सिर्फ ढाबों में ही नहीं बल्कि रेस्टोरेंट्स में भी हालात ऐसे ही हैं. लालपुल इलाके के एक दक्षिण भारतीय रेस्तरां में मसाला डोसा की कीमत 80 रुपये से बढ़कर 100 रुपये, पाव भाजी की कीमत 80 रुपये से बढ़कर 100 रुपये और पनीर डोसा की कीमत 110 रुपये से बढ़कर 130 रुपये हो गई है. चाय की कीमत भी 10 रुपये से बढ़कर 12-15 रुपये प्रति कप हो गई है.

महंगे सिलेंडर ब्लैक में मिलते हैं

रेहड़ी-पटरी वालों का कहना है कि कमर्शियल सिलेंडर नहीं मिल रहे हैं. ऐसे में कुछ लोग घरेलू या छोटे (3-5 किलो) सिलेंडर का इस्तेमाल कर रहे हैं तो कई को ब्लैक में सिलेंडर खरीदना पड़ रहा है। आमतौर पर 1700-1800 रुपये में मिलने वाला सिलेंडर अब 4000 रुपये तक में मिल रहा है. वहीं, छोटे सिलेंडर में गैस भरने का रेट भी 100-110 रुपये प्रति किलो से बढ़कर 300 रुपये प्रति किलो से ऊपर हो गया है.

यह भी पढ़ें…उत्तराखंड: मैदानी जिलों की 15 विधानसभाओं ने बढ़ाई बीजेपी-कांग्रेस की चिंता, 20% ज्यादा वोटरों का पता नहीं

सिलेंडर मिल जाता है तो दुकान खुल जाती है, खत्म होते ही ताला लगा दिया जाता है।

गैस संकट के कारण कई छोटे ढाबे और रेहड़ियां बंद हो गई हैं. दुकान वही चला पा रहे हैं जो किसी तरह सिलेंडर का इंतजाम कर पा रहे हैं। गैस खत्म होते ही उन्हें दोबारा दुकान बंद करनी पड़ती है. लालपुल-कारगी रोड वेंडिंग जोन में कई ढाबे इसी वजह से बंद हैं, जबकि कुछ संचालक भट्ठी या वैकल्पिक साधनों से कारोबार चला रहे हैं। लालपुल-कारगी रोड पर वेंडिंग जोन में मौजूद कई रेहड़ी-पटरी वालों के ढाबे बंद हो गए हैं। फिलहाल जो दो-चार काम करते मिले वे या तो भट्ठी का उपयोग कर रहे हैं या फिर किसी तरह सिलेंडर की व्यवस्था कर अपना काम चला रहे हैं।

Indian football once again finds itself at a defining moment as the All India Football Federation has reopened bids for the commercial rights of the Indian Super League. After last season’s debacle, the process has restarted with renewed interest, but there are also doubts as to whether things will go smoothly this time.

Two serious bidders have come forward for the men’s package. Genius Sports has made a huge offer of Rs 2129 crore for the 20-year cycle, while FanCode has submitted a bid of around Rs 1190 crore. The difference between the two bids is significant, but more importantly, the presence of multiple bidders marks a change from last year’s failed process.

Read the full story

The deal structure has also been redesigned. The contract is set for a base period of 15 years, with an option to extend for a further five years. It also has a built-in clause for a 5 percent annual increase in price, offering a more stable long-term financial model than the uncertainty associated with the previous tender.

In the women’s case, Capri Sports is the only bidder, offering Rs 150 crore for the Indian Women’s League and its second division. The separation of men’s and women’s rights into separate packages is another notable change in this cycle.

All this comes after a season where the very future of the league was in jeopardy. With strong numbers now on the table, the focus turns to whether the federation can turn this into a stable and transparent deal, or risk falling into the same issues that plagued the system last year.

What was the AIFF ISL media rights controversy?

The background to this process is last year’s collapse. The expiry of the master rights agreement between the AIFF and FSDL created a crisis which the federation struggled to handle.

The initial tender for the long-term rights attracted zero bids. High financial expectations, centralized control and lack of clarity pushed away potential bidders. This resulted in a five-month delay to the 2025–26 season, which eventually began in a shortened format with only 91 matches.

Clubs faced uncertainty, with some even ceasing operations, while many openly criticized the federation’s handling of the situation. The season began only after outside interference and even then, broadcast rights were sold. at a very low price. Trust in the system suffered a major blow.

What’s new in ISL rights bids?

This cycle brings about some obvious changes in how rights are structured and presented:

• Long-term clarity: 15-year base deal with 5-year extension option
• Underlying Development Model: 5% annual increase in price
• Package Partition: Separate bidding for men’s and women’s competitions
• Bundled Men’s Rights: ISL and Federation Cup combined in one package
• Women’s Focus: Dedicated packages for Indian Women’s League and IWL 2

This time the intention is to offer greater predictability and structure, which was missing in the previous cycle.

Notably, the Indian Football League has been left out of the tender, raising questions over how the broader league structure is being planned.

What are the issues in the new ISL bid?

Despite the improved structure, there are still some concerns about this process:

• lack of transparency: Request for proposal (RFP) is not available publicly, it is priced at Rs 2.5 lakh
• Out of Indian Football League: No clarity on second level integration
• Lack of trust persists: Clubs became cautious after last season’s financial uncertainty
• Centralized Control Concerns: The same issues that plagued the previous tender still persist
• Execution Risk: Previous delays create doubts over taking decisions on time

These factors suggest that although the structure looks better, key governance and trust issues have still not been fully addressed.

Can something change for the better this time?

There is cautious optimism. The bids, especially from a global player like Genius Sports, show that the ISL still has value.

But Indian football has reached this point before also. The difference this time will depend on how the AIFF executes the deal. Clear communication, financial discipline and stakeholder confidence will be important.

If handled well, this could stabilize the league for the long term. If not, the risk of a repeat of last season’s chaos still exists.

– ends

UAE confirms space ambitions after NASA lunar pivot

As the global space race enters a decisive new phase, a major change is afoot NASA has caused a stir among international partners, including the United Arab Emirates. The decision to halt the Lunar Gateway project, once envisioned as a space station orbiting the Moon, has raised questions over the future of global lunar cooperation, but in a swift and strategic response, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) has made its position clear: the UAE is not retreating from the Moon, it is doubling down.The announcement came after NASA confirmed it would halt development of the Lunar Gateway “in its current form” and redirect efforts to building a permanent base on the lunar surface. In response, MBRSC reaffirmed its commitment to the Artemis program, continued collaboration with NASA, and reaffirmed its long-term vision to remain part of the future lunar infrastructure. This is more than a diplomatic statement, it is a signal that the UAE intends to remain a serious player in deep space exploration despite changes in global strategies.

What was the Lunar Gateway?

Lunar Gateway was designed as a space station orbiting the Moon, a staging hub for astronauts traveling to the lunar surface, and a collaborative project involving multiple international partners. It was also the center of NASA’s broader Artemis program, a mission to return humans to the Moon and eventually reach Mars.For countries like the United Arab Emirates, the Gateway was not just symbolic, it was a direct entry point into human deep space exploration. In fact, the UAE had committed to building a major airlock module for the station, a contribution that would enable scientific research, spacewalk operations, and potential astronaut participation.

NASA’s big shift from orbit to surface and the UAE’s response to adapt, not retreat

NASA’s decision marks a fundamental change in strategy. Instead of building infrastructure around the Moon, the agency is now prioritizing direct operations on the Moon’s surface instead of a $20 billion lunar base, faster timelines for human presence, and orbital staging. As part of this pivot the Gateway project has been effectively halted or postponed. This rationale includes technical and scheduling challenges, high costs, and a desire to accelerate lunar landings amid global competition. Notably, the move is also driven by geopolitical urgency, particularly the race with China to establish a sustained presence on the Moon.Rather than seeing change as a setback, the UAE has seen it as an opportunity. The MBRSC welcomed NASA’s new direction, calling it a “transformational” step toward a sustained human presence on the Moon, expanded lunar exploration capabilities, and new paths for international cooperation. Importantly, the UAE has indicated that it will continue to engage with Artemis, aligning with the new lunar base roadmap and exploring a role in upcoming infrastructure projects.NASA’s pivot has implications far beyond the United States. There is uncertainty for international partners as countries such as Japan, Canada and European countries have committed resources to the gateway. Now their roles are being re-evaluated. However, for the UAE, the quick reaffirmation signals a desire to remain relevant despite the changing structure.The focus on the moon base intensifies competition as the US aims for a sustained presence by the late 2020s and China is aiming for a similar timeline. This transforms the Moon from a symbolic destination into a strategic frontier for global influence. Gateways represent shared infrastructure and distributed responsibilities but the new model can support faster, more centralized execution and flexible partner roles. This requires countries like the UAE to adapt to the constantly evolving mission architecture.

UAE’s big space vision

The UAE’s response cannot be understood in isolation, it is part of a larger national strategy. In the last decade, the country:

Its approach blends scientific ambition, soft power and long-term economic diversification. By engaging with NASA’s evolving plans, the UAE is ensuring it remains inside the future of space rather than watching from the sidelines. Despite the optimistic tone, uncertainties remain:

NASA has indicated that some Gateway components may be reused but details are still emerging. At the moment, international partners are in a phase of recalibration rather than retreat.The roadmap ahead is ambitious with increased robotic missions to the Moon, targeted human landing around 2028, gradual construction of a permanent lunar base and expansion towards Mars exploration. For the UAE, the key question is not whether it will participate or not, but how deeply it will be integrated into the next phase.

Villager poisons tiger to avenge bull killing, 4 arrested (Representational image)

Bhopal: A collared tiger released from the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve into the Satpura Tiger Reserve landscape was allegedly poisoned to death by a villager in revenge after the big cat killed his bull in Chhindwara district. Forest officials have arrested four people in connection with the incident.This tiger was four and a half years old and was released into the forest in December 2024. According to the forest department, a joint team of Satpura Tiger Reserve buffer staff and Sangkheda range team of West Chhindwara forest division was tracking the last known location of the radio-collared tiger since Thursday evening.During a search operation on Friday morning, the team first recovered the carcass of a bull in the forest area under revenue land near compartment P-266 and P-262 of Chhatiyam beat in Sangakheda range. Officials suspect that the animal was hunted by a tiger.A detailed search of the area with the help of dog squad led to the recovery of the tiger’s carcass, which was buried in nearby land. The body was found at around 8.30 in the morning.During initial investigation, forest officials traced the owner of the bull to a nearby village. The accused, identified as Udesingh, 50, resident of Chhatiyaam, was detained and interrogated.Officials said that during interrogation he confessed that a few days ago the tiger had killed his bull. In retaliation, he allegedly poured pesticide on the body and left it in the open. The tiger died after eating poisonous meat. He also admitted that to conceal the incident, he along with others buried the tiger’s carcass the next day.Based on his statement, three more accused were arrested. They have been identified as Bisanlal Shilu, 30, resident of Putiyam, Manohar Singh, 60, of Dob Jhirna in Babai tehsil of Narmadapuram district and Kailal, 65, resident of Kuchikhoh.APPCF (wildlife) L Krishnamurthy told TOI that villagers were being questioned for more information. ‘All its body parts are safe. But we are questioning him to verify his claims.” Forest officials said further investigation is underway to find out other aspects of the case, including the exact substance used and whether there was any pre-planning involved.Later, the body of the male tiger was cremated as per protocol in the presence of Satpura Tiger Reserve Field Director Rakhi Nanda and West Chhindwara DFO Sahil Garg.Officials said that all the accused will be presented in the court. Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has demanded strict action against those involved.

Residents look on as rescue workers search for bodies in the debris of a residential building damaged in an airstrike in Tehran.

Nearly a month into the conflict in West Asia, people in Iran’s capital Tehran are beginning to fear a worse situation. And Washington’s vague statements and Tel Aviv’s threatening comments are adding to their plight. Iranians living in India told TOI on Friday that their loved ones have started moving out of residential areas of the capital as there is strong talk among the population of a ground attack by the “enemy” in parts of their country in the coming days.Roya, an Iranian citizen, said, “There is panic there. People are extremely worried. No one knows whether the current (ceasefire) talks will be meaningful or will lead to any kind of halt to US and Israeli airstrikes… Many families, including mine, living in Tehran have started leaving their homes for ‘safer’ rural areas in the north.”