17-year-old gang-raped by 3 men posing as cops in Delhi

A man identified as Asif, accused of gang-raping a 17-year-old girl near Kalkaji Mandir, has been arrested following a police encounter in southeast Delhi. Asif, one of three men who allegedly posed as policemen, fired at the police team before being shot in the leg during the exchange. The incident occurred in Astha Kunj Park, and police are now searching for the other two accused.

Minor girl gang-raped at Astha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir by men posing as policemen; friend assaulted

Three men allegedly posed as policemen before taking the 17-year-old and her male friend to a secluded spot in the South Delhi park; one accused later injured in encounter.

105 theft instances caught on CCTV: Here's what SIT probe finds in Ram Mandir donation case

The SIT on Tuesday filed its latest report before the Supreme Court in connection with alleged irregularities in the amount of offerings and donations at the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya . According to the court order, the SIT said the investigation is now complete and the chargesheet could be filed by September 25. According to the SIT report, the case relates to allegations of unauthorised withdrawal and irregularities in the amount of offerings and donations received at the temple. A case was registered against eight persons in the case on June 25, 2026 at the Ram Janmabhoomi police station in Ayodhya. CCTV footage, witness statements, bank records, mobile data and other documents were examined during the investigation.

IIT Mandi Recruitment 2026 - Walkin for Project Associate/ JRF Posts

Indian Institute of Technology Mandi has announced the Recruitment 2026 notification for 1 Project Associate/ JRF post. Eligible candidates can attend the walk-in interview on 01-10-2026 at the designated venue. The detailed notification is available on the official website.

Delhi horror: Minor girl gang-raped by men posing as cops

New Delhi: In a shocking incident, a 17-year-old girl was gang-raped by three men posing as cops at a park near Delhis Kalkaji Mandir, officials have said. According to the officials, the girl and her friend went to Kalkaji Mandir at around 7 p.m. on Monday. After offering prayers at the temple, the two went Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Asian Games 2026: India women eye back-to-back gold in final against SL

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side comes into the final on the back of two commanding wins over Japan and Bangladesh.

IIT-Bombay Suicide Case: Students Demand Probe, Faculty Defend Professor

The death of IIT Bombay student Sahil has triggered a wider campus row over accountability, with students continuing to protest and hundreds of faculty members expressing solidarity with a professor at the centre of the controversy. Sahils family has alleged caste-based discrimination and is demanding that all CCTV footage be examined and the complete truth emerge, including a CBI probe. The institute has apologised for its initial statement on the case and said the matter is subject to investigation. Meanwhile, Professor Dulla has been removed as Dean but continues as a faculty member, fuelling questions from students over the action taken. With the campus response divided, the case has become a major debate over student welfare, institutional accountability and the handling of complaints at IIT Bombay. #IITBombay #SahilWakode #SahilDeathCase #IITBombayProtests #IITBombayNews #StudentSafety

3 pose as cops, gang-rape Delhi teen near Kalkaji Mandir

Apni Party stages protest outside Assembly over reservation policy, public issues

Srinagar, Sep 21:The Apni Party staged a protest outside the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on the opening day of the autumn session on Monday, raising concerns over the reservation policy, unemployment and other issues affecting the public. The protest was led by Apni Party Provincial President Mohammad Ashraf Mir, along with party leaders and workers, who raised slogans and accused the government of failing to fulfil its electoral commitments and address pressing public concerns. A key demand of the protesters was a fair, transparent and judicious reservation policy. Mir criticised the existing policy and called for greater transparency over the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee constituted to examine the issue. The existing reservation policy is unjust and completely contrary to the principles of merit, Mir said, while demanding that the Cabinet Sub-Committees report be made public. He said Jammu and Kashmir needed a reservation framework that ensured justice, equity and fairness to all sections of society. Mir also criticised the government over unemployment and what he described as unfulfilled electoral promises. The government had promised to provide one lakh jobs to the youth soon after assuming office. It had also promised free electricity and gas cylinders to consumers, besides an additional quota of ration. However, these promises have turned out to be nothing more than hollow assurances, he said. Police stopped the protesters during the demonstration and detained several party leaders and workers, including Mir and Apni Party Srinagar District President Zaffar Habib Dar. Addressing a press conference later, Apni Party Chief Spokesperson MuntazirMohiuddin said the party had chosen to protest outside the Assembly as it had no representation inside the House. Apni Party has no representation in the Legislative Assembly, so peaceful protest is one of the few democratic means available to us to raise our voice against government failures and highlight the concerns of the people, he said. Mohiuddin condemned the detention of party leaders and workers, including women members, terming it a restriction on their right to express their concerns. By detaining our leaders, including women leaders and party workers, the authorities have denied us our legitimate democratic right to voice our concerns. We strongly condemn the detention of our leaders and workers, he said. Such actions cannot silence our voice or deter us from standing up for the rights and interests of the people, Mohiuddin added. He said the party would continue to raise issues concerning the public. We remain committed to raising our voice for the rights of the people and will continue to highlight public issues and grievances, no matter what pressure or obstacles we face, he said.

Rethinking Higher Education in Jammu and Kashmir

There is something unsettling about an empty classroom. It is easy to see the vacant benches as a statistical problem: a shortfall in enrolment, an inefficient utilisation of public infrastructure, or evidence that young people are losing interest in higher education. But an empty classroom may be saying something more complicated. It may be telling us that the relationship between the student, the teacher, the institution and the idea of education itself is changing. Recent data place Jammu and Kashmirs Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education at around 21.5 per cent, considerably below the national figure of roughly 30 per cent. The numbers become even more striking when one looks at government degree colleges. The government has acknowledged that its colleges possess a sanctioned capacity of 116,767 seats, while admissions in the previous session stood at 45,438- leaving a substantial proportion of available capacity unused. The government has consequently indicated that there is no immediate need to establish new degree colleges and that the emphasis should instead be on making better use of existing institutions. The obvious response is to ask: why are students not coming to college? But perhaps that is not quite the right question. The more difficult question is: what has happened to the meaning of the college in the imagination of the student? I ask this question from within the institution. As a contractual lecturer in a government degree college in Jammu and Kashmir, I do not encounter higher education merely as an aggregate of enrolment ratios, sanctioned posts and administrative reports. I encounter it in the more prosaic circumstances in which institutions reveal themselves: in classrooms, corridors, conversations with students, attendance registers, questions that are asked and questions that remain unasked. There is a peculiar intimacy to observing an institution from inside. One begins to notice not only what the official statistics capture, but also what they cannot. The first temptation is to conclude that students have become indifferent to education. I am not convinced. Young people in Jammu and Kashmir remain intensely invested in education. Families continue to spend considerable resources on professional courses, competitive examinations, technical education and degrees that appear to promise employment. The problem, therefore, may not be a disappearance of aspiration. It may be a reorientation of aspiration. The conventional degree college is increasingly being asked to justify itself. A degree that once carried an almost self-evident promise of social mobility can no longer rely upon that promise. Students are more conscious of the distance between obtaining a qualification and securing a meaningful livelihood. They compare conventional degrees with professional programmes, specialised courses, universities outside Jammu and Kashmir, vocational pathways and an expanding digital ecosystem of knowledge and certification. The question confronting the student is increasingly blunt: What will this education allow me to become? This is not necessarily a decline of educational values. It may represent a more demanding conception of value. The old social contract of higher education assumed that access itself was transformative. Establish a college, expand seats, provide teachers and curricula, and the institution would naturally attract students because the degree possessed an intrinsic social currency. That assumption is becoming less secure. We have expanded the physical architecture of higher education. We now have to ask whether we have expanded its intellectual and social imagination with equal seriousness. For a college can be physically accessible and yet intellectually distant. It can have classrooms without creating a compelling classroom experience. It can have a syllabus without generating curiosity. It can have teachers without necessarily producing a vibrant intellectual community. It can award degrees without convincing students that the experience of obtaining the degree has enlarged their capacity to think, argue and inhabit the world. This is where the problem of enrolment intersects with a problem that receives far less attention: the pedagogy of the classroom. The contemporary student enters a radically different knowledge environment from the one in which the conventional college was designed. Knowledge is no longer scarce. A student with a smartphone can access lectures, books, journals, interviews, debates and competing interpretations from across the world. Artificial intelligence has further unsettled the traditional boundaries between teacher, textbook and learner. Yet the architecture of many classrooms remains remarkably unchanged. The teacher speaks. The student listens. The teacher possesses knowledge. The student receives it. The teacher asks questions. The student answers. The teacher evaluates. The student is evaluated. This model is not entirely without merit. Teaching necessarily involves expertise, discipline and intellectual guidance. The problem arises when this arrangement becomes more than a pedagogical convenience and hardens into an epistemic hierarchy- when the teacher comes to imagine himself as the sole legitimate source of knowledge and the students primary obligation as reception. That conception of the classroom is increasingly difficult to sustain. The teacher is no longer the only person who can provide knowledge . More importantly, knowledge itself is not the same thing as understanding. The teachers relevance therefore does not disappear when knowledge becomes abundant. It changes. The teacher must increasingly become the person who helps students distinguish knowledge from noise, argument from assertion, evidence from anecdote, conviction from prejudice and information from understanding. That requires authority, but a different kind of authority. There is an important distinction between authority and authoritarianism. A teacher can possess intellectual authority without demanding intellectual submission. Indeed, the most compelling authority in a classroom may be precisely that which allows itself to be questioned. The problem is not that teachers have authority. The problem is when authority becomes indistinguishable from distance. A student should be able to ask a difficult question without being made to feel that questioning the teacher amounts to disrespect. A student should be able to disagree without being treated as undisciplined. A student should be able to say, I do not agree with this argument, and discover that disagreement is not a breach of classroom etiquette but the beginning of intellectual engagement. This is where the idea of democratising the learning process becomes important. Democratising education does not mean reducing standards. It does not mean pretending that the teacher and student possess identical knowledge. It does not mean replacing expertise with relativism. It means recognising that learning is not adequately described as the transmission of knowledge from one sovereign mind to another passive mind. The classroom should become a space of dialogue, interrogation and shared intellectual labour. The teacher remains a teacher, but ceases to imagine himself as the sole proprietor of knowledge. The student remains a learner, but ceases to be treated as merely an empty vessel waiting to be filled. The relationship becomes less vertical and more dialogical. This distinction is particularly important in the humanities and social sciences. How can we teach democracy through an undemocratic pedagogy? How can we teach freedom of thought while discouraging students from questioning? How can we cultivate critical citizens if the classroom itself treats dissent as disorder? There is a certain irony in this. We ask colleges and universities to produce critical thinkers, but often reward conformity. We speak of democratic citizenship, but reproduce hierarchical relations of knowledge. We encourage students to question society, institutions and political authority, while sometimes leaving them little room to question the authority immediately before them. The contradiction should trouble us. But it would be unfair to turn this into an indictment of teachers. The problem is larger than individual personalities. Teachers themselves inherit curricula, examination structures, bureaucratic routines and institutional cultures that have accumulated over decades. A teacher may want to experiment with pedagogy while being constrained by a system that privileges syllabus completion, attendance and examination performance. There is therefore a structural question beneath the pedagogical one. Can we create democratic classrooms without democratising the institutional culture that surrounds them? This question becomes even more complicated in a system that depends significantly on academic-arrangement and contractual teaching. The precariousness of academic employment is not merely a labour question; it can also become an institutional question. Continuity, mentorship, experimentation and long-term pedagogical investment are difficult to sustain when the conditions of academic work remain uncertain. Yet the answer cannot simply be to lament contractualisation or to idealise permanent employment. Nor should the problem be reduced to individual teachers. What is required is a deeper reconsideration of what we expect the college to accomplish. The college cannot remain merely a degree-distribution mechanism. If it does, students will quite rationally compare it with every other mechanism through which a credential can be acquired. The college has to offer something more difficult to quantify: an intellectual community. A student should encounter in college not merely a syllabus but an experience of thinking. The value of a classroom should lie partly in the fact that it brings together people who do not necessarily think alike and obliges them to remain in conversation. The student should discover that disagreement need not produce hostility, that uncertainty is not intellectual failure, and that changing ones mind in the presence of better reasoning is not weakness. This is where higher education acquires a democratic significance beyond employability. A college is one of the few institutional spaces in which young people can learn how to live with complexity. It can teach them to distinguish between persuasion and coercion, between evidence and belief, between disagreement and antagonism. These are not ornamental virtues. They are the foundations of a democratic intellectual culture. The crisis of enrolment, therefore, should not be addressed merely through publicity campaigns, new courses or the mechanical expansion of infrastructure. Nor should policymakers assume that filling vacant seats is the same thing as revitalising higher education. The harder task is to make the institution meaningful again. That requires confronting several questions simultaneously. Why does a student choose a particular degree? What employment or social mobility does it plausibly offer? Why should a student remain in a conventional college when specialised alternatives appear more attractive? Does the curriculum speak to the world the student actually inhabits? Does the classroom permit intellectual participation? Does the teacher-student relationship cultivate curiosity or merely compliance? Does the institution treat students as young adults capable of judgment, or principally as recipients of administrative instructions? These questions cannot be answered through enrollment statistics alone. The statistics tell us that something is changing. The classroom helps us understand what that change might mean. And this is why I resist the easy conclusion that declining enrolment represents a crisis of student aspiration. Perhaps it represents, at least partly, a crisis of institutional responsiveness. Students may be telling us, without necessarily articulating it in these terms, that they want an education that is connected to their aspirations, responsive to their anxieties and intellectually alive. They want institutions that do not merely certify their passage into adulthood but help them make sense of the world into which they are entering. The irony is that the college has never had a greater opportunity to perform precisely this function. In an age saturated with information, what students need from a teacher is not another repository of information. They need interpretation. They need intellectual companionship. They need someone capable of asking the question that the internet cannot ask for them: What does all this knowledge mean? That is the enduring value of the teacher. And that is why the democratisation of the classroom is not a concession to students. It is a way of preserving the intellectual dignity of teaching itself. The teachers authority should arise not from the distance maintained between the podium and the bench, but from the quality of the conversation that takes place between them. The classroom, in this sense, becomes a small republic of learning. Its citizens are not equal because they possess identical knowledge. They are equal because each possesses the dignity to question, to reason and to be heard. The teacher has greater expertise, but expertise becomes a responsibility rather than a privilege. The student has less knowledge, but less knowledge does not mean less intellectual agency. This is perhaps the reform that is least visible in policy documents and most consequential in practice. We do not merely need to fill the classroom. We need to rethink the classroom. We do not merely need more students enrolled. We need students who find a reason to remain intellectually engaged. We do not merely need teachers who complete the syllabus. We need teachers who can make students want to ask what lies beyond it. And we do not merely need colleges as physical institutions. We need colleges that can once again become places where a young person encounters the possibility of becoming intellectually different from the person who entered through the gate. For Jammu and Kashmir, this is not a minor pedagogical question. Education has long been associated with mobility, dignity, aspiration and the possibility of a different future. If the conventional college ceases to embody that possibility, no amount of infrastructure can compensate for the loss. The empty bench, then, should not be read simply as evidence of student apathy. It may be a question addressed to the institution itself. What kind of education are we offering, and what kind of human being does that education enable a student to become? That is a more difficult question than enrollment. It is also the question we can no longer afford to postpone. Because the future of higher education in Jammu and Kashmir may not depend primarily on how many colleges we build, how many seats we sanction or even how many students we persuade to enrol. It may depend on whether we can recover the college as a living intellectual institution, one in which authority does not silence inquiry, where pedagogy does not reduce learning to transmission, where students are treated as participants rather than recipients, and where the classroom becomes democratic enough to teach the very values that a democratic society requires. The real challenge, therefore, is not simply to bring the student back to college. It is to give the student a reason to believe that something intellectually consequential happens when they walk through its doors. Dr Zahid Sultan, Independent Researcher Based in Srinagar, India.

17-year-old girl raped by three men posing as police officer near Delhi's Kalkaji Mandir

A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three men who posed as police personnel at a park near Kalkaji Mandir in Delhi, police said. According to the complaint, the girl had visited Kalkaji Mandir with her 17-year-old male friend at around 7 pm on Monday.

'MBS, FOLLOW OUR ORDERS': Houthis Deliver Blunt Ultimatum With A BIG Demand To Saudi | Watch

Houthi leader Mahdi al-Mashat has declared a new blockade for blockade policy against Saudi Arabia, warning that future retaliation could take more painful forms. The group says Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb shipping will remain safe except for Saudi-linked vessels, while demanding the reopening of Yemeni ports and airports and an end to restrictions on Houthi-held areas.

J&K and Nirvana

Is Omar Abdullah's resignation as Chief Minister nirvana for Jammu and Kashmir? If so, the opponents demanding his head on the block must state whether they have a viable democratic alternative. Alongside, there is a call for dissolution of the Assembly. That makes things clearer as to what the opposition is angling forPresidents rule and through that their own rule without any responsibility and accountability. It is as simple as that. However, a fundamental political question remains: why should Omar Abdullah oblige the opposition? Politically, logically, and constitutionally speaking, his party was voted into power for a five-year term.The electorate knew they were voting within the constraints of a Union Territory (UT). While they hoped he would be able to reclaim statehood, they were driven by an aggressive campaign set against the backdrop of the national leaderships solemn promise. Voters saw a clear connection between the Centres pledge and the local political narrative. They envisioned a landscape where the Centre was ready to meet them more than halfway, while the local campaign sought to bring respectability to Delhis idea of reconciliation through restoration. They were lulled into the belief that the timing was perfectwhich was, perhaps, the most beautiful part of the 2024 elections. That moment's fragrance is in retreat. It is equally true that the overwhelming mandate given to the National Conference (NC) came with heavy conditions. The public expected the NC to deliver on its manifesto promisesranging from fighting for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, to reclaiming statehood and fulfilling good governance pledges like free electricity, 12 free cooking gas cylinders, enhanced ration scales, and employment. Omar Abdullah's primary error was one of political judgment. Despite his sharp understanding of Kashmirs internal and external geopolitical dimensions, he misread the institutional script of the UT. He displayed a certain gullibility, believing that administrative processes would take a natural, fair course. That apart, as Chief Minister he was duty bound to attend to all the issues and worked harder to redress grievances of the people. Of course, there is an exaggeration that fixing taps and electric connections is not being done on the pretext of no statehood, but there are real issues on the ground, which should have been attended to. Omar himself and his party need to increase public outreach, assess the problems and diagnose those with the prescriptions within the given set of powers. There are also those who want him to perform before asking him to step down, and these leaders like AltafBukhari on record to have said that they would not support any undemocratic machination to engineer fall of the elected government. This should be read carefully by all the concerned parties whether in the Valley or Jammu. Politics, however, rarely works that way. It is a ruthless game of chess, and a leader known for straight-talk is often at a disadvantage. The political trap laid for him was fundamental, yet he walked right into it, unsuspecting of the underlying machinations. At the same time there was something more that made NC and other regional parties in Kashmir to contest. There were many wishing and plotting that National Conference, and other regional parties should not contest polls so that they could have smooth run. That forced him violate his own public pledge never to contest an Assembly poll as long as J&K remained a Union Territory. It was a dilemma for him, and now the way he decided, this political price was bound to come his way. On the other hand, those declaring that statehood will remain withheld as long as Omar Abdullah is in power display flagrant contempt for their own national leadership, which explicitly held out this promise to the people of J&K. These actors would benefit from a brief lesson in history. In 1983, Congress wanted an alliance with National Conference, then CM Farooq rejected the idea. Congress planned its own politics; stabilization project through destabilization of the elected government. That time also the plea was that the Farooq Abdullah government was not delivering, but the real idea was to get into the government. There always is a cause and consequence. Congress machinations were responsible for eroding faith of the people in democracy. Today, the same play book is being read aloud. If this is played out in full the way it was done in 1984, it is hard to escape the conclusion as to what might happen next. The rigging of the 1987 elections would not have taken place had democracy not tampered with in 1984. These attempts are also undermining the whole work that has been done by the Centre in J&K in the past few years. Kashmir has given several crowning moments to PMModis government. He enriched Kashmir with infrastructural development, and Kashmir in turn gave his government a great thumbs up in laying out new agendas and perspectives. Kashmir became an active partner in nation-building. Despite all the constraints, political and physical and administrative squeeze to which the Omar Abdullah government has been pushed to, the Chief Minister could have performed much better and delivered on many a promise made in the manifesto. First, he did not utilize his potential to the fullest, he kept on waiting for the return of statehood, hoping to deliver as per his full capacity in the hoped-for system. He cannot escape this part of shortcomings on the governance front. In fact, he himself has admitted that he has lost a lot of his political fortune. His predicament is that there is no clear way out. Lack of statehood is not the only one stonewall, there are many which have been thrown his way in the current system by an overambitious lot. He could have attended to public issues at much larger scale than his government has done. The people had missed an elected government for years together. While there is continuous, often performative rhetoric about embracing Kashmir and delivering its due, Jammu is consistently ignored. Kashmir-centric parties like the PDP and the NC view Jammu purely through an electoral prism; they see little reason to invest political capital in a region that yields them minimal electoral returns. The BJP, that was trusted and voted in large numbers, has not done what the people expected of it. The days of relentless politically-motivated language against Kashmirs regional parties, particularly National Conference and the PDP, yielding political dividends are over. Jammu invested its faith in the BJP by electing 29 of its candidates to the Assembly and wants something concrete in return. The opposition possesses every right to ask tough questions and hold the treasury benches accountable. Legislators and external critics alike enjoy the liberty to twist narratives to foster disillusionment with the establishmentthat is an accepted reality of politics. Omar Abdullah must now rise above his five-year survival thesis. The electorate is deeply impatient. He must present a realistic, transparent picture to the public and emerge as a leader capable of turning the tide in adverse situations.

Widening Gulf War

The Gulf is sliding toward a catastrophe that grows harder to contain by the week. What began as a narrower confrontation has metastasized: Houthi fighters have seized a strategic island commanding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, threatening to choke off Red Sea oil route. Should this happen, this could follow the already closed Strait of Hormuz. Crude prices pushing past $100 a barrel is already wreaking havoc with global economy, especially India, which imports most of its oil needs. Tehran, for its part, has laid out conditions for de-escalation through Qatari mediators: an end to the fighting on every front, the release of its frozen assets, and the lifting of the US naval blockade on its ports, something that was promised in the now abandoned MoU with the US. A ceasefire, an economic off-ramp, freedom of navigation is the basic architecture of any negotiated settlement to a war that is now dragging in the Houthis, threatening Saudi exports, and destabilizing shipping lanes that the entire global economy depends on. That is the point that deserves more attention than it is getting: this war did not stay contained, and it was never going to. Wars in the Gulf do not respect the borders drawn around them on a map. When the United States and Israel escalate against Iran, the shockwaves travel through Sanaa, through the Red Sea and through Riyadh's oil terminals, and eventually through the price of oil around the world. The Houthis did not need an invitation to open a new front; the conditions for it were created the moment this war widened beyond its original scope. The path back from the brink runs through diplomacy, not through further strikes. The alternative is a Gulf war with no clear edges: more fronts, more mediators needed, more oil-price shocks, and no obvious point at which anyone can credibly declare it over.

NCP Spokesperson Criticizes BJP Over Jamui Incident

NCP spokesperson Seema Malik condemns the Jamui incident, demanding strict action and criticizing BJPs stance on womens safety. NCP Spokesperson Criticizes BJP Over Jamui Incident

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Struggle With Post-Honeymoon Adjustment As Chiefs Star Returns to Football

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are reportedly adjusting to married life as the Chiefs star returns to football. A demanding NFL schedule may be keeping the newlyweds apart more than expected.

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Reportedly Adjust To Separate Schedules

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are reportedly adjusting to married life as the Chiefs star returns to football. A demanding NFL schedule may be keeping the newlyweds apart more than expected.

Rajouri floods: CM says Rs 3.22 cr relief disbursed

Srinagar, Sep 21: The Jammu & Kashmir government told the Legislative Assembly on Monday that it has assessed the damage from July's flash floods and landslides in Rajouri and disbursed Rs 3.22 crore in relief. Permanent restoration of infrastructure is still at the proposal and tender stage. Replying to a starred question by Rajouri MLA Iftikhar Ahmed, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds the Disaster Management portfolio, said the district administration received 149 family-wise relief cases. Rs 40.61 lakh was disbursed under SDRF norms. A further Rs 2.81 crore, released to the district from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, was distributed among affected families. On roads, a preliminary assessment led to a proposal for permanent restoration of 403 roads and bridges at Rs 185 crore. On power, damage of Rs 27.99 crore was assessed across Rajouri district, of which Rs 9.39 crore was in Rajouri constituency. Supply on the 132 KV Rajouri-Draba line was restored temporarily with an ERS tower, and tendering for permanent restoration is under way. The reply said no SDRF/NRDF funds have been released for that line's damage. Of the Rs 1.25 crore received under SDRF for temporary power restoration in the district, Rajouri constituency got Rs 57.60 lakh, Thannamandi Rs 43.40 lakh, Budhal Rs 10.05 lakh, Nowshera Rs 7.60 lakh and Sunderbani Rs 6.35 lakh. The Agriculture Department assessed 15% damage on 416 hectares of maize and 65% on 101.50 hectares of paddy. Jal Shakti details put temporary restoration of water supply schemes at Rs 86.83 lakh. Irrigation and flood-control damage from July 1825 needs Rs 3.67 crore for temporary and Rs 123.55 crore for permanent restoration. The government said all damaged roads, bridges, water and power schemes were temporarily restored within a month, and detailed project reports for permanent work are under consideration. Flood-prone power infrastructure will be strengthened and realigned, with spares kept ready. On enhancing SDRF compensation, it said the norms fall under the Union Home Ministry.

J&K Assembly Autumn Session : Day One: Slogans Fly, House Adjourned

Srinagar, Sep 21: The opening sitting of the autumn session turned chaotic on Monday as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs stormed into the Well of the House, raising slogans over regularisation of daily-wagers, the grievances of National Health Mission (NHM) employees and the recent electricity tariff hike. Amid pandemonium, Speaker Abdur Rahim Rather adjourned the House for a day. The uproar began shortly after obituary references were concluded, with BJP legislators rising from their seats and seeking government intervention on issues concerning employees and the public. Carrying placards, they raised slogans demanding justice for daily-wagers and NHM employees and protesting against power supply and tariff-related issues. Jo Sarkar na de sake bijli pani, woh sarkar nakami and Insaf karo, daily-wagers ke saath were among the slogans raised by the BJP members as Question Hour got drowned in the din. The BJP legislators also raised the issue of NHM employees, shouting slogans seeking justice for workers engaged under the health mission. Their protest soon intensified, with BJP MLAs storming into the Well of the House and continuing their sloganeering. Several BJP members also raised Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Vande Mataram slogans while holding placards. Speaker repeatedly asked the protesting members to return to their seats and allow the proceedings to continue. Go to your seats, the Speaker told the protesting legislators, warning that continued disruption could invite action. However, the BJP members remained in the Well, leading to further exchanges between the Opposition and treasury benches. Congress MLAs Irfan Hafiz Lone and Iftikhar Ahmad also countered the BJP members amid the uproar, though their remarks could not be clearly heard due to the continuing sloganeering. When CPI(M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami rose to intervene, the confrontation intensified further, with BJP legislators continuing their protest in the Well. The ruling National Conference (NC) members then joined the slogan war, raising the demand for restoration of Jammu and Kashmirs statehood. The competing slogans turned the opening sitting into a noisy confrontation between the Opposition and treasury benches, with neither side willing to yield. NC MLA Nazir Gurezi accused the BJP of wasting the valuable time of the legislature. They should protest in Delhi rather than here, Gurezi said, accusing the BJP of using the Assembly to divert attention from what he described as its failures. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary also hit out at the BJP, saying the government was prepared to respond to the issues being raised by the Opposition. If they are sincere to the people of J&K, they should listen to the governments answers. The government is ready to respond, Choudhary said. He questioned the need for disrupting Question Hour when ministers were present in the House to respond to questions concerning public issues. The BJP maintained that the protests were aimed at drawing the governments attention to issues affecting thousands of workers and ordinary consumers. Regularisation of daily-wagers emerged as one of the principal issues raised by the BJP, along with the concerns of NHM employees and the electricity tariff hike. The Opposition members also accused the government of failing to address issues confronting different sections of society, while the treasury benches maintained that the issues could be debated through the established legislative process. The Speaker repeatedly appealed for calm and urged members to return to their seats so that the House could conduct its scheduled business. The continued disruption, however, overshadowed Question Hour and much of the planned legislative proceedings. Amid the din, the government continued with some scheduled business, with Minister for Rural Development Javid Ahmad Dar introducing a bill seeking amendments to cooperative law. But the proceedings remained hostage to the sloganeering, with legislators from both sides repeatedly moving towards the Well. After failing to restore order, Speaker Rather eventually adjourned the House for the day. The dramatic opening has set the tone for the autumn session, with regularisation of daily-wagers, NHM employees issues, electricity tariff, employment, governance and restoration of statehood expected to remain among the major issues confronting the House. For the government, the challenge will be to ensure legislative business proceeds amid a determined Opposition campaign; for the BJP, the opening-day protest has placed employment and power-related grievances at the centre of its Assembly strategy.

When the House Becomes the Battleground

The first day of the autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly offered a troubling reminder of how quickly democratic institutions can be reduced to theatre. A House convened to debate public concerns, question the government and legislate for the people instead became a stage for competing slogans, angry exchanges and political one-upmanship. The disruption during Question Hour was not a minor procedural lapse. Question Hour is among the most important instruments available to legislators and the public. It is the time when ministers are required to answer, records are placed on the table and the government is held accountable. Every minute lost to shouting, sloganeering and confrontation is a minute denied to the people whose concerns brought the members to the Assembly in the first place. The Speakers appeal to BJP legislators to return to their seats and allow proceedings to continue was both necessary and expected. His warning that action could be taken if the disruption continued underscored the seriousness of the situation. Yet the appeals failed to calm the House. Instead, the treasury and opposition benches traded accusations, with Gurez MLA Nazir Ahmad Gurezi alleging that the BJP members were deliberately wasting the Assemblys time. The exchange became sharper when CPI(M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami urged the BJP members to raise a slogan demanding restoration of statehood. That intervention may have captured a deep political grievance, but it also added fuel to an already volatile situation. The question is not which slogan carried greater political weight. The question is why slogans were allowed to displace the business of the House. Jammu and Kashmir cannot afford a legislature consumed by spectacle. The region faces unresolved political questions, a fragile economy, unemployment, developmental deficits and a long list of issues affecting ordinary citizens. The Assemblys limited autumn session was meant to provide space for debate on these matters. Instead, its opening day was overshadowed by a contest in political theatre. The responsibility lies with every member, not with one party alone. Opposition parties have a duty to challenge the government, but dissent loses its democratic value when it becomes disruption. The ruling side, likewise, cannot use provocation or majoritarian slogans as a substitute for substantive debate. A legislature is not a street rally, and the Assembly chamber cannot be treated as an arena for settling electoral scores. Honourable Speaker had appealed to members to use the short session judiciously. That appeal must now be honoured. Tuesdays sitting should begin with a collective commitment to restore decorum and protect Question Hour from further disruption. The people of J&K deserve answers, not noise; accountability, not theatrics; and a legislature that works, not one that merely performs.

J&K session starts on stormy note; BJP protests in Well; NC, Congress seek statehood

The autumn session of the J&K Assembly began amid protests, with BJP MLAs disrupting Question Hour over alleged governance failures, while NC and Congress legislators raised slogans demanding the restoration of statehood. Other opposition members joined the protests, while PDP leader Waheed Para moved an adjournment motion on the rationalisation of reservations in J&K.

Lt Gen Mohit Seth to take over as GOC 16 Corps on Oct 1

Jammu Tawi, Sep 21: Lieutenant General Mohit Seth will take over as the General-Officer-Commanding (GOC) of the strategically important White Knight Corps, also known as XVI Corps, at Nagrota in Jammu on October 1. According to the details available, Lieutenant General Seth will succeed Lieutenant General P K Mishra, who will move to a new [] The post Lt Gen Mohit Seth to take over as GOC 16 Corps on Oct 1 appeared first on Northlines .

'The past doesn't count anymore': Mancini turns page as Italy gather for Nations League

Roberto Mancini set a demanding tone as Italy gathered on Monday, insisting on immediate progress while mounting a strong defense of his heavily overhauled squad for his first match back as coach.

Protest over DSC scam to continue in Andhra till Lokesh resigns, says Jagan

Digital Desk | Amaravati, Sep 21 (IANS) YSR Congress Party chief Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said on Monday that his party would continue its protest across Andhra Pradesh till the resignation of Education Minister Nara Lokesh and a CBI inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the appointment of teachers. The former Chief Minister condemned the police highhandedness against YSRCP leaders and cadres staging a protest at the office of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) in Vijayawada. He alleged that TDP goons, disguised as teachers, attacked the protestors. Chandrababu Naidu Garu, why are you so afraid and agitated when we demand a CBI inquiry into the DSC scam? Can you and your son, Education Minister Nara Lokesh, simply certify your own recruitment process as transparent? What value does a self-issued certificate from those accused of committing the scam carry? Stop making empty claims. If you have the courage, agree to a CBI inquiry, the YSRCP president said in a post on X. The incidents in Vijayawada today show how far your government has fallen. Our party leaders, along with students and unemployed youth, attempted to conduct a peaceful rally demanding a CBI inquiry. But the police blocked them, subjected them to a lathi-charge and allowed your goons, disguised as teachers, to attack them, he said. YS Jagan asked if the Opposition does not even have the democratic right to hold a peaceful rally. Mr Chandrababu Naidu? You are resorting to such desperate measures because serious irregularities have occurred in the DSC recruitment and because you and your son are unable to answer the questions being raised. Whenever you are caught in a scam, creating diversions to escape accountability has become your standard practice. What are we demanding? We are seeking an impartial CBI investigation into irregularities in a recruitment process connected to the futures of lakhs of candidates. If you are so confident that nothing improper happened, why are you afraid of an investigation, particularly when so much evidence has emerged? the former Chief Minister asked. He stated that lakhs of young people study for years and spend substantial amounts of money preparing for teacher recruitment examinations. They must have confidence that their hard work and merit will receive justice through a fair government recruitment system. Because of the alleged irregularities committed under your government and Education Minister Lokesh, unemployed youth and job aspirants have lost that confidence. Can police barricades, lathi-charges, arrests and stage-managed counter-protests restore this lost trust? Only an impartial CBI investigation can restore public confidence in the recruitment process. You cannot hide a scam by using the police as a shield. You cannot suppress the Oppositions voice and conceal the facts. DSC candidates must receive justice, and government recruitment must be transparent. That is why we are fighting. Nara Lokesh must accept responsibility for the DSC irregularities and resign as Education Minister. The government must order a CBI inquiry. Until these demands are met, our voice will continue to resonate across the State, YS Jagan added.

iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 18 Pro Buyer

Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max earlier this month, arriving four years after the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Four generations of changes make for a substantial upgrade, bringing larger displays, an all-new design, improvements to every camera, significantly longer battery life, faster charging, USB-C connectivity, and support for Apple Intelligence . The iPhone 15 Pro replaced the stainless steel frame with titanium, introduced the Action button and USB-C port, and added the A17 Pro chip. The iPhone 16 Pro introduced larger displays with thinner borders, the Camera Control, a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, and improved video and audio recording. The iPhone 17 Pro replaced the titanium frame and glass back with an aluminum unibody, added vapor chamber cooling and Ceramic Shield 2, and upgraded both the telephoto and front-facing cameras. This year's refresh centers on the A20 Pro chip, a variable-aperture Main camera, a smaller Dynamic Island , and a further increase in battery capacity . For iPhone 14 Pro owners, all four sets of changes accumulate. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 for 256GB, $200 more than the iPhone 14 Pro's $999 launch price, although the entry storage tier has doubled from 128GB. The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299, also $200 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max's $1,099 launch price, with the same increase in base storage. Here are the key differences between the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro: Design and Display iPhone 14 Pro (2022) iPhone 18 Pro (2026) Stainless steel frame with squared-off edges and full glass back Aluminum unibody with partial Ceramic Shield back, improving heat dissipation Glass rounded square camera bump Full-width rounded rectangle aluminum camera plateau iPhone 14 Pro : 6.1-inch display iPhone 14 Pro Max : 6.7-inch display iPhone 18 Pro : 6.3-inch display iPhone 18 Pro Max : 6.9-inch display iPhone 14 Pro : 2,556-by-1,179-pixel resolution iPhone 14 Pro Max : 2,796-by-1,290-pixel resolution iPhone 18 Pro : 2,622-by-1,206-pixel resolution iPhone 18 Pro Max : 2,868-by-1,320-pixel resolution Wider borders around the display Thinner borders, with the initial reduction of 30% introduced on the iPhone 16 Pro Approximately 2-4 nits minimum display brightness 1 nit minimum display brightness More power-efficient display Ceramic Shield front Ceramic Shield 2 front, with 3x better scratch resistance than the iPhone 16 Pro Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating only Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating and Apple-designed anti-reflective coating to reduce glare 2,000 nits peak display brightness (outdoor) 3,000 nits peak display brightness (outdoor) Dynamic Island supports up to two simultaneous Live Activities Smaller Dynamic Island, supports up to three simultaneous Live Activities Ring/Silent switch Action button Camera Control capacitive button with sapphire crystal cover Available in Deep Purple, Gold, Silver, and Space Black Available in Silver, Black, Glacier, and Burgundy 95% fiber-based packaging 100% fiber-based packaging, suitable for recycling Dimensions and Weight iPhone 14 Pro (2022) iPhone 18 Pro (2026) Height iPhone 14 Pro : 147.5mm (5.81 inches) iPhone 14 Pro Max : 160.7mm (6.33 inches) iPhone 18 Pro : 150.0mm (5.91 inches) iPhone 18 Pro Max : 163.4mm (6.43 inches) Width iPhone 14 Pro : 71.5mm (2.81 inches) iPhone 14 Pro Max : 77.6mm (3.06 inches) iPhone 18 Pro : 71.9mm (2.83 inches) iPhone 18 Pro Max : 78.0mm (3.07 inches) Thickness 7.85mm (0.31 inches) 8.75mm (0.34 inches) Weight iPhone 14 Pro : 206 grams (7.27 ounces) iPhone 14 Pro Max : 240 grams (8.47 ounces) iPhone 18 Pro : 211 grams (7.44 ounces) iPhone 18 Pro Max : 249 grams (8.78 ounces) Chip, Performance, and Connectivity iPhone 14 Pro (2022) iPhone 18 Pro (2026) A16 Bionic chip A20 Pro chip Built with TSMC's N4P process (4nm) Built with TSMC's N2 process (2nm) 6-core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores 6-core CPU with 2 super cores and 4 efficiency cores 6GB LPDDR5 RAM 12GB LPDDR5X RAM 51.2GB/s memory bandwidth 115GB/s memory bandwidth 5-core GPU 7-core GPU with Neural Accelerators Hardware-accelerated ray tracing 16-core Neural Engine Dual 16-core Neural Engine (32 total cores) Passive cooling Vapor chamber cooling with 3x more surface area than the iPhone 17 Pro New chip packaging that places silicon die beside memory, allowing it to attach directly to the vapor chamber Earlier video encoding hardware Enhanced video encoding hardware supporting higher-frame-rate recording and additional professional formats HEVC, H.264, and ProRes video playback HEVC, H.264, AV1, and ProRes video playback Supports iOS 27 , but not Apple Intelligence or Siri AI Supports iOS 27, Apple Intelligence, Siri AI, and Visual Intelligence Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 modem iPhone 18 Pro : Apple C2 modem in all countries iPhone 18 Pro Max : Apple C2 modem in all countries except the U.S., where it uses a Qualcomm modem Broadcom Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip Apple N1 chip for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity Bluetooth 6 connectivity First-generation Ultra Wideband chip Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip with Precision Finding for people Lightning port with USB 2 transfer speeds up to 480Mb/s USB-C port with USB 3 transfer speeds up to 10Gb/s Up to 1080p video output using a Lightning adapter DisplayPort support for up to 4K HDR video output Rear Camera iPhone 14 Pro (2022) iPhone 18 Pro (2026) First-generation quad-pixel sensor Newer sensor and computational imaging pipeline, building on the faster readout speeds and zero shutter lag introduced with the iPhone 16 Pro 12-megapixel HEIF and JPEG photos, or up to 48-megapixel ProRAW photos from the Main camera 24- and 48-megapixel super-high-resolution photos from the Main, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto cameras Fixed /1.78 aperture on the Main camera Variable aperture with four stops: /1.48, /1.8, /2.8, and /4.0, using six laser-cut blades API available for developers to control the aperture range within their own apps Night mode Faster Night mode, tied to the new variable-aperture lens Around 50% better Main camera low-light performance than the iPhone 16 Pro, with more detail in the back of group photos Pro controls in the Camera app: manual lens aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and histogram 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera 48-megapixel Fusion Ultra Wide camera 12-megapixel Telephoto camera 48-megapixel Fusion Telephoto camera 3x Telephoto camera, with 77mm focal length 4x Telephoto camera, with 100mm focal length, also enabling 12-megapixel optical-quality 8x shots at 200mm 0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 3x zoom options, with optical-quality 2x derived from the Main camera 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x zoom options, with optical-quality 2x and 8x derived from the Main and Telephoto cameras Digital zoom up to 15x Digital zoom up to 40x 24mm default Main camera lens Customizable default lens for the Fusion Main camera Macro photography 48-megapixel macro photography JPEG-XL compression for ProRAW photos Smart HDR 4 Smart HDR 5 Portrait mode with Depth Control Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control First-generation Photographic Styles Photographic Styles 3, with tone, color, texture, and grain controls Depth mapping for AR and portrait photography Enhanced depth mapping for AR and portrait photography, with more accurate background and subject separation and more realistic bokeh Smart focus tracking Spatial photo capture Apple Reference Image (Main camera only) Camera Control The iPhone 14 Pro has a traditional Ring/Silent switch and lacks both of the dedicated controls Apple added to later generations. The iPhone 18 Pro includes an Action button that can launch the camera or Visual Intelligence, as well as a Camera Control with the following additional functions: Press Camera Control to launch the Camera app Press to capture a photo or press and hold to record video Light press to lock focus and exposure before reframing Slide across the capacitive surface to adjust settings such as zoom, exposure, styles, and tone Light-press controls overlay for quick access to camera settings Integration with supported third-party camera apps Press and hold to activate Visual Intelligence Video Recording iPhone 14 Pro (2022) iPhone 18 Pro (2026) 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, with Dolby Vision HDR up to 60 fps 4K Dolby Vision video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps, 100 fps (Fusion Main), or 120 fps (Fusion Main) 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps 1080p Dolby Vision video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps, or 120 fps (Fusion Main) ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps, or 1080p at 30 fps on the 128GB model ProRes video recording up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording Records video to internal storage Can record video directly to external storage over USB-C Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps Slo-mo video support for 1080p up to 240 fps and 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps (Fusion Main) Cinematic mode recording up to 4K HDR at 30 fps Cinematic mode recording up to 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps Cinematic mode effects can be applied after capture to Fusion Main video shot at up to 60 fps Pro controls for lens aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and histogram Smart focus tracking Improved low-light video at 1080p Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps Action mode up to 2.8K Dolby Vision at 60 fps Spatial video recording at 1080p at 30 fps Time-lapse video recording with stabilization Time-lapse video recording with stabilization, up to 4K Dolby Vision QuickTake video QuickTake video up to 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps Apple Log 2 Academy Color Encoding System support ProRes RAW capture support Genlock support Dual Capture up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps Front Camera iPhone 14 Pro (2022) iPhone 18 Pro (2026) 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera with conventional rectangular sensor 18-megapixel Center Stage camera with square sensor and TrueDepth technology Tap to zoom and rotate, allowing portrait and landscape framing without rotating the iPhone Center Stage for photos and video calls Ultra-stabilized video Dual Capture, recording the front and rear cameras simultaneously at up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps Smart HDR 4 Smart HDR 5 Portrait mode with Depth Control Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control First-generation Photographic Styles Photographic Styles 3, with tone, color, texture, and grain controls Smart focus tracking Pro controls for shutter speed, white balance, and histogram 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, with Dolby Vision HDR up to 60 fps 4K Dolby Vision video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps 1080p Dolby Vision video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps, or 1080p at 30 fps on the 128GB model ProRes video recording up to 4K at 60 fps with external recording Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps Cinematic mode up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps Cinematic mode effects can be applied after capture Improved low-light video at 1080p Time-lapse video recording with stabilization Time-lapse video recording with stabilization, up to 4K Dolby Vision QuickTake video QuickTake video up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision Apple Log 2 Academy Color Encoding System support ProRes RAW capture support Audio Recording iPhone 14 Pro (2022) iPhone 18 Pro (2026) Stereo recording Spatial Audio and stereo recording Studio-quality four-mic array Wind noise reduction Audio Mix with algorithms for higher-quality voices and the ability to isolate music Battery and Charging iPhone 14 Pro (2022) iPhone 18 Pro (2026) iPhone 14 Pro : 3,200 mAh battery iPhone 14 Pro Max : 4,323 mAh battery iPhone 18 Pro : 4,056 mAh battery (SIM-tray models); 4,288 mAh battery (eSIM-only models) iPhone 18 Pro Max : 5,391 mAh battery (SIM-tray models); 5,567 mAh battery (eSIM-only models) iPhone 14 Pro : Up to 23 hours of video playback iPhone 14 Pro Max : Up to 29 hours of video playback iPhone 18 Pro : Up to 36 hours of video playback iPhone 18 Pro Max : Up to 45 hours of video playback iPhone 14 Pro : Up to 20 hours of streamed video playback iPhone 14 Pro Max : Up to 25 hours of streamed video playback iPhone 18 Pro : Up to 33 hours of streamed video playback iPhone 18 Pro Max : Up to 40 hours of streamed video playback Up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher Up to 50% charge in around 15 minutes with a 60W-capable adapter or higher MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W with a 20W adapter or higher MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W, reaching 50% charge in 30 minutes with a 35W adapter or higher Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W Qi2 wireless charging up to 25W Optimized Battery Charging Charge Limit from 80% to 100% in 5% increments, plus Optimized Battery Charging Battery Health shows maximum capacity, peak performance capability, and whether service is recommended Battery Health also shows cycle count, manufacture date, and date of first use Battery designed to retain 80% of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles Battery designed to retain 80% of its original capacity at 1,000 complete charge cycles Storage and Pricing iPhone 14 Pro (2022) iPhone 18 Pro (2026) Available with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage Available with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage iPhone 14 Pro : Launched at $999 (128GB), $1,099 (256GB), $1,299 (512GB), $1,499 (1TB) iPhone 14 Pro Max : Launched at $1,099 (128GB), $1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), $1,599 (1TB) iPhone 18 Pro : $1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), $1,799 (1TB), $2,399 (2TB) iPhone 18 Pro Max : $1,299 (256GB), $1,499 (512GB), $1,899 (1TB), $2,499 (2TB) Now discontinued Sold directly by Apple Current purchase prices depend on third-party stock, condition, and warranty iPhone 18 Pro : From $49.95 a month for 24 months via Apple Upgrade iPhone 18 Pro Max : From $54.12 a month for 24 months via Apple Upgrade For iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max owners considering a new device, the iPhone 18 Pro is a worthwhile upgrade. Four generations of changes bring improvements to the display, every camera on the device, battery life, charging, sustained performance, and connectivity. Battery life is likely to be the strongest improvement for most users, particularly if their current device no longer comfortably lasts through the day, while faster wired charging makes brief charging stops more useful. The newer battery is also designed to retain 80% of its original capacity for twice as many complete charge cycles under ideal conditions, and Charge Limit offers more control over long-term battery wear. USB-C is another significant quality-of-life improvement for iPhone 14 Pro owners. It allows the iPhone to share cables with recent Macs, iPads, and accessories, while the jump from USB 2 to USB 3 speeds makes large wired photo and video transfers far quicker. The Action button and Camera Control also provide two new physical controls that the iPhone 14 Pro lacks. The camera upgrade is especially compelling for anyone who regularly takes photos or records video. Higher-resolution Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras expand the options beyond the Main camera, while the variable aperture and Pro controls provide additional creative flexibility. Both iPhone 14 Pro sizes move from a 3x Telephoto camera to 4x, alongside an optical-quality 8x option that substantially extends their usable reach. For video creators, the accumulated changes are more consequential still. Higher-frame-rate 4K recording, external recording over USB-C, ProRes RAW, Genlock, Apple Log 2, Dual Capture, and improved audio tools expand the range of work that can be completed on the device. Spatial photo and video capture is also useful for Apple Vision Pro owners. The square front-camera sensor makes landscape framing easier without rotating the phone, while Center Stage improves flexibility for group photos and video calls. The A20 Pro and vapor chamber cooling make the strongest performance case for users who play demanding games, record long video clips, or regularly push their device through sustained workloads. The increase from 6GB to 12GB of RAM and the additional AI processing hardware also enable Apple Intelligence, Siri AI, and Visual Intelligence, none of which are available on the iPhone 14 Pro. The older model still supports iOS 27 and remains capable for messaging, browsing, photography, and other everyday activities, so the latest software update does not make it obsolete. There are physical trade-offs to consider. Both newer models are taller and thicker, although the move from stainless steel to aluminum means the weight increases by only 5 grams on the Pro and 9 grams on the Pro Max despite the larger displays and batteries. The aluminum enclosure improves thermal management, but it is less premium-looking, and it may show dents and scratches more readily than the iPhone 14 Pro's stainless steel frame. If your iPhone 14 Pro still meets your needs and comfortably lasts through the day, upgrading is not urgent, but you may want to think about getting a new device soon. A battery replacement may be worth considering if reduced health is your main complaint and you would otherwise be happy to keep your device. The upgrade becomes much easier to recommend when battery limitations coincide with a desire for Apple Intelligence, USB-C, the newer cameras, and a larger display. A discounted iPhone 17 Pro is another option if your priorities are the aluminum design, higher-resolution telephoto camera, square front-camera sensor, Apple Intelligence, USB-C, and vapor chamber cooling. Those upgrades arrived before this year's model. Paying more for the iPhone 18 Pro makes the clearest sense when you also want the variable aperture, Pro controls, A20 Pro, smaller Dynamic Island, and further improvements to battery life and charging, but coming from an iPhone 14 Pro, the iPhone 17 Pro will still feel like a significant upgrade. Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro Buyer's Guide: iPhone 18 Pro (Buy Now) Related Forum: iPhone This article, iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 18 Pro Buyer's Guide: Should You Upgrade? first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

Pak Airline's Big Glow-Up Gets Savagely Trolled By Own Passengers; 'Fix Planes, Not Uniforms'

Pakistan International Airlines hosted a glossy gala featuring nine of the country's top fashion designers to unveil new forest-green cabin crew uniforms, expecting applause. Instead, it got mercilessly trolled by its own citizens. Pakistanis flooded PIA's comments demanding aircraft maintenance, clean cabins, working entertainment systems and on-time flights instead of a runway show, especially since the airline was simultaneously cutting discounts and flight frequencies over rising fuel costs. Behind the memes lies a genuinely ugly reality: PIA carries nearly $3 billion in liabilities, lost $270 million in a recent year, remains banned from the US, and only had its EU ban lifted in 2024 after a 2020 Karachi crash exposed that a third of its pilots held fake licenses. We break down the full timeline of PIA's uniform launch, the brutal reactions, and the airline's long fall from its glamorous Pierre Cardin-designed past to today's punchline status.

Delhi Teenager Raped By 3 Men Posing As Cops Near Kalkaji Mandir

According to the complaint, the girl went to Kalkaji Mandir with her 17-year-old male friend around 7 pm on Monday.

CJP backs Odisha students' protest, seeks minister's exit

Students and political parties in Odisha are protesting widespread errors in school textbooks, demanding the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond. The CJP has extended support to the Navnirman Yuva Chhatra Sangathan's 'satyagraha', while the state government has begun distributing corrected textbooks.

Trump's White House Media Ban Backfires? CNN, MS NOW & Politico Take Fight To Court

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have notified the Trump administration that they are filing an emergency First Amendment lawsuit demanding the restoration of their White House access. Donald Trump barred the three organisations after accusing them of publishing fake news, openly linking their exclusion to reporting he disliked rather than any alleged security breach or misconduct. Reporters Betsy Klein, Akayla Gardner and Cheyenne Haslett were subsequently stopped by Secret Service personnel and had their deactivated credentials confiscated. CNN and MS NOW also reportedly lost access to workspaces and broadcast positions, while CNN was removed from television pool duty for Trumps New York trip. The outlets argue that the ban violates press-freedom and due-process protections by turning presidential access into a reward for favourable coverage. A federal judge must now determine whether the president can close the peoples house to journalists because he objects to what they publish.

Cong alleges 18 Raj councillors detained in Haryana

Congress leaders have accused the Haryana Police of illegally detaining 18 municipal councillors from Rajasthan's Tijara in Panchkula, allegedly to prevent them from voting in a crucial municipal council chairperson election. While police deny the claims, Congress has staged protests, calling the incident a murder of democracy and demanding a high-level inquiry into the alleged political interference.

Protect Sikkims peaceful identity, tackle cybercrime and narcotics: Governor to police officers

Digital Desk | Gangtok, Sep 21 (IANS) Sikkim Governor O.P. Mathur on Monday called upon newly inducted police officers to uphold the states peaceful and friendly identity while preparing to tackle emerging challenges, including cybercrime and narcotics-related offences. A delegation of Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) from the 2024 batch of the Sikkim Police Service met the Governor at Lok Bhavan, according to an official statement. During the interaction, Mathur engaged with the officers on their understanding of the role of police personnel in society and invited them to share their perspectives on policing and public service. The Governor emphasised that the primary responsibility of the police force should be to create a sense of security and trust among citizens while preserving Sikkims reputation as a peaceful state. He urged the officers to develop effective action plans to address emerging threats, particularly cybercrime and narcotics, which require enhanced preparedness and coordinated responses from law enforcement agencies. Mathur also highlighted the importance of adopting modern technologies to keep pace with changing patterns of crime. He encouraged the officers to strengthen their technical capabilities and remain updated on developments in policing and crime prevention. The Governor advised the newly inducted personnel to maintain their physical and mental fitness, underlining the importance of personal well-being in carrying out demanding police duties. He further stressed the need for continuous learning, urging the officers to regularly update their knowledge of changing laws and emerging forms of criminal activity. The interaction focused on the responsibilities of the police in maintaining public confidence, responding to evolving security challenges and ensuring effective law enforcement. Mathurs remarks come amid growing attention to the need for police forces to strengthen their capabilities in tackling technology-enabled crimes and narcotics-related challenges. The Governor encouraged the officers to approach their duties with professionalism and a commitment to public service, while ensuring that law enforcement efforts remain aligned with Sikkims peaceful social environment. The meeting provided an opportunity for the newly inducted officers to interact with the Governor and discuss their responsibilities as members of the state police service.

8th pay commission: Himachal Pradesh, central govt pensioners stage protest, demand uniform pension revision

Himachal Pradesh and central government pensioners in Shimla staged a protest on Saturday, demanding withdrawal of the Centre's 2025 pension validation legislation. They are seeking uniform revision of pensions irrespective of the date of retirement.

Ahmadis face escalating violence in Pakistan amid climate of impunity: Rights body

Digital Desk | Islamabad, Sep 21 (IANS) A leading minority rights organisation on Monday has expressed grave concern over the relentless targeting of Ahmadis in Pakistan, where violence, intimidation and mob activity have followed them from the workplace to places of worship and their homes, with attackers allegedly emboldened by the climate of impunity. Highlighting the escalating atrocities against the Ahmadiyya community, the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) said that two Ahmadi Muslims Malik Mahmood Mubarak, 70, and his son Ayaz, 40 were shot in Sargodha district of Punjab province on September 19, while travelling back home. The rights body noted that both survived, but no arrests have been reported. It said that police registered a first information report the following day under the Pakistan Penal Code, after the victims were taken to District Headquarters Hospital. Citing witnesses, it said that the attackers fled on an unregistered motorcycle, while the complainant said that he would be able to identify the assailants if brought forward. Yet in a climate where faithbased killings rarely end in convictions, an FIR reads less like justice and more like paperwork. The Ahmadiyya Community has called for immediate protection, arrests and concrete measures to prevent further attacks, the VOPM noted. The latest attack came days after Pakistans Federal Constitutional Court upheld a Punjab ban on Rohani Khazayeen, a 23volume collection of writings by the Ahmadiyya founder, dismissing petitions that argued the ban violated constitutional religious freedom. The court held that religious freedom is subject to law, public policy and morality, and left the 2014 forfeiture in place. For a community already criminalised for professing its faith, the message is stark: even sacred texts can be seized, while sacred lives remain unprotected, the VOPM stated. Weeks before the latest shooting, on September 2, 65-year-old Mirza Safdar Mahmood was killed near Kot Ahmad Shah area in Mandi Bahauddin city of Punjab while travelling to an Ahmadi place of worship. Stressing that impunity is not an accident but a policy choice, the VOPM said: Pakistan must protect Ahmadi citizens, investigate every attack promptly, prosecute perpetrators under international standards, and provide remedies to victims. It must also review laws and administrative measures that enable discrimination and incitement, including the forfeiture of religious publications. Until then, every bullet that misses today will be read as a promise for tomorrow. Earlier this month, the United Nations experts voiced serious concern over continued discrimination, violence, and legal restrictions targeting members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan, while calling on authorities to ensure their safety and uphold the country's international human rights commitments.

Asian Games Day 2: China Leads Medal Count, India Ranks 12th

After the second day of competitions at the Aich-Nagoya Asian Games, China has taken a commanding lead in the medal tally with 38 medals, including 23 golds. Japan and Republic of Korea follow in second and third place respectively. India is currently ranked 12th with a total of 6 medals, comprising 4 silver and 2 bronze.

Congress slams Centre, Punjab govt over wheat stocks ahead of paddy procurement

Digital Desk | Chandigarh, Sep 21 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government and the BJP-led Union government over their failure to clear wheat stocks occupying crucial storage space in rice mills and mandi yards ahead of the paddy procurement season. With the official procurement season set to begin on October 1, and early varieties already arriving in several mandis, Bajwa warned that the continued occupation of storage space by wheat stocks could trigger serious congestion across Punjabs procurement system. Citing recent reports, Bajwa said nearly 12 lakh metric tons (MT) of wheat is still lying in rice mills across Punjab, while another 1.83 lakh MT of Central Pool wheat remains in mandi yards awaiting movement to the Food Corporation of India (FCI). These figures expose the complete lack of preparedness of both the Punjab government and the Union government. Paddy procurement is just days away, yet vital storage space remains occupied by wheat stocks that should have been cleared and moved months ago, he said. He cautioned that the situation could become particularly difficult once paddy arrivals gather momentum, as mills and mandis will simultaneously have to handle the incoming crop while dealing with wheat stocks yet to be moved. If this bottleneck is not cleared immediately, farmers could be forced to wait for hours or even days to unload their paddy. Those who lack adequate storage at their farms will be especially vulnerable to distress sales. Prolonged delays can also create additional problems related to moisture and grain quality, Bajwa said. He questioned why the Punjab government and the Centre had failed to anticipate an entirely foreseeable problem. This is not an unexpected crisis. Everyone knew that the paddy procurement season was approaching. The Punjab government and the Centre had months to plan the evacuation of wheat, arrange transportation and ensure adequate storage capacity. Yet, they failed to act until the crisis was staring them in the face, he remarked. Accusing the AAP government of prioritising publicity over preparedness, Bajwa said, Instead of ensuring that the foodgrain management system was ready for the next procurement season, the AAP government remained focused on publicity exercises and political theatrics. Now, Punjabs farmers are being left to bear the consequences of administrative failure. Bajwa demanded that the Punjab government and the Centre immediately coordinate the evacuation of wheat stocks from rice mills and mandi yards, accelerate their movement to designated storage locations and ensure sufficient space is available before paddy arrivals intensify. Punjabs farmers should not be made to pay the price for the failure of two governments. The AAP government and the BJP-led Centre must stop passing the responsibility to each other and immediately clear the bottleneck. Farmers must have assured and hassle-free procurement when their crop reaches the mandis, he added.

Textbook error row: Odisha students

Bhubaneswar: As the students agitation over errors in school textbooks gains momentum in Odisha, the CJP on Monday, September 21, extended its support to the ongoing satyagraha by the Navnirman Yuva Chhatra Sangathan (NYCS), which is demanding the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over the alleged irregularities. The NYCS and Opposition Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

BIG WIN FOR PUTIN; Huge Victory For Russia's Ruling Party As Europe Cries Foul Over Poll Outcome

Russias ruling United Russia party is heading for a commanding parliamentary victory, strengthening President Vladimir Putins grip on the State Duma as the war in Ukraine continues.EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas sharply criticised the vote, accusing the Kremlin of silencing dissent, excluding anti-war opposition and shutting out international monitors. Moscows election authorities, meanwhile, reported strong turnout and a larger United Russia vote share than in 2021.

Pudukottai Government Museum waits for facelift

The museum attracts up to 80 to 100 visitors a day, with the robotic dinosaur being among the most popular, followed by the remains of a whale mandible, say officials

Farmers seek early implementation of Mahadayi, Kalasa Banduri Nala project

Demanding early implementation of the Mahadayi, Kalasa Banduri Nala project and resolution of the drinking water and irrigation issues facing the region, farmers staged a demonstration in Hubballi on Monday

Farmers seek early implementation of Mahadayi, Kalasa Banduri Nala project

Demanding early implementation of the Mahadayi, Kalasa Banduri Nala project and resolution of the drinking water and irrigation issues facing the region, farmers staged a demonstration in Hubballi on Monday

BJP disrupted J&K Assembly proceedings to avoid questions on statehood: Congress leader G A Mir

Srinagar, Sep 21: AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Monday accused BJP MLAs of resorting to disrupting proceedings in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly to escape a united front of political parties demanding the restoration of statehood as promised by the Centre. On the very first day, the BJP organised and created a commotion to hide their failures. Today, the entire House was going to unite and question the BJP, and ask the Centre why the commitment (on statehood restoration) was not honoured, Mir told reporters outside the House. The Congress leader, an MLA from the Dooru segment, said the Centre's failure to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir affects the local government as well. If you are unable to fulfil your commitment, then its effects are visible in our (NC) government. Our people's issues are also being affected because of this. So, the BJP sensed that questions would be raised against us and against the prime minister of the country, Mir said. Mir questioned the BJP for raising the issue of casual labourers, saying the party ruled Jammu and Kashmir for seven years and did nothing in their tenure regarding the issue. For seven years, they had a double-engine government; everything was in their hands. Even then, these were the same daily-wage and casual labourers. Why didn't they solve their issues then? he asked. Mir mentioned that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, despite having limited powers, has sought time to solve the issue. If the chief minister has asked for a few days and committed to solving their issue systematically, he should be given a chance, he added.

Radhashtami and Ashram Vijay Niti Celebrated at Shrimandir

Radhashtami and the Ashram Vijay Niti of Shri Sudarshan Dev were held at Shrimandir in Puri.

India bounce back from Iran defeat, sweep Pakistan 3-0 in Asian Games table tennis

India bounced back from their defeat to Iran with a commanding 3-0 win over Pakistan in the mens table tennis team event at the Asian Games, with Harmeet Desai, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Payas Jain each winning in straight games. Indias women also swept Pakistan to book a quarterfinal spot after opening their campaign with a 3-2 win over Singapore.

Quote of the day by Tom Cruise: 'I look at life as an adventure, and I always have my whole life...'; Hollywood actor reveals secret mantra of living life amid challenges and uncertainity

Tom Cruises belief that life is an adventure offers lessons beyond Hollywood. His philosophy highlights embracing uncertainty, staying curious, preparing for difficult challenges and continuing to learn regardless of success. From moving frequently as a child to mastering filmmaking and demanding stunts, Cruises journey suggests that growth often comes from stepping beyond comfort zones and remaining open to new experiences.

Asian Games 2026: India thrash Pakistan 3-0 in table tennis team event

AICHI NAGAYO: India bounced back from their defeat to Iran with a commanding 3-0 victory over Pakistan in the mens table tennis team contest at the Asian Games on Monday in Aichi-Nagoya. Harmeet Desai got India off to a winning start, defeating Khan Muhammad 11-4, 11-3, 11-5 in straight games in the opening match.Sathiyan Gnanasekaran []

Yashbardhan Chauhans all-round show guides India U-19 to series-clinching win over Australia U-19

Digital Desk | Rajkot, Sep 21 (IANS) An all-round performance from Yashbardhan Chauhan powered India Under-19 to a comprehensive 103-run victory over Australia Under-19 in the second Youth ODI here at the Niranjan Shah Stadium and helped the hosts seal the three-match series with a game to spare. Chauhan starred with an explosive 122 off 100 balls before picking up two crucial wickets to dismantle Australia's run chase. Electing to bat first, India Under-19 posted a formidable 341/7 in their allotted 50 overs, anchored by Chauhan's magnificent century and a blistering 87 off 92 balls from VK Vineeth. Opening batter Aaryavir Sehwag provided a brisk start at the top of the order with a 48-ball 47 after captain Lakshay Raichandani fell for 11. India then took complete control as Chauhan and Vineeth joined forces and stitched together a commanding 132-run partnership off 124 balls for the third wicket. Chauhan was in sublime touch, striking 15 boundaries and two maximums in his 100-ball stay at a strike-rate of 122 and raised his second fifty-plus score in as many matches. Vineeth provided ideal support by clearing the fence six times alongside four hits to the boundary ropes. By the time Vineeth fell in the 40th over with the scoreboard reading 233/3, the foundation for a massive total was well laid. Chauhan and Kushagra Ojha then provided the late flourish, with the latter smashing a quickfire 34 off just 20 balls to help India plunder 106 runs in the final ten overs. For Australia Under-19, pacer Thomas Vaseo was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-78 from his ten overs. Chasing a daunting target of 342, Australia U-19 started steadily through skipper Jack Czosnek and Matthew Lough. Lough contributed a 40-ball 42, while Czosnek scored a fighting 81 off 63 balls, laden with seven fours and four sixes. The duo kept the visitors in the hunt with a 99-run stand off 82 balls for the fourth wicket after Australia had stumbled to 72/3. But the turning point came in the 27th over when Kavya Paresh Patel dismissed the dangerous Czosnek. His departure triggered a massive collapse, with Australia losing their last six wickets for just 38 runs. Despite a fighting 44 off 46 balls from Blake Cattle, laced with five fours and a six, Australia Under-19 were eventually bundled out for 238 in 41.1 overs. Spinner Chigurupati Venkata was the most successful bowler for the hosts by taking 3-64, while Chauhan capped off an outstanding day on the field with figures of 2-56. Patel was exceptionally economical, finishing with 2-23 from his seven overs, while Mohit Ulva chipped in with 1-19. Brief Scores: India Under-19 341/7 (Yashbardhan Chauhan 122, VK Vineeth 87; Thomas Vaseo 3-78) beat Australia Under-19 238 all out (Jack Czosnek 81, Blake Cattle 44; Chigurupati Venkata 3-64) by 103 runs

Gill not a man of many words, but is clear and very authoritative in speaking: Holder

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) Describing India ODI skipper Shubman Gill as a leader who may not speak much but commands total clarity and authority in demanding what he wants from his team, West Indies seam-bowling all-rounder Jason Holder praised the young captain's calm demeanour while also rating Virat Kohli as arguably the best one-day batsman to ever play the game. West Indies are scheduled to arrive in India for playing a three-match ODI series starting on September 27. Though Holder has been rested from the trip, he shared some insights on Gills leadership style, based on playing under him for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026. I've played under Shubman. He's a leader. He's not a man of many words, but when he does speak, he's very clear, he's very authoritative as to what he's demanding of the team. He brings a level of calmness and poise, which is always a good trait to have as a leader. Those are things that I really respect about him and loved when I played under him. He's obviously new into his tenure as captain too, so he'll be learning on the job, and no doubt he'll be asking a lot of his players. His senior players have to come up to him and help him out. It's a similar situation with us, too, where Shai has been in the role for a while, but he's still learning on the job, too. It's a never-ending learning curve where, as a leader, as a player, there's never enough information. You're always trying to grab as much as you possibly can to get better. So, Shubman is no different, and I'm looking forward to seeing him, looking forward to playing against him, and I'm expecting a really good contest between both teams, Holder said to JioStar. Highlighting Gills tactical trust in his bowling unit, Holder revealed that the right-handed batter gives bowlers complete ownership over their field settings and plans. I don't know how to differentiate a bowler's captain from a batter's captain, but I could say that he's equally as soft and as giving with both bowlers and batters. I would just tell him what I wanted, we would have a conversation about it. That's primarily when it comes to field setting. He gave me the ownership and leadership to do it the way I wanted to, which is a strong asset for a captain. I never had any issues with Shubman, and he pretty much gave me free rein to set my fields and execute the plans I was looking to execute. It was always real open communication, and one where we shared enough and had that understanding. I really enjoyed playing with him, and hopefully, in years to come, we could continue to play together, he observed. Turning his focus to Indias seasoned duo of veteran batter Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Holder noted that the two stalwarts present a formidable challenge for any opposition in the 50-over format. When you look at Virat, he is arguably the best player, the best one-day batsman to ever play the game, and one of the best batters to ever play the game. Rohit, when you look at his outstanding one-day record, particularly against West Indies as well, he's done really well. So, the two stalwarts of Indian cricket and world cricket pack a heavy punch. I don't think we have anything in comparison to what they have. Our best batsman and greatest player is Shai Hope, who's done extremely well for himself as well. So, I would put him in that category as well. Three world-class players who've got world-class records, and I'm looking forward to seeing all three of them do battle. It's obviously a keen contest every time I match up against Virat, for example, and I like playing against Rohit because I see them as big players, and I like to get in a contest with big players, he said. Holder was also effusive in his praise for tall India speedster Gurnoor Brar, and recalled his initial thoughts upon watching the youngster bowl during their IPL 2026 stint at GT. He's got a lot of great attributes. When I first saw him run in and bowl, I actually had a quiet chat with Ashish (Nehra, head coach) as to how this guy wasn't playing. But, it's good to see his progress. Good to see him get an opportunity to play for India. He's got a lot of great attributes. Obviously, height is one with which he will be able to extract a bit more bounce; he's got pace, he does a bit with the ball, which I think is important in this day and age. Pace is still obviously in the game and is a massive asset, but skill has to go along with the pace, and he possesses skill as well as the pace. Those are solid attributes to have as a fast bowler, so I would expect him to be a challenge for us. Facing him in the nets and seeing him go about his business in the nets was quite entertaining. I look forward to seeing him not only play against us but have a pretty healthy career, he concluded.

CBI arrests Delhi engineer for taking Rs 1 lakh bribe to book Ramleela Mela ground

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) The CBI arrested an executive engineer of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) for taking a bribe of Rs 1 lakh for the allotment of a ground for Ramleela Mela in northeast Delhi, an official said on Monday. In subsequent searches, the probe agency recovered Rs 41 lakh in cash from the executive engineer Vedpal Meenas house, said the official in a statement. Meena, Executive Engineer, DUSIB, Seemapuri office, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on September 19 after laying a trap, the statement said. The CBI registered the case on September 19 against Meena based on a complaint from Nand Nagri resident Vijay Kumar, the statement said. It was alleged that the accused Executive Engineer, DUSIB, demanded a bribe of Rs 2.50 lakh from the complainant for allotment of ground for Ramleela Mela at Nand Nagri, Wazirabad, Delhi and agreed to accept the same in two instalments, the CBI said. The CBI laid a trap on September 19 and caught the accused Executive Engineer, DUSIB, red-handed while demanding and accepting the first instalment of Rs 1 Lakh from the complainant, the CBI said. Vijay Kumar gave a written complaint to the CBI against Meena on September 17. In his complaint, he said he approached the probe agency because he did not want to pay any bribe to book the ground for Ramleela Mela at E-1 Block, Nand Nagri, behind Gagan Cinema, Wazirabad Road, the CBI said. CBI Superintendent of Police I.B. Pendhari verified Vijay Kumar's complaint before approving the filing of an FIR against Meena. The discreet verification prima facie disclosed that Vedpal Meena, Executive Engineer, DUSIB, demanded undue advantage of Rs 2,50,000 and agreed to accept the same in two instalments - Rs 1 lakh as first instalment for allotting Ramleela Ground to the complainant, Pendhari noted in the file. The above-mentioned facts and discreet verification prima facie disclosed commission of offence punishable under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) on the part of Vedpal Meena, Executive Engineer, DUSIB. Therefore, a regular case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) is registered against him, said the CBI FIR.

YSRCP protest, teachers counter-protest at SAAP office spark tension

Digital Desk | Vijayawada, Sep 21 (IANS) The YSR Congress Party protest at the SAAP office here on Monday, demanding the resignation of Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh over alleged irregularities in the appointment of teachers, triggered tension as newly recruited teachers resorted to a counter-protest. The opposition party had called for a protest at the office of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) to highlight alleged irregularities in the appointment of teachers under the sports quota and to demand Lokesh's resignation and a thorough CBI probe into Mega DSC. Teachers appointed under the sports quota also reached the SAAP office to counter what they called false propaganda against them and to submit a memorandum to the SAAP authorities. Both the groups raised slogans against each other and nearly came to blows. The area remained tense for nearly two hours. The teachers were inside the SAAP complex while YSRCP leaders staged a protest outside the gate. Police intervened to avert a clash by locking the gate. It detained several leaders and cadres of YSRCP. The opposition party alleged that workers of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), masquerading as teachers, attacked its cadres. Police erected barricades and prevented protesters from reaching the SAAP office, leading to tense scenes at Labbipet. Police resorted to a lathi-charge while dispersing YSRCP protesters, and several leaders and activists were detained, it said. YSRCP leaders said the protest was peaceful and questioned why the government was using police force instead of ordering an independent investigation into the recruitment process. Party PAC member and former Vinukonda MLA Bolla Brahmanaidu joined the protest and demanded a comprehensive CBI probe to establish the facts and ensure justice to deserving DSC candidates. The party said persons linked to the TDP entered the SAAP premises posing as teachers and attacked YSRCP activists and student-wing leaders with sticks, leaving several injured. YSRCP charged that police failed to prevent the clashes and instead used force against its workers. Police also stopped YSRCP leaders travelling to Vijayawada from different districts. Former minister Ambati Rambabu, Vanama Bala Vajrababu, Ambati Muralikrishna, Noori Fatima and others were intercepted near Kaza Toll Plaza and taken to Pedakakani Police Station. Jakkampudi Raja, Perni Krishna Murthy, Nagarjuna Yadav, and others were detained at Krishnalanka Police Station after participating in the DSC protest. YSRCP spokesperson Konda Rajiv said that instead of answering questions of aspirants, the coalition government misused police force to detain party leaders and cadres We would like to ask Chandrababu Naidu if Andhra Pradesh is under democratic rule or dictatorial Red Book rule. He alleged that the coalition government was following the agenda of evading evidence, intimidating dissenters and resorting to violence. Such repression cant bury the truth. We will intensify protest and fight hard in a better way until justice is delivered to each and every eligible and meritorious candidate and until and unless every culprit candidate is held accountable, he said.

Should you buy a Mac mini now? M6 vs M5 Pro buying advice

Macworld Its a good time to buy a Mac mini. Apple announced the new M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini on August 25, with shipping from September 22. With another significant update unlikely soon, there is little reason to wait if you need a compact desktop Mac. For most buyers, we recommend the M6 Mac mini. Starting at $899/899 up from $599 for the M4 generation it offers improved performance for everyday work, coding and creative tasks. It is particularly appealing if you already own a monitor, keyboard and mouse, or are replacing an Intel Mac or early Apple silicon model. The M5 Pro Mac mini is aimed at more demanding users. Its faster CPU and GPU, Thunderbolt 5, greater memory bandwidth and support for up to 64GB of unified memory make it better for professional creative work, development and larger local AI models. However, prices start at $1,699/1,699 and rise quickly with upgrades. This guide explains whether to buy now, which model to choose, how much to pay, and the alternatives, drawbacks and refurbished options to consider. Should you buy a Mac mini now? There are reasons to wait. Discounts are likely to improve in the months after launch, particularly around Prime Day in October and Black Friday in November, and more refurbished or discounted M4 models may appear as buyers upgrade. If youre happy with your current Mac, want to see independent benchmarks first or simply want the lowest possible price, there is no need to rush. You may prefer not to risk waiting. A global memory shortage contributed to long delivery times and limited availability for the previous generation, and similar supply constraints could affect the new models. The higher cost of memory and other components has also contributed to the Mac minis substantial price increase. Buy Mac mini now if: You need a Mac mini now and want the latest model. Youre replacing an Intel Mac or an older Apple silicon Mac. You want a powerful compact desktop for everyday, office, development or creative work. The $899/899 M6 Mac mini provides all the performance you need. Consider M5 Pro if: You need more than 32GB of unified memory. You run demanding professional creative or development workloads. You want to run larger local AI or LLM workloads. You need Thunderbolt 5 or substantially greater memory bandwidth. Wait if: You want to see independent benchmarks of the new models. Youre hoping for discounts around Prime Day or Black Friday. Your current Mac still meets your needs. You dont need a new Mac urgently and want to see whether prices fall. Consider refurbished if: You can find an M4 Mac mini at a significant discount. You want the best value rather than the newest chip. An Apple-refurbished M4 or M4 Pro configuration meets your memory and storage needs. Youre comfortable waiting for refurbished M6 or M5 Pro stock to appear. Apple Mac mini (M6, 2026) Price When Reviewed: $899 Best Prices Today: $879.99 at Amazon | $899 at Apple Apple Mac mini (M5 Pro, 2026) Price When Reviewed: $1,699 Best Prices Today: $1,699 at Amazon | $1699 at Apple Which Mac mini to buy: M6 or M5 Pro? Simon Jary / Foundry The Mac mini lineup has changed significantly in 2026, with Apple introducing the M6 and M5 Pro models in August. The choice between them comes down to your workload and budget, as they serve very different audiences despite sharing the same compact design. Apple sells two Mac mini models, both announced on August 25 and shipping from September 22, 2026: Mac mini (M6) starts at $899 / 899 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU 16GB unified memory (up to 32GB) Up to 2TB SSD Thunderbolt 4 (three ports), two front USB-C ports, HDMI, 2.5Gb Ethernet (10Gb Ethernet optional) Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread Supports up to three displays (two 6K + one 5K) Mac mini (M5 Pro) starts at $1,699 / 1,699 15-core CPU, 16-core GPU (upgradeable to 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU for +$200) 24GB unified memory (up to 64GB) Up to 8TB SSD Thunderbolt 5 (three ports), two front USB-C ports, HDMI, 2.5Gb Ethernet (10Gb Ethernet optional) Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread Supports up to three 6K displays Despite the M5 name being a generation older than M6, the M5 Pro is the more powerful chip it has more CPU and GPU cores, substantially greater memory bandwidth 307GB/s, compared with 153GB/s or 170GB/s for the M6, depending on the memory configuration, and supports far more unified memory. Choose the M6 Mac mini if: You dont need more than 32GB of unified memory (RAM). You need acompact, powerful desktop for everyday use web browsing, office work, photo editing, coding, and general productivity. Youre astudent or budget-conscious buyerlooking for the best-value option for home offices, school or office use. Education pricing brings the starting price down to $799. You already own a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. You dont need the extra performance or connectivity of the M5 Pro model. Choose the M5 Pro Mac mini if: Youre a developer, video editor, 3D artist, musician, or researcher who needs sustained performance for demanding workloads. You want to run larger local AI models. The M5 Pros higher memory ceiling and much greater memory bandwidth make it better suited to heavier LLM workloads than the M6. If local AI is a priority, choose your memory carefully because it cannot be upgraded later. You need Thunderbolt 5 for faster external storage, high-bandwidth peripherals or professional video workflows. You regularly work with heavy 3D rendering, high-end video production, large codebases or scientific workloads. You need more than 32GB of unified memory. M6 Mac mini M5 Pro Mac mini Best for Everyday work, coding and mainstream creative work Sustained professional and AI workloads Starting price $899/899 $1,699/1,699 Memory 16GB32GB 24GB64GB Memory bandwidth 153GB/s or 170GB/s 307GB/s Storage Up to 2TB Up to 8TB Thunderbolt Thunderbolt 4 Thunderbolt 5 Displays Two 6K plus one 5K Three 6K Our verdict Best choice for most people Buy only if your workload requires it How much should you pay for Mac mini? M6 Mac mini, starting at $899. M5 Pro Mac mini, starting at $1,699. Since the August 2026 update, the Mac mini is no longer the budget Mac it once was. The M6 model starts at $899, $300 more than the $599 starting price of the M4 generation. For most people, the $899 M6 Mac mini is the model to buy. It offers more than enough performance for everyday work, browsing, media and general productivity, although the standard 16GB of unified memory and 256GB SSD may feel limiting if you plan to keep it for several years. If you need more demanding performance for creative work, development or running local AI models, the M5 Pro Mac mini starts at $1,699. Configurations with more memory and storage can quickly push the price towards $3,000, so it only makes sense if you genuinely need that extra performance. Be cautious about spending heavily on Apples storage upgrades. External SSDs and Mac mini hubs with NVMe storage can provide considerably more capacity for less money. For most buyers, we recommend spending around $899 on the M6 Mac mini. Move up to the M5 Pro only if you need its extra processing power or significantly more memory. Discounts are likely to appear at Amazon and other resellers over time, particularly around Prime Day in October and Black Friday in November. For now, the best bargain may be a discounted M4 Mac mini, although remaining stock is likely to be limited. Find Apple on Amazon U.S. Find Apple on Amazon U.K. Students can save $100 through Apples Education Store , reducing the M6 Mac mini to $799 and the M5 Pro model to $1,599. Apples Refurbished Store is another way to save, although it may be some time before the new M6 and M5 Pro models appear there. Read: How to get an Apple student discount at Apples Education Store and Should you buy a refurbished Mac . Reasons to buy a Mac mini Foundry Excellent value : The price has gone up, but the Mac mini remains one of the most versatile and cost-effective ways to enter the macOS ecosystem. Even at the new starting price of $899, the Mac mini still delivers excellent performance per dollar. That balance of price, power, and efficiency is one of the main reasons for the desktops growing popularity. It also offers access to professional-grade performance for significantly less cash than a similarly specced MacBook Pro. Long software support window : The M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini will have a long usable lifespan and will receive many years of macOS updates and security support . Compact desktop footprint : The Mac minis ultra-compact 5-inch square design makes it one of the most space-efficient desktop computers available. It fits easily under monitors, in small offices, or in minimalist workstation setups. Its compact form factor also makes it particularly attractive for server racks, home labs, and multi-machine deployments. Retail discounts and refurbished deals : Despite already offering strong value at full price, the Mac mini is occasionally discounted by third-party retailers. If you can find a Mac mini deal even on a M4 model with a higher-memory configuration we recommend taking advantage of it. The Apple Refurbished Store can offer even better value, assuming stock is available. In the past, we have seen the M4 Mac mini discounted by around $100/100, while M4 Pro models have dropped by approximately $200/210. If deals like these reappear, they are likely worth considering. Reasons not to buy Mac mini The price has gone up significantly : The Mac mini was once the undisputed budget Mac, but that is much harder to say now. The entry-level model has risen sharply in price, making it less compelling for buyers primarily looking for the cheapest way into the Mac ecosystem. At $899, the latest Mac mini is still less expensive than a MacBook or iMac, but it no longer feels like the bargain it once was. You need to buy your own peripherals : The Mac mini is a BYODKM Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard and Mouse computer. Thats central to its appeal if you already own those accessories, but it can add substantially to the cost if you dont. Unlike an iMac or MacBook, the Mac mini doesnt include a display, keyboard or mouse. Buying all three can easily add hundreds of dollars to the overall price. The latest models also lack USB-A ports, so you may need adapters or a hub if you still use older accessories. Its not portable : The Mac mini is a desktop computer, so it isnt suitable if you need to work in different locations. You cant easily take it to a lecture, meeting or coffee shop in the way you can a MacBook. For students, frequent travellers or anyone who regularly works away from a desk, a laptop is likely to be the better choice. You cant upgrade it later : You need to choose your memory and storage carefully when you buy because neither can be upgraded afterwards. Apples build-to-order memory and storage upgrades can also be expensive, particularly once you start moving beyond the base configuration. This can quickly push the Mac mini into MacBook Pro or Mac Studio territory. Storage is less of a concern because inexpensive external SSDs and Mac mini hubs with NVMe storage can add capacity later, but there is no equivalent workaround for unified memory. Availability could be limited : New Mac launches can sometimes bring longer delivery times for popular configurations, particularly higher-memory or build-to-order models. The M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini may suffer significant shortages due to their popularity and the shortage of components and memory. Its not ideal for every AI workload: Apple is increasingly positioning its Macs for AI workloads, with the M6 GPUs Neural Accelerators and dual 16-core Neural Engine, but as our colleagues at PCWorld explain, the Mac mini has some limitations if running large local models is your main priority. The standard M6 Mac mini tops out at 32GB of unified memory, which may be restrictive for particularly large local models. The M5 Pro model offers more memory, but higher-spec configurations become expensive quickly. There is also no support for Nvidias CUDA platform. Many professional AI and machine-learning tools are optimized around CUDA and Nvidia GPUs, so a Windows or Linux PC with a suitable Nvidia graphics card may be faster or better supported for some workloads. For general Apple Intelligence features and lighter local AI use, however, this shouldnt be a concern. What to avoid when buying a Mac mini IDG Intel : Avoid Intel-powered Mac mini models when shopping for a refurbished Mac mini, prioritize models with Apple Silicon (M-series chips). Low RAM : We advise avoiding 8GB RAM models if possible, as newer generations now start with 16GB as the base standard. Check status : Check whether an older model is classified as vintage or obsolete. Service for vintage Macs depends on parts availability, while Apple generally ends hardware service for obsolete Macs. See: How long do Macs last. Is Mac mini right for you? Is the Mac mini the best choice for you? There are a number of trade-offs to consider. Feature Consideration Portability Not portable; requires separate monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Connectivity Lacks USB-A ports; may require adapters for older accessories. The M5 Pro Mac mini features three Thunderbolt 5 ports, while the standard M6 model uses Thunderbolt 4. Upgradability Unified memory and internal storage cannot be upgraded by the user after purchase. Who is the Mac mini best for? User Recommendation Student, office work, web dev Buy M6 Mac mini (or M4 if a refurbished model is available) Creative work (photo/video) M6 for mainstream photo/video work; M5 Pro for sustained professional workloads Local AI / LLM workloads M5 Pro with as much unified memory as the workload requires Existing M1/M2 Mac mini owner Consider M6 if performance, display support, connectivity or memory limits justify upgrading Intel Mac owner Buy M6 Mac mini Mac mini vs Mac Studio: Which should you buy? The Mac Studio is an even more powerful option. Thomas Bergbold The choice between the Mac mini and the Mac Studio largely comes down to whether you prioritize value or maximum performance. The Mac mini offers some of the best value in Apples desktop lineup. Even the standard M6 model delivers impressive performance for everyday computing, creative work, software development, and local AI tasks, while the M5 Pro configuration provides power for more demanding workloads. The Mac Studio is designed for users who need workstation-class performance. Following the discontinuation of the Mac Pro, it is now effectively Apples most powerful desktop. Starting at $2,499/2,499 for the M5 Max configuration, the Mac Studio also represents the most affordable way to get a Max-series Apple Silicon chip (which starts at $4,099/4,099 if you buy a MacBook Pro). It is well suited to professional video production, large AI models, 3D rendering, and other heavily multi-threaded or GPU-intensive workflows. For most users, the Mac mini is a better value purchase. However, if your workloads demand high performance, more memory and a more powerful GPU, the Mac Studio is the better choice. Mac mini vs MacBook Neo: Which is better value? Thomas Armbrster Before the introduction of the MacBook Neo, the Mac mini was Apples least expensive Mac. That is no longer the case particularly now Apple has raised the price of the entry-level Mac mini from $599/599 to $899/899. The MacBook Neo is now Apples most affordable Mac, starting at $699/699. It is designed as an entry-level Mac and is powered by the A18 Pro chip originally used for the iPhone 16 Pro and only offers 8GB memory. The focus is on portability, battery life, and affordability rather than performance. The Mac mini, by contrast, remains Apples best-value desktop Mac for users who already own a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Thanks to its M6 and M5 Pro chips, active cooling system, and greater performance, it is better suited to demanding workloads such as coding, creative applications, multitasking, and local AI development. Where to buy a Mac mini If youre looking to buy a Mac mini, you can choose between Apple, third-party retailers and refurbished outlets. Apple : You can buy a Mac mini directly from the Apple Store online or at an Apple retail store. Apple Education Store : Apple also offers discounted education pricing for eligible students and educators via its Education Store . For example, the $899 M6 Mac mini costs $799 with education pricing. Third-Party Resellers : Its worth checking third-party retailers as well as Apple, as stores such as Amazon and B&H frequently discount Macs. Authorized resellers and major retailers often sell the Mac mini at less than Apples list price. In the U.S., retailers include: Amazon Best Buy B&H Photo Video Costco Adorama DataVision In the U.K., retailers include: Amazon Argos Currys John Lewis AO Ebuyer Laptops Direct The U.K. also has Apple Premium Resellers including KRCS , iStore , Select , Albion and Jigsaw . Should you buy a refurbished Mac mini? A refurbished Mac mini can be an excellent way to save money, particularly if you dont need the latest model. Discounts can be significant, although the exact saving depends on the model, configuration and seller. The best place to start is Apples Refurbished Store . Apples refurbished Macs are fully tested, cleaned and inspected, and come with a one-year limited warranty, 90 days of technical support and eligibility for AppleCare. They are also supplied with the appropriate accessories and repackaged in a new box. Earlier in 2026, we saw refurbished M4 Mac mini models discounted by around $90/90, with savings also available on the M4 Pro version. However, as of September 2026, refurbished Mac mini stock is very limited. M4 models are currently unavailable, and it may be some time before the new M6 and M5 Pro models start appearing in Apples refurbished store. Availability is one of the main drawbacks of buying refurbished. Stock depends on returns and trade-ins, so you may not find the exact memory or storage configuration you want. More models may become available as owners upgrade to the latest Mac minis and older machines make their way to refurbishers. You should also be careful when buying from third-party sellers. Refurbishment standards and warranties can vary, and marketplaces may contain much older Intel-based Mac minis. We generally wouldnt recommend those models now unless the price is exceptionally low, as Apple silicon Mac minis offer much better performance and will receive software support for longer. Weve found Amazon particularly worth checking carefully. Refurbished stock can be dominated by Mac minis from 2020 or earlier, and weve even seen discontinued configurations listed for more than their original selling price. Always check the model year, specification and price of an equivalent new Mac before buying. Buying refurbished is generally safer than buying second hand from a private seller. A reputable refurbished Mac should have been inspected and tested and will usually include a warranty and returns policy. A privately sold Mac may offer neither, and there is also a risk of Activation Lock if the previous owner hasnt properly removed the Mac from their Apple Account. Where to buy a refurbished Mac mini U.S.: Amazon , Back Market , Best Buy , GainSaver , Mac of All Trades and Refurb.me . U.K.: Affordable Mac , Amazon , Back Market , Hoxton Macs , MacFinder , Mac4Sale and MusicMagpie . Read our guide to the pros and cons of buying refurbished Macs . We also have recommendations of the best places to buy a refurbished Mac .

Odisha: BJD seeks discussion on MMDR amendment ahead of monsoon session

Digital Desk | Bhubaneswar, Sep 21 (IANS) Odisha Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy on Monday convened an all-party meeting ahead of the upcoming session of the state Assembly, seeking cooperation from all parties to ensure the House functions smoothly. Deputy Speaker Bhabani Shankar Bhoi, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Leader of Opposition Prasanna Acharya, and other senior leaders from all parties attended the meeting. Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Opposition Chief Whip and senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Pramila Mallik said the Speaker discussed how to run the House smoothly during the nine-day monsoon session. She added, As the opposition, we, on behalf of the BJD, have demanded a discussion in the House on the losses suffered by the state due to the MMDR Amendment. We have submitted a motion demanding a detailed discussion on the issue. Mallik further demanded that the government either allow a discussion on the BJD's motion or hold a discussion by moving a motion of thanks. She said the Speaker had assured her of consideration, adding that the partys future course of action depends on the Speakers decision. Senior Congress MLA Ashok Das noted that his party will raise issues concerning Odishas interests, including the MMDR Amendment Act, and seek discussions on the floor of the House during the upcoming monsoon session. Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling said the state government is ready to discuss issues raised in the Assembly. He added that the Speaker appealed to all members to ensure that the Assembly functions smoothly and peacefully. Whatever Bills and issues come up during the session should be discussed constructively, Mahaling said. He said the Assembly had so far received notices for six Bills. However, the Assemblys Advisory Committee would decide the priority of the Bills and allocate time for discussion. On the MMDR Amendment Act, Mahaling said a motion had been submitted to the Speaker seeking a discussion. The matter is under the jurisdiction of the Speaker. The Speaker will decide the priority and the form in which the discussion will be allowed. Whatever form the Speaker permits, we are ready to discuss it, he said. The Odisha Assemblys seventh session of the 17th Assembly is scheduled to begin on September 22 and continue until October 3.

Ex-MLA questions killing of top Jharkhand Maoist Brijesh Ganjhu, seeks CBI probe

Digital Desk | Ranchi, Sep 21 (IANS) The brother of slain Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC) chief Brijesh Ganjhu has questioned the killing of his brother in an encounter in Uttar Pradeshs Varanasi. He alleged that the operation was fake and demanded a probe by the CBI into the incident. Ganesh Ganjhu, former MLA from Simaria and brother of Brijesh Ganjhu alias Gopal Singh Bhokta, on Monday claimed that the Maoist leader was picked up from Jharkhand's Chatra district and later taken to Uttar Pradesh, where he was killed as part of a conspiracy. He urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to order an impartial CBI probe into the circumstances surrounding his brother's death. According to the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), Brajesh Ganjhu was killed in an encounter in Varanasi on Sunday morning. He carried a reward of Rs 25 lakh by the Jharkhand government and an additional Rs 5 lakh by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The body of the slain extremist reached his native village, Luttu Sohawan, under Lawalong police station limits in Chatra district on Monday. Speaking to reporters, Ganesh Ganjhu questioned the police version of the encounter. He raised doubts over the claim that Brajesh, who was allegedly riding a motorcycle when intercepted by police in Varanasi's Ramnagar area, opened fire on the security team. If he was riding the motorcycle, how could he fire from two pistols simultaneously? he asked, demanding an independent inquiry into the incident. Police, however, have maintained that Brajesh fired at the team during the operation and was injured in retaliatory action. He later succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead by doctors at a hospital. The former legislator also levelled serious allegations against the Jharkhand Police, claiming that his brother was first used in operations against Maoists and was later eliminated. He warned of a phased agitation if the government failed to act on the demand for an investigation. Ganesh Ganjhu further described his brother as an active participant in social welfare activities. He said Brajesh had been an elected panchayat representative since 2010 and had worked extensively for the poor, helping several underprivileged families, including supporting the marriages of girls from economically weaker sections. He also claimed that Brajesh had established the Gopal Singh Bhokta Inter College in Lawalong. The former MLA said that tackling Naxalism requires addressing its underlying causes and socio-economic factors rather than relying solely on security operations.

Indias earnings breadth widens, valuations improve: Report

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) Indias Q1 FY27 corporate earnings hit tenquarter high and foreign institutional investors in August returned with their strongest monthly inflow since September 2024, a report said on Monday, even as equity valuation comfort improves. Indian equities are no longer uniformly expensive, with large-cap valuation comfort improving even as pockets of the broader market stay demanding. India's valuation premium to emerging markets has compressed to 20 per cent, near a decade low, the report from PL Asset Management said. Nifty PAT grew at its fastest pace in 10 consecutive quarters, prompting many brokerages to raise FY27 estimates, while the mid-cap PAT grew even higher up 20 per cent YoY, small-cap PAT up nearly 28 per cent Mid and smallcap stocks led gains even as the Nifty 50 slipped 1.24 per cent amid a hawkish Fed, a surging gold price and an Nvidia-led revival in global AI sentiment. Sector leadership was broad: capital goods, autos, metals, financials and healthcare all beat, while IT, chemicals and real estate lagged, the report said. That breadth doesn't happen by accident; it reflects a genuinely running investment cycle, with Gross Fixed Capital Formation growing 11.9 per cent in real terms, said Siddharth Vora, Head Quant Investment Strategies & Fund Manager, PL Asset Management. Domestic institutional investors extended a 38month net buying streak in August while foreign institutional investors' huge inflow helped offset roughly Rs 2.1 lakh crore of selling earlier in the year. Stocks with meaningful foreign holding have grown from 900 to 1,300 over four years, even as aggregate foreign ownership sits near a multi-year low as a share of market cap rotation and re-engagement rather than a wholesale return, leaving more room than usual for incremental buying to move price, the report noted.

Tribal welfare scam: Karnataka CM says his govt forced an innocent person to resign

Digital Desk | Bengaluru, Sep 21 (IANS) Referring to the resignation of Congress MLA B. Nagendra as a cabinet minister in connection with the Tribal Welfare scam, Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday said that the government had been forced to make an innocent person resign due to pressure from the Opposition and criticised BJP MLAs for disrupting the Assembly instead of allowing discussions on the issues they had raised. He made the statement in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly while defending the decision to call a special session to discuss the drought situation and the Kasturirangan Report. Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka insisted that these matters should be discussed under the Adjournment Motion he had submitted to the Speaker. Referring to the resignation of Nagendra, Shivakumar said in the Assembly, We have forced an innocent to resign because of pressure from the Opposition. I forced him to resign. I asked the Opposition why they were demanding his resignation. They did not speak and disrupted the House. Later, they also took out a protest march. Let them do it; in a democracy, it is allowed. Shivakumar maintained that there was no need for an Adjournment Motion as the government had already convened the special session to discuss the same issues. Ashoka questioned the government on the provision under which the special session had been called and said there was no such provision under the law. Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the Opposition had submitted the Adjournment Motion only now, while the government had already called the special session to discuss the same issues. Shivakumar said the Opposition had disrupted the previous Monsoon Session and had not allowed him to speak for even a minute. He said the Opposition had submitted a written request to discuss the drought situation but had subsequently disrupted the proceedings, forcing the government to curtail the session by two days. Now, I have called a special session. Before that, I have visited various districts regarding the drought and the Kasturirangan report. Our stand on the Kasturirangan report has to be conveyed to the Centre by September 27. Considering all this, the special session has been called, he said. Shivakumar said he could have simply sent the previous report to the Centre, but wanted the issues to be discussed by elected representatives rather than allowing it to become his personal decision. The drought and Kasturirangan report must be discussed in the session. The session has been called in accordance with the wishes of the people, he said. He said meetings had been held in the four divisions of the state, including Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Chitradurga, with legislators to discuss the issues. Shivakumar said 120 taluks had already been declared drought-affected, while another 100 taluks were being verified for possible inclusion. He also said the impact of the Kasturirangan report on farmers had been brought to his notice by legislators and described the possible consequences as serious. MPs, MLAs and MLCs were called, and meetings were held, he said. Shivakumar further said the demand for the special session had not come from the Opposition and that the government had itself decided to convene it. It is good that the Opposition has brought an Adjournment Motion on the same matter. The Adjournment Motion is not needed. I am here to take your opinion on the matter. You can discuss the matter under any provision and for as long as required. The special session has already been called, he said.

NC, BJP Disrupted House to Silence Kashmirs Voice: Muntazir Mehdi

Srinagar, Sep 21: In a scathing crtique of the National Conference-BJP combine, Budgam MLA Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi on Monday alleged that both parties had conspired to disrupt Assembly proceedings, deliberately preventing the legitimate grievances of the people of Jammu and Kashmir from being aired on the floor of the House. Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, MLA Mehdi charged that the ruling dispensation had orchestrated the disruption of House proceedings to ensure that critical issues including the contentious reservation policy, the plight of intern doctors, the demands of NHM employees, and the concerns of daily wagers were never taken up for discussion. The institutional marginalization of Kashmiri Muslims is underway, Mehdi said, pointing to what he described as a calculated demographic sleight of hand in the reservation framework. A community that constitutes 60% of the population has been reduced to a mere 14% share in the reservation matrix. This is not an administrative oversight it is deliberate marginalization. The Budgam legislator revealed that an adjournment motion had been moved first thing in the morning, specifically to bring these pressing public issues to the immediate attention of the House. However, he alleged, coordinated disruptions ensured the motion never received its due hearing. From the very first day, the National Conference and the BJP made it abundantly clear that the sentiments and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir have no place in this Assembly, Mehdi stated, adding that the pattern of conduct left little room for doubt about the intent of both parties. Mehdi drew a sharp contrast between the unrest outside the Assembly and the proceedings within it. Across Jammu and Kashmir, he noted, people are protesting across multiple fronts agitating over reservation policies, demanding justice for contractual healthcare workers, and seeking regularization of daily wage employees. Our people are on the streets. They are protesting. They are raising their voices. And what did this House do today? It was wrecked deliberately wrecked so that not a single one of their voices could find representation here, he said.

Bomb threat email names Somnath temple, Gujarat BJP offices; searches find nothing suspicious

Digital Desk | Ahmedabad/Gir Somnath, Sep 21 (IANS) A bomb-threat email naming the Somnath Temple and BJP offices in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar triggered a security alert across Gujarat on Monday, prompting searches by police, bomb detection and disposal teams and dog squads, officials said. The threat mentioned the BJP office in Ahmedabad's Khanpur area, the party's state office, Kamalam, at Koba in Gandhinagar, and the Somnath Temple. Police said no suspicious object was found during searches at the locations. Ahmedabad C-Division ACP Adwait Gandhi said the State Intelligence Bureau in Gandhinagar received the input around 9 a.m., following which the Khanpur BJP office was thoroughly checked, and additional police deployment was put in place. At 9 a.m., we received an input from the State Intelligence Bureau in Gandhinagar. According to that, there was a threat of a bomb blast at the BJP Central Office in Khanpur. We informed the BDTS and had the entire premises checked, and police deployment has also been put in place. The situation is normal, Gandhi said. He confirmed that the Somnath Temple and BJP office at Koba had also been named in the threat. Nothing suspicious has been found. The situation is normal, he said. Gandhi said there was no need for panic and added that police are carrying out their duties. I do not have information about the origin of the email at this stage and action had been taken on the basis of the intelligence input, he noted. At the Khanpur office, police, fire brigade personnel and bomb and dog squad teams conducted a detailed search. City BJP president Prerak Shah said the party was informed that intelligence agencies had received an email threatening to blow up the office. Based on that, both the police and bomb squad arrived here. The entire Khanpur BJP office was searched, and nothing objectionable or suspicious was found here, Shah said. At Somnath, Deputy SP M.F. Chaudhary said the police received the threat email in the morning and the entire police force was placed on alert on the instructions and guidance of the Superintendent of Police. He said the temple has dedicated security personnel working round the clock and that devotees normally undergo two-layer frisking and checking. Electronic gadgets and other prohibited items are not allowed inside the temple premises. In view of today's situation, we put our other district branches, including the LCB, Special Operation Group, BDS and QRT, on alert and had the entire temple premises searched. The BDS searched the temple premises but found no suspicious objects, he said. The latest threat comes amid a series of similar email-based bomb scares in Gujarat. Earlier this month, threats were received by courts, schools and the Gujarat Assembly, while separate threats on September 15 and 17 reportedly named courts, Mahatma Mandir and port facilities. Searches in those cases also did not result in the recovery of explosives. Gujarat Police had also recently arrested two men in connection with an alleged interstate network involved in sending hoax bomb-threat emails. Investigators recovered details of 513,847 Gmail accounts and passwords allegedly linked to the network. Police are examining whether the latest threat has any connection with that network.

Ram Mandir donation theft case: SIT identifies all accused, chargesheet to be filed by September 25

The Ram Mandir donation theft case came up for hearing in the Supreme Court on Monday. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) presented its status report on the investigation before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.

105 Instances Of Donation Theft At Ram Temple Caught On CCTV: Probe Report

Ram Mandir Donation Theft Case: The SIT status report outlined how CCTV footage and other materials were analysed to identify the accused

Main Kremlin party keeps control of Russia's parliament after a carefully orchestrated vote

Russias ruling United Russia party is set to retain a commanding majority in parliament, with preliminary results giving it about 355 of 450 State Duma seats. The vote, the first parliamentary election since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, was held amid tight restrictions on opposition and also included Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, which Kyiv rejected as illegal.

Asian Games 2026: Indian men's badminton outplays Bangladesh to enter quarterfinals

The Indian men's badminton team secured a dominant 3-0 victory against Bangladesh. Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, and K Srikkanth won their respective matches without dropping games. This commanding performance propelled the team into the Asian Games quarterfinals. They are now scheduled to face hosts Japan in the next stage. The women's team will also compete against Japan in their quarterfinal match.

Open display of anti-Ahmadi banners in Pakistan sparks concern over safety of religious minority

Digital Desk | London, Sep 21 (IANS) A leading international human rights organisation expressed grave concern over the open display of hostile and discriminatory banners targeting the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community across Sargodha district in Pakistans Punjab province. The rights group warned that such incidents could fuel further hostility against the already persecuted religious minority community. Citing reports, the UK-based International Human Rights Committee (IHRC) said that several such banners were put up along Sargodha University Road, with some portraying Ahmadis as disloyal to Pakistan, demanding their removal from positions of responsibility and calling for their complete boycott. One prominently displayed banner carried the English words: We hate Qadianiyat ( a religious slur). Video footage from Sargodha also showed anti-Ahmadi banners erected prominently along public roads. The banners are not merely expressions of theological disagreement. Calls for people to boycott an identifiable religious community, exclude its members from society and remove them from positions of responsibility contribute to an environment in which Ahmadis can face discrimination in their everyday lives. The fact that such material has reportedly been displayed openly along a major public road raises serious questions about the response of local and provincial authorities, the IHRC stated. Highlighting that such anti-Ahmadi calls are not without precedent in the Sargodha region, the rights body noted that previous documented incidents in the Silwanwali region of Sargodha district included anti-Ahmadi rallies, calls for members of the public to refrain from doing business with Ahmadis, and demands for their social boycott. The IHRC cited Pakistan's National Commission for Human Rights, which documented incidents of boycott campaigns against Ahmadis, including calls to deny them groceries and medical treatment, expel Ahmadi students and teachers, and terminate land leases. The Commission also documented interference with Ahmadi religious worship in Sargodha. These documented examples demonstrate the potentially serious consequences when campaigns of religious exclusion move beyond rhetoric and begin affecting education, employment, commerce, healthcare and religious life, the IHRC stated. The rights body referred to UN human-rights mechanisms that have repeatedly raised concerns over violence, harassment, hate speech and attacks against religious minorities, including Ahmadis across Pakistan. Whatever an individual's religious beliefs may be, no citizen should face violence, intimidation, discrimination or exclusion because of their faith. The authorities have a responsibility to ensure that Ahmadis and all other religious communities are afforded effective protection and that credible allegations of unlawful incitement, threats or discrimination are properly investigated, it stressed. The IHRC urged the international community to scrutinise Pakistan's implementation of its international human-rights commitments and ensure that the safety and fundamental rights of vulnerable religious communities remain part of bilateral and multilateral engagement. Hatred displayed openly in public spaces must not be allowed to develop into discrimination, intimidation or violence, it added.

J&K Assembly ruckus: BJP stages protest demanding justice for NHM employees

On the opening day of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assemblys autumn session on Monday, BJP legislators staged a protest inside the House. The MLAs raised several key demands, including the rollback of electricity tariff hikes, regularisation of daily wage workers, and job security for National Health Mission (NHM) employees.

Garos in Khasi Hills ask for DSC language provision

Shillong, Sep 20: The District Selection Committee (DSC) language provision has triggered discontent among certain Garo residents in Khasi Hills, with community bodies on Saturday demanding that both Garo and Khasi be offered as options for candidates in the region. More than 2,000 people gathered at Sildubi Mini Playground at Mallangkona in West Khasi Hills [] The post Garos in Khasi Hills ask for DSC language provision first appeared on Highland Post .

The One To Watch Out For: Fans React To Vidya Balan's Powerful Kantha Look In Jailer 2

Vidya Balan makes a commanding entrance in the newly released glimpse

Antigua & Barbuda Falcons Crowned Cpl 2026 Champions After Eight-Wicket Final Victory

The Antigua & Barbuda Falcons were crowned Caribbean Premier League (CPL) champions for the first time after defeating the Jamaica Kingsmen by eight wickets at the Kensington Oval. An unbeaten 89-run partnership between Amir Jangoo and Hasan Nawaz completed the Falcons historic triumph after another sensational spell from Sufyan Moqim, who claimed 4 for 14 to set up the chase. Maaz Sadaqats second century of the season ultimately counted for little as the Kingsmen fell short despite posting 170 for 9. Sent in to bat, the Kingsmen immediately signalled their intent in the Power Play, with Sadaqat launching Jayden Seales into the stands from the first ball. Seales, however, struck back at the end of the over when Kirk McKenzie was sharply caught by Rahkeem Cornwall in the slips. Keacy Carty joined Sadaqat at the crease, with the pair having already played starring roles in the play-offs. They looked to make the most of the Power Play and appeared to be building another formidable partnership, but Carty soon punched one straight to Shadab Khan at cover, with the Falcons all-rounder taking a sharp catch. Cornwall came close to adding another wicket when Saim Ayub was initially given out lbw, but a faint glove edge overturned the decision on review to give the Kingsmen opener a reprieve. The Kingsmen ended the Power Play on 59 for 2, just one run short of the landmark ten runs an over. Sadaqat continued his sensational play-off form, racing to his half-century from just 27 balls. But the Falcons had displayed impressive bowling depth throughout the tournament, and they unleashed their in-form spinner Moqim to turn the game on its head. The left-arm spinner struck immediately, removing Ayub and Rovman Powell in his first over. Shadab then joined the party by dismissing Romaine Morris, before Moqim claimed his third wicket by removing Hassan Khan. The Kingsmen suddenly found themselves in deep trouble, losing four wickets for just three runs in the space of 12 deliveries. Moqim and Shadab were ripping through the middle order, just as they had done against the Guyana Amazon Warriors earlier in the play-offs. But the Kingsmen refused to surrender, and with Sadaqat still at the crease, their innings remained alive. The right-hander once again took centre stage, powering towards a second century of the season with a sensational display of 360-degree hitting. He reached the first century in a CPL final from just 49 balls, adding another 14 runs before falling on the penultimate delivery of the innings. His magnificent knock propelled the Kingsmen to 170 for 9 from their 20 overs. The Falcons reply got off to a flying start, with Rahkeem Cornwall smashing 20 runs from the first over before being bowled by the final delivery. Cornwalls explosive start allowed Evin Lewis and Amir Jangoo to balance aggression with caution during the Power Play. Lewis survived a second chance when Andre Russell overstepped, and he responded by shifting through the gears. The final over of the Power Play produced 17 runs as the Falcons raced to 76 for 1 after six overs. The Kingsmen soon found a breakthrough when Lewis chopped on to his stumps off Vitel Lawes, but the wicket only seemed to inspire Jangoo. Joined by Hasan Nawaz, Jangoo built a composed and increasingly dominant partnership that kept the Falcons comfortably ahead of the required rate, which sat just above a run a ball. Jangoo brought up his half-century with the partnership already past 50, leaving the Falcons firmly in control heading into the final five overs. With the target within touching distance, Nawaz put the finishing touch on a commanding team performance, launching the winning runs over the boundary for six and sending his teammates sprinting onto the field in celebration. Also Read: Special Cricket Stories The Falcons reached 173 for 2 with 20 balls to spare, completing a memorable eight-wicket victory and securing the first CPL title in the history of the Antigua & Barbuda franchise.

Indian Mens Kabaddi Team Dominates Japan in Opening Match of 2026 Asian Games

The Indian mens kabaddi team secured a commanding 49-23 victory over Japan in their first match at the 2026 Asian Games. Indian Mens Kabaddi Team Dominates Japan in Opening Match of 2026 Asian Games

403 roads, bridges in Rajouri to be restored at Rs 185 crore: Omar Abdullah in assembly

Srinagar, Sep 21: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said 3.21 crore in relief had been disbursed among families affected by flash floods and landslides in Rajouri, while a 185 crore proposal had been prepared for the permanent restoration of 403 damaged roads and bridges in the district. Replying to a question in the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir Assembly session, Omar said 149 family-wise cases seeking relief under SDRF norms had been received in connection with damage caused by the recent flash floods and landslides in Rajouri constituency. An amount of 40 lakhs and 61,500 has been disbursed as relief to the affected families in Rajouri constituency in accordance with the prescribed SDRF norms, he said. He added that 2.81 crore had also been released to Rajouri district from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. In addition, financial assistance amounting to 2.81 crore was released to district Rajouri from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for providing relief to the families affected by the flash floods and the damages caused thereby, Omar said. The said financial assistance has been duly disbursed among the affected families in accordance with the approved norms, he added. On damage to roads and bridges, the chief minister said a preliminary assessment had been completed and a proposal for permanent restoration had been prepared. A preliminary assessment of damages to roads and bridges in district Rajouri has been made and a proposal for permanent restoration of 403 roads, bridges has been formed up at a cost of 185 crore, he said. The Power Development Department assessed damage of 27.99 crore to electrical infrastructure in Rajouri district following heavy rains and flash floods in July 2026. Of this, 9.39 crore was assessed for the Rajouri Assembly constituency. Omar said temporary restoration of power had been carried out through the installation of an Emergency Restoration System (ERS) tower on the 132 KV double-circuit Rajouri-Draba transmission line. The site temporary restoration of power was carried out by the installation of ERS tower in the 132 KV DC Rajouri Draba transmission line, he said. Further, for permanent restoration of the 132 KV DC Rajouri Draba transmission line, the tendering is under progress. The government also assessed damage to crops in Rajouri constituency during the Kharif 2026 season through field-level verification. According to the assessment placed before the House, maize was affected across 406 hectares, with 15% damage, while paddy damage was assessed at 65% across 101.5 hectares. The government also submitted details of damage to municipal assets, PHE infrastructure, flood-control infrastructure and roads and buildings under the Housing and Urban Development, Jal Shakti and Public Works departments. Separately, 1.25 crore was received under SDRF for temporary restoration of power supply in Rajouri district. The constituency-wise allocation included 57.6 lakh for Rajouri, 43.4 lakh for Thanamandi and 10.5 lakh for Budhal.

Psychology explains how US Navy SEAL training builds resilience - even when motivation runs out

US Navy SEAL training reveals resilience is not innate but can develop. Psychological traits like hardiness and grit adapt during demanding conditions. Viewing stress as enhancing improves performance and perseverance among candidates. Goal-setting and emotional control become vital when motivation wanes. True resilience involves adaptation and regulating reactions, not just persistence.

Suspected Drug Peddler Arrested in South Kashmir; Contraband Recovered

SRINAGAR: Police in Anantnag district arrested a suspected drug peddler and recovered charas and ganja from his possession in the Ashajipora area on Monday, officials said. The accused was identified as Muzaffar Ahmad Sheikh, son of Gh. Hassan Sheikh, a resident of Nazuk Mohalla, Ganjiwara. Police said a team from Police Post Janglatmandi intercepted him []

Indian Agriculture Minister Suspends Official Over Bribery Allegations

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan suspends an official for demanding bribes during inspections in Sehore district. Indian Agriculture Minister Suspends Official Over Bribery Allegations

Shiv Sena-UBT Criticizes Maharashtra Government Over Farmer Crisis Amid Drought

Shiv Sena-UBT accuses Maharashtra government of neglecting farmers suffering from drought, demanding urgent action and relief measures. Shiv Sena-UBT Criticizes Maharashtra Government Over Farmer Crisis Amid Drought

India Dominates Pakistan 3-0 in Table Tennis at 2026 Asian Games

The Indian table tennis team secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Pakistan, advancing to the quarter-finals at the 2026 Asian Games. India Dominates Pakistan 3-0 in Table Tennis at 2026 Asian Games

JMC Commissioner initiates redevelopment work at Parade Vegetable Market

Jammu, Sep 20: Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and CEO, Jammu Smart City, Dr. Devansh Yadav on Sunday visited the Old Vegetable Market at Parade and initiated the redevelopment work, marking the beginning of a major infrastructure upgrade aimed at transforming the historic market into a cleaner, more organised and modern trading space. During his visit, the Vegetable Market Association welcomed the Commissioner and expressed its support for the redevelopment initiative. Interacting with traders and members of the association, Dr. Yadav assured those present that the work had commenced and would be completed as soon as possible. He said the redevelopment would provide improved facilities for vendors and visitors, enhance hygiene standards and create a more efficient and customer-friendly market environment. The redevelopment project, with an estimated DPR cost of 5.88 crore, aims to transform the existing mandi through modern infrastructure, upgraded civic amenities and a well-planned layout. The project is expected to improve market functionality, accessibility, sanitation and the overall shopping experience. As part of the redevelopment, a spacious Mild Steel (MS) covered shed will be constructed to provide weather-protected vending space for traders. The facility will accommodate 117 vendor platforms, each measuring 1.8 metres 2.1 metres, ensuring systematic and orderly market operations. The shed area will be developed with Kota stone flooring, while the vendor platforms will feature granite cladding and granite tops to ensure durability, hygiene and ease of maintenance. The project also envisages the construction of 44 permanent commercial shop blocks, each measuring 2.4 metres 2.7 metres, to support vegetable vendors and allied businesses in a structured retail setting. To improve sanitation and cleanliness, the existing drainage network will be strengthened and rehabilitated to minimise waterlogging and ensure efficient disposal of wastewater within the mandi premises. The redevelopment plan further includes a redesigned main entry gate with sandstone cladding, enhancing the visual appeal and identity of the market. Modern public amenities, including separate toilet blocks for men and women and drinking water cooler units, will also be installed for the convenience of traders and visitors. The internal movement and circulation areas will be developed using Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) to withstand regular pedestrian movement and light vehicular traffic, ensuring long-term durability and reduced maintenance requirements. Dr. Yadav said the redevelopment had been conceived to improve market functionality through an organised layout, better accessibility, enhanced safety and efficient civic infrastructure. He added that the upgraded facilities would significantly improve hygiene standards and provide a cleaner, safer and more convenient environment for the handling and sale of fresh produce. The initiation of work at the Parade Vegetable Market marks an important step towards the planned modernisation of one of Jammus oldest and busiest markets, with the JMC committed to completing the redevelopment at the earliest possible time.

J&K Police seize nine vehicles in Shopian, Sopore

Srinagar, Sep 20: Continuing it sustained drive against illegal mining and transportation of minerals, Police have seized nine vehicles including two dumpers and seven tractors involved in illegal extraction and transportation of minerals in Shopian and Sopore. The vehicles were found involved in the extraction and transportation of mining material, without valid authorization and in violation of the prescribed norms. Meanwhile in Sopore, Sopore Police seized two vehicles involved in illegal extraction and transportation of minerals in the jurisdiction of PS Panzalla and PP Fruit Mandi. Accordingly, the vehicles were seized on the spot and multiple FIRs under relevant provisions of law stand registered at the concerned police stations. Further investigation in the matter has been initiated. J&K Police reiterated its firm commitment to protecting the districts natural resources and taking strict legal action against individuals involved in illegal mining activities. The general public has been urged to cooperate with the police and report any such unlawful activities.

CBI arrests SDAO, 2 others in bribery case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three persons, including a Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer (SDAO) of the J&K Agriculture Department, an Agricultural Extension Assistant (AEA) and a private individual, in connection with an alleged bribery racket involving the release of subsidy under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP). The arrested accused, according to the CBI, have been identified as Rajan Sharma, Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer (SDAO), Agriculture Department, Government of J&K; Abhilashi Sharma, Agricultural Extension Assistant (AEA), Agriculture Department and Ashok Kumar, a private person. According to the CBI, the case was registered on September 19, 2026, following allegations that SDAO Rajan Sharma had demanded a Rs 35,000 bribe from a complainant for releasing his subsidy under the HADP scheme. The CBI maintained that the SDAO directed the complainant to hand over the demanded bribe either to the Agricultural Extension Assistant or to the private person. Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and caught AEA Abhilashi Sharma and private person Ashok Kumar red-handed while allegedly demanding and accepting Rs 15,000 from the complainant. The agency subsequently arrested SDAO Rajan Sharma from his residence in connection with the case. The arrests have brought under scrutiny the alleged demand for illegal gratification in connection with the disbursement of government agricultural subsidy, with the CBI continuing its investigation to establish the full sequence of events and the role of the accused, the investigative agency said, adding that further investigation was continuing.

Lt Gen P K Mishra relinquishing command of White Knight Corps on Oct 1

General Officer Commanding (GOC), Lieutenant General P K Mishra is relinquishing the command of Nagrota-based White Knight (16) Corps of the Indian Army on October 1, 2026. Lieutenant General Mohit Seth, presently serving as Commandant, Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT), Indian Armys training establishment in Bhutan, will succeed him as the GOC XVI Corps. On April 1, 2025, Lt Gen Mishra had taken over the command of 16 Corps strategically one of the very crucial Corps of the Indian Army. He was recently conferred the prestigious Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM) by the President Droupadi Murmu at the Defence Investiture Ceremony 2026 (phase II). Lt Gen Mishra, also a recipient of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Yudh Seva Medal (YSM) and Seva Medal (SM), had succeeded Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva. Prior to taking over as GOC 16 Corps, Lt Gen Mishra was heading IMTRAT in Bhutan. There also, he was relieved of the charge by Lt Gen Mohit Seth as new Commandant, IMTRAT. Lt Gen Seth, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the National Defence college (NDC), was commissioned into the 3 Madras Regiment in 1991. Previously, he also served as General Officer Commanding of the Kilo Force of Army in J&K. In his distinguished military career spanning over three decades, he held various prestigious staff and command appointments in J&K, North East and at Army Headquarter. He has also served as Indian Army Liaison Officer, High Commission of India, United Kingdom.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan to join BJPs Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra in Punjab today

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will visit Punjab on Monday for a one-day trip, where he will participate in the BJPs Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra (Drug-Free Punjab Campaign). During his visit, Chouhan will pay obeisance at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo before joining the BJPs campaign against drug abuse. At 10:00 a.m., he is scheduled to inaugurate and participate in the Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra at Dana Mandi, located at Ravidasia Chowk in Talwandi Sabo. The Union minister will also address a public meeting in Maisarkhana and hold a direct dialogue with farmers and women associated with self-help groups in Bathinda. His participation comes as the four-day campaign enters its final leg, with the yatra scheduled to reach Bathinda and conclude the BJPs state-wide outreach programme. The BJP launched the mega Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra on September 18, with the campaign covering different parts of Punjab. BJP national President Nitin Nabin flagged off the first march from Ekta Sthal at Madhopur in Pathankot district earlier on Friday. The second yatra was on September 19 from Fatehgarh Sahib and was flagged off by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The third yatra was held on September 20 from the Sadiki border in Fazilka, near the Asafwala 1971 War Memorial, and was flagged off by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. The four-day yatra began in Pathankot and is scheduled to conclude in Bathinda, covering key districts across the state. The campaign is centred on the issue of drug abuse, which has remained a significant concern and a prominent subject of political discourse in Punjab. Through the yatra, the BJP is seeking to raise awareness about the adverse impact of drugs and highlight its vision and proposed approach for creating a drug-free Punjab. The participation of senior BJP leaders, including Chouhan, is expected to add political momentum to the campaign while strengthening the partys organisational network and public outreach across the state.

2 years on, no work on Anantnags 249-bed maternity, child hospital

Srinagar, Sep 20:Nearly two years after the proposed 249-bed Maternal and Child Care Hospital was announced for Anantnag, construction has yet to begin, as the revised project report awaits approval and funding. In November 2024, the Health and Medical Education Department (H&ME) directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital at Government Medical College, MAMB Janglatmandi, and fast-track the project. The initial DPR, estimated at Rs 86.5 crore, was submitted to the Finance Department under the NABARD Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF-XXXI). It was returned for clarification on the funding source and inclusion of furniture and furnishings. PWD later revised the project cost to Rs 94.44 crore. The revised project cost is Rs 94.44 crore, Superintending Engineer (SE) Syed Ishfaq Ahmad said. He said the revised DPR was forwarded to the Principal of GMC Anantnag on April 1. A GMC official said the proposal was in turn forwarded to the Health Secretary in April, with copies sent to the Finance Secretary and Director of Health Services. Officials said NABARD remains the proposed funding source, while administrative approval and fund release are pending. About 4.5 Kanals of land was initially demarcated within the Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg Memorial (MAMB) Hospital premises at Janglatmandi, with the proposed facility to be connected to Block A. The idea was to bring maternity and child care services under one roof at GMC Janglatmandi, an official said. Other sites considered include the GMC main campus at Dialgam, the existing Sherbagh site after dismantling the dilapidated MCCH structures, and Rehmat-e-Alam Hospital at Sarnal, KP road. A senior doctor said the MAMB campus at Janglatmandi already has limited space, with a nursing home, oxygen plants and several centrally funded projects behind the main A, B and C blocks. The critical care unit is also under construction. A proposed oncology block and a sewage treatment plant are also planned there. There is hardly any room for expansion, the doctor said. The new hospital must be planned for the next hundred years, not just the next few, he said. The government told the Assembly during the February budget session that Rs 5 crore had been earmarked for the project under the 2025-26 CAPEX budget. It said the project could also be taken up under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme in 2026-27. Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo recently said construction would begin once the land was finalised. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has already sanctioned and allocated funds under NABARD for the new maternity and child care hospital, she said, adding that the land had to be within the GMC-MAMB Janglatmandi premises. I have directed officials to identify the land at the earliest. Officials, however, said no funds had been released. Sherbagh hospital remains overcrowded The existing maternity hospital at Sherbagh continues to operate despite being declared unsafe by the PWD and Fire and Emergency Services in 2014. The hospital handles more than 40,000 outpatient visits and about 7,000 admissions each month. Built for 40 beds, it now operates far beyond capacity, with two labour rooms, four surgical wards and one operation theatre. In many cases, two to three patients share a single bed, a doctor said. The paediatric section was shifted to MAMB GMC Anantnag last year after repeated fires in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) caused electrical faults. A 2015 blaze damaged the outpatient department (OPD), including the gynaecology, obstetrics and paediatric sections. In March 2022, a gas leak triggered a fire that injured 12 people, including two children. The building is not safe to run the maternity hospital at all, Itoo said. Rehmat-e-Alam relocation plan shelved A proposal to shift maternity services to Rehmat-e-Alam Hospital on KP Road at Sarnal was shelved after structural assessments by IIT Jammu and NIT Srinagar found the building unsuitable under post-2005 earthquake safety standards. The building was originally constructed by a local trust and later expanded by the Housing Department, JKPCC and R&B at a cost of about Rs 13 crore. IIT Jammu and NIT Srinagar recommended retrofitting the two lower floors and strengthening key structural elements at an estimated Rs 8 crore, besides about Rs 25 crore for interior work. The Design Inspection Quality Control (DIQC) department also recommended reinforcing underground structures. Using the building for offices or other non-clinical health services was also suggested, but the relocation proposal was eventually dropped. The site has about 30 kanals of land that could potentially be used for new construction. With the new hospital still awaiting approval, the Sherbagh facility continues to function under severe space constraints. Like the childrens section, the maternity hospital should also be shifted temporarily until the new facility comes up, said Ishrat Ahmad, a local resident.

COUNT THE DAYS FIRST :The paradox behind J&Ks five-day week debate

Srinagar, Sep 20: The school bell in Jammu and Kashmir may ring as late as 4:30 pm, but the school year itself is considerably shorter than in several other parts of the country. That contrast sits at the centre of a debate now reaching the J&K Legislative Assembly: if children are already under academic pressure, should they spend one less day a week in school? National Conference (NC) MLA Hasnain Masoodi has proposed a five-day working week for schools, with Saturdays and Sundays as holidays, saying students are burdened by studies and need time for rest and recreation. Education Minister Sakina Itoo has said the proposal will be examined by the concerned education authorities. A report titled Working Hours Parity Report: An Objective Audit of the Jammu & Kashmir Academic Calendar, records 181 working days for J&K. Its comparison gives Delhi 243 working days, the South India category 236 and West Bengal 217. In other words, the difference between J&K and the three comparison regions is not measured in a handful of days. It is 36 days against West Bengal, 55 against the South India comparison and 62 against Delhi. The report points to one conspicuous reason: the winter break. It records a 76-day winter vacation in J&K, against 13 days in each of the three comparison regions. Overall, it records 184 holiday days in J&K, including 17 national holidays and 26 state holidays, leaving 181 working days. And yet, on a day-to-day basis, J&K can appear to have a demanding school schedule. The report notes the extension of the school day to 4:30 pm and calls the resulting perception the 4:30 PM illusion, the sense that a late closing bell necessarily means a longer academic year. The report puts annual working hours for J&K at 1,086, against 1,458 in Delhi, 1,463.2 in the South India comparison and 1,519 in West Bengal. It calculates the gap between 25.5 per cent and 28.5 per cent, averaging 26.6 per cent across the three comparisons. There is a qualification that matters: these are working-hour figures for teaching staff and the academic calendar, not a direct measure of the hours individual students spend learning. The report therefore cannot establish that a J&K student receives only 1,086 hours of classroom instruction in a year. But it does establish something relevant to the present debate: J&Ks formal school calendar has fewer working days than the three regions against which the report compares it. The report offers another way of looking at the issue. It applies a common 7.5-hour working day to J&K and West Bengal, removing the difference in daily schedules from the calculation. J&K would still have 1,357.5 annual hours against West Bengals 1,627.5, a 270-hour difference, because the number of working days is different. The comparison becomes even more striking against private-school benchmarks cited in the report. It puts annual hours at 1,498 for private schools in Delhi, 1,536 in West Bengal and 1,711 in its South India comparison, against 1,086 for J&K, with reported gaps ranging from 27.5 per cent to 36.5 per cent. None of these figures, however, answers Masoodis central contention that children are burnt out by academic pressure. That is a different proposition, and it requires different evidence. Nor does the report establish that J&K should have more working days. Its purpose is comparative: to show how the distribution of the academic year differs across the regions examined. Its own figures show that the 76-day winter closure is doing much of the work in producing the annual gap. The calendar data also needs to be read against J&Ks existing academic schedule. The JKBOSE 2024-25 academic calendar separately provided roughly 185 working days for the Kashmir division and winter-zone Jammu. That figure comes from a different academic year and calendar dataset from the 181 working days cited in the institutional audit. J&Ks academic calendar has also changed over time. An earlier DSEK academic planner for 2017-18 prescribed 200 instructional days and 800 effective school hours for primary classes, while upper-primary classes were prescribed 220 instructional days and 1,000 effective school hours. The report also examines the effect of the daily timetable across seasons. It puts peak daylight at roughly 13-14 hours between April and July, when the school day may run to 4:30 pm. For September and October, it puts daylight at about 11-12 hours, while during November and December the school day ends at 3 pm. The report describes these as approximate seasonal daylight figures. Itoo has said the proposal will be taken up with the Directorate of School Education Kashmir, Directorate of School Education Jammu and the Director of Colleges for examination.

Bukhari cautions against settling outsiders in J

Slams neglect of Srinagar, demands probe into citys Master Plan Srinagar, Sep 20: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Sunday cautioned against any attempt to settle outsiders in Jammu and Kashmir under the garb of development, demanding a probe into allegations that land is being purchased in the name of certain locals to []

CBI arrests agriculture officer, two others in bribery case

Srinagar, Sep 20: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three people, including a Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer (SDAO) and an Agricultural Extension Assistant (AEA) of the Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Department, in a bribery case linked to the release of a subsidy under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP). The third accused is a private individual, the CBI said. The case was registered on September 19 following a complaint alleging that the SDAO had demanded 35,000 from the complainant for releasing the subsidy. According to the CBI, the officer directed the complainant to hand over the bribe to either the AEA or the private individual. The agency subsequently laid a trap and allegedly caught the AEA and the private individual red-handed while demanding and accepting 15,000 from the complainant. The SDAO was later arrested from his residence, the CBI said. Further investigation in the case is underway.

Who Will Answer for Sidra?

The death of seven-year-old Sidra after she was struck by a vehicle in Barbar Shah on Sunday is not merely another tragic entry in Srinagars accident register. It is a devastating reminder that the citys roads, lanes and crossings remain hostile to the most vulnerable: children, pedestrians, elderly people and those who have no protection except the promise that public spaces will be governed responsibly. Sidra was critically injured and rushed to SMHS Hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead. Behind these brief official details lies a family shattered in an instant. A child who should have been returning home, walking beside a parent or playing in a neighbourhood, became the victim of a collision whose circumstances must be established without delay. The police investigation is necessary, but it cannot be the end of the public response. Every such death raises questions that go beyond the individual driver. Was the road adequately lit? Was traffic moving at a dangerous speed? Were pedestrians forced into the carriageway because footpaths were absent, encroached upon or unusable? Were warning signs, speed controls and enforcement visible? In crowded parts of Srinagar, these are not abstract questions. They are matters of life and death. Urban roads are often designed around the convenience and speed of vehicles, while pedestrians are expected to negotiate whatever space remains. This imbalance is especially dangerous in old and densely populated areas, where narrow streets, informal parking, commercial activity and constant vehicle movement create a permanent hazard. Children cannot be expected to calculate braking distances or anticipate reckless driving. The responsibility lies with drivers, enforcement agencies and urban planners to make streets safe before tragedy occurs. Authorities must therefore treat Sidras death as a warning demanding action, not as an isolated incident to be forgotten after the investigation report. The stretch where the accident occurred should be audited immediately. Speed limits must be enforced, illegal parking removed, crossings marked, and lighting improved. Traffic police presence should be strengthened at vulnerable points, particularly around residential areas, schools, markets and hospitals. CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts must be examined transparently, and accountability must follow if negligence is established. But enforcement alone will not solve Srinagars pedestrian safety crisis. The city needs a clear road-safety policy that places human life above traffic speed. Footpaths must be protected from encroachment, crossings made usable and road design aligned with the realities of a dense urban population. Public awareness campaigns are useful, but they cannot substitute for engineering, regulation and sustained enforcement. Sidras family will carry this loss long after public attention moves elsewhere. The least the city can do is ensure that her death does not become another statistic. A child was killed on a Srinagar street. The question now is whether the authorities will merely investigate the incident or confront the unsafe system that made such a tragedy possible.

Police file case against TVK member, five others for demanding protection money from gas agency

BJP seeks Rahul Gandhi's apology over comedian's mimicry of PM Modi at Indore event; Congress says it was just mimicry

The BJP has strongly criticized Rahul Gandhi for a comedy act. This performance allegedly insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother and included falsehoods. Party leaders are demanding a public apology from Gandhi for these remarks. The Congress defended the act as simple mimicry and nothing more. This incident has sparked a significant political controversy and debate.

MERZ FAILED GERMANY!: Berlin Voters Lash Out As AfD STORMS NATO Nation | Watch

Berlin voters delivered a blistering assessment of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as the capitals state election got underway. One resident criticised the CDUs response to rising prices, arguing that demanding longer working hours and restricting part-time employment was not credible social policy. She said the partys failure to connect with its traditional voters had helped strengthen the AfD and declared that Merz was definitely not my chancellor. Another voter accused Merz of making racist and misogynistic remarks and predicted that he would remain in office until the end of his termnot because voters supported him, but because his ego is a bit too big for him to resign.

'Hey Bibi, How Much More Blood?': Israelis Take To Streets, Big Demand Before October Election

Demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government, with several protesters calling for political change ahead of Israels October election. Footage shows participants carrying Israeli flags and placards, including messages asking, How much more blood will be spilt? and demanding a state commission of inquiry. An installation titled Responsibility featured white fabric marked with fake blood. Protesters also raised concerns over the ongoing war, government accountability and Israels political direction. Rally participants said replacing Netanyahu alone would not address what they described as broader policy and governance issues. The demonstration comes ahead of the October 27 Knesset election, while calls for an official inquiry into the October 7 attacks remain a prominent issue among protesters.

Delhi BJP Protests Demand Expulsion of AAP Councillor Following Sanitation Worker

Delhi BJP protests outside AAP office, demanding the expulsion of councillor linked to sanitation workers suicide. Delhi BJP Protests Demand Expulsion of AAP Councillor Following Sanitation Workers Suicide

Gujarat: New Gambhira bridge opens a year after tragedy

Digital Desk | Vadodara, Sep 20 (IANS) The new Gambhira-Mujpur bridge over the Mahi River was inaugurated in Vadodara district on Sunday, a little over a year after the collapse of the old structure claimed 22 lives, as Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 1,297 crore in the district. The new 868.75-metre bridge connects Padra taluka in Vadodara with Anklav in Anand district and has 23 spans and 21 piers. According to the Roads and Buildings Department, construction began on August 14, 2025, and was completed on August 13, making it the fastest river bridge in Gujarat. The earlier bridge, built in 1985, collapsed on July 9 last year when a section between two piers gave way during morning traffic, sending several vehicles into the Mahi River. The final death toll was 22. The bridge was a major route between central Gujarat and Saurashtra and carried around one lakh vehicles a day, including heavy vehicles. Its collapse forced commuters to take detours of up to 45 km. The new structure uses epoxy-coated steel to improve durability and reduce corrosion. Around 300 workers were deployed round the clock during construction, with fluctuating water levels and flow in the Mahi River posing challenges. Safety testing was also carried out before the bridge was opened. Addressing a programme at Trimandir in Varnama, Patel said the Rs 1,297-crore package included the Gambhira bridge, the Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Sankalp Bhoomi Memorial at Kalyannagar and works related to housing, roads, drainage and water supply. The Ambedkar memorial, built at a cost of around Rs 29 crore, features a 12-foot statue of Dr Ambedkar, along with a museum, digital show, library, and auditorium. Patel said the memorial would inspire future generations toward social equality, unity, and harmony. Social harmony had been established in the country under Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership and that the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam had received continuous encouragement under his leadership, he added. He said PM Modi had adopted an approach of considering every citizen as part of his family and ensuring that the benefits of development reached the person at the bottom of the social and economic ladder. The Chief Minister said the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' is being organised to advance further PM Modis 25-year journey of public and national service. Benefits of schemes including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Har Ghar Jal and Ayushman Bharat had made peoples lives easier, and citizens must ensure that those who remained deprived received their rightful benefits, he said. He stressed the need for a saturation approach so that government schemes reached the maximum number of beneficiaries and urged people to contribute to public service through activities such as tree plantation, cleanliness drives, water conservation, electricity conservation and rainwater harvesting. The government is working to bring every village, family and citizen into the development process, he noted. He said 593 houses were among the works being undertaken under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. He stressed the importance of public participation in building a developed Gujarat and achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Pradyuman Vaja said Vadodara had received development works worth Rs 1,273 crore, including around Rs 75 crore in projects under his department. Vaja also thanked the Chief Minister for making a budgetary provision of Rs 231 crore in Gujarat to mark the 650th birth anniversary of Sant Shiromani Ravidas. Minister of State Manisha Vakil said Patel had given priority to reconstructing the Gambhira bridge and ensured the work was completed on time. The new bridge would make trade and commercial movement between Vadodara and Saurashtra easier. The Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial would continue to inspire people, she added.

Doctors and Nurses Strike After Violent Incident at East Burdwan Hospital

Following a violent incident at Manakar Rural Hospital, doctors and nurses have gone on strike, demanding better security measures. Doctors and Nurses Strike After Violent Incident at East Burdwan Hospital

Manipur tense after security forces detain 7 Kukis

Violent protests erupted in Manipur's Kangpokpi district after seven Kuki villagers were allegedly detained by security forces. Protesters blocked roads and clashed with forces, leading to injuries. The villagers were later released, but a Meitei women's organisation subsequently staged a sit-in demanding the release of Meitei village volunteers.