New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for killing his wife over dowry, highlighting how parents’ anxiety to save their daughters’ marriage can lead many women into a death trap by sending them back to matrimonial homes despite complaints of torture.Amid the rising number of dowry cases, the apex court began its judgment by opening up a question for the society to ponder over. “Could young Soma Acharjee’s life have been saved? Was Soma thrown to the wolves because of fear of social humiliation?”. a bench of Justices PK Mishra and KV Vishwanathan asked.The court said Soma had repeatedly informed her parents about the abuse she faced, but was sent back when the elders attempted to mend her relationship with her husband.Describing the case as an eye-opener, Justice Vishwanathan, who wrote the judgment, said, “She made repeated appeals to her parents to save herself and even came to her parents’ house and stayed with them for a few days. However, every time she raised the issue, efforts were made to broker a reconciliation and send her back to the marital home.”The top court said village elders were involved and the resolutions were passed after an alleged compromise. It said, “Soma’s near and dear ones naively believed that somehow the situation would turn out for the better. A false sense of optimism engulfed them. Their hopes were betrayed when Soma met a tragic end in her marital home.”Rejecting the husband’s plea that Soma died by suicide after her body was found hanging 15 months after their marriage, the court said the medical and other evidence clearly pointed towards a murder related to dowry harassment.The evidence on record shows that Soma was harassed with demands for a motorcycle, TV and other items, even though her parents had accepted some of the demands.“The injuries found on the body of the deceased do not match a typical case of suicide by hanging,” the court said, adding that the injuries before the post-mortem were not self-inflicted. The bench said medical evidence indicated that Soma was subjected to violence before her death, ruling out the suicide theory and pointing to a case of “mock hanging”.

New Delhi: India has moved a step closer to a major defense deal with France on 114 Rafale fighter jets as the country has finalized the Letter of Request (LoR) for the acquisition of the 4.5 generation multirole jet for the Indian Air Force.“The LOR is ready and is expected to be sent to France in a few weeks,” defense sources said. times of India. The LOR is a formal government-to-government document used to initiate major defense acquisitions under international frameworks such as foreign military sales or intergovernmental agreements. The first estimate of the mega deal is around Rs 3.25 lakh crore.Under the proposed deal, about 90 of the 114 fighter aircraft are planned to be manufactured in India through a partnership between French company Dassault Aviation and an Indian firm under the Make-in-India initiative. The remaining 24 aircraft are expected to be delivered from France in flying condition. The indigenous content of Jet will be around 50%.IAF chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh is scheduled to visit France in early June, just ahead of PM Modi’s visit to the country from June 15 to 17 for the G7 summit. Singh’s visit will finalize this mega deal. The final contract, which is expected by the end of this year, will be signed after final price negotiations and approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).Apart from the deal for 114 Rafale jets, the Navy is separately purchasing 26 Rafale maritime aircraft from Dassault for carrier operations, the agreement for which was signed on April 28 last year. The IAF is already operating 36 Rafales received under a September 2016 inter-governmental agreement.India’s Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme, under which 114 fighter jets will be procured, aims to address the critical capability gap in the Indian Air Force and check the declining strength of its fighter squadrons, which have shrunk from the ideal 42.5 squadrons to a worrying 29, which are required to effectively deal with the two-front security threat from Pakistan and China.At a time when Pakistan is in the process of acquiring 40 J-35 5th generation fighter aircraft, India is pressurizing Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to expedite the delivery of Tejas aircraft under two contracts with the Indian Air Force. Earlier, Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh had said that he expected HAL to deliver 10 Tejas MK-1A fighter jets within this financial year.With the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) expected to be ready and enter service by 2035, the government’s urgent need for a stealth platform has brought Russia’s Su-57 back into focus.For the AMCA programme, the government has shortlisted three domestic private sector contenders for prototype development and manufacturing: a consortium led by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), Larsen & Toubro (L&T), and a consortium led by Bharat Forge.

TOI correspondent from Washington: In an already busy week of US-Iran peace talks, the energy crisis and Trump’s visit to China, few expected the hottest geopolitical confrontation to involve Marco Rubio, the Taj Mahal, and an Iranian consulate armed with architectural claims and Persian pride.The latest chapter of US-Iran adversarial diplomacy began innocently enough when the US Secretary of State and his wife Zeenat visited the Taj Mahal in Agra on Sunday. Braving 45C temperatures, Rubio dutifully posed on the famous marble bench – which was so hot that his butt turned to bacon, someone noted – and described the Taj as “one of the true treasures of the world”.“I’ve never been there. I only knew about the casino in New Jersey that the president used to have,” Rubio joked to reporters, referring to Trump’s long-closed Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City.This should have been the end of it. Instead, Iran’s Consulate in Hyderabad chose to act as a troll patrol as if stopping Hormuz was not enough. “If Rubio had any knowledge of history or architecture, he would not have posed here,” the consulate posted onHistorians were quick to note that the problem was that the text of the Consulate’s history itself needed some historical fact-checking. Yes, Mumtaz Mahal – born Arjumand Banu Begum – was of Persian descent from her aristocratic family. But he was born not in Isfahan but in Agra. And while Persian influence is deeply embedded in Mughal architecture, the Taj Mahal was hardly an exclusively Iranian project assembled by a team from Tehran.Architectural historians describe the Taj as one of history’s great multinational collaborations: Mughal patrons, Persian aesthetics, Indian craftsmen, Central Asian influences, Ottoman inspirations, and artisans from across the Islamic world all converged on Shah Jahan’s dream of flaming marble.The chief architect, widely believed to be Ustad Ahmed Lahauri, was from Lahore in undivided India, not modern Iran. Persian calligraphers and designers such as Amanat Khan Shirazi certainly contributed. But claiming that the Taj was only “built by Iranian architects” is like claiming that the samosa is exclusively Indian. Others pointed to the awkward identity politics inherent in the consulate’s flexibility. The present Islamic Republic is not actually the uncontested heir of the ancient Persian civilization, but rather the guardian of Las Vegas Roman democracy.The Taj Mahal, meanwhile, remains bipartisan catnip for visiting American dignitaries. Vice President J.D. Vance visited with his family last year. Ivanka Trump famously posed there during the first Trump administration. Trump himself visited the memorial with Melania during her 2020 visit to India, praising its grandeur, while perhaps privately wondering whether Atlantic City zoning laws had failed him.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Coordinator Arvind Kejriwal Claiming on Monday that the people of Gujarat are “yearning for change,” he asserted that the party will form the government in the 2027 assembly elections.Addressing a gathering in Narmada, Kejriwal highlighted that for the first time in 75 years, a third party has gained a foothold in the state, which traditionally sees a two-way contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.Kejriwal said, “In the last 75 years, whether at the state level or the district level, governments in Gujarat were formed by only two parties: either the Congress or the BJP. People used to say that a third party cannot exist in Gujarat, there is no place for anyone, and a third party has no status.”He gave credit to the people of Narmada district for breaking this tradition by bringing Aam Aadmi Party to power at the local level.He said, “For the first time, you, the people of Narmada district, have brought a third party to power; you have formed the Aam Aadmi Party government. This shows that the people of Gujarat are yearning for change.”Kejriwal further said that the political change that starts in the tribal areas will eventually affect the entire state.The AAP leader said, “The spark that has been lit by the people of this tribal area, this spark has arisen right here in Narmada district, which will now spread throughout Gujarat and the Aam Aadmi Party government will be formed in 2027.”Aam Aadmi Party also took out a grand Vijay Yatra in Narmada district.Taking to social media platform X, Kejriwal reiterated his stance keeping in mind the BJP’s long-running rule in the state.He posted, “For the first time in Gujarat, a third party government other than Congress and BJP has been formed in any district. BJP has been in government in Gujarat for thirty years. In 2027, Aam Aadmi Party will form the government in entire Gujarat with full majority.”

Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) honored women achievers Jammu and Kashmir And Gujarat, for the first time, recorded a profit of Rs 4,585 crore in its 55th annual general meeting and announced incentives for employees.IFFCO Sahakari Ratna Award for 2024-25, carrying an honorarium of Rs 11 lakh, was presented to Shakeela Akhtar for her contribution in strengthening the cooperative movement and empowering women in agriculture, especially in Jammu and Kashmir.Bhavana Gondalia received the IFFCO Sahakaritha Bandhu Award for 2024-25 along with a cash prize of ₹11 lakh for her work in the cooperative sector and efforts towards women empowerment in agriculture.IFFCO said that in line with the United Nations declaring 2025-26 as the “Year of Women Farmers”, the awards were presented to women achievers for the first time in the history of the organisation.Addressing the gathering, IFFCO Chairman Dilip Sanghani said that the continuous support of cooperatives, farmers and employees has helped make IFFCO one of the leading cooperative institutions in the world. He said the organization reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “prosperity through cooperation”, which aims to empower farmers and rural India through the cooperative movement.IFFCO Managing Director KJ Patel announced that the cooperative has recorded a profit of Rs 4,585 crore. He also said that employee incentives worth Rs 490.65 crore have been approved for the year.The organization announced a minimum wage of Rs 20,000 for lower level employees with an additional budget allocation of Rs 140 crore.The AGM saw the participation of over 850 cooperative leaders, member committees, farmers’ representatives and stakeholders from across the country.During the event, IFFCO showcased initiatives and investments in sectors including Indian Seed Cooperative Society Limited, National Cooperative Exports Limited, IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance Company, Cordet, IFFDC, IFFCO Bazaar, IFFCO-MC and Kisan Rural Finance.IFFCO reiterated its focus on sustainable agriculture, including widespread adoption of nano-fertilizers and supporting small and marginal farmers to improve productivity and income.

Marco Rubio’s Taj Mahal visit

New Delhi: The Iranian Consulate in Hyderabad on Monday took a dig at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over his visit to the Taj Mahal, saying the iconic monument was built by the “talent of Iranian architects”, while accusing the United States of endangering Iranian civilization.Rubio, who is on a four-day visit to India, visited the Mughal-era monument in Agra on Monday with his wife Zeenat Rubio and described the Taj Mahal as “one of the world’s love treasures.”Soon after the visit, the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran-Hyderabad posted a scathing message on Twitter targeting the US administration.“If Rubio had any knowledge of history or architecture, he would not have posed here. This monument was built because of the emperor’s love for his Iranian wife, designed by the talent of Iranian architects – meanwhile, his government today is threatening to destroy Iranian civilization while insulting other civilizations,” the Iranian Consulate said in its post.The post also included a photo of Rubio and his wife posing in front of the Taj Mahal.

Trump’s warning comment during Iran conflict

The statement from the Iranian Consulate appears to reference comments made by Donald Trump during the ongoing Iran-US-Israel conflict.Trump warned on April 7 against Iran amid growing hostilities: “If there is no deal, an entire civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back.”

The US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering retaliatory attacks and increasing tensions across the Middle East.

Rubio’s visit to India

Rubio’s visit to India comes ahead of the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting to be held in New Delhi on Tuesday. The Quad group includes India, America, Australia and Japan.Rubio also visited the Amer Fort in Jaipur with his wife and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore.During his visit to the Taj Mahal, Rubio wrote in the visitor’s book, “Thank you for allowing us to visit one of the world’s love-filled treasures.”Security around the Taj Mahal was tightened during Rubio’s visit, with tourists temporarily moved out of parts of the monument complex.

Iran rejects Rubio’s recent comments on energy markets

The Iranian Consulate’s latest comments come a day after Iran rejected Rubio’s comments in which he accused Tehran of “holding the global energy market hostage.”In a statement issued by the Iranian Embassy in India, Tehran accused Washington of attempting to “distort the realities of the region” and defended its role in global energy trade.The statement said US sanctions on Iranian oil exports have disrupted global energy markets and were imposed “in violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations”.Meanwhile, Rubio said the US would not allow Iran to “hold the global energy market hostage” and stressed that Washington wants the Strait of Hormuz to remain open without tolls.Speaking on the ongoing negotiations with Iran, Rubio also said, “It’s still a work in progress. We thought last night, maybe today, we might get some news.”

doctors are struggling Ebola outbreak The Democratic Republic of Congo faces growing challenges as attacks on health facilities and patients fleeing the country are hampering response efforts in the north-east, Reuters reports.At least three such incidents have so far been reported in Ituri province, where Ebola cases were first detected. Two attacks over the weekend targeted the Mongbavalu General Referral Hospital, causing more than two dozen patients to flee.Dr. Richard Lokodu, medical director of Mongbavalu General Referral Hospital, told Reuters there was widespread disbelief and denial about the outbreak.“There is denial of the disease within the population, with some members wanting to claim the bodies of suspected and/or confirmed cases,” he said.According to Lokodu, 18 Ebola patients fled on Saturday when unidentified persons set fire to tents set up by the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontieres to isolate patients. Test results from four of those patients later came back, one of which confirmed Ebola infection.“So we have a confirmed case of Ebola that is spreading in the community and evading response,” Lokodu said.On Sunday, the hospital faced four more waves of attacks allegedly led by youths mobilized by relatives of a Christian religious leader Who Died of Ebola. Seven additional patients escaped during the unrest, while a critically ill suspected Ebola patient suffering from bleeding died while trying to escape during a second attack.Police fired shots into the air after an angry mob in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo attempted to take back the bodies of relatives killed at an Ebola treatment center in Mongbvalu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local media reports, the BBC reports.Recent events have revived memories of the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, during which more than 25 health workers were killed in attacks targeting treatment centres.Frontline doctors are also struggling with a shortage of basic supplies as the virus spreads rapidly across the region. Lokodu said the attackers wanted the bodies of Ebola victims to be left for burial and warned that unsafe burials, where family members handle bodies without protective equipment, are a major driver of transmission. Earlier this week, a mob in the town of Rwampara, about 85 km south-east of Mongbavalu, set fire to a tent isolated at a hospital after they were prevented from taking the body of a man who died of Ebola for burial. World Health Organization The current outbreak has been described as the third largest outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain on record and has been declared a public health emergency of international concern.WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said more than 900 suspected cases have been recorded so far, including 101 confirmed infections and at least 220 suspected deaths.Earlier on Monday, Congo’s neighbor Uganda reported two additional Ebola cases, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to seven.

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Monday reviewed India’s preparedness and response measures ebola virus disease Noting recent outbreaks in parts of Africa, the World Health Organization has warned that the pandemic is “outpacing” response efforts.However, the Health Ministry said that no case of Ebola has been reported in India so far.News agency ANI reported that the review meeting was attended by the Health Secretary, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Additional Secretary (Public Health), Director of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and other senior officials of the ministry.It comes as WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that there had been 220 suspected deaths in the current outbreak and warned that delays in detecting infections had hampered containment efforts.“We are urgently scaling up operations, but at the moment the pandemic is ahead of us,” Tedros said, urging countries bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicenter of the outbreak, to take immediate action.Tedros said he would travel to Congo on Tuesday and said tackling the rapidly spreading outbreak was particularly difficult because Ituri and North Kivu provinces remained highly vulnerable and there were no approved vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain.Earlier in the day, Uganda recorded two more cases of Ebola in the capital Kampala, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to seven.Meanwhile, Uganda’s neighbor and center of the current outbreak, Congo, has reported more than 900 suspected infections so far, AFP reported.WHO has declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola a public health emergency of international concern, while the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified it as a public health emergency of continental concern (PHECS).