Evening brief: Rajkot blaze likely due to welding work, Amit Shah’s big promise on UCC and more
A shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items you should check out.
A day after 27 persons, including four children, were killed in a massive fire that swept through a gaming arcade in Gujarat's Rajkot, the state police on Sunday said that the blaze might have started due to welding work, reported ANI. “Prima facie, the investigation conducted by the FSL officials and the information given to us by the fire officer after inspecting the site, it seems that some fabrication work was going on there and in that fabrication work, the fire might have started due to welding work,” Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava said. "There was a lot of inflammable material there, which quickly caught fire and spread throughout the gaming zone..." Dig Deeper

Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday declared that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will be implemented across the country within the next five years following consultations with all the stakeholders if the Narendra Modi government returns to power. The minister also said that the government will also implement the ‘One Nation, One Election’ for simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the country. "The UCC is a responsibility left to us…The guiding principles decided for us by the Constituent Assembly include the Uniform Civil Code. And even at that time, legal scholars like K M Munshi, Rajendra Babu, Ambedkar Ji had said that there should not be laws based on religion in a secular country. There should be a Uniform Civil Code," Shah told news agency PTI in an interview. Dig Deeper
The Latest News
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India News
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Global Matters
Hamas claims to launch 'big missile attack' at Tel Aviv, sirens sounded in months. Dig Deeper
Zelensky invites Joe Biden, Xi Jinping to attend Ukraine peace summit amid war. Dig Deeper
Gaza death toll crosses 35,900 as Israel-Hamas war drags on. Dig Deeper
Trending
The much-awaited day of the IPL 2024 season has arrived - it’s the summit clash. The final of this cricket tournament will be played between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium today, May 26. It will be a showdown between two former league champions, with KKR having lifted the trophy twice in 2012 and 2014 and SRH winning the title in 2016. As the excitement builds up for the marquee event, Google marked the thrilling IPL 2024 with a doodle. “This Doodle celebrates the final match of the 2024 Indian Premier League season, also known as IPL17 or TATA IPL 2024, taking place in Chennai,” read the description of the doodle. Dig Deeper
Entertainment Focus
"Please don't wait another 30 years to have an Indian film," said director Payal Kapadia at the closing ceremony of the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. She was on stage to accept the Grand Prix, the second highest prize of the festival for All We Imagine As Light. The moment was historic, and Indian Cinema truly had a watershed moment at the festival known to have launched some of the biggest, most celebrated filmmakers working in the world right now. Just a day before the closing ceremony, the awards for the Un Certain Regard section were also announced. Two Indian films were in contention at this section, Sandhya Suri's cop drama Santosh starring Shahana Goswami, and Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanov's The Shameless. Dig Deeper
Sports Goings
Gautam Gambhir has returned to Chennai for another Indian Premier League (IPL) final. As the mentor of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the former India opener has guided Shreyas Iyer and Co. to their fourth final of the cash-rich league. Two-time winners Kolkata will cross swords with former champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2024 final at the famous MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday. The Knight Riders tasted their first title success under Gambhir's leadership in the IPL 2012. The former India opener masterminded KKR's title triumphs as a captain in 2012 and 2014. With Gambhir returning to KKR for IPL 2024, the Kolkata mentor sparked a turnaround at Eden Gardens as the former champions topped the league standings. Iyer and Co. picked up 20 points in the league stage of the tournament. The first team to enter the playoff stage this season, KKR outclassed SRH in Qualifier 1 to enter the IPL 2024 final. Dig Deeper
Lifestyle and Health
Brown and Indian skin types are more prone to hyperpigmentation and melasma due to higher levels of melanin where sun exposure, hormonal changes and genetics can make these conditions worse. People with medium to dark skin tones have dark spots and blemishes because something triggers their skin to produce extra melanin, the substance that gives skin its colour. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Trishna Gupte, Clinical Cosmetologist and Trichologist, International Trainer and Head of Academics, Founder and Owner of The Cosmo-Square Clinic, ISCA, shared, “Many everyday things can trigger extra melanin in people who have darker skin tones. Treatment begins with the use of topical products known for their skin lightening properties. Hydroquinone, the gold standard, inhibits melanin production, but should be used under the guidance of a dermatologist due to potential side effects…" Dig Deeper