STATE’S

Bengaluru: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate rain in isolated parts of 11 districts in South Interior Karnataka, including Bengaluru, on Saturday. Rain is also likely in the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada.The districts likely to receive rainfall include Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu, Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagara, Ramanagara, Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural.

Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase of Bengaluru's Pink Metro line on November 13, marking the opening of the stretch between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere. He will flag off the service at Tavarekere station at 12.45pm before travelling by metro to IIMB station. Modi will arrive at HAL Airport at 10.05am and attend the Golden Jubilee celebrations at Prashanthi Kutiram at 10.45am. An event at the IIMB auditorium is scheduled for 1.15pm, where he will inaugurate several projects, dedicate them to the nation and lay foundation stones for new initiatives.The Prime Minister will then fly to Mysuru by helicopter at 2.30pm and attend the 'Bharat Van' event at K C Layout Park at 3.30pm. At 4pm, he will inaugurate 'Mysuru Cosmos', a planetarium featuring what ...

Bengaluru: Sugarcane farmers in Karnataka have warned of an intensified statewide agitation if the government fails to announce a State-Advised Price (SAP) with an additional incentive over the Centre's Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) by November 20. Thousands of farmers, under the banner of the Karnataka Sugarcane Growers' Coordination Committee, staged a protest at Freedom Park and submitted a memorandum to Sugar Minister Rudrappa Lamani. Farmer leader Kuruburu Shanthakumar said the state should factor in sugar mills' earnings from by-products while fixing the SAP. The farmers cited Tamil Nadu's incentive of ₹709 per tonne and Punjab's SAP of ₹4,480 per tonne. They also urged the Centre to fix the price at ₹4,500 per tonne, citing production costs of ₹4,440.The protesters demanded th...

Bengaluru: Karnataka has proposed a bilateral partnership with Thailand to strengthen its bioenergy sector, promote technology transfer and attract foreign investment, Karnataka State Bioenergy Development Board (KSBDB) chairman S E Sudheendra said. The proposal was discussed during a meeting between Sudheendra and a high-level Thai delegation led by Jukr Boon-Long, adviser to Thailand's foreign affairs minister for political affairs. The delegation also included Racha Aribarg, Thailand's consul general in Chennai, and Ponpoon Pupiangjai, deputy consul general in Bengaluru. Key areas identified for cooperation included the scientific collection and processing of used cooking oil for biofuel production, and technology exchange in sustainable aviation fuel, green hydrogen and compressed biog...

Chamarajanagar: Thousands of devotees have begun arriving at Male Mahadeshwara Hills for the annual Diwali fair, which commenced on November 6 and will continue until November 10. Many pilgrims from Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, Mandya and Ramanagara are undertaking the journey on foot. Devotees have been trekking in groups for the past four to five days, chanting “Ughe Madappa” and accompanying their journey with traditional instruments such as tamate drums and kamsale cymbals.In view of a leopard attack on a pilgrim during an earlier fair, the Forest Department and temple authorities have introduced safety restrictions. Trekking is permitted only between 7am and 4pm. Pilgrims reaching Talabetta after 4pm must halt and resume their journey the following morning. Eight forest teams have been d...

Bengaluru: South Western Railway will run special express trains between Bengaluru and Belagavi on November 7, 8, 9 and 10 to manage the additional passenger rush during the Diwali festive season, Union minister Pralhad Joshi announced. Joshi said the special services were arranged following a request made to railway officials. Train No. 06551, SMVT Bengaluru–Belagavi Special Express, will depart from Bengaluru at 7pm on November 7 and 9, reaching Belagavi at 8.25am the following day.The return service, Train No. 06552, Belagavi–SMVT Bengaluru Special Express, will leave Belagavi at 5.30pm on November 8 and 10 and arrive in Bengaluru at 5am the next day. The trains will halt at Chikkabanavara, Tumakuru, Arsikere, Birur, Davanagere, Harihar, Haveri, Hubballi, Dharwad, Alnavar, Londa and K...

Amaravati: YSRCP chief and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of undermining the electoral process, alleging that opposition candidates were prevented from contesting local body elections. Jagan claimed that opposition nominees were denied an opportunity to contest in 84 Zilla Parishad constituencies, while nomination filing was obstructed in 2,109 Mandal Parishad constituencies. He also accused the police of colluding with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers and alleged that the State Election Commissioner was acting under Naidu's influence.Questioning the conduct of the elections, Jagan alleged irregularities in voting, the handling of ballot boxes and the declaration of results. He said the exercise had become a “sele...

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has decided to order a police investigation into the alleged misuse of Form 7 applications to delete names from electoral rolls, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Thursday. Speaking at an INDIA bloc protest rally titled ‘Stop Electoral Fraud, Save the Nation’ at Freedom Park, Shivakumar alleged that the applications had been used in a planned attempt to remove eligible voters from the rolls. He claimed that CCTV footage was available to identify those who allegedly instigated the deletions and distributed the forms. A case would be registered and legal action initiated, he said. Shivakumar alleged that Form 7 applications had been printed at the BJP office and circulated to local party leaders with voters' names, identity card numbers and phon...

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the Centre’s intervention and financial assistance for key infrastructure projects and other pending demands of the state. In a post on X, Shivakumar said he had responded to Modi’s letter on Karnataka Rajyotsava by outlining the state’s priorities, including Bengaluru’s infrastructure and connectivity needs and a special financial package. He sought early approvals and funding for the Mekedatu, Kalasa-Banduri, Upper Bhadra, Upper Krishna and Yettinahole projects. The chief minister also raised issues concerning rural development, drinking water supply, the Jal Jeevan Mission, a proposed AI University in Bengaluru and an AIIMS facility in Raichur.The letter highlighted the demands of s...

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed India's record 114-medal performance at the Asian Para Games 2026, crediting athletes' dedication and government initiatives for the country's growing success in para-sports. Interacting with the Indian contingent at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Modi highlighted the country's progress from 14 medals in 2010 to 114 this year, including 30 gold, 35 silver and 49 bronze. The team also registered five world records and nine Asian records. He noted that 34 of the 56 women athletes won medals, while 36 of the 61 debutants also finished on the podium. Indian athletes secured all three podium positions in four events and clinched nine gold medals on the final day. Modi said initiatives such as Khelo India and the Target Olympic Podium...