After the dominating performance throughout the season that led to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title earlier this year, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will have the daunting task upfront of choosing their six retentions ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The side led by Shreyas Iyer finished at the top of the standings with nine wins in 14 games in the league stage and went on to outclass Sunrisers Hyderabad in the summit clash.

With the impressive performance last season, former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh picked Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Phil Salt, and Sunil Narine as five possible retentions by the Kolkata-based franchise to keep their core group intact.

“KKR dominated the entire season, so it will be difficult for them to leave or retain anyone. But it's a matter of retention, so you only have limited numbers that you can retain. If I want to see or if I have to choose my 6 players, which 6 players will be there for KKR? I think Shreyas Iyer will be there, Phil Salt will be there, Narine will be there, Andre Russell will be there, Rinku Singh will be there," Harbhajan told Star Sports.

Iran-backed Hezbollah has announced that one of its founding members, 71-year-old Naim Qassem, who has served as Deputy Secretary General of the Lebanese group since 1991, will be its new chief.

A veteran figure in the group, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by several countries, Qassem succeeds Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed more than a month ago in an Israeli bombing.

On October 22, Israel confirmed that it had also eliminated Hashem Safieddine, the apparent successor of the former leader, in Beirut three weeks ago.

Qassem, one of the founders of Hezbollah in 1982, was elected Secretary General following a meeting of the Shura Council, the group's central decision-making body of seven members, on Monday.

The rising demand for high-speed internet and data-driven services will boost growth in the broadband market, which is expected to witness a 9-10 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) over the next few years, according to a report on Tuesday.

The report by TeamLease Services, a people supply chain company, showed that the penetration of wired broadband in India currently stands at around 13 per cent. This figure is expected to accelerate as service providers prioritise broadband services over traditional mobility products due to higher Average Revenue Per User (ARPU).

Further, the report stated that the expansion of broadband services is not only enhancing connectivity but also driving a surge in employment across the telecom industry.

As broadband services continue to expand, there is a growing need for skilled professionals across various roles. Sales teams are pivotal in customer acquisition as broadband penetration extends into previously untapped regions, the report said.

Researchers from Bose Institute, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in Kolkata, have developed a new way to create hydrogels using tiny protein fragments of just five amino acids from the SARS-CoV-1 virus.

The novel method may help improve targeted drug delivery and reduce side effects.

Hydrogels are known to be suitable for drug delivery because of their swelling behaviour, mechanical strength, and biocompatibility.

While short peptide-based hydrogels have great potential for a wide range of applications, it is very challenging to control the gelation of these systems.

They worked long and hard for that dream for over a year and were within four minutes of realising it. But it wasn't meant to be for the spirited India junior men's football team, whose 2-3 defeat to Thailand ended their U17 Asian Cup and World Cup dreams.

Crestfallen, shattered, broken. You could run out of synonyms to describe the scenes in the Indian dugout after the full-time whistle. Some sobbed inconsolably, some had heads buried in their hands, and some were still trying to process what had just hit them. And why wouldn't they be? For 86 minutes of the match, India had the ticket to Saudi Arabia in their bag. Ultimately, one moment of quality from Thailand snatched it away from them.

Ishfaq Ahmed's boys always played with a proactive mindset and for all three points. They had been steamrolling opponents left, right, and centre. Their tally of 28 goals in nine matches this year says it all. They have beaten Indonesia at their home. Against Thailand, they led twice in an environment they had never played football in before -- a passionate opposition crowd, jeers, whistles, and non-stop drumming.

Armed men attacked policemen providing security for polio vaccination workers in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing a police officer and injuring another, police officials said on Tuesday.

The incident took place when a group of terrorists opened fire on the anti-polio team in the Dabori area of Orakzai district of the province, police sources in the area told.

Police said that two terrorists were also killed in the ensuing exchange of fire between the security forces and the attackers, adding that the law enforcers have launched an operation in the surrounding areas to arrest those who fled from the scene of the combat.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack as yet, news agency reported.

The Aam Aadmi Party once again attacked the BJP and the central government over the issues related to the purchase and lifting of paddy. AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang stated that it is the routine procedure of the Food Supply Ministry of the Government of India for the FCI (Food Corporation of India) to lift old grains from its warehouses before the arrival of new grains in the mandis (markets) each year, so that there is space available for grain shifting. This process has been in place for decades, not just for a year or two.

Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar reignited his domestic season in stunning fashion, blasting fifth fastest hundred in Ranji Trophy history in just 68 balls against Haryana on Tuesday.

Patidar's century not only secured him a place in the record books but also lifted Madhya Pradesh's chances in their third-round clash at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

Coming in at No. 3 on the final day of play, Patidar set the game alight with an electrifying knock that eclipsed the previous Madhya Pradesh record for the fastest Ranji Trophy century, leapfrogging Naman Ojha's 69-ball hundred against Karnataka in 2015. The all-time record remains with Rishabh Pant, who smashed a 48-ball hundred in 2016 against Jharkhand.

After custom duty exemption and a reduction in GST rates, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has now directed the drug manufacturers to reduce the MRP on three anti-cancer medications, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers said on Tuesday.

The NPPA in an office memorandum dated October 28 directed “the concerned manufacturers to reduce the MRP on three anti-cancer drugs, Trastuzumab, Osimertinib and Durvalumab”.

“This is in line with the Government’s commitment to ensure the availability of drugs at affordable prices,” the ministry added.

In the Union Budget 2024-25, the government exempted customs duty on the three cancer drugs to reduce the financial burden of people suffering from cancer and also to facilitate accessibility. The government also slashed the GST rate from 12 per cent to 5 per cent on these three cancer medicines.