Here are the top five stories making headlines today, covering politics, education, sports, and international affairs.
Annamalai Submits Resignation Letter to BJP Chief, Set to Launch New Political Party
Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai met BJP national president Nitin Nabin and the party's national general secretary (organisation), BL Santhosh, in New Delhi. He submitted a five-page resignation letter detailing the BJP's performance in the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The meetings come amid intense speculation over Annamalai's political future. The former IPS officer is reportedly planning to launch a new regional political party with what associates describe as a "secular" and "Tamil-first" outlook.
CBSE Re-evaluation Portal Faces Cyberattacks; 15 Lakh Hits Within 2 Minutes
Hours after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) launched its much-anticipated verification and re-evaluation portal for Class 12 students, the board reported a series of "cyber threats" targeting the platform. According to CBSE, at one point, the portal received nearly 15 lakh hits within just two minutes as an attempt to deny students access to the platform. The board also detected more than one lakh attempts to gain unauthorised access to files, which it attributed to the activities of "malicious actors" seeking to disrupt services.
Mamata Banerjee Leads Sit-in Protest in Kolkata, Attacks TMC Rebels
TMC chief Mamata Banerjee led a sit-in protest in Kolkata over alleged attacks on party leaders, including nephew Abhishek Banerjee. This comes a day after police denied permission to the West Bengal opposition party to hold any protest. Addressing the people, Mamata accused the BJP of "rigging counting in 177 of 294 assembly seats to win Bengal elections." "TMC leaders are being threatened in Bengal by cops," she further said. She targeted the TMC rebels, saying that "my regret is those who received my support in their lives now aligning with traitor."
'Jeet Gaye, Kar Diya Na Maine': Rajat Patidar's First Words to Childhood Friend After RCB's Second Title Win
After leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to its second consecutive Indian Premier League (IPL) title triumph, captain Rajat Patidar's first words were to his childhood friend, to whom he said, "Dekha, jeet gaye. Kar diya na maine." As the fireworks lit up the Ahmedabad sky and RCB players celebrated yet another IPL triumph, one man sat quietly in the stands, soaking in the moment. Abhishek Pathrod had found a spot close to the presentation stage, eagerly waiting for his childhood friend Rajat Patidar.
Pete Hegseth Removes Women, Black Officers from Navy Promotion List; Pentagon Denies Bias
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has removed nine officers from a navy promotion list, disproportionately targeting women and minority officers, according to a report by The New York Times. Hegseth removed at least three women, two Black men and four white men from the one-star admiral promotion list. The final slate of 22 nominees bears little resemblance to the broader force, with no female officers included despite women making up 21 per cent of active-duty navy personnel. Only two non-white officers were included, though 38 per cent of the force identify as racial minorities.
