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What do you get when you mix scandal, sequins, cultural backlash and global stardom? A BLACKPINK member navigating the treacherous lanes of K-pop idolhood while refusing to colour within the lines.

Once upon a time, and still, to some extent, K-pop idols were expected to be as flawless as their complexion, as docile as their curated interviews and as controversy-free as their airbrushed social media feeds. 

But in a world where image is everything and missteps can be career-ending, BLACKPINK’s Jennie and Lisa have become fascinating studies in rebellion. They’re not just pushing boundaries; they’re obliterating them and, in doing so, perhaps rewriting the K-pop manual itself.

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has expressed his annoyance with the intense scrutiny surrounding ‘The Batman II’, directed by Matt Reeves.

Despite the film’s delayed production, Gunn remains optimistic about the project, emphasising the importance of allowing Reeves the time he needs to craft a quality screenplay.

As per Deadline, in an interview, Gunn revealed that DC Studios is expecting to receive the script for ‘The Batman II’ in June.

“We’re supposed to get a script in June. I hope that happens. We feel really good about it. Matt’s excited. I talk to Matt all the time. I’m totally excited about it,” he said, as quoted by Deadline.

Gunn bluntly stated that fans should be patient and not pressure Reeves. “People should get off Matt’s n–s because it’s like, let the guy write the screenplay in the amount of time he needs to write it. That’s just the way it is. He doesn’t owe you something because you like his movie.”

India observes National Doctor’s Day on July 1 every year to honour and recognise the priceless contributions that doctors and medical professionals make to people’s lives and communities. It provides an opportunity to express gratitude to doctors for their relentless efforts, compassion, and commitment to promoting health and well-being.

History of National Doctor’s Day

The Government of India designated July 1 as National Doctor’s Day in 1991. This day marks the birth anniversary of renowned physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.

Dr. Roy played a significant role in developing India’s healthcare system and established the Indian Medical Association and the Medical Council of India. In addition to raising the nation’s medical standards, his work motivated future medical professionals to strive for greatness and service.

Doctor’s Day emphasizes the role of doctors in public health, especially during crises like pandemics, where their expertise and leadership are critical. It also serves as a reminder that healthcare is a communal effort, and doctors play a crucial role in maintaining public health.

The shocking crime, less than a year after the heinous rape-murder of a doctor in the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, has put the Trinamool Congress government in a spotThe 24-year-old law student of a Kolkata college, who has alleged that an alumnus and two current students raped her on campus, has said in her complaint that she suffered a panic attack before the assault and that the main accused, Monojit Mishra, asked a co-accused to get an inhaler for her. Once the inhaler was brought, the survivor took a puff, felt some relief and tried to escape, but the main gate had been locked. She was then dragged to another room and Mishra allegedly raped her as co-accused Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukhopadhyay recorded the act.

The shocking crime, less than a year after the heinous rape-murder of a doctor in the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, has put the Trinamool Congress government in a spot, especially because of the main accused Monojit Mishra’s links to the ruling party. While the Trinamool says the accused will face harsh punishment irrespective of their political links, the Opposition alleges it is the ruling party’s support that enables those like Monojit.Narrating the horror, the victim has said in her complaint that on June 25, she was on campus along with others for a political meeting. When she was leaving, Monojit asked her to stay back. Later, he tried to force her into having sex. “I denied and fought back by not letting him do anything and pushing him back. I continuously cried and asked him to let me go,” she said in her complaint, adding that she told Monojit that she had a boyfriend and she loved him.

“But he did not agree. He went on forcing me. And after that for all these, I had a panic attack and (started) having shortness of breath…I asked them to take me to Ruby General Hospital. Then I told them at least to bring an inhaler for me. ‘M’ (Zaib) bought that,” she has said. “I took it and felt better and I packed my things and went outside to escape and saw that they have locked the main gate and guard was helpless and did not help,” she wrote.

The survivor has said the co-accused Zaib and Pramit forcefully took her to the union room. She has said she touched Monojit’s feet and begged him to let her go. He told the co-accused to take her to the guard’s room and make the guard sit outside — a fact established in the CCTV footage. Monojit then undressed her and raped her, the survivor has said. “When I fought back, he blackmailed me, threatened me which he was doing from before. He threatens me that he will kill my boyfriend and he will arrest my parents.

Stressing that the high command’s focus is governance, a Congress source said that DK Shivakumar is “trying hard” to get his supporters to speakThere is no question of replacing Siddaramaiah as Karnataka Chief Minister and DK Shivakumar may have to be content with a cabinet reshuffle, sources in the Congress high command have indicated.

The party’s leadership is closely monitoring developments in the southern state, where supporters of Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief DK Shivakumar have demanded a change of Chief Minister. The high command has rushed Randeep Singh Surjewala to Bengaluru as a troubleshooter, although the Rajya Sabha MP claims his visit is just an organisational exercise aimed at introspection.Stressing that the high command’s focus is governance, a Congress source said that DK Shivakumar is “trying hard” to get his supporters to speak. Stressing that there is no question of an immediate replacement of the Chief Minister, the source said key changes in the state Congress unit and the cabinet are likely and discussions on this front are being held.

Mr Shivakumar, the sources said, doesn’t want a cabinet reshuffle. Siddaramaiah, however, is in favour of a rejig because it will firmly place him as the Chief Minister for the rest of the government’s term, which ends in 2028. Mr Shivakumar also wants to retain his post as state Congress chief, sources have said. He has been holding the post for five years, and his detractors in the party stress that it is time for a change. Siddaramaiah’s image as a mass leader is another advantage, the sources said.

During his visit, Mr Surjewala will speak to disgruntled MLAs and party leaders and the high command hopes he will manage to pacify them. The Chief Minister, the sources said, is likely to host a meal for all MLAs in the coming days in another attempt to iron out differences.

Among the MLAs who have spoken out in Mr Shivakumar’s support is Iqbal Hussain, who has said 100 out of 138 Congress MLAs are backing the Deputy Chief Minister. He has also warned that if the high command does not effect a Chief Minister change now, the Congress may not return to power in Karnataka. “I will definitely speak to Mr Surjewala today about the Chief Minister change issue. If the change doesn’t happen now, then Congress cannot retain power in 2028. This is needed in the interests of the party right now,” he told NDTV.

“We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in a politically motivated assassination, and a second lawmaker and his wife were shot and wounded. Authorities were actively searching for a suspect hours after the targeted killings.

“We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,” Walz said at a press conference Saturday. “Those responsible for this will be held accountable.”

US President Donald Trump has also condemned the “terrible shooting” of the lawmakers.

The wounded lawmaker was identified as state Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat, was first elected in 2012. He previously served as vice chair of the Anoka Hennepin School Board, which manages the largest school district in Minnesota.

Hoffman is married and has one daughter. Hortman was the top House Democratic leader in the state Legislature and a former House speaker. She was first elected in 2004.

Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said that authorities were actively searching for a suspect.

Autopsies will be done to determine extent of injuries, but Hortman and her spouse died from gunshot wounds, Evans said. A “shelter in place” order was in effect early Saturday.

Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said the suspect was posing as a law enforcement officer.

“Suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms, what our uniforms are meant to represent. That betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honour and responsibility,” he said.

Police Chief Mark Bruley said the suspect fled out of the back of Hortman’s house after an exchange of gunfire with police.

The suspect was dressed like a uniformed officer and operating a vehicle that “looked exactly like an SUV squad car. It was equipped with lights, emergency lights and looked exactly like a police vehicle,” Bruley said.

The FBI has joined in the investigation, according to a statement posted by Dan Bonginio, the agency’s deputy director.

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, called the attack “evil” and said she was “heartbroken beyond words” by the killings of Hortman and her husband, Mark.

“With the law enforcement response ongoing and details still emerging, I will simply ask all Minnesotans to please lift up in prayer the victims of this horrific attack, as well as the law enforcement personnel still working to apprehend the perpetrator,” Demuth said in a statement.

The shootings happened at a time when political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated during a time of deep political divisions.

GIFFORDS, the national gun violence prevention organisation led by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, released the following statement.

“My family and I know the horror of a targeted shooting all too well,” Giffords said. “An attack against lawmakers is an attack on American democracy itself. Leaders must speak out and condemn the fomenting violent extremism that threatens everything this country stands for.”

Giffords was shot in the head in 2011 by a gunman who killed six people and injured 12 others. She stepped down from Congress in January 2012 to focus on her recovery.

Badruddin Halani, travelling with his wife Yasmin and sister-in-law Malek, was headed to London to spend time with his grandchildren.

He announced he is going to the UK and thanked his wife, friends and family in a Facebook post at 1.17 pm on Thursday. Next, he called his brother from the plane at 1:27 pm. A few minutes later, the Air India plane took off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport for London’s Gatwick Airport but crashed seconds later into a building and burst into flames at 1:39 pm, in one of the worst aviation disasters the country has seen.

Badruddin Halani, of a renowned business family from Gujarat’s Anand, was one among the 241 people on the plane who died in the crash. The plane was carrying 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, one Canadian. There were 12 crew members.

The Aviation Ministry said that the last words of the doomed Air India flight AI-171 radioed by the cockpit crew were a desperate “Mayday, Mayday”, moments before the crash. Only one person – Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old businessman based in the UK – survived in the accident. 

Badruddin Halani, travelling with his wife Yasmin and sister-in-law Malek, was headed to London to spend time with his grandchildren. He had also planned to go to the US to raise funds for RSS-affiliated Sainik School in Silvasa, his dream project.

“He (Badruddin) was dedicated to social service. The Sainik School in Silvasa was his dream project. He was also an emotional grandfather who wanted to spend time with his grandchildren in London,” Rajubhai Halani, brother of Badruddin, told NDTV. 

The brother also spoke about Badruddin’s association with Vijay Rupani, former Chief Minister of Gujarat, who was also on the same flight. 

As many of the bodies are burnt beyond recognition or damaged otherwise, authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims of Thursday’s horrific tragedy.

Asim Halani, son of Badruddin, landed yesterday in Ahmedabad and reached the hospital for DNA profiling, the first step in getting back the body of his father. 

“Both my daughters were very much excited as their grandparents were coming to London. They made greeting cards for them. Now whom will they give the cards? It is a very difficult situation in our family,” Asim Halani told NDTV.

Junior Halani recounted the loving nature of his father and how he wanted his daughters to experience the same. 

“I too have fond memories of my childhood. My father (Badruddin) never scolded me. If I asked for a toy, he would bring multiple. I wanted similar love and affection to be experienced by my daughters. I still remember when my elder daughter was born here, he (Badruddin) used to carry her on his shoulder and walk around,” he said, fighting back tears.

The Indian women’s hockey team fought back from a 0-3 deficit but suffered a narrow 23 defeat to Australia

The Indian women’s hockey team fought back from a 0-3 deficit but suffered a narrow 2–3 defeat to Australia in their FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 match at the Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre here on Saturday. Before the start of the match, both teams observed a minute’s silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the recent aircraft tragedy in Ahmedabad. After going three goals down, India fought back through goals from Deepika (44′) and Neha (52′), but the Australians held their nerve in a fierce final quarter to secure the win. Courtney Schonell (16′), Lexie Pickering (27′), and Tatum Stewart (35′) scored goals for Australia. The match also marked a personal milestone for midfielder Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke, who completed her 50th appearance for India.

There was little to separate the two sides in the opening quarter, with both teams showing intent and valuing possession. India adopted a patient approach but were quick to apply pressure on the Australian defence. Australia earned a penalty corner in the 10th minute, but India held firm to deny them. India’s best chance came late in the quarter when a swift attacking move forced Australian goalkeeper Zoe Newman into a sharp double save.

As early as a minute into the second quarter, Courtney Schonell was at the end of a sharp pass from Grace Stewart. Schonell finished it with precision to give Australia the lead. Australia’s high press meant India lost the ball in key pockets. In the 27th minute, a turnover from Navneet led to scrappy moments of play and a series of Australian shots on goal. Savita’s reflexes held up against two consecutive shots, but on the second rebound, Lexi Pickering slotted it past the Indian goalkeeper to double Australia’s lead. India were unable to create chances on goal before proceedings broke for half-time.

Momentum stayed with Australia as five minutes into the third quarter, Australia earned another penalty corner as their relentless pressure tested the Indian defence. The initial attempt was bravely defended by Sunelita Toppo. However, the sequence led to another penalty corner, which evolved into a penalty stroke. Tatum Stewart stepped up and drilled it past goalkeeper Bichu Devi, extending Australia’s lead to 3–0.

India found much-needed respite when they won a penalty corner with 68 seconds left in the quarter. Deepika was at the end of a crisp injection and flicked it in with precision to reduce the deficit to 1-3.

India came out all guns blazing in the fourth quarter, spurred by their goal. The Indian attack won three consecutive penalty corners in the 46th minute, but the scores were unchanged. India now played with a strong sense of urgency and put Australia under immense pressure. Australia buckled in the 52nd minute when they conceded another penalty scorer. Deepika’s low-driven shot was well defended, but Neha pounced on the ball in the ensuing chaos and buried it with finesse at close range to make it 2-3.

India looked to threaten with a series of quick moves, but the equaliser eluded them. In the dying embers of the match, silky stick work from Navneet helped her glide into the circle before she was brought down for another penalty corner. However, Australia retained the lead to secure the victory.

The fire was extinguished after a six-hour operation.

A massive fire broke out in a 67-storey building in Marina here, the Dubai Media Office (DMO) said on Saturday.

All 3,820 residents from 764 apartments of the Marina Pinnacle were safely evacuated after the fire started late on Friday night.

The fire was extinguished by Dubai Civil Defence teams that worked tirelessly for six hours, the Khaleej Times newspaper reported.

The DMO said the authorities are working closely with the building’s developer to arrange temporary housing for the affected residents, prioritising their safety and well-being.

The DMO in a post on X at 1.44 am on Saturday said: “Specialised teams successfully evacuated all residents from the 67-storey building, prioritising their health and safety throughout the operation. Efforts continue to fully contain the fire.” “Ambulance teams and medical staff are on site to offer full medical and mental support to the safely evacuated residents,” the DMO added at 2.09 am.

The DMO later at 2.21 am noted that specialised units safely evacuated all 3,820 residents from 764 apartments of Marina Pinnacle without any injuries.

This is not the first time that Marina Pinnacle – also known as Tiger Tower – has caught fire. In May 2015, a kitchen incident sparked a fire on the 47th floor, which spread to the 48th floor before being contained by Dubai Civil Defence, Khaleej Times said.

The businessman explained that the house has been constructed using Makrana marble – the same material used in the Taj Mahal

A video showing a Taj Mahal-style house in Madhya Pradesh is going viral on social media, not just for its stunning architecture but for its heartwarming intention behind it. Taking to Instagram, content creator Priyam Saraswat shared a video showcasing the ultra-luxurious 4-BHK marble house owned by businessman Anand Prakash Chouksey. The clip begins with Mr Saraswat asking if the house is indeed their residence and a replica of the Taj Mahal. The couple confirms it with a smile, following which the content creator asks if the home is dedicated to Mr Chouksey’s wife. “Absolutely, it is 100% dedicated to her. And our love stands strong with us,” Mr Chouksey replies. 

The businessman then explains that the house has been constructed using Makrana marble – the same material used in the iconic monument located in Agra. “The original Taj Mahal’s dimensions in metres have been replicated in feet here. It’s one-third the size of the original monument,” Mr Chouksey says. 

Sharing the video on Instagram, Mr Saraswat wrote, “This stunning home is situated close to Indore in MP and built as a symbol of propagating love amongst all. A majestic structure with one of a kind marble work from inside. The best part is it’s built inside a school founded by @anand.prakash.chouksey. This truly is a remarkable house and such a great purpose.” 

According to the BBC, the house cost about Rs 2 crore to build. It is nestled deep inside Mr Chouksey’s 50-acre property, which also includes a school founded by him. The house consists of four bedrooms, a meditation room, a library, carved pillars and arched doorways. 

On Instagram, the video has garnered more than 14.7 million views and over 1.3 million likes. Internet users praised both the house and the couple. 

“A school, a monument, and a message – all in one. Remarkable,” commented one user. “Imagine growing up in a school with a mini Taj Mahal on the premises – magical!” said another. 

“Sometimes some reels comes up on your feed and brightens your day…. This…. This …. This is the one…. Absolutely loved the way uncle and family described the house… So many emotional connect throughout,” expressed a third user. 

“More people are fans of his humbleness than of his house. Despite owning a mansion grand enough to rival the Taj Mahal, he remains grounded and kind to everyone he meets. Wealth hasn’t changed him ….. It’s rare to see someone carry such greatness with so much grace,” commented another. 

“Wow! What thoughts the owner has! The entrance of the house reminds him of his humble beginnings and never to forget! That’s a great lesson,” wrote one user. 

“Incredible! This is the craziest dedication to love in this day and age,” said another.