Goa

China Sets Ambitious Goals for Water Network Development by 2030

China aims to cover 82% of its territory with a national water network by 2030, enhancing infrastructure and job creation. China Sets Ambitious Goals for Water Network Development by 2030

Protests erupt on Cornell campus as students rally in support of 'Jane Doe'

Thousands of people gathered at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., on Monday in support of Jane Doe, the former student who alleges she was drugged and raped by multiple members of a fraternity in October 2024. The Justice for Survivors rally was organized by over 20 student organizations who led a late afternoon march to Day Hall, which houses the universitys administrative offices and had been vandalized by activists overnight . Students, faculty, and residents from across the state took part in the protest calling for Cornell administrators to resign over their handling of the case. We are known as the rape school, Saya Taylor, a Cornell sophomore, said at the rally. We can be known as leading a nationwide reform movement. Demonstrators held signs accusing the Ivy League school of protecting the alleged rapists and demanding accountability. Jane Doe deserved a campus that supported her, Taylor said. Jane Doe deserved an administration that delivered a fair and proper judicial process. Jane Doe deserved a police department that would actually follow up on her case. Instead, she was silenced. Late Monday, the Cornell University faculty introduced a resolution declaring it has no confidence in the administrations ability to address the ongoing crisis of sexual assault on campus. According to NBC News , the proposal is expected to be considered by the Faculty Senate on Oct. 14. The goal is to really force systemic change, Faculty Senator Paul Ortiz said in a statement to NBC. Women need to feel safe. The Chi Phi fraternity house at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., on Oct. 1. Matt Rourke/AP The developments on campus came hours after audio of a phone call between Jane Doe and one of the accused fraternity members, recorded weeks after the alleged incident, was released by ABC News . During the call, Jane Doe said she was 10 shots deep when she arrived at the Chi Phi fraternity house and was now struggling to remember what had caused so much damage on my body and brain. The only way for me to heal is to know what happened, she said. That's why I'm trying to just piece it together, you know, like I'm just like confused. The fraternity member told her that she consented to having a threesome with him and another fraternity brother. He also insisted that Jane Doe had told him she had not been drinking when she showed up. You did tell me you were sober, by the way, he said. You said you hadn't been anywhere. That is not true. I never would have said that, she replied. Students participate in the march and protest at Cornell University on Oct. 5. Spencer Platt via Getty Images At one point during the call, Jane Doe told him, If I wanted to take this somewhere, what y'all did would be classified as gang rape. The fraternity member then suggested that their memories of what transpired may not be accurate. I have racked my brain for this mystery, he said. You know, it's possible that both of us, like, remember this, and it's not true. Jane Doe pushed back: No, because I remember looking up and being like, 'That is too many people.' Read more from Yahoo: A timeline of the Cornell University rape case Other text messages published by ABC News suggested that some of the accused fraternity members attempted to contain the allegations in the weeks following the incident. What's the plan of action? Should I call [Jane Doe]? I don't think she would have reported this, the fraternity member in the recorded call wrote in a small group chat. Jane Doe, who was 20 at the time of the alleged 2024 rape, reported the incident to Cornell University police on Nov. 8, 2024. She filed a civil lawsuit on Sept. 16 against the school, seven current and former Chi Phi fraternity members, the Tri-Delta Alpha Beta sorority where she lived, and a local bar where she said she was served drinks on the night of the incident. Lawyers for two of the men identified in Jane Doe's civil suit have denied they participated in a sexual assault, according to the Associated Press . Cornell students participate in a protest over the university's handling of the Jane Doe case on Oct. 5. Spencer Platt via Getty Images Cornell University has come under intense scrutiny for its handling of the case. In an eight-minute video statement released on Saturday, Cornell President Michael I. Kotlikoff said the university must do better. What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come. My heart aches when I think of what she experienced, Kotlikoff said. It raises heartbreaking and troubling issues about sexual assault, dehumanization and aspects of party culture, alcohol and drug use. It also raises questions around the investigations conducted after the allegations were reported. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Friday that the woman was failed by those obligated to protect her, including university police and a prosecutor who initially declined to bring charges. Hochul said that she had lost faith in Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten and appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as the special prosecutor to oversee the criminal investigation. This young woman had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable, the governor said. And then at every turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her. People participate in a Justice For Survivors rally at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., on Oct. 5. Spencer Platt via Getty Images Meanwhile, Jane Doe's lawyer, Thomas Giuffra, said that his client has received multiple threats in recent days. There are people out there trying to track her down, Giuffra said on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday. They said we're gonna shut you up. You're gonna still get hurt by us. You're gonna pull this lawsuit out or we're gonna do something to hurt you even more. This article originally appeared on Yahoo News at https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/article/cornell-rape-case-latest-protests-erupt-on-campus-as-students-rally-in-support-of-jane-doe-171906056.html

Jeevna Kaur Notay on meeting Diljit Dosanjh on stage and the moment she

Highlights Eight-year-old Jeevna Kaur Notay was invited on stage by Diljit Dosanjh after he spotted her dancing in the crowd at his Manchester concert. The Leeds girl, who was born with a congenital limb difference, told Eastern Eye about the emotional moment and why wearing her pagh on stage made her proud. Her father Surjeet Singh Notay explains how amputee football helped Jeevna find a community and why he hopes her story will encourage other families. Eight-year-old Jeevna Kaur Notay arrived at Manchesters Co-op Live on September 20 expecting to spend the evening watching her favourite singer, Diljit Dosanjh. Instead, the Leeds girl found herself on stage with the Punjabi superstar, microphone in hand, as thousands of people cheered her on. Jeevna had been dancing in the crowd when Diljit noticed her, waved at her and eventually invited her up. She proudly shouted his famous Panjabi aa gaye oye! before telling him she was from Leeds. The moment became one of the most memorable parts of the show when Diljit sat beside her and sang Ik Kudi . For Jeevna, the experience was almost impossible to take in. I felt really happy and excited, she told Eastern Eye. I couldnt believe everyone was cheering for me! When Diljit began singing Ik Kudi , she found herself wondering whether it was really happening. I was just thinking, Is this actually happening?! she said. I was really happy and couldnt stop smiling. Jeevna was born with a congenital limb difference and lost her left foot when she was two Surjeet Singh Notay What made the moment particularly special was that Jeevna was wearing her pagh, something she says is closely tied to her identity. Standing on stage in it made her feel proud to be Punjabi and Sikh, while for her father, Surjeet Singh Notay, the significance went beyond meeting a singer his daughter admires. Watching Diljit notice Jeevna in the crowd gave him the feeling that his daughter was finally being seen for who she is. Not only did Diljit see her, but the whole world has seen her, Surjeet said. Thats what made me think, wow, she has been seen. Shes not going to be defined by her disability Jeevna was born with a congenital limb difference and lost her left foot when she was two. At four, she underwent major reconstruction on her right leg and had to learn to walk again. She is now going through another period of treatment, using a frame on her leg and a wheelchair while she recovers, but Surjeet says the family has spent years making sure those challenges do not become the way she sees herself. For everything weve been working on for the last eight years, bringing her forward, making her confident, he said, when she steps out into the world on her own, me and my wife know weve done a really good job. For him, the goal has always been to make sure Jeevna is recognised for the person she is rather than defined by her disability. Shes not going to be defined by her disability. Shes going to be defined by who she is. Jeevna has developed her own way of expressing that attitude Surjeet Singh Notay Jeevna has developed her own way of expressing that attitude. I just keep going and dont give up, she said. Like I always say, Im not disabled, Im differently abled. The phrase has been part of her familys vocabulary since before she was born. Surjeet recalled travelling with his wife in India, from Delhi towards Punjab, when he noticed the term differently abled being used in relation to access. He never expected it to become something so personal to his family, but the expression stayed with him and eventually became the language Jeevna chose for herself. How football gave Jeevna a team of her own Football has also become an important part of Jeevnas life. She has loved the sport since she was four, and after her first frame came off, the hospital introduced the family to the England Amputee Football Association. Surjeet said the organisations junior programme gave Jeevna an opportunity to meet other children and families who understood experiences similar to hers, turning what could have been an isolating part of her childhood into a community. Joining them really helped us, because we were with like-minded people in the same situation as us, he said. Weve really become like a family now, no matter what background youre from. Jeevna continues to play amputee football, and for Surjeet, being part of that team has been about much more than sport. It has given his daughter another space where she can simply be a child, meet people and take part without being defined by the medical challenges she has faced. See on Instagram That same determination is what Surjeet saw on the Manchester stage. He often describes Jeevna as someone who gets knocked down and gets back up again, and she has a simple answer when asked how she keeps going: she does not give up. Her advice to another child who might be frightened to come forward and follow what they love is just as direct. Youve got this. Just be brave and believe in yourself, no matter what you do. There is light at the end of the tunnel The reaction to Jeevnas appearance has made the experience bigger than one concert. After Diljits video spread online, Surjeet began hearing from parents of children with disabilities, including parents of autistic children, who wanted to connect with the family. For him, that response has been one of the most meaningful parts of what happened because he remembers what it felt like when his own family did not know where to turn. It gave a platform for other parents in my situation who may not be confident to come forward, he said. Jeevna will achieve, behind closed doors or in the open. That doesnt matter to me. What matters is that I help somebody else in my position, because when I was there, I didnt have anybody to help me. Surjeet hopes their experience can reassure parents who may be frightened about giving their children more independence. We want to be the beacon for somebody. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Its not the end of the world, he said, urging parents to have faith and allow their children to experience life rather than letting fear dictate what they can do. For Jeevna, though, the night in Manchester is also something much simpler: a childhood memory she will hopefully carry with her for years. Surjeet remembers being nine when his own father took him to see Michael Jackson at Wembley, an experience that has stayed with him decades later. Now he feels he has given his daughter a memory of her own. When I was nine years old, my father took me to see Michael Jackson at Wembley. That has stayed with me, and Im 45 now, he said. This is something Im giving her. Ive given her this memory, and thats like a medal for me. Memories are worth more than material things, he added. I just want her to know that whatever shes going through, shes loved and blessed and cared for. And perhaps the best way to understand Jeevna is through the words she would offer another child facing their own challenges: Youve got this.

EXCLUSIVE: Tamannaah Bhatia calls The Vvaan co-star Sidharth Malhotra a very genuine person; says he and Kiara are couple goals

Tamannaah Bhatia has opened up about her experience of working with Sidharth Malhotra in The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest, offering an insight into the actor beyond his on-screen persona. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Tamannaah described Sidharth as a very genuine person and also praised his relationship with Kiara Advani, calling the couple couple goals. Recalling her first interactions with Sidharth, Tamannaah revealed that the two had met several years ago at the Isha Yoga Centre. She said, I met Sid many, many years ago at the Isha Yoga Centre. That's probably one of... it was the second time I met Sid, I think. Talking about his personality, Tamannaah highlighted Sidharths chivalrous nature and calm demeanour. He is super chivalrous. If you're ever walking together, even if he's in the middle of chaos, he will still always be like chivalrous and calm. He is a doting father. He is... and Kiara are like couple goals. I think sometimes it's like he really... like, he puts up the standards right up there, she told Bollywood Hungama. Tamannaah further explained that working with Sidharth gave her a perspective that went beyond his image as a film actor. She went on to say, And not just a cinema presentation. But I think after working with him, I think he is just genuinely a very... a real person. A very genuine person. You can have any conversation with him, and he is always present, and he is very aware. And I'm so glad we collaborated on this one. Interestingly, Tamannaah also reflected on how the timing of their collaboration shaped their characters in The Vvaan. When asked whether she had ever imagined doing a more urban, college-set film with Sidharth earlier in their careers, the actress pointed out that their characters in the folklore-fantasy thriller represent contemporary urban Indians while also being connected to the idea of hope. She added, Well, I think I had probably met him much earlier. Had we been cast much earlier in our careers - maybe that's where we would have probably been at. But I do feel like, umm... we were playing characters that are kind of a representation of today's people. In the sense that we are very urban. Both of us are very, very urban. But we also are people who understand the power of invoking hope. Because essentially we are all living from that, right? Like, we are hoping, wishing. Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, known for Panchayat, The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest is based on a story by TVF founder Arunabh Kumar. The folklore-fantasy thriller features Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia in the lead, alongside Sunil Grover, Anup Soni, Shweta Tiwari and Maniesh Paul. The film revolves around an urban, rational man who returns to his ancestral village and dismisses the local beliefs surrounding a forbidden sacred forest. His decision to enter the forest after sunset sets off a chain of supernatural events involving an ancient divine deity and forces that threaten the village. Produced by Balaji Motion Pictures in association with TVF Motion Pictures and 11:11 Productions, The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest released in cinemas on September 25, 2026. Also Read: Sidharth Malhotra, Tamannaah Bhatia and The Vvaan Cast bring ghost stories to Netflixs The Great Indian Kapil Show Season 5

FIFA Knew Before WC That Congo Goalkeeper Was Ineligible in Key Qualifying Games: Reports

The 32-year-old Mpasi was a France Under-17 international and never completed the FIFA process of switching his national eligibility to Congo where he has family ties, the reports claimed

Kunickaa Sadanand pens heartfelt note for mom as the latter passes away at 83

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Oct 6 (IANS) Actress Kunickaa Sadanands mother Kalyani Sadanand passed away at the age of 83 in Goa. On Tuesday, the actress took to her Instagram, and shared a throwback picture of her mother, as she shared the news with her followers. She also penned a long note in the caption, as she expressed her gratitude to her mother for her guidance, and the confidence that she gave her. She wrote, My Mumma, I love you , thank you for everything you have given me , the love, the guidance, the confidence to dream and dare the world,, the looks, the personality, the strength to endure what life bestows on me. My darling Empress Mrs Kalyani Sadanand, you will always be alive in the hearts of the ppl you touched, friends and family remember you as this fun loving joyful friendly person , who always had something nice and witty to share. She further mentioned, Im sure you are happy to be united will your siblings and your loved ones. Rest in Peace my Mumma, you fulfilled all your responsibilities with utmost love and care, as a wife, a mother, sister ,a grand mother, and all the other relationships in your life. Her last rites will be performed in Goa and later the other rituals are to be performed in Mumbai. On the professional front, the actress earlier spoke about the issue of delayed payments for new TV actors. The 'Bigg Boss 19' star revealed that the issue has been going on ever since the boom in the television industry. She added that the payment often ends up getting delayed by 45 to 90 days. Explaining the core reason behind the delay, she said that the whole corporate system leads to a delay in the payment as the channels first receive money from the advertisers, which then goes to the producers.

Rajasthan CM urges youth to adopt Yoga, announces TOPS for Olympics

Digital Desk | Jaipur, Oct 6 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Tuesday urged people, especially the youth, to make Yoga a part of their daily lives, stay away from substance abuse and contribute towards building a Developed India and a Developed Rajasthan. Addressing the closing ceremony of the 51st Sub-Junior and Junior National Yogasana Sports Championship at Alankar PG College in Jaipur, Sharma described Yoga as an invaluable heritage of Indias ancient culture and said it has taught the world the art of living a healthy, disciplined and balanced life. The Chief Minister said Yoga helps improve concentration, strengthens decision-making abilities and promotes positivity. At a time when changing lifestyles and health challenges are affecting people across the world, Yoga remains a simple, accessible and effective means of maintaining a healthy mind and body, he said. Sharma also highlighted the global spread of Yoga, saying that the efforts and diplomacy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi contributed to the United Nations declaring June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. He said Yoga, meditation and pranayama have today become part of the daily routine of millions of people across the world. The Chief Minister said the youth are the countrys future and their energy will play a crucial role in achieving the goal of Developed India 2047. He said the state government is establishing Atal Gyan Kendras in villages, equipped with facilities such as online classes and e-libraries. Sports grounds are also being developed in every panchayat. Sharma said the states double-engine government has so far provided appointments to 1.93 lakh posts, while recruitment for another 1.18 lakh posts is under way. A recruitment calendar for 1.25 lakh posts has also been released. He said employment has been provided to 5 lakh youths in the private sector. A language centre has also been launched in Jaipur to teach the languages of five countries to young people aspiring to work abroad. Sharma alleged that paper leaks had occurred frequently during the previous governments tenure but claimed that not a single paper leak had taken place under the present government. He urged candidates to work hard for competitive examinations and assured them that the government would not allow their aspirations to be jeopardised. Highlighting the governments focus on sports, Sharma said Rajasthan has released the Rajasthan Youth Policy-2025 and is taking rapid steps to strengthen sports infrastructure and provide greater opportunities to young athletes. The Chief Minister announced that the Rajasthan TOPS scheme has been implemented to prepare athletes from the state for the Olympic Games. He said 17 new Khelo India Centres are being established in Rajasthan, while grants amounting to Rs 40.12 crore have been sanctioned for 1,786 athletes. Sharma said the government aims to establish Rajasthan as a leading state in sports at both the national and international levels. During the ceremony, he honoured the winners of the National Yogasana Championship. West Bengal secured first place, Haryana finished second, and Maharashtra secured third place, with trophies presented to the respective teams. The Rajasthan team also presented a musical Yogasana performance during the event. MP Rao Rajendra Singh, Alankar PG College Chairman Lalchand Kataria, Padma Shri awardee Gulabo Sapera, Asian Yoga Federation President Ashok Kumar Agarwal, elected representatives, delegates from various yoga federations and a large number of participants from across the country attended the ceremony.

PM Modi highlights Gujarats water-governance model as lessons for Global South

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday shared an article highlighting Indias water-governance experience, tracing the evolution of reforms in Gujarat into large-scale national programmes and presenting the approach as a potential reference for countries across the Global South. Sharing the article, From India to Global South, a Gujarat water-governance model, on social media platform X, he said water security is not limited to building infrastructure but also depends on planning, strong local systems and community participation. From India, a water-governance model is offering useful lessons for the wider Global South. Water security is not only about building infrastructure but also about good planning, strong local systems and involving communities in managing water, PM Modi said. India's journey from water reforms in Gujarat to large-scale national programmes offers a practical example for countries looking to improve water management and meet growing water needs, he added. The article, published in a national daily and authored by former Union water resources secretary Parameswaran Iyer, Council on Energy, Environment and Water fellow Nitin Bassi and George Mason University assistant professor Daniel W Smith, examines water-governance reforms in Gujarat and India between 2001 and 2026. The authors argue that the experience shows water security to be a governance and institutional challenge as much as an engineering one. They identify Gujarat during PM Modis tenure as chief minister from 2001 to 2014 as an early setting for reforms that were subsequently expanded through national programmes after 2014. The article refers to programmes including the Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission, Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Namami Gange, Atal Bhujal Yojana and Per Drop More Crop as part of the broader national water-governance framework. Drawing on official data, policy and programme records, existing literature and consultations with practitioners, the authors case study, From Gujarat to India: Water Lessons for the World, identifies four broad lessons: prioritising governance alongside infrastructure, managing water resources and services together, placing communities at the centre of water management, and designing programmes for scale. The article also highlights a 4 Ps framework political leadership, public and private financing, partnerships across levels of government and institutions, and peoples participation as an approach to strengthening water governance. It cites Gujarats Chintan Shivirs between 2001 and 2014 as an example of bringing key stakeholders together to prioritise water governance and develop solutions aligned with community expectations. The authors say a similar approach has since been replicated at the national level, citing the Departmental Summit on Water organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and addressed by PM Modi in September 2026. The authors further argue that water-resource planning needs to keep pace with rising demand from cities, industry and agriculture, while greater attention should be given to the reuse of treated water, particularly for non-potable purposes. They project that the annual market revenue from the sale of treated used water in India could reach around Rs 73,000 crore by 2047 at current prices. On community participation, the article points to local institutions such as Pani Samitis and programmes for water conservation, harvesting and groundwater recharge. It argues that infrastructure needs to be supported by institutions capable of ensuring reliable services and by community involvement in local water decisions. The authors also note that the world remains off track on Sustainable Development Goal 6, which seeks universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation and sustainable management of water resources, used water and ecosystems by 2030. They estimate that an additional USD 500 billion in annual investment is required globally. The article concludes that the scale of Indias water programmes demonstrates the importance of political commitment, financing and institutions in implementing water-governance reforms on a large scale the central point PM Modi highlighted while sharing the piece with his followers.

South Korea, US aligned on North Korea policy, denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula: FM Cho

Digital Desk | Seoul, Oct 6 (IANS) South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Tuesday that South Korea and the United States are aligned in their North Korea policy and remain committed to the goal of denuclearising the Korean Peninsula. Through multiple summit meetings, South Korea and the US have confirmed their aligned policy stance toward North Korea and their commitment to coordination, Cho said during a parliamentary audit of the foreign ministry. We have continued close consultations with the US to encourage North Korea to return to dialogue and negotiations, he said, vowing continued efforts to encourage constructive roles from China and Russia, Yonhap News Agency reported. The minister stressed the government's commitment to seeking substantive progress on the North Korean nuclear issue through a phased and practical approach aimed at halting, reducing and eventually dismantling its nuclear capabilities. There have been concerns that Washington could shift its policy focus toward goals short of denuclearisation, such as arms control or tension reduction, after U.S. President Donald Trump in August declined to answer a reporter's question about whether his goal in reengaging with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was denuclearisation. The US government later reaffirmed its commitment to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea. Cho also said attention is focused on the US midterm elections scheduled for November. The ministry will closely monitor the election results and work to further expand support for the South Korea-US alliance in the US Congress, he said. Asked about the prospects for renewed dialogue between the US and North Korea, Cho said South Korea has been holding talks with the US on the matter. We have held several working-level consultations. I also raised the issue during the recent South Korea-US foreign ministers' meeting in Washington, Cho said. On calls that Seoul's position should be fully reflected in any future dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, Cho said the allies have been closely coordinating at various levels, adding that the U.S. would not reach any separate agreement with the North without consulting South Korea or notify Seoul only after reaching an agreement. Asked whether North Korea would likely demand talks based on its status as a nuclear-armed state, Cho said, That is how I expect it will start. Trump has expressed interest in reengaging with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year, fueling speculation that he could revive the personal diplomacy that led to three meetings with Kim during his first term. On China, Cho said Seoul plans to pursue high-level exchanges with Beijing on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen in November. We will manage sensitive issues, including Taiwan, so that they do not hamper the momentum of developing bilateral relations, he said. The minister said Seoul is also maintaining necessary communication with Russia. While explaining our North Korea policy, we have conveyed our grave concerns over the ongoing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia and called for its suspension, he said. Regarding the diplomatic dispute with Ukraine over two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs), Cho said, Clarifying the facts concerning matters agreed upon privately between the two countries is essential to the development of bilateral relations. The South Korean government has demanded an official explanation and apology over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent disclosure of the transfer of the two North Korean soldiers to Seoul, as well as a statement from his office denying that there had been an agreement to keep the matter confidential.

Not Expansion, Not Rankings: What SA20's Real Goal Actually Is

On Wednesday, SA20 will hold its fifth player auction ahead of the fifth season of the T20 league, starting in January

Rivaba Jadeja hails PM Modi's 25 years in public service, says Gujarat emerging as growth model for India

Digital Desk | Rajkot, Oct 6 (IANS) Gujarat Minister Rivaba Jadeja on Tuesday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on completing 25 years in public service and governance, saying Gujarat was on a path to becoming a model of growth and development for the entire country. Speaking to reporters at an event in Rajkot, where around 1,500 students created a 40,000-square-foot map of India as part of celebrations marking PM Modi's completion of 25 years in governance. The event, organised under the theme 'Seva Ke Rang, Rashtra Ke Sang', also sought to highlight the Prime Minister's leadership and what the organisers described as the Gujarat model of development. Extending her greetings to PM Modi on behalf of the people of Gujarat, Jadeja said the 25-year journey represented a period of service, good governance and dedication. She added that PM Modi's leadership had provided direction and guidance to Gujarat as well as the country. On behalf of the people of Gujarat, I would like to extend my heartfelt greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and convey my best wishes to him. As we mark 25 years of service, good governance and dedication, we are witnessing the direction and guidance that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided to Gujarat and the nation, she said. Jadeja noted that India had been at the forefront of developments at the international level and cited areas, including the economy, the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat, growth of micro, small and medium enterprises, infrastructure, entrepreneurship and women's empowerment. We live in such an era in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a new milestone for growth and development. Today, Gujarat is an example of a growth engine for India, she said. Referring to PM Modi's tenure as both Gujarat Chief Minister and country's Prime Minister, Jadeja said he had worked for the development of the state as well as the country. She said Gujarat was continuing on a path of growth and development. The Minister also spoke about the significance of the Rajkot event, describing the 'Human Rangoli' created by students as part of the celebrations. She said she had the opportunity to witness the event and thanked the administration and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers for organising it and inviting her. Jadeja added that the initiative was aimed at connecting the younger generation with the country's ethos and encouraging their participation in nation-building. She also referred to the 'Satya-Dhara' project, through which the culture of Rajkot and the Saurashtra region was showcased. She said the events highlighting diversity and unity would help connect students with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. I hope that their (students') contribution is also counted in our motto of nation-building, she added. Jadeja also congratulated PM Modi on behalf of the people of Saurashtra for completing 25 years in public service and expressed her best wishes for his continued contribution to the country.

Goa Bench of Bombay High Court adjourns hearing on plea challenging voter deletion as ECI points out Supreme Court cases

The orders the Supreme Court may pass can have a bearing on the matter before the High Court, said advocate Gaurish Agni, representing the ECI

RDI fund: Call for proposals to reopen after review, to boost Viksit Bharat 2047, says TDB Secretary

In an effort to align with India's 2047 development goals, the Research, Development, and Innovation Fund was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a means to empower domestic enterprises. It seeks to stimulate private sector investment in R&D, with 400 applications now under assessment and plans to accept new submissions soon.

Census 2027: Snow-bound enumeration completed in J&K, Ladakh, says Director of Census Operations

Jammu, Oct 6: Director of Census Operations, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Amit Sharma on Tuesday said the Census 2027 exercise was progressing smoothly in the twin Union territories, with population enumeration in snow-bound areas completed and the main enumeration in the remaining areas, including Srinagar and Jammu, scheduled for February. Sharma, who is also the Chief Principal Census Officer of J&K and Ladakh, said while the house listing operations had been completed in June, the District Census Handbook (DCHB), which began on October 1, will continue till October 30. The population enumeration in the snow-bound areas of J&K and Ladakh was successfully completed 100 per cent from September 1 to 30. A five-day revision round was also completed on October 5 to incorporate corrections, omissions and other changes reported after the initial enumeration, Sharma told reporters here. He said the detailed population enumeration exercise in the snow-bound areas covered 5,292 enumeration blocks (EB) across the two Union territories. Of these, 4,597 EBs were in Jammu and Kashmir and 695 in Ladakh, reflecting the extensive scale of the exercise undertaken ahead of the winter season. He said the enumeration involved a large field machinery deployed across remote, difficult and snow-bound areas, with enumerators and supervisors undertaking door-to-door coverage to ensure that every eligible person was included in the Census. Among the districts, Doda accounted for 798 enumeration blocks, Kishtwar 602, Ramban 418, Anantnag 377, Baramulla 369, Reasi 345, Udhampur 313 and Kupwara 230, Sharma said, highlighting the substantial field exercise involved in covering the snow-bound areas. He said Ladakh and Kishtwar districts were entirely designated as snow-bound, while several other districts of Jammu and Kashmir had partially snow-bound areas. The remaining plain areas would be covered during the main population enumeration exercise in February, following the requisite notification. The District Census Handbook exercise, which began on October 1, will continue till October 30, Sharma said. He said Census 2027 was India's first fully digital Census, with enumerators using digital devices and citizens being provided the facility of Self-Enumeration. Jammu and Kashmir has performed exceptionally well in Self-Enumeration. It ranked first among the Union Territories and eighth overall in the country, the director census said. He said the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India had deployed independent observers who visited different parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to assess field-level implementation, verify the use of digital devices and interact with Census officials, supervisors and enumerators. Sharma said Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mrityunjay Kumar Narayan had himself visited several remote and strategically located areas of Ladakh, including Turtuk, Bogdang, Pangong, Chushul, Nyoma, Chumar, Kargil and Zanskar, and reviewed the Census preparedness and field operations. He said Additional Registrar General Sunil Kumar had also visited Jammu and Kashmir in August to review preparations for the exercise. On the census coverage principle, Sharma said the exercise followed the extended de facto approach, under which a person was counted at the place where he or she was found during the enumeration period. Whether it is a migrant labourer, a person working in another state or anyone else present at a particular place during the Census enumeration, the person will be counted where he or she is found, he said, adding that determination of the legality of a person's stay was the responsibility of the concerned government agencies and not the Census authorities. He said the Centre had released around Rs 49.2 crore for census-related requirements in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including IT infrastructure, training, honorarium, and contingency expenditure. Sharma also highlighted the extensive publicity campaign undertaken to create awareness about the Census, including newspaper advertisements, LED screens, publicity vans, pamphlets, seminars, university programmes, quiz competitions, radio jingles and hoardings. He said an MoU had also been signed with Jammu and Kashmir Bank for displaying Census-related publicity material at its branches, describing the initiative as a first-of-its-kind arrangement in the country. He said the main population enumeration in the remaining areas was yet to be conducted and provisional population figures at the national level were expected only after completion of the exercise next year. The director said the census data would provide the foundation for government planning and policy formulation, including infrastructure, healthcare, education, social welfare, connectivity and other development programmes. Census data is the foundation for development planning. The data being collected now will be used for planning and development for years to come and will also contribute to the goal of a developed India by 2047, Sharma said.

Can you name Argentina

You know the fella in the picture. What about the rest? The post Can you name Argentinas top 20 goalscorers of all time? appeared first on Planet Football .

Sameera Reddy says her son takes the coolest videos of his mama as she drives

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Experion Developers plans Rs 10,000 crore investment to build 3,000 luxury homes, plots in 5 years

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Centre expands rural job scheme as VB-G RAM G framework allows 375 types of works

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS) The Ministry of Rural Development has notified 375 permissible categories of works under the Viksit BharatGuarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G. The notification, issued on October 5, provides for works covering water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, as well as special works aimed at mitigating extreme weather events and strengthening disaster preparedness in rural areas. The new Schedule represents a 41 per cent expansion over the 266 works under the previous framework, the Ministry of Rural Development said in a statement. Of the 375 permissible works, the largest category relates to water security, which includes 128 works. This is followed by 111 works under core rural infrastructure, 98 works related to livelihood infrastructure and 38 special works focused on extreme weather events and disaster preparedness. The water security category includes construction, repair and maintenance of canals, flood and diversion channels, check dams, gully plugs and underground dykes. The notified schedule also covers the rejuvenation of ponds and traditional water bodies, construction of percolation tanks, recharge pits and shafts, injection wells and various water harvesting structures. Ice stupas, or artificial glaciers, have also been included in the permissible works for water conservation and irrigation, providing for region-specific measures to improve water availability and support agricultural activities. The schedule further allows works related to drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, field-level water distribution channels and reclamation of waterlogged land. Afforestation and plantation activities linked to soil and moisture conservation have also been included, covering bamboo, mangrove, coconut, rubber and agro-forestry plantations. Under the core rural infrastructure category, the notified works include construction and maintenance of rural roads, culverts, footpaths and other facilities aimed at improving village connectivity and access. The category also includes construction and improvement of gram panchayat buildings, anganwadi centres, rural libraries, health centres and veterinary centres, thereby covering a broad range of basic public infrastructure required in rural communities. School-related infrastructure has also been brought within the scope of permissible works. These include construction of additional classrooms, laboratories, toilets, kitchen sheds, compound walls and playgrounds, among other facilities required for improving educational infrastructure in villages. Waste management and renewable energy infrastructure constitute another component of the notified schedule. The permissible works include recycling plants, waste segregation sheds, compost pits, greywater treatment units, solar street lighting systems and biogas plants. The framework also provides for the development of rural parks, bus stands, parking sheds, drinking water kiosks, seed banks and multipurpose youth centres. Emergency evacuation and relief shelters in border areas have also been included among the permissible works. The schedule specifically allows the construction of stairs and ramps for persons with disabilities in government buildings, rural housing works permitted under Central and state government schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-Gramin). The livelihood-related infrastructure category, which comprises 98 permissible works, includes training and skill development centres aimed at enhancing employment and income-generation opportunities in rural areas. The category also provides for worksheds for self-help groups (SHGs), rural haats and market yards, food grain and agricultural produce storage facilities, as well as cold storage units to support rural producers and improve post-harvest infrastructure. Other permissible works under this category include construction of SHG and federation buildings, compost structures, dairy and livestock infrastructure, fisheries-related facilities, nurseries and poly-houses. Horticulture and medicinal plantations and various processing units have also been included. The schedule provides for shelters and infrastructure for cattle, goats, pigs and poultry, along with fish drying yards and aquaculture structures for shrimp, fish, crab and pearl farming. It also includes poly-houses, nurseries and plantations linked to tea, coffee, horticulture, sericulture and medicinal trees, allowing rural employment works to support a wider range of agricultural and allied livelihood activities. Processing infrastructure covered under the schedule includes mini flour mills, cashew processing units and oilseed processing facilities. It also includes integrated agro-processing infrastructure for cleaning, grading and packaging, along with forest produce and handloom processing units. Bamboo craft and biodegradable product processing units have also been included, widening the scope of livelihood-oriented infrastructure that can be created through the rural employment framework. For the first time, the schedule contains a separate category comprising 38 works specifically aimed at mitigating extreme weather events and strengthening disaster preparedness in rural areas. This category includes cyclone and flood shelters, embankments, spurs, flood protection walls and retaining walls. It also covers stabilisation ponds and post-disaster restoration of rural roads and community assets to support recovery following extreme weather events. The framework further provides for windbreak and shelterbelt plantations as protective measures. Forest-fire management works have also been included, such as firebreaks, forest fire lines, fuel buffer zones and animal protection trenches. The new framework seeks to move beyond a conventional list of asset types and align wage employment with the creation of durable rural assets and measurable development outcomes, the ministry said. The ministry also said that the identification and approval of works would follow a decentralised planning process, with local communities playing a central role in determining priorities and requirements.

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Born Without Left Hand, NIT Graduate Earns Rs 50 Lakh Per Annum At Amazon

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India reiterates call to reform international financial institutions to ensure funding for development

Digital Desk | United Nations, Oct 6 (IANS) India has reiterated its call for reforming international financial institutions to give the Global South its due representation and ensure developing nations have access to affordable and predictable funds. Speaking at the General Assembly's Second Committee, whose portfolio is economic and financial matters, BJP MP C P Joshi highlighted India's financing of the development needs of the Global South countries through the IndiaUN Development Partnership Fund (I-UNDPF), IBSA Fund (jointly with Brazil and South Africa), the International Solar Alliance (ISA), and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) launched in 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Joshi, who is from Rajasthan and heads the Parliament Committee on Petitions, spoke in Hindi with simultaneous interpretation into the five UN official languages. He said that India was sharing its expertise in digital public infrastructure, financial inclusion and domestic resource mobilisation with other developing countries. He said the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should respect national priorities and its unfinished elements should continue beyond 2030. The 17 SDGs cover a gamut of human endeavours from eradicating poverty, education, and health to the environment, peace, and gender equality, and were adopted in 2015 with a 2030 deadline for achieving them. India has committed $150 million to the I-UNDPF, and the programme's unique feature is that it lets the recipients set the priorities themselves and has no loan element. For the CDRI, whose secretariat India hosts, it has pledged about $70 million. The global financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund were created after World War II with a focus on rebuilding a war-ravaged Europe, and they have to refocus and update their structures to meet the 21st century's needs, India has said.

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Digital Desk | United Nations, Oct 6 (IANS) Fifteen members of Parliament, representing the political and geographic diversity of India have joined the India's delegation to General Assembly, showcasing the nation's democracy. They paid homage on Monday to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue on the UN campus before heading out to their General Assembly assignments. India's Permanent Representative P Harish, the senior diplomat who heads India's UN Mission, briefed the MPs on India's engagement with the UN. The MPs met with Assistant Secretary-General Kanni Wignaraja, who is also the regional director for Asia and the Pacific, and discussed the work of the UN Development Programme in India. During the meeting, they explored how parliamentarians can advance the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. The MPs plunged immediately into their assignments representing India. Two of the BJP MPs, Banshilal Gurjar from Madhya Pradesh and C P Joshi from Rajasthan, spoke in Hindi with simultaneous translation. Gurjar addressed the Assembly's Fifth Committee that deals with budgetary and administrative matters on the scale of assessments for the apportionment of UN expenses. C P Joshi, who heads the Parliament Committee on Petitions, addressed the Second Committee that deals with economic and financial matters. Gumma Thanuja Rani, a YSR Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh, spoke in English on the organisation of work at the Fifth Committee. Traditionally, MPs reinforce India's presence at the General Assembly during the months after its new session begins in September. There are six MPs from the BJP, and besides Joshi and Gurjar, they are Mahima Kumari Mewar from Rajasthan; Biplab Kumar Deb, BJP national general secretary from Tripura; Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri from Karnataka; and Sikander Kumar from Himachal Pradesh. The two Congress Party MPs in the delegation are Rahul Kaswan from Rajasthan and Anil Kumar Yadav from Telangana. The others, besides them, are LK Sudhish of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam from Tamil Nadu; Asit Mal of the Trinamool Congress from West Bengal; Smajwadi Party's Priya Saroj from Uttar Pradesh; Lovely Anand of the Janata Dal (United) from Bihar; Sanjay Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal also from Bihar, and Rajabhau Waje of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) from Maharashtra.

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E-Bus deficit keeps Govt footing the bill

Srinagar, Oct 5:The Jammu and Kashmir Government has sanctioned Rs 38 crore for operating electric buses in Jammu and Srinagar in 2026-27, as the Smart City e-bus network continues to depend on substantial public support amid a wide gap between running costs and fare revenue. In an order issued on September 25, the Housing and Urban Development Department sanctioned Rs 3,800 lakh for the operational expenditure of e-bus projects run by Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL) and Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL). Rs 20 crore has been released to JSCL and Rs 18 crore to SSCL to meet operational liabilities during the current financial year. The release follows significant operating deficits. Figures placed before the J&K Legislative Assembly showed that running an electric bus in the Kashmir Division costs around Rs 60.74 per km against average revenue of about Rs 12 per km, a gap of Rs 48.74. In Jammu, the cost was Rs 62.65 per km against revenue of Rs 10.01, leaving a gap of Rs 52.64. The two divisions together face a daily deficit of nearly Rs 20 lakh, with Srinagar alone accounting for around Rs 9.74 lakh. The deficit must be seen alongside the Zero-Ticket Travel Initiative, launched on April 1, 2025 by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, which allows women to travel free on all Smart City e-buses and J&K Road Transport Corporation buses across the Union Territory. At the launch, the Chief Minister said the Government would compensate JKRTC and the Smart City services from the budget for the scheme. Women are required to show their Aadhaar card to avail the service. The burden is also tied to long-term commitments. Tata Motors was awarded a 12-year contract to supply, operate and maintain 200 electric buses, 100 for each city. The first batch began running in Srinagar in 2023, followed by Jammu, with air-conditioning, GPS tracking and smart ticketing. The Government is now moving to expand the fleet. Another 200 e-buses, again 100 each, have been approved under the PM e-Bus Sewaprogramme, potentially doubling the existing fleet and extending service to rural and tourist areas. Central assistance under the scheme is provided on a per-km basis, and the additional buses are expected to run on a public-private partnership model. Project estimates point to heavy funding needs. Operational cost over 10 years is placed at around Rs 628 crore for Jammu and Rs 686 crore for Srinagar. After projected subsidies and fare earnings, a sizeable gap is expected to be met by the J&K Government. The Rs 38-crore allocation is therefore significant not just as an annual provision but as part of a larger expenditure commitment. The order clarifies that the money is for operational expenditure only and is not a fresh capital allocation for buying buses. It comes with strict conditions. The Drawing and Disbursing Officer must submit utilisation certificates and red accounts within prescribed timelines, funds can be used only for items approved by the competent authority, and parking of funds is prohibited. Spending must conform to the General Financial Rules, 2017 and the relevant contracts. The release, the order adds, cannot be construed as acceptance of any contractual claim, with verification and settlement of liabilities resting with the department and the Smart City SPVs, which must ensure spending only against actual and admissible liabilities. Delayed funding has hurt maintenance before. Officials had earlier indicated that shortages of money for repairs and spare parts left some Srinagar e-buses grounded. Even so, the buses have become an important part of urban transport in both cities, with passenger demand prompting plans for expansion. The challenge for the Government is to reconcile three goals: expanding clean public transport, keeping the service affordable, including free travel for women, and ensuring the growing deficit does not become an open-ended burden on the exchequer. With 200 more buses in the pipeline, that challenge is set to grow.

Practical Guide to Preventing and Controlling Diabetes

PART A IMPROVING GLUCOSE CONTROL THROUGH FOOD CHOICES AND POST-MEAL ACTIVITY Magnitude of diabetes in Kashmir, India and Asia Diabetes is one of the largest chronic-disease challenges of our time. The World Health Organization reports that approximately 830 million people worldwide are living with diabetes, most in low- and middle-income countries. Asia carries a major share: the ICMR-INDIAB study estimated that India alone had approximately 101 million people with diabetes in 2021. Each number represents a person at risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, visual loss, neuropathy and premature death. [8,9] Kashmir is not protected. Precise valley-wide totals remain uncertain because studies use different populations and diagnostic methods. A study of 6,808 tribal adults from the Gujjar and Bakerwal communities across five districts of Kashmir found diabetes in 1.26 percent but prediabetes in 11.64 percent, about nine times as common. The authors warned that this pattern points to a rise in diabetes in the years ahead. These findings cannot be extrapolated to every Kashmiri, but they demonstrate a meaningful local burden and explain why the Fayaz Shawl Philanthropic Foundation is developing this education series: to promote earlier testing and practical guidance on food, portions, meal sequence, medication safety and activity alongside medical care. [10] A family experience When someone close to us develops poorly controlled diabetes, prompt action matters, and so does accuracy. A close member of my family in Kashmir had an HbA1c of 8.9 percent, well above the usual treatment target. Her seven-day continuous glucose monitor (CGM) report for September 612, 2026 showed an average glucose of 181 mg/dL, with evening averages reaching 205 and 220 mg/dL. Alongside her medical care, we made structured changes to meal composition, portion size, food order and post-meal activity, with close supervision and continuous glucose monitoring. Her next seven-day report, for September 1420, 2026, showed an average glucose of 133 mg/dL, a fall of 48 mg/dL, with three-hour averages between 115 and 147 mg/dL. As her glucose improved, I reduced her glucose-lowering medication, including insulin, under close supervision. The response is encouraging, but medication, activity, adherence, sleep, illness and other factors also affect glucose. It is not proof that diabetes has been cured or reversed. HbA1c reflects glucose exposure over about three months, so a repeat laboratory HbA1c is essential. International consensus defines type 2 diabetes remission as an HbA1c below 6.5 percent for at least three months without glucose-lowering medication, and even then, continued monitoring is necessary because high blood sugar can return. [1] A CGM is useful for recognizing patterns and testing how an individual responds to meals. It does not by itself diagnose remission, and a single low or normal reading should never be treated as proof that diabetes has disappeared. My purpose in sharing this experience is practical: relatively simple habits can improve daily glucose patterns, but they must complement appropriate medical treatment rather than replace it. Practical evidence-based regimen 1 Begin with a medical assessment. Confirm the type of diabetes and review HbA1c, fasting glucose, kidney function, urine albumin, blood pressure, lipids, weight and current medication. An HbA1c of 7 percent or higher deserves active treatment and follow-up. Lifestyle measures may improve control, but medication may still be necessary to protect the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves. 2 Use nuts as a measured food. Walnuts and almonds provide unsaturated fat, fiber, magnesium and protein. A small serving taken 20 to 30 minutes before a meal may reduce the post-meal glucose rise in some people, particularly when it replaces biscuits, sweets or bakery bread. A randomized trial in Asian Indians with prediabetes found benefit from 20 grams of almonds taken 30 minutes before meals. [2] Take the nuts with a glass of water and chew them well. Water supports hydration and may help you feel full sooner, but it has not been shown to lower glucose further. People who have been told to restrict their fluids should follow the advice in step 7. Nuts are calorie-dense and should be counted within the daily food plan. People with a nut allergy should avoid them. 3 Eat vegetables and protein before starch. Small crossover studies show that eating non-starchy vegetables and protein before carbohydrate can reduce the immediate rise in glucose and insulin after a meal. [3] Fiber, protein and fat slow digestion, so glucose enters the blood more gradually. A practical sequence is salad or haakh first, alone or mixed with a modest serving of plain unsweetened Kashmiri curd (dahi or zamutdud); then protein; and a limited amount of rice or bread last. 4 Choose plain yogurt when it fits the meal. Plain unsweetened yogurt or zamutdud supplies protein and generally causes only a small rise in blood sugar. [12] In my clinical observation with CGMs, mixing a modest serving of plain curd with haakh or other non-starchy vegetables at the start of the meal was associated with a smaller post-meal glucose rise. This combination has not been tested in a controlled trial, so it is a practical observation rather than a proven treatment. Choose curd without sugar, honey or sweetened fruit. Portion size and total calories still matter. People with lactose intolerance or dairy allergy need an alternative. 5 Reduce rapidly digested carbohydrate without unnecessary prohibitions. White rice, maida breads, sweetened bakery products and sheermal can cause large glucose rises, especially in generous portions. The most important step is to reduce quantity and frequency. A small measured serving of rice or whole-wheat roti may fit an individual plan when eaten after vegetables and protein. Sheermal and other sweetened breads should be occasional foods, not daily staples. 6 Walk after meals. A 10 to 15 minute walk soon after a meal can lower post-meal glucose. Working muscles draw sugar out of the blood, partly without needing insulin. This helps, but it does not replace diabetes treatment. A randomized crossover study found that short walks after each main meal improved post-meal glucose more than a single daily walk. [4] 7 Stay appropriately hydrated. Water is preferable to sweetened drinks, and dehydration can worsen illness when blood sugar is very high. Fluid intake must be individualized in people with heart failure, kidney disease, liver disease or a tendency toward low sodium. 8 Measure the result over time. Review CGM patterns over at least 10 to 14 days when available, confirm unexpected readings with a finger-stick meter, and repeat HbA1c after about three months. Follow weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, kidney health and medication needs as well as glucose. Medication safety Do not reduce or stop prescribed medication or insulin on your own. Better food choices and more activity can lower glucose quickly, especially in people taking insulin or sulfonylureas such as glimepiride or gliclazide, and these medicines may need supervised adjustment to prevent hypoglycemia. In my family members case, I made those adjustments myself as her physician, with continuous monitoring. Other medicines may remain important because they protect the heart and kidneys even when glucose improves. The main lesson The family experience shows how quickly daily glucose patterns can respond to a disciplined routine. It does not establish a cure. The clinically meaningful questions are whether the improvement is sustained, whether HbA1c falls over the next three months, whether medication can be adjusted safely and whether cardiovascular and kidney risk factors also improve. PART B PREDIABETES IS A WARNING AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PREVENTION The magnitude of prediabetes The population at risk is even larger than the number already diagnosed with diabetes. The ICMR-INDIAB study estimated that approximately 136 million people in India had prediabetes in 2021, more than the estimated 101 million who already had diabetes. Across Asia, millions of people are living in this intermediate stage, often without symptoms and frequently without knowing that their glucose is abnormal. [9] Using HbA1c, prediabetes generally means a laboratory value from 5.7 to 6.4 percent. A value of 5.7 percent is the lower boundary, not a medical emergency, while 6.5 percent or higher may meet a diagnostic criterion for diabetes when confirmed. In a person without symptoms, an abnormal result should generally be confirmed with a repeat HbA1c or another laboratory glucose test. Anemia, kidney disease and some hemoglobin variants can affect HbA1c accuracy. [5] Prediabetes should not be described as harmless, but neither is progression to diabetes inevitable. It is a warning and, more importantly, an opportunity for prevention. The International Diabetes Federation estimated that in 2024 approximately 635 million adults worldwide had impaired glucose tolerance and 488 million had impaired fasting glucose. These categories overlap, and they are not identical to HbA1c-defined prediabetes, so the two figures must not be added together. They nevertheless show the enormous global pool of people at increased risk of type 2 diabetes. [11] This is precisely the population I would like to educate. People with an HbA1c between 5.7 and 6.4 percent may feel completely well while insulin resistance is progressing. Timely education about culturally familiar food choices, sensible carbohydrate portions, regular activity, weight management when needed and appropriate medical follow-up can help many of them delay or prevent type 2 diabetes. During more than four decades as an interventional cardiologist, I have seen the consequences of diabetes in the arteries of the heart, brain, kidneys and legs. Prediabetes deserves attention because it identifies people at increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is also a stage at which prevention can be highly effective. Current medical care does not recommend waiting passively for diabetes to develop. It recommends weight management when needed, healthier food choices, regular physical activity and periodic testing. Metformin may also be considered for selected people at particularly high risk. Prevention is effective, but cure is not the right term Prediabetes can return to the normal glucose range, and progression to type 2 diabetes can often be delayed or prevented. The word cure is misleading because insulin resistance and future risk may remain. The landmark Diabetes Prevention Program found that an intensive lifestyle program reduced the development of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent over approximately three years. Participants aimed for 7 percent weight loss and at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week. [6] Why I am sharing this message Prediabetes is a common precursor to type 2 diabetes, although progression is not inevitable. Early action offers a real opportunity to interrupt that progression. In my clinical experience, many patients who closely followed structured dietary recommendations and regular exercise saw their HbA1c return to the normal range, below 5.7 percent, within approximately six to nine months. This should be confirmed by repeat laboratory testing and does not mean that future diabetes risk has disappeared. A few of my close friends had an HbA1c of 5.7 percent. With their permission, I reviewed their CGM patterns. After reducing cereal portions and combining carbohydrate with nuts, berries and unsweetened Greek yogurt, they saw smaller peaks after breakfast and average glucose levels near 100 mg/dL. At a Kashmiri breakfast, the same principle means a smaller piece of bread taken with walnuts, an egg or plain zamutdud. These observations are encouraging, but they are not a controlled trial and cannot predict every persons result. A single CGM value cannot diagnose or exclude prediabetes. Follow-up should include repeat laboratory HbA1c and assessment of weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, lipids and overall cardiovascular risk. A prevention plan for Kashmir 1 Know the baseline. Check laboratory HbA1c or fasting glucose and confirm an abnormal result when appropriate. Measure blood pressure, weight, waist circumference and lipids. Earlier testing is reasonable for South Asian adults with abdominal obesity, a family history, previous diabetes in pregnancy, fatty liver, high blood pressure or abnormal lipids. 2 Change portions before abandoning traditional food. Traditional Kashmiri food can remain part of a healthy plan. Use haakh and other non-starchy vegetables generously. Keep rice, roti and bakery products to small, measured portions. Reduce sheermal, sweetened tea, biscuits, desserts and sugar-sweetened drinks. Wazwan dishes such as rista and gushtaba should be eaten in moderate portions because they may contain substantial saturated fat and salt. 3 Use food order as an additional tool. Start with vegetables, alone or mixed with a modest serving of plain unsweetened Kashmiri curd; follow with protein or dal; and take rice or bread last. This may blunt the post-meal rise, but it does not make an unlimited carbohydrate portion safe. 4 Choose snacks that replace refined carbohydrate. A measured portion of unsalted walnuts or almonds can replace bakery products at tea time. Unsweetened dahi or yogurt can also be useful. Noon chai contains little carbohydrate when unsweetened, but its salt content matters for people with high blood pressure or heart failure. Evidence does not support relying on cinnamon or green tea as diabetes treatment. [7] 5 Move after meals and throughout the week. Walk for 10 to 15 minutes after meals when safe. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week and include muscle-strengthening exercise two or three times weekly. People with heart symptoms, severe neuropathy, foot ulcers or major mobility limitations should get individual exercise advice. 6 Address the major drivers of risk. If excess weight or abdominal fat is present, even modest weight loss can improve insulin sensitivity. Preserve muscle with adequate protein and strength exercise. Sleep regularly, avoid tobacco and treat high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol. 7 Repeat laboratory testing. Recheck HbA1c about three months after a major lifestyle change. People with confirmed prediabetes should usually be tested at least yearly, with the interval set by their doctor. A message for the public Prediabetes is neither a reason for panic nor a reason for inaction. It is an opportunity to intervene early. Sustainable food choices, weight management when needed, regular activity and appropriate medical follow-up can substantially reduce risk. Medication is sometimes appropriate and should never be seen as failure. The goal is lasting metabolic and cardiovascular health, not a perfect single sensor reading. PART C HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS: THE SCIENCE BEHIND EACH STEP The steps in this program are not arbitrary. Each one acts on how quickly food leaves the stomach, how quickly starch is digested and absorbed, or how the body clears sugar from the blood after a meal. The explanations below describe what research has shown and, where the evidence is still developing, how these steps are thought to work. 1 Nuts before the meal: a natural brake. When the fat and protein in walnuts and almonds reach the upper small intestine, they trigger gut hormones, including cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). These hormones signal through the nerves of the gut to slow the emptying of the stomach, a feedback system known as the duodenal brake. When the main meal follows, it passes into the intestine more gradually, so its sugar reaches the blood more slowly. Chew the nuts thoroughly, because breaking their cell walls happens in the mouth, not the stomach. Take them with a glass of water, which supports hydration and may help you feel full sooner, although it has not been shown to lower glucose further. A small serving of about 20 grams is enough; the trial in Asian Indians with prediabetes used this amount, taken 30 minutes before meals. [2] 2 Vegetables first: thickening the meal. Haakh, gogji, monji and salad vegetables supply fiber. Soluble fiber, such as pectin, absorbs water and makes the stomach contents thicker. Thicker contents empty more slowly and mix less readily with digestive enzymes, so sugar from starch eaten later in the meal is absorbed more gradually. Insoluble fiber adds bulk and fullness. Much of the benefit also comes from the order itself: the starch simply arrives later, after the bodys early hormonal response is under way. [3,13] 3 Plain curds: an early protein signal. Plain curd and zamutdud provide milk proteins, casein and whey. Eaten at the start of a meal, these proteins stimulate an early release of insulin and GLP-1, so the body is already prepared when the starch arrives. In a clinical trial in type 2 diabetes, a whey protein drink taken before breakfast reduced the rise in glucose after the meal. [14] Casein also forms soft curds in the stomach that empty slowly. As noted earlier, combining curd with haakh reflects my clinical observation and has not been tested in a controlled trial. [12] 4 Protein or dal: fullness and slower digestion. Protein from fish, chicken, eggs or dal slows stomach emptying further and stimulates gut hormones such as peptide YY (PYY), which act on appetite centers in the brain to increase fullness. [15] Feeling satisfied sooner makes it easier to keep the rice or bread portion small. Dal also contains carbohydrate, so its portion counts toward the total for the meal. 5 Rice or bread last: a lower, slower rise. By the time rice or roti is eaten, the stomach is emptying more slowly and the meal is thicker and richer in fiber, protein and fat. The starch is still digested and absorbed, but more gradually. In studies, eating vegetables and protein before carbohydrate lowered the post-meal glucose peak by roughly a third and reduced the insulin response. [3] Large, repeated swings in glucose after meals are associated with oxidative stress, which can injure blood vessels, so smoothing them may help protect the heart and arteries as well as improving glucose control. [16] 6 A note on cooled rice. When cooked rice is refrigerated, part of its starch changes into resistant starch, which is digested more slowly. In one study, white rice cooled for 24 hours and then reheated produced a smaller glucose rise than freshly cooked rice. [17] Food safety matters: cooked rice left at room temperature can grow bacteria whose toxin survives reheating. Put cooked rice into shallow containers and refrigerate it within two hours, keeping the refrigerator at 4C or below. After about 24 hours, reheat only the portion you need until it is steaming hot throughout (74C), eat it promptly, and do not reheat it a second time. Portion size remains more important than cooling. 7 Walking after meals: muscles as a sugar sink. In type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, the body responds poorly to insulin, mainly because the insulin signal inside the cell is impaired. Working muscle has a second route. During walking, signals within the muscle move glucose transporters called GLUT4 to the cell surface without needing insulin, letting sugar pass from the blood into the muscle to be used as fuel. [18] This is why a short walk after meals lowers post-meal glucose and reduces how much insulin the pancreas must produce. [4] Even two to five minutes of light walking helps, [19] and in winter, walking indoors or climbing stairs works as well. What these mechanisms do and do not mean Together, these steps make the rise in blood sugar after a meal smaller and slower. They do not stop sugar from entering the blood, and they do not make large portions safe. They work best alongside sensible portions, regular activity, weight management when needed and appropriate medical treatment. People taking insulin or sulfonylureas should discuss these changes with their doctor, because lower post-meal glucose may require medication adjustment. My observations come from patients using continuous glucose monitors, sensor patches worn on the arm that send readings to a mobile phone. Glucose may fall substantially after these dietary changes; individual responses vary, and this is not a controlled trial. Patients taking insulin or medicines that can cause hypoglycemia must coordinate with their treating physician about dose adjustment. During the early dietary change, monitor glucose frequently and do additional finger-stick tests, especially at bedtime, when the sensor shows a low or rapidly falling value, or when symptoms do not match the sensor reading. Do not change medication without guidance from your treating doctor. Author is currently the Director of Interventional Cardiology at Adventist HealthCare, White Oak Medical Center in Silver Spring, Maryland (USA) and founder of The Fayaz Shawl Philanthropic Foundation.

J&K BJP could have done much better

It is clear that statehood will not be restored to J&K anytime soon. The local unit of BJP has taken credit for it, because it deemed that the return of this status to National Conference government would encourage secessionist and separatist forces. It had a severe objection to the wording of the resolution that read: In addition to the Resolutions passed by this House on 26th June 2000 and 6th November 2024, this House calls upon the Government of India for the immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and resolves that this Resolution be forwarded to Government of India. At the moment it is in a self-congratulatory mode because it got the rejection for the Resolution written much before the discussion started on it in the Assembly. There is absolutely no harm in celebrating the success, but the party also needs to understand that it could have done all that what it did in the House, it could have done in far better manner in tune with the democratic spirit and the task it was handed over seven years ago. Following the abrogation of Article 370 and the accompanying decisions taken by the Government of India on August 5, 2019, Union Home Minister Amit Shah handed a critical mandate to the BJP leadership in Jammu and Kashmir: go door-to-door and explain how transformative these moves would be for the people of the two newly created Union Territories. One territory held the hope of promised statehood, while the otherLadakhfinally achieved the distinct status its majority Buddhist population had coveted for decades. Ladakh received what it wanted, and J&K was promised its statehood back at an appropriate time. On display was a clear political ideology and philosophy. The Home Minister had piloted these historic amendments in Parliament, scoring a monumental political goal that the BJP had sought for 70 years. This milestone provided a unique political platform for the local J&K unit. The task was to explain that J&K has been blessed with profound opportunities. When this vision was first conceived by Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Kashmir was vastly different from the reality of 2019. By then, the region was gripped by chronic stone-pelting, peak terrorism, and pervasive life uncertainty. According to the BJPs national leadership, August 5 was a breakthrough moment. The local unit simply had to convey its merits to the people, balance the emotions of the past and pathway to future. Today, the BJP must judge itself by that very touchstone. If early leaders from Jammu, like Pandit Prem Nath Dogra of the Praja Parishad, could lay the groundwork for what finally materialized in 2019, why couldnt the modern reincarnation of the party build upon it? They held every advantage: a powerful Narendra Modi-led government ruling the Centre and no dearth of resources. All they had to do was reach out to the people. After the initial three to four monthsduring which shopkeepers shut their doors spontaneously without any formal strike callsthe ground for a pro-peace, post-Article 370 narrative was remarkably fertile. The people of the Valley desperately yearned for normalcy, the freedom to work, and the ability to send their children to school without facing constant crises. When normalcy finally emerged, it was a genuine convergence of the publics desire for peace and the security forces all-out operations against terrorists and the ecosystems. The BJPs role was to fill the resulting political vacuum. In my view, had the local leadership approached their political task with sincerity and hard work, they would not find themselves facing a crisis of rhetoric and substance today. Catchphrases only resonate when they are backed by sublimity; genuine wit and robust logic are the fundamentals of political excellence. They could have drawn valuable lessons from their predecessors. During the debate on the greater autonomy resolution in the final week of June 2000before it was passed by a two-thirds majority and subsequently rejected by the Union Government - the BJP members stood their ground. Though they eventually walked out as the final vote was called, they actively participated in nearly a week of intense discussion. There were only eight of them, yet they argued and counter-argued throughout the entire session. Regardless of the resolutions ultimate outcome, that session remains a benchmark where historical facts, political realities, and geopolitical perspectives were masterfully rolled out. The BJP members never lagged behind because they had earned their political education through blood and sweat on the ground, entering the House on their own merit. They knew the art of articulating their ideology against an overwhelming adversary. Some of the BJP legislators elected to the House in the overflowing glow of PM Modi are brilliant speakers - both young and old. Somewhere along the line, however, they mistakenly decided that they could do better with other methodology, by passing the debate and discussion. Whether spending time in well of the House or raising slogans from their benches was a good political strategy, they would have to go back to drawing board to analyse it . Some members defended their actions by claiming they saved Indian nationalism against conspiracies challenging Indian sovereignty over J&K. Do they really think that a resolution that addressed statehood issue, that too as a reminder to the promise held out by PM and Home Minister could pose a challenge to the sovereignty when day in and out we rebuff Pakistan for disputed territory narrative. Kashmir wanted to hear more profound assertion from BJP. There are two questions. First, did all the people represented by the BJPs 29 MLAs oppose statehood? No. BJP leaders have repeatedly stated that restoring statehood is on their agenda and that they remain open to debating it. Yet, they simultaneously argued that the matter was sub judice and could not be discussed in the House. They asserted that had the resolution focused purely on statehood, they would have participated. This contradiction is irreconcilable. If BJP is opposed to granting statehood to NC government which it describes as symbol of incompetence, it should have argued that why Omar Government is not eligible to get statehood. Things which needed to be said in the House, should have been said there only. As it appears that statehood would not return to J&K anytime soon. The impression that has gone around all across is, the party has stonewalled it. Targeting the government is the fundamental right of any Opposition, but when it is done with sharp arguments and sound logic, the appeal is far more enduring.

Kazinag Markhor population hits 227, up 71% from 2005 baseline

Srinagar, Oct 05:Kashmirs markhor population in the Kazinag landscape has risen nearly 71 percent from the 2005 baseline of 133 animals to an estimated 227 in 2026, with the latest assessment recording 69 kids per 100 adult females, according to a joint report by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and J&K Wildlife Protection Department. The report, Recovery of Kashmir Markhor - A Threatened Mountain Ungulate in Jammu and Kashmir, puts the 2026 Kazinag population estimate at 227 13.9 animals. The 71 percent increase is based specifically on the Kazinag 2005 baseline. Despite fluctuations in the early surveys, the long-term trend has been upward. The population was estimated at 152 in 2010, 142 in 2012, 187 in 2016, 184 in 2018 and 221 12.5 in 2023, before reaching the 2026 estimate. The latest assessment recorded 33 males per 100 females and 48 groups averaging 5.11 animals, with group sizes ranging from one to 18. The assessment was conducted under the 2022-26 project period, with field monitoring over four years along 12 permanent trails covering more than 2,000 kilometres. In the 2026 assessment, researchers recorded 600 direct sightings across four seasons in Kazinag National Park, Limber and Lachipora wildlife sanctuaries and Naganari Conservation Reserve. Hirpora faces recovery hurdles Unlike Kazinag, the report does not provide a comparable population estimate for Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary and therefore cannot establish a percentage increase, decline or other population trend there. Instead, it assesses habitat suitability, livestock pressure, and conservation measures. Only 14 percent of Hirpora was rated highly suitable for summer and 11 percent for winter, compared with 50 percent and 18 percent, respectively, in Kazinag National Park. Illegal livestock herding declined 26 percent in 2025, with more than 185 transient herders prevented from entering Hirpora without valid permits. Livestock grazing or visits to the sanctuary fell 8 percent between 2023 and 2025, while anti-grazing camps were established at key entry points. The project also piloted a thermal-drone survey in Hirpora, after obtaining permissions from the Wildlife Department, Army and Srinagar Air Traffic Control. Grazing, poaching remains threats Senior Manager and WTI Head of J&K Projects Tanushree Srivastava said human and livestock pressure remained a key challenge to markhor recovery in Hirpora. Rising human and livestock populations have increased competition for food and space, disease transmission and predation risks, particularly for young markhor, Srivastava said, adding that poaching of large-bodied males remained a concern. She said recovery measures include anti-grazing camps, regulated livestock movement, trained Markhor Watchers and frontline monitoring, with community participation in patrolling and preventing illegal grazing and poaching. We have identified critical markhor habitats within protected areas and are actively working to reduce livestock pressure through these measures, Srivastava said. Wildlife Warden North Kashmir Intesar Suhail said efforts were underway to make critical markhor habitats in Kazinag National Park and the Limber and Lachipora wildlife sanctuaries grazing-free. We have successfully identified several critical markhor habitats within Kazinag National Park and the Limber and Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuaries, and efforts are underway to make these areas grazing-free, Suhail said. He said stricter protection was enforced during the November-December rutting season and May birthing season. Conservation expands More than 140 frontline wildlife staff have been trained and equipped, while 44 Markhor Watchers have been trained to monitor grazing and poaching. The project supported six homestays and 22 nature guides, while more than 70 percent of communities surveyed in Kazinag supported markhor and wildlife conservation. A tailoring centre established in Babagail in March 2025 trained 22 women, who collectively earned Rs 72,000 between July and December 2025. More than 250 school students were engaged through Wildlife Week activities, nature walks and painting competitions. Worlds largest wild goat The markhor (Capra falconeri) is the worlds largest wild goat and is found in India only in Jammu and Kashmir. It is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. The report identifies livestock grazing, poaching, habitat fragmentation, roads, mining, high-tension power lines, border fencing and other infrastructure among the major threats. Report released during Wildlife Week The impact report, supported by the Astral Foundation, was released at the UT-level inaugural function of Wildlife Week 2026 at SKUAST-K, Shalimar. PCCF (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden J&K Suneesh Buxy, SKUAST-K Vice-Chancellor Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, Regional Wildlife Warden Kashmir Tawheed Ahmad Deva and CAT Srinagar Administrative Member Prashant Kumar attended the function. The report calls for continued WTI-Wildlife Department collaboration, stronger protection and monitoring in Kazinag and Hirpora, reduced livestock pressure and wider use of thermal drones, camera traps and radio collars.

NHL Trade Rumors- Hurricanes Need a Third Team to Land Connor Hellebuyck

With Carolina Hurricanes one of the top choices for Connor Hellebuyck for a trade, the reigning Stanley Cup Champions need a third team to land the goaltender.

Bombay High Court Questions Voter List Revision Process in Goa

The Bombay High Court has raised concerns about the voter list revision process, emphasizing the need to protect existing voter rights in Goa. Bombay High Court Questions Voter List Revision Process in Goa

Soccer-France come from behind to thrash Belgium 4-1

France came from a goal down to beat Belgium 4-1 in their Nations League Group

Experts deem empowering neurologists and neurology trainees to perform lumbar punctures at bedside a worthwhile goal

Many medical specialties now require graduating doctors to be skilled in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for diagnosing patients and performing procedures. POCUS uses a portable ultrasound device to help clinicians make fast, accurate medical decisions. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education lists this skill as an official milestone for graduation. Even though training is improving for its potential use in treating head, eye and nerve conditions, POCUS is only moderately used by neurologists dealing with some neurological conditions.

61 springs in Goa face resource threat, finds first-ever census

Points to rising pressure on water sources Abdul Wahab Khan Panaji: Goas first-ever Spring Census has flagged resource threats in 61 of the 1,171 springs assessed in the state, including 14 classified as facing a high degree of threat, raising concerns over the vulnerability of traditional water sources amid increasing pressure on natural resources. The []

Zinc Football Academys goalkeeper Sonam Ghosh in the India Under-17 football team or the AFC Womens Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers

Lokesh Congratulates Jyothi Surekha on Asian Games Gold

In a post on his X handle, Lokesh said, I assured her of my full support as she moves forward with the goal of winning a medal at the 2028 Olympics.

Former WWE Champion's Blunt Response To Fans Questioning His Money In The Bank Comments

Ethan Page has explained his controversial Money in the Bank comments after fans questioned his plan to target the Intercontinental Championship. The former WWE Champion said his career goals are not decided by what fans want.

Football: Koski latest player out as international break injury victims mount up

Digital Desk | Madrid, Oct 5 (IANS) The ongoing international break continues to cause problems for La Liga clubs, with another player from a Spanish side suffering an injury while on international duty. Deportivo Alaves has reported that Finnish international defender Ville Koski has suffered a muscle injury that is likely to rule him out of Saturday's La Liga match at home to Atletico Madrid. The player has suffered a muscle injury and will return to Vitoria-Gasteiz in the coming hours, informs the Alaves website. The news is a blow for Alaves coach Quique Sanchez Flores, who has included the 24-year-old in all seven of his team's La Liga matches so far this season. Koski has been an important part of Alaves's positive start, which has left the club sixth in the table after conceding just five goals. Koski is one of several players to have suffered injuries during the new-format international break, which sees players leave their clubs for an intense spell of four international matches in just over two weeks. Atletico Madrid defender Alex Grimaldo had to withdraw from the Spain squad with a physical problem, while FC Barcelona duo Eric Garcia and Raphinha both returned to their club early. Kylian Mbappe suffered a knee problem while with France, and Nico Williams injured a hamstring that is likely to rule him out of Athletic Bilbao's weekend visit to Rayo Vallecano. Mbappe has yet to return to Madrid and drew criticism from some Real Madrid fans over the weekend after posting a video of himself riding a bicycle and running on a treadmill. He is also a doubt for next weekend's home match against Villarreal.

Tech-driven farming crucial for developed India goal: Expert

Ukraine claims its attacks have reduced Russia's refining capacity by 51%

Ukraine said that its long-range strikes have neutralised more than half of Russia's oil refining capacity, hampering Moscow's ability to supply its forces during its 4 1/2-year-old invasion. The Defence Ministry said Sunday that recent strikes on refineries in cities including Moscow, Yaroslavl, Ust-Luga, Perm, Saratov and Syzran had put 51% of Russia's oil refining capacity out of action. The claim could not be independently verified. Both Moscow and Kyiv have intensified their aerial assaults as progress along the 1,200-kilometre front line has largely ground to a halt. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly attacked refineries from Moscow to Siberia, sparking a widespread fuel crisis in Russia earlier this year that forced authorities to restrict gasoline sales. President Vladimir Putin said in a rare admission Thursday that the strikes had caused Russia to lose roughly 1 per cent of its gross domestic product. They started attacking oil refineries and openly declared the goal of .

14-0! India U17 women crush Iraq for biggest-ever win in Asian Cup qualifiers

In a stunning display of skill, India's U17 women's team triumphed over Iraq with a jaw-dropping 14-0 victory in their qualifiers. Anushka Kumari shone brightly as the star of the match, scoring five goals and clinching the Player of the Match accolade. Abhista Basnett was instrumental as well, netting two goals and highlighting the team's cohesive efforts. After a brief pause due to weather, the team quickly regained their momentum.

Sagittarius Horoscope 5 Oct 2026

AstroSage.com, Meditation and yoga should be practiced for spiritual as well as physical gains. Don't spend too much on entertainment or cosmetic improvement. Spend some quality time in the company of people who love and care for you. Likely to share candyfloss and toffees with beloved on the cards. A good day as you get excellent opportunity to achieve your goals. IT professionals can also get a call from abroad. While fulfilling the needs of the family, you often forget to give yourself a break. But today, you will be able to take out some time for yourself and look for a new hobby. Marriage had never been so wonderful before than today. Lucky Number: 2

Gemini Horoscope 5 Oct 2026

AstroSage.com, Health will be fine despite some mental pressures. Today, you are likely to attain benefits from the help of your brother or sister. This is the perfect day to attract the attention of others without doing much on your side. Your heart beats will play the music of love in rhythm with your partner today. You will be in a strong position to put together a team and work toward a collective goal. Pending problems need to get sorted out soon and you know that you have to start somewhere- so think positively and start putting efforts today. Rain is known for romance and you will feel the similar ecstasy with your life partner throughout the day. Lucky Number: 1

England's record goalscorer Kane set to match Shilton

England boss Tuchel believes Kane's sustained success has been fuelled by a fierce competitive streak that pushes him to keep chasing more records.

NHL-Goal-scoring leader

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will retire after the 2026-27 NHL season, the league's all-time goal-scoring leader said on Monday, calling time on his career after more than two decades. (Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York and Frank Pingue

Javed Akhtar says message attributed to him lashing out at Abhijeet Dipke are as fake as fake can be

Digital Desk | Mumbai, Oct 5 (IANS) Veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar of the legendary screenwriting duo Salim-Javed, has issued a clarification with regards to a recent fake message attributed to him. On Monday, the veteran writer took to his X, formerly Twitter, and penned a long note quashing the claims that he lashed out at CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, and said that the message is fake. He wrote, I, Javed Akhtar want to tell every one that the fake message on the social media that I have criticised CJP and run down Abhijeet Dipke is as fake as fake can be. He further mentioned, I am surprised that those who are opposing Dipke and CJP need to borrow credibility from someone like me !! . Yeh Haalut hogayee hai ??? Sad. A fake message has circulated on social media, claiming that the veteran lyricist and screenwriter criticised Abhijeet Dipke and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The purported message described Dipke as a puppet of Arvind Kejriwal and accused the CJP of pursuing an anti-BJP agenda. Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led by Abhijeet Dipke, has launched a fresh protest campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The agitation began in Mumbai on October 2, with hundreds of supporters gathering at Shivaji Park despite police denying permission for the demonstration. The CJP is protesting the Election Commissions Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and has alleged irregularities in the exercise. The Election Commission has said the revision is intended to remove duplicate, deceased and ineligible voters while retaining eligible voters. The CJP has announced that the campaign will expand to other cities, including Goa, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Dipke has also announced a return to Delhi, with a proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10 if ECI does not resign. Delhi Police detained few protestors during a demonstration on October 4, 2026.

Capcom Integrates AI Into RE Engine To Accelerate Game Development

Capcom has outlined a forward-looking strategy that extends beyond releasing game remakes , focusing heavily on embedding artificial intelligence into its development pipeline. The Japanese publisher aims to transform its proprietary RE Engine into a modernized platform fully equipped to leverage advanced AI technology . During the Capcom Open Conference , lead programmer Satoshi Ishida presented details on the REX Project , an initiative designed to integrate machine intelligence directly into active production workflows . According to Ishida, this shift addresses significant operational bottlenecks driven by the expanding scale of modern video games and the mounting complexity of development architecture. The engine currently supports over 2,000 developers worldwide, creating an urgent need for multi-language support, greater workflow accessibility , and streamlined systems to handle diverse file formats and build iterations. To tackle these hurdles, Capcom showcased several technical upgrades. Among them is RE:Log , an internal system engineered to automatically adjust interface and text languages according to the specific profile of the developer using the software. In addition, the studio is introducing new data processing standards alongside refined user interfaces to ease multi-team collaboration. Another central component is RE:Flows , a specialized automation tool designed to translate visual node graphs and visual scripts into standardized, clean source code. This feature represents a core milestone in Capcoms roadmap for applied generativesystems and smart automation within the game engine . Addressing industry-wide discussions regarding the ethics and risks of algorithmic automation, Capcom emphasized that its primary goal is not replacing human staff. Instead, the initiative focuses on automating routine, repetitive tasks to reduce technical overhead and optimize overall pipeline efficiency . By delegating mechanical scripting, localization formatting, and baseline maintenance to automated tools, the studio aims to allow developers to dedicate greater attention to high-level creative design , storytelling, and core gameplay mechanics. The studio continues testing these frameworks across internal projects. Capcom Integrates AI Into RE Engine To Accelerate Game Development , original content from Ubergizmo . Read our Copyrights and terms of use .

Make Him Think: Morne Morkel Reveals How India Are Nurturing Sooryavanshi

Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee: India bowling coach Morne Morkel believes young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can make significant strides simply by being around an experienced Indian dressing room, urging the teenager to observe, ask questions and absorb the habits of established players as India begin their five-match T20I series against West Indies here on Tuesday. Two Lucknow-based IPL pacers, Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav, will also return to Indias T20I setup in the series opener at the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, with the management pondering over its bowling combinations on a pitch that is expected to offer a mix of pace, bounce and spin. But Morkel believes Sooryavanshis growth should not be judged by the amount of game time he gets, with the 14-year-old already reaping the benefits of being around senior players and watching them prepare and react to different situations. Yeah, I mean, we all know the talent of Ivan. I think the more time he spends in this environment with the quality players, the more time he trains at this standard, will only be great for his cricket. And if he's not getting that game time, he's still on a bus, in the dugout, in the hotel with guys with a lot of experience. And I think with him sharing that sort of dressing room and talking to guys, or just actually watching how the guys go through their processes and how they set up innings, will be key for him, Morkel said in the pre-match press conference in Lucknow on Monday. Im a big believer that sometimes, if you put guys in the right environment and they can ask the right questions and they can observe. So I always challenge them; I say, watch what this guy is doing in training, how does he face his first 15 balls? When the wicket is doing stuff, what sort of game plan does he come up with? And for any young player, if he gets game time or if that game time is a little limited, its still our job to make sure that these guys learn, they grow, and they ask questions. Morkel said he also encourages the young batter to reflect on what he has learnt from each training session. I think that for me is a fantastic growth sort of mind map. I mean, I'm a fast bowler; I can't really talk too much about batting, but I always ask him on the bus, ' What's one thing you've learned today? Tell me, what did you think about that guy's batting? And that makes him think. And I think next time when he comes to nets, those sort of things he'll observe; he'll adapt to his game, he added. While Sooryavanshis role at the top could depend on Indias combination, Morkel expects the management to assess the players returning from the Asian Games before finalising the XI. Im pretty sure Gautam will look to rotate. I mean, as I said, that is up to the selectors, and obviously the coach and the captain in terms of the playing 11, or which playing 11 will be the best to win a game for India on home soil. And that will always be the main focus, Morkel said. In terms of the starting 11, as I said, the guys just came back from the Asian Games, so we'll assess how everybody is feeling after jet lag, after travelling, and then from there make a plan. India enter the T20I leg after winning the preceding three-match ODI series 2-1, although the West Indies finished that contest on a high by taking the final game at New Chandigarh. India will also carry the confidence of their Asian Games campaign, where they won the men's T20 gold medal. Morkel expects the transition between formats to provide a stern test, particularly with West Indies possessing a batting line-up capable of putting pressure on the bowling attack from the outset. Yeah, I think, you know, waiting for the spectators, it's going to be fantastic viewing. I think for both sides at the moment, the red flag or the problem might be, you know, our guys travelling back after the Asian Games. Some of the guys only arrived a couple of days ago, so jet lag, getting over the journey. But I think once we are up and running and we get the series going, we are all really looking forward to it, Morkel added. The immediate challenge for India will be adapting to a fresh format while also continuing to build their player pool, with the 2027 ODI World Cup already behind them and the next global tournament still some distance away. Look, the main goal always will be to win the games. I think this group of players have played some exceptional cricket over the last couple of years. The guys who got opportunities came in and, you know, they've done a brilliant job, Morkel said. Yes, it will be great for Indian cricket if we keep on growing that pool, keep on giving guys that experience of the taste of what it is to play in an Indian shirt. And also a nice opportunity for guys who were out of the loop for a while to come back. One such returnee is Mayank Yadav, whose comeback from injury adds another dimension to Indias pace attack. You know, Mayank Yadav, he's back from injury, so look forward to seeing how he goes when he gets an opportunity. So I think it is sort of looking at the bigger picture, but also you want to win games for India. You want to give the guys who have done well so far to continue that, and yeah, we look forward to the series, and we'll take it as it comes. Mayanks raw pace gives India an X-factor that is difficult to replicate, while Prince Yadav has taken a different route into the international setup after initially being a net bowler. I mean, if you look at Mayank, immediately that comes to mind is his pace, his X-factor. I think for me, Prince, where he was a net bowler a couple of years ago, he's now playing for India. That resilience, the hard work that he's put into his game to reach international stages, is admirable, Morkel said. For me, that shows that these guys are hardworking players. Mayank had a couple of setbacks with injury, back-to-back setbacks with that; for a young player to get through that, and then again to find themselves in the situation to play for India just shows character. Both pacers have a particularly strong connection with the venue, having represented Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, and their knowledge of the Ekana surface could prove useful for India. The question, however, is whether India will lean heavily on that local knowledge. Of course, you know, one aspect is obviously for them to share their knowledge, what they found playing here. But to be honest with you, I think for us it is about... we talk about that, but it's not to make that our main focus, Morkel said. Like I said, the strength of this team moving forward will be how individuals can, at the moment, adapt to some of the conditions and how they can execute that. Of course, we'll look at all the players, we'll come up with plans, but I think that is the winning moment in white-ball cricketis that decision under pressure as a bowler with a captain. What's the best decision you can make, and can you execute that? Execution could be especially important with the conditions on Pitch No. 5, the centre strip, being used for the contest. The pitch is a combination of red and black soil surface; Lucknow saw a lot of runs in IPL 2026 after being a little more bowler-friendly in the first part of the season. There has been some rain around the city too, with both teams practice sessions affected on Monday, although no rain is forecast during match hours on Tuesday. There are a few showers expected during the day, but conditions should be clear when the match kicks off. The Ekana wicket has been tricky to read over the years. The last T20I played here was against New Zealand in 2023, when India chased down 100 successfully, but that was before the surfaces were re-laid. IPL 2026 was a tale of two halves for the venue. Bowlers had help in the initial half of the tournament with movement and bounce on the more bowler-friendly pitches, while in the second half the pitches flattened out quite a bit. Any moisture left from the recent rain could bring the seamers back into the contest early, while the surface is generally considered good for batting and can bring spinners into play as the ball gets older. Morkel said India will not enter the match with a rigid pace-versus-spin blueprint. Look, I don't think there is one sort of blueprint or thing we're gonna go with. We'll come up with the best solution for how we think we're going to win games. If it's extra pace, if it's extra spin, that is yet to be determined, but for me, it's always my sort of feel here in T20 or especially white-ball cricket; it's good wickets, so yeah, I think you get tested on your execution. That execution could become even more important against a West Indies side known for aggressive batting. Morkel expects both teams to have to read conditions quickly rather than rely solely on pre-match plans. Yeah, look, I mean, I just walked past the square now; I haven't had a proper look at the wicket. We'll assess sort of the conditions as best as possible tonight. We understand that in this series it's going to be a high-scoring game. Your skills will be tested; execution, most importantly, will be tested, he said. In a short turnaround, we'll try and plan as best as possible. But I think the key for both teams is how we can read the conditions and how you can come up with the best plans in that moment, and then, as I said, execution is going to be key. The size of the Ekana boundaries could also increase the value of having additional bowling options. But I think purely on that, you need to see what the conditions are like, and from there you can make a play. But from my point of view, the more bowling options we can have on a night, as a captain, at times that can help, Morkel said. So I think it's about always keeping these guys ready, and then from there reading the conditions, reading what the wicket is doing, boundary sizes. Obviously we've got a luxury here that it's quite a big field, so these guys come into the conversation a lot more. India could also have a selection call to make between Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav, with the latter returning to the T20I setup after last playing the format in February. Morkel said Kuldeeps confidence and rhythm have returned at the right time. Look, I think Kuldeep spoke about it in the past after the ODI series that he feels he's bowling well again. And that is great news for us. As a bowler, sometimes we can struggle with our rhythm; it takes a little bit longer at times to find that, but for us, he's a massive match-winner, he's confident, he's bowling well. India could also have a selection call to make between Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav, with the latter returning to the T20I setup after last playing the format in February. Also Read: Special Cricket Stories Article Source: IANS

Pickford 'almost caused crash' with careless driving

The goalkeeper was pulled over by police after ignoring a give way sign, forcing two cars to brake.

Its been almost 10 years: Forlan returns to India as Uruguay coach and fond memories

Digital Desk | Kolkata, Oct 5 (IANS) Nearly a decade after experiencing Indian football as an Indian Super League (ISL) player, Uruguay head coach Diego Forlan has returned to the country in a very different role, with the former striker now preparing the two-time world champions for their friendly against India at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Tuesday. Forlans first association with India came during his stint with Mumbai City FC, when he spent six months playing across the country. His return has brought back memories of his time in the ISL and of the football culture he encountered in cities such as Kolkata, Mumbai and elsewhere. Its been almost 10 years since I came here, Forlan said. I had the opportunity to play in the ISL for Mumbai City. I spent six months here, playing in Kolkata, Mumbai and different cities. I discovered a really nice country, with a lot of people and a lot of good football players. Kolkata, in particular, left an impression on the former Uruguay international. Forlan recalled the atmosphere around the games during his time in India, pointing to the strong support for football in several parts of the country. Every time the team was playing here, the stadium was full, he said. Forlan also identified Kerala, Goa and the northeast as regions where he had witnessed a strong football following. They are really passionate about football. They have good players as well. His assessment of Indian football is not based solely on memories from his ISL stint. Forlan was also present in the stands when India faced Brazil in Kolkata, giving him an opportunity to watch the national team at close quarters ahead of Uruguays meeting with the hosts. While India suffered a heavy defeat against Brazil, Forlan saw enough in the performance to caution his players against underestimating their opponents. India had some really good players. They knew what to do, he said. There were some really nice combinations. If you give them time and space, they can damage you, and they can play well. So you have to respect everybody. Forlan also believes matches against higher-ranked opposition can play an important role in Indias development. With Uruguay providing another demanding test, he felt such fixtures could help the hosts gain valuable experience. I think its good that the national team is playing these kinds of friendly games. In the future, they can have more games like this, so they can learn and become a better team. Uruguay have spent nearly a week in Kolkata ahead of the match, allowing the squad to experience the city beyond the football pitch. Forlan said the reception from the people had added to their stay. The people are very humble, and the hospitality is great, he said. Every time I came here to India, people have been really kind. The players also managed to explore a little of Kolkata before the weather disrupted their plans. We just saw very little. Youre a really big country. But its a very historic culture, so it was nice to be around. Food, naturally, was another part of the Kolkata experience. Asked whether the Uruguay squad had sampled some of the citys local specialities, Forlan kept the possibility open for after the match. Maybe we can try after the match.

'What are you doing?' Bombay HC's Goa Bench raps EC over voter deletions

The HC's remarks came while examining concerns over voter deletions during the SIR exercise. The bench referred to observations made by the Supreme Court that ensuring the inclusion of Indian citizens in the final voter list is the ECI's responsibility. The comments was in the backdrop of the wider legal challenge to the voter revision exercise, with concerns being raised over the manner in which names could be excluded from electoral rolls.

Excise teams seize 123 liquor bottles from Goa, Delhi near Hyderabad airport

Nobel Prize 2026 for Peace award: Who will be awarded Nobel Peace Prize? Can Donald Trump finally be winner this year? Check date, contenders

Nobel Prize 2026: Experts say the committee, in its process of awarding the prize, typically focuses on the durability of peace, the promotion of international fraternity and the quiet work of institutions that strengthen those goals.

Jammu division's green leap: Railway stations to expand solar power capacity to 2.55 MW

Jammu, Oct 5: To promote clean energy and reduce dependence on conventional electricity, the Northern Railway's Jammu division is expanding its solar power infrastructure, bringing its total installed and planned capacity to 2.55 MW, officials said on Monday. Solar plants with a combined capacity of 1,745 kWp (1.745 MW) are already operational at five major railway depots and premises in the division, including Jammu Railway Station and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Station, where a 1 MW solar plant has been installed, they said. The division is now expediting work on 18 new solar plants with a combined capacity of 808 kWp. Once commissioned, the total solar generation capacity will rise to 2,553 kWp (2.55 MW), they said. Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer Vishal Rathi said work on a new 450 kWp solar plant at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Station commenced on September 12 and is scheduled for completion by December 2026. He said work on another 13 solar plants with a combined capacity of 358 kWp at Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan Udhampur Station would also commence soon. The expansion is expected to help the division reduce carbon emissions, save lakhs of rupees annually in electricity expenditure, and lessen dependence on the conventional power grid. Divisional Railway Manager Vivek Kumar said the initiative aimed to make railway operations cleaner and more sustainable. Our goal is not just to operate trains, but to take Indian Railways towards a clean, green and sustainable future. Every station of Jammu Division will be illuminated with solar energy in the coming times, he said. The solarisation drive is expected to support environmental protection while enabling the Railways to use electricity savings to improve passenger amenities, officials said.

Best magnetic power banks and MagSafe portable chargers for iPhone 2026

Macworld Portable power banks that charge your phone are popular, but wireless battery packs using Apples magnetic MagSafe technology offer a simpler and smarter cable-free solution for iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and Air users. Phone batteries are prone to run dry just when youre heading away from a power source, so having a portable charging source is one of todays necessities. Annoyingly, most power banks require you to carry around a cable, too. Wireless power banks do away with cables but come with their own major limitationthe inefficiency of wireless charging means you need a high-capacity power bank to fully charge a drained iPhone. MagSafe is a technology thats compatible with all iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, Air and Duo models, from the mini to the Pro Max, but strangely missing from the 16e model. It allows accessories to clamp magnetically to the back of the iPhone, making the charging connection more efficient. We havent yet had an iPhone Duo in for testing with these magnetic power banks, but the new folding iPhone is MagSafe friendly. We put the best portable chargers through a series of rigorous iPhone recharging tests, and have listed the winners by power, portability and functionality: Best high-capacity 10k MagSafe power banks Best small portable 5K magnetic power banks Best multi-device charging MagSafe power banks Best capacity magnetic power bank for you You should consider size when it comes to a power bank: physical size and battery capacity. The higher the battery capacity, the more recharging power youll get from the power bankbut youll also be carrying around a larger, heavier item. Lighter, slimmer power banks are easier to pocket even when clamped to your phone. Larger power banks might not fit in your trouser pocket and can slide off easier when pocketed even if clamped magnetically. 10K power banks (with a 10000mAh battery capacity) can charge a phone close to two times over, while 5K (5000mAh) battery packs usually stretch between 60-75%, which is often enough to get you to the next wall-socket powering opportunity. If you are relying on the power bank for long-haul travel or a camping trip, a 10K battery or higher will suit you better. Belkin even offers a mid-range 8K power bank. Milliamp hours ( mAh ) is quite a blunt measurement of battery capacity. Its great for quickly differentiating between power bank sizes but we also list the capacity in the more accurate watt hours ( Wh ). Also, look out for power banks that are built using the latest semi-solid-state battery technology that uses less liquid electrolyte than standard litium-ion power banks, making them more durable, longer lasting, and safer. Wireless power bank charging speed Wireless charging speeds vary from 7.5W (MagSafe Compatible) to 15W (certified MagSafe and Qi2), all the way to the very fastest wireless charging at 25W (Qi2.2). While its not as efficient as using a cable to charge a phone, magnetic wireless charging is a step closer to doing away with cables altogether. Qi2 25W brings wireless charging close to wired speed but only iPhones 16 and later support that speed, and some power banks include a built-in USB-C cable for even faster charging up to 45W. The iPhone Air can manage 20W max on even a 25W charger. See Which wireless tech is best for your iPhone? . We have listed the speeds at which each portable power bank can be charged itself ( Input charger ) and charge the iPhone ( Output charger ). The higher the wattage, the faster the charging should be. Best high-capacity 10K MagSafe power banks A 10000mAh (10K) battery is the sweet spot for both power and portability. 5000mAh (5K) power banks reviewed further down are slimmer, lighter and easier to pocket, but generally offer a maximum of 70-80% recharge potential versus a 10K power bank that should be able to recharge an iPhone at least one and a half times over. KuxiuS325W10KSolid-StatePowerBank Fast 25W wireless battery pack that has it all Pros Large battery capacity 25W wireless or 35W wired charging Built-in USB-C cable Semi Solid State tech Digital display Kickstand Cons Not as slim as the S4 Price When Reviewed: $149.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $62.99 View Deal Kuxiu $68.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 39.5Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (30W) Output charger: Wireless (25W Qi2.2) & USB-C (35W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 177% Battery type: Semi-Solid State Weight: 8.65oz (245g) Dimensions: 4.2 x 2.8 x 0.9 inches (107 x 71 x 22mm) Colors: Black The Kuxiu S3 was the first semi-solid-state 25W magnetic wireless power bank to enter the Macworld Lab. A semi-solid state (SSS) power bank is more energy-dense than a traditional liquid electrolyte power bank because its semi-solid electrolyte is less prone to leakage and thermal runaway. SSS is therefore more durable, safer and offers more charge cycles so will last longer. Indeed, not only does it tick those boxes but its also boasts three other top-end features: a built-in USB-C cable, integrated kickstand, and super-clear digital battery display. Only the iPhones 16/17/18 support the very fastest wireless tech Qi2 25W, and only the iPhone 15 and later have a USB-C charging port. Older iPhones (from 12 on) can use a 25W charger such as the S3 but are pegged back at 15Wstill faster than the 7.5W found on cheaper power banks. Switch to wired charging via the integrated USB-C cable and youll achieve up to 35W so even faster. The S3 has a 10000mAh (10K) battery capacity and managed to recharge that same iPhone to 177%so up to 100% then another 77% when it came to a second recharging task. Thats not the top score weve had in our 10K power bank tests: the champ so far is the Ugreen MagFlow Air 10K , which scored an unmatched 208%, with the EcoFlow RAPID 10K and Anker MagGo Slim scoring 190% or closeboth are reviewed here. But 177% is above average. The same company offers two other 25W magnetic power banks: the similar S4 reviewed below, and the K1 Ultra (reviewed in our multi-device section below) that has a neat slide-out panel that can charge your Apple Watch or AirPods at the same time as the iPhone. Read our full KuxiuS325W10KSolid-StatePowerBank review Ugreen MagFlow Pro Magnetic 10K 10K recharge score champion Pros Best battery capacity test score 25W wireless or 45W wired charging Built-in USB-C cable Price When Reviewed: $149.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $99.99 View Deal Ugreen $149.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 39.2Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (30W) Output charger: Wireless (25W Qi2.2) & USB-C (45W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 208% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 8.29oz (235g) Dimensions: 4.3 x 2.8 x 0.63 inches (108 x 71 x 16mm) Colors: Gray The Ugreen MagFlow Pro is a 10,000mAh magnetic wireless portable charger that pairs 25W wireless output with a genuinely fast 45W USB-C port and a built-in USB-C cablea combination that makes it one of the more versatile chargers weve tested. It also is the current (non-pun intended) champion in our 10K power bank recharging tests. Its performance in our recharging tests really wowed us. It scored 208%, so two full charges and a trickle on the third round. The previous champ, the EcoFlow RAPID 10K , scored 190%. There are a bunch of environmental factors that come into play each time you charge but theres no doubting that the MagFlow Air is an ace. It may be helped by its CryoPulse TEC Active Coolingit even has a screen thats meant to show the liquid cooling in action. Simon Jary If you want a slimmer alternative, the Ugreen MagFlow Air Magnetic 10K Power Bank (pictured above) actually matched the MagFlow Pro in our recharge tests but is slower at 15W wireless. At 0.53 inches (13.9mm) its also nearly as thin as the Kuxiu S4 , the slimmest 10K battery pack reviewed below. Like the Pro MagFlow it boasts a built-in USB-C cable (30W vs 45W). Theres even a 5K MagFlow Air model, reviewed with the other small power banks further down, and that too won its class on battery capacity. Read our full Ugreen MagFlow Pro (10000mAh, 25W, 45W Built-in USB-C Cable) review Iniu 25W SnapGo Air 10K Equal slimmest 10K MagSafe battery pack Pros Equal slimmest 10K power bank Large battery capacity 25W wireless or 45W wired charging Digital display Detachable USB-C cable Cons No kickstand Price When Reviewed: $54.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $54.99 View Deal Iniu $54.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 39.2Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (45W) Output charger: Wireless (25W Qi2.2) & USB-C (45W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 185% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 6.9oz (196g) Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.8 x 0.53 inches (105 x 71 x 13.7mm) Colors: Space Gray, Silver, Metallic Mocha, Lilac, Orange, Navy The Iniu SnapGo Air matches the Kuxiu S4 , reviewed below, as the slimmest 10K magnetic portable charger weve had in for testing. Its a little lighter but a tiny bit wider, and it scored with a similar result in our iPhone recharging tests. It beats the S4 with 45W wired charging (but matched it on 25W wireless) and by including a detachable (but not built-in) USB-C cable. Its also available in a wider range of colors. Unlike the S4 its not semi solid state, which may mean it can perform fewer recharge cycles although it will take you a long time to find out. There are two USB-C ports but total output is pegged back to 15W when more than one id used at the same time. Its neat base-mounted digital display is helpful and better than most LED indicators but the S4s display shows a bit more information if you need it. The S4 also features a kickstand, missing from the SnapGo Air. Kuxiu S4 Semi-Solid Safe 25W Wireless 10K Power Bank Equal slimmest 10K MagSafe battery pack Pros Equal slimmest 10K power bank Large battery capacity 25W wireless or 30W wired charging Semi Solid State tech Digital display Kickstand Cons S3 offers built-in 35W cable Price When Reviewed: $89.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $77.98 View Deal Kuxiu $77.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 38.5Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (30W) Output charger: Wireless (25W Qi2.2) & USB-C (30W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 182% Battery type: Semi-Solid State Weight: 7.55oz (214g) Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.7 x 0.53 inches (104 x 69 x 13.7mm) Colors: Black, Cosmic Orange Like its S3 sibling, the Kuxiu S4 is a semi-solid-state 25W magnetic wireless power bank with all the safety and durability benefits gained from that technology. While it lacks the S3s super-useful and powerful built-in 30W USB-C cable, it measures up in terms of slim profile. At just 13.7mm thin, its the slimmest 10K power bank weve tested (equakl with the Iniu SnapGo Air 10K , reviewed above). The S3 and most 10K power banks look chunky in comparison. If you want thinner, you need to switch down to a 5K capacity power bank. Its integrated kickstand is not quite as robust as that found on the S3 but it does the job well enough, and its digital battery display carries even more charging information. Youll need to bring your own cable to switch to wired charging for 30W output. The S4 recharged our test iPhone to 182%, so a little higher than the S3 but close enough for the difference to be down to environmental factors such as temperature. Read our full Kuxiu S4 Semi-Solid Safe 25W Wireless 10K Power Bank review Anker MagGo Power Bank 2 Pro Fast 45W wired & 25W wireless battery pack Pros 25W wireless iPhone charging 45W wired charging 10K battery capacity Easy-to-read display Kickstand Cons No built-in USB-C cable Price When Reviewed: $109.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $109.99 View Deal Anker $109.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 39.2Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (45W) Output charger: Wireless (25W Qi2.2) & USB-C (45W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 199% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 7.76oz (220g) Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.8 x 0.7 inches (105 x 71 x 17.8mm) Colors: Phantom Gray, Burgundy Red, Polar Night Blue, Starlight Silver The Anker MagGo Power Bank 2 Pro is a solid, fast 10000mAh magnetic wireless portable charger with a built-in kickstand that scored very highly in our iPhone battery recharge tests. Its sole USB-C port is rated at 45W so will charge your iPhone much faster than wireless if you need to power up as quickly as possible, but youll need to bring a USB-C cable as it doesnt come with its own built-in as you find on some power banks. 45W USB-C, also found on the Ugreen MagFlow Pro and Baseus PicoGo AM52 , is the fastest weve seen on a magnetic power bank. The Anker MagGo Power Bank 2 Pro has two charging modes, which you activate with the charging button while looking at the display. Silent Mode is without the fan on, and Cool Mode is with the fan working for slightly faster charging. You can tap through six screens on its large, informative digital display to check charging status, battery level, battery health, and temperature, or quickly switch Silent and Cool charging modes and wireless charging on or off. You can still buy the similar but slower (15W) Anker Qi2 MagGo 10K Power Bank that scored 170% in our tests. Read our full Anker MagGo Power Bank 2 Pro review EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank 10K Best wireless battery pack for input speed Pros Large battery capacity Built-in USB-C cable 15W wireless or 30W wired charging Super-fast 65W input Kickstand Cons A little larger than its rivals 25W models are faster Price When Reviewed: $89.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price EcoFlow $89.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 38.7Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (65W) Output charger: Wireless (15W Qi2) & USB-C (30W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 190% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 9.7oz (275g) Dimensions: 4.25-x-2.8-x-0.9 inches (108-x-70-x-23mm) Colors: Gray/silver The EcoFlow RAPID 10K has a large capacity, refilling a iPhone 16 Pro twice over in our testsclose to the best wed seen, with only the Ugreen MagFLow Air 10K beating it. What makes this power bank specialalthough not uniqueis its short built-in USB-C cable that can be used for fast-charging an iPhone 15, 16 or 17 or refilling the power bank itself. The cable fits neatly away when not in use at the bottom of the power bank. Its the highest rated weve tested with 65W input and output. Wirelessly it will work with any MagSafe iPhone (12/13/14/15/16/17/18) at 15W. iPhone 15/16/17/18 users can connect via the integrated USB-C cable or a separate longer cable via the side USB-C port if required, for faster 30W charging. Owners of earlier iPhones can use a USB-C to Lightning cable instead for fast 20W wired charging from the power banks port. Note that the iPhone 16e does not work with magnetic wireless charging. For faster wireless charging, consider the new generation of Qi2 25W power banks such as the Kuxiu S3 , Baseus PicoGo and Iniu SnapGo Air reviewed here. That said, the 25W power banks we have tested didnt match the EcoFlow or Ugreen MagFlow Air on battery capacity in our tests, although they are not too far behind. No 10K magnetic wireless power bank can match the EcoFlow on input speedthat is the rate at which it is recharged itself. Its 65W is much faster than the average 30W input speed. While winning on charging performance and capacity, the EcoFlow Rapid is reasonably chunky compared to the Ugreen MagFlow Air , Anker MagGo Slim and Benks ArmorGo , and notably bulkier than smaller-capacity 5K power banks. Its still pocketable but the slightly larger size is the compromise for the other benefits. If you want a slimmer battery pack, look for a smaller 5000mAh optionweve tested the best slim power banks further on. It has a handy pull-out kickstand at the back. Read our full EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank 10K review Baseus PicoGoAM52Qi2.2 Magnetic Power Bank Fast 45W wired & 25W wireless battery pack Pros 25W wireless iPhone charging 45W wired charging 10K battery capacity Slim 25W 10K power bank Built-in cable option Cons Slimmer but slower alternatives Price When Reviewed: $79.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $59.99 View Deal $63.99 View Deal Baseus $69.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 36Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (30W) Output charger: Wireless (25W Qi2.2) & USB-C (45W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 182% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 7.45oz (196g) Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.6 x 0.63 inches (102 x 67 x 16mm) Colors: Black, Dark Cherry This 25W wireless power bank lived up to its claims of wirelessly charging an iPhone 16 Pro from 0% to 50% in 36 minutes12 to 15 minutes faster than a 15W power bank. That might not sound a lot but when youre in a rush to charge your phone, every minute counts. 25W wireless charging is limited to the iPhone 16 to 18 families, running at least iOS 26; older iPhones will charge at 15W using this power bank. Most 10K wireless power banks are around 22mm deep, so the 16mm-thin Baseus PicoGo Magnetic 10K Power Bank (AM52) is one of the slimmest weve tested. The Kuxiu S4 reviewed above is even slimmer at just under 14mm but the AM52 is certainly thinner than most. The AM52 is an output blazer is more ways than one. It is certified Qi 2.2 so charges wirelessly at 25W, as fast as the Ugreen MagFlow reviewed below, and like the MagFlow also boasts an option with a built-in USB-C cable. And if you choose wired charging, you can access output at 45Wequal fastest of any magnetic wireless power bank reviewed with the Iniu SnapGo Air, Ugreen MagFlow Pro and Anker MagGo 2 reviewed above. If you use the wireless charging pad, the handy integrated USB-C cable and the spare USB-C port to simultaneously charge three devicessay your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPodstotal output is restricted to 15W. When recharging an iPhone, it refilled our test 16 Pro more than one and a half times, scoring an impressive 182% in the Macworld Recharge Score. The Baseus PicoGo AM52 costs $69.99 / 59.99 for the model with no integrated cable and $79.99 / 69.99 for the AM52 with cable built in. We think that extra ten bucks is worth it for the convenience of the built-in cable. Both are also available in Apples new Burgundy color (here called Dark Cherry). Read our full Baseus PicoGoAM52Qi2.2 Magnetic Power Bank review Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) Slim 10K MagSafe battery pack Pros High battery capacity Super slim and lightweight 15W wireless or 30W wired Color choice Cons 25W models are faster No built-in USB-C cable Price When Reviewed: $79.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $79.86 View Deal $79.86 View Deal $79.86 View Deal $79.86 View Deal Anker $79.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Capacity: 38.7Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (30W) Output charger: Wireless (15W Qi2), USB-C (30W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 188% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 7.05oz (200g) Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.8 x 0.58 inches (104 x 71 x 14.7mm) Colors: Black, White, Pink, Teal At just 14.7mm thick, the 10000mAh Anker MagGo Slim power bank rivals even some of the 5000mAh battery packs in terms of slimness. Only the 13.7mm Kuxiu S4 and Ugreen MagFlow Air are thinner. Its also one of the lightest 10K magnetic wireless power bank that we have tested, and scores highly on recharging power. A built-in USB-C cable would be nice but its lack keeps the MagGo slim as its name suggests. It uses Qi2 magnetic tech, so can wirelessly charge at 15W rather than Qi2.2s 25W. If you have a spare cable with you, it can charge at twice that speed via its USB-C port. This makes it as fast a wireless charger as the EcoFlow RAPID reviewed above but slower than the bulkier Kuxiu S3 or S4 . The EcoFlow charger is more convenient with its built-in USB-C cable, but owners of iPhones 12/13/14 might appreciate the ability to add a Lightning cable to the USB-C port and charge that way. In our tests it performed well: recharging an iPhone 15 Pro to 188% (over the course of two iPhone charges from one power bank charge). Its available in up to four colors depending on your country and where you buy it, including pink and teal versions. Theres an even slimmer 5K Anker Nano model, reviewed below. Read our full Anker MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim) review Sharge Icemag 3 Power Bank Fast 10K magnetic power bank with lights Pros Large battery capacity Built-in USB-C cable 25W wireless or 35W wired charging Kickstand Lights Cons Noisy fan Price When Reviewed: $79.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $69.90 View Deal $79.90 View Deal Sharge $79.90 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 39.1Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (30W) Output charger: Wireless (25W Qi2.2) & USB-C (35W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 171% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 7.7oz (220g) Dimensions: 4.3 x 2.8 x 0.78 inches (110 x 71 x 20mm) Colors: Black The Sharge Icemag 3 has a cool name and is certainly one of the coolest-looking magnetic power banks weve seen. It even has a little RGB light show going on. They dont mean much but they do look pretty. At 25W its super fast for iPhone 16 to 18, and it maintains power output throughout by having built-in active cooling. Note. though. that this fan is quite noisy in operation but it should mean more reliable faster charging. Older iPhones will charge at a more sedate 15W. In our tests it performed wellnot the very best but a respectable 177% score. It has a built-in USB-C cable and a kickstand so ticks all the right boxes in terms of functionality. Read our full Sharge Icemag 3 Power Bank review Benks ArmorGo Qi2 Power Bank (10K) Toughest magnetic power bank case Pros Tough Aramid Fiber coating Classy looks Cons 25W models are faster Low input speed No built-in USB-C cable Price When Reviewed: $62.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Benks $35.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 36.5Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (15W) Output charger: Wireless (15W Qi2) & USB-C (30W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 165% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 8.5oz (240g) Dimensions: 4.1-x-2.6-x-0.6 inches (103-x-67-x-17mm) Colors: Black, Rose Gold This power bank stands out with its Aramid Fibre weavea high strength material that is more resistant to heat, cuts and abrasion than other cases and is often used in protective clothing and aerospace parts. The rose gold color also looks rather nice. Benks doesnt call it that (or anything) but thats how it looks with a pleasing weave pattern. Its Qi2 so capable of 15W chargingno longer the fastest but what was until recently the cutting edge of wireless power. It scored a decent 165% in the Macworld recharging tests so will give you over 1.5 charges before it, too, needs filling upwhich, by the way, it takes its time doing as the 15W input power is less than on other power banks. Benks also offers an equally tough and super-slim 5K Aramid Fiber model, although it is only MagSafe Compatible so a slower charging experience at 7.5W. The 10K model is Qi2 so faster 15W charging power. Lisen P604 Magnetic Power Bank 65W/45W Pros Large battery capacity Attached USB-C cable 25W wireless or 45W wired charging Color choices Cons Humped back Price When Reviewed: $69.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $59.99 View Deal Lisen $69.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 36.72Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (30W) Output charger: Wireless (25W Qi2) & USB-C (65W/45W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 185% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 8.3oz (236g) Dimensions: 4.1-x-2.6-x-0.91 inches (103-x-64-x-23mm) Colors: Black, Ceramic White, Sandstone Khaki, Soft Violet, Ice Blue If you really want a violet power bank, the Lisen P604 is ready for you, as well as being available in a rather fetching Sandstone hue, plus the usual black and white. The P604 is a curious 10K power bank in a couple of other ways, too. In the U.S. it claims to have a USB-C power output of 65W, which would put it right at the top of the charts in terms of wired charging, as well as it boasting Qi2.2s 25W wireless charging. However, because thats a burst speed that cant be maintained throughout the charge, in some other nit-picking regions (e.g. the U.K. and E.U.) it is listed as a 45W wired charger. 45W is still extremely fast for an iPhone, but dont be surprised to sometimes see it listed as either 65W or 45W or both, which is a little confusing. As a result, well regard it as 45W here, but you might get an initially faster charging experience with this power bank tahn with others when using a cable. The other variance to other power banks is its slightly humped back in comparison to the flat form of most portable chargers. It means its a little shorter but thicker than most. All that said, it performed well in our recharging tests with a score of 185%. It has a USB-C cable permanently attached but its not integrated to the battery pack. PhoneSuit Journey Mag MagSafe Wireless All-In-One Charger Pros Integrated plug prongs 2x USB-C ports 7.5W wireless or 20W wired Cons Slow 7.5W wireless Longer than most Plug prongs for North America only Price When Reviewed: $69.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price PhoneSuit $69.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 38.5Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (18W) Output charger: Wireless (7.5W), USB-C (20W) & USB-A (18W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 150% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 9.1oz (258g) Dimensions: 5.25-x-2.6-x-0.65 inches (133-x-66-x-17mm) Colors: Gray While a wireless charging pad saves you the bother of carrying a cable around to charge your phone from a power bank, you still need a wall charger to hand to recharge the power bank itself but not with the PhoneSuit Journey Mag, which features foldable North American plug prongs so you can plug the battery pack straight into a power socket. While plugged in, the power bank can charge the attached iPhone wirelessly at the same time as recharging the battery pack. Two further USB ports are also handy. The USB-C port can charge at 20W, so much faster than the 7.5W MagSafe-compatible wireless charging padbut you will need a USB-C cable in this instance: USB-C to Lightning for iPhones older than the iPhone 15, and USB-C to USB-C for the 15, 16, 17 and 18. The USB-A port can charge another device at up to 18W. The 10000mAh battery capacity allowed us to charge a faded iPhone to 100% and then again another 50%, which is about average for this size battery. Best small portable magnetic power banks If you carry your power bank around with all day, in your bag or pocket, a slimmer, lighter magnetic/MagSafe power bank will suit you better than a larger, heavier 10K battery pack. They are also easier to pocket when clamped to your phone. The Anker MagGo 10K Slim Power Bank, reviewed above, is just 0.58 inches thick and weighs only 200g but these 5K magnetic power banks will take up even less space in your bag or desk drawer, and are easier to pocket with iPhone attached. Simon Jary EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank 5K Best overall 5K magnetic battery pack Pros Slimmer than 10K Built-in USB-C cable Built-in stand 15W wireless or 30W wired Cons Slightly larger than other 5K power banks 25W models are faster Price When Reviewed: $69.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $21.49 View Deal $65.99 View Deal EcoFlow $69.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 19.35Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (30W) Output charger: Wireless (15W) & USB-C (30W) Macworld Recharge Test Score: 70% Weight: 6.4oz (180g) Dimensions: 4.3 x 2.8 x 0.6 inch (108 x 70 x 14mm) Colors: Gray/silver 5K battery packs are slim enough to clamp to your iPhone and still slip into your pocket. While 10000mAh power banks boast larger re-charging capacity, if you want a slightly smaller and lighter battery pack with a stand, we recommend you choose between this EcoFlow RAPID 5K power bankthe smaller sibling of our recommended best 10K magnetic power bankand one of the latest slim portable chargers reviewed below. Where the 5K EcoFlow Rapid gets the overall nodespecially for owners of the iPhone 15, 16, 17 and 18is its built-in USB-C cable. No other 5000mAh wireless power bank we have tested has the handy integrated cable. Several of our favorite 10K battery packs have built-in cables but this is the first 5K power bank to boast one. Even if you have an earlier Lightning iPhone, the integrated cable can be used to top up the power bank itself. It features 15W Qi2 wireless charging when clamped to the back of an iPhone, and can be charged with a cable at a top 30W speed. You can find faster 25W 5K power banks reviewed below, and also thinner models with higher recharge scores but the EcoFlow offers a greater mix of features with its integrated cable and kickstand. BMX SolidSafe Air 5K Solid-State Qi2 Slimmest magnetic power bank Pros Equal slimmest magnetic power bank Great battery power test score Semi Solid State tech Cons 25W models are faster Price When Reviewed: $59.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $59.99 View Deal $59.99 View Deal $59.99 View Deal BMX $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 18.5Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (15W) Output charger: Wireless (15W) & USB-C (20W); 22W combined Macworld Recharge Test Score : 89% Battery type: Semi-Solid State Weight: 4.1oz (116g) Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.8 x 0.27 inch (103 x 70 x 6.8mm) Colors: Titanium Gold, Titanium Black, and Titanium Silver This semi-solid-state battery promises to be more sustainable and safe than conventional Lithium-ion rivals. At 6.8mm, its easily the slimmest magnetic power bank weve tested, and it performed the best of any 5K power bank too. Solid-state electrolytes are replacing flammable liquid electrolytes with more stable, efficient materials that allow for smaller, more compact, and safer battery designs. Semi-solid-state cells reduce flammable liquid to a fraction of that found in standard lithium-ion batteries. Its not all about sizethese batteries are safer and should last significantly longer with a greater number of cycles before the battery degrades. In our battery recharge test the BMX SolidSafe Air 5K achieved an impressive score of 89%, among the highest of all the magnetic wireless power banks we have had in the Macworld Labs. The SolidSafe Air features the usual four LED battery indicator lights. If you want a display with more detail, its plain (non-Air) BMX SolidSafe sibling (available in Black, Blue, Silver or Orange) boasts a great digital screen that is much more informative. That model also has a short USB-C cable attached: its not built in but is tied to the power bank on a tough thread. Read our full BMX SolidSafe Air 5K Solid-State Qi2 Power Bank review Baseus Picogo Air Magnetic Power Bank (AM71) Pros Equal slimmest magnetic power bank Above-average battery power test score Available in iPhone 18 Pro colors Cons 25W models are faster Price When Reviewed: $69.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $49.99 View Deal $69.99 View Deal Baseus $69.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 19.4Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (20W) Output charger: Wireless (15W) & USB-C (22.5W); 15W combined Macworld Recharge Test Score : 82% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 3.7oz (105g) Dimensions: 4 x 2.8 x 0.27 inches (102 x 71 x 6.8mm) Colors: Dark Cherry, Black, and Silver While not boasting the semi-solid-state technology of the BMX SolidSafe Air reviewed above, the Baseus PicoGo Air not only matches it as the equal slimmest magnetic power bank (0.17 inches thin) weve tested but is the undisputed lightest power bank (105g) thats ever sat on our ultra-precise scales. Yes, the SolidSafe Air narrowly beat it in our recharge tests, but the PicoGo Air is available in three of the iPhone 18 Pros colors: Dark Cherry (Burgundy), Black, and Silver. Read our full Baseus Picogo Air Magnetic Power Bank (AM71) review Zens SemiSolidStatePowerbank 5K Highest 5K recharge score Pros Equal highest score in battery tests Slim 25W wireless or 20W wired Price When Reviewed: $59.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Zens $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 19.6Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (20W) Output charger: Wireless (15W) & USB-C (30W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 90% Battery type: Semi-Solid State Weight: 4.3oz (122g) Dimensions: 4 x 2.8 x 0.31 inches (102 x 70 x 8mm) Colors: Black The Zens Semi Solid State 5K Powerbank matches the Ugreen 5K MagFlow Air with the best performance the best weve seen in our battery recharging tests, achieving a Macworld Recharge Test Score of 90%. While thats only 1% more than the BMX SolidSafe Air 5K , reviewed above, and 2% higher than the Statik State 5K Power Bank , reviewed below, it beats the Ugreen by being a little slimmer (8mm vs 8.6mm) and faster at 25W (vs 15W). Using a semi-solid electrolyte helps this portable charger hit such a high recharge score and remain thin and lightweight with a higher energy density in a compact design. This newer battery structure also enhances stability and durability with improved thermal control, greater resistance to shock and temperature changes, plus a longer lifecycle with sustained performance over more charge cycles. The 10K Zens Semi Solid State 5K Powerbank (unsurprisngly thicker at 14mm but still thinner than most 10K portable chargers, and heavier at 199g) also performed well in our tests with a score of 181%. Ugreen MagFlow Air Magnetic 5K Power Bank Highest 5K recharge score Pros Equal highest score in battery tests Slim 15W wireless or 20W wired Cons 25W models are faster Price When Reviewed: $59.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $44.99 View Deal Ugreen $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 19.6Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (20W) Output charger: Wireless (15W) & USB-C (20W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 90% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 4.48oz (127g) Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.7 x 0.53 inches (105 x 70 x 8.6mm) Colors: Gray, Blue, White Like its 10K sibling, the 5K MagFlow Air performed the best weve seen in our tests, achieving a Macworld Recharge Test Score of 90%. That matches the same score as the Zens Semi Solid State Powerbank reviewed above and is impressive beating the two semi-solid-state battery packs despite not being solid state itself. Its 15W wireless charging speed isnt the very fastest on the market but its standard for 5K magnetic power banks, and no slouch with some reviewed here merely 7.5W. Read our full Ugreen MagFlow Air 5K review . Belkin BoostCharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank Qi2 Colorful high performer Pros Impressive in battery tests Built-in stand 15W wireless or 12W wired Bright range of colors Cons 25W models are faster USB-C port a little underpowered Price When Reviewed: $59.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $59.95 View Deal $59.95 View Deal $59.95 View Deal $59.95 View Deal $59.99 View Deal $84.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Capacity: 19.25Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (20W) Output charger: Wireless (15W) & USB-C (12W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 79% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 4.8oz (136g) Dimensions: 3.9 x 2.6 x 0.6 inches (98 x 66 x 14mm) Colors: White, Blue, Sand, Blue, Citrus Yellow, Gold, Pink, Deep Purple, Teal This Belkin BoostCharge Pro Power Bank 5K + Stand impressed in our recharging tests, recharging a faded iPhone 16 Pro by 79% compared to 70% by the 5K EcoFlow RAPID 5K and 68% for the Ugreen 5000mAh Magnetic Wireless Power Bank . Only the Ugreen MagFlow Air 5K (90%), BMX SolidSafe Air (89%), and Statik State 5K Power Bank (88%) beat it and Kuxiu S2 Solid-State Power Kank matched it. The Belkins kickstand is easy to use and feels robust, and the battery pack itself is marginally smaller than the Ugreen. The $49.99 Torras MagStall Power Bank is a little slimmer but wider and boasts a stand/finger-grip, although recharges to a slightly lesser extent. It features 15W Qi2 wireless charging when clamped to the back of an iPhone, and can be charged with a cable at 12W, which is not as speedy as some power banks that have 20W or even 30W USB-C ports. Simon Jary Check here first : While Belkin and Amazon offer a choice of Black, White (shown above), Lavender, and Pink, the Apple Store now has an exclusive set of new colors, including a brighter Pink, Deep Purple with a red stand and a fetching Teal with a yellow stand (pictured top). Read our full Belkin BoostCharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank 5K review Statik State 5K Power Bank High recharge score Pros Impressive in battery tests Semi Solid State tech Cons Slow 7.5W wireless Price When Reviewed: $59.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $49.99 View Deal Statik $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 19.25Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (18W) Output charger: Wireless (7.5W) & USB-C (20W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 88% Battery type: Semi-Solid State Weight: 5oz (131g) Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.8 x 0.45 inches (104 x 70 x 11.5mm) Colors: Black This is a Semi Solid State (SSS) power bank so offers greater durability and capacity plus all-important safety on the more traditional liquid electrolyte batteries. Its likely that SSS power banks represent the next stage in charging technology not just for travellers but all of us on the move. The Statik State 5K Power Bank may not be the smallest power bank weve tested but its pretty tiny all the same, and it is the overall winner in our 5K magnetic power bank recharging tests, scoring 88%just a marginal 2% below our highest scorer, the Ugreen MagFlow Air 5K . Its only real downside is the slow wireless charging at just 7.5W compared to the superior 15W and 25W power banks reviewed here. If you arent after the fastest recharging times, this is a solid choice and gets very close to offering a full battery recharge. Read our full Statik State 5K Power Bank review Anker Nano 5K MagGo Slim Power Bank Super slim 5K wireless power bank Pros Very compact and lightweight Impressive in battery tests 15W wireless or 20W wired Cons 25W models are faster Price When Reviewed: $59.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $54.99 View Deal $54.99 View Deal $54.99 View Deal Anker $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 19.35Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (20W) Output charger: Wireless (15W) & USB-C (20W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 77% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 4.3oz (122g) Dimensions: 4 x 2.8 x 0.34 inches (102 x 71 x 8.6mm) Colors: Gray, Black, and White Most people carry their power bank around with them, and theres none better in a small bag or pocket than the super skinny Anker Nano MagGo 5K Slim , the a super-slim magnetic power bank. Only the BMX SolidSafe Air 5K is thinner (at 6.8mm). Its the little sibling of the 10K Slim reviewed above. The Anker Slim performed excellently in our recharge tests, boosting an iPhone 16 Pro from 0% to 77%. Charging speeds were impacted by the heat, which is caused by the smart temperature control that slows things down when they get hot. Read our full Anker Nano 5K MagGo Slim Power Bank review Twelve South PowerCapsule 5k mAh Slim 5K wireless power bank that feels great Pros Very slim and lightweight Impressive in battery tests 15W wireless or 20W wired Cactus leather feel Cons 25W models are faster Price When Reviewed: $49.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $49.99 View Deal $49.99 View Deal $49.99 View Deal Twelve South $49.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 19.25Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (20W) Output charger: Wireless (15W) & USB-C (20W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 80% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 4.3oz (122g) Dimensions: 4-x-2.8-x-0.36 inches (102-x-71-x-9.1mm) Colors: Dune, Slate At just 0.36 inches thick the Twelve South 5K PowerCapsule is one of the slimmest magnetic power banks weve tested. Only the BMX SolidSafe Air 5K Solid-State Qi2 (0.27 inches) and Anker Nano 5K MagGo Slim Power Bank (0.34) are thinner; both are reviewed above. The semi-solid-state BMX scored a very high 89% in our recharging tests, and the PowerCapsule was also impressive at 80%. We also like the Twelve South PowerCapsule for its sandy Dune color and the fact that it feels great to touch, being crafted in sustainable cactus leather. Simon Jary Theres a 10K PowerCapsule measuring the same dimensions except for height, which at 0.61 inches (15.5mm) makes it one of the thinnest 10K power banks but not as slim as the 5K; you can see the physical difference above with the 10K PowerCapsule at the top. It scored a decent 165% in our recharging tests. UAG SRGE Slim 5K Power Bank with Stand Impressive test score for a 5K Pros Impressive in battery tests Built-in stand Cons Slow 10W wireless Price When Reviewed: $69.95 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $64.95 View Deal UAG $69.95 View Deal $69.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 18Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (15W) Output charger: Wireless (10W) & USB-C (20W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 85% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 4.6oz (132g) Dimensions: 4.2-x-2.7-x-0.51 inches (106-x-69-x-13mm) Colors: Black/Gray, Titanium We tested the Titanium version of the UAG SRGE Slim 5K Power Bank with Stand . Not only does it look very smartas all UAG products tend tobut it impressed in our recharging tests, getting an iPhone 16 Pro from 0% to 85%. Only the semi-solid-state Statik State 5K Power Bank performed better (88%), and that lacks the stand on this UAG power bank and is rated at just 7.5W. This power bank is rated at 10W wireless, which is faster than 7.5W but noticeably slower than the 15W and 25W power banks also reviewed here. As long as youre not in an awful hurry, the recharge capacity makes up for the speed. UAG UAG has some versions in camo and floral patterns, but without the stand. Baseus PicoGo Ultra-Slim 5K Sweet spot for size and recharge Pros Slim and small Color choices Cons Slow 7.5W wireless Price When Reviewed: $35.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $22.99 View Deal $29.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 18Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (18W) Output charger: Wireless (7.5W) & USB-C (15W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 71% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 3.9oz (111g) Dimensions: 3.9-x-2.6-x-0.36 inches (100-x-67-x-9mm) Colors: Space Grey, Nebula Pink, Natural Titanium, Cosmic Black Theres an interesting battle for the crown of smallest, slimmest and lightest magnetic battery pack between three of the power banks reviewed and tested here The Baseus PicoGo 5K is a tiny bit shorter and less wide than the Vonmhlen Evergreen Mag but almost exactly the same slim depth and is 13g lighter. It is precisely the same weight (111g) as the Infinacore M3 . We think its the sweet spot between the three, and is available from Amazon for less than $23 . Recharging our iPhone 16 Pro to 71%, it performed much better in our battery tests than the smallest power bank (Infinacore: 56%) and very slightly better than the slimmest (Vonmhlen: 70%), although that will charge faster at 15W compared to the PicoGos 7.5W. There is a larger capacity 10K Baseus PicoGo (4 x 2.7 x 0.6 inches; 6.2oz) that is about the same credit-card length and width but noticeably thicker in depth than the 5K, as youd expect from a much more powerful battery pack. The 10K version is faster charging at 15W Qi2, and performed well in our tests with a score of 142%. Read our full Baseus PicoGo Ultra-Slim 5K Magnetic Power Bank review Kuxiu S2 Qi2 5000mAh World's first solid-state 15W power bank Pros Impressive battery capacity 15W wireless or 20W wired Semi Solid State tech Higher charge cycle than others Cons 25W models are faster Heavier than some Price When Reviewed: $69.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Kuxiu $49.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 19Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (18W) Output charger: Wireless (15W) & USB-C (20W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 79% Battery type: Semi-Solid State Weight: 6.1oz (174g) Dimensions: 3.3 x 2.4 x 0.4 inch (84 x 60 x 11mm) Colors: Stainless Black, Natural Titanium Solid-state batteries (SSB) are a new technology that promise to be more powerful, sustainable and safe than conventional Lithium-ion rivals by using a solid rather than liquid electrolyte. The Kuxiu S2 is actually semi solid-state but its still the first SSB power bank that weve tested. We have since tested the Statik State 5K Power Bank , which performed even better (88%) in our recharge challenge but is slower (7.5W) at wireless racharging. One of the benefits of semi or solid-state batteries is that you should get as much as twice as many charges from the power bank before it starts to degrade: 1,000 vs a normal power banks 500. It should also be more robust and safer to carry and store. The Kuxiu S2 performed very well in our charging tests, matching the Belkin BoostCharge at 79%. With Qi2 it wirelessly charges at 15W. Its not the smallest weve tested but also not the largest, although it does tip the scales more than the tinier power banks reviewed here. PISEN CCC 5000mAh Wireless Power Bank Budget 5K with solid stand Pros Budget price Solid kickstand Cons Slow 7.5W wireless North America only Price When Reviewed: $23.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 18.5Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (20W) Output charger: Wireless (7.5W) & USB-C (30W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 80% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 4.8oz (135g) Dimensions: 4-x-2.8-x-0.36 inches (106-x-69-x-16mm) Colors: White This 5K portable charger is a budget option and features the most solid alloy stand weve seen in a power bank. It scored well in our recharging tests (80%) but suffers from a slow 7.5W wireless charging speed. if youre not in a hurry then that wont bother you, and the price is hard to beat. Vonmhlen Evergreen Mag 5000mAh Power Bank Slim magnetic power bank Pros One of the slimmest tested 15W wireless or 20W wired Cons 25W models are faster Premium price Not available in the U.S. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Vonmahlen 69.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 19.25Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (20W) Output charger: Wireless (15W) & USB-C (20W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 70% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 4.4oz (124g) Dimensions: 4 x 2.4 x 0.35 inch (102 x 70 x 9mm) Colors: Black, White Longer and wider than the smallest power bank we have tested, the well-named Infinacore M3 Mini reviewed below, the Vonmhlen Evergreen Mag 5000mAh Power Bank however is a slimmer 5K power bank. If you want to shave 2mm off the width of the power bank clamped iPhone sliding in and out of your pocket, then this is a great optionalthough the BMX SolidSafe Air 5K (68mm) and Anker Nano MagGo 5K Slim (8.5mm) are thinner. It is also faster than the M3 Mini and Phonesuit Elite Mag Slim at wirelessly charging as it supports Qi2, and in our tests it recharged an iPhone 16 Pro from 0% to 70% before requiring a power-up itself, which easily beats the Infinacore and just shades the PhoneSuit. PhoneSuit Elite Mag Slim 5K Super-slim 5K battery pack with display Pros Super slim Digital display Cons Slow 7.5W wireless Price When Reviewed: $39.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price PhoneSuit $39.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 19.25Wh (5000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (18W) Output charger: Wireless (7.5W) & USB-C (20W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 69% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 3.9oz (111g) Dimensions: 4-x-2.6-x-0.35 inches (108-x-65-x-9mm) Colors: Space Grey Knowing how much charge is left in your power bank could mean the difference between leaving the house confident that your battery pack is full of juice and finding out too late that it needs a recharge itself. The Elite Mag Slim from PhoneSuit has a large digital display showing off the exact remaining charge that is more accessible than the usual four LED dots found on most power banks. This battery pack is also notable for its slimness, which is equal to the Vonmhlen Evergreen Mag , reviewed above. The Vonmhlen power bank narrowly beat it in our tests but certainly not significantly so, but it does charge faster wirelessly (15W vs 7.5W) than the PhoneSuit. The PhoneSuit Elite Mag Slim Pro is a 10K version, with a recharge score of 149%, and the same bright easy-to-read display for just $10 more but deeper (0.5in vs 0.35in). Best multi-device charging MagSafe power banks if you own AirPods and an Apple Watch as well as an iPhone, look for MagSafe power banks that charge multiple Apple devices at the same time. As power banks these should still be portable, but often convert into charging stands when in use. Most are two large to slip in your pocket with the phone attached but they are useful for when you are away from base and need to power up all your favorite Apple kit. Kuxiu K1 Ultra 25W 3-in-1 MagSafe 10K Power Bank Best Watch-charging iPhone power bank Pros Charges iPhone plus Watch or AirPods Large battery capacity 25W wireless or 30W wired charging Fast charges Apple Watch Kickstand Cons Chunky Price When Reviewed: $99.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Kuxiu $79.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 38.7Wh (10000mAh) Input charger: USB-C (30W) Output charger: Wireless (25W Qi2.2) & USB-C (30W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 170% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 9.05oz (257g) Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.7 x 0.9 inches (105 x 69 x 22mm) Colors: Black, Cosmic Orange The Kuxiu K1 Ultra bills itself as a 3-in-1, and certainly can charge iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch but not all wirelessly at the same time. Lets not knock it, though, as this is a super Qi2.2 iPhone magnetic power bank that can wirelessly charge your iPhone at the very fastest speed. The other multi-device magnetic power banks reviewed below are limited to 7.5W wireless iPhone charging. That will take around 90 minutes to charge an iPhone to 50%, where this power banks 25W wireless output reduces that charging time to a mere 30 minutes. Noe that only the iPhone 16, 17 and 18 benefit from 25W wireless charging; older iPhones will charge at 15W using this power bank. The back section of the K1 Ultra cleverly clicks round like a rotated Rubiks Cube to show off its Qi module that can charge Watch or AirPods at 5W. Theres also a spare USB-C port to enable a third device to be charged if you have a cable handy. A handy kickstand is also available. Theres a lovely Cosmic Orange model, which is available via Amazon or direct . Otherwise, you can choose the Black model. If 15W is all you need0-50% charging in around 45 minutesKuxiu offers the K1 Pro for a lower price, although wed recommend you consider spending the extra so youre ready for your next iPhone upgrade. Read our full Kuxiu K1 3-in-1 Power Bank review . Belkin Stage PowerGrip Camera Grip Wireless battery pack with Bluetooth shutter Pros Bluetooth camera grip 20W wired charging Built-in cable option Works as stand and with tripod Cons Slow 7.5W wireless Larger than most Price When Reviewed: $79.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $56.99 View Deal $59.99 View Deal $79.95 View Deal Belkin $79.99 View Deal $79.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Capacity: 34.4Wh (9300mAh) Input charger: USB-C (18W) Output charger: Wireless (7.5W) & USB-C (20W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 160% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 9.6oz (273g) Dimensions: 4.9 x 3.3 x 1.6 inches (124 x 83 x 40mm) Colors: Charcoal, Ice Blue, Sand This clever gadget is a portable camera grip that pairs with your iPhone over Bluetooth, and just happens to also be a magnetic wireless power bank. You can snap it onto your iPhone and start using it to shoot photos or video with its one-touch shutter, plus charge your device at the same time. The ergonomic grip supports better framing, and it can attach to a tripod with a quarter-inch screw mount for steady photo or video capture. In our Recharge Tests it scored 160%, which means it powered an iPhone 16 Pro from 0-100% and then another 60% before it was drained itself. As its not quite a full 10K power bank (with a 9.3K battery) this holds up pretty well with the less functional but smaller and slimmer power banks reviewed here. Featuring a 29.5-inch (0.75m) retractable cable, it can also charge the phone at 20W, which is handy if youre in a hurry as the wireless charging is only MagSafe Compatible, and therefore slow at 7.5W. It has a spare USB-C port, too, so can simultaneously charge three devices. Its quite large and heavy compared to the other magnetic portable chargers but youll buy it as much for its camera grip as the battery pack. Statik SmartCharge Pro Multi-iPhone magnetic travel 15K battery pack Pros High battery capacity Integrated U.S. plug prongs U.K., E.U, AU/NZ adapters Built-in USB-C cables 2x USB ports Watch fast-charge Cons Too bulky for a pocket Not great on simultaneous charging 25W models are faster Price When Reviewed: $99.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Statik $99.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Capacity: 54Wh (15000mAh) Input charger: AC, plus USB-C (45W) Output charger: Wireless (15W), USB-C cable (60W), USB-C (60W), USB-A (18W) Macworld Recharge Test Score : 235% Battery type: Lithium-Ion Weight: 13oz (370g) Dimensions: 4.3 x 3.5 x 1.3 inches (110 x 90 x 33mm) Colors: Black, Orange Much bigger and meaner than the power banks reviewed above, the Statik SmartCharge Pro can charge through its USB-C and USB-A ports, an iPhone or Apple Watch wirelessly through a magnetic charging pad, and one through the built-in USB-C cable. As a portable power bank you might carry in a bag on your travels, but not in your pocketits one to rest on a table rather than in actual transit. In our tests, it demonstrated its 15K battery capacitycharging an iPhone 16 Pro nearly two and a half times over. It even recharged a flat 14-inch MacBook Pro to 54%. Certified Qi2, the iPhone wireless charging pad is rated at 15W. There is an integrated 60W USB-C output cable, as well as a 60W USB-C port and 18W USB-A. Its not so great at charging multiple devices at the same timewhen using all the ports simultaneously they share a maximum 15W output. If you want to get the 60W charging use either the USB-C port or cable and have nothing else hooked up to the power bank. It features built-in U.S. plug prongs so can be connected straight into a power socket rather than requiring a separate USB-C charger. You can quickly charge the power bank plugged into a wall AC socket, but during recharging the output is reduced to 20W on the port and cable until the battery is at 100% when the charging returns to 60W. If you need a higher-wattage standalone USB-C wall charger, check our reviews of the best USB-C chargers . The U.S. plugs are fine for users based in North America, but not for international users, so there are U.K., E.U, and AU/NZ plug adapters included making it work in those countries and as a travel companion. Statik has a non-Pro version, the 10K SmartCharge Gen 2 , which features two integrated 15W USB-C cables, plus 20W USB-C and 22.5W USB-A ports. In our tests, it was very close in battery charging power to the top scorerscharging an iPhone 16 Pro nearly twice over. This version isnt available in the Pros bright orange color. The first version of SmartCharge Gen 1 has one USB-C for iPhone 15/16/17/18 and a Lightning cable for older iPhones. if that suits you better, Amazon still has stock at the time of writing. Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Another plug-in-the-wall power bank option is the Infinacore P3 Pro , pictured above, which costs $129 / 102, and can charge four devices at the same time, including an iPhone at 15W Qi2. It lacks the integrated USB-C cable found on the Statik power bank but as it plugs directly into a wall power socket you wont need to carry a cable to recharge the power bank itself. Like the Statik battery pack, it comes with U.K., E.U, and AU/NZ travel adapter plug heads. As well as the Qi2 charging pad, there are two USB-C ports and one USB-A. The P3 Pro also boasts an excellent display, showing charging speed, battery status, temperature, and charge time remaining. Read our full Statik SmartCharge Pro review If you dont need a portable power bank, check out the best MagSafe chargers that we have tested. Also check out our tests of the best iPhone chargers for wired charging solutions, and of course to refill your iPhone power bank. How we tested MagSafe charger testing was conducted using an iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro, subscribed to a 5G network and WiFi, with screen off and all default settings. Our test is a simple battery recharge shootout. We let our test-unit iPhone Pro (3095mAh battery capacity) drain to just 10% and then set the Battery Pack to work recharging the phone. We then assigned the charger a score of whatever percentage it managed to charge the iPhone to and subtract the 10%; we test each model at least twice. Its not a real-world test of day-to-day use where youll likely be using your phone for various tasks (of varying battery usage) and in different environmental conditions and network configurations. But it does give us a common score format that we can use to compare different battery-pack models. Why is magnetic wireless better? The MagSafe connection to Apples iPhone is precise enough to make wireless charging more efficient as around 20% of non-magnetic power loss is from poor placement of a phone and the wireless charging pad. Standard Qi wireless charging can lose as much as 50% of the portable batterys power, but MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging loses just 30%. Hot out of the gadget laboratory, the new Qi 2.2 (also known as Qi2 25W) brings even faster 25W wireless charging for the iPhone 16, 17 and 18. 15% will be plenty fast enough for most of us but who doesnt want the fastest possible charging when your iPhones battery icon is in the red? Why comparing Watt Hours is better than Milliamp Hours Phone batteries are generally rated in Milliamp Hours (mAh) but this is a measure of electrical charge, while a Watt Hour is equal to one watt of energy consumed for one hour of time. When comparing battery capacities and how much a power pack will boost a phones internal battery, energy is more important than electrical charge. And mAh ignores a battery voltage, which determines the wattage (power) of a battery. If the mAh is the same, the higher the voltage, the greater the actual stored power. For example, Apples MagSafe Battery Pack is rated at just 1460mAh but it has a higher voltage potential (7.62V) than the iPhone (3.81V) or other battery packs, meaning that it can provide more power to an iPhone than its mAh suggests; in fact, it is actually 2920mAh. To go into further depth about this read our feature iPhone battery capacities compared that also lists all iPhones battery life in mAh and Wh. Anatomy of a magnetic power bank TORRAS A lot more than a battery goes into the making of a magnetic power bank. Of course, the battery is the most important component, but the wireless charging coils and magnetic connection are vital for efficient and therefore fast and powerful charging. The transmitter coil transfers power by electromagnetic induction. The magnets need to be set up to exactly connect the transmitting coilshere on the power bank to the receiving coils, in this case inside the iPhone. The example shown above is the Torras MagStall Wireless Power Bank, reviewed in our chart. You can see the various parts, including that power banks rotating stand/handle. Which magnetic wireless tech is right for each iPhone? iPhone 7 and earlier: Dont support wireless charging. iPhone 8 iPhone X/XS/XR: Support wireless charging. iPhone 8 and later can charge wirelessly at 7.5W but on a less efficient non-magnetic Qi pad. iPhone 11 and earlier: Dont support MagSafe. iPhone 8 and later can charge wirelessly but on a less efficient non-magnetic Qi pad. iPhone 12 iPhone 15: Support MagSafe and Qi2. Can wirelessly charge at 7.5W with MagSafe-Compatible power banks and chargers, and at 15W with certified MagSafe or Qi2 power banks and chargers. iPhone 16 iPhone 18: Support MagSafe, Qi2 and Qi2.2. Can wirelessly charge at 7.5W with MagSafe-Compatible power banks and chargers, at 15W with certified MagSafe or Qi2 power banks and chargers, and at 25W with Qi2.2-certified power banks and chargers. Is charging via a cable faster or safer than magnetic wireless charging? Charging via a cable is nearly always faster than wireless, even the latest Qi2.2 wireless chargers. Wireless charging is inefficient, losing some of its energy transfer through heat, for example. MagSafe, Qi2, and Qi2.2 magnetic connections dramatically improve efficiency but sticking a cable in is still a faster method, if not as convenient. Most magnetic wireless power banks include at least one USB-C port, and some even include a port and an integrated cable for ultimate convenience. Models after the iPhone 17 can charge to 50% in 20 minutes or under via a cable and a 45W or higher charger or power bank. But wireless is so simple and cable-free that we dont mind waiting an extra 15 minutes or so to reach such a charge wirelessly. Why does my phone occasionally charge slowly or even stop charging? This phone charging behavior is due to the built-in battery management feature on your iPhone. A phone heats up during charging as power is exchanged between the chargers coils and the iPhones own. The phone actively adjust its charging behavior accordingly. This can slow down or temporarily pause charging to protect battery health and extend its lifespan. This is completely normal. Once the phone cools down, charging will automaticallyresume as normal. What is a semi solid state battery? The material that carries ions back and forth inside a battery is called electrolyte. Traditional lithium-ion batteries use a volatile, free-flowing liquid for electrolyte. As their name suggests, solid-state batteries use a solid material such as a ceramic or polymer. But semi-solid-state batteries are more common in todays new generation of power banks. A semi-solid-state battery uses a mix of solid particles in a much smaller amount of liquid, making a hybrid thick gel, paste or slurry. By reducing the liquid content to a minimum, semi-solid-state batteries increase stability and durability and significantly lower the risk of leaks, fires, and dangerous thermal runaway. What about non-wireless power banks? Wireless chargingespecially magnetic wireless chargingis super convenient and does away with the need to carry around messy cables to connect your device to the battery pack. But wired charging is nearly always faster and not much of an inconvenience if you are not out and about. Over on our sister site Tech Advisor I have reviewed the best power banks that includes standard non-wireless battery packs that might be a decent solution as well as the power banks reviewed above. Do magnetic power banks work when the iPhone is in a case? Yes, most quality iPhone cases are compatible with MagSafe having their own magnet ring to ensure a close connection between the power banks magnetic charging coils and the iPhones own. You can find exactly which are supported in our roundups of the best iPhone 17 cases , best iPhone 16 cases and best iPhone 15 cases . We round up a selection of battery cases for iPhone here: Best iPhone Battery Cases .

Mayawati takes nephew Akash back in BSP, reappoints him national convenor

In a surprising turn of events, Mayawati has reinstated Akash Anand as the national convenor of the BSP, despite his previous ouster on September 10 for prioritizing personal interests. This is his third removal from a significant leadership role. The reappointment aims to realign with the party's goals and rejuvenate the movement's momentum.

Pentagon officials' heated debates foreshadowed problems in Iran

As Houthi militants in Yemen attacked ships with missiles and drones in the Red Sea early last year, top U.S. officials gathered at the Pentagon to prepare military options for President Donald Trump. Their meetings repeatedly grew tense. On one side were Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, then overseeing U.S. operations in the Middle East, and other hawks ready for action. The general was keen on military action not only against the Houthis, but also against Iran, which had backed the Yemeni paramilitary group for years with weapons and training, according to people familiar with the matter. Like others, they spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal government deliberations. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. On the other side were officials hesitant to launch military strikes so early in the second Trump administration, including the Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., who suggested that new U.S. assessments of what military action might yield would be wise before presenting the president with military options. That triggered an abrupt response from Kurilla, people familiar with the matter said. General, Kurilla said, the time for assessments is over. The exchange, which has not previously been reported, surprised some in the room. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, then new to his role, agreed with Kurilla, people familiar with the matter said. The disagreement came as other Pentagon appointees, including then-senior adviser Dan Caldwell and policy official Alex Velez-Green, repeatedly raised questions in meetings about how an extended military campaign against the Houthis could deplete stocks of key U.S. munitions, the people familiar with the discussions said. That issue has since grown in prominence as the Trump administration burned through its arsenal of cruise missiles and interceptors in a war with Iran that is now seven months old. In recent weeks, the Iranian-backed Houthi militants have launched a new offensive in Yemen, seizing control of the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait, reigniting civil war and targeting critical energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. With Irans proxies weakened elsewhere, the group has emerged as the most powerful element of Tehrans Axis of Resistance against the United States and Israel. In March 2025, weeks after the disagreement between the generals, Trump announced Operation Rough Rider, a 51-day bombing campaign against the Houthis that almost immediately was embroiled in scandal when then-White House national security adviser Mike Waltz accidentally invited a reporter into a group chat on Signal, the unclassified messaging application. More than 1,000 targets were hit over the course of Rough Rider, including key Houthi commanders and weapons stocks. But the aerial bombing also resulted in significant civilian casualties, human rights groups said. Trump and Hegseth touted the campaign as a resounding success, but other senior Pentagon officials, including Caldwell and Joe Kasper, Hegseths first chief of staff, questioned whether the campaign had clear and obtainable objectives, the people familiar with deliberations said. The U.S. went on to strike Irans nuclear facilities in Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025 and, along with Israel, launched a sprawling war against Iran this February. A spokesperson for Hegseth, Kingsley Wilson, said in a statement that Rough Rider achieved decisive success against Houthi forces, with U.S. forces launching strikes that severely degraded radar networks, air-defense systems, ballistic-missile and drone launch sites, weapons depots, and production facilities while removing multiple mid- and senior-level commanders from the battlefield. The military action, Wilson added, substantially reduced immediate threats to vital international shipping lanes, compelled a clear tactical shift by the adversary, and helped create conditions for a ceasefire that strengthened freedom of navigation in the region. She declined to comment on the possibility of any future action in Yemen, but she said the Pentagons role is to develop and present military options to the President, and he makes the final choice. The White House and Pentagon both released statements defending the management of weapons stockpiles after The Washington Post shared its reporting that some administration officials had concerns about it before Rough Rider began. U.S. officials have said that while the U.S. military has a deep arsenal of weapons, it is increasingly running low on specific munitions, such as ship-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles and Patriot air-defense interceptors. The United States Military has enough munitions and ammo to serve all of the Commander-in-Chiefs strategic goals and beyond, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly wrote in a statement. Kasper and Caldwell declined to comment, while Velez-Green could not be reached for comment. Kurilla, who retired in August 2025, did not respond to requests for comment about the exchange with Brown or the objectives of Rough Rider. Brown declined to comment through a spokesperson, but a person familiar with his thinking said he did not dispute the account of the testy Pentagon deliberations. Its common, that person said, for a top commander to push for quick military action while the Joint Chiefs chairman considers a wider range of issues, including making sure all necessary plans and requirements are in place and that the presidents options are preserved. Brown was fired and forced into retirement just before Rough Rider, as Hegseth pushed to remove top Biden-era generals. An official with Hegseths office declined to say whether Browns caution about the Houthis played a role, saying that out of respect for our senior military leaders, they do not discuss the nature of their retirements. An abrupt ceasefire The military campaign in Yemen abruptly ended in May 2025 with a ceasefire brokered by Oman. Trump claimed victory and said that the Houthis dont want to fight anymore. They gave us their word that they wouldnt be shooting at ships anymore, and we honor that, Trump said. The end of combat operations, officials and analysts said, came after the Houthis showed remarkable resiliency in the face of American airpower. No U.S. troops were killed during the operation, but the militants shot down at least seven MQ-9 Reaper drones, and U.S. forces lost two F/A-18 fighter jets in mishaps at sea. The operation, people familiar with the effort said, was followed by the administrations near-total abandonment of Yemen. It was like a cord being pulled out of a socket, said a former U.S. official who worked on Yemen issues at the time. Trump wanted to scratch Yemen off the list and move on. When the mission was declared over, the former official said, some in U.S. Central Command, which Kurilla then oversaw, were apoplectic, believing that they had been making progress. A U.S. special envoy position for Yemen issues was never filled by the Trump administration, and Washingtons assistance to the impoverished country was slashed. At the time, the former official said, they warned colleagues: You ignore Yemen at your own peril. Folkloric status The disagreements at the Pentagon about how to proceed on Yemen underscore the competing views in the U.S. government about how to handle the persistent threat the Houthis have posed since they seized power in northern Yemen in 2014. The Shiite militia, which formed in the 1990s, aims to control Yemen, a country of 35 million at the southwest tip of the Arabian Peninsula. From 2015 to 2022, the Houthis, with support from Iran, fought a bloody civil war against Yemens internationally recognized government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. That war ended with a fragile truce that left the Houthis holding large swaths of the countrys north and the government coalition in control of the south. But the group has much larger ambitions, including ousting the U.S. from the Middle East and destroying the state of Israel. April Longley Alley, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, said that Houthis see themselves as the tip of the spear in the Arab world. Dan Shapiro, who served as U.S. ambassador to Israel during the Obama administration, described the Houthis as an enduring problem for decades to come. Were kind of stuck with this bad actor on this maritime choke point, able to activate and try to use their position or leverage at the moment of their choosing, said Shapiro, who later became a Pentagon official during the Biden administration. After the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, the Houthis started firing missiles at Israel in retaliation for the resulting military campaign in Gaza. That is when the Houthis took on an almost folkloric status, said Tim Lenderking, the U.S. envoy to Yemen during the Biden administration. It really bolstered their standing and their brand in the Arab world, he added. But the Houthis took it too far, he said, firing on U.S. and Israeli ships, killing international mariners and disrupting the flow of commercial traffic in the Red Sea. The Biden administration launched military strikes against the Houthis beginning in January 2024. The Houthis appeared undeterred. Trump launched Rough Rider on March 15, 2025. A few days later, he declared that tremendous damage had been inflicted on the Houthi barbarians and would get worse. Its not even a fair fight, and never will be, Trump wrote in a social media post. They will be completely annihilated! Unclear objectives, mounting costs The costs and questions quickly mounted. Over the course of the operation, estimated at more than $1 billion, the Houthis continued to target U.S. warships in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways. U.S. forces struck a migrant detention center in Yemen in April 2025, reportedly killing more than 68 civilians and injuring dozens more, according to Human Rights Watch. The operation also was dogged by the Signalgate scandal, in which senior Trump administration officials, including Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, communicated about Rough Rider in a group chat that accidentally included Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg. The revelation was especially damaging for Hegseth, who had shared specific, advance details about how the bombing would begin through the unclassified Signal app. A review by the Pentagon inspector general released in December found that Hegseths actions created a risk to operational security, though the secretary of defense and his team claimed total exoneration. The Trump administration began looking for an exit from Rough Rider after just a couple weeks into the bombing campaign, said Alley of the Washington Institute. There had been an assumption going into the campaign that you could go in and coerce the Houthis with overwhelming power to change [their] behavior. But Trump lacked a clear exit strategy, Alley said, so when Oman - long a mediator in the region - approached the administration saying that the Houthis wanted a truce, Trump took it. One of the people familiar with internal deliberations at the Pentagon said that the abrupt end to Rough Rider bolstered the belief among internal critics that the offensives objectives were never clear in the first place. It almost seemed, this person said, that Trump had buyers remorse. The deal, Trump said at the time, was simple: The Houthis would stop firing at U.S. ships if the U.S. stopped firing at the Houthis. We hit them very hard and they had a great ability to withstand punishment, Trump said in announcing the ceasefire. You could say there was a lot of bravery there. They rebuilt it all Yemens Saudi-backed coalition government was supportive of Rough Rider and caught off guard when it ended, according to a Yemeni official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. The Trump administration did not read the situation strategically, said the official. They just wanted a quick win. It was not long, the person said, before the Houthis rebuilt everything. In recent weeks, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked oil infrastructure and military bases in Saudi Arabia, which also saw its key East-West oil pipeline attacked by Iraqi militias. As Saudi Arabia - long a key U.S. ally - faces its biggest threats in years, it has confronted Trumps unwillingness to get more involved and looked to new partners for help in confronting the Houthis. Nadwa Al-Dawsari, a Yemeni researcher and conflict analyst, said the Trump administration never should have seen the truce as a win. The Houthis have learned how to use negotiations, ceasefires and truces as a tactic to preserve their power, rebuild their capabilities and prepare for the next round of conflict, she said. Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam said that Rough Rider sparked widespread resentment regarding the U.S. and led to an influx of volunteers. Yemen, he said in a written statement to The Post, is known as the graveyard of invaders. Anyone who has attempted to colonize or occupy the country, he said, has left burdened by woes, sorrow, failure, and defeat. Trump struck a conciliatory tone in recent weeks when talking about the Houthis, saying last month in Ireland that the Houthis called us, and they dont want to fight us. Everything will work out very well, he said. The Yemeni official said that they fear the Trump administration still does not understand the threat that the Houthis pose, noting that the group is already working extensively with al-Shabab in Somalia and have clearly stated intentions to push the U.S. out of the region and destroy the state of Israel. The lesson I learned over the past 10 years is to take the Houthis seriously, the official added. I am not sure if the United States learned the same lesson. Alley said that Trumps decision last year to forge a truce with the Houthis had the unintended consequence of showing the militant group the limits of Trumps willingness to escalate - giving them additional room to maneuver. Trump may be done with the Houthis, she said, but the Houthis are not done with Trump. Susannah George contributed to this report. Related Content This article originally appeared on Washington Post at https://washingtonpost.com/world/2026/10/05/pentagon-dispute-trumps-first-war-foreshadowed-iran-challenges/

Philip Morris India and Litterati collaborate to address littering through evidence-based solutions

Philip Morris India has launched a 12-month anti-littering initiative in Delhi with Litterati. This project aims to analyze littering patterns using community science and AI technology. Insights will help implement targeted solutions for waste management and behavior change in identified areas. Previous anti-littering efforts included a successful campaign that removed substantial waste from public spaces. The initiative aligns with the Swachh Bharat Mission's goals for cleaner urban environments.

Healthy Weight Loss: How Much Should You Lose and Why Losing Too Much Body Fat Can Be Risky

Weight loss and fitness have become major goals for many people, especially those trying to improve their health, appearance or physical performance. While losing excess weight can offer health benefits for some individuals, there is an important point that often gets overlooked: having less body fa...

Hyderabad gets a taste of South Italy at this Mazzo Rooftop pop-up

Food traditions often carry a sense of home, and Chef Alessio Cosma Amodios cooking is no exception. Growing up in Southern Italy, his earliest inspiration came from his grandmothers kitchen, a foundation that stayed with him through a culinary career which eventually settled in Goa. This week, Chef Alessio brings those traditions to Hyderabad for 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 .

Amitabh Bachchan reveals he struggles to find time for sleep amid Kaun Banega Crorepati shoot: I struggle to fine the timeI must run to the bed

Amitabh Bachchan has spoken about his struggle to find enough time for sleep amid his busy professional schedule. The actor, who continues to juggle his television commitments with film projects, shared his late-night thoughts on his personal blog, reflecting on the importance of sleep and his plans to get some rest before another early day at work. Amitabh noted that sleep is widely considered an important part of the bodys recovery process, but admitted that finding enough time for it can be difficult. He wrote: .. they said the night sleep is the best repair mechanism of the human body .. and I struggle to fine the time to follow that .. The actor also reflected on the feeling of going to bed early with the intention of waking up for work the next morning. According to him, such moments are often accompanied by several thoughts and ideas, along with the motivation to work towards goals that have been pursued for a long time. He further wrote: But tonight is a try .. nw to retire early and be p for a earlt wake for work it is a different feel .. a state of many thoughts and ideas .. all filled with drive and a sense of conquering all that was once considered as a goal that gives immense power to run to ts destination , in time and I must run to the bed. On the work front, Amitabh Bachchan is currently seen hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati. The Hindi adaptation of the British quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? features contestants answering multiple-choice questions, with lifelines available to help them when they are unsure about an answer. The actor was last seen in Vettaiyan, directed by T. J. Gnanavel. He is also associated with filmmaker Nag Ashwins Kalki 2898 AD sequel, which features Prabhas and Kamal Haasan. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic world and follows a group of people attempting to protect a woman who is pregnant with Kalki, described as Lord Vishnus 10th and final avatar, from the powerful Yaskin. Also Read : EXCLUSIVE: Geeta Agrawal Sharma talks about playing a dementia patient in Vajood Rahe Maujood; director Keigan Pinto says, Geeta ji is the Amitabh Bachchan of female actor today!

The one-off GOAT kit Lionel Messi will wear for his final Argentina appearance

Including a pair of subtle goal horns. The post The one-off GOAT kit Lionel Messi will wear for his final Argentina appearance appeared first on Planet Football .

We didn't okay Form 6 changes, let's see who did it: SC

The Supreme Court stated it has not approved any modifications to Form 6, used for electoral roll inclusion, during the Special Intensive Revision. This observation came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging alleged unilateral decisions by the Chief Election Commissioner regarding changes to Form 6 and electoral roll revisions in states like Goa and West Bengal, without the concurrence of his colleagues. The court issued notice on the plea, highlighting concerns over collective decision-making within the Election Commission.

'Form 6 modification not approved by us', say SC; seeks EC's response

New Delhi, Oct 5: The Supreme Court on Monday said that it has not approved any modifications to Form 6 being used by the Election Commission (EC) during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in various states. Form 6 is an application through which an eligible person seeks inclusion in the electoral roll. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said, Any modification to Form 6 has not been approved by us. Let's be clear. When records are produced, we would like to see who has modified it. The bench was hearing a PIL filed in wake of a recent Indian Express report, which claimed that two of the three Election Commissioners had objected to decisions related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, including changes to Form 6 relating to the applicant's ancestry and a link to previous SIR. The bench told senior advocate Maneka Guruswamy, appearing for petitioner Shailendra Mani Tripathi, who has challenged the decisions, guidelines and software changes allegedly made by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar without the concurrence of his two colleagues, that the prayers in his PIL appear to be jumbled up. During the hearing on Tripathi's PIL, Guruswamy said there were no infirmities in the petitioner's PIL and raised concerns over changes made to Form 6, which is used by eligible citizens to apply for inclusion of their names in electoral rolls. The EC issued a press release on September 26 suggesting that the Supreme Court had upheld the Form 6 declaration in the May 2026 judgment relating to Bihar SIR. The bench issued notice on Tripathi's plea and tagged the matter with another PIL filed by Patna resident Rakesh Kumar Singh on the issue. Tripathi's plea, filed through advocate Chand Qureshi, has alleged that the CEC's actions violate the statutory requirement of collective decision-making. The plea also seeks initiation of criminal proceedings against the CEC and other officials for breach of official duty. Divested of any statutory or constitutional immunity, the Chief Election Commissioner remains directly accountable under the law -- subject to police investigation, evidence gathering, and regular trial proceedings as an ordinary accused, the plea states. Tripathi cited the provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, particularly Section 18, which provides for decision-making by the EC and says that where there is a difference of opinion, the view of the majority prevails. One of the main issues the plea raises is the alteration of Form 6, which the people use to register as voters. It alleges that the requirement relating to ancestral details and link with the previous SIR was introduced through the election panel's software without the statutory amendment required under the electoral rules. According to the petition, the two election commissioners other than Kumar objected to the change and asserted that the prescribed form could not be altered without following the statutory procedure. Issue a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order, or direction declaring all decisions, guidelines, directives, and software modifications initiated, approved, or implemented under CEC Gyanesh Kumar without full commission concurrence or contrary to the majority opinion of the Election Commissioners as unconstitutional, ultra vires, and void ab initio, the plea says. Concerns over the handling of electoral roll revisions in Goa and West Bengal were also mentioned in the plea, which alleged that the software lacked the feature to restore 97 eligible electors in Goa despite directions for their verification. In West Bengal, the petitioner claimed that more than 16.10 lakh appeals were filed in the EC's name against voters whose names were restored by judicial officers. The other two election commissioners and the West Bengal chief electoral officer were not aware of these appeals, nor did they authorise them, the plea claims.

After AAP's jibe over defections, Congress' Khera calls Kejriwal-led party 'twice as shameless' as BJP

Pawan Khera of Congress criticised the Aam Aadmi Party for its attacks regarding defections to the BJP. Khera emphasised that AAP had also experienced significant defections, highlighting their hypocrisy. He noted the failure of the BJP government in Goa regarding employment opportunities and law enforcement issues. Additionally, Khera discussed the removal of many voters from the electoral roll ahead of the upcoming elections.

Nora Fatehi, Yassine Bounou

Hyderabad: Nora Fatehis latest Paris outing has given fans something other than her fashion choices to discuss. A brief glimpse of her phone screen has put her personal life back in the spotlight, bringing a familiar name into the conversation: Moroccan footballer Yassine Bounou. The actress and dancer, who previously described the goalkeeper as a 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 .

'I had only one goal that is to win trophies, says Abhishek on his impact-first approach

Digital Desk | New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) Abhishek Sharma has credited the freedom provided by his teammates and coaches for allowing him to embrace an aggressive, impact-driven approach, saying his ambition has never been centred on personal milestones but on helping India and his teams win trophies. The 26-year-old, who was part of Indias ICC Mens T20 World Cup-winning side, discussed his playing philosophy ahead of the new home season against the West Indies. Abhishek traced the development of his mindset to his domestic cricket days, when he began placing greater emphasis on influencing matches rather than chasing individual numbers. When I started, I thought that I have to play in a way that I can play impactful innings for my team. That started from my Punjab team in domestic cricket and we won the domestic T20 competition in 2024. From there, I feel, a mindset developed that I dont have to chase milestones, because thats not in your hands. Whats in your hands is how much impact you can make. That is how I want to play, no matter what opposition we are playing. As an individual, I never had this urge that I should achieve this, achieve that. I had only one goal that I have to win trophies. I feel that you need a lot of support from the team, the management, the coaches, the captain, because they know how you play. I feel they have helped me quite a lot, the entire team, not just the support staff, even the players as well, senior players. So now, like it has happened for me when I was new, the new players should also get that freedom, they should feel that they belong here. So, I really enjoy that when I talk with Vaibhav or with other young players, Abhishek told JioStar. That backing, according to Abhishek, has been crucial in allowing him to play without being constrained by the pressure of reaching specific statistical targets.

After HIL, our focus will be on building a fresh squad for LA 2028: India head coach Craig Fulton

Digital Desk | Nagoya, Oct 5 (IANS) After the Indian mens hockey team successfully defended their Asian Games crown for the very first time in the sport's history, head coach Craig Fulton said that LA 2028 is not far away and that once the Hockey India League (HIL) gets over, he will have to build a new team afresh. This will include infusing more young faces in the team in order to strike a fine balance between youth and experience. LA 2028 is within two years. It seems a long way off, but it obviously comes around pretty quick. I think at the moment were just trying to get the right schedule, the right planning in place, the big blocks of what is the preparation like, two years out, one year out, six months out, and plan accordingly to that. Yeah, I think every team has its phases at and flows with experience and youth. We have a good group of experienced players with us now, Craig Fulton told SAI Media. We have some youth, but we have a lot of youth in the Indian A team and a strong Under-21 team as well, which is great. So in the next two-three months, I think just post the Hockey India League, we'll have a look at all the talent that we have, choose new squad, and start afresh from there, the 51-year-old added. This was the fifth gold medal overall for the Indian mens hockey team in the continental sports extravaganza after 1966 Bangkok, 1998 Bangkok, 2014 Incheon and 2022 Hangzhou editions. Fulton, who represented South Africa in the 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympic Games, said defending back-to-back gold medals was always special. Personally, this Asian Games was very unique. It was very different to the last Asian Games as we were isolated out here in a sense of away from the other events and athletes. There was no so-called Games Village. But at the same time, we had our own routine. We went to the field, we played, we came back, and everything is the same. But Hangzhou, being the first gold medal, was very special. But to come back and defend it back-to-back golds is always special, he said. India edged past arch-rivals Pakistan 4-3 by scoring in the dying minutes of the match at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium, squandering a 3-0 lead. Captain Harmanpreet Singh (5, 13) and Sukhjeet Singh (23) gave India a 3-0 lead but Abu Mahmood (30), Hannan Shahid (45) and Waheed Rana (49) brought Pakistan back on level terms. It was Abhishek who scored in the final minute of the match to take India into the mens final. Everything did go according to plan. We had a really good first half, and then the third quarter was difficult. Pakistan is that team that if you give them any free opportunities, they take them and they are a great team, and they showed that. They came back nicely and put us under a lot of pressure from 3-0 to 3-all. We still had some good chances in that period, but we couldnt finish, we couldnt score. And found a way in the last minute to do so and to get the fourth goal, which helped us make the final, Fulton said. The feat was a first-ever double gold finish for the mens and womens hockey teams at the Asian Games. It was only the third Indian team sport to have a double gold finish after Kabaddi and Cricket at Aichi-Nagoya. The turnaround was fuelled by the Sports Authority of Indias (SAI) support of INR 77.8 Crore on both the mens and womens hockey teams, including the national coaching camp, international competition exposure, remuneration of foreign coach and equipment support, among others. I think the government is our biggest supporter in terms of the resources and the funds that they put forward to helping the grassroots programs all the way through to the 18s, 21s, seniors. Without them, obviously, I don't know what would happen if they didn't put as much support and resources around. But at the same time, by doing that the girls stand on the podium winning gold for the first time in 44 years. And we're fortunate enough to go back to back. Yes, that's domination in Asia. We obviously want to do that on the world stage. And the women had a fantastic World Cup, and the men obviously had a fantastic Paris. So the balance is there. The resources are there. But the main thing is we just got to keep pushing forward to find the talent and expose it on the international platform, he signed off.

Turtle doves, Cicada bugs, migratory birds arrive to announce Kashmirs golden yellow autumn

Digital Desk | Srinagar, Oct 5 (IANS) Turtle doves picking fallen grain from Paddy fields, Cicada chirping on willow trees and the cackle of migratory birds in the night sky, these are all indications that Kashmirs golden yellow season of plentyautumn has arrived. Farmers have gathered their Paddy crop and apples are being picked by the orchardists, grapes, Nadrus (Lotus stems)', Sweet Chestnuts and vegetables are aplenty in the markets. The sky is now a clear blue and the fear of cloudbursts, thunderstorms, hail etc is over. People love to bask in the early sunshine although the days are still hot. Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 31.2 degree Celsius on Sunday, marking the city's second-highest October temperature on record. This exceptional reading, driven by an unprecedented autumn heatwave, surpassed the previous October high of 31.1 degree Celsius set 18 years ago on October 2, 2008. Despite the day heat, mornings and evenings are getting cold as locals wear a layer of warm clothes in the evenings. The turtle doves have come down from the mountains to feed on fallen grain in the harvested Paddy fields. They have to gain enough weight before they brave their flight to the plains to ward off the winter cold. Cicada bugs are chirping on willow trees as their natural camouflage makes them absolutely indistinguishable from their surroundings. The cackle of migratory birds in the night sky announces the first flight of these avian visitors to the Valley. Thousands of these birds including bar-headed geese, mallards, Pochards, shovelers, Pintails, Wigeons, Sheldrake ducks, teals etc spend their winters in the water bodies of Kashmir to ward off the extreme cold of their summer homes in Russian Siberia, China, Japan, Philippines and Eastern Europe. The hardy goatherds called the Bakarwals are now moving down from the highland meadows of the Valley with their families. They are going with their flocks of sheep, goats, watch dogs and load carrying horses to their homes in warmer Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua and Reasi districts of Jammu division. The life of the Bakarwals is an enduring lesson in bearing hardships to graze their flocks in the meadows during the summer months. The Bakarwals move lock, stock and barrel to the meadows during the summer months. Women carrying infants wrapped in a loose cloth around their back, utensils, clothes, bedding etc are loaded on the horses as the long journey to the plains starts for these families. The diet of these families is a dieticians prescription for keeping oneself fit. They take milk, cheese, ghee in plenty as they lead an active, hardworking life. It is rare to see an obese Bakarwal male or female. They are lean sturdy souls although signs of some sedentary life and economic prosperity are showing in the protruding bellies of the elders left behind to tend for homes during the summer months. Hundreds of labourers belonging to Bihar, West Bengal, UP and other states working as brick layers, masons, carpenters, electricians and labourers in orchards and Paddy fields have started moving down to their homes as the bitter winter cold becomes difficult for them to bear. Days have started ending early and beginning late as markets, streets and workplaces start closing after the sunset. Vegetable markets are full of locally grown turnips, spinach, tomatoes, brinjals, potatoes, etc. Interestingly, despite the availability of these local vegetables, their rates are higher than those brought in from outside the Valley, a paradox difficult to decipher for the common Kashmiri. The leaves of the majestic Chinar trees have started turning yellow from deep green. These leaves then turn into brilliant shades of yellow, amber, gold, orange, and a striking blood-red before falling in the winter. The water in rivers, mountain streams and springs is crystal clear as far off mountain tops acquire a tinge of white due to early snowfall. For the nature loving tourists and locals, autumn is the best time to see Kashmir in all its natural glory and brilliance.

All the goals from the Women's Super League - matchweek five

Watch every goal from matchweek five of the Women's Super League 2026-27 season.

India nears cold-storage goal, but first-mile gaps remain: Ficci-GT Bharat

With 40.22 million tonnes of cold storage capacity, India is near its long-term target, but three-quarters is used for potatoes and losses remain high before produce reaches the first cold point

2027 polls: AAP alleges bid to break 'Goa First' alliance, asks ally GFP to clarify stand

Aam Aadmi Party has raised concerns about potential conspiracies aimed at undermining the 'Goa First' alliance. The alliance, formed with the Goa Forward Party, seeks to exclude Congress and BJP from political collaboration. AAP state president Valmiki Naik urged GFP leader Vijai Sardesai to choose between political partners or the interests of Goa's citizens. Naik criticised the historical patterns of defections within Goa's political landscape over the years.

Klein Curaao restored native plants after removing goats and cats, aiding nine bird species

Zinc Football Academy's Sonam Ghosh Selected For India U-17 Squad For AFC Women's Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers

Zinc Football Academy's (ZFA) goalkeeper Sonam Ghosh has earned another major milestone in her young career after being selected in India's 23-member U-17 squad for the AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers.

Messi vs Ronaldo: Two GOATs, two very different endings

Messi's farewell is therefore about closure. Ronaldo's is still a negotiation. After nearly 20 years of rivalry, that may be the most revealing difference of all.

How former Premier League goalkeeper David Stockdale rescued and revamped FC Farsley

Eetha: Shraddha Kapoor dances in a red saree in viral BTS clip from sets

As the buzz around Shraddha Kapoor's Eetha continues to grow, a new BTS clip from the sets of the film has now surfaced online. In the clip, Shraddha, who plays lavani artist Vithabai Narayangoankar, is seen performing a dance sequence

MHA Orders AGMUT Segments to Report FIRs, Arrests Against Officers Within 48 Hours

SRINAGAR: The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed all segments of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre to report within 48 hours any FIR, arrest, adverse court order or action by an investigating agency against officers of the IAS, IPS, DANICS and DANIPS. The directions cover cases involving agencies including the Central Bureau of Investigation, []

Ronaldo's Portugal return possible? Coach Jesus clears the air

Portugal coach Jorge Jesus has left the door open for Cristiano Ronaldo to return after the 41-year-old left the squad last week. Jesus said the decision is Ronaldos, while federation president Pedro Proenca backed the captain and called the episode a misunderstanding. Ronaldo remains Portugals record scorer and most-capped player, with 146 goals in 234 appearances.

PIX: Portugal in Nations League quarters after all-win record

Title holders Portugal defeated Norway 2-1 in the Nations League, securing their place in the March quarter-finals with a perfect record. Goncalo Ramos scored the winning goal, further highlighting the team's success despite Cristiano Ronaldo's recent departure from the squad. Other Nations League results included Denmark beating Wales, the Netherlands overcoming Serbia, and Greece drawing with Germany.

Holding Up the Mirror: Reflective Practice for Teacher Professional Growth

While attending the three-day programme at RIE Ajmer on Experimenting Reflective Practices for Augmenting Teachers Professional Competencies as per NPST, I found myself reflecting on a simple but important question: How often do we, as teachers, actually stop to examine our own classroom practice? As a classroom teacher and teacher trainer, I have increasingly felt that teaching cannot be reduced to completing a lesson, covering the syllabus or conducting an assessment. If our purpose is to ensure that the teaching-learning process achieves the desired learning outcomes to the optimum level possible, we have to look beyond the act of teaching itself. We have to look at what happened after we taught. That requires reflection. Teaching needs a pause The routine of classroom teaching can easily become repetitive: plan, teach, assess and move on. In this cycle, we may not always pause to ask what actually happened. A reflective teacher asks: What worked well? What did not work? Why did it happen? Which learners benefited? Who struggled? What could I have done differently? What should I focus on next? These are not questions of fault-finding. They are questions of professional learning. Student assessment gives us important evidence, but it cannot always tell us everything about our teaching. A learner's performance is influenced by prior learning, individual differences, motivation and the learning environment. The teacher, therefore, also needs to examine his or her own decisions, strategies and interactions. The question changes from Why did my students not learn? to What does this evidence tell me about my teaching? That shift is significant. Competencies need to be visible in practice The National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) provides a national framework for teacher quality, defining expectations and competencies at different levels of expertise and stages of a teacher's career. NCTE describes progression through Proficient, Advanced and Expert levels. For me, these should not be seen merely as labels. They can become a professional mirror: Where am I now, what evidence supports my understanding, and what do I need to do to grow further? The six competencies that formed the basis of our reflective work offer meaningful areas for this self-examination: planning lessons with clear objectives and sound content understanding; addressing learner diversity; promoting student engagement; applying assessment for, as and of learning; integrating ICT meaningfully; and integrating content knowledge with pedagogy. Each competency can be converted into a question. Planning: Am I planning for learning or merely for completion? Learner diversity: Am I providing meaningful opportunities for different learners? Engagement: Are students actually thinking, questioning, creating and collaborating? Assessment: Am I using assessment to improve learning, or mainly to record it? ICT: Is technology adding value to learning? Content and pedagogy: Do I merely know my subject, or do I know how to make it learnable? When such questions become part of everyday teaching, professional standards move from a document into classroom practice. A small reflection from my own classroom One of my reflections concerned the competency Promote student engagement in learning. While teaching the classification of triangles, I noticed that students struggled to differentiate and classify triangles when learning relied mainly on textbook diagrams and verbal explanations. This made me reconsider my approach. I decided to move towards more hands-on, collaborative and experiential learning, using simple activities such as constructing triangles with sticks or straws, sorting triangle cards, identifying triangular shapes in the surroundings and discussing findings in groups. The challenge was not simply to find an activity. It was to make the activity meaningful for diverse learners, manage time, ensure participation and address misconceptions. The reflection therefore led to a professional goal: to incorporate more activity-based geometry learning and examine its impact on student understanding. For me, this illustrates the real value of reflection. A classroom difficulty need not end with the conclusion that students are weak. It can instead lead the teacher to ask, What can I change in my teaching? Reflection needs evidence Reflection becomes stronger when it is based on evidence. Student work, classroom observations, assessment responses, learner feedback, peer feedback and lesson records can all help a teacher examine practice more honestly. But evidence should not be limited to marks. A learner who repeatedly remains silent, a misconception that keeps appearing, an activity that generates participation but little understanding, or a question that most learners cannot answer can also provide valuable evidence. I would put it simply: Reflection without evidence can become perception; reflection supported by evidence can become professional learning. From reflection to action The reflective framework provides a practical sequence: Evidence Focus of Reflection Challenges Perceived Future Professional Goals The important part is what comes next. Reflection should lead to action. If questioning is dominated by recall, we can experiment with higher-order questions. If some learners remain disengaged, we can try differentiated or collaborative approaches. If assessment reveals persistent learning gaps, we can reconsider our teaching strategy rather than simply record the results. The cycle becomes: Experience Evidence Reflection Self-introspection Challenge Professional Goal Action New Evidence Further Reflection. This is how reflection becomes reflective learning. From individual reflection to professional culture Reflection need not remain an individual exercise. Peer discussion can help teachers see what they may have missed themselves. Sharing classroom experiences, discussing challenges and examining alternative approaches can make professional learning richer. A school should ideally become a place where teachers can comfortably say: This worked. This did not. I am not sure why. I tried something different. What could I do differently next time? Such a culture can strengthen peer learning, mentoring, collaborative planning and action research. The progression envisaged in NPST also reminds us that professional growth can extend beyond improving one's own classroom towards supporting and contributing to the professional learning of colleagues. The real purpose: better learning Ultimately, reflection is not about producing another document or finding faults with teachers. It is about improving what happens between the teacher and the learner. A reflective teacher continually asks whether planning, pedagogy, engagement, assessment, inclusion, technology and subject knowledge are working together to produce meaningful learning. Perhaps the most important question after a lesson is therefore not: Did I teach well? but: What did this lesson teach me about my teaching? For me, this is where the idea of the teacher as a lifelong learner becomes real. Experience becomes professional learning only when it is examined, questioned and used to improve future practice. When teachers learn to hold up the mirror to their own practice, reflection becomes more than a professional exerciseit becomes a pathway to better teaching, deeper professional competence and, ultimately, better learning for every child. (The Author is a teacher and columnist and can be reached at: abuaalim@gmail.com)

Teachers shape future of society, nation: Sakeena

Srinagar, Oct 04: Minister for Education, Social Welfare, Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo, on Sunday said that teachers are the cornerstone of the education system and play an indispensable role in shaping the future of society and nation. The Minister was addressing a one-day Mega Teachers Conference on the theme Roles, Rights and Responsibilities of Teachers, organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers Forum (JKReTTF) at SCERT Bemina here. The conference witnessed participation of a large number of teachers besides senior officers of the School Education Department. Addressing the gathering, Sakeena Itoo appreciated the contribution of the teaching community towards nation-building and acknowledged the dedication of Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers, particularly those who have rendered their services in remote, far-flung and difficult areas of Jammu and Kashmir. She said that the contribution of teachers who served under the Rehbar-e-Taleem scheme has been instrumental in extending education to areas where educational facilities were once either inadequate or non-existent. When the Rehbar-e-Taleem scheme was introduced, perhaps no one could have imagined that schools in many remote areas, which were once closed or without adequate teaching facilities, would become functional and vibrant centres of learning. The children educated in these schools have gone on to achieve their goals, and the credit for this transformation goes to our teachers, the Minister said. Sakeena Itoo maintained that the Government recognizes the immense contribution of teachers and would continue to take steps to strengthen their dignity, professional standing and welfare. A teacher is not merely an employee of the Education Department; a teacher is the person who creates the future of our society. We cannot claim to build a strong and progressive Jammu and Kashmir unless we ensure that our teachers are respected, heard and empowered, Sakeena Itoo remarked. The Minister assured the teaching community that the genuine issues raised during the conference would be examined with due seriousness and that the Government would make every effort to address them within the applicable rules and procedures. I want to assure you that the Government has worked for you and will continue to work for you. The issues and demands placed before me today are genuine and deserve consideration. We will listen to your concerns, examine them and take them forward so that the hopes of our teaching community are not disappointed, she said. Referring to the role of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in supporting the concerns of the teaching community, the Minister said that the Governments commitment towards teachers was reflected in the resolution recently passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on issues concerning the teaching community. The Chief Minister has, on every appropriate occasion, spoken about the concerns and dignity of our teachers. The resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly was not an act of favor, it was an expression of our responsibility towards the teaching community, she said. Sakeena Itoo said that she had personally taken up the matter of the Assembly resolution after receiving representations from teachers, adding that she had ensured that the commitment made before the teaching community was translated into a formal legislative resolution. I had promised you that we would bring this issue before the Assembly, and I was determined to fulfil that commitment. I did not want the promise to remain merely an announcement. I wanted the resolution to be brought before the House, discussed and passed. I am satisfied that this commitment has now been fulfilled, she stated. Sakeena Itoo said that the resolution has provided an opportunity for members of the Legislative Assembly to deliberate upon the importance of teachers and the issues confronting them. The discussion in the Assembly once again demonstrated how important our teachers are for Jammu and Kashmir. Members cutting across the House spoke about the contribution of teachers and the need to safeguard their legitimate interests. The time available to the House was limited, but the sentiment was clearthat the teaching community deserves our respect and institutional support, the Minister said. The Minister further stated that the Government was not making commitments merely for the sake of announcements, but was working towards taking issues to their logical conclusion. My approach has always been that an announcement should be followed by action. I do not believe in making commitments here and leaving them unattended. Wherever an issue requires action at the level of the Department, the concerned Director or the Government, we are pursuing it through the proper process, she said. On the demand for a comprehensive transfer policy for Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers, Sakeena Itoo said that the process was already at an advanced stage. The transfer policy for Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers is almost ready. We had placed the draft in the public domain so that suggestions could be received from all stakeholders. The suggestions received are now being examined and we are making efforts to incorporate whatever is feasible within the policy framework, she said. Sakeena Itoo informed that several issues raised by the teachers require action at different levels, including the concerned Heads of Departments and the administrative authorities, and that the process for examination and disposal of such matters was already underway. The Minister also urged the teachers and their representatives to ensure that all requisite service records and supporting documents were properly compiled and submitted to the concerned authorities. Sometimes, genuine cases get delayed because the required documents are not available on the file. I request our teachers and their representatives to ensure that all documents relating to promotion, service matters and other issues are properly compiled and submitted to the Department. This will help us process cases efficiently and avoid unnecessary delays, she said. Sakeena Itoo reiterated that the Government would continue to engage with the teaching community and work towards resolving genuine and long-pending issues through a structured and time-bound process. Wherever we have to raise our voice for our teachers, wherever we have to stand with them and wherever their legitimate interests have to be represented, we will do so. We will not shy away from our responsibility, she asserted. The Minister also emphasized that empowerment of teachers must go hand in hand with professional accountability and commitment towards students. Rights and responsibilities go together. While the Government remains committed to protecting the legitimate rights and dignity of teachers, I also expect every teacher to continue discharging his or her responsibility towards students with dedication, compassion and professionalism, she said. She called upon the teaching community to remain committed to the larger objective of providing quality education to children, particularly those belonging to disadvantaged and remote areas. Director School Education Kashmir, Naseer Ahmad Wani also addressed the conference and appreciated the contribution of Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers in strengthening the education system across Jammu and Kashmir. He acknowledged the dedication of teachers serving in challenging and far-flung areas and underscored their role in ensuring access to education for children in remote communities. On the occasion, the leadership of the Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers Forum presented a comprehensive memorandum to the Minister, highlighting various issues concerning the welfare and professional advancement of teachers. The representatives of the teaching community also expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Education Minister Sakeena Itoo for the resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly concerning the issues of teachers. They said that the decision had strengthened their confidence in the Governments commitment towards addressing the genuine concerns of the teaching community.

Goat thieves arrested after encounter in Azamgarh

Salman Khan, at 60, continues his strength training routine. How Bollywood star maintains his physique for decades

Salman Khan has maintained a disciplined fitness routine focused on strength training and volume over many years. His longtime trainer Rakkesh R. Uddiyar emphasizes the importance of consistency and dedication in achieving fitness goals. Salman trains six days a week, ensuring his workouts are efficient while adapting to his film schedules. While he follows a balanced diet, he modifies his training and cardio according to specific film roles.

US and Man Citys Cavan Sullivan becomes youngest international goalscorer

Sullivans goal came after teenager Julian Hall, 18, had given Mauricio Pochettino's side the lead in Mexico friendly. US and Man Citys Cavan Sullivan becomes youngest international goalscorer

Tripura govt preparing master plan to modernise urban local bodies: CM Saha

Digital Desk | Agartala, Oct 4 (IANS) Two months ahead of the elections to 21 urban local bodies in Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Saha on Sunday said that the state government is preparing a master plan to modernise municipal bodies and civic infrastructure across the state. The Chief Minister, while inaugurating the newly constructed two-storey ward office of Ward at Pratapgarh under the Agartala Municipal Corporation, said that while the government is implementing the Smart City Mission in Agartala, it has also prepared a master plan to create state-of-the-art infrastructure in all Nagar Panchayat and Municipal Council areas of the state. The ward office was constructed at a cost of Rs 97.43 lakh. He said the main objective of the government is to ensure that every section of society benefits from development and improved civic services. That is why the government, rising above politics, is implementing various development programmes and delivering services to the doorsteps of the people, he said. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision is to accelerate development by ensuring that government facilities reach the last person in society. Keeping that goal in mind, the present state government is providing various government services to the last person in every part of the state, Saha said. The Chief Minister said substantial development work aimed at providing modern civic facilities has been undertaken in Agartala in recent years. Apart from providing safe drinking water to the doorsteps of the people, a lot of work has been done in various fields, including construction and repair of roads, improvement of the citys drainage system, provision of pucca houses, creation of alternative employment opportunities and expansion of healthcare services, he said. Saha said development would reach every citizen irrespective of political affiliation and that Agartala has witnessed a major push in urban infrastructure. He said safe drinking water projects worth Rs 112 crore have been implemented under the AMRUT 2.0 scheme, while 48 flats have been constructed for economically weaker sections and construction of two more flats is underway. So far, 16,000 families have been provided with safe drinking water under the AMRUT 2.0 project, the Chief Minister said. A number of other programmes will be implemented under AMRUT 3.0. Sixty-five projects have been implemented across Agartala city under the Smart City Mission at a cost of Rs 581 crore, he said. Saha said the government is implementing various schemes with emphasis on infrastructure development in the Agartala Municipal Corporation area as well as the beautification of the city. Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor and MLA Dipak Majumder, Deputy Mayor Monika Das Dutta, Municipal Corporation South Zone Chairman Abhijit Mallick and AMC Commissioner Saju Wahid were also present.

Iran tells U.S. there is no military solution to Middle East war

Ships anchored off the coast of Musandam governorate in Oman near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday (-) Iran's top diplomat insisted on Sunday that there would be no military solution to the United States' war against the Islamic republic, with talks on ending the conflict apparently at an impasse. A campaign of heavy bombardment failed to bring a decisive close to the war launched by the US and Israel in late February, and Washington in recent weeks has dialled back military operations in favour of economic pressure. The main point of contention remains Iran's attempt to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for Gulf oil and gas where a UK maritime agency reported on Sunday another tanker was struck by an unknown projectile. If our enemies again choose the path of military confrontation, our response will be stronger than before, and we will defend ourselves with even more force, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at a gathering of foreign ambassadors. There is no military solution, nor any solution based on new sanctions, he continued, adding only negotiations based on justice and fairness could end the conflict. The two sides agreed a memorandum of understanding in June that spelled out a framework for a permanent resolution, but Iranian attacks on vessels in the Hormuz prompted a return to US military operations. Iran has sought to impose its control over the vital shipping lane since the start of the war, striking vessels that attempt to transit without its authorisation. The US has imposed its own counterblockade of Iranian ports, and has also struck vessels it accuses of violating it. On Sunday, the British maritime security agency UKMTO said a tanker in the Hormuz reported being struck by an unknown projectile, causing damage to the engine room, though the crew were reported safe and no environmental impact was recorded. The agency did not specify the date of the incident, the vessel's origin or destination, or whether it was an oil tanker or LNG carrier. - Focused on Hormuz - Iranian and US officials last week held indirect talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, with Tehran saying it presented seven conditions for reopening the strait. Iran has demanded, among other things, a ceasefire across the Middle East, the unfreezing of its assets abroad, the lifting of sanctions on its oil sector and an end to the US naval blockade. Trump, however, rejected the proposal, while leaving the door open both to further talks or renewed military operations. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Sunday that the US had expressed its views on the proposal and said they were being reviewed. The Americans, through intermediaries, have also conveyed their views on this proposal, and these views are currently being examined inside the country through the relevant channels and procedures, he told reporters, according to state news agency IRNA. Whenever the final position of the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready, appropriate steps will be taken accordingly. At the same time, the Islamic Republic of Iran is also preparing itself for any other possible scenario. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei on Sunday characterised the latest US counterproposal as being in line with their previous proposals concerning nuclear issues. We have clearly indicated that we are focusing on the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, he said, adding that reopening the waterway required an end to the disruptions to Iranian commercial maritime traffic and the lifting of sanctions. The United States and Israel have said the war is necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons -- a goal it has long denied pursuing -- though the focus soon shifted to reopening the Hormuz after its closure sent shockwaves through world energy markets. The United States has not struck Iran since September 1, but it has recently pursued a fresh military buildup in the region. US media outlet Axios reported that Washington hasdeployed additional Patriot missile batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to help protect key energy facilities from possible Iranian retaliation. It also reported that the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and its strike group were heading to the Middle East, where they could join two other US carrier strike groups already in the region. Axios reported that top Trump cabinet members met Friday to discuss the war in Iran, as well as the conflict in Yemen, where the Tehran-backed Houthis have been fighting government forces and attacking Saudi Arabia. ap-sbr/smw/axn/jfx/amj This article originally appeared on AFP at https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/iran-tells-us-no-military-094635228.html

No Pass, No Goal: Bhagwant Mann's Hockey Jab At Punjab Congress. New Chief Pargat Singh

I hope his team members also pass him the ball, because without a pass, no goal can be scored, Bhagant Mann said.