Messi confirms Qatar final will be last World Cup game of his life

As part of her European tour, Karnataka Legislative Council Member and Vice Chairperson of the Karnataka NRI Forum, Dr. Arathi Krishna, met Michela Favaro, Deputy Mayor of Turin, to discuss key aspects of strengthening relations between Karnataka and Italy.

Dr. Arathi Krishna held the meeting along with Hemegowda, President of the Italy Kannada Association, and Mohamed Irshath, General Secretary for Europe of the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC).

The discussions focused on opportunities for the recruitment of Indian healthcare professionals in Italy, European–Italian language training programmes for Indian students, and broader avenues for academic and professional collaboration between the two countries.

The meeting was also attended by Simone Fissolo, President of the Moderati Council, along with Maria Bottoglieri and Francesco Tortorella, highlighting the growing institutional engagement aimed at fostering deeper bilateral cooperation.

Kannada and Tamil television actor Nandini CM has reportedly died by suicide at a paying guest accommodation in Bengaluru, shocking the television industry. She was 26.

Kengeri Police have registered an Unnatural Death Report (UDR No. 76/2025) under Section 194 of the BNSS Act, 2023. The incident is believed to have occurred between 11:16 pm on December 28, 2025, and 12:30 am on December 29, 2025. It was reported to the police the same day at around 9:15 am.

The incident took place on the second floor of the PG in Kengeri. According to the FIR, Nandini completed her PUC in Ballari in 2018 and later enrolled in an engineering course at RR Institute, Hesaraghatta. However, her interest in acting led her to discontinue regular college attendance and pursue acting training in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.

Since 2019, she had acted in several Kannada television serials and had been residing in PG accommodations in Bengaluru. She moved to the Kengeri PG in August 2025.

Following her father’s death in 2023, Nandini was offered a government job on compassionate grounds but reportedly declined, choosing to continue her acting career. This reportedly caused disagreements at home.

On December 29, around 3:45 am, Kengeri Police informed the family that Nandini had been found hanging in her PG room. The family reached Bengaluru at approximately 8:00 am to gather details about the incident.

Police said that on the evening of December 28, Nandini had visited her friend Puneeth’s house and returned to the PG around 11:23 pm, locking her room from the inside. When Puneeth tried calling her later without success, he alerted the PG manager, Kumar, and the in-charge, Kiran, around 11:50 pm. When they forced the door open, Nandini was found hanging from the window grille using a veil cloth. Emergency services and police arrived, confirming her death on the spot.

The family stated that Nandini had expressed in her diary her desire to continue acting and her reluctance to take up a government job, mentioning that her feelings were not understood by them. Based on this, the family has no suspicions or allegations against anyone regarding her death.

Further investigation is underway by PSI Hanumantha Hadimani of Kengeri Police Station.

Mangaluru, Dec 24: As the coastal districts of Mangaluru and Udupi gear up for the year-end festivities—ranging from Christmas Eve midnight masses to the influx of tourists for the upcoming temple festivals—the joy of "coming home" has been met with a harsh financial reality. Private bus operators are facing intense backlash for "predatory pricing," with ticket costs from Bengaluru to the coast skyrocketing by over 300% overnight.

A Seasonal Extortion?

For the thousands of students and professionals working in Karnataka’s capital, the 350km journey to the coast is a seasonal ritual. However, this year, the "homecoming" has turned into a luxury few can afford.

Standard sleeper coach tickets, which usually retail between ₹800 and ₹1,000, are currently being sold on major aggregators for anywhere between ₹2,800 and ₹3,600.

"It’s not just a surge; it’s extortion," says Rohan Saldanha, a Mangaluru native who works in Whitefield. "I waited to book my tickets thinking prices would stabilize, but now I’m paying nearly the price of a flight ticket just to sit on a bus for nine hours."

The Operator’s Defense

Private transport unions have been quick to defend the move, citing the "Empty Return" factor. They argue that while every seat to Mangaluru and Udupi is occupied this week, the buses return to Bengaluru almost entirely empty, leading to a massive operational deficit.

"We are not the villains here," one operator claimed. "Between rising toll charges on the Shiradi Ghat and the high cost of diesel, we have to make the most of these four days to keep our business viable for the rest of the year."

Government Intervention: Too Little, Too Late?

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has attempted to bridge the gap by deploying 500 extra 'Special' buses to the coastal region. While these government-run services are priced more reasonably, they were fully booked within hours of the announcement, leaving late-comers at the mercy of private players.

The Transport Department has reportedly dispatched "Sleeper Squads" to major boarding points like Madiwala and Majestic to check for overcharging, but commuters claim the checks are superficial and do little to bring down the digital prices listed on apps.
The Regional Impact

The price hike doesn't just affect families; it hits the local economy. Udupi, currently bustling with pilgrims and tourists visiting the Sri Krishna Matha for year-end darshans, and Mangaluru, vibrant with Christmas celebrations, both rely on this seasonal influx. High travel costs threaten to dampen the tourism footfall that local businesses depend on.