NEW DELHI: Israeli ambassador to India Reuven Azar joined President Droupadi Murmu, PM Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, CDS General Anil Chauhan and several other political and military leaders in praising the Indian Army’s bravery and saluting its courage on the Army Day.The 78th Army Day parade was organised in Jaipur, marking the fourth time the event was hosted outside Delhi to decentralise the programme and take the parade to every part of the country. It was the first time the parade was held in a non-cantonment area.President Murmu, also the commander of the Indian armed forces, noted that the Army has consistently upheld the highest traditions of professionalism, commitment, and bravery, whether in safeguarding the nation’s borders or saving lives during natural calamities. She also commended the Army for its remarkable success in Operation Sindoor.Modi saluted the courage and resolute commitment of the Indian Army. “Our soldiers stand as a symbol of selfless service, safeguarding the nation with steadfast resolve, at times under the most challenging conditions. Their sense of duty inspires confidence and gratitude across the country,” he said on X. He also said the country remembers with deep respect those who have laid down their lives in the line of duty.Rajnath saluted the force’s courage, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and integrity. On the occasion in Jaipur, Rajnath said, “Operation Sindoor emerged as a balanced military response amidst the uncertainties prevailing worldwide, and it will be remembered in history as a symbol of India’s courage, strength, restraint & national character,” he said.CDS Chauhan and Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi also extended greetings to all ranks, families, veterans and veer naris, remembering the organisation’s role in Operation Sindoor.NEW DELHIWhile praising the Army, Reuven Azar reaffirmed cooperation between India and Israel. On X, he said that the partnership between the two countries focuses on counter-terrorism, technology, and innovation. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi also paid their respects to soldiers.Army chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi said in Jaipur, “The Indian Army is moving forward as a future-ready force, possessing well-trained soldiers, modern equipment, and multi-domain operational capabilities. Technology is being used to make the soldier even more capable.” He also underscored the need for indigenous equipment, calling it a “strategic necessity”. He said that there has been a clear shift in the Indian Army’s thinking in the last few years.Operation Sindoor established a “new normal”, according to the Army chief. “It demonstrated the Indian Army’s ability to respond with speed, coordination and precision. The operation reflected a mature and confident force, capable of safeguarding national interests through measured, firm and responsible action,” he said.A wide range of hi-tech weapons, kamikaze drones, newly-raised battalions like Bhairav Battalion and advanced anti-missile systems used in Op Sindoor made their debut at this year’s parade. Artillery and rocket capabilities were also on display, with several missile and launcher systems, including BrahMos, Pinaka, BM-21 Grad, Smerch and the indigenous Akashteer on show.Gen Dwivedi also said the Indian Army is continuously upgrading its capabilities and building ‘super specialists’ in preparation for future warfare.

File photo (Picture credit: PTI)

NEW DELHI: Counting of votes for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections 2026 will be held on Friday, with results from Asia’s richest civic body expected to start coming in as the day progresses.The vote count will determine the political control of Mumbai’s 227-ward civic corporation after a gap of more than six years.

Where to watch BMC election results 2026 live

Counting of the votes will start in the morning and live updates will be available on the Election Commission’s official website. The website will provide constituency-wise vote tallies, leading candidates, and updated trends throughout the counting process.In addition, The Times of India will offer real-time coverage on its website, with continuous updates, seat trends and analysis as results unfold across Mumbai and other municipal corporations in Maharashtra.

What to expect from the results

Exit polls have projected a strong showing for the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the BMC elections. Surveys such as Axis My India and JVC have forecast that the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance could cross the 130-seat mark, while the Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS alliance is expected to trail with around 60 seats. Congress is projected to secure about 20 seats.The elections are significant as they are the first BMC polls since the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena. The last civic elections were held in 2017, with delays in fresh polls attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, Supreme Court rulings on OBC reservations and ward delimitation issues.Nearly 50% polling was reported across Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations. State election commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said voter turnout across the 29 civic bodies was estimated between 46% and 50%, with final figures to be announced later.The BMC results are expected to have wider political implications for Maharashtra’s urban landscape and upcoming electoral battles.

NEW DELHI: A rally was organised in Kargil on Wednesday under the banner of the Imam Khomeni Memorial Trust to express solidarity with Iran and its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, amid unrest and heightened international attention on developments in the country.The rally commenced from multiple locations across the town. One procession started from Zainabia Chowk, passing through Fatima Chowk and Isna Asharia Chowk, while another began from Jamia Masjid, proceeding via Lal Chowk and Khomeni Chowk. All processions converged at the Old Taxi Stand, Kargil, where the main gathering was held.

Visuals from the rally showed people gathering in large numbers, holding banners of Ayatollah Khamenei and chanting slogans.The rally comes amid continued unrest in Iran, which has drawn international attention. Iran has formally appealed to the United Nations Security Council and the UN Secretary-General, accusing the United States of inciting violence, interfering in its internal affairs, and threatening military action, according to an official letter circulated by Iran’s Permanent Mission to the UN on Wednesday.Protests in Iran entered their 20th day on Wednesday. What began as demonstrations over record inflation and a sharp fall in the national currency has escalated into widespread unrest, with reports of agitation at more than 280 locations.Amid the rising tensions, Congress MP and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Shashi Tharoor described the situation as “very serious”, warning that developments could intensify in the coming days.Tharoor’s remarks followed an advisory issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which asked Indians to “avoid travel to Iran” until further notice.Speaking to ANI, Tharoor said there was limited information emerging from Iran due to reported internet shutdowns.“It looks very serious. But we are not getting much information out of Iran; the internet has been cut. All we know is what we are getting in the media and their sources are also somewhat erratic. My understanding is that things are grim in Iran. 3000 protesters have apparently been killed,” Tharoor said.He added that the coming days would be crucial for the Khamenei regime.“It looks like we will be looking at some serious developments in the next few days. It is crucial that if the regime is going to survive, it will have to survive the next few days in very difficult circumstances,” he said.

NASA plans a mission to study the Sun’s magnetic heart and its hidden storms

NASA has selected a proposed solar mission for further study as part of its Small Explorer programme, extending early design work rather than approving a launch. The mission, known as the Chromospheric Magnetism Explorer, or CMEx, will now move into an extended Phase A study lasting 12 months, with a budget of two million dollars. This phase allows scientists and engineers to refine the concept and test whether it is ready for future consideration. CMEx is designed to focus on the Sun’s chromosphere, a thin and restless layer above the visible surface. Researchers believe this region holds key clues to how solar eruptions begin and how the solar wind forms. The mission builds on earlier experimental work but remains at a study stage only.

NASA’s CMEx is meant to observe the Sun’s magnetic heart

CMEx is planned as a single spacecraft mission using ultraviolet spectropolarimetric instruments. These tools have already been tested during NASA’s CLASP sounding rocket flight, which briefly sampled the chromosphere during a sub orbital mission. CMEx would take this approach further by making steady, long-term observations rather than short snapshots. Its main goal is to measure magnetic fields in the lower chromosphere, something that has not yet been done continuously. Scientists see this layer as a link between the Sun’s surface and its outer atmosphere, where solar storms grow stronger and more complex.

Sun’s chromosphere matters

The chromosphere, a thin but vibrant layer, is located just over the photosphere, the one that we perceive from Earth. It is a very volatile layer that sometimes changes within minutes, so it is difficult to study it through short-period observations. Magnetic fields in this area behave like a living organism; they grow by twisting and stretching, and just look at them, switching to new shapes by breaking free from the old ones. Such a change could release previously hidden energy in the form of heat and particles travelling at high speeds. This occurrence may severely affect all sorts of events, such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections, which are large clouds of charged material ejected from the Sun and capable of reaching Earth. A careful observation of this layer might be a significant breakthrough for scientists in predicting the early signs of such eruptions.

CMEx could improve space weather tracking

Solar wind is a constant stream of charged particles flowing outward from the Sun. It plays a major role in space weather near Earth, affecting satellites, communication systems, and power grids. Scientists believe the magnetic roots of the solar wind lie partly in the chromosphere. By tracking how magnetic fields there connect to those further out in space, CMEx could fill a long-standing gap in understanding. NASA officials say that better knowledge of these processes could improve forecasts of harmful solar activity, helping protect both spacecraft and astronauts operating near Earth, the Moon, or Mars.

What happens next for the mission

The current Phase A extension does not guarantee that CMEx will fly. Instead, it gives the team time to refine the mission design, assess risks, and confirm costs. The study is led by Holly Gilbert of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. CMEx was originally proposed under the 2022 Heliophysics Explorers Programme call, alongside other mission concepts. At the end of this extended study, NASA will decide whether the mission is ready to move forward. For now, CMEx remains a careful step toward seeing the Sun’s magnetic behaviour more clearly, without rushing ahead.

Wholesale prices increased in December, with inflation measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) rising to 0.83%. This marks the second consecutive month of upward movement after two months of deflation, official data released on Wednesday showed. The return to positive inflation came after wholesale prices contracted in October and November, when WPI inflation stood at (-) 1.21% and (-) 0.32%, respectively. In the same month last year, wholesale inflation was higher at 2.57%. According to the industry ministry, the increase in December was driven by a rise in prices across several segments. “Positive rate of inflation in December 2025 is primarily due to an increase in prices of other manufacturing, minerals, manufacture of machinery and equipment, manufacture of food products, and textiles, etc.,” the ministry said. Food articles remained in deflation, but the pace eased significantly. Deflation in this category narrowed to 0.43% in December from 4.16% in November. Vegetable prices also continued to see negative inflation, although the contraction reduced sharply to 3.50% in December compared with 20.23% a month earlier. Prices of manufactured products showed further strengthening, with inflation rising to 1.82% in December, up from 1.33% in November 2025. Non-food articles recorded an inflation rate of 2.95% during the month, higher than the 2.27% seen in November. The fuel and power segment continued to remain in deflationary territory. Prices in this category fell by 2.31% in December, slightly more than the 2.27% decline recorded in the previous month. Retail inflation also moved higher during the month. Data released earlier this week showed that consumer price inflation increased to 1.33% in December from 0.71% in November, largely due to rising food prices. Against the backdrop of subdued inflation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has lowered policy interest rates by a cumulative 1.25 percentage points so far in the current financial year. Last month, the central bank revised its inflation forecast for the year downward to 2% from 2.6%, citing rapid disinflation in the economy. The RBI, which uses retail inflation as its primary benchmark for monetary policy decisions, reduced the key policy rate by 25 basis points last month to 5.25%. At the time, it described the economy as being in a “rare Goldilocks period” of strong growth alongside low inflation. The central bank has also raised its GDP growth estimate for FY26 to 7.3%, up from an earlier projection of 6.8%. India recorded economic growth of 8.2% in the September quarter and 7.8% in the June quarter.

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the second ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday, India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul struck a powerful, reflective note while interacting with budding cricketers during the Men in Blue’s training session in Vadodara. In a video shared by the BCCI, Rahul’s words underlined patience, perseverance and readiness — themes that have shaped his own international journey.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“It’s not like you’ll never get the opportunity. You’ll be sitting outside for 2-3 years. If you don’t get the opportunity in the state, then you’ll get some other tournament to perform and show your skills and talent,” Rahul said, urging youngsters to trust the process rather than chase instant results.

Emphasising self-discipline, the 33-year-old added, “You just have to constantly keep working on yourself and keep yourself ready. If you get a chance, you’ll have to perform in such a way that you can’t drop after that. But even in that, you’ll have to enjoy the process. There’s no other option for the player. That’s all you have in your hands.”When asked about dealing with difficult phases, Rahul offered a candid response shaped by experience. “That phase is difficult for everyone. It’s not like no player goes through that phase. He’s always at the top. It won’t happen with anyone. You’ll get angry and frustrated. But you have to snap out of it. Don’t give up. I’ll do what I can. And when God gives me a chance, I’ll use it,” he said.

Reiterating the message, Rahul told the youngsters, “You will definitely get a chance to show your talent, whether it’s in a domestic, international, or local tournament. You just have to work hard and be ready when your opportunity comes, and grab it with both your hands. As a cricketer, it’s the only thing we can do.”

Kestrel Initial Demonstrator capsule

NEW DELHI: When its third phase failed on Monday, Isro’s PSLV-C62 launch vehicle lost 15 satellites from several countries and Indian companies, including the primary payload. However, a football-sized Spanish satellite called KID (Kestrel Initial Demonstrator), survived, though it transmitted “critical data” back to Earth for only about 3 minutes.The 25-kg satellite separated “against all odds” from PSLV’s fourth stage despite the third-stage anomaly that caused the mission to fail. The satellite’s developer, Orbital Paradigm, said on X, “Our KID capsule… separated from PSLV C62, switched on, and transmitted data…”KID, designed for re-entry testing towards a splashdown in the South Pacific Ocean, endured peak deceleration forces and thermal stresses that would pulverise most experimental hardware. “We’re reconstructing trajectory. We survived peak heat and peak g-load (~28g recorded). We have internal temps. Full report will come,” the company said.Developed with French partner RIDE, KID validates Orbital Paradigm’s reusable re-entry technology, crucial for future satellite servicing and de-orbiting. The startup plans a detailed report soon and is likely to accelerate Kestrel’s full-scale development programme.Tragedy struck PSLV when an “anomaly” in the third stage diverted the rocket from its flight path, preventing sun-synchronous orbit insertion of its payload.Isro chairman V Narayanan said on Monday, “Near the end of the third stage, we observed some disturbance in the vehicle, and there was a deviation in its flight path. As a result, the mission could not proceed as expected.” After his statement, it was assumed that all the 16 satellites, including primary payload EOS-N1 (Anvesha), a hyperspectral earth imaging satellite developed by DRDO for national security and surveillance, were lost.KID turned out to be the only to survive long enough to transmit signals. Orbital Paradigm is yet to confirm if the capsule later burned out or splashed down on Earth.