Four people, including two children, were killed and more than 15 others sustained serious injuries in a road accident on the Karur-Salem National Highway near Semmadai in the early hours of Saturday.

The incident occurred around 5 a.m. when a private luxury bus, travelling from Salem to Karur, collided with a tractor moving ahead on the same carriageway.

The force of the impact caused the bus to mount the central median and veer onto the opposite lane. In a matter of seconds, it rammed head-on into an oncoming tourist van, triggering a pile-up.

Police said the crash caused extensive damage to the bus and the van, trapping many passengers inside. Fire and Rescue Services personnel from the Karur station, along with Vangal police, launched a swift rescue operation.

The combination of air pollution, dense urban development and limited green spaces increases the risk of asthma in both children and adults, according to a new study.

Improving these can help prevent one in 10 cases of asthma -- a chronic respiratory condition characterised by inflammation and narrowing of the airways, making breathing difficult.

Previous studies have typically calculated the risk of one environmental factor at a time. The new study combined several environmental factors and described how they together affect the risk of developing asthma.

This provided a better picture of environmental risks, as life in a city usually involves exposure to several environmental risk factors at the same time

Nine extremists belonging to various banned groups were arrested in the past 24 hours from different districts of the trouble-torn state of Manipur in combined operations by security forces, officials said on Saturday.

A police official said that the nine militants were arrested from five districts -- Imphal East, Imphal West, Churachandpur, Thoubal and Bishnupur.

The arrested ultras belong to the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), Chin Kuki National Defence Force (CKNDF) and United National Liberation Front (UNLF).

The arrested militants were involved in abduction, different types of crimes, threatening people for various purposes, forcible collection of money from contractors, traders, government employees, common men and others.

Some arms and ammunition, Aadhaar cards, several incriminating documents and various other materials were recovered from the nine arrested militants.

If you are finding it hard to control hypertension or high blood pressure then eating dark chocolate, grapes, or drinking tea may help you, according to a study.

Researchers from the University of Surrey, UK, found that naturally occurring compounds called flavan-3-ols -- found in cocoa, tea, apples, and grapes -- may improve blood pressure and the health of our blood vessels.

The research, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, analysed data from 145 randomised controlled studies, and found that regular consumption of flavan-3-ols can lead to a reduction in blood pressure readings, particularly in people with elevated or high blood pressure.

Four people, including two children, were killed and more than 15 others sustained serious injuries in a road accident on the Karur-Salem National Highway near Semmadai in the early hours of Saturday.

The incident occurred around 5 a.m. when a private luxury bus, travelling from Salem to Karur, collided with a tractor moving ahead on the same carriageway.

The force of the impact caused the bus to mount the central median and veer onto the opposite lane. In a matter of seconds, it rammed head-on into an oncoming tourist van, triggering a pile-up.

Police said the crash caused extensive damage to the bus and the van, trapping many passengers inside. Fire and Rescue Services personnel from the Karur station, along with Vangal police, launched a swift rescue operation.

Several passengers were extricated from the mangled remains of the vehicles using hydraulic cutters and other equipment.

In the head to head record, RR hold a narrow 17-12 edge over PBKS, including one game ending in a tie. In their last meeting in this season, RR won by 50 runs at Mullanpur, which was also PBKS’ first defeat of the season.

But sitting on third place in the points table with 15 points from 11 matches, PBKS will be aiming to restart the momentum which has made them contenders for a possible top two finish. Prabhsimran Singh, PBKS’ current top run-scorer, has struck four consecutive half-centuries, while Priyansh Arya has been his perfect opening partner via his aggressive stroke play.

Indian stock markets witnessed a stellar rally in the week ended May 16, delivering over 4 per cent returns to investors and recording the best weekly performance since the week ending October 4, 2024.

The benchmark Nifty surged by 1,011.80 points or 4.21 per cent - marking its strongest weekly gain in more than seven months.

Similarly, the Sensex jumped 2,876.12 points or 3.62 per cent -- reflecting robust investor confidence.

Mid and small-cap stocks outperformed large-caps during the week. The Nifty Midcap 100 index rallied 7.21 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 index rose by over 9 per cent -- showcasing a broad-based market recovery.

Sector-wise, Defence stocks led the gains with a sharp 17.2 per cent surge, followed by realty (10.78 per cent), metals (9.28 per cent), media (9.10 per cent), and public sector enterprises (7.28 per cent).

After a brief spell of rainfall in several parts of Delhi-NCR , there was a marginal improvement in air quality and temperature on Saturday morning. However, the overall air quality in many areas still remains in the "poor" to "very poor" category.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at various locations early Saturday was still above the 200 mark.

Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 222, while the area near Delhi Technological University (DTU) recorded 206. In Dwarka Sector 8, the AQI stood at 210, whereas ITO recorded a comparatively better level of 146. Around the India Gate, the AQI measured 177, an improvement from Friday’s reading of 250.

Despite the temporary relief provided by the showers, Delhi has been grappling with deteriorating air quality over the past several days.

In response to rising pollution levels, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has implemented Stage 1 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR. These curbs come into effect when AQI levels fall in the 201–300 range, classified as "poor".

The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) – on Saturday – announced the ‘Elite Retained Players’, ‘Retained Young Players’, and ‘New Young Players’ for Season 12, with the auction set to take place on May 31 and June 1 in Mumbai.

While most franchises have retained their key players, they will also be looking to build stronger units in the upcoming PKL Season 12 Player Auction.

Top players retained by their respective teams include Sunil Kumar and Amirmohammad Zafardanesh (U Mumba), Jaideep Dahiya (Haryana Steelers), Surender Gill (UP Yoddhas) and the Puneri Paltan duo of Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat.

Meanwhile, a total of 83 players were retained across three categories: 25 in the Elite Retained Players (ERP) category, 23 in the Retained Young Players (RYP) category, and 35 in the New Young Players (NYP) category.

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has predicted heavy rains in many districts of Tamil Nadu till May 20.

The RMC has attributed the shift in weather to an upper air circulation, which is expected to bring heavy showers to several parts of the state over the next few days.

The summer heat has eased across Tamil Nadu, with widespread rainfall bringing much-needed relief from the sweltering and humid conditions.

According to the RMC forecast, heavy rainfall is likely on Saturday in the northern districts of Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Tirupattur, Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvallur, and Tiruvannamalai.

By Sunday, the rain is expected to shift southward, affecting districts such as Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruchy, Salem, and Kallakurichi.

The wet spell is likely to persist until May 20.