Bs Reads

Policy response to heatwaves remains cool even as nationwide instances grow

An early March heat spike has raised concerns of a prolonged summer as El Niño risks grow. While preparedness has improved, gaps in planning, funding, and implementation persist

US counterterror chief quits, says Iran war driven by pressure from Israel

Kent is close with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has kept a low profile since the Iran war began

Mamata accuses EC of transferring officers at BJP's behest before polls

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the EC, alleging that senior administrative and police officers were being transferred ahead of the assembly polls at the behest of the BJP. She warned that the poll body and the saffron party would be responsible if any untoward incident happens in the state. Addressing reporters while announcing the Trinamool Congress candidate list for the 2026 assembly elections, Banerjee questioned the timing of the changes in key administrative posts, particularly ahead of Eid. "Why are senior officers being transferred just before Eid? Are there plans to trigger riots before elections?" she said. The chief minister alleged that the list of officers who were transferred was prepared at the BJP's office and the decision was merely implemented by the Election Commission. She further alleged that some officials from outside West Bengal had been brought in to assist the BJP in the electoral ...

Selected civil services candidates told to avoid self-promotion online

All recently selected civil services candidates have been asked to refrain from self-promotion and impulsive postings on social media, according to an official advisory issued for them. It has also asked them to maintain professional distance from commercial and institutional endorsements, and ensure that their achievements are not used for private gain or publicity. Civil servants are the public face of the State and their conduct is under constant public scrutiny, the advisory said. "You must ensure that your personal conduct and official and social interface with the general public, people's representatives, corporate entities, civil society organisations, government personnel, all other dignitaries and vulnerable sections of the society is courteous, respectful, dignified and appropriate," it said. The advisory for the candidates selected through the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025, has been issued by Mussoorie-based Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration

KC Tyagi quits JD(U), says will decide further course of action soon

Senior JD(U) leader K C Tyagi on Tuesday said that he has left the party and will decide his further course of action soon. Tyagi was associated with the JD(U) since it came into existence in October 2003 with the merger of the Samata Party and the Janata Dal. He served the JD(U) in various capacities including its chief general secretary, chief spokesperson and political adviser. "Yes, I have left the party," Tyagi told PTI, when asked. In a statement, the former Rajya Sabha member said, "The membership campaign of the party has ended. This time I've not renewed the membership of the party." He, however, asserted that his commitment to the "larger and wider ideological points" concerning the interests of downtrodden, peasants and agriculturalists including the deprived sections of society "remains as firm as ever". "My personal respect for Nitish Kumar who remained my comrade for close to half a century also remains unchanged," he added. Tyagi said that his "further course of a

Mamata to take on Suvendu in Bhabanipur as TMC releases candidate list

Betting on calibrated generational change and organisational loyalty rather than star power, the ruling TMC on Tuesday unveiled candidates for 291 of the 294 West Bengal assembly seats, signalling a strategy of controlled churn as it seeks a fourth straight term in office. The Mamata Banerjee-Suvendu Adhikari rivalry is set to acquire a fresh electoral theatre in Bhabanipur, where the chief minister will defend her seat even as the BJP has fielded the leader of opposition from the constituency. The stage is set for a direct face-off between the two rivals who first clashed in Nandigram in the 2021 assembly polls, when Adhikari defeated his former mentor by a narrow margin despite the TMC's sweeping victory across the state. Announcing the list from her Kalighat residence, Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said the party would leave the three Darjeeling hills seats to ally Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) led by Anit Thapa and expressed confidence of crossing .

Maruti Suzuki gets ₹5,786 crore income tax order, says will appeal it

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Tuesday said it has received a draft assessment order worth Rs 5,786.4 crore from the income tax authority and the company will challenge the order. "The company has received a Draft Assessment Order for FY 2022 23 wherein certain additions / disallowances amounting to Rs 57,864 million with respect to returned income has been proposed," the carmaker said in a BSE filing. MSI will file its objections before the dispute resolution panel, it stated. There is no impact on financial, operation or other activities of the company due to this order, it added. Maruti Suzuki shares settled at Rs 12,993.55 apiece, up 1.88 per cent on BSE.

China to provide humanitarian aid to Iran, three other West Asia nations

China on Tuesday said it will provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran, Lebanon and two other West Asian countries hit hard by the ongoing conflict in the region. Speaking at a media briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that Beijing has decided to provide emergency humanitarian aid to Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq in the hope of easing the humanitarian plight faced by local people. "The ongoing conflict has inflicted excruciating humanitarian disasters on (the) people of Iran and other regional countries. China deeply sympathises with people in relevant countries", Lin said. He was responding to a question about whether China is considering providing humanitarian assistance to the relevant countries, as the UN Refugee Agency recently said the crisis in West Asia has constituted a major humanitarian emergency, and the affected regions already host nearly 25 million refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees. Iran has suffered many innoce

Create energy policy to shield economy from oil shock: Parl panel to FinMin

A parliamentary panel on Tuesday suggested that the Department of Economic Affairs should develop a strategic energy mitigation framework to protect the economy from oil shocks and ensure long-term stability. In addition, the Standing Committee on Finance, in its report, emphasised that the rapidly evolving global competition for critical minerals and rare earth elements, which are essential for semiconductors, renewable energy systems, electric mobility, defence technologies, and the development of alternative fuels, requires a coordinated national strategy. The panel, headed by senior BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab, has, therefore, recommended that the government accelerate efforts to secure diversified international supply chains for critical minerals, such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements, while simultaneously strengthening domestic exploration, processing, and value-addition capabilities to support emerging sectors, including renewable energy, electric mobility, and ..

Nebius signs AI infrastructure deals with Meta worth up to $27 bn

Nasdaq-listed Nebius shares, which closed at $112.50 on Friday, have risen 35 per cent so far this year, giving it a market capitalization of $28.6 billion

Foxconn forecasts strong revenue growth for 2026 even as profit lags

Foxconn's guidance for both first quarter and full year revenue are for "strong growth", the highest outlook it can give, as the company does not provide a numeric outlook

The Ground Breaker: A model autobiography of the redoubtable Kanwal Rekhi

Kanwal Rekhi's delightful autobiography paints a picture of the US, its strengths and weaknesses, through the eyes of the first wave of talented Indian entrepreneurs

Delhi air quality improves to moderate after 157 days, AQI at 119

Delhi breathed easier on Monday after 157 days, as the city's air quality improved to 119 in the 'moderate' category, while the city recorded a maximum temperature of 32.2 degrees Celsius. The 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 119, the lowest recorded since October 9, 2025, when the AQI had stood at 99 in the same category. At 9 am on Monday, the AQI stood at 97 in the 'satisfactory' category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The improvement came after the city experienced light rain on Sunday. According to the CPCB classification, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'. The improvement in air quality came after many parts of Delhi and the surrounding region on Sunday received light rain, triggered by a western disturbance. The drizzle brought respite from the rising heat and helped disperse pollutants in the

Govt allocates additional 87,587 tonnes of sugar export quota for 2025-26

The food ministry has approved an additional export quota of 87,587 tonnes of sugar for the 2025-26 marketing year (October-September), following requests from sugar mills, the ministry said in a circular on Monday. The government had earlier permitted exports of 1.5 million tonnes for the season, and in February allocated an extra 500,000 tonnes to willing mills on a non-swappable basis. Mills had until February to apply for portions of the additional quota. Of the 500,000 tonnes, only 87,587 tonnes were requested and approved, with the remainder lapsing, the ministry stated. Mills must export the allocated sugar by June 30, 2026. Those exporting at least 70 per cent of their quota by that date will be allowed to ship the balance by September 30, 2026. Failure to meet the 70 per cent threshold will result in the unutilised quantity lapsing, with potential reallocation to higher-performing or willing mills. No extensions will be granted except in force majeure cases. The quota cann

LPG supply crisis hits JNU canteens; students demand preventive steps

The JNUSU on Monday said a march to the office of the dean of students will demand preemptive measures ensuring smooth and uninterrupted functioning of mess and dhabas on the campus, amid the LPG supply crisis. The call for the march by the student union -- planned for Tuesday -- comes as the food menus in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) canteens continue to be hit. According to the two separate letters sent from the Indraprastha Gas Limited to the mess heads of Sabarmati and Lohit hostels, "....supplies to all industrial and commercial customers are being restricted to 80 per cent of their average consumption for last six months with effect from 6 am on 11th March 2026". With the gas supply being cut by 20 per cent, the revised mess menu of the Lohit hostel specifies that no roti and poori will be available on certain days. The menu specifically mentions that no roti will be available for Tuesday and Saturday lunch, with replacements like "only rice" or khichadi added ...

Delhi govt to build new flood monitoring centre before monsoon: Minister

The Delhi government will construct a new Flood Control Monitoring Centre for better emergency response during the monsoon season, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Monday. He laid the foundation stone of the centre at the LM Bund Office Complex in Shastri Nagar and said that the work would be completed before this year's monsoon. "Every monsoon, our engineers and field teams work day and night to monitor river levels, drainage systems, and vulnerable locations across Delhi. Facilities like this monitoring centre will ensure that coordination becomes smoother, and decisions can be taken quickly when the situation demands," he said. The minister added that preparedness and timely coordination are the most important aspects of flood management. "Our aim is simple: better monitoring, better coordination and faster response. This centre will act as a nerve centre during the monsoon season where officers and engineers can review the situation in real time

BJP releases first list of 47 candidates for Kerala Assembly polls

Union Minister George Kurian and former Union ministers Rajeev Chandrasekhar and V Muraleedharan are among the 47 candidates announced by the BJP in its first list for the Kerala Assembly elections. Fielding a mix of senior leaders and new faces as it prepares for the April 9 polls, the party is hoping to end its electoral drought in the state, where politics has traditionally been dominated by the CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-led UDF. Among the prominent names in the list are Kurian, Chandrasekhar and Muraleedharan, along with senior leaders K Surendran, Sobha Surendran, P C George, Padmaja Venugopal, P K Krishnadas, former director general of police R Sreelekha and filmmaker Major Ravi. Chandrasekhar will contest from the Nemom Assembly constituency, while Muraleedharan has been fielded from Kazhakkoottam, both key constituencies in Thiruvananthapuram district. Nemom is the only constituency in Kerala that has so far been won by the BJP, when O Rajagopal won the seat in the 20

Israel ready to stop hostilities if Iran changes course: Envoy Azar

Amid the raging conflict in West Asia, Israeli Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, on Monday said "we are ready to stop hostilities if Iran changes course", and asserted that Tel Aviv has consulted "diplomatic channels" in the last few days, including its partners the US and countries in the region. Asked about Israel's plans as the conflict entered its 17th day on Monday, Azar told reporters, "I don't think a full-fledged terrestrial invasion is on the cards." He also said that through the military action, "we've managed to degrade Iran's launching capabilities" to a large extent. "We are still hunting launchers... And the remainders of other military capabilities," the envoy said. "Right now, we are controlling the skies of Iran," Azar told reporters, adding, "They (Iran) are in dire straits." The West Asia conflict began on February 28 when the US-Israel combine conducted airstrikes on Iran. In retaliation, Iran attacked the Gulf countries hosting American military bases and cho

Financial fraud siphoned $442 bn from global economy in 2025: Interpol

Over USD 442 billion has been siphoned off from the global economy in 2025 through financial fraud, Interpol said in its global financial fraud threat assessment for 2026, released on Monday. The report kept the overall global risk related to financial fraud at "high". Scamsters are leveraging agentic artificial intelligence (AI), which can "autonomously plan and execute complete fraud campaigns -- from reconnaissance to ransom demands", the Lyon-based global police cooperation body said. The second edition of the report, released Monday, warned that AI-enhanced fraud is 4.5 times more profitable than traditional methods, as agentic AI systems are now capable of autonomously planning and executing complete fraud campaigns -- from reconnaissance to ransom demands, making them a force multiplier. From harvesting victim credentials to generating psychologically tailored ransom notes, fraudsters have used "deepfake audio" to mimic the voices of corporate executives during real-time pho

EU, India focus on implementing FTA, defence deal: von der Leyen

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday said the EU and India are now focused on efficiently implementing their recently concluded free trade deal and security partnership. Her remarks came after a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to Brussels for talks with his counterparts from the 27-member European Union (EU). "At the EU-India Summit in January, we concluded our Free Trade Agreement the mother of all deals and signed a Security and Defence Partnership," von der Leyen said in a social media post after her "good meeting" with Jaishankar. "Now we are focused on efficient implementation, to deliver for the people of Europe and India as soon as possible," she said. The two leaders also discussed developments in West Asia and Ukraine. "De-escalation, stability and energy security are our shared objectives," the EU leader said. India and the EU sealed the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) -- billed as the "mother of all de