NewsBytes

Rajasthan Royals will be looking for an all-round improvement when they take on Lucknow Super Giants in their last home game of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). The game, which will take place on Tuesday, is a must-win for the Royals, who are yet to win at their home ground this season—Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium. While LSG have been eliminated from the playoff race, RR must win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Here is the preview.

India has been buying Russian oil regardless of the United States's sanctions waivers, a senior official from the petroleum ministry said on Monday. "Regarding American waiver on Russia, I would like to emphasize that we have been purchasing from Russia before waiver also, during waiver, and now also," Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the petroleum ministry, said. "It is basically the commercial sense which should be there for us to purchase... There is no shortage of crude," she emphasiz

Spider-Man: Brand New Day, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, is set four years after Spider-Man: No Way Home. In this new chapter, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has become a full-time superhero in a world that has forgotten his real identity. The film, releasing in July, also features Michael Mando as Scorpion and Jon Bernthal as the Punisher. Mark Ruffalo returns as Bruce Banner while Sadie Sink joins the franchise in an undisclosed role. So, how old is Peter now?

Ranbir Kapoor's upcoming film Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, has reportedly assembled over 10,000 crew members from across the globe. This makes it the largest crew ever assembled for an Indian film. The movie is being backed by Namit Malhotra and produced by his Prime Focus Studios in association with DNEG and Yash's Monster Mind Creations. It will be released in two parts on Diwali 2026 and Diwali 2027.

A 33-year-old tourist from Tamil Nadu was killed after an elephant fell on her at the Dubare elephant camp in Karnataka's Kodagu district. The incident took place when tourists had gathered near the river to watch the elephants, Kanjan and Marthanda, getting a bath. According to officials, the two trained elephants, Kanjan and Marthanda, began fighting when their handlers were washing them.

The Indian Railways has released the design of the country's first proposed bullet train, which will run between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The image of the proposed train is on display at Gate Number 4 of the Ministry of Railways in New Delhi. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, which spans 508km, will pass through Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

The much-anticipated film NTR Neel, featuring Jr NTR and directed by Prashanth Neel, is set to unveil its first look at 11:52pm on Tuesday, May 19. The announcement was made by the makers on social media, heightening excitement for this action-packed saga. The film has been touted as a massive cinematic spectacle that will redefine the big-screen experience.

The upcoming Test series between Sri Lanka and India is scheduled to take place in the second half of August. Although the exact dates for the two matches are yet to be confirmed, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has proposed a two-week window from August 15 to 27. This series will be part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

SpaceX, the space exploration company founded by Elon Musk, is gearing up for the launch of its massive Starship rocket. The test flight is scheduled for May 20. The launch window will open at 5:30 pm CT (4:00am IST on May 21). This will be the 12th overall launch of the world's largest rocket since April 2023 and its first since October 2025.

The K-drama Perfect Crown has been embroiled in a major controversy over its depiction of royal symbols and Korea's sovereignty. The backlash was triggered by Episode 11's coronation scene, which viewers felt implied Korea was a vassal state to China. Following this, lead actors IU and Byeon Woo-seok have issued emotional apologies on social media. The production team also apologized for the historical inaccuracies.

The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the low conviction rates in cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), noting that over 90% of such trials end in acquittals. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan made these observations while granting bail to a Kupwara resident accused in a narco-terrorism case. The accused, Syed Iftikhar Andrabi, had been in custody since June 2020.

Malayalam cinema is abuzz with the news of a new collaboration between superstar Mohanlal and acclaimed filmmaker Dileesh Pothan. The project, which has been in talks for years, was confirmed by producer Antony Perumbavoor on May 17. He revealed that the film will be produced by Shibu Baby John and written by Syam Pushkaran, with Aashirvad Cinemas also backing it.

Cyprus is a Mediterranean island famous for its scenic beauty and rich history. While most tourists flock to the popular beaches and historical sites, the island has some hidden nature trails that offer a unique experience to adventurers. These trails take you through diverse landscapes, from lush forests to rocky terrains, giving you a chance to explore Cyprus' natural beauty away from the crowd.

Stand-up comedian Vir Das has defended his right to make political satire after a social media user accused him of only criticizing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The user said they had never seen Das questioning the governments of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, or Delhi. In response, Das stated he has made jokes about every leader in power long before this government and will continue to do so.

Team Pakistan has been given a mammoth target of 437 runs to clinch the second Test against Bangladesh. The challenge comes after Bangladesh posted 390/10 in their second innings on Day 3 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium. The hosts had a first-innings lead of 46 runs and batted through the second and third days, thanks to Mushfiqur Rahim's brilliant century and half-centuries by Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Litton Das.

Home baking is as much about the visuals as it is about the taste. So, if you want to document a glossy sourdough loaf, a perfectly piped cupcake, or a golden pie fresh from the oven, the right AI tools can help you plan shots, improve lighting, and turn ordinary kitchen clips into polished content. Here are five up-to-date AI tools to capture your best baking at home.

Despite India's ban on online betting platforms, Kalshi and Polymarket are still allowing Indian users to sign up and trade on their prediction markets. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had warned last month that these platforms were illegal. The advisory specifically mentioned "Polymarket and a few other similar sites," which should have been blocked by internet service providers (ISPs).

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has summoned IndusInd Bank's Company Secretary Anand Das in connection with an alleged insider trading case, Moneycontrol has reported. The summons comes as part of a wider investigation into the conduct of a zonal head at the bank. The regulator is probing how an internal complaint related to this case was handled by the bank's compliance and secretarial department, and later, its audit committee.

More than 100 new data centers in the UK are planning to use gas as a source of electricity generation, some even on a permanent basis. The move has been attributed to the long wait for connection to the National Grid. "There's 100GW of datacentre projects in the queue," Stuart Okin, Ofgem's Director of cyber regulation and AI, said at All-Energy conference.

Chinese smartphone giant OPPO is in talks with Indian electronics makers Amber Group and Bhagwati Products to form a manufacturing joint venture (JV) in India, as per Moneycontrol. The move comes as part of a larger restructuring strategy by the company. The discussions are aimed at further integrating OPPO's India operations with its sub-brands OnePlus and Realme.