NEW DELHI: Defence and military experts, on Day 2 of DefSat2026 conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, intensified the strategic dialogue on building India’s persistent and resilient defence space capability, against the backdrop of rapid global transformation in space-based military infrastructure. With 1,602 space-based ISR satellites projected to launch globally between 2025 and 2030, the sector is entering a phase of operational maturity, shifting from sporadic expansion to predictable, proliferated constellations designed for continuous coverage, rapid revisit, and real-time analytics. The discussions at the conference underscored that persistent space capability is no longer aspirational but foundational to national security.Setting the tone for the day of the conference at Manekshaw Centre, Subba Rao Pavuluri, president, SIA-India, said: “India stands at a decisive inflection point. Scale without coordination is aspiration; scale with alignment becomes capability. As we advance toward Aatmanirbharta and aspire to emerge as a Vishwaguru in the space domain, unity of purpose across govt, industry, and the armed forces will determine our strategic success.”Day 2 of the conference also witnessed tangible B2B activity, signalling growing confidence among private players in the defence space ecosystem. There were six MoU exchanges, involving Safran and Geminus Space; TakeMe2Space and Little Place Labs; and RedBalloon Aerospace with EON Space, Sanyark, Raudrane, and Andurax.The purpose of the MoU between Safran and Geminus Space is to solve the challenges associated with large-scale operations of ground systems through integration of Safran Data Systems’ ground equipment systems like antennas, communication modems and signal processing units with Geminus unified ground operations platform.Maj Gen Neeraj Shukla, AVSM, SM, officiating director general (Strategic) Planning, Indian Army, emphasised India’s responsible and civilisational approach to space: “We are a responsible nation. Our approach to space must reflect our civilisational ethos — ‘Doham Karma Sansadhanam Na Kadapi Shoshanam, Lok Hite Bhutanam Sarakshanam Pratham’ — meaning responsible utilisation of resources, never exploitation, for the welfare and protection of all beings. Space is not merely for defence dominance, but for sustaining the very civilisation we are sworn to protect.”He further said that national security can no longer be viewed solely through a military lens but reflects the collective strength of diplomacy, information, military capability, economic resilience, political leadership, and indigenous technology. As AI, quantum technologies, cyber capabilities and

Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals’ star player, went through a pretty tough time with his health and performance on the field in the last season.But many remain curious about his personal life which he has always tried to keep out of the spotlight. Though he is rumored to be in a high profile relationship with model, Olivia Ponton, he has always stayed away from commenting on it. Amid a tough recovery for Joe Burrow, Olivia Ponton has shared an update about her life.

Olivia Ponton takes a break as Joe Burrow spends on noble causes

A few hours ago, the popular social media influencer and model, Olivia Ponton, took to her social media to share a few glimpses from her luxurious vacation to Switzerland.The 23 year old popular model looked stunning in a orange colored jacket which she paired with black pants.Olivia Ponton kept her makeup minimal and opted to let her hair open as she enjoyed the snow. The caption of the post reads as, “This is my version of a reset”, as she also posted a YouTube video where she vlogged her entire trip.Olivia Ponton’s “reset” comes at a time when Joe Burrow has tried his best to stay out of the spotlight.A few weeks ago, the Cincinnati Bengals’ popular quarterback, Joe Burrow, was spotted at a Super Bowl party which Olivia Ponton also attended. But the two were not photographed together as Joe Burrow maintained a low profile.Amid this, Joe Burrow’s foundation, The Burrow Foundation, recently announced how it has spent a whopping $1 million on noble causes in the last one year.Joe Burrow’s foundation has awarded over $1 million to organisations which are involved in helping food crises and mental health issues.

Is Joe Burrow staying with the Cincinnati Bengals?

While Joe Burrow continues to be engaged in noble activities, his career in the Cincinnati Bengals turned doubtful a few months ago when he made a few controversial remarks.At a press conference in December, Joe Burrow expressed his frustration with the team and hinted at seeking a trade.Joe Burrow said, “If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it…“You know, I’ve been through a lot and if it’s not fun then what am I doing it for. That’s the mindset I’m trying to bring to the table.”However, just a few weeks ago, Joe Burrow clarified that he will be staying in the team and it was just a misunderstanding.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is none officially launch worldwide, including in India. The South Korean giant launched the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra along with Samsung Galaxy S26 and Samsung Galaxy S26+ at its Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco. The phone arrives as the company’s most capable flagship yet, combining an upgraded chipset, ‘intuitive Galaxy AI’ features and a first-of-its-kind built-in Privacy Display. Here is everything you need to know:

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra price, availability and colour options

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra price starts at Rs 1,39,999 for the 256GB variant, Rs 1,59,999 for the 512GB version and Rs 1,89,999 for the 1TB version. Samsung has opened pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 Ultra starting February 25. The phone will be available in four colours: Cobalt Violet, White, Black and Sky Blue. Pink Gold and Silver Shadow have been reserved exclusively for purchases made through Samsung.com. Buyers can also opt for Samsung Care+, which covers accidental damage repairs, extended warranty, and expert support both domestically and internationally, Samsung said

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra specifications

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the first mobile phone in the world to feature a built-in Privacy Display – a hardware and software achievement that Samsung claims as a big change in how personal data is protected on a smartphone. This tech in the display is integrated at the pixel level, controlling how light is dispersed so that the screen remains clear and comfortable for the user while restricting visibility from side angles.Furthermore, users can decide when the feature activates — such as when entering PINs or opening specific apps — and choose between two modes: Partial Screen Privacy, which limits visibility for notification pop-ups, and Maximum Privacy Protection, which further blackens the screen from side views. The feature works in both portrait and landscape orientation with minimal impact on battery or usability, Samsung claims.Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra gets a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, which is customised specifically for Galaxy devices. According to the company, the chipset brings gains in CPU performance by 19%, NPU performance by 39% and GPU performance by 24%. To cool the phone, Samsung says it has fitted a redesigned Vapor Chamber with thermal interface material placed along the sides of the processor. Now coming to the camera, the Galaxy S26 Ultra carries a quad-camera setup: a 200MP primary sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and a 10MP shooter. Video recording has been upgraded with Enhanced Nightography Video and Super Steady mode with a horizontal lock option. The Galaxy S26 Ultra houses a 5,000mAh battery with support for 60W wired charging – up from 45W on the Galaxy S25 Ultra – and 20W wireless charging. Samsung says that the phone also introduces Super Fast Charging 3.0, which can bring the battery to 75% in just 30 minutes.

Israeli opposition leaders were seen walking out during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Knesset.In a stand-off over the Knesset speaker’s decision not to invite Israel’s Supreme Court President, Isaac Amit, to the evening speech by PM Modi at the Knesset, the opposition staged a walkout during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address.However, shortly after members of the Knesset left the plenum, former coalition lawmakers took their seats to fill the vacant spots. The Knesset speaker had earlier assured that PM Modi would not be addressing an empty chamber after the opposition announced its boycott, according to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan.

Several opposition parties issued statements saying they would not attend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address and would reenter the plenum only when PM Modi began speaking, in order to respect the alliance between the two nations.“We will only return for the Indian prime minister’s speech to respect the alliance between the countries and express our appreciation for Prime Minister Modi’s standing by Israel,” opposition leaders Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beytenu parties say in identical statements, local media reported.Reentering the Knesset after boycotting Netanyahu’s speech, opposition leader Yair Lapid shook hands with PM Modi and welcomed him to the Knesset.Lapid told PM Modi that the opposition walkout during this evening’s special session had “nothing to do with him,” which then drew boos from coalition lawmakers, to which he replied, “Let’s try not make things worse.”During his address to the Knesset, Lapid thanked Prime Minister Modi for his support for Israel and said that they looked forward to his address.“The entire State of Israel is filled with admiration for your leadership, for your friendship, for the fact that you were here for us in our time of trouble, and for the alliance, the eternal alliance between our two states,” Lapid says.“So thank you very much for being here. And we are all, both sides of the aisle, looking forward to hearing your speech,” he added.Later, sharing the moment of his handshake with PM Modi in a post on X, Lapid wrote, “Indian Prime Minister Modi, the entire nation of Israel appreciates your leadership, your friendship, your standing with us in difficult times. Thank you for coming here.”

In a major action against alleged workplace misconduct in a private school, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has withdrawn the affiliation of Uttarakhand Public School, Sector-56, Noida, following serious complaints of mental harassment, salary irregularities and administrative mismanagement.The decision, formalised through an order dated February 18, 2026, comes after months of inquiry into allegations raised by former teachers and directions issued by the Allahabad High Court.Complaints that led to the investigationThe case came to the fore in early 2025 when a number of teachers, most of whom were women, filed complaints stating that they were being subjected to mental harassment by the school authorities. The complaints spoke of an unhealthy work environment, indecent behavior on the part of the higher authorities, being forced to work on holidays, and being coerced into resigning if they did not comply with the demands.The most disturbing of the complaints was with regard to the payment of salaries. The teachers alleged that a part of their salary was being demanded back by the school authorities under duress.The case reached the Allahabad High Court when a number of teachers, who had been let go by the school, challenged the decision in court. In its order of October 17, 2025, the Court asked the CBSE to conduct its inquiry within a stipulated time period and take appropriate action on the basis of its findings.State inquiry confirms irregularitiesBased on the complaints, the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Gautam Budh Nagar, initiated a thorough probe through a two-member committee. The inquiry confirmed that the complaints were valid.According to the inquiry report, teachers, especially female teachers, were working in a hostile and insecure environment. The committee also confirmed that a large amount of money had been collected from teachers by the school administration. Interestingly, around Rs 68 lakh was returned to the teachers after some objections were raised during the inquiry.The inquiry report also mentioned some administrative irregularities, stating that major decisions were being taken by the school manager, and the principal was not acting independently. Teachers who raised objections were forced to resign.School’s response fails to convinceIn its response to the show-cause notice issued by the CBSE in August 2025, the school repudiated all the charges. The school authorities asserted that the inquiry was one-sided, and teachers had voluntarily contributed to the funds because of the financial crisis being experienced by the school. The school further asserted that the statutory committees, as required under POSH and POCSO, were established and functioning.However, the CBSE was not satisfied with the response. The CBSE held that the fact that the school had already returned Rs 68 lakh showed that the contribution was not voluntary. The CBSE also held that the school had not provided any documentary evidence to substantiate its claims about the disciplinary actions taken against teachers, the grievance redressal mechanism, or the legal termination of teachers.The CBSE held that the presence of several complaints and the report of the state inquiry made it clear that there was a pattern of harassment and non-compliance with the prescribed service conditions.Why the affiliation was withdrawnIn its order, the CBSE made it clear that affiliated schools must ensure a safe, dignified, and professional working environment for their staff. The Board noted that failure to pay salaries as per norms, mental harassment, and the lack of a safe working environment for women were serious violations of the Affiliation Bye-Laws and the statutory provisions regarding workplace safety.The Board described the violations as “gross and persistent” and said that continuing the affiliation in such a scenario would be “prejudicial to the interests of teachers, students, and other stakeholders.”What it means for studentsAlthough the withdrawal of the affiliation has been done with immediate effect, the Board has ensured that there is minimal disruption in academics for the students. Students of Classes X and XII will be permitted to finish the 2025-26 academic session and sit for their board exams from the same school.Students of Classes IX and XI, however, will be transferred to other CBSE-affiliated schools in the vicinity by March 31, 2026. The school has also been prohibited from taking new admissions or allowing lower-class students to join Classes IX and XI.The school can apply for the reinstatement of affiliation only after two years of academics, and even then, only if it adheres to all safety, administrative, and service standards.

NEW DELHI: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has pulled its new Class 8 Social Science textbook from sale after it included a section on “corruption in the judiciary,” sources told ANI on Wednesday.The move came hours after the matter was raised in the Supreme Court, with chief Justice of India (CJI), Surya Kant, asserting that no one would be allowed to “defame” the institution of judiciary. The top court also initiated suo moto proceedings regarding the inclusion of the section in the textbook.Also Read | ‘Will not allow anybody to defame SC’: CJI pulls up NCERT over text on judicial corruption“I’m fully aware of it. We will wait for a day. This definitely concerns the entire institution—both bar and bench. I am getting a lot of calls, lots of messages. I’m taking suo moto cognisance of the issue. I will not let anybody, no matter how high up they are, defame the institution,” CJI Kant said.The issue was raised before the CJI-led bench by senior lawyers Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi. They argued that students were being taught about corruption in the judiciary as if it existed in no other institution. “They have left out bureaucracy, politics, etc. Not a word on other sectors. They are teaching as if it only exists in this institution,” the two senior lawyers remarked.The CJI acknowledged the gravity of the matter, calling it “a calculated and deep-rooted thing,” and added, “We will not say anything more than that. As the head of the institution, I’m aware, I’m already doing something about it.”The inclusion of such a section marked a notable shift from previous editions, which largely focused on the structure and role of courts. The revised chapter, titled “The Role of the Judiciary in Our Society,” goes beyond explaining court hierarchy and access to justice, addressing challenges faced by the judicial system, including corruption and case backlogs.

The TOI correspondent from Washington: In an exhaustive State of the Union address lasting nearly two hours on Tuesday night, US president Donald Trump issued a stark warning to America’s trading partners: stick to the existing trade deals and continue negotiations along the established path, or face far harsher terms in any new agreements. “Don’t even think about ripping up what we’ve built,” Trump declared from the House chamber podium, his voice booming with characteristic bravado in remarks aimed at the EU, India, and other nations that have agreed on framework deals. “Those deals are the best you’ll ever get. Try for something new, and it’ll be worse for you.” “The good news is that almost all countries and corporations want to keep the deal they already made. They know the legal power that I have to make a new deal could be far worse for them. They will continue to work along the same successful path we negotiated, or they will find the next chapter far more painful,” he warned.The remarks early in his speech set the tone for an economically charged address that emphasised protectionism as the cornerstone of US prosperity, doubling down on tariffs as a multifaceted economic weapon as he asserted boldly that escalating tariffs on imports could eventually eliminate the need for federal income taxes. “Imagine an America where hardworking folks keep every penny they earn, and we fund our great nation through smart tariffs on foreign goods,” Trump proclaimed, eliciting cheers from Republican lawmakers who gave him multiple standing ovations for all his claims. He painted a vision of a tariff-driven revenue system that would “make America rich again” by shifting the tax burden to overseas competitors. “As time goes by, I believe the tariffs paid for by foreign countries will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern-day system of income tax,” Trump said. He framed the shift as a “liberation of the American worker,” arguing that taxing imports rather than domestic labour would ignite a “Golden Age” of manufacturing. While economists warn that such a shift would require a mathematical leap—tariffs currently provide only a fraction of the revenue generated by income taxes and the jury is still out on the return of manufacturing —the president remained undeterred, claiming a “stunning economic turnaround” and a Dow Jones index that recently cleared the 50,000 mark.The tariff roadmap Trump referred to has been clouded by a landmark 6-3 Supreme Court ruling issued just four days ago, which struck down the administration’s use of emergency powers to bypass Congress on trade levies. There was palpable suspense in the chamber as Trump walked in for his address past four of the Supreme Court justices in attendance, including chief justice John Roberts and justices Amy Coney Barrett, conservatives who ruled against him. The president offered a quick perfunctory handshake to them before labeling the ruling “very unfortunate” and “defective,” early in his speech, signalling that the judiciary would not be the final word on his trade agenda.He confirmed he has already pivoted to Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to implement a new 15% global tariff surcharge. “Congressional action will not be necessary,” he added, a line that drew thunderous applause from the Republican side and stone-faced silence from the black-robed jurists and Democrat lawmakers, many of whom boycotted the address.

He is a househusband and he proudly calls himself one. He does not work outside the home. Instead, he takes care of his household full-time. From cooking and cleaning to looking after his daughter and preparing meals for his working wife, Amit Kumar Dubey from Champaran, Motihari, Bihar, has redefined the role of men in marriage. The most remarkable part is that he does it all very naturally.When The Times of India reached out to him for an interview, Amit was surprised. He wondered what was so unique about what he was doing. Wasn’t it a natural thing? To manage home if one’s partner is working?

Amit chose a path that many men would find unthinkable. He gave up his job so that his wife could continue hers. He shares that his was a love marriage that eventually became an arranged one. His wife had one condition — she would marry only if her family agreed. They finally did, and the couple got married in December 2015.Amit, who holds a diploma in mechanical engineering, was working in a pharmaceutical company in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. However, certain family circumstances prevented him from returning to his job. His wife needed support, and he did not want to abandon her during a difficult phase.

“Some situations happened in the family, and I could not go back to join my job. My wife needed support, and I couldn’t leave her at that time. She is very gentle and was handling a lot on her family front. I have never spoken about these things to anyone before,” he says.Later, his wife was transferred to Kolkata, where she was posted as a clerk in a bank. Amit followed her and found a job there. But a few months later, they had to return home after his wife suffered a miscarriage and became very weak. Amit again chose to stay by her side, as his private job would not have allowed him extended leave.

When their daughter was born, Amit made the decision to become a full-time homemaker. For his wife, it was difficult to manage a government job along with raising a child, and he stepped in without hesitation.Does he have any regrets?“Yes, sometimes when I am alone, I worry about my family. My parents and younger brothers have never questioned my decision and have always supported me. But as the eldest son, I feel I should be fulfilling my responsibilities toward them. That thought troubles me at times,” he admits.

When asked whether his wife expects him to work, he says, “She has never said anything. We have a perfect understanding.”Amit becomes emotional while speaking about his mother. “I was the eldest child in a family with no sisters, and naturally I used to help my mother with household chores. Today, I am doing the same for my wife.”

Amit spends his day cooking food for his wife and daughter, cleaning, helping his daughter with homework and managing every other household chore. He says he feels guilty about keeping a house help as he feels since he is not working, he must help at home as much as possible. “I had almost planned a food business in my free time when the idea of starting an Instagram page occurred to me and I am so overwhelmed by the love that I am getting! There are so many people who validate what I am doing and this is so overwhelming,” says Amit. Amit is truly an inspiration. He chose partnership over pride and responsibility over social expectations. Despite being a mechanical engineer, he stepped away from his career to support his wife and raise their daughter, without feeling insecure about his role. He proves that true strength in a marriage lies in mutual support, understanding, and breaking stereotypes. By embracing homemaking with dignity, he sets an example for men and women that caring for family is not about gender, it’s about commitment and love.