The government on Friday directed television rating agency Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to immediately freeze reporting the Television Rating Points (TRPs) for TV news channels for a period of four weeks, or until further orders, over ‘sensational’ coverage of US-Iran conflict. In retaliation, Tehran has responded with counter-strikes targeting American military bases and other Israeli assets across the region. According to the 'Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India', issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on January 16, 2014 for television rating, Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) is a registered television rating agency. The Clause 24.2 of the policy guidelines, prescribes that "The company shall be required to comply with any orders, regulations, guidelines, directions, etc., issued by the Ministry from time to time. "Therefore, in the public interest, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting hereby directs M/s BARC to immediately withhold reporting the Television Rating Points(TRPs) for news TV channels for a period of four weeks or until further directions, whichever is earlier," the directive said.

Residents rushed to the petrol pumps in Nighasan, Pallia and Bhira to stock up on petrol and diesel, leading to long queues across many outlets. District Supply Officer Anjani Kumar Singh called the rumours 'baseless', assuring that there was no shortage of petroleum, diesel and LPG in the district. She reassured the public that the supply of petrol and diesel across the district was normal. Adequate stocks of petrol, diesel, and LPG are available, and supply operations continue smoothly across the country. Citizens are requested not to panic or rush to fuel stations and to rely only on official sources for accurate information," HPCL wrote on X.

M. Jagadesh Kumar, former vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University and ex-chairman of the University Grants Commission, has been appointed chairperson of IIM Calcutta. The Union ministry of education on Thursday issued the order about President Droupadi Murmu recommending Kumar for the post. M Jagadesh Kumar, former Chairman, UGC, New Delhi, as Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM Calcutta,” said the order. Kumar’s tenure as vice-chancellor at JNU had been marked by controversies since he took charge in January 2016. As chairperson of UGC, Kumar in 2022 rolled out the controversial Common University Entrance Test (CUET) as a single entrance test for undergraduate admission to central universities.

When educated urban women felt the need to assert their voices through history, they shouted slogans, led protest marches and burnt their bras. Rural women sang. Yes, we have books written by Bengali women from earlier times, but those were by aristocratic, Brahminised women who had access to education. “I have recordings of women singing such songs and crying. “1947 could not destroy them, but now the mobile phone might,” Mukhopadhyay notes.

The girls' school in Minab, in southern Iran, was hit on Saturday during the first day of US and Israeli attacks on the country. Iran's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, said the strike killed 150 students. "The Department of War would be investigating ​that if that was our strike, and I would refer your question to them," Rubio said. The UN human rights office, without saying who it believed was responsible for the strike on the school, called on Tuesday for an investigation. Deliberately attacking a school or hospital or any other civilian structure would likely be a war crime under international humanitarian law.

Though sworn enemies on screen, Harry Potter actors Tom Felton and Daniel Radcliffe are each other’s biggest cheerleaders in real life. Recently, Felton reunited with Radcliffe to support the latter’s latest stage production Every Brilliant Thing. Felton also shared a photo from the set of the 2002 film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Radcliffe and Felton first met on the sets of the 2001 film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Felton recently reprised his role as Draco Malfoy in the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, with his first performance taking place last month.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out searches at multiple locations in Mumbai and Hyderabad as part of an ongoing investigation linked to Reliance Power Ltd., a company of businessman Anil Ambani, officials said. Reliance Power denied that the federal probe agency raided any of its offices or premises. Reliance Power Limited, later issued a statement saying, "This is in reference to various media reports alleging that the Enforcement Directorate has conducted raids at locations linked to Reliance Power Limited. Ambani, 66, has been questioned twice by the ED under the anti-money laundering law as part of the investigation. The agency has also constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to examine cases against companies belonging to the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG), following directions from the Supreme Court.

Also Read ‘Baseless’: India rejects claims navy shared intelligence with US on Iranian frigate attackHe made no mention of the Iranian frigate. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that the IRIS Dena was a “guest of the Indian Navy” and was struck “without warning” while in a non-combat posture. ‘US Sinking of Iranian Warship Piles Pressure on India's Modi,’ said a Bloomberg headline. Another one, in Al Jazeera, said: ‘How US sinking of Iranian warship blew hole in Modi’s ‘guardian’ claims'. Prime Minister Modi has remained silent on the incident.

Sixteen years earlier, Iraqi Shi'ite militants fought the Americans with Iranian support after the 2003 US invasion toppled Sunni ruler Saddam Hussein. "Everything changed after Nasrallah was killed," said Mustafa Fahs, a Lebanese political activist in close contact with Iraqi Shi'ite leaders. said he and fellow Iraqi commanders warned Syrian military officials that they were dangerously infiltrated by Israeli agents. A threat to all Shi'itesOn the third day of the Iran war, A.J. Many Iraqi Shi'ite paramilitaries haven't seen full-scale war since they fought Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, known as ISIS.

Initially, CU had considered using the term “graduate with honours” for such students, apparently following a model used by Delhi University. “But according to the University Grants Commission (UGC), the term ‘graduate with major’ can be awarded. A CU official said experts consulted by the university had suggested the term “graduate with major”. A syndicate member said that according to the UGC, honours can be awarded only after completion of the fourth year, which includes a research component. While there was no ambiguity about these qualifications, confusion arose over the degree for students exiting after semester VI.

क्या ट्रंप से ईरान के लीडर ने संपर्क किया है, क्या अमेरिका-इजरायल पर ईरान की जवाबी कार्रवाई कमजोर पड़ गई है, क्या ईरान की अंडरग्राउंड मिसाइल सिटी, वाकई मिट्टी में मिल गई है? अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति ट्रंप लगातार दावा कर रहे हैं कि अमेरिकी एयरफोर्स ने ईरान का अंडरग्राउंड मिसाइल स्टॉक को वहीं कबाड़ में बदल दिया है. लेकिन अमेरिकी फौज का कहना है कि युद्ध में अमेरिका-इजरायल ने ईरान के एक ठिकानों को नेस्तनाबूद कर दिया है. ट्रंप ने दावा किया है कि अमेरिकी फौजों ने ईरान की कई फैसिलिटी साइट्स समाप्त कर दी है, मिसाइल फैक्ट्री को वहीं नष्ट कर दिया है. हालांकि ऐसा लग रहा है कि अगर ईरान नहीं रुका तो लंबे युद्ध में उसकी हालत सीरिया-सूडान जैसे हो सकती है, क्योंकि डोनाल्ड ट्रंप के तेवर देखते हुए लग रहा है कि वो ईरान की बर्बादी तक रुकने के मूड में नहीं हैं.

US President Donald Trump demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender" on Friday, a dramatic escalation of his demands a week into the war he launched alongside Israel, which could make it more difficult to negotiate a swift end to it. Israel has intervened in Lebanon repeatedly over decades, most recently in a campaign that weakened Hezbollah in 2024. But the ferocity of Friday's strikes had little precedent even in the long history of war in the Lebanese capital. We're going to have to choose that person," Trump said on Thursday in a telephone interview with Reuters. At least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran since the US and Israel launched strikes on February 28, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

Two pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed after a Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district during a training sortie, the force confirmed on Friday. The aircraft had gone missing shortly after taking off from the Jorhat airbase on Thursday evening before the crash was confirmed hours later. "All personnel of the IAF express sincere condolences, and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief," it said. At approximately 1 am on Friday, the IAF confirmed that the Su-30MKI had crashed in the Karbi Anglong area, around 60 km from Jorhat. The Su-30MKI is a two-seater multirole long-range fighter jet developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi and built under licence in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for the IAF.

गुरुवार को बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार द्वारा राज्य सभा चुनाव के लिए नामांकन के साथ ही प्रदेश की राजनीति का एक नया अध्याय शुरू हो गया।बिहार के सत्ता के गलियारों में चहलकदमी करने वाले जितने भी लोगों से पिछले कुछ समय में बात हुई, उनमें से ज्यादातर का कहना है कि नीतीश जी की सेहत पर उम्र का असर दिखने लगा है।विपक्षी दल और कई बार सहयोगी भी दबे स्वर में, यह कहते पाए गये कि बिहार की सरकार अब सीएम के कुछ करीबी अधिकारी चलाते हैं। नीतीश कुमार के कुछ वीडियो भी ऐसे सामने आए जिन्हें देखने के बाद मुख्यमंत्री के मानसिक स्वास्थ्य को लेकर आशंका व्यक्त की गयीं।बिहार चुनाव में ताबड़तोड़ रैलियाँ करके नीतीश कुमार ने दिखाया कि वह शारीरिक रूप से उतने असहाय नहीं है जितना विपक्ष बता रहा है। मगर बातों या व्यक्तियों को भूल जाने या परिस्थिति को नजरअंदाज कर देने के कई सार्वजनिक प्रकरणों से यह भी साफ था कि वह मानसिक रूप से उतने स्वस्थ नहीं हैं जितने पाँच साल पहले तक थे।बिहार की राजनीति को करीब से देखने वालों के बीच यह बात साफ थी कि नीतीश कुमार का अवसान करीब है मगर वह कब और कैसे होगा, इसको लेकर केवल कयास लगाए जाते थे क्योंकि यह बात साफ थी कि नीतीश की मर्जी के बिना उन्हें बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री की कुर्सी से हटाना सम्भव नहीं है।स्वयं नीतीश कुमार ने अपने स्वास्थ्य को देखते हुए क्या एग्जिट प्लान बनाया है, यह किसी को नहीं पता था। गुरुवार को राज्य सभा के लिए नामांकन के बाद भी “नीतीश के बाद कौन?” के सवाल से पर्दा नहीं उठा है। न ही इस सवाल से पर्दा उठा है कि सीएम के बाद अब क्या बचा है नीतीश के लिए? मगर यह तय हो गया है कि बिहार को नया मुख्यमंत्री मिलने जा रहा है।बिहार का अगला मुख्यमंत्री कौन होगा और नीतीश कुमार केंद्र में कौन सा पद ग्रहण करेंगे, इन सवालों का जवाब केवल और केवल भाजपा आलाकमान और नीतीश कुमार को पता होगा मगर यहाँ एक दूसरे सवाल पर विचार करना जरूरी है।वह सवाल है कि क्या भारतीय जनता पार्टी और जनता दल (यू) नीतीश कुमार द्वारा खाली की गयी जगह को “सामाजिक न्याय” के फार्मूले से भरेंगे या जातिवादी वर्चस्व के समीकरण से! मुख्यमंत्री के तौर पर जीतनराम मांझी का करीब नौ महीने का कार्यकाल अपवाद मान लें तो बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री की कुर्सी पर पिछले 35 साल से केवल दो जातियों का कब्जा है। अगर 1990 से पीछे के 35 साल देखें तो 7-8 जातीय समुदायों के नेता मुख्यमंत्री बन चुके थे। यानी बिहार की राजनीति के शीर्ष पर सामाजिक गतिशीलता 1990 के बाद बाद रुक गयी है।1990 से पहले बिहार में सर्वाधिक मुख्यमंत्री ब्राह्मण समुदाय से बने मगर किसी का भी कार्यकाल उतना लम्बा नहीं था जिसकी तुलना लालू यादव परिवार या नीतीश कुमार के कार्यकाल से की जा सके।नीतीश कुमार और लालू यादव परिवार के बाद सबसे लम्बे समय तक मुख्यमंत्री श्री कृष्ण सिंह रहे जो भूमिहार समुदाय से आते थे। यदि सभी ब्राह्मण मुख्यमंत्रियों के कार्यकाल को मिला लें तो आजादी से अब तक बिहार में ज्यादातर समय केवल चार जातियों (भूमिहार, ब्राह्मण, यादव और कुर्मी) का वर्चस्व दिखता है।अन्य जिन जातियों से राज्य के मुख्यमंत्री बने उनमें से किसी को चार साल तक कुर्सी पर रहने का अवसर नहीं मिला। यदि ऊपर की चार जातियों में अगड़ी मानी जाने वाली राजपूत और कायस्थ जातियों को जोड़ दें तो बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री कार्यालय में कुछ छह जातियों का वर्चस्व रहा है।नीतीश कुमार सरकार ने 2023 में जब बिहार का पहला जातीय सर्वेक्षण कराया तो उसमें 203 अधिसूचित जातियों का ब्योरा सामने आया। यानी बिहार की करीब 195 जातियों के लिए अपना मुख्यमंत्री देखना बाकी है।बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री कार्यालय में पिछले 78 साल में केवल छह-सात जातियों का वर्चस्व और पिछले 35 साल में केवल दो जातियों का वर्चस्व बताता है कि “सामाजिक न्याय” के ट्रिकल डाउन (नीचे उतरने) की गति थम सी गयी है।नीतीश कुमार ने एक सराहनीय लम्बी पारी खेलकर बिहार के चुनावी मैदान से जा रहे हैं मगर उन्हें अपनी विरासत सौंपते समय यह ध्यान रखना चाहिए कि मुख्यमंत्री कार्यालय में इन्हीं चन्द जातियों का वर्चस्व कब तक बना रहेगा। ‘सामाजिक न्याय’ कतार में आठवें या नौवें या दसवें स्थान पर खड़े आदमी तक कब पहुँचेगा?

Lionel Messi bestowed President Donald Trump with a bejewelled pink soccer ball during a White House ceremony honouring Inter Miami for winning last year's MLS Cup. Messi, who entered the ceremony alongside Trump, joined Inter Miami in mid-2023 to great fanfare. Inter Miami was the first MLS team to be invited to the White House during Trump's two terms in office. Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas said his team has "changed the culture of football in the United States of America forever." Inter Miami will remain in the area to play D.C. United on Saturday.