Editors Pick
In a major revision to military recruitment rules, the Union Cabinet has lengthened the service period of Agniveers from four to six years, offering the 75% cohort previously slated for civilian discharge an additional two-year engagement and a subsequent route to regular military enrollment. Announced by CDS General N.S. Raja Subramani just ahead of the first batch’s retirement dates, the overhaul also reverses recruitment stages by putting written tests ahead of physical trials.
Celebrated British actor Sir Patrick Stewart has passed away at the age of 86. Rising from a childhood marked by domestic hardship and going completely bald by age 19, Stewart built a formidable career with the Royal Shakespeare Company before capturing global stardom as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor X in the X-Men franchise. Knighted in 2010, the Yorkshire-born legend proved that classical discipline and character can redefine modern popular culture.
Septuagenarian CPI(M) whole-timer Bipul Dasgupta has emerged as the face of peaceful resistance in West Bengal after standing ground with folded hands against a mob attempting to tear down a Left book stall in Nagerbazar during Durga Puja. The incident, set against a broader ideological row over the festival’s nomenclature, drew widespread condemnation from civil society as well as senior saffron figures including State Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta and the RSS, prompting a large solidarity march from Kolkata’s College Street on October 29.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced the names of nine candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections and the list features party president Nitin Nabin and senior BJP leader from Bengal, Rahul Sinha.
As Nepal’s rival parties make a last push on the final day of Nepal’s election campaign, interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki has appealed to people to vote and maintain peace.
The Himalayan republic will elect a new parliament on Thursday, replacing the interim government that has led the country of 30 million people since the September 2025 uprising, in which at least 77 people were killed.
Sanju Samson steered India into the semifinals of the T20 World Cup with an innings to remember on Sunday night. The opener’s unbeaten 97 weighed much more than a ton and tore down the West Indian total of 195 for 4 that had looked scary and threatened to knock India out of the competition.
As military tensions escalate in the Middle East, the world’s most critical maritime artery—the Strait of Hormuz—has become a flashpoint for global economic anxiety. Responsible for the passage of nearly 20% of the world’s daily oil supply, this narrow waterway serves as an irreplaceable gateway for energy exports from the Persian Gulf. The article explores how even a partial disruption to this route could bypass traditional market logic, sending crude oil prices soaring due to skyrocketing insurance premiums, shipping risks, and the lack of viable pipeline alternatives. For oil-dependent nations like India, the stakes are particularly high, as a blockade would not only threaten energy security but also trigger a wave of domestic inflation and fiscal instability.
The global “order of cooperation” has been supplanted by “might makes right”, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday (February 26, 2026), blaming Russia for overturning territorial principles in its invasion of Ukraine, and the United States for weakening the United Nations and multilateralism.
During a public meeting in Kamuthi on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) to mark the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, her aide V.K. Sasikala announced her decision to launch a political party. She unveiled the party’s flag — featuring black, white, and red — which carries the portraits of former Chief Ministers C.N. Annadurai, M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), and Jayalalithaa.
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