They also advised parents to avoid giving sugary treats such as snacks, candies, pastries, chocolates, and ice creams to the children right from the beginning. This will help the kids to avoid sugar or eat in lower quantities.

It is better to keep a tab on the child’s sugar consumption to ensure he/she doesn’t eat too much sugar. Instead, introduce children to healthier options such as dates, dry fruits, and fruits in controlled proportions, the experts noted.

Reliance Industries Limited announced the completion of a merger with the India business of global media house Walt Disney on Thursday. With this, Viacom 18 Media Private Limited, Reliance Industries Limited, and The Walt Disney Company announced the formation of a joint venture. The joint venture was formed after the approval by the National Company Law Tribuna (NCLT) Mumbai, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), and other regulatory authorities. Reliance also announced that the transactional value of the joint venture was evaluated at Rs. 70,352 crores on a post-money basis.

Reliance, Disney Complete Merger

In a press release, Reliance announced the completion of the merger with Disney following approvals from regulatory bodies. This comes after the two entities announced a strategic partnership to form a joint venture in February. Reliance Industries has invested Rs. 11,500 crores into the joint venture and holds 16.34 percent of the stake in the company. Reliance’s step-down unit Viacom 18, which is also a partner in the joint venture, holds a 46.82 percent stake in the venture while Disney holds the rest of the 36.84 percent.

The joint venture will combine Star and Colors channels on the television side, while it will bring together JioCinema and Hotstar on the digital front. The joint venture will be headed by Nita Ambani, who will act as the Chairperson of the entity.

Highlighting the size of the joint venture, the press release claimed that it holds a combined revenue of approximately Rs. 26,000 crores for the fiscal year that ended in March 2024. Further, the joint venture will now operate more than 100 television channels that produce more than 30,000 hours of content annually.

On the digital front, Reliance claimed that JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar have an aggregate subscription base of more than 50 million, however, this does not account for any overlaps where a user subscribes to both platforms. Additionally, the joint venture also holds digital sports rights across cricket, football, and other sporting events.

Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries said after the merger, “Our deep creative expertise and relationship with Disney, along with our unmatched understanding of the Indian consumer will ensure unparalleled content choices at affordable prices for Indian viewers.”