You don’t have permission to access “http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/israel-iran-war-donald-trump-calls-iran-war-very-complete-threatens-to-take-over-hormuz-strait-11192357” on this server.
Reference #18.34a21ab8.1773098796.3313cd6
https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.34a21ab8.1773098796.3313cd6
NEW DELHI: Nearly 97% of employers in India say English proficiency among employees is more important today than it was five years ago, while 87% believe the rapid adoption of AI is increasing the need for English skills at workplace, according to a global survey by ETS (Educational Testing Service), the organisationwhich is behind the TOEIC English assessment.The findings come from the Global English Skills Report, based on a survey of 1,325 HR decision makers across 17 countries, including India. The research was conducted by The Harris Poll between Sept and Oct 2025 and covered employers across sectors such as manufacturing, finance, services and technology.Globally, the survey found 92% of employers agree that English language proficiency among employees is more important now than it was five years ago, indicating a widespread shift in workplace skill expectations.The report noted that AI is not reducing the importance of language skills as many had expected. Instead, it is increasing reliance on English. “Workers must be fluent in English to effectively interact with AI and fully capitalise on its benefits,” the report stated, adding that organisations see language proficiency as central to using AI tools, generating prompts and validating AI-generated outputs.
Across industries, employers say the language remains the backbone of cross-border collaboration. “English, as the lingua franca of international business, is the standard medium for multinational team meetings, email exchanges and project management,” the report noted, underlining the role of English in coordinating global teams and partnerships.The growing importance of English is also reshaping hiring practices. In India, 80% of companies already use English assessments during hiring or candidate screening, slightly above the global average of 78%, suggesting that language ability is becoming a routine evaluation parameter in recruitment. Assessments are increasingly integrated across employee development cycles as well. The survey showed 76% of organisations in India use English assessments before training programmes, while 66% conduct post-training evaluations, indicating that companies are embedding language proficiency into workforce development strategies.Seventy-eight per cent of organisations globally use English tests for hiring, 71% for pre-training evaluation and 66% for promotion readiness, reflecting the growing role of language testing in talent management. Employers expect this shift to intensify as competition for skilled talent grows.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday described a father’s claim that his minor daughter accused him of rape simply out of anger as “too far-fetched.”Upholding the man’s life term, a division bench of Justices Manish Pitale and Shreeram Shirsat dismissed the father’s plea challenging a March 2020 judgment of a special Pocso court sentencing him to life imprisonment for raping his minor daughter on several occasions. The accused argued his daughter implicated him because he had forced her to discontinue studies, a move he framed as a parental disciplinary measure that sparked her resentment. The HC insisted his theory could not be accepted. “But it would be far-fetched to accept that only for this reason the daughter made such serious, drastic, and far-reaching (rape) allegations against her father,” the bench observed. In 2018, the minor had reported years of abuse during a counselling session.
NEW DELHI: Hardik Pandya reflected on his journey from battling personal struggles to lifting back-to-back T20 World Cup trophies for India. The star all-rounder said winning the 2026 title in Ahmedabad was a validation of a promise he made to himself — to play every tournament with the aim of winning trophies for India.Pandya had earlier spoken about seeking redemption during the 2024 T20 World Cup, when he staged a strong comeback and helped India end a 17-year wait for the title.
“When we won the T20 World Cup in 2024, I was facing a lot of difficulties personally. Many things had happened before that tournament, and things were not going my way. Before the 2024 World Cup started, I had made up my mind that I was going for redemption. I wanted to make a dominating comeback. I did that and helped my team win the trophy after 17 years. Coming to this T20 World Cup victory in Ahmedabad, this is something I have always lived for. I play cricket to do well for my country and win trophies. I want to win all the trophies for India,” Hardik Pandya said on JioStar.“After the win in Barbados, I promised myself that whichever tournament I play, I will play to win, and I will lift the trophy. This win against New Zealand in Ahmedabad is a validation that the promise I made to myself has become a reality. And this is just the start,” he added.India defeated the Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand national cricket team by a massive 96-run margin to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title. With the victory, India became the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first to win it back-to-back after triumphing in the 2024 edition, and the first team to lift the trophy three times — in 2007, 2024 and 2026.Pandya enjoyed an impressive campaign in the 2026 tournament. The 32-year-old scored 217 runs in nine innings at an average of 27.12 and a strike rate of 160.74, including two half-centuries. He also contributed with the ball, picking up nine wickets in nine matches, with best figures of 2/16.
NEW DELHI: Continuing with its humanitarian approach towards acid attack survivors, the SC on Monday asked the states and Union Territories to explain whether these physically disfigured people can be rehabilitated through preferential employment in govts and PSUs through a policy decision.Dealing with a PIL by acid attack survivor Shaheen Malik, a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi in its order said, “If they encountered logistic problems with regard to providing for preferential treatment in employment to acid attack victims in govt and PSUs, they should pay a honorarium or subsistence allowance to the needy among them. We are providing one last opportunity to the states and UTs to submit their views.“It asked the govts to submit “brief particulars of each victim of acid attack, their academic qualifications, current employment status, marital status, medical treatment and details of the expenditure incurred or committed to be incurred by the states/UTs on such treatment.”The bench noted that the HCs have already issued instructions to district courts to prioritise acid attack case trials and said the chief justices concerned would apprise respective supervising HC judges to regularly monitor the progress in these trials to ensure their expeditious completion.The petitioner has requested the SC to include the cases of people, who were forcibly ingested acid and other corrosive substances and suffer internal damage to their organs, to be considered as physically disabled persons like those physically scarred by acid attacks.When additional solicitor general Archana Pathak Dave said the govt is deliberating on this issue, the bench said, “BNS equates both acid attack and acid ingestion as similar offences. The same similarity should be introduced in the Rights of People with Disabilities Act.”
Bhiwandi: Two rickshaw drivers, both residents of Bhiwandi, were killed after an unidentified vehicle rammed into their auto from behind on the Mumbai-Nashik highway near Bapgaon on Monday morning, police said. The deceased have been identified as Rajkumar Gupta (40) and Mahendra Kesarwani (39). According to officials, the two friends were travelling towards Bapgaon, when a speeding vehicle hit the auto from behind. Due to the impact of the collision, both men were thrown onto the road. Passersby and motorists rushed the injured duo to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead on arrival. Police said the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.
Gupta’s younger brother said he had been driving an autorickshaw for 20 years and was survived by his wife and two children. Police have registered a case and launched a probe.
NEW DELHI: Ex-IAS officer Anil Tuteja, a powerful bureaucrat in the then Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress govt who is an accused in several major scams, on Monday requested the Supreme Court to direct the investigating agencies to interrogate him continuously in all the cases and then allow him bail till the completion of trials.Appearing for the former bureaucrat, senior advocate Shoeb Alam told a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that agencies have shown an uncanny knack of arresting him in a different case when Tuteja is close to getting bail in one.Alam said Tuteja has been in jail since April 2024 and has volunteered for continuous custodial interrogation by the Economic Offences Wing of Chhattisgarh Police and ED. Once that is done, he should not be arrested in one case or another merely to keep him behind bars, he argued.The bench said that as a powerful bureaucrat, Tuteja had wielded significant power and the cases against him involve alleged siphoning of huge sums of public money. “You have been granted bail by courts in cases where discretion was exercised. But we cannot pass a peremptory order granting bail in all present and future cases,” the CJI-led bench said.SC listed the cases against Tuteja – the Rs 175 crore rice milling scam, Rs 600 crore District Mineral Foundation (DMF) scam, Rs 540 crore coal levy scam, Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam, Nagrik Apurti Nigam (PDS) scam and Mahadev Betting App scam – and said he could seek bail after arrest or anticipatory bail if he apprehends arrest.The bench said the Chhattisgarh HC was right in declining to entertain Tuteja’s omnibus bail plea but added that if he files a bail plea within a week, the HC should decide it on priority within two to four weeks.
Mumbai: A total of 58 BEST bus drivers and service contractor companies were dismissed between 2022 and 2024 due to road accidents, state deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde told the legislative council on Monday. In a written response, Shinde also said 603 drivers have been suspended due to accidents.Shinde added that to prevent accidents, the BEST undertaking has extended the duration of advanced training for the electric bus drivers. Additionally, 200 drivers have received practical training on a bus driving simulator system. Under the supervision of officials from the traffic and engineering departments, the driving patterns of bus drivers on roads are checked, and appropriate action is taken against drivers found driving recklessly, he added.
In the latest major accident, four people were killed and 10 more were injured after they were knocked down by a reversing BEST bus on Dec 29, 2025. BEST is currently transitioning to electric vehicles.
Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has clarified that the absence of several senior players from the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh national cricket team should not be interpreted as punishment following the team’s disappointing campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Pakistan crashed out before the knockout stage of the tournament, which was eventually won by India national cricket team in Ahmedabad. In the aftermath, the selectors opted to leave out experienced names such as Babar Azam, Saim Ayub and Naseem Shah from the squad for the three-match ODI series in Bangladesh. Hesson insisted the decision was purely about experimentation and providing opportunities to emerging players rather than dropping established stars. “I wouldn’t say anyone was dropped. We just see this series as an opportunity to give these promising players a chance to prove themselves,” he said. The former New Zealand coach explained that Pakistan have had limited opportunities to assess new talent in the 50-over format and the Bangladesh tour offers a timely platform, especially with the next ODI World Cup approaching. “Sahabzada Farhan has forced himself into the ODI squad because of his exceptional performances in T20s and then young players like Shamyl Hussain or Maaz Sadaqat have been doing well in domestic cricket and junior sides. “The series will not be easy as Bangladesh have been playing a lot more one-day cricket then us. I see this series as a big opportunity for these new players,” Hesson said. Meanwhile, tensions within Pakistan’s cricket setup have also come to light. Former Pakistan Test pacer Sikander Bakht revealed that disagreements had occurred between Hesson and members of the selection panel regarding squad decisions during the World Cup. Speaking on Geo News, Bakht claimed that every player selected for the tournament was Hesson’s choice and said the coach often overruled the selectors. “I was involved in an argument with him. Aleem also spoke up but the rest of the selectors just sat quietly and didn’t question Hesson’s decisions,” Sikander said. Bakht also disclosed that he and former international umpire Aleem Dar had both challenged the coach’s views during selection meetings. Dar recently stepped down from his role amid reports that he was unhappy with Hesson’s involvement in selection matters. According to Bakht, the selectors had initially provided a pool of 20 names, but Hesson finalised the squad on his own terms. Sikander further criticised the influence of Pakistan’s T20 captain Salman Ali Agha in selection discussions, adding another layer of controversy around the team’s decision-making process following their World Cup exit.
As celebrations from India’s historic T20 World Cup 2026 triumph continue across the country, attention is now shifting to Thiruvananthapuram, where one of the team’s biggest heroes, Sanju Samson, is set to receive a grand welcome. The Kerala government has announced plans for a special civic reception to honour the wicketkeeper-batter, who was named Player of the Tournament after playing a decisive role in India lifting their third T20 World Cup title.
For fans in Kerala, Samson’s success is more than just a cricketing achievement—it is a moment of immense pride for the state and especially for his hometown of Vizhinjam, where his remarkable journey began.
The Kerala government has decided to organise an official reception for Samson in Thiruvananthapuram to celebrate his contribution to India’s World Cup victory over New Zealand in the final. The announcement was made by State General Education and Labour Minister V. Sivankutty, who described Samson as one of the key figures behind India’s triumph.
“Samson, who hails from the coastal town of Vizhinjam here, has brought immense pride to Keralites with his outstanding performance in the tournament,” the minister said in a statement.
While the exact date of the felicitation ceremony has not yet been finalised, government officials confirmed that the proposal has already been communicated to Samson. The event will be organised once the cricketer confirms his availability.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also praised Samson’s performance, calling it a proud moment for every Malayali. The Chief Minister highlighted the batter’s consistency throughout the tournament and the crucial role he played in the final, describing him as the “backbone of the Indian team.” Vijayan added that Samson’s journey is a powerful reminder that dedication and perseverance can turn even the biggest dreams into reality.
Also WATCH: Ishan Kishan celebrates T20 World Cup title win with girlfriend Aditi Hundia
For the people of Vizhinjam, a coastal fishing village located about 20 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram, Samson’s success carries deep emotional significance. On the night of the final, residents gathered on the beach and in local grounds to watch the match on large screens. Fireworks lit up the sky as India sealed the victory, and celebrations continued well into the early hours of the morning.
Many locals also visited the church playground where Samson had practised as a young boy, remembering the days when he would train tirelessly with dreams of playing for India.
His remarkable performances during the T20 World Cup 2026 justified that perseverance. Samson scored 321 runs in just five innings, averaging over 80 while striking at nearly 200. His three consecutive match-winning fifties in the knockout stages – including 97 not out against West Indies, 89 against England in the semi-final, and another 89 in the final against New Zealand – cemented his place among India’s World Cup heroes.
After receiving the Player of the Tournament award, Samson dedicated the honour to his wife Charulatha Ramesh, thanking her for supporting him throughout the ups and downs of his career. Images of Charulatha holding the trophy on the team bus quickly went viral, capturing an emotional family moment.
Also READ: Sanju Samson’s wife – All you need to know about star batter’s pillar of strength Charulatha Remesh
