NEW DELHI: ‘Bol ke lab azaad hain tere,’ scribbled across a yellow chart paper, fought for space alongside a poster exhorting freshers to join the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. During the high-decibel Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls in Sept, the walls of democracy at North Campus gave opposing student parties the opportunity to stand neck-and-neck-at least on paper-and more. On Wednesday evening, however, when two women students affiliated with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) attempted to paste posters opposing the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill near St. Stephen’s College, they were shocked to learn that the walls no longer ‘existed’. A video shows at least seven security staff stopping the duo. Only five months ago, Delhi University (DU) had notified guidelines against defacement of walls, especially during the student election season. It also asked departments and colleges to increase the size of these walls of democracy as much as possible at two notified locations. DU’s North and South Campuses have several such walls, typically marked with a university-installed board reading ‘Wall of Democracy’ for easy identification. Walls adjacent to St. Stephen’s College, near the Faculty of Arts, and opposite Daulat Ram College were among those officially designated. During student elections, anti-defacement committees were set up to ensure that posters were pasted only on these walls. Outside election periods, students have also used them to display posters related to protests, meetings and political or social issues. In a social media post, the student body alleged that the guards tore down the posters and verbally informed them of the university’s decision. Students also claimed that the boards identifying these walls were removed without prior notice. DU proctor Manoj Kumar on Thursday confirmed that the walls had been denotified. He, however, did not provide any reason for the decision or indicate whether it had been communicated to students. He also did not clarify whether colleges had been asked to follow suit. A college principal said no one had asked them to follow in the university’s footsteps, so far. The organisation submitted a complaint to the proctor’s office on Thursday, demanding the immediate reinstatement of the walls. In its complaint, the SFI said the removal was carried out without any consultation with students or student organisations. It added that the walls have historically served as an important democratic space for students to express opinions and engage in political and social dialogue within the university. Calling the move an attempt to stifle democratic expression, students said the shrinking of such spaces undermines the democratic character of DU.

NEW DELHI: India’s lung cancer burden is projected to rise sharply by 2030, with the North-East emerging as the worst-affected region and women recording the fastest increase in cases, a national study published in Indian Journal of Medical Research has found. Data from 57 populations across six regions show lung cancer incidence to be highest in the North-East, where rates for women are now close to those for men – an unusual pattern in India. Aizawl recorded the highest burden, with age-standardised incidence at 35.9 per lakh among men and 33.7 per lakh among women, along with the highest mortality. Although extremely high tobacco use – over 68% among men and 54% among women – continues to drive the region’s burden, doctors say the disease profile is shifting. “We are seeing more lung cancer cases among non-smoking women, linked to indoor air pollution, biomass fuel use, second-hand smoke and occupational exposure,” said Dr Saurabh Mittal of AIIMS’s pulmonology department.

The shift is also reflected in tumour patterns nationwide. Adenocarcinoma has replaced smoking-linked squamous-cell carcinoma as the dominant subtype. In Bengaluru, it now accounts for over half of lung cancer cases among women, while Delhi has seen a sharp rise in large-cell carcinoma. Southern districts such as Kannur, Kasargod and Kollam reported high incidence among men despite relatively low tobacco and alcohol use, pointing to non-tobacco risk factors. Among women, Hyderabad and Bengaluru recorded the highest incidence in the south. In the north, Srinagar showed elevated lung cancer rates among men, while women in Srinagar and Pulwama also reported higher incidence despite low substance use. Trend analysis shows lung cancer incidence climbing by up to 6.7% annually among women and 4.3% among men in some regions. Thiruvananthapuram recorded the sharpest rise among women, while Dindigul saw the steepest increase among men. With tobacco use among women still below 10% nationwide, researchers point to worsening air quality and household exposures as key drivers. Projections suggest that by 2030, lung cancer incidence among men could exceed 33 per lakh in parts of Kerala, while among women it could rise to over 8 per lakh in cities like Bengaluru. Low mortality-to-incidence ratios in several regions also point to gaps in death reporting, potentially masking the true toll.

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Nodal Cyber Police on Wednesday filed a 2,500-page chargesheet in a Rs 58-crore ‘digital arrest’ con naming 32 arrested persons and 41 wanted accused, who not only impersonated Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers, but also created a multi-layered web of mule bank accounts to move money across states and eventually overseas.According to the chargesheet, the investigation uncovered over 10,000 mule accounts, many opened in the names of fictitious companies using forged KYC documents and fake SIM cards. The funds allegedly travelled through 13 layers of accounts, including at least 27 active mule accounts in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, before being diverted abroad. The masterminds are suspected to be operating from Cambodia and Dubai, with one Vijay Khanna emerging as a key handler believed to be outside India.The fraud began in Aug 2025, when a pharmaceutical businessman and his wife were allegedly terrorised through calls and video interactions by persons posing as CBI and ED officials. The couple was told that their bank accounts had received “suspicious” funds attracting money-laundering provisions and were shown fake video calls and staged clips depicting police stations, CBI and ED offices, and even mock courtrooms with actors posing as judges, officers, and lawyers. Under the guise of investigation, the couple was coerced to transfer their entire savings of over Rs 58.1 crore, with assurances the money would be returned after clearance.Investigators said arrested Gujarat businessman Jayeshbhai Dapa’s firm, Jai Bhavani Mechanical, allegedly received nearly Rs 15.3 crore, which was then routed to multiple accounts for monetary consideration. Accounts in the names of Meghdoot Trading, owned by Sakalkumar Sahu, Jacky Explorer owned by Chirag Sharma, and entities such as SBV Foundation and M-Stak Innovation allegedly received major sums, ranging from Rs 1.9 crore to Rs 2.4 crore.Devendranath Raut, a resident of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, allegedly received Rs 2.1 crore in the name of Sainath Enterprises and stated, during interrogation, that he transferred funds at the behest of a wanted accused, Shratik. Investigators have also tracked Rs 3.4 crore allegedly transferred to accounts linked with wanted accused Vijay Gaikwad, Abhijit Jamble, and Ratnadeep.The chargesheet alleged that AVB Foundation, owned by Akshay Meena of Bhilwara, received Rs 30 lakh, while Maybank Indonesia accounts linked to Technomist Softwares and Arkit Solutions and opened by Devendra alias Sunny and Mukesh Bhatia received Rs 50 lakh. Accused Katunga Raju Samuel Prasad from Andhra Pradesh allegedly received Rs 2.4 crore through an account in the name of a religious trust.

Three Indians were among the crew members on board the Russia-flagged oil tanker seized by the US, as reported by Russia Today. The report shared accounts of crew members stating the crew consisted of 3 Indian citizens, 17 Ukrainian citizens, 6 Georgian citizens, and 2 Russian citizens.In response to Washington’s allegations of the oil tanker “violating the US sanctions,” the report stated that ‘Marinera’ received legal permission to sail under the Russian flag on December 24, which was fully in line with international law.“The Marinera crew consists of 17 Ukrainian citizens, six Georgian citizens, three Indian citizens and two Russian citizens,” Russia Today said, quoting sources.It also said that the detained vessel was chartered under the flag of Guyana. On December 24, 2025, the ship received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian flag.Moscow, on Thursday, also asked Washington to comply with the international laws on freedom of maritime navigation. The Russian foreign ministry also stated that information about ‘Marinera’, formerly known as Bella 1, was seized on Wednesday, was repeatedly conveyed to the United States.“We call on Washington to resume compliance with the fundamental norms and principles of international maritime navigation and immediately cease its illegal actions against the Marinera tanker and other vessels engaged in law-abiding activities on the high seas,” news agency PTI reported, quoting the Russian foreign ministry.Moscow also demanded humane treatment of the crew members in its statement. ““We reiterate our demand that the US ensure humane and dignified treatment of the Russian citizens comprising the tanker’s crew, strictly observe their rights and interests, and make no obstacles to their prompt return to their homeland,” it said.Russia also claimed that the US was wrongly citing its own sanction laws.“The statements by some US officials that the seizure of the Marinera is part of a broader strategy to establish Washington’s unlimited control over Venezuela’s natural resources are extremely cynical. We strongly reject such neo-colonialist tendencies,” the Russian foreign ministry stated.“Unilateral restrictive measures by the US, as well as other Western countries, are illegitimate and cannot justify attempts to establish jurisdiction and, even more so, to seize ships on the high seas,” it added.Russia asserted that the US boarded and seized a Russian civilian vessel without consent. It reinstated its formal protest on the matter and argued that the US actions constitute a serious violation of international maritime law and freedom of navigation.“Russia did not give consent to these actions. On the contrary, it lodged an official protest with the US government regarding the pursuit of the Marinera by a US Coast Guard vessel over the past several weeks, insisting on the immediate cessation of these activities and the withdrawal of the unlawful demands made on the Russian ship’s captain,” the ministry said.On Wednesday, US forces seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic. The US claimed the vessel was a part of a “shadow fleet” carrying sanctioned oil and had fled a US blockade near Venezuela. The US forces, despite the presence of a Russian submarine escort, boarded the ship after the operation was authorised by a federal warrant for sanctions violations.