Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said some people are trying to disturb peace in the name of caste politics and called for thwarting such designs to preserve the social harmony in rural parts of the country.

A row has erupted in Gangolli gram panchayat of Kundapura taluk following the conduct of religious prayers during an oath-taking ceremony. The ceremony saw both a Hindu ‘Homa’ ritual performed by the elected Hindu members and a religious prayer by a Muslim cleric.

Kranthi Kumar Panikera, a resident of Suryapet in Telangana, has set a Guinness World Record for stopping 57 electric fans with his tongue in just one minute. This feat, executed with unbelievable precision and speed, has left audiences both astonished and impressed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gift of a 7.5-carat lab-grown diamond, valued at $20,000 (approximately ₹17 lakh), was the most expensive gift received by the Biden family in 2023, according to an annual disclosure by the US State Department. The diamond, encased in a Kashmiri papier-mâché box, was presented to First Lady Jill Biden during Modi's visit to the US in June 2023. It now resides in the White House East Wing for official use.

Karnataka has witnessed the tragic deaths of 50 elephants over the past four years due to electrocution, with the Madikeri division reporting the highest number of such fatalities. In this division alone, eight elephants were electrocuted, while another 12 deaths were recorded within the state's tiger reserves, underscoring the urgent need to address this issue.

G.C. Bayyareddy, a prominent CPI(M) leader and president of the Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha, passed away on Saturday at Apollo Hospital in Bengaluru. Bayyareddy, who was suffering from respiratory issues, was undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit but succumbed despite medical efforts.

Outgoing US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to India on January 5 and 6 for a final round of talks with his counterpart Ajit K Doval and other top government officials on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues and to finalise some ongoing initiatives.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday that purifying water using natural methods will not only ensure river cleanliness but also result in savings of crores of rupees.