Irom Sharmila, famously known as the "Iron lady of Manipur," while speaking to India Today about the clashes, violence, and the sexual assault incidents in Manipur, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately intervene and adopt the right approach. She said that the situation has now reached an extreme. Emphasizing that Manipur is a federal state, she said that the clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities have escalated beyond control.
Sharmila pointed out that the internet shutdown in the region delayed the surfacing of the infamous video of sexual harassment of two women in Manipur. “The crime would have come to light sooner if there was no internet shutdown,” she said. She also said that it is the exploitation of people's right to information. Stating that the law and order situation in Manipur is deteriorating, she called upon the central government to take responsibility and intervene to address the growing unrest in the state.
The 83rd Golden Globe Awards kicked off in Los Angeles with a glamorous red carpet as Hollywood’s biggest stars arrived for the much-awaited night. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas turned heads with their stylish appearance, while Nikki Glaser hosted the event featuring a star-studded list of presenters.
A significant security development is unfolding near the Line of Control (LOC) and the International Border, where at least five drones from the Pakistani side were spotted entering Indian territory. India Today's Bureau Chief for J&K, Ashraf Wani, reports on the incursions which occurred in multiple areas including Samba, Nowshera, Rajouri, and Poonch. According to Wani, 'Today, it is a significant move in that way, many drones had been spotted, not only one but at least five drones had been spotted in different areas of line of control as well as international border.' In response, security forces have launched a massive search and cordon operation to determine if the drones dropped any materials, such as weapons or drugs. The army fired upon the drones in at least two locations, but the unmanned vehicles managed to retreat back to the Pakistani side.
This special report focuses on a major political realignment in Maharashtra, where Thackeray cousins Uddhav Thackeray, President of Shiv Sena (UBT), and Raj Thackeray, President of MNS, held a joint rally at Mumbai's iconic Shivaji Park. The two have formed an alliance for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, stating they have joined hands for the benefit of the 'Marathi Manus'. Taking the opportunity to attack his rivals, Uddhav Thackeray stated that 'helpless monkeys can't become tigers' and asserted that the Jan Sangh, the BJP's precursor, had no role in Maharashtra's fight. The report highlights that this pivotal moment sees the brothers reunite after Raj Thackeray had earlier split from the Shiv Sena to form his own party, with their shared cause now being a focus on Marathi identity ahead of the crucial civic polls.
Following Indonesia's lead, Malaysia has now suspended access to Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, due to concerns over AI-generated pornographic content. India Today's Shivani Sharma reports that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has ordered an immediate temporary restriction on the platform. The move comes after global criticism of Grok's image creation feature, which reportedly allowed users to create sexualized images of women and children. According to Sharma, the Malaysian regulator found the platform's safeguards to be inadequate. She notes that access will only be restored 'after the required changes are verified'. This action highlights the growing international concern among nations from Europe to Asia regarding the content generated by new AI tools and the push for stronger platform accountability.
