Tamil Nadu and West Bengal go to polls today. The new entrant in Tamil Nadu's political field is actor Vijay with his party, the (use abbreviation). Positioning himself as the chief opponent of the incumbent DMK, Vijay and his party could turn what is usually a two-party contest into a three-way fight.

The British Parliament has passed a bill banning the sale of to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. Lawmakers hope the ban will break the cycle of addiction and reduce the burden on the NHS.

The US-Israel-Iran conflict and the continuing squeeze on shipping lines is impacting a number of sectors. India is now set to import a record 2.5 million tonnes of at nearly double the price paid two months ago. The higher import cost will push up India's annual fertiliser subsidy, projected at INR 1.71 lakh crore for this financial year.

In what scientists consider a rare occurrence, a mountain gorilla at National Park in eastern DRC has given birth to twin males. Fewer than one percent of mountain gorilla pregnancies result in twins. The total wild population is estimated at around 1,000, of which just over 350 live in the DRC park.

Sony AI says its playing robot, Ace, has beaten professional athletes in the sport. Ace is described as the first robot to achieve expert-level performance in a competitive physical sport.