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 United Nations has said that the verdict against Bangladesh’s ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina on charges of crimes against humanity is an “important moment” for the victims, but expressed regret over the imposition of the death penalty.
The NDA is expected to apply the same formula for portfolio allocation that it used during ticket distribution, coalition insiders indicated. Under the emerging arrangement, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) will continue to hold the Chief Minister’s post. Meanwhile, the BJP and Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) are each likely to secure one Deputy Chief Minister position, signalling a balanced power-sharing structure within the alliance.
The Congress on Thursday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately chair an all-party meeting in the aftermath of the Delhi blast and asked whether the “new normal doctrine” defined by the government following the Pahalgam attack of treating any future terror strike as an ‘act of war’ stands.
BJP National General Secretary B. L. Santhosh, along with Northeast Coordinator Sambit Patra, arrived in Manipur on Wednesday and held a crucial meeting with BJP MLAs at the party’s state headquarters in Imphal. The meeting was presided over by State President A. Sarda Devi. The closed-door session was attended by BJP MLAs from both the hills and the valley, including former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, Speaker Th. Satyabrata Singh, and Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba. However, MLAs from the Kuki community were notably absent.
The Opposition Mahagathbandhan “no holds barred” campaign centred around the “vote chori” allegations and the spirited efforts by Prashant Kishor’s fledgling Jan Suraaj Party will fail to dethrone the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar, or so predict the exit polls. The average of all exit polls foretells a sweeping victory for the ruling alliance in Bihar.
At least 9 people have been killed and 20 injured in an explosion in a slow-moving Hyundai i20 at a signal near Gate No. 1 of Delhi’s Red Fort (Lal Qila) Metro Station around 6:50 pm on Monday. Three people were in the car when the explosion took place.
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