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The couple couldn’t afford to pay the college fees of their two daughters, both of whom are meritorious students.

The Hyderabad couple, who was arrested for allegedly live streaming their sexual acts on a mobile app, was in dire need of finances and resorted to such acts to make easy money, police said on Friday.

The couple couldn’t afford to pay the college fees of their two daughters, both of whom are meritorious students. One of them is a second year B.Tech student while the other recently secured 468 out of 470 in her intermediate exam and was preparing to enter college. 

Besides, the man, who is an auto driver, was reportedly suffering from ill health and couldn’t afford the medical expenses, the police said.

The man and woman were arrested from Mallikarjuna Nagar in Amberpet on Thursday and several equipment, including high definition cameras, were seized from their house.

The couple, the police said, would share live and recorded videos of their sexual acts with app users – mostly youngsters – who were ready to pay for such explicit content. A live video would cost Rs 2,000 while a recorded clip would be sold for Rs 500. 

The couple earned more money than what the man alone earned by driving an auto, through this racket, the police said. 

They used HD cameras for the purpose. They also reportedly wore masks to conceal their identities during the act, the police added.

The couple’s house was raided by the East Zone Task Force and they were arrested on the basis of a tip-off.

A case under provisions of the Information Technology Act has been registered and a probe is underway, the police said. Notices have also been issued to those who purchased the videos from the couple, they added.

The victim, a native of Shikohabad in Firozabad district, had married in in Faridabad in July 2023.

First she was raped by her father-in-law before being murdered and buried in a pit dug outside her marital home in Haryana’s Faridabad. Disturbing new details have emerged in the killing of a 24-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh allegedly took place in April and remained undetected for nearly two months as her in-laws claimed she had gone missing.

The victim, a native of Shikohabad in Firozabad district, had married in Faridabad in July 2023. Less than two years into the marriage, she was reportedly facing harassment over dowry demands. Her body was recovered on June 21, buried beneath a concrete slab laid over a 10-foot-deep pit outside her in-laws’ residence.

According to the police, the father-in-law has confessed during custodial interrogation. He is currently under a three-day police remand with the district crime unit.

The police said that the plan to kill the woman was finalised on April 14. As part of the plan, her mother-in-law was sent to attend a wedding in  Uttar Pradesh’s Etah to provide an alibi. On the night of April 21, the woman’s husband allegedly mixed sleeping pills into the food served to her and his sister. Both women, sleeping in separate rooms on different floors, fell unconscious.

According to the father-in-law’s confession, he entered the room late that night intending to kill her. Before proceeding with the murder, he allegedly raped his unconscious daughter-in-law. He did not disclose this act to his wife or son at the time, police said.

After the assault, the father-in-law called his son upstairs. Together, they allegedly wrapped the woman’s body and threw it into a pit that had already been excavated in the street just outside the house. The pit, which neighbours had believed was for sewerage work, was filled with bricks and soil after the body was placed inside. A concrete slab was laid over it days later.

The ditch, police confirmed, was prepared under the pretext of drainage repairs and excavated using an earthmover, witnessed by neighbours. The body was buried shortly before the father-in-law filed a missing person’s complaint on April 25.

The partially decomposed body of the woman was recovered before being sent for autopsy. Following the discovery, an FIR was registered naming four members of the family, including the father-in-law, the mother-in-law, the husband and the sister-in-law. 

According to the victim’s sister, the woman had suffered persistent abuse throughout her marriage. Within months of her wedding, she returned to her parents’ home and stayed there for over a year due to the mistreatment.

The sister also claimed that the in-laws were unhappy with the dowry received and had been pressuring her for more money and gifts since early in the marriage. These allegations, police confirm, are being investigated as a potential motive.

Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor said Rahul Gandhi doesn’t undertake any yatra in Bihar.

As the political heat intensifies in Bihar ahead of the forthcoming Assembly polls, Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor targeted Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, questioning his commitment to Bihar and accusing him of token gestures rather than genuine political engagement.

In an interview with ANI, Mr Kishor, who has been tirelessly walking through Bihar’s hinterlands as part of his ambitious outreach, challenged Mr Gandhi to spend even one night in a Bihar village to prove his connection to the state’s grassroots.

Rahul ji keeps coming and going here, but doesn’t really undertake any Yatra. If Rahul Gandhi has ever spent even one night in a village in Bihar, let us know. If he can spend just one night in a village, we’ll accept it,” he said.

“Tum Delhi mein bethkar Bihariyo ke naam par haste ho aur yaha bethkar gyan dete ho (You sit in Delhi, laugh at Biharis then come here to lecture us)” Mr Kishor said.

He also hit out at Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for his remarks about Bihari people, demanding an apology and slamming Congress for what he described as years of neglect and disrespect toward the people of Bihar.

“In Telangana, their Chief Minister is Revanth Reddy, it’s been two years since he became CM. Before that, he was in the TDP (Telugu Desam Party), and before that, he was in the RSS and the BJP. After becoming Chief Minister, he officially stated that doing labour is in the DNA of Biharis. Biharis are born to do labour work. Why did he say this? Because most of his rival KCR’s officers had a Bihar background. So he was implying that Telangana is in a bad state because Biharis are running it. And to justify that, he added another statement saying it’s in Biharis’ DNA to do labour, and that’s why KCR appointed them as bureaucrats,” Mr Kishor said.

“Aap Bihariyo ko kehte ho ki vo paida hue hai mazduri karne ke liye aur phir yaha aakar bada-bada gyan doge (You say Biharis are born to do labour work, and then come here and preach to us?” he asserted.

Further, the Jan Suraaj Chief recalled that the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, in 1989, said he would make Bihar a development hub. “Where did that money go? Congress remained in power afterwards, so tell us, what did you do for Bihar?” he asked.

“If Congress apologised for the injustice done to Sikhs, then Rahul Gandhi should apologise to Biharis as well before campaigning in Bihar. If Biharis are only born for labour, then why are you coming here? Just go campaign in Telangana and get your votes there,” Mr Kishor said.

On being asked how many seats Congress will secure in the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls, Mr Kishor said that it will depend upon “Lalu ji’s charity.”

“Congress has no real existence in Bihar. For the past 25-30 years, it’s been a party that just carries Lalu ji’s bag. If Rahul Gandhi truly has political strength, let him contest elections in Bihar on his own. Try demanding 40% of the seats from Lalu ji and see what happens. In Bihar, Congress dances to Lalu ji’s tune. Whatever he decides, that’s what happens,” he said.

Bihar elections are expected to be held later this year in October or November; however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not yet announced the dates.

While the NDA, consisting of the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, will once again be looking to continue their stint in Bihar, the INDIA bloc, consisting of the RJD, Congress, and left parties, will be looking to unseat Nitish Kumar.

Mr Kishor has presented his party, Jan Suraaj, as another alternative in the state.

In the current Bihar Assembly of 243 members, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) consists of 131 with the BJP having 80 MLAs, JD(U)-45, HAM(S)-4, with the support of 2 Independent candidates.

The Opposition’s INDIA Bloc has a strength of 111 members with RJD leading with 77 MLAs, Congress-19, CPI(ML)-11, CPI(M)-2 and CPI-2.

According to the MLA, the passenger and his companion responded rudely and threatened him. He claimed video evidence now supports his version of events.

BJP’s Babina MLA Rajeev Singh on Thursday clarified his stand on the May 19 incident aboard the Vande Bharat Express, stating that a “misunderstanding” with fellow passengers escalated unnecessarily and that the altercation by his supporters in Jhansi was “unfortunate and unintended”.

Addressing a press conference, the MLA said he was travelling with his wife and children from Delhi to Jhansi when he “politely requested” a passenger to swap seats so the family could sit together.

According to the MLA, the passenger and his companion responded rudely and threatened him. He claimed video evidence now supports his version of events.

The Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP, on June 22, issued a show-cause notice to the party MLA in connection with the episode. The BJP had sought a reply from the legislator within seven days.

Sammy reportedly met with match referee Javagal Srinath after the day’s play to seek clarification regarding multiple decisions that didn’t go in the West Indies’ favour.

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has voiced his concerns over the performance of TV umpire Adrian Holdstock during the first Test against Australia in Barbados, following a series of contentious review decisions on Day 2, as per ESPNcricinfo. Sammy reportedly met with match referee Javagal Srinath after the day’s play to seek clarification regarding multiple decisions that didn’t go in the West Indies’ favour. He also expressed his concerns about Holdstock’s officiating during the recent ODI series in England, where the South African umpire served as TV umpire in two games and stood on the field in another. Two key moments on the second day left the West Indies camp frustrated. The first was the dismissal of captain Roston Chase, adjudged lbw to Pat Cummins, despite what West Indies believed was clear evidence of an inside edge. The second was the wicket of Shai Hope, who was caught behind by Alex Carey off Beau Webster. The catch was deemed clean after a review by the third umpire.

“We are just trying to find some sort of understanding as to what the process is,” Sammy said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

“We only hope for consistency. That’s all we could ask for. When there is doubt in something, just be consistent across the board,” he added.

“I have noticed, especially with this particular umpire, it’s something that for me started in England. It’s frustrating. I just ask for consistency in the decision-making,” he noted.

“Yeah, look, you don’t want to get yourself in a situation where you’re wondering about certain umpires. Is there something against this team? But when you see decision after decision, then it raises the question. I know he’s here for the series. You don’t want to go in a Test match having that doubt,” Sammy said.

“So I want to have that conversation as to the process… so we could be all clear. Because, at the end of the day, you don’t want to be going into a Test match not trusting the umpires. And that’s not what our team is about. So we’re just looking for some clarity as to the decisions,” he noted.

“You’ll have to wait and see for that,” when Sammy was asked whether West Indies would be lodging a formal complaint, he said.

Speaking on Chase’s dismissal, which came just after lunch, breaking a 67-run partnership with Hope, Sammy said, “In our opinion, we saw the ball deviated onto the pad.”

While Sammy didn’t explicitly dispute the decision on Hope’s dismissal, he referenced a similar incident from the previous day, when a catch taken by Hope to dismiss Travis Head was ruled not to have carried.

Omead Afshar, a powerful executive at Tesla Inc. and one of Elon Musk’s closest confidants, has left the company, according to people familiar with the matter, the latest high-level departure during a volatile period for the electric vehicle maker.

News of the exit has circulated internally among some employees in recent days, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal information. Afshar’s name no longer appeared to show up in an internal directory, two of the people said. The reason for the change and his future plans weren’t immediately clear.

Some of the directors who reported to Afshar now report to Tom Zhu, Tesla’s senior vice president of automotive, according to some of the people. The Chinese-born executive oversees Tesla’s factory in Shanghai and is one of the company’s three named executive officers.

Afshar, Musk, Zhu and Tesla didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Tesla Vice President Omead Afshar, left, at a Tesla manufacturing facility in Shanghai in 2019.

The personnel changes punctuate a tumultuous year for Tesla, whose shares have tumbled about 19% while demand has waned for its EV models and Musk has spent time in Washington. The chief executive officer is trying to reorient the company around artificial intelligence, robots and driverless cars, recently rolling out a small number of Tesla’s long-promised robotaxis in Austin.

Afshar joined Tesla in 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile, as the carmaker was beginning to ramp up production of the Model 3 sedan.

“I was with Elon nearly every single day during Model 3 hell,” he said in a 2024 post on X, the social media platform that Musk owns. “This included Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, his birthday and nearly missing his brother’s wedding.”

Afshar was posting regularly on social media in recent days, including several messages this week praising the robotaxi launch.

The executive oversaw the construction of Tesla’s plant in Austin. A member of the office of the CEO since 2017, his most recent job title was listed on his LinkedIn page as a cowboy hat emoji. 

He came under internal scrutiny in 2022 for his role in purchasing hard-to-get construction materials, including a special kind of glass, Bloomberg reported.

Mr Raut confirmed the development today in a post on X , writing,”A united march will take place against the imposition of Hindi in schools in Maharashtra. Jai Maharashtra!”

His post was accompanied by an old image of both Uddhav and Raj Thackeray standing in front of a portrait of Bal Thackeray. 

With the BMC elections approaching, this move is being seen as more than just the estranged cousins coming together for a cultural protest, but also a strategic move ahead of the polls.

Raj Thackeray, founder of the MNS, had originally announced a protest for July 6. The date clashed with Ashadhi Ekadashi, a day of religious significance in Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray revised the date to July 5. 

“With warm regards, Jai Maharashtra. This morning, for our Marathi language, for Maharashtra, and for the Marathi people, a morcha was announced on July 6. There is a slight change in that plan; the morcha will now take place on Saturday, July 5, at 10 AM from Girgaum to Azad Maidan. The location and all other details remain unchanged. Therefore, the media and the people of Maharashtra should take note of this change,” Raj Thackeray stated in a social media post. 

Uddhav Thackeray also questioned the constitutional basis and political motivation behind the policy, invoking comments made by BJP national president JP Nadda and calling for scrutiny of the state’s education system.

Speaking on behalf of the next generation of the Thackeray legacy, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said: “No language should be forced. What we have been learning should continue. Education should be enhanced, but not burdened. Why only Hindi? Why not improve what’s already in place rather than adding to the load?”

Veteran political leader and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar echoed similar views recently.

“My view is that Hindi should not be made compulsory in primary education.

In a critique of the existing administrative work culture, Mr Sharma, a 1996-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, raised concerns over what he described as an overwhelming focus on routine and procedural tasks that detract from the core responsibilities of governance.

“More than 80 per cent of our work is related to attending generic meetings where all other departments are present, handling human resource issues, attending litigation matters, dealing with transparency and right to information laws, sending replies to news clippings, responding to mundane correspondence, and compiling all sorts of reports,” Mr Sharma wrote in a lengthy LinkedIn post.

In his post, Mr Sharma also questioned a long-standing belief in administrative circles, that all assignments within the IAS are equally challenging.

He argued that this mindset has led to a loss of focus on department-specific goals, with officers often caught in an endless loop of administrative formalities that offer little sectoral insight or impact.

Mr Sharma drew a clear line between what he considers non-core and core responsibilities. While non-core tasks include meetings, litigation, and routine correspondence, core work, according to him, involves hands-on engagement with the mission and vision of specific departments such as water, energy, education, health and infrastructure.

He warned that a persistent neglect of core departmental functions can not only stall innovation but also create a “false sense of being an expert administrator,” ultimately harming service delivery in the long term.

As he steps into his role in the Energy Department, his resolution is to reverse the current pattern and dedicate 80 per cent of his time to core work.

“The Energy Department is one of those places that essentially needs a greater emphasis on the Core Work,” he noted. “So, the resolution this time is to reverse the scenario.”

Experts say radio’s dependability lies in its simplicity

 when internet and mobile networks fail, as seen in Spain and Portugal’s 2024 blackout or during the Russia-Ukraine war, radio remains functional. In Ukraine, when TV towers were destroyed and signals jammed, citizens turned to crank radios to access life-saving updates and coded escape routes. Similarly, Palestinians in Gaza have relied on radio for news amid telecommunications blackouts.

Experts say radio’s dependability lies in its simplicity. It doesn’t rely on expensive devices, data plans, or fragile digital infrastructure. Emergency radios powered by cranks or solar energy can continue broadcasting even when electricity is down.

During crises, radio becomes more than just a tool; it’s a symbol of hope and survival. In Syria, Radio Fresh won global acclaim for its role in challenging propaganda and spreading truth. Governments, including the EU, now urge citizens to include battery-powered or wind-up radios in emergency kits alongside food, water, and medicine, as per the news article.

Fears of World War 3 have triggered a surge in radio purchases, fuelled by TikTok influencers in Europe and US urging users to include radios in survival kits. They warn that if the power grid fails, people may miss vital government alerts without access to traditional radio broadcasts.

How Does Radio Work?

Radio waves, a type of light, are created by accelerating electrons in an electric circuit. By altering their amplitude (AM) or frequency (FM), these waves carry information. A radio receiver decodes the waves into sound. Shortwave radio, useful for long distances, remains vital for aircraft and rescue operations. Its evolution owes much to physicist Edward Appleton, who proved the ionosphere’s role in bouncing signals.

During Emergency, two words Secular and Socialist were added to the Constitution, which were not part of the original Preamble,” Dattatreya Hosabale said at an event organised on 50 years of the Emergency.

Dattatreya Hosabale, the general secretary of the BJP’s ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, today said the fate of two words in the preamble of the constitution – “Socialist” and “Secular” — should be decided through debate.

“During Emergency, two words Secular and Socialist were added to the Constitution, which were not part of the original Preamble,” Mr Hosabale said at an event organised on 50 years of the Emergency.

“Later, these words were not removed. Should they remain or not, debate must happen on this. These two words were not in Dr Ambedkar’s Constitution. During Emergency, the country had no functioning Parliament, no rights, no judiciary and yet these two words were added.” 

On the occasion, he also took a jibe at the Congress, and without naming him, its senior leader Rahul Gandhi.

“The people who did this (imposed Emergency) are roaming around with copies of the Constitution today. They have, to date, not apologised to the people of India for this,” he said.

“You put more than 1 lakh people in jail, kept more than 250 journalists in jail, violated fundamental rights, and forced 60 lakh Indians to undergo sterilisation… You ended the independence of judiciary. Have all the people who did this apologised to the country? If it was not you but your ancestors, then you have to apologise in their name,” he added. 

The BJP’s move to name the 50th anniversary of Emergency —  – imposed by the government of the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975  — as the “Samvidhan Hatya Divas (Murder of Constitution Day)”, has opened a new front with the Congress.

The two parties have been again at loggerheads since yesterday, with leaders from JP Nadda to Union home minister Amit Shah ripping into the Congress.  

The Congress has responded sharply in face of the concerted BJP attack .

“Those who never contributed to the freedom struggle or constitution-making are now claiming to defend it,” said party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. 

“PM Modi is repeatedly invoking a period that the country has moved past. He is making an issue out of something that people have already forgotten,” he had added.