Israel Claims Senior Iranian Official Killed in Overnight Airstrike
Israel's defence minister has asserted that Ali Larijani, a key Iranian security official, was killed in an overnight airstrike. However, Iran has not confirmed this claim, leaving Larijani's fate uncertain. Reports indicate that Iranian state media released a handwritten message attributed to Larijani for the funeral of sailors killed in a recent US strike, where he described their deaths as part of Iran's national sacrifices. Despite this, Israeli sources maintain that the message does not disprove their claim of his death in the strike.
Centre Addresses Energy Concerns Amid Middle East Conflict
The Indian government has acknowledged that the energy situation remains a concern due to the ongoing Middle East conflict but assured that LPG supplies for domestic consumers are continuing without disruption. Petroleum ministry official Sujata Sharma, during an inter-ministerial briefing, advised consumers to use LPG judiciously and not panic, while encouraging a shift to PNG, especially for commercial users. She noted that petrol and diesel availability is sufficient, online LPG bookings have reached about 94%, and delivery authentication has improved to 76%. The government has also warned against hoarding and black marketing, conducting thousands of raids across states with seizures and arrests to ensure smooth distribution.
India Condemns Pakistan's Alleged Airstrike on Kabul Hospital
India has strongly condemned Pakistan's alleged airstrike on a Kabul hospital, which Afghanistan says killed over 400 people and injured around 250. India described the attack as a "massacre dressed as a military operation" and an unjustifiable violation of Afghanistan's sovereignty and regional peace. Afghanistan stated that the strike destroyed the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, largely affecting patients, while Pakistan denied the allegation, claiming its operations targeted only military and "terrorist" infrastructure. Afghan authorities called the attack inhumane, as Pakistan rejected the claims as false, linking its actions to cross-border militant threats.
TMC Releases Candidate List for West Bengal Assembly Elections
The All India Trinamool Congress, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has announced its candidates for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections. The party will contest 291 of the 294 seats, with the remaining three in the Darjeeling hills to be contested by ally Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha led by Anit Thapa. Banerjee will face BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur, while Pabitra Kar has been fielded against Adhikari in Nandigram. Other notable candidates include Chandrima Bhattacharya, Madan Mitra, Firhad Hakim, Kunal Ghosh, and Shashi Panja.
Supreme Court Rules Against Maternity Leave Limit for Adoptive Mothers
The Supreme Court has ruled that Section 60(4) of the Code on Social Security, 2020, which limited 12 weeks of maternity leave for adoptive mothers to those adopting children under three months of age, is unconstitutional and violates the Right to Equality. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan held that there is no rational basis for this restriction, describing the provision as contentious. The court observed that maternity benefits are inherently linked to motherhood, and adoptive mothers, regardless of the child's age, require time for bonding, caregiving, and adjustment.
