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In a shocking turn of events that has rattled Karnataka&rsquo;s law enforcement community, former Director General of Police (DGP) Om Prakash was found dead at his residence in Bengaluru&rsquo;s upscale HSR Layout on Sunday evening, under what police describe as&nbsp;&ldquo;highly suspicious circumstances.&rdquo;
Senior officers cordoned off the villa where the 1981-batch IPS officer lived post-retirement. Crime scene tape now blocks access to the main entrance, and forensic teams were seen combing through every inch of the property, while anxious neighbours stood by in disbelief.
Speaking from the location, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand confirmed the death and hinted at a possible homicide. &ldquo;Around 4 to 4:30 pm, we received information about the death of former DGP and IGP Om Prakash. His body was discovered in a pool of blood. It appears that a sharp weapon was used. He lost a significant amount of blood, which likely led to his death,&rdquo; he stated.
The murder weapon, however, had not yet been recovered at the time of filing this report.
The former top cop&rsquo;s wife, Pallavi, was present in the house at the time of the incident and is currently being questioned by police. Sources on-site say she was the one who first alerted authorities. However, based on preliminary assessments and inconsistencies in her statement, she is now the prime suspect in what investigators are beginning to treat as a domestic crime gone fatally wrong.
While no arrests had been made as of late Sunday night, police sources confirm Pallavi has been detained for further questioning. Their daughter, who was also at the house earlier in the day, is being questioned as well.
&ldquo;There are signs of a struggle, and the nature of the injuries makes it unlikely this was an accident or self-inflicted. Initial investigation points to possible involvement of someone close to him,&rdquo; said a senior officer from the Southeast Division who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity.
Sources also revealed that Om Prakash had reportedly shared concerns with close associates about possible threats to his life in the past. While those concerns were not formally recorded, they add a chilling dimension to an already unsettling case. Police are examining a digital trail that includes WhatsApp messages allegedly sent by Pallavi prior to the incident, in which she claimed her husband was threatening her with a firearm.
Unconfirmed reports suggest she may have been battling mental health issues. Officers are now looking into the couple&rsquo;s recent domestic history, as well as CCTV footage from the vicinity.
The late Om Prakash served Karnataka Police in various key positions, including the Crime Investigation Department (CID), Fire and Emergency Services, and the State Lokayukta. After a distinguished career that spanned over three decades, he retired as DGP in 2017. Born in Champaran, Bihar, the officer was known for his academic grounding in geology and his steady rise through the ranks, beginning as ASP in Harapanahalli.
His mortal remains were shifted to a government hospital for a post-mortem examination late Sunday evening. The autopsy report is expected to shed more light on the nature and time of death.
Police have registered a case of unnatural death, and the FIR will be updated once a formal complaint from the family is recorded, officials confirmed.
As the investigation unfolds, Karnataka&rsquo;s law enforcement fraternity mourns one of its own&mdash;taken not in the line of duty, but possibly by a betrayal far too close to home.

Former DGP  Om Prakash  with his wife Pallavi

Former Karnataka DGP's wife prime suspect; police question her over the mysterious death

Ex-DGP Om Prakash Found Dead in Pool of Blood

Standing before journalists in Prayagraj on Sunday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav declared with conviction that the opposition INDIA coalition will remain intact for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, while launching a scathing attack on the ruling BJP.
"INDIA alliance is present and will remain," Yadav stated firmly during the press conference, addressing speculation about the future of the opposition alliance formed ahead of the 2024 general elections.
The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister didn't hold back in his criticism of the BJP, particularly regarding the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill. "The BJP has brought the Waqf Amendment Bill so that it can snatch away land. Wherever they see land, they occupy it," he asserted, labeling the ruling party a "land mafia party."
With characteristic defiance, Yadav predicted that the "PDA (Backward, Dalits, and Minorities) would uproot the BJP" from Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming 2027 assembly elections.
The SP chief's visit to Prayagraj coincided with his attendance at the wedding of SP state president Shyam Lal Pal's daughter, but his focus remained firmly on political matters, particularly the government's handling of the Maha Kumbh.
"When drones and CCTVs were needed the most during the stampede, they were either closed or shut down," Yadav claimed, promising a thorough investigation into alleged mismanagement if his party comes to power. He further accused the government of pressuring relatives of stampede victims to alter the reported cause of death.
During the press conference, Yadav distributed a booklet containing his suggestions for the upcoming Prayagraj Maha Kumbh 2025, along with a Harvard University study on the 2013 Prayagraj Kumbh Mela.
When questioned about SP MP Ramji Lal Suman's controversial statement on Rana Sanga, Yadav responded philosophically: "The history which shows each other as superior and inferior, the history which stops our progress, that history should be allowed to remain."
As political temperatures rise in India's most populous state, Yadav's statements signal intensifying opposition unity against the BJP's governance in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the crucial 2027 elections.
&nbsp;

SP Chief Slams BJP as "Land Mafia," Promises Investigation into Maha Kumbh Mismanagement

Akhilesh Vows INDIA Bloc Will Fight 2027 UP Polls

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" width="133" height="53">
If you have ever fantasized about turning a disastrous blind date into a full-blown workplace romance while impersonating your heiress bestie, congratulations &ndash; Business Proposal is your spirit animal. And if that sentence gave you second-hand stress? Don&rsquo;t worry, you&rsquo;re in excellent, chaotic hands!
The Overview
At the heart of this story is Shin Ha-ri, played by the utterly charming Kim Se-jeong. She&rsquo;s a food researcher (read: professional taste-tester of glorious noodles) who agrees to go on a blind date in place of her best friend, Jin Young-seo. The goal? Scare off the suitor. The strategy? Leopard print, bad manners, and tales of fictional exes in financial ruin.
What she didn&rsquo;t plan for was walking into the &lsquo;blind date&rsquo; only to realize the guy across the table is none other than Kang Tae-moo, her company&rsquo;s CEO and resident stone-faced chaebol. Played by Ahn Hyo-seop, Tae-moo is what happens when you mix abs, arrogance, and abandonment issues into a well-tailored suit.
And guess what? He wants to marry her.
Yes. After one chaotic date. Because why not?
What Works:
<ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Comedy Gold This show doesn&rsquo;t just embrace clich&eacute;s&mdash;it wraps them in a satin bow and throws a confetti party. From rain trauma to awkward grandpa dinners, it milks every trope with self-aware charm. The over-the-top antics never feel forced because the cast just &lsquo;gets it&rsquo;. They&rsquo;re in on the joke, and we are loving the ride!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Chemistry That Could Melt Ramyeon The leads are adorable, but it&rsquo;s the second couple&mdash;Young-seo and Sung-hoon&mdash;who actually threaten to steal the spotlight. Their dynamic? Equal parts smolder and sass. Their scenes? Practically sponsored by the phrase &ldquo;And now we squeal!&rdquo;</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Kim Se-jeong She carries this drama with the kind of physical comedy and facial gymnastics that would make even Lucille Ball take notes. One eyebrow raise from her, and we are sold!</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Food, Glorious Food This show is a not-so-secret love letter to Korean cuisine. Product placement? Sure. But it&rsquo;s done with such glorious noodle-slurping gusto that you&rsquo;ll find yourself ordering ramyeon halfway through an episode. (Viewer tip: watch on a full stomach. Or don&rsquo;t. YOLO.)</li>
</ol>
What Made Me Yell at My Screen:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">&ldquo;Sir, this is an HR violation.&rdquo; Every. Single. Episode. But somehow, when the violation is six feet tall with dimples, it hits different.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Second-hand Embarrassment The fake identity stuff gets so out of hand, I was hiding behind a cushion more often than not. But hey&mdash;K-drama logic, right?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Hyper-speed Plot There are moments where things move so fast, I genuinely thought I&rsquo;d skipped an episode. One minute they&rsquo;re bickering; the next they&rsquo;re kissing in a hallway like they just came back from a date. No complaints&mdash;just whiplash.</li>
</ul>
The Takeaway
Business Proposal is not trying to be deep or groundbreaking. It&rsquo;s a fizzy, flirty, fast-paced rom-com with enough charm to power a small city. It&rsquo;s the kind of show that makes you believe that love can bloom under the flickering fluorescents of a corporate building, as long as there is a nosy grandpa and a tragic rain backstory involved.
Final Thoughts If you are looking for a rom-com drama that doesn&rsquo;t take itself too seriously, delivers swoony moments on the regular, and has enough meme-worthy content to keep your group chat alive for weeks &ndash; Business Proposal is your next binge.
Where to Watch
In India, Business Proposal is available to stream on Netflix with a subscription, and you can enjoy it in multiple languages including Korean, Hindi, and English.

Kim Sejeong as Shin Ha-ri & Ahn Hyo-seop as Kang Tae-moo

Fake dating, food cravings, and flirty chaos – this K-drama serves romance with a side of kimchi-flavoured mayhem!

K-Drama Review | Business Proposal

It is the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan compelled largely by the failure of the Soviet economy that led to the dismemberment of the USSR and put an end to the Cold War in 1991.&nbsp; 
This marked the advent of the era of &lsquo;proxy wars&rsquo; and saw the rise of &lsquo;covert&rsquo; offensives designed among other things, to subvert the economy of the targeted country in line with the new doctrine that &lsquo;national security was inseparable from economic security&rsquo;.
Warren Christopher, President Bill Clinton&rsquo;s Secretary of State, first articulated this in 1993 -well after the collapse of the USSR had already left the US as the only Superpower driving the unipolar world order.
He was making the point that military strength could be countered with &lsquo;asymmetric&rsquo; attacks.
It is interesting that the CIA, which had a powerful Economic Intelligence Division, ran into a criticism that the agency had overestimated the performance of the Soviet economy and failed to read the situation correctly in the run-up to the Soviet break-up.
Robert Gates, the then CIA Director redefined intelligence tasks in the post-Cold War era-supporting US policymakers in setting the country&rsquo;s economic course, monitoring trends in technology that could affect both national security and economy and undertaking such counter-intelligence measures as were required to protect the country&rsquo;s economy from those who did not play by the rules.
In the period that followed the end of the Cold War, the US government gave added importance to economic intelligence due to a general belief that future threats to national security could be more economic than military and that economic dominance rather than mere military superiority would be a major objective of state policy.
The scope of economic intelligence was further widened by the reported move of the US administration to advise the CIA not only to collect information of economic interest for the government but also to help the American corporate sector in whatever ways feasible-like giving it access to the &lsquo;country briefs&rsquo; to enable it to expand in foreign markets.
Admirable Stansfield Turner, CIA Director in President Carter&rsquo;s regime expressed the view that &lsquo;in an age of increasing attention to economic strength there needs to be a more symbiotic relationship between the worlds of intelligence and business&rsquo;.
The US intelligence was certainly watchful against the attempts of countries like China and Russia to penetrate US companies, industries and R&amp;D establishments.
FBI was reportedly engaged in detecting economic espionage against US targets particularly in the light of the reports that Chinese &lsquo;think tank&rsquo; establishments and corporate entities were serving the national security interests of their own country.
The Clinton Administration had enacted the Economic Espionage Act way back in 1996 to deal exclusively with this kind of threat.
In India, the importance of economic intelligence has constantly risen as the country aspires to be among the three largest economies in the world in the near future.
Global threats like terror funding, narcotics trade and human trafficking endangered national security and justified the creation of specialized agencies like the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate besides the existing Economic Offences Wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The national intelligence agencies of India and these investigation outfits would mutually gain through the exchange of information on these threats which were executed surreptitiously. And this is the reason why coordination among them had acquired a new-found importance and urgency.
Intelligence is not &lsquo;evidence&rsquo; by itself but it helped to build what could be presented in courts as evidence and likewise, investigation could unravel information of &lsquo;Intelligence&rsquo; value that could be further developed to unearth a security threat.
An important dimension of economic security is the safeguarding of strategically important technology and economic establishments that were exposed to covert threats of subversion and sabotage from the adversary.
There are well-defined arrangements put in place under the guidance of the Intelligence Bureau, the country&rsquo;s premier agency for internal security- these have acquired added importance in the era of proxy wars. Cybersecurity becomes a major challenge for all establishments of strategic importance, for they run on exclusive IT systems that the enemy would try to hack.
Intelligence agencies today have to be very strong in data analytics as this is becoming an important source of information about futuristic trends in both geopolitics and the world economy. Artificial Intelligence is giving a new capability to data analytics-AI applications in the domains of intelligence and security, which are unfolding themselves fast.
A prime threat to India&rsquo;s national security comes from the strategic alliance between Pakistan and China that was primarily directed against this country.
The Sino-Pak axis has pushed an anti-India agenda internationally and engaged in covert operations aimed at damaging India&rsquo;s internal security and the economy as well.
Chinese drones have been used by Pakistan to drop arms and narcotics in the border states of J&amp;K and Punjab which were already vulnerable to drug addiction amongst the youth. Pakistan was instrumental in arranging a &lsquo;give and take&rsquo; between China and the Taliban Emirate after its return to Kabul in 2021 whereby the former extended its Belt &amp; Road Initiative to Afghanistan by way of economic investment and in return Taliban would abstain from raking up issues of Muslim minority in China particularly in Xinjiang next door.
China and Pakistan the two hostile neighbours of India are stepping up their activities on the border- the former in Ladakh and the latter on international border across Jammu where infiltration of militants- possibly including ex-military men- had attracted notice.
In the wake of upheaval in Bangladesh whipped up by the Jamaate Islami-Pak ISI combine, Islamic militancy was likely to be instigated by Pakistan, in India also. It may be recalled that Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) an offspring of Jamaat, had formed Indian Mujahideen (IM) that indulged in acts of terrorism in 2006-08. The Sino-Pak alliance seemed to be acting in concert in many areas around India.
India has handled international relations by opting for mutually beneficial bilateral relations-extendable to multilateral friendships-that didn&rsquo;t go against the cause of world peace and promoted the good of humanity. 
As India is on the rise as a major power, it suits the country to base its foreign policy on a multipolar view of the world. India realizes that in the post-Cold War era, the nation must prepare for covert offensives from its adversaries and seek to build its economic strength through bilateral and multilateral friendships. 
India joined hands with the US in sponsoring the India-Middle East- Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) at the G20 Summit held in Delhi in 2023, with an agreement being signed in this regard by India, US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, Jordon and the European Union. IMEC aimed at bolstering economic development by fostering connectivity between Asia, the Persian Gulf and Europe.
The project, which was evidently been put on hold, because of the conflicts in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas and between Iran and Israel, has been revived by President Trump.
It was meant to counter the BRI of China that had enabled the latter to advance its political hold in different regions of the world. On its part, China had drawn lessons from the dismemberment of USSR, and had started working on the economic route to becoming a Superpower - while keeping up its military and technological pursuits against the might of the US.
Amidst signs of a new Cold War developing between the US-led West on the one hand and the China-led group of countries hostile to the US on the other, India has the challenge of building its security and economic strength without getting overtly aligned with either side.
India&rsquo;s strategy and policy framework seem to be working well for the country. For our national Intelligence agencies, the mandate has been significantly enlarged with economic intelligence getting added to it in a comprehensive way.
(The writer is a former Director Intelligence Bureau)
&mdash;IANS
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India must prepare to build its economic strength through bilateral and multilateral friendships

Combating global threats and alliances, India’s intel agencies safeguarding nation’s economic security

The Third Eye | Importance of Economic Intelligence

A Columbia University&rsquo;s School of Engineering study in the US has shown that the brain&rsquo;s visual regions play an active role in making sense of information, which could help build more adaptive AI systems.&nbsp;
Crucially, the way it interprets the information depends on what the rest of the brain is working on.
Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study led by biomedical engineer and neuroscientist Nuttida Rungratsameetaweemana, provides some of the clearest evidence yet that early sensory systems play a role in decision-making &mdash; and that they adapt in real-time.
It also points to new approaches for designing AI systems that can adapt to new or unexpected situations.
The findings challenge the traditional view that early sensory areas in the brain are simply &ldquo;looking&rdquo; or &ldquo;recording&rdquo; visual input. In fact, the human brain&rsquo;s visual system actively reshapes how it represents the exact same object depending on what you&rsquo;re trying to do.
Even in visual areas that are very close to raw information that enters the eyes, the brain has the flexibility to tune its interpretation and responses based on the current task.
&ldquo;It gives us a new way to think about flexibility in the brain and opens up ideas for how to potentially build more adaptive AI systems modelled after these neural strategies,&rdquo; said Nuttida.
Most previous work looked at how people learn categories over time, but this study zooms in on the flexibility piece: How does the brain rapidly switch between different ways of organising the same visual information?
The team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe people&rsquo;s brain activity while they put shapes in different categories. The twist was that the &ldquo;rules&rdquo; for categorising the shapes kept changing.
This let the researchers determine whether the visual cortex was changing how it represented the shapes depending on how we had defined the categories.&nbsp;
They analysed the data using computational machine learning tools, including multivariate classifiers.
Activity in the visual system &mdash; including the primary and secondary visual cortices, which deal with data straight from the eyes &mdash; changed with practically every task.
They reorganised their activity depending on which decision rules people were using, which was shown by the brain activation patterns becoming more distinctive when a shape was near the grey area between categories.&nbsp;
Those were the most difficult shapes to tell apart, so it&rsquo;s exactly when extra processing would be most helpful.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We could actually see clearer neural patterns in the fMRI data in cases when people did a better job on the tasks. That suggests the visual cortex may directly help us solve flexible categorisation tasks,&rdquo; said Nuttida.&nbsp;
The team is starting to explore how these ideas might be useful for artificial systems.
&mdash;IANS
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Brain’s visual system adapts for flexible decision-making —File Photo

It offers a new way to think about brain flexibility and building adaptive AI systems, said Nuttida

Brain’s Visual Power May Shape AI Design: Study

Tension gripped Bariyarpur village under the Devipur police station area of Deoghar district of Jharkhand after miscreants vandalised a statue of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, triggering widespread public outrage.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Hundreds of local residents took to the streets in protest, demanding the immediate identification and arrest of those responsible.
The demonstrators called for strict action against the culprits, condemning the act as an attack on the dignity of a national icon.
On receiving information, Jharkhand Minority Welfare Minister Hafizul Hasan Ansari, Deoghar MLA and RJD leader Suresh Paswan, and Deoghar Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashok Kumar Singh rushed to the village on Sunday to pacify the agitated crowd.&nbsp;
Minister Ansari assured the people that a new statue of Babasaheb would be installed within 24 hours. He directed the district administration to take swift and strict action against those involved in the act of vandalism.
The incident occurred shortly after a small statue of Dr Ambedkar had been installed in the village. News of the vandalism spread quickly, which prompted residents from Bariyarpur and neighbouring areas to gather in protest.
SP Ashok Singh, along with a police force, reached the spot to assess the situation and maintain law and order. Later, MLA Paswan and Minister Ansari interacted with locals to take stock of the developments.&nbsp;
Speaking to the media, Minister Ansari said, &ldquo;The person who insulted the statue of the great man who gave the right to equality and dignity to the deprived sections of society will not be spared. The Hemant Soren government will ensure Babasaheb&rsquo;s honour is upheld at any cost.&rdquo;
He reiterated that a new statue of Dr Ambedkar would be installed in the village within the next 24 hours.
&mdash;IANS
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Minister Ansari assures new Ambedkar statue in 24 hours

Hundreds of locals protested in Bariyarpur, demanding arrest of those behind statue vandalism

Protest Erupt After Ambedkar Statue Vandalised: J'khand

After Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash&rsquo;s suicide sent shockwaves across the country in December last year, a 33-year-old engineer from Uttar Pradesh&rsquo;s Auraiya district has ended his life.
On Thursday, Mohit Yadav hanged himself in a hotel room near the Etawah railway station, after allegedly facing sustained harassment from his wife and in-laws.&nbsp;
In a heart-wrenching video recorded before his death, Mohit accused his wife, Priya, and her family of mental torture, threats, and attempts to frame him and his relatives in false cases.
Yadav, who worked as a field engineer in a cement company, had checked into the hotel near the Etawah railway station on Thursday. He reportedly remained in his room throughout the next day. When hotel staff entered the room on Friday evening, they found him hanging, said Superintendent of Police (City) Abhay Nath Tripathi.
In the pre-recorded video, Yadav said, &ldquo;If I don&rsquo;t get justice even after my death, throw my ashes into the drain.&rdquo; The video has since circulated widely on social media, sparking public debate and renewed calls for protective laws for men.
Yadav and Priya had been in a relationship for seven years and got married in 2023. According to the video, Priya was pregnant but was allegedly forced to abort the child by her mother after securing a private teaching job in Bihar two months ago. He also claimed that his mother-in-law kept all of Priya&rsquo;s jewellery. 
In the same video, Mohit alleged that his wife began threatening to file false dowry and domestic violence cases unless he transferred his house and property into her name. Mohit also revealed that there were no dowry demands made by his family at the time of their wedding. 
&ldquo;Her father, Manoj Kumar, filed a false complaint. Her brother even threatened to kill me,&rdquo; he said.
He further added, &ldquo;If there were laws to protect men from false accusations, I wouldn&rsquo;t be taking this step. I can no longer bear the mental agony.&rdquo;
Yadav&rsquo;s brother, Tareen Pratap, said the family received the video on their phones Friday morning. &ldquo;He had left for Kota, but unexpectedly halted in Etawah. We had no idea he was planning something like this,&rdquo; he said, visibly shaken.
No official statement has been released by Priya Yadav or her family so far.
The incident has intensified growing concerns among men&rsquo;s rights groups over alleged misuse of certain legal provisions. Activists are drawing parallels with Atul Subhash, who also blamed his wife for harassment in his suicide note, citing similar complaints.
Police have initiated an investigation into the case. A formal complaint has been registered, and authorities are reviewing the video as part of the probe.
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Screengrab of Mohit Yadav in the video he recorded before suicide

UP techie dies by suicide, accuses wife of harassment, torture in distressing video

‘Throw my Ashes in Drain, if There is No Justice’

A well-known gurdwara in Vancouver, Canada, was defaced with pro-Khalistan graffiti overnight, triggering strong condemnation from members of the local Sikh community.
The vandalism occurred at the Khalsa Diwan Society (KDS) gurdwara, more commonly referred to as the Ross Street gurdwara. Images released by the gurdwara&rsquo;s official X account displayed the word "Khalistan" spray-painted in several spots along the wall bordering the temple&rsquo;s parking area.
The graffiti was discovered on Saturday morning, coinciding with the day Surrey held what is considered the world&rsquo;s largest Vaisakhi parade. The Vancouver Police Department has launched an investigation into the incident, according to media reports.&nbsp;
In a statement, the KDS denounced the act, describing it as an intentional effort to intimidate and divide the community. "A small group of Sikh separatists, advocating for Khalistan, defaced our sacred walls with divisive slogans like 'Khalistan Zindabad'," the gurdwara stated.
"This act is part of an ongoing campaign by extremist forces that seek to instill fear and division within the Canadian Sikh community. Their actions undermine the values of inclusivity, respect, and mutual support that are foundational to both Sikhism and Canadian society," the statement continued.
The gurdwara also drew attention to the emotional impact of the timing, as the community had gathered to mark Khalsa Sajna Diwas, a day of unity and resilience in Sikh tradition. "These extremists are undermining the dreams and sacrifices of our elders, who worked tirelessly to build a thriving community in a country that celebrates diversity and freedom," the statement said.
"Their actions seek to divide us, contrary to the unity and peace we hold dear as Canadians. We cannot &ndash; and will not &ndash; let these forces of division succeed," the gurdwara further stated.
The KDS had held its own Vaisakhi parade in Vancouver the previous weekend, during which it did not allow participation from groups supporting the Khalistan movement.
Speaking to a media outlet, KDS spokesperson Jag Sanghera described the vandalism as "extensive."
Founded in 1906, the Ross Street Gurdwara stands as one of Canada&rsquo;s oldest and most prominent Sikh institutions.
(With inputs from IANS)
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&nbsp;

Pro-Khalistan slogans were spray-painted on a Vancouver gurdwara as the Sikh community marked Vaisakhi

Police Probe Pro-Khalistan Graffiti at Vancouver Gurdwara

&nbsp;Annoyed by a tailor's continuous delay in preparing his order meant for a family function, a Karachi resident has taken the case to court and sought a sizeable amount in compensation, reports said. 
The resident, who had given the tailor cloth to stitch for a fancy outfit for his brother's engagement, has moved a consumer protection court in the port city, complaining that despite the tailor's promises and his repeated visits to the shop, his work was not done, The News reported.&nbsp;
The Karachi resident, whose name was not mentioned, has sought ₹100,000 in damages, comprising a fine of ₹50,000 for the unfulfilled promise and an additional ₹50,000 as compensation for the mental anguish caused by the non-completion of his work.
He also complained that the tailor's sitting over his work had forced him to purchase alternative attire for his brother's engagement ceremony.
As per details of the case, the complainant gave the tailor cloth for Balochi embroidery work on three separate occasions in December 2024 and January 2025, and also gave an advance payment. The tailor promised the stitched clothes would be delivered well before February 20 - when the engagement ceremony of the man's brother was scheduled to be held.
However, visiting the shop multiple times, the man found that no work had been done on his order.
When he went to collect the clothes on February 10, the tailor said that the work could not be done and cited the unavailability of workers as the reason.
Despite daily visits to the tailor to ensure that his work was being done, he realised that the clothes were still untouched, and he had to spend more money on buying a new outfit for the family function.
&mdash;IANS
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Tailor's delay forced him to buy new clothes for event (File Photo)

Karachi man demands ₹1 lakh from tailor for delay, broken promise, and mental distress

Karachi Man Sues Tailor Over Outfit Delay

As the sacred Char Dham Yatra is set to commence from April 30, the National Health Mission (NHM) has intensified preparations to ensure the health and safety of lakhs of pilgrims expected to visit the holy shrines in Uttarakhand.&nbsp;&nbsp;
This year&rsquo;s yatra will begin with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines at 10.30 a.m. on April 30. Kedarnath Dham will open for devotees on May 2, Friday, at 7 a.m., while the gates of Badrinath Dham will be opened on Sunday, May 4.&nbsp;
To ensure robust healthcare support during the yatra, the National Health Mission is deploying a range of medical resources, including trained staff and on-ground support teams.
&ldquo;Training is currently being conducted for our medical officers, and in addition to the regular medical staff, health friends (Swasthya Mitras) are also being deployed. This time, 102 Swasthya Mitras are being assigned by NHM. Medical Relief Posts (MRPs) are also being set up along the Char Dham route,&rdquo; said Swati Singh Bhadauria, Mission Director of NHM Uttarakhand.
She added, &ldquo;A total of 25 MRPs will be established, where Swasthya Mitras, pharmacists, and medical officers will be posted to conduct health check-ups and screenings for the pilgrims.&rdquo;
These Medical Relief Posts will be strategically located along the pilgrimage route to ensure timely medical attention and preventive screenings.
The deployment of Swasthya Mitras, trained local health volunteers, aims to strengthen first-line health support in remote areas.
The NHM has also coordinated with local health departments, emergency response teams, and disaster management authorities to maintain medical readiness throughout the yatra.
The Char Dham Yatra, one of the most revered pilgrimages in Hinduism, includes visits to four Himalayan shrines, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.
Every year, lakhs of devotees undertake this spiritually significant journey through the challenging terrain of Uttarakhand.
Recently, the Uttarakhand government, in collaboration with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has taken steps to ensure that food quality is maintained for the well-being of devotees.
The food establishments along the yatra route are being sensitised and trained to prepare meals low in salt, sugar and oil, keeping in mind the dietary needs of people with health issues like diabetes, hypertension, etc.
&mdash;IANS
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Kedarnath to Open on May 2, Badrinath to Follow on May 4 —File Photo

NHM to Deploy Relief Posts, Swasthya Mitras for Timely Care on Char Dham Yatra Route

NHM Ensures Health & Safety for Char Dham Yatra

In a significant development, the Lodha brothers&mdash;elder brother Abhishek Lodha and younger brother Abhinandan Lodha&mdash;and the companies led by them, have amicably resolved all outstanding disputes under the guidance of their parents, according to a press statement issued by them on Monday. 
The two brothers have agreed and confirmed that Macrotech Developers Ltd (MDL), is the owner of, and has the exclusive right to use, the brand names &lsquo;Lodha&rsquo; and &lsquo;Lodha Group&rsquo;.
The agreement states that Abhinandan Lodha is the owner of, and has the exclusive right to use, the brand name &lsquo;House of Abhinandan Lodha&rsquo; (HoABL).
It further states that the Lodha Group and the House of Abhinandan Lodha have no connection with each other, and both entities will communicate this widely.
According to the agreement, Abhinandan Lodha has no rights or claims in Lodha Group or MDL or other businesses of Abhishek Lodha. Similarly, Abhishek Lodha has no rights or claims in HoABL or other businesses of Abhinandan Lodha.
&ldquo;Both Abhishek and Abhinandan express their heartfelt gratitude to Justice RV Raveendran (Retd.), whose guidance in the mediation process was invaluable. The family is grateful to Justice Arif Doctor for encouraging them to follow the process of mediation. They also extend their sincere appreciation to all family elders and well-wishers who provided their counsel and support throughout the resolution process,&rdquo; the press statement added.
Abhishek and Abhinandan Lodha had agreed to find an amicable way in January after the Bombay High Court issued fresh directions in the long-drawn dispute. 
Earlier in January, the court had encouraged both parties to pursue an amicable resolution, following which the two brothers expressed their willingness to participate in mediation before a single bench led by Justice Doctor.
The court appointed former Supreme Court Justice Raveendran to serve as the mediator and indicated that efforts should be made to conclude the proceedings within five weeks. The court had also allowed for an extension of the period for resolving the dispute, if the mediator found any positive developments.
The dispute between the two brothers flared up in 2015, when Abhinandan Lodha parted ways with the Lodha Group to start his own independent business. The separation was formalized through a family agreement two years later, but a dispute broke out again over the use of the &lsquo;Lodha&rsquo; brand.
The differences led to a legal battle with Macrotech Developers approaching the Bombay High Court, alleging trademark infringement by House of Abhinandan Lodha. Macrotech claimed ₹5,000 crore in damages, alleging that Abhinandan Lodha's use of the name created confusion in the market.
&mdash;IANS

Abhishek (left) and Abhinandan (right) Lodha

Abhishek Lodha to keep ‘Lodha’, ‘Lodha Group’, Abhinandan claims rights to ‘HoABL’

Lodha Bros Amicably End Long-Drawn Biz Dispute

Nvidia to Manufacture AI Supercomputer Chips Entirely in the US for the First Time, signalling a Strategic Shift Triggered by Tariffs and Supply Chain Resilience
In a watershed moment for the global semiconductor industry, Nvidia has announced a sweeping plan to manufacture its cutting-edge AI supercomputer chips entirely within the United States&mdash;a first for the company. The move, backed by a staggering $500 billion investment in partnership with manufacturing giants like TSMC, Foxconn, Wistron, Amkor, and SPIL, marks a dramatic pivot from Nvidia&rsquo;s long-standing dependence on overseas fabrication.
The decision comes amid the broader geopolitical reorientation of the global chip industry and is widely seen as a direct outcome of US President Donald Trump's tariff policy and industrial vision to restore American manufacturing dominance. The White House called Nvidia&rsquo;s decision &ldquo;the Trump Effect in action,&rdquo; underscoring the former President&rsquo;s efforts to use trade policy as a lever to bring advanced manufacturing back to US soil.
A Semiconductor Titan&rsquo;s New Chapter
Nvidia, which commands between 70% and 95% of the AI chip market&mdash;a sector powering everything from <a title="OpenAI&rsquo;s GPT" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenAI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OpenAI&rsquo;s GPT</a> models to data centre supercomputing&mdash;has been a dominant force amid the AI boom. With a gross margin of 78%, it is not only outpacing hardware peers like Intel (41%) and AMD (47%) but also redefining the economics of chipmaking.
Its flagship Blackwell AI chips, which retail at over $30,000 each, are already in production at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company&rsquo;s (TSMC) Arizona facilities. But for the first time, Nvidia will not rely solely on foundry partners for chipmaking. The company is spearheading the creation of supercomputer manufacturing plants in Houston (with Foxconn) and Dallas (with Wistron), aiming for full-scale production within 12 to 15 months. An additional one million square feet of manufacturing space has been commissioned in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Blackwell chips, revealed in March, feature 208 billion transistors and are fabricated using a custom-built 4NP process by TSMC. They are reportedly up to 30 times faster in generative AI applications than their predecessors.
Supply Chain Sovereignty Meets Manufacturing Might
Nvidia's US expansion reflects a growing imperative: to "harden supply chain resilience" as CEO Jensen Huang noted. &ldquo;The engines of the world&rsquo;s AI infrastructure are being built in the United States for the first time,&rdquo; Huang said, emphasizing the company&rsquo;s push to meet rising AI chip demand domestically.
The move aligns with a broader trend in Washington, where semiconductor self-sufficiency has become a bipartisan priority. The US government&rsquo;s $54 billion CHIPS Act&mdash;passed under President Joe Biden&mdash;has helped catalyse 21 new semiconductor fabs and six major expansions. Yet, only three of those facilities are confirmed to manufacture leading-edge chips (sub-10nm nodes), a crucial benchmark for next-gen AI workloads.
Despite Nvidia&rsquo;s commitment, challenges remain. While TSMC&rsquo;s Arizona plant is handling the front-end production of Blackwell chips, final packaging still needs to be done in Taiwan due to a lack of CoWoS (chip-on-wafer-on-substrate) capacity stateside. This bottleneck highlights the complexities of establishing a fully localized supply chain for high-performance chips.
Semiconductor Race Accelerates
As of March 2025, Nvidia controls 7.3% of the global semiconductor market, upending the previous duopoly of Intel and Samsung that dominated pre-2020. The AI chipmaker generated $80 billion in revenue over the past four quarters, with Bank of America estimating $34.5 billion came from AI chips alone in 2023.
The semiconductor industry is projected to reach $702 billion in 2025, up $95 billion year-over-year. With governments worldwide racing to secure chip sovereignty, analysts believe the sector could surpass $1 trillion in value by 2030.
The Political Undercurrent
While Nvidia&rsquo;s announcement has been championed by Trump and his allies, the political subtext remains fraught. Trump has promised additional tariffs on imported chips to bolster domestic capacity but has simultaneously called for the repeal of the CHIPS Act&mdash;legislation that has catalyzed much of the current investment wave.
Congressional Republicans have shown little appetite for dismantling the bipartisan law, creating an odd tension between the populist tariff agenda and the technocratic subsidy model. Meanwhile, in a notable reversal, the White House recently dropped plans to ban Nvidia&rsquo;s H20 chips from being sold to China&mdash;a move likely designed to maintain revenue flows while the US domestic ecosystem catches up.
Has US Reindustrialisation begun?
Nvidia&rsquo;s US manufacturing leap is more than just a corporate milestone&mdash;it&rsquo;s a bellwether for the reindustrialization of America in the age of AI. As geopolitical risk, economic nationalism, and exponential technological change converge, the stakes for semiconductor leadership have never been higher. With $500 billion on the table, Nvidia isn&rsquo;t just betting on chips&mdash;it&rsquo;s betting on America.
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&nbsp;

White House touts move as “Trump Effect,” credits tariffs for Nvidia’s historic US shift

Nvidia to Build AI Chip Plants in US for First Time

In a significant breakthrough in the ₹400 crore DB Stock Consultancy scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two key individuals&mdash;Pushpajit Purkayastha and Sandeep Gupta&mdash;from Guwahati for their alleged active roles in the fraudulent investment scheme masterminded by Dipankar Barman.
Pushpajit Purkayastha, former branch manager of Axis Bank&rsquo;s Rehbari branch in Guwahati, is accused of colluding with DB Stock Consultancy to attract public deposits by making false promises of high and guaranteed returns. 
According to investigators, Purkayastha exploited his position to lure bank customers and investors in Mumbai and Guwahati into the illegal scheme, earning substantial commissions in the process.
Sandeep Gupta, identified as the primary agent and aggregator for DB Stock Consultancy, allegedly referred over 350 investors, particularly from Dibrugarh. He worked closely with the scam&rsquo;s main accused, Dipankar Barman, and other conspirators to collect funds under the guise of assured returns, pocketing lakhs in commissions from the deposits.
The CBI has already filed a chargesheet against&nbsp;Barman, along with his fianc&eacute;e Monalisha Das, his parents Chabin and Deepali Barman, and chartered accountant Mukesh Agarwal. The accused are believed to have duped over 10,000 people across India, collecting more than ₹400 crore through an unregulated and fraudulent deposit scheme, before defaulting on the promised returns.
Investigations are ongoing, and more arrests are likely as the agency continues to unravel the extent of the financial scam.
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&nbsp;

DB Stock Consultancy scam mastermind Dipankar Barman

Accused colluded with consultancy to lure investors, earn hefty commissions

CBI Arrests 2 in ₹400 Cr DB Stock Scam Case

Indian Pharma Companies warehouse hit by Russian Drone in Ukraine

Ukraine alleges Russia targeted Indian-owned pharma site, destroying vital medical supplies

Russia Denies Striking Indian Pharma Plant in Ukraine

News Update: 21.40 IST, &nbsp;11.30 EST
In a dramatic escalation of tensions with higher education institutions, former President Donald Trump has threatened to revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status, accusing the institution of defying federal directives.
After Harvard rejected sweeping policy changes proposed by the White House&mdash;reportedly concerning student admissions and faculty governance&mdash;Trump took to Truth Social, declaring that the university "should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity" if it continues to resist the administration's demands.
"Tax-exempt status is totally contingent on acting in the public interest," Trump posted, signaling his administration's readiness to leverage the IRS against non-compliant institutions.
In response, Harvard President Alan Garber issued a letter to students and faculty, firmly rejecting the government's pressure. "We will not negotiate over our independence or our constitutional rights," he wrote, affirming the university&rsquo;s stance against political interference in its academic affairs.
&nbsp;
--------------------------------
News Published at 14.10 &nbsp;IST, 4.30 EST
Harvard University is facing a dramatic financial standoff after the Donald Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in federal funding, escalating tensions over a list of controversial demands issued by the U.S. Department of Education.
The demands&mdash;sent in early April&mdash;included dismantling DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) offices, increasing cooperation with immigration authorities for student screenings, and imposing sweeping changes to admissions, hiring, and campus governance. A second, more detailed letter sent Friday added a requirement for auditing the political views of students and faculty.
Harvard publicly rejected the demands, with President Alan Garber stating in a letter: &ldquo;We will not negotiate over our independence or constitutional rights. No government should control what a private university teaches or whom it hires and admits.&rdquo;
The administration&rsquo;s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism responded swiftly by suspending multi-year grants worth $2.2 billion and halting $60 million in active government contracts. It criticized Harvard&rsquo;s stance, saying: &ldquo;Harvard&rsquo;s response today reflects a mindset of entitlement that must be addressed. Taxpayer funding carries with it the duty to uphold civil rights protections.&rdquo;
This funding freeze comes amid campus unrest nationwide over Israel&rsquo;s war in Gaza, with protests erupting at multiple institutions. Harvard is among 60 universities under investigation for alleged anti-Semitic incidents.
In a sharp contrast, Columbia University has agreed to comply with similar federal directives. Two student organizers of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia are now facing legal action by immigration authorities.
Adding to the legal pushback, the Harvard chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), along with the national AAUP, has filed a lawsuit and a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Trump administration. The legal challenge accuses the administration of using federal funding as a coercive tool to suppress free speech and undermine academic freedom. The suit seeks to block enforcement of the administration&rsquo;s demands and preserve access to the $8.7 billion in federal funds tied to Harvard and its affiliates.
Harvard, which reported a $45 million surplus on $6.5 billion in revenue last fiscal year, now faces a high-stakes legal and political confrontation that could redefine the balance of power between elite academic institutions and the federal government.
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&nbsp;

Harvard University campus in Massachusetts, USA

Move comes after university refuses to comply with federal demands; AAUP files lawsuit to challenge coercive tactics

Trump Threatens Harvard's Tax-Exempt Status

America&rsquo;s Double-Edged Strategy on Iran: Negotiation by Pressure, Isolation by Design
&nbsp;
Two recent developments emerging from the United States &ndash; one diplomatic, the other economic &ndash; clearly indicate that Washington is intensifying its pressure campaign on Iran. First,&nbsp;The New York Times&nbsp;reported that President Donald Trump, in a surprising move, blocked Israel&rsquo;s plans for a coordinated strike on Iran&rsquo;s nuclear facilities scheduled for May. Second, the U.S. Treasury imposed yet another wave of sanctions, this time targeting China&rsquo;s so-called &ldquo;teapot&rdquo; oil refiners that have been importing Iranian crude.
Viewed together, these actions constitute a sophisticated and synchronized effort to box Iran into a corner: preventing it from retaliating militarily while simultaneously bleeding its economy to force Tehran to crawl back to the negotiating table on American&mdash;and by extension, Israeli&mdash;terms.
&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s dissect the anatomy of this pressure campaign.
&nbsp;
Diplomatic De-escalation, Tactical Containment
President Trump&rsquo;s decision to block the Israeli strike reflects more than a simple policy reversal&mdash;it represents a strategic pause in a much broader game. The Israeli plan, as revealed by&nbsp;The New York Times, was ambitious. It involved a high-risk commando raid followed by a week-long bombing campaign, with heavy U.S. involvement envisioned both in offensive operations and defensive posturing to protect Israel from inevitable Iranian retaliation.
Trump&rsquo;s refusal to entertain Netanyahu&rsquo;s phone call on April 3 and his subsequent cold shoulder during the Israeli leader&rsquo;s White House visit was no accident. By publicly announcing the initiation of nuclear talks with Iran while seated beside Netanyahu in the Oval Office, Trump signalled a pivot&mdash;albeit tactical&mdash;toward diplomacy.
But make no mistake: this is not a softening of the U.S. stance. Rather, it&rsquo;s a calibrated attempt to maintain the high ground. A pre-emptive strike on Iran&rsquo;s nuclear infrastructure would have likely escalated into a regional war, jeopardizing oil markets, U.S. allies in the Gulf, and ongoing efforts to stabilize the Red Sea trade routes post-Ukraine conflict.
By shelving Israel&rsquo;s military plans, Trump ensured that Washington retains full control over the Iran narrative&mdash;coercion without conflagration.
&nbsp;
Economic Sanctions: Strangling Iran&rsquo;s Lifeline
While denying Israel a military go-ahead, the Trump administration launched a full-spectrum economic offensive designed to cripple Tehran&rsquo;s oil-based revenue system. The latest round of sanctions targets independent Chinese oil refiners&mdash;known in industry jargon as &ldquo;teapots&rdquo;&mdash;that have become an essential part of Iran&rsquo;s sanctions-evading export network.
One such Chinese teapot refinery was accused of purchasing over $1 billion worth of Iranian crude, and the Treasury Department acted decisively. Unlike China&rsquo;s state-owned oil giants, teapots have less global exposure, making them harder to influence through traditional diplomatic channels. The U.S. has now expanded its targeting scope, signaling that even indirect or low-profile enablers of Iran&rsquo;s economy will be hunted down.
The Treasury also updated its guidance for maritime and shipping stakeholders, warning of Iran&rsquo;s reliance on a vast &ldquo;shadow fleet&rdquo; to disguise oil shipments. This comprehensive crackdown suggests a move beyond token sanctions&mdash;Washington is aiming to take Iran&rsquo;s oil exports to zero.
If successful, such a blow would push Iran toward an economic precipice reminiscent of Venezuela&rsquo;s decline or Iraq&rsquo;s pre-war stagnation.
&nbsp;
Negotiation Through Desperation
This dual-track approach&mdash;stalling military action while amplifying economic pain&mdash;reveals a singular intent: to drive Iran into negotiations not as a sovereign peer but as a weakened state with no viable alternatives.
The strategy mirrors Washington&rsquo;s approach toward Ukraine: delay military escalation until diplomacy becomes inevitable, then set the terms. Tehran&rsquo;s participation in back-channel talks mediated by Oman and now scheduled to continue in Rome is a clear sign that the strategy is yielding early dividends.
But whether this approach will succeed in its ultimate aim&mdash;curbing Iran&rsquo;s nuclear ambitions&mdash;is still uncertain.
&nbsp;
Iran&rsquo;s Calculated Defiance
Despite growing pressure, Tehran remains defiant. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated this week that uranium enrichment remains &ldquo;non-negotiable.&rdquo; Iran is now enriching uranium to 60%&mdash;a hair&rsquo;s breadth from weapons-grade. The IAEA&rsquo;s Rafael Grossi, currently in Tehran, issued a stark warning: &ldquo;Iran is not far from obtaining nuclear weapons.&rdquo;
Yet, Iran is not without leverage. The Islamic Republic knows that it sits at the crossroads of two volatile regions&mdash;the Persian Gulf and the broader Central Asian theater. Any misstep could provoke a regional conflagration that neither Washington nor Tel Aviv wants. That geopolitical buffer has allowed Tehran to continue its nuclear advances while calculating how much pressure it can absorb before having to make concessions.
But every day the noose tightens. The blocking of Israeli strikes gives Iran a short-term reprieve, but the long-term economic siege is designed to extract maximum diplomatic concessions. Tehran may soon find that its ideological rigidity is no match for the American economic and diplomatic machine.
&nbsp;
The Israel Factor: Contained, Not Controlled
Prime Minister Netanyahu has long advocated for direct action against Iran, believing that Tehran&rsquo;s nuclear capabilities pose an existential threat to Israel. The revelation that Israeli plans were well underway&mdash;and would have required American cover&mdash;only underscores how deeply intertwined the two nations&rsquo; strategic objectives remain.
Trump&rsquo;s decision to withhold support for the strike may have temporarily created friction, but it&rsquo;s a calculated gamble. Washington is betting that a weakened, isolated Iran at the negotiating table is more valuable than a post-strike Iran with nothing left to lose.
Still, this strategy assumes that Israel will continue to align with Washington&rsquo;s tempo. That assumption may prove optimistic. If diplomacy drags or collapses, Israeli pressure for military action will intensify.
&nbsp;
A High-Stakes Game of Patience and Pressure
In sum, Washington is threading a geopolitical needle. It is blocking military escalation while simultaneously tightening economic pressure to push Iran back to the negotiating table. These recent developments&mdash;blocking the Israeli strike and sanctioning Iran&rsquo;s oil lifeline&mdash;are not isolated events. They are two arms of a coordinated strategy to bring Iran to its knees without firing a shot.
Yet history cautions us: Iran is no stranger to endurance. From the Iran-Iraq War to the &ldquo;maximum pressure&rdquo; years under previous U.S. administrations, Tehran has often chosen resistance over submission.
What remains to be seen is whether the current leadership in Tehran sees more value in a deal forged from weakness or a nuclear deterrent developed under siege.
In either case, one thing is clear: the road to peace&mdash;or war&mdash;runs through Washington. And America, with its calibrated mix of pressure and diplomacy, holds most of the cards.

Geopolitical fault lines deepen as U.S. uses sanctions and strategy to corner Tehran

Maximum Pressure: US Tightens Grip on Iran

The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the violence erupting during protests against the newly enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, even as it continued to hear multiple petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the legislation.
&ldquo;One thing that is very disturbing is the violence which is taking place. Once the matter is before court, it should not happen,&rdquo; remarked a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna.
The bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan, is currently hearing arguments made by petitioners, including senior advocate Kapil Sibal, and will continue the proceedings on Thursday at 2 pm, including considering the Union government&rsquo;s submissions on passing an interim order.
Key Observations &amp; Possible Interim Relief
During the hearing, the top court indicated it may pass an interim order stating that properties already declared as waqf by court orders or otherwise should not be de-notified under the new amendments.
The court also proposed that the provision in the amendment&mdash;which stipulates that a waqf property would not be treated as such while the District Collector conducts an inquiry to determine if it is government land&mdash;should not be given effect to.
Furthermore, the bench said it intended to pass an order ensuring that all members of Waqf Boards and the Central Waqf Council, except ex-officio members, must be Muslims.
Govt Seeks Time
However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed any interim orders and requested that the government be granted a proper hearing before any direction is issued. He assured the court that the Union government would respond within two weeks if a notice is issued and also suggested day-to-day hearings.
Procedural Question: SC or HC?
At the outset, the court raised a crucial procedural question: &ldquo;Should we entertain these writ petitions directly, or should the matter be relegated to the high courts?&rdquo;
The bench sought responses from both sides on whether the Supreme Court should adjudicate the matter or refer it to state high courts, given the federal implications and multiplicity of petitions.
Challenge to Amendments
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which modifies the Waqf Act, 1995, was passed by Parliament in the first week of April and received Presidential assent soon after. It has since been challenged in the Supreme Court by multiple petitioners, including:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, who argued that the amendments violate Articles 14, 25, 26, 29, and 300A of the Constitution.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who in his petition described the amendments as &ldquo;manifestly arbitrary&rdquo; and violative of Articles 14, 15, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30, and 300A.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Political leaders and civil rights organizations including Amanatullah Khan (AAP), Maulana Arshad Madani (Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind), All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), SDPI, and the Indian Union Muslim League.</li>
</ul>
Petitioners argue that the new law undermines the rights of religious minorities, infringes on the autonomy of waqf institutions, and could lead to the de-notification or takeover of waqf properties by the state.
Govt&rsquo;s Stand &amp; Political Backdrop
The Union government, which has filed a caveat to ensure it is heard before any stay order is issued, maintains that the amendments aim to benefit poor Muslims and bring transparency to waqf property management. 
Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has said the legislation does not interfere with religious rights and is in line with the government&rsquo;s motto of &ldquo;Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.&rdquo;
On the other hand, Congress and other opposition parties have accused the government of attempting to undermine minority rights and polarize communities.
BJP-Ruled States Defend the Act
Several BJP-ruled states&mdash;including Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Assam, and Uttarakhand&mdash;have filed applications in the Supreme Court supporting the amendments and seeking to defend the Act.
What Is Waqf?
The concept of waqf, rooted in Islamic law, refers to a charitable or religious endowment made by Muslims. Waqf properties typically include mosques, schools, hospitals, and other public utilities. The management and protection of such assets have traditionally been overseen by Waqf Boards constituted under the 1995 Act.
As the Supreme Court continues hearing arguments, the outcome of this case is expected to have far-reaching implications on the balance between state regulation and religious freedoms in India.
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&nbsp;

Bench to continue hearing on petitions against Waqf (Amendment) Act on Thursday

‘Concerned over Violence’ : SC on Waqf Protests

<div>
South Korea&rsquo;s Auto Sector on the Defensive: Seoul Mobilizes to Counter U.S. 25% Tariffs Amid Export Shock
The South Korean auto industry, long a pillar of the nation&rsquo;s export-driven economy, is bracing for a potential seismic jolt as the United States enacts a 25% tariff on imported automobiles and light trucks. With cars accounting for nearly&nbsp;18.7% of South Korea&rsquo;s total exports, and the U.S. comprising&nbsp;49% of its total automobile exports, the ramifications could be staggering &mdash; both economically and strategically.
As Washington&rsquo;s trade barriers go live, Seoul is moving swiftly. On&nbsp;April 9, the South Korean government unveiled an&nbsp;emergency response package&nbsp;aimed at insulating its $35 billion automotive export engine from the brunt of U.S. tariffs. The initiative includes a&nbsp;2 trillion won (US$1.45 billion) financial relief package,&nbsp;reduced domestic auto purchase taxes, and enhanced&nbsp;policy financing raised to 15 trillion won for the sector by 2025 &mdash; up from a previously planned 13 trillion won. But will these measures be enough?
A Blow to a Core Export Engine
According to the&nbsp;Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, South Korea&rsquo;s automotive exports reached&nbsp;$6.24 billion in March, a modest&nbsp;1.2% increase&nbsp;year-on-year in value terms. However, the underlying volume declined by&nbsp;2.4% to 240,874 units, indicating early tremors from the trade uncertainty.
More telling is the steep drop in exports to the U.S. &mdash;&nbsp;down 10.8% to $2.78 billion, dragging overall North American exports down by&nbsp;8.4%. Industry insiders suggest this pre-emptive slump is a direct consequence of buyers hedging against the upcoming tariffs, already altering order books and procurement schedules.
"Given the relatively low proportion of Korean auto production localized in the U.S., the impact of the tariffs will be significantly adverse," a South Korean government spokesperson said.
South Korea exported&nbsp;$34.7 billion&nbsp;worth of automobiles to the U.S. in 2024 &mdash; an amount now facing a potential&nbsp;18.59% decline&nbsp;in volume under the new tariff regime. Economists estimate this could shave&nbsp;0.202 percentage points off South Korea&rsquo;s GDP, a heavy blow for an economy already navigating a fragile post-pandemic recovery and global supply chain realignments.
Industry Strategy: Shift, Invest, Diversify
Korean automakers are not sitting idle.&nbsp;Hyundai Motor Group&nbsp;&mdash; which includes&nbsp;Hyundai&nbsp;and&nbsp;Kia Motors&nbsp;&mdash; had already announced a&nbsp;$21 billion investment plan in the United States over three years, covering production, R&amp;D, and EV development.
The group is also evaluating tactical shifts in its global manufacturing footprint. With its&nbsp;Monterrey, Mexico plant producing over&nbsp;250,000 units in 2024&nbsp;&mdash; half destined for the U.S. &mdash; the new tariffs jeopardize the very rationale of cross-border production under NAFTA/USMCA. Hyundai is now exploring alternative logistics routes, including&nbsp;diverting Mexico-made vehicles to Canada, South America, or Europe, or&nbsp;relocating capacity to U.S. soil.
Meanwhile, Japanese competitor&nbsp;Honda, often aligned in strategic responses, has upped its investment in the U.S. as well &mdash; ploughing over&nbsp;$1 billion&nbsp;into transforming its Ohio plant into a global hub for&nbsp;EV production, underscoring the urgency to &lsquo;localize or lose.&rsquo;
Policy Shields and Stimulus at Home
To buoy domestic consumption, the South Korean government has temporarily&nbsp;cut automobile purchase tax rates from 5% to 3.5%, and extended&nbsp;EV purchase subsidies up to 80% of price discounts&nbsp;(up from 40%) through the end of the year.
While helpful, analysts argue these measures&nbsp;cannot replicate the scale of foreign demand, particularly the high-margin, high-volume U.S. market. In March, domestic auto sales stood at&nbsp;149,512 units, up a modest&nbsp;2.4%&nbsp;&mdash; a gain dwarfed by potential export losses.
The government is also&nbsp;diversifying export strategy, pledging new trade promotion efforts across&nbsp;the Global South&nbsp;&mdash; particularly Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia &mdash; where growing middle classes are driving vehicle demand. Several South Korean automakers are evaluating&nbsp;new production hubs in Latin America, where they could benefit from more favourable trade arrangements with the U.S.
The Road Ahead
South Korea's automotive sector is at an inflection point. The U.S. 25% import tariff &mdash; part of President Trump&rsquo;s broader "America First" industrial revival push &mdash; covers more than&nbsp;$460 billion&nbsp;in vehicle and auto parts imports. While U.S. automakers may gain some breathing room domestically, the move disrupts finely tuned global supply chains and is likely to&nbsp;spur retaliatory trade measures, further straining U.S.-Asia relations.
For Seoul, this is not just an economic challenge, but a diplomatic and industrial one. With over&nbsp;18% of its economy dependent on the auto sector, and with electric and eco-friendly vehicle segments still in the ramp-up phase, South Korea must now navigate a bumpy road of protectionism, investment realignment, and global reorientation.
The question now is not just how Korean automakers will weather the tariff storm &mdash; but&nbsp;whether they can emerge stronger, more resilient, and less dependent on a single export market in the process.
Sidebar: March 2025 Snapshot of South Korea Auto Sector
</div>
<div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Auto Export Value: $6.24 billion (+1.2% YoY)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Export Volume: 240,874 vehicles (-2.4% YoY)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Eco-Friendly Car Volume: 68,760 units (+5.8% YoY)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Exports to U.S.: $2.78 billion (-10.8% YoY)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Domestic Sales: 149,512 units (+2.4%)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Production Output: 370,836 units (+1.5%)</li>
</ul>
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</div>

Hyundai's manufacturing plant in South Korea

25% car tariffs by US threaten South Korea’s exports, GDP; Seoul readies bold industry response

South Korea, Carmakers Gear Up for US Auto Tariffs

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will begin a two-day visit to Gujarat on Tuesday to launch the party&rsquo;s pilot project aimed at strengthening district units and appointing new district-level leadership.&nbsp;
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) on April 12 appointed 42 AICC observers and 183 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) observers to oversee the appointment of party committee presidents across 33 districts and eight major cities in the state.
Gujarat Congress President and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil stated that Gandhi will hold an orientation meeting with the appointed observers at the Congress state office in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Rahul Gandhi will hold a meeting tomorrow at the Congress state office in Ahmedabad. He will meet with 43 AICC observers, 7 co-observers, and observers from Gujarat Congress,&rdquo; he told Benefit News.&nbsp;
Gohil confirmed that the observers will then begin a state-wide exercise for selecting presidents of 41 district units. Each selection process will be overseen by a five-member committee consisting of one AICC observer and four PCC observers.&nbsp;
These committees will visit their assigned districts, hold discussions with local leaders and party workers, and carry out the selection process. Gohil noted that the process will be completed within 45 days.
The pilot project is part of a larger organizational reform within the Congress, following recommendations made by a nine-member AICC-appointed committee to empower district presidents and improve grassroots functioning.&nbsp;
&ldquo;A nine-member committee appointed by the AICC had recommended strengthening district units and giving more powers to its presidents. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has given its nod to these recommendations. On my request, the party has decided to launch the pilot project for the implementation of the recommendations in Gujarat,&rdquo; Gohil said.
On Wednesday, Gandhi will travel to Modasa town in Aravalli district, where he will officially launch the Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan (Organization Building Campaign) and initiate the pilot project. Alongside the launch, Gandhi will engage in a dialogue with party workers around 10 am. &ldquo;On April 16, Rahul Gandhi will address workers in Modasa town and officially kick-start the exercise,&rdquo; Gohil said.
Initially, events in Modasa were scheduled for both days of the visit. However, according to party sources, the revised itinerary now includes the meeting and orientation in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, followed by the launch and worker interaction in Modasa on Wednesday.
Gandhi&rsquo;s visit follows a recent AICC session and CWC meeting held in Gujarat on April 8-9. He had previously visited the state in March for discussions centred on reviving the party, which has been out of power in Gujarat for three decades.
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Congress MP Rahul Gandhi at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan in Ahmedabad (July, 2024)

Rahul Gandhi to launch party pilot project in Gujarat during visit from April 15-16

RaGa’s Two-Day Gujarat Visit to Begin Cong Revamp

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family narrowly escaped an arson attack at their official residence early Sunday morning. 
Authorities said a suspect evaded security, set part of the mansion ablaze, and fled the scene before being arrested. He now faces multiple serious charges, including attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and aggravated assault.
Governor Shapiro, who is Jewish, said his family was awakened at around 2 am by police and evacuated safely from the mansion in Harrisburg, the state capital. The incident occurred during the Jewish holiday of Passover. Hours before the attack, the family had hosted a Seder dinner in the very room that was set on fire.
Officials identified the suspect as 38-year-old Cody Balmer, who jumped over the 7-foot-high security fence surrounding the property and used a homemade incendiary device to ignite the blaze. He was arrested later in the Harrisburg area and remains in custody. Police Deputy Commissioner George Bivens confirmed the suspect was found with the incendiary device in his possession.
The fire was extinguished, but, not before causing significant damage. Authorities said it badly damaged the inside of a large formal room often used for entertaining guests and art displays. The room&rsquo;s west- and south-facing windows were blown out, charred glass littered the grounds, and the building&rsquo;s brick fa&ccedil;ade showed extensive fire damage. Inside, a piano, furniture, and serving equipment were visibly burned.
Shapiro and his family&mdash;wife Lori and children Sophia, Jonah, Max, and Reuben&mdash;were in a different section of the mansion when the attack occurred. The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire led the efforts to contain the blaze while police focused on ensuring the family&rsquo;s safety. Authorities had earlier offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, though it&rsquo;s unclear whether a tip led to Balmer&rsquo;s capture.
&ldquo;This type of violence is not OK. I don&rsquo;t give a damn if it&rsquo;s from one particular side or another. It&rsquo;s not OK,&rdquo; said an emotional Shapiro during a press conference outside the residence. &ldquo;If he was trying to terrorize my family, my friends&mdash;we celebrated our faith proudly. No one will deter me from celebrating my faith openly and proudly,&rdquo; he added. 
Local prosecutor Fran Chardo confirmed the suspect will face terrorism, attempted murder, and arson charges. Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the attack. The FBI and Department of Justice have pledged their full support to the ongoing investigation. Investigators have already examined the scene with search dogs and removed part of the mansion&rsquo;s iron security fence as evidence.
The 29,000 sq ft Georgian-style Governor&rsquo;s Residence, built in 1968, has served as the official home for eight Pennsylvania governors. Shapiro, who has been in office since 2023 after serving as the state&rsquo;s attorney general, splits his time between this residence and a home in Abington, Montgomery County.
Vice President JD Vance responded to the attack on social media, writing, &ldquo;Thanks be to God that Governor Shapiro and his family were unharmed in this attack. Really disgusting violence, and I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice.&rdquo;
Prominent Republicans and former Pennsylvania governors also condemned the act. Former Governor Mark Schweiker called it a &ldquo;despicable act of cowardice&rdquo; and urged Pennsylvanians to keep the Shapiro family in their prayers. Former Governor Tom Ridge said the attack was &ldquo;shocking&rdquo; and described the images of damage to the home he once lived in as &ldquo;heartbreaking.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Whoever is responsible for this attack&mdash;to both the Shapiro family and our Commonwealth&mdash;must be held to account,&rdquo; Ridge said.
The arson marks the latest in a string of violent incidents targeting US political figures. Last year, former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, and another plot was thwarted in Florida. In 2023, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi&rsquo;s husband was seriously injured after an intruder broke into their home.
Incidentally, Shapiro is touted to be a White House contender for the Democrats in the 2028 Presidential election. 
&mdash;With inputs from IANS
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The charred dining room where Shapiro and his family had the Passover dinner

Suspect to face terror charges; governor vows not to be intimidated by hate

April 2025