Er. Inderpal Singh and Er. Hira Lal Goyal have joined as Director (Distribution) and Director (Commercial), respectively, of Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) today.

Their appointments were made by Ajoy Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary, Department of Power, Punjab, for a tenure of two years from the date of joining. However, they will not be eligible to continue in service beyond the age of 65.

India’s office leasing market broke previous records in 2024 at 81.7 million square feet (MSF), 19 per cent increase from 2023 and its highest-ever leasing in a calendar year, a report showed on Tuesday.

The IT/ITES sector constituted the largest share, accounting for 42 per cent of total leasing demand, up from 28 per cent in 2023, according to the report by real estate data analysis platform CRE Matrix and CREDAI.

“It was the overall business sentiment and a strong demand for flexible workspace models which powered India’s office leasing to record levels,” the report mentioned.

Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai led the market, collectively accounting for 62 per cent of the demand and recording a 20 per cent year-on-year growth.

South Korea will work to facilitate the growth of the critical mineral recycling industry, with a goal of achieving a 20 percent recycling rate of key critical minerals by 2030, the industry ministry said on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced the plan as part of a broader government initiative aimed at stabilising supply chains.

Under the plan, the ministry will work to foster the growth of the critical mineral recycling industry by streamlining related regulations, creating industrial clusters and expanding infrastructure for companies in the sector, reports news agency.

Through such efforts, the country aims to recycle 20 percent of strategic critical minerals essential for advanced industries, like batteries and semiconductors, by 2030.

Speculation is mounting over the possibility of martial law or a state of emergency in Bangladesh, with talks of a military takeover gaining traction. Concerns are growing that the army could move against the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government amid increasing tensions between the military and both the administration and student-led movements.

The deployment of the Bangladeshi Army in Dhaka has further fueled coup rumours. Reports indicate that troops from the Savar-based 9th Division of the Bangladeshi Army are being mobilised and have begun entering the capital in a phased manner.

According to the country's leading media outlet, Northeast News, sources within the security establishment suggest that the army is looking to consolidate control, particularly in Dhaka.

Wildfires in South Korea's southeastern county of Uiseong appear to be getting out of control due to unpredictable strong winds and extremely dry weather, government officials said on Tuesday, citing a gradual drop in the area's fire extinguishing rate.

The forest area affected by the wildfires in Uiseong, about 180 kilometres southeast of Seoul, increased by over 4,000 hectares (ha) overnight to 12,699 ha as of early Tuesday morning, despite all-out firefighting efforts by authorities.

According to the Korea Forest Service, Uiseong's fire extinguishing rate has moved backwards over the past day, dropping from 60 per cent on Monday evening to 54 per cent as of 9 a.m. Tuesday.

A combination of unpredictable strong winds and extremely dry weather is hampering firefighting efforts there, the officials said.

Widespread protests flared in Pakistan's Karachi as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) took to the streets against "state brutality and enforced disappearances" and demanded the release of the arrested Baloch leaders, including its chief Mahrang Baloch.

Pakistan has charged Mahrang Baloch and several other activists with terrorism after she led the sit-in protest against the illegal arrest and illegal police remand of the relatives of the victims of enforced disappearances.

Meanwhile, in a police crackdown, several individuals, including BYC leader Sammi Deen Baloch, were taken into custody on Monday for allegedly violating section 144.

"Police scuttled the gathering, and around six protestors, including Sammi Deen Baloch, have been arrested on violation of Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code and locked up in Women Police Station," said Pakistan's Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Syed Asad Raza.

The Gabba, Brisbane’s iconic stadium, is set to be demolished following the 2032 Olympic Games, with cricket moving to a new 60,000-capacity venue in the Victoria Park area. This state-of-the-art stadium is being built as part of the Olympic infrastructure.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli unveiled the plans for the future of the state's sports venues on Tuesday, highlighting cricket’s central role in the decision. The sport had been in limbo due to the uncertainty surrounding the Gabba’s future after the state won the 2032 Olympics bid in 2021. This development provides much-needed clarity following years of speculation and shifting proposals.

Cricket Australia welcomed the announcement and said, "This decision gives us certainty about venues and scheduling which in turn allows us to ensure Brisbane hosts the very best possible international and domestic cricket. We strongly advocated building a stadium in Victoria Park together with Queensland Cricket, the AFL and Brisbane Lions, and cricket will play a major role in ensuring this significant investment delivers long-term benefits for cricket fans and the people of Queensland.

Hotel transactions in 2024 reached approximately Rs 2,900 crore in India and interestingly, tier 2 and 3 cities accounted for 50 per cent of the transactions, predominantly involving unbranded midscale properties, a report showed on Tuesday.

The investment landscape saw diverse participation, with high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), family offices, and private owners contributing 51 per cent of the investment volume, according to a JLL report.

In Q4 2024, the Indian hospitality sector demonstrated strong growth, with the top six markets experiencing year-over-year increases in both average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR).

Hyderabad emerged as the standout performer, recording the highest RevPAR growth at 23.3 per cent, primarily driven by a significant increase in ADR.

The total number of refills of LPG cylinders by poor households under the PM Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) have doubled in the past five years and the per capita consumption of PMUY beneficiaries has risen to nearly four-and-a-half cylinders per year, according to information tabled in the Parliament.

As on March 1, 2025, there are 10.33 crore PMUY connections across the country. The refill cylinders under the scheme have doubled in five years. As many as 41.95 crore refills were delivered in 11 months of the current financial year (FY25) till February, up from 39.38 crore refills in the 12 months of 2023-24 marking the success of the scheme, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas informed the Parliament.

The number of refills in 2019-20 stood at 22.80 crore, showing a nearly 100 per cent jump in this FY from five years ago.

Director and actor Prithviraj Sukumaran has made it clear that his ‘L2: Empuraan’, the second instalment from his eagerly awaited ‘Lucifer’ franchise featuring Mohanlal in the lead, will also be a stand-alone film and that even if an individual who hasn’t watched the first part of the franchise watches the upcoming second part, they would still be able to completely understand the plot, story and narrative.

The director, who participated in a press meet in Chennai, recently was asked if whether audiences who hadn’t watched the first part would be able to understand the story of the second part.