Saturday, October 11, 2025

Centre denies nod for Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s Gulf tour | Thiruvananthapuram News

Centre denies nod for Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s Gulf tour

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union government is learned to have denied permission to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for a Gulf tour. Vijayan was scheduled to go on a 15-day Gulf trip from Oct 16. Union ministry of external affairs rejected permission for the CM’s trip without mentioning reasons, it is learned.Vijayan sought clearance for an official visit to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Dammam and Riyadh from Oct 16 to 19. He was supposed to attend functions in Gulf cities on Oct 24 and 25. There were events scheduled in Qatar, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi in the first week of November.Officially, the tour was packaged as an outreach programme by Malayalam Mission. However, the tour was politically more significant in the background of the state heading to an assembly election early next year. Earlier, too, Centre had denied permission for Gulf tours of state ministers, including the chief minister.


Niti CEO cites 'Deewar' scene to back tax reforms | India News

Niti CEO cites 'Deewar' scene to back tax reforms
Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam

NEW DELHI: Goverment’s policy think tank NITI Aayog CEO B V R Subrahamanyam on Friday weaved examples – from Amitabh Bacchan’s iconic film ‘Deewar’ and the detention of a pickpocket – to push for complete decriminalisation of 12 offences under the Income Tax Act and resolving them through civil and monetary penalties.“If you want a pickpocket and he is given life imprisonment, is that the outcome you want? Does it improve that pickpocket from not doing any more pickpocketing, it only becomes a burden on the govt for the rest of his life. Does it deter other pickpockets?” Subrahamanyam said during the release of a working paper which backs decriminalisation of some offences under the Income Tax Act and calls for moving towards trust based governance and compliance culture. “If the reason for pickpocketing is something else and not it could be something we all remember… Amitabh Bachchan and ‘Deewar’ for a loaf of bread…,” Subhramanyam said while recalling the scene from the 1975 blockbuster. The paper highlights that while the 2025 Act omits several archaic offences, it continues to criminalise 35 actions and omissions across 13 provisions, most of which prescribe mandatory imprisonment. Applying a jurisprudence-based assessment, the study recommends a decriminalisation roadmap and backed removing imprisonment for minor procedural defaults, restricting criminal sanctions to cases involving fraud or wilful evasion, and enhancing the role of civil and administrative penalties.


Will his wife contest elections against Pawan Singh?


India

#BiharElection2025: A big turn came in the politics of Bihar on Friday when Jyoti Singh, wife of Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh, met Jan Suraj Abhiyan chief Prashant Kishore. This meeting took place at Sheikhpura House in Patna, where the conversation between the two lasted for about half an hour. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Jyoti Singh said, “I have not come here to ask for a ticket. I just wanted to come together and express my views. This is my effort to ensure that what happened to me does not happen to any other woman. I want to be the voice of all those women who have suffered the same.”

Quick comeback: Macron reappoints Sebastien Lecornu as France's PM; cites govt formation task

Quick comeback: Macron reappoints Sebastien Lecornu as France's PM; cites govt formation task

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday reappointed Sébastien Lecornu as the country’s prime minister, the Élysée Palace announced, bringing an end to a week of political turmoil.Lecornu had abruptly resigned on Monday, just hours after unveiling a new Cabinet that drew opposition from a key coalition partner. His sudden departure prompted calls for Macron to step down or dissolve parliament, but the president instead announced on Wednesday that he would name a successor within 48 hours.With no majority in the National Assembly to push through his reform agenda, Macron has faced growing criticism from both the opposition and members of his own camp. Political observers say the reappointment underlines the president’s limited room for manoeuvre.Political party leaders who met Macron for more than two hours on Friday said they were unsure what decision he would take. Some cautioned that reappointing a prime minister from his fragile centrist bloc could again be rejected by the lower house, prolonging the crisis.


“They were so jealous:” Steffi Graf’s father Peter once exposed German media after her 1991 Wimbledon win | International Sports News

“They were so jealous:” Steffi Graf’s father Peter once exposed German media after her 1991 Wimbledon win
Steffi Graf’s father Peter Graf once exposed German media after her 1991 Wimbledon win (Image via Getty)

Steffi Graf’s father, Peter Graf, openly expressed his anger at the German media after her Wimbledon victory in 1991. The rare comments came in July 1991, just after Steffi Graf defeated Gabriela Sabatini in a tough three-set final at the Wimbledon Championships in London. Following her 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 win, Peter Graf met journalist Gautam Bhattacharya in a local London bar and spoke in English, sharing his feelings about how the press in Germany treated his family.

Steffi Graf’s father Peter Graf accused German media of being “jealous and vindictive” after her Wimbledon win

Peter Graf said he avoided German journalists because they wrote things that, in his view, crossed personal limits. “They are so jealous, so vindictive,” he told Bhattacharya. He explained that once a star rose in Germany, the press would immediately dig into personal matters, writing about “money, love, sex” rather than only sports. He added that since Germany had only two tennis stars at the time, Boris Becker and Steffi Graf, the media kept publishing damaging stories about them.Peter Graf also revealed that both he and his daughter Steffi stopped giving interviews to the German press in 1990, saying they wanted to protect their private life.

Peter Graf said champions in Germany were treated like “personal property”

In the same 1991 interview with Gautam Bhattacharya, Peter Graf spoke about the difference between how champions were respected in the United States compared to Germany. “If you’re a champion in the US, they would really respect you,” he said. “They feel proud and say, ‘That’s our champion.’ But in Germany, they tend to think a champion is their personal property with whom they can do whatever they feel like.”He explained that Steffi Graf had no privacy in her own country. He said she could not even leave the house without drawing attention. “In Germany, Steffi doesn’t have a private life. We have no private life whatsoever and that’s the greatest problem,” Peter added.Also Read: Andre Agassi And Steffi Graf Children: All About Their 2 Kids, Career And Bond With ParentsThe criticism came at a time when the Graf family was already under pressure. In 1990, German tax authorities charged Peter Graf with tax evasion, accusing him of hiding Steffi Graf’s prize money and endorsement earnings in offshore accounts. Since he handled her finances, her name was linked in reports, and the media speculated about her role.In 1995, Peter Graf was convicted of tax evasion and sent to prison, while Steffi Graf was cleared of all wrongdoing. Steffi went on to win 22 Grand Slam singles titles and is remembered as one of the greatest players in tennis history.Peter Graf passed away on November 30, 2013, in Mannheim, Germany, at the age of 75 due to pancreatic cancer.


Bird strike midair: Delhi-bound Akasa Air flight lands safely; service delayed briefly, plane under inspection | India News

Bird strike midair: Delhi-bound Akasa Air flight lands safely; service delayed briefly, plane under inspection

NEW DELHI: An Akasa Air aircraft flying from Pune to Delhi on Friday experienced a bird hit but landed safely in the national capital, the airline confirmed.“Akasa Air flight QP 1607 flying from Pune to Delhi on 10th October 2025 experienced a bird hit. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew members were deplaned,” a spokesperson said in a statement to PTI.The flight, operated with a Boeing 737 MAX 8, landed in Delhi a little past 10 am. The airline did not disclose the number of passengers on board.The aircraft, which was scheduled to operate the Delhi to Goa flight, saw a slight delay as another plane was deployed for that service, sources said.The plane is currently being examined by the engineering team and will be released for service after a thorough inspection, the spokesperson added.


Himachal BJP chief's bro held in rape case, party calls it 'political' plot | India News

Himachal BJP chief's bro held in rape case, party calls it 'political' plot

SHIMLA: Ram Kumar Bindal, elder brother of Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Rajiv Bindal and a practitioner of traditional medicine, was arrested Friday for allegedly raping a 25-year-old woman under the pretext of a medical examination, police said. BJP termed the case a “politically motivated mischievous act”.The survivor filed a complaint on Oct 8, stating she had been suffering from an ailment and visited Ram Kumar on Oct 7 near the old bus stand for Ayurvedic treatment. She alleged that he assured her she would be “100% cured” and, while discussing her sexual health issues, began examining her private parts without consent. She claimed he raped her under the guise of treatment, but she managed to push him and escape.Police filed a case for rape and sexual intercourse by a person in authority. SP Gaurav Singh said samples were collected by FSL. BJP media cell convener Karan Nanda said Ram Kumar had a good public image and contributed to strengthening Sanatan Dharma, reiterating the party’s claim of political motivation behind the complaint.


TCS समेत इन 10 शेयरों पर रखें नजर - which 10 stocks are set to reward investors next week through dividends bonus shares or stock splits watch video to know which companies could be on your watchlist


markets

Stock Split, Bonus Issue and Dividend Stocks: This business week has passed and now let’s talk about the important developments of the next business week. In the next trading week starting from October 13, ten such stocks including TCS and Tata Investment will be under watch, which have record dates of dividend, stock split and bonus. Check full list

Supreme Court rejects PIL for probe into Viceroy's claims | India News

Supreme Court rejects PIL for probe into Viceroy's claims

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking a probe into allegations made by US-based short-seller Viceroy Research LLC against Vedanta Limited, Hindustan Zinc Limited and related entities.A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar said that it was not inclined to entertain the matter and a PIL petitioner thereafter withdrew the petition.Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that at least securities and exchange board of India (SEBI) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) should be asked to act on complaints that had already been lodged with them but the SC turned down the plea.


Noor Wali Mehsud: Who is Noor Wali Mehsud...to kill whom Pakistan attacked Kabul! - who is ttp chief noor wali mehsud pakistan claims killed in kabul airstrike suspense on death


Pakistan carried out air strikes on Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) positions in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Thursday night. Pakistan has claimed to have destroyed many hideouts of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) while carrying out air strikes on Kabul. According to Pakistani media reports, TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud has been killed in this airstrike. According to reports, when Pakistan carried out the airstrike, Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud was present at a hideout in eastern Kabul and it is being claimed that he was killed in the attack.

On the other hand, the spokesperson of the Afghan Taliban government rejected these claims and said that there were no casualties in this attack. The special thing is that Pakistan has taken this action at a time when Afghan Foreign Minister Aamir Khan Muttaki is on a seven-day visit to India.

This claim is happening now

Afghanistan’s Tolo News reported that an audio message of Noor Wali Mehsud surfaced on social media on Friday morning, in which he was heard calling the news of his death and disappearance false. Earlier, many reports had claimed that the TTP chief had been killed in the airstrike, but after this audio the situation has become more complicated and there is confusion about the attack. Now the question in everyone’s mind is who was Noor Wali Mehsud. Let us know who is Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud

Who is Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud

Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud was born on 26 June 1978 in the Machikhel Zafarkhel sub-clan of the Mehsud tribe in South Waziristan. According to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) report, he received religious education from madrassas in Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Karachi and later started teaching in a madrassa in his village. However, with time he took the path of radicalism and eventually became the commander of TTP. He joined Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam at a young age. When the alliance between the US and Pakistan was formed after the 9/11 attacks, Noor Wali saw it as a betrayal against Islam.

Included in Pakistan’s most wanted list

Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud is included in the list of most wanted terrorists of Pakistan. After the killing of Mullah Fazlullah, he took command of the organization and became the fourth chief of TTP. Mehsud joined this organization in 2003 and continued leading the terrorist activities of TTP in Karachi till 2013. Noor Wali Mehsud started his terrorist career in the 1990s by fighting with the Afghan Taliban. He supported the Taliban during the US invasion in 2001 and joined Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in 2003. In the organization, he was the deputy of Baitullah Mehsud and then the head of the Karachi chapter. After the death of Maulana Fazlullah in 2018, the Central Shura of TTP made him the new chief.

Govt notifies legally binding emission targets; cement, pulp, paper industries will need to cut GHG emissions | India News

Govt notifies legally binding emission targets; cement, pulp, paper industries will need to cut GHG emissions
New Rules Make It Must For 282 Units To Reduce Emissions

NEW DELHI: India’s all traditionally high-emission industries, including aluminum, cement and pulp & paper, will have to reduce the intensity of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to meet specific targets by 2026-27 compared to a 2023-24 baseline as the govt has notified rules for the country’s first legally binding emission reduction target for carbon-heavy industries.The rules, notified by the environment ministry on Oct 8, make it mandatory for 282 industrial units to reduce GHG emissions per unit of product (emission intensity) beginning 2025-26.These industrial units, spread across the country, will be liable to pay a penalty for non-compliance. The rules are notified under the compliance mechanism of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), 2023.The highest number of industrial units (186) which will have to reduce GHG emission intensity (GEI) within a specified time-period belong to the cement sector, followed by pulp & paper (53), plants that use chlor-alkali process to extract certain chemicals (30), and aluminium plants (13).GEI targets (in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) for the year 2025-26 have been calculated based on the pro-rata basis for the remaining months of the current financial year. The overall reduction till 2026-27 ranges from about 3.4% in the cement sector to about 5.8% in aluminium, 7.5% in chlor-alkali and 7.1% in pulp and paper, compared to the 2023-24 levels.In case an industrial unit fails to comply with the GEI target or fails to submit the carbon credit certificates equivalent to the shortfall for compliance, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will impose ‘environmental compensation’ (penalty) for the shortfall.The penalty will be equal to twice of the average price at which the carbon credit certificate is traded during the trading cycle of that compliance year. It’ll be paid within the 90 days from the day of the imposition order.According to the notification, the fund collected under the ‘environmental compensation’ will be maintained in a separate account and utilised for the purposes of the CCTS on the recommendation of the national steering committee for the Indian carbon market.The GEI targets are in sync with India’s ‘net zero’ emission goal of 2070 and will contribute to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) – climate action targets – through the reduction or removal or avoidance of GHG emissions.