National
Hemanth Mudappa breaks record in National Drag Racing

Seven-time National Drag Champion Hemanth Mudappa of Mantra Racing stormed to a National record, improving his own mark with a triumphant double gold in the ribbon events in the second round of the Indian National Drag Racing Championship here on Sunday.
Touching a top speed of 230kmph, he extended his Championship lead in the premier 4-stroke Above-1051cc Class at the Madras Motorsports Club Race Track.
Mudappa, astride a BMW s1000rr, was lightning quick to post a stunning 7.914 to beat the national drag record in this class despite being a fraction of a second slower in his reaction at the start to Hyderabad’s Mohd. Riyaz, who did 8.058 seconds. Sugan Prasad, also from Bengaluru, clocked 8.421 to take the bronze.
The 31-year Coorgi, now based in Bengaluru, proved his critics wrong as he dashed to gold. beating his own national record of 7.976 in the 4-stroke 850 to 1050cc SuperSport Class set in 2019. Mudappa also holds the National drag record in the top above-1051cc Class.
“I am so happy to set the National record in this category. Seven National titles won’t come by luck. We have put in hard work and practiced hard, testing and improving after every run. I dedicate this gold to my friend Riyaz’s mom, who is on a ventilator. Despite that, he came here and clocked an eight. Hats off to him,” said a delighted Mudappa.
“Winning is in the DNA of Mantra Racing from 1954. We have been tuning Mudappa’s bikes for all his National titles and I am glad he got the much-awaited record today. We brought some upgrades but it was the hard work and practice he put in at the airstrip that brought him success,” said Sharan Pratap of Mantra Racing, who tunes the champion’s bikes.
Earlier in the 4-stroke Above-1051cc SuperSport race, Mudappa, riding a black Suzuki Hayabusa, clocked 8.061sec for a comfortable win. “With others posting only in 8s, I took it easy and won at a relaxed pace,” the passionate bodybuilder added.
In other classes, Bharath Raj (226-360cc), Madhan Kumar (upto 165cc), and Aiyaz Rem (361-550cc) won the gold.
Results (provisional):
Above 1051cc (SuperSport): 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.061secs); 2. Hafizullah Khan (Bengaluru) (08.396); 3. Vignesh Purushotham (Bengaluru) (08.409).
Above 1051cc Class: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (07.914); 2. Mohd Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.058); 3. Sugan Prasad (Bengaluru) (08.421).
361-550cc (SS Indian): 1. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (12.368); 2. Yogeshwaran (Speed Up Racing, Chennai) (12.620); 3. D Annish Samson (Speed Up Racing, Bengaluru) (12.658).
226-360cc (SS Indian): 1. Bharath Raj (Chennai) (12.427); 2. Mohammed Shakir (Chennai) (12.655); 3. Yogeshwaran (Chennai) (13.014).
Up to 165cc (SS Indian): 1. S Madhan Kumar (Chennai) (13.826); 2. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (13.990); 3. Kannan S (Chennai) (14.472).
health
Tobacco is not just addiction but poison: Delhi Speaker Vijender Gupta leads walkathon on World No-Tobacco Day in Rohini

New Delhi, May 31: On the occasion of World No-Tobacco Day, Delhi’s Rohini area witnessed a strong show of public awareness and health advocacy through a walkathon organised to spread the message against tobacco consumption.
The event, themed ‘Walk for Life’, brought together medical professionals, civic leaders, and local residents in a collective stand against the harmful effects of tobacco.
Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, who flagged off the walkathon, delivered a powerful message on the dangers of tobacco. “Tobacco is not just an addiction; it’s a poison,” he said, addressing the gathering. “It is a dangerous habit that ruins lives, and the only effective way to combat it is through sustained awareness and education,” he added.
Organised by the Indian Medical Association in collaboration with the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, the event saw enthusiastic participation from doctors, healthcare workers, and members of the public.
The walkathon aimed to raise awareness, especially among the youth, about the health risks associated with tobacco, including its direct link to life-threatening diseases like cancer.
“The younger generation often views smoking and tobacco use as fashionable, but we must help them understand the long-term consequences,” Gupta added, urging collective efforts to curb the rising trend of tobacco use among the youth.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Sudhir Rawal, Medical Director at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, emphasised the medical impact: “Tobacco is one of the main avoidable causes of cancer. If you don’t use tobacco, you significantly reduce your risk of developing cancer, especially lung and mouth cancer.”
The event also featured health-themed activities, including group exercises and educational talks, to create a more engaging and impactful experience for participants.
As part of a broader initiative across the country, the Rohini walkathon served as a crucial reminder of the importance of quitting tobacco and promoting healthier, smoke-free lives.
National
SpaceX’s Starship fails 3rd time, Musk blames fuel leak as megarocket explodes

New Delhi, May 28: Even as SpaceX’s Starship flight exploded during splashdown on its ninth test on Wednesday, the company’s founder Elon Musk blamed it on fuel leaks.
This is the third time in a row that Starship flight has faced issues during the test flight. The company’s last two test flights — the seventh (January) and eighth (March) test flight — also ended prematurely with the destruction of the aircraft.
The ninth test flight of Starship — which blasted off at about 7:36 p.m. EDT (5:06 am IST) from the company’s Starbase launch site in Texas — successfully reached orbit, flying farther than on its two previous attempts.
However, the spacecraft’s payload bay door failed to open, preventing the planned release of simulated Starlink satellites. Around 30 minutes into the mission, SpaceX confirmed a fuel tank leak aboard the vehicle.
The first-stage Super Heavy booster exploded shortly before its expected splashdown, and live video showed the upper-stage vehicle spinning uncontrollably before its planned re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, due to fuel leaks.
“Leaks caused loss of main tank pressure during the coast and re-entry phase,” Musk shared in a post on his social media platform X.
“Contact with the booster was lost shortly after the start of the landing burn when it experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly approximately 6 minutes after launch, bringing an end to the first reflight of a Super Heavy booster,” SpaceX said in a statement.
However, Musk called the flight an achievement and noted that there had been no loss to the heat shield tiles.
“Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff, so big improvement over the last flight! Also, no significant loss of heat shield tiles during ascent. Lot of good data to review,” Musk said.
SpaceX noted that the company “will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test”.
Standing 403 feet (123 meters) tall, Starship and heavy booster — the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket system. It will launch the moon lander for NASA’s Artemis 3 mission that aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2026.
National
‘Nothing wrong in renaming Ramanagara’: Abu Azmi backs Karnataka govt

New Delhi, May 24: Backing the Karnataka government’s decision to rename Ramanagara district as ‘Bengaluru South’, SP Maharashtra chief Abu Asim Azmi said there was “nothing wrong” with the move and took a swipe at name changes in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that only Muslim names were being deliberately altered in the northern state.
“There is no hate in this name. In UP and other places, including Maharashtra, Muslim names were deliberately changed. If Karnataka has renamed Ramanagara to Bengaluru South, what’s wrong with it? Many names have been changed similarly in Mumbai without targeting any particular religion. I don’t think this is anything different,” Azmi told Media.
Azmi’s remarks came shortly after the Karnataka government formally issued a notification renaming Ramanagara district to ‘Bengaluru South’. The state’s Revenue Department said Ramanagara city will continue to serve as the district headquarters under the new name.
Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar confirmed the decision, stating that it was made following due process. “Ramanagara city will remain the headquarters of the district. The Cabinet has decided to rename it as Bengaluru South district from today,” he told reporters after a cabinet meeting.
However, the decision sparked controversy, with Union Minister and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy strongly opposing the move. He has vowed to reverse the decision if the opportunity arises.
The renaming has been seen by some as a strategic political step to integrate Ramanagara more closely with the capital’s administrative and economic structure.
Speaking on all-party delegations’ global outreach against Pakistan-backed terrorism, Azmi said, “It’s a good initiative, people should know the truth about Pakistan sheltering terrorism, and not giving up on supporting them even after several warnings.”
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