just now (259+ words) Regular discoveries of new species, including the latest finds, highlights the rich biodiversity of the island, which is reported to have 650 species of plants and over 1,800 species of fauna Described in November 2025, the two are among the nearly 40 new species reported from here since 2021 These include two species of frogs, four crabs, two geckos and a number of insects including flies, moths and beetles Nearly half of these have been described in 2025 alone.Named after Steve IrwinNamed Lycodon irwini after the renowned Australian zookeeper Steve Irwin, the new wolf snake was described in the journal Evolutionary Systematics by a team of researchers that included R.S Chandramouli of Pondicherry University, Zeeshan A Mirza of the Max Planck Institute for Biology, and naturalist Girish Choure Given the snake's rarity, its sharply restricted range and potential threats, the researchers have recommended that it…...

10+ min ago (151+ words) Published - November 30, 2025 09:16 pm IST - Belagavi RTI activist Bheemappa Gadad has complained of overspending by the State Legislature Secretariat in preparation for the Winter Session starting next week at the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi. Mr. Gadad has said that the Legislature officers have wasted valuable resources of over "1.1 crore, over furniture and other furnishings. This includes "67 lakh spent on installing portraits of 11 great personalities and "43 lakh on the Speaker's seating arrangements. In a release, he said that he wrote a letter to the State government complaining against this. He also said that he is ready for a legal challenge. "On the one hand, the State government is claiming to curb waste. On the other, several contractual employees in some government departments have not been paid salary on time. In such circumstances, spending over "1 crore on wasteful expenditure is not acceptable," he…...

32+ min ago (227+ words) Published - November 30, 2025 08:54 pm IST - HYDERABAD Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday directed Ministers and officials to undertake a comprehensive review of the Telangana Rising " Vision 2047policy document as part of preparations for the upcoming Global Summit on December 8 and 9. At a review meeting with Ministers and officials at the Secretariat today, Mr. Reddy said over the next two days, Ministers and departmental officials should thoroughly discuss and study every aspect of the Vision document within their respective jurisdictions. "By the night of the 2nd, each department is required to submit its detailed report," he directed. The CM said on December 3 and 4, the Chief Secretary, Special Chief Secretary and CMO officials would review all departmental reports, incorporate necessary changes and finalise the draft. "The complete Telangana Rising Vision 2047 Document is scheduled to be ready by the evening of December 6," he said. The Chief…...

39+ min ago (175+ words) Published - November 30, 2025 08:47 pm IST - VIJAYAWADA The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Andhra Pradesh organised community screenings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio programme, "Mann Ki Baat', on Sunday, at more than 5,000 locations across the State. Party workers at the booth and mandal levels set up special venues to facilitate collective listening. A major event was held at Tapeswaram in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district. Addressing the gathering, State BJP president P.V.N. Madhav said the programme had become a platform for highlighting the achievements of rural India and inspiring young innovators. Union Minister Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma praised Vajpayee's decisive leadership in matters of national security. He recalled the successful Pokhran-II nuclear test and Vajpayee's unwavering support to the Armed Forces during the 1999 Kargil conflict, which ultimately led to India's victory. BJP leaders said that if Atal Bihari Vajpayee had laid the foundation…...

43+ min ago (167+ words) The backlash was swift and intense from Punjab. The government then clarified that it would not introduce the Bill this session. The fact that stakeholders learned about this move through parliamentary bulletins rather than any structured dialogue raised the suspicion that the government was adopting a unilateral approach to concentrate authority in New Delhi. The Ministry of Home Affairs later clarified its position, stating that the proposal did not seek to alter Chandigarh's governance or administrative structure. The Ministry noted that "a suitable decision will be taken only after adequate consultations with all stakeholders, keeping in mind the interests of Chandigarh." Against the backdrop of decisions surrounding Chandigarh being taken from New Delhi, several people in political circles, as well as others, feel that attempts are being made to negate regional politics, regional interests, and regional power. This negation and…...

51+ min ago (317+ words) Published - November 30, 2025 08:35 pm IST - Coimbatore Residents in Coimbatore's peri-urban areas have raised concerns that cremation grounds are being used to dump and segregate daily waste, which poses hygiene risks. Residents said waste generated in Ashokapuram, Kurudampalayam panchayat and Gudalur Municipality, which lie along the city's northern periphery, is transported to the cremation grounds in these areas and dumped. "The Kurudampalayam panchayat collects about 10 tonnes of waste every day and dumps it in front of the cremation ground, near Maruthi Nagar. The accumulated waste rots, emits a foul smell and affects hygiene in the area," said S. Malarvizhi, a resident. In Ashokapuram panchayat, waste is dumped on the cremation ground behind State Bank Colony, said Vanaja, a resident living near the site. She added that unknown lorries also dump waste and it is often set on fire. "Because large quantities of waste…...

52+ min ago (325+ words) Published - November 30, 2025 08:34 pm IST - Chennai The Indian men's basketball team's shooting woes were at the forefront once again as it succumbed to a 57-81 loss to Saudi Arabia in their FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers Group-D match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday. Kanwar Gurbaz Singh Sandhu was the top performer for the host with 19 points while Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman led Saudi's charts with 24. Despite head coach Scott Flemming highlighting the need to be clinical in attack ahead of the game, India lacked precision in the opposition half, scoring only 22 of 76 field goal attempts. In contrast, Saudi managed 30 off 62 to hand India its second defeat in as many games in the competition. Both teams set off with an aggressive purpose, but it was the visitor that took an early hold on the game, with forward Ali Shubayli scoring eight points…...

57+ min ago (164+ words) The fight over the Vokkaliga turf between Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy continued on Sunday. The fight over the Vokkaliga turf between Deputy Chief Minister D.K Shivakumar and Union Minister H.D Kumaraswamy continued on Sunday.After the latter hit out at the Vokkaliga seers coming out in support of the former's chief ministerial ambitions, Mr Shivakumar on Sunday justified the seer's remarks and mocked Mr Kumaraswamy over his support base.Mr Kumaraswamy is a big leader He does not take any support He has never used the Vokkaliga community, Vokkaligara sangha, and seers He does not even know how the Vokkaliga Mutt came into being Who built it? Would H.D Deve Gowda have become the Chief Minister if not for the Vokkaliga seers? Did the seers keep quiet when injustice was meted out to Sadananda Gowda? The…...

1+ hour, 2+ min ago (252+ words) Published - November 30, 2025 08:24 pm IST - VIJAYAWADA The CPI(M) has demanded action against those involved in the murder of anti-drug activist K. Penchalayya in Nellore. In a letter to Home Minister V. Anitha on Sunday, CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao sought the arrest of all the perpetrators, including those allegedly providing protection or encouragement to the assailants." Expressing deep concern over the incident, he called for decisive steps to dismantle drug mafia network operating across the State. Mr. Srinivasa Rao noted that Penchalayya, a cultural activist from Kallurupalli Housing Board Colony, had worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the harmful effects of ganja and other narcotics on families and society. Collaborating with the police and local communities, he had actively campaigned against illegal drug operations. Penchalayya was chased and hacked to death in front of his children by a gang armed with knives and…...

1+ hour, 4+ min ago (262+ words) Published - November 30, 2025 08:22 pm IST - Thrissur "Compete " and earn your place in this picture." That's the striking message on a flex featuring a blank space with a question mark " reserved for the candidate who finally steps forward to fix the road. Residents say that's the face they want to see occupying that space. To draw attention to the pathetic condition of a road lying in ruins for a year, local residents have put up eye-catching flex boards across Punkunnam. They want the candidates to see the hardship residents face daily. One of the flex reads: "For the past year, this has been our lived reality. We don't want to hear politics or excuses. You don't even have to walk this broken road to understand our struggle. Fix it " and we will vote for you, whoever you are. May your face earn…...