The assault sparked a protest by the corporators from the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and staff members of the BMC, who staged a road blockade on the bustling Janpath Road of the capital city of Odisha.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Administration Service Association has decided to go on “mass leave” from Tuesday (July 1) in protest against the attack on Ratnakar Sahoo.

“Nobody Is Safe”

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his deep shock at “brutal kicking and assault” of Additional Commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and called upon Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to take immediate and exemplary action against the guilty including “political leaders who orchestrated and conspired this shameful attack”.

“I am utterly shocked seeing this video. Today, Shri Ratnakar Sahoo, OAS Additional Commissioner, BMC, a senior officer of the rank of Additional Secretary was dragged from his office and brutally kicked and assaulted in front of a BJP Corporator, allegedly linked to a defeated BJP MLA Candidate,” Mr Patnaik wrote on X.He said that it was appalling that it happened in full public view, in the heart of the capital city, to a senior officer. “If a senior officer is not safe in his own office, then what law and order will ordinary citizens expect from the Government?” he said.

BMC Mayor Sulochana Das condemned the incident and demanded that an attempted murder case be filed against the accused.

“Nobody is safe here. A government officer was dragged out of his office by 5-6 men. He was assaulted, and there was an attempt to abduct him. We had the visuals and even shared them with the media. An attempt to murder case should be filed against them. We had filed an FIR, but only three people have been arrested. All accused should be arrested…”

On June 25, Raipur’s District Education Officer issued an eight-point directive, catching schools and parents off-guard. By this time, most students had already completed two months of their academic session. Many parents had bought books worth thousands in April, only to now be told: “Wait, the government will distribute free books.”

“I bought books worth Rs 10,000 for my three daughters because schools reopened in April,” says Dhalendra Sahu, a small trader from Raipur. “Now, if the syllabus changes, we’ll suffer. Almost 70 per cent people will face problems. We don’t earn enough to buy books twice.”

Mr Sahu, who earns Rs 25,000 to Rs 28,000 a month from agriculture, has three daughters – one each in Class 8, 3, and nursery. Like many parents, he trusted the schools’ word and got the books early. Now, the government’s order feels like an afterthought – like it, too, came back from a long summer break.

The June 25 order left private schools scrambling. While books hadn’t arrived, the department suggested they should wait. Rajiv Gupta, president of the Private School Association, says they had no choice but to move ahead with private publishers.Odisha Officer Dragged Out Of His Office, Kicked In Face, 3 Arrested

The withdrawal of the government resolution regarding the teaching of Hindi in Maharashtra’s primary schools is being viewed differently across the state’s political spectrum. For over two weeks, political opposition to the resolution had been gathering momentum, with protests set to culminate in a march in South Mumbai. 

However, the Devendra Fadnavis government appears to have defanged the opposition by withdrawing the resolution a week before the planned march.

For the uninitiated, the controversy erupted last month when the Maharashtra government issued a resolution to comply with the Three-Language Formula as per the Union government’s new education policy. 

According to the resolution, students from classes one to four would have to study Hindi as the default third language if there were not enough students to study other languages.Raj Thackeray, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, was the first to object, alleging that it was a subtle ploy to impose Hindi on Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) also announced its opposition. Last week, both Raj and Uddhav Thackeray announced separate events to protest; however, they later decided to participate in a single protest march from Girgaon to Azad Maidan.

On Sunday, Mr Fadnavis announced that the resolution had been withdrawn and a committee would be formed to devise a new formula. 

Many political pundits believe this is a masterstroke by Mr Fadnavis, as he has robbed the opposition of a key issue ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. 

Had the government not softened its stance, say critics, the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) could have capitalised on the issue significantly.

However, Raj and Uddhav Thackeray portray the decision as their victory. Their supporters claim that the Fadnavis government’s adamant approach could have alienated Marathi voters.

Vivo X200 FE is confirmed to launch in India soon. The Chinese smartphone brand is yet to announce the exact launch date of the phone, but ahead of it, it has disclosed the colour options and certain specifications of the phone. The Indian variant of Vivo X200 FE will be available in two colour options. The Vivo X200 FE was recently launched in select global markets in four shades. It will ship with a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chipset, 6,500mAh battery, and 90W fast charging support.

Vivo India, in a newsroom post, announced that the Indian variant of the Vivo X200 FE will be sold in Amber Yellow and Luxe Black colour options. For reference, the handset was launched in Taiwan and Malaysia in Black, Blue, Pink, and Yellow colourways. 

Vivo X200 FE Specifications

While the launch date of the Vivo X200 FE is still under wraps, the teaser images shared by the brand show its design and specifications. It is confirmed to have a 6.31-inch display and a 7.99mm thick design. It is teased to feature a Zeiss-branded triple camera unit at the back, including a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel telephoto camera and an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera. It will be equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chip.

The upcoming Vivo X200 FE will run on Funtouch OS 15 with support for multiple AI-powered features like AI Captions, Circle to Search, Live Text, and Smart Call Assistant. It is said to meet IP68+IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance. The phone will have a 6,500mAh battery with support for 90W fast charging.

Canva introduced two new artificial intelligence (AI) features for its visual communications platform on Thursday. While these are backend features that will not be visible on the frontend to the user, they significantly improve its capabilities in terms of platform integration. The first new feature is Canva’s deep research connector for ChatGPT. This allows OpenAI’s chatbot to answer queries about a user’s Canva projects. The second feature is an open Model Context Protocol server, which is designed to let AI assistants and chatbots connect with Canva to perform several actions.

Canva Gets New Integration-Based AI Features

In a press release, the visual communications platform detailed the two new features. Calling itself the first design platform to directly integrate into ChatGPT, Canva said the deep research connector allows the OpenAI chatbot to connect with Canva and answer user queries about their files and projects.

Canva says this feature will save users the hassle of switching between the apps and manually uploading their designs to ChatGPT, in case they want to take feedback from the AI. The feature will only work when the chatbot’s Deep Research mode is active.Interestingly, once connected, ChatGPT can also understand the context behind the user’s queries. For instance, a user can say, “Summarise our Q1 campaign strategy,” and the chatbot will search the user’s Canva data to find the right deck and provide a summary for the same. Since Deep Research is available to ChatGPT users across all tiers, the feature does not require users to purchase a subscription.

The visual communications platform has also added an open MCP server to enable third-party chatbots to connect with Canva’s platform. MCP was created by Anthropic as a standardised way for AI systems to connect with external data hubs. With this, users can generate design projects and decks, resize files, import and export assets, and more while conversing with their favourite AI chatbot.

Astronomers have detected a vast cloud of energetic particles — a ‘mini-halo’ — around one of the most distant galaxy clusters, according to a new study. This mini-halo lies so far away that its light takes about 10 billion years to reach Earth, making it the most distant mini-halo ever discovered to date and doubling the previous distance record. The finding suggests that even in the very early universe, massive galaxy clusters were already filled with high-energy particles. The international research team was co-led by Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo and Roland Timmerman.

Faint radio glow reveals mini-halo

According to the study, the team used the European Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope to study the distant cluster SpARCS1049. LOFAR – a network of over 100,000 antennas spread across eight European countries – captured an extremely faint, diffuse radio signal surrounding the cluster. This glow stretches over a million light-years, revealing a giant “mini-halo” of high-energy particles and magnetic fields.

Analysis showed the emission filled the space between galaxies rather than coming from any single galaxy. The cluster’s light took 10 billion years to reach us, doubling the distance record for any known mini-halo. Co-leader of the reasearch Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo describes it as a vast cosmic ocean,in which entire galaxy clusters are constantly immersed in high-energy particles.Astronomers have detected a vast cloud of energetic particles — a ‘mini-halo’ — around one of the most distant galaxy clusters, according to a new study. This mini-halo lies so far away that its light takes about 10 billion years to reach Earth, making it the most distant mini-halo ever discovered to date and doubling the previous distance record. The finding suggests that even in the very early universe, massive galaxy clusters were already filled with high-energy particles. The international research team was co-led by Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo and Roland Timmerman.

Faint radio glow reveals mini-halo

According to the study, the team used the European Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope to study the distant cluster SpARCS1049. LOFAR – a network of over 100,000 antennas spread across eight European countries – captured an extremely faint, diffuse radio signal surrounding the cluster. This glow stretches over a million light-years, revealing a giant “mini-halo” of high-energy particles and magnetic fields.

Analysis showed the emission filled the space between galaxies rather than coming from any single galaxy. The cluster’s light took 10 billion years to reach us, doubling the distance record for any known mini-halo. Co-leader of the reasearch Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo describes it as a vast cosmic ocean,in which entire galaxy clusters are constantly immersed in high-energy particles.

India’s mid-range smartphone market is a highly competitive space. It has Motorola, Nothing, OnePlus, Poco and other brands trying to establish their foothold while seasoned players like Samsung aim to increase their market share. However, competition often brings innovation and that applies to the Indian mobile phone market as well. Mid-range smartphones today bring an amalgamation of bright displays, capable camera systems, fairly powerful processors, and enduring batteries — packaged and priced under Rs. 25,000 in India. The OnePlus Nord CE 4, Nothing Phone 3a, and Poco X7 are just some of the many smartphones that offer a great value for money.

So, if you’re eyeing a new smartphone purchase without burning a hole in your pocket, here’s a comprehensive list of the top mobile phones under Rs. 25,000 in India.

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 is a successor to the OnePlus Nord CE 3 and comes with several upgrades. It sports a 6.7-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the handset is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, coupled with 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256GB of onboard storage.

For optics, it gets a dual rear camera unit, comprising a 50-megapixel Sony LYT600 sensor and an 8-megapixel Sony IMX355 ultra wide-angle camera. It is complemented by a 16-megapixel sensor at the front for selfies and video calls. The OnePlus Nord CE 4 packs a 5,500mAh battery with 100W SuperVOOC fast charging support.

The “Get the Hawk Outta Here” mission saw Rocket Launch juggle four satellites into orbit around Earth on June 27, marking yet another mission on the start-up’s 2025 calendar. The Electron rocket — loaded with three radio-frequency tracking microsatellites and a technology demonstrating payload — lifted off from Pad-A in Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, at 1:28 p.m. EDT (1728 GMT). The launch is to aid Virginia-based geospatial analytics company Hawkeye 360 with its pursuit to broaden radio-frequency intelligence gathering.

Rocket Lab Launches Cluster 12 RF Satellites for Hawkeye 360, Eyes More Missions in 2025

As per the Rocket Lab’s official mission brief, the three working satellites are designed to help Hawkeye 360 triangulate radio signals across the world. Such spacecraft would fill gaps in coverage and provide radio frequency analytics data in near real time from areas of strategic interest. The fourth payload, Kestrel-0A, is a technology demonstrator meant to test advanced capabilities and future enhancements for the Hawkeye constellation.

Rocket Lab has committed to launching a total of 15 satellites across three missions for Hawkeye 360. This mission is themed “Virginia Is For Launch Lovers” and is Electron’s first mission from U.S. soil following the company’s first launch from Wallops Island in January 2023. This latest mission signifies the 67th overall Electron launch and the ninth of 2025 in a sign of the company’s increasing launch cadence.

All satellites were placed into a polar low Earth orbit at about 320 miles (520 km) altitude, ideal for cross-cutting the Earth and thus ensuring fast revisits and high signal collection. Electron’s payload fairings also did their job, protecting the satellites as they lifted off, then releasing them into orbit with pinpoint accuracy.

In its roadmap, Rocket Lab has at least six additional launches this year, and all eyes are on its upcoming reusable Neutron rocket. The company also operates a suborbital Electron variant, HASTE, which serves as a testbed for hypersonic and defence technologies. The latest launch further solidifies Rocket Lab’s position in the small satellite deployment market.

A 13-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur staged her own kidnapping and left behind a fake ransom note demanding Rs 15 lakh – all because she was upset with her mother’s scolding over using a mobile phone, talking to friends, and applying lipstick.

The incident occurred in Priyadarshini Colony, under Khamaria police station limits, when the girl’s mother returned home and found a handwritten note in her daughter’s room.

13-Year-Old Girl Fakes Own Kidnapping, Leaves Rs 15 Lakh Ransom Note: Cops

The girl had even broken her piggy bank to gather enough money to rent a room for a month, where she intended to live alone without interference.

• Written by:Anurag Dwary
• India News
• Jun 30, 2025 23:58 pm IST
  • Published OnJun 30, 2025 23:21 pm IST
  • Last Updated OnJun 30, 2025 23:58 pm IST

Read Time:3 mins

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Bhopal:

A 13-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur staged her own kidnapping and left behind a fake ransom note demanding Rs 15 lakh – all because she was upset with her mother’s scolding over using a mobile phone, talking to friends, and applying lipstick.

The incident occurred in Priyadarshini Colony, under Khamaria police station limits, when the girl’s mother returned home and found a handwritten note in her daughter’s room. 

The note read: “Your daughter is with us. If you want her safe and sound, arrange Rs 15 lakh. If you inform the police, the consequences will be bad.”

Panic-stricken, the family immediately informed the Khamaria police. Given the sensitive nature of the case, especially involving a minor, police across Jabalpur to Bhopal were alerted and a search operation was launched.

CCTV footage from nearby areas was reviewed. 

During the investigation, a local auto-rickshaw driver informed police that he had dropped off a girl matching the description near the Sadar area. 

Acting swiftly, police combed through the locality and, after nearly five hours of search, the girl was found wandering in Lane No. 7 of Sadar.

To everyone’s surprise, the girl confessed that she was not kidnapped. 

In fact, she had planned the entire incident to escape her daily scoldings. She had even broken her piggy bank to gather enough money to rent a room for a month, where she intended to live alone without interference.

Speaking to NDTV, Khamaria Police Station In-charge Sarojini Toppo said: “We registered a case and began investigating immediately. The ransom note raised concern, and two police teams – one from the crime branch and one local – were deployed. A breakthrough came when an auto driver informed us that he had dropped the girl near a temple. We found her in Sadar, and during questioning, she admitted she had written the ransom note herself because she was angry at being scolded.”

Toppo added that the handwriting on the ransom note matched the girl’s school notebook, confirming it was indeed written by her. The police have now handed the girl over safely to her family.

The incident caused panic in the colony throughout the day, with neighbours and relatives fearing the worst. However, it has also brought to light the growing emotional pressures on children.

Scientists have observed whether the meteorites can reach Earth from Mercury. Over thousands of meteorites from Mars and the Moon have been observed, but none have been from Mercury, despite it being a nearby rocky planet. A new study revealed Icarus suggests two meteorites, Ksar Ghilane 022 and Northwest Africa 15915, could belong to Mercurian origin. Such a kind of meteorite can offer a realistic opportunity to study the material of the surface of the planet, if the technical challenges and the cost of sending a spacecraft to Mercury are met.

New Meteorite Samples Show Strong Similarities

As per the new studies reported to Physics.org , Meteorite NWA 7325 and aubrites in the past were considered to be possibly from Mercury. However, the mineral composition of their samples has inconsistencies with the known surface data from the Messenger mission of NASA. Aubrites formed on a planet similar in size to Mercury, lacking spectral and chemical similarities, and further weakened as Mercurian fragments.

Ksar Ghilane 022 and NWA 15915, the new samples, share many traits of Mercury crust, with olivine, oldhamite, pyroxene, and minor albitic plagioclase. The oxygen composition of these matched with the aubrites, signalling a similar planetary origin and putting them among strong Mercurian members.Scientists have observed whether the meteorites can reach Earth from Mercury. Over thousands of meteorites from Mars and the Moon have been observed, but none have been from Mercury, despite it being a nearby rocky planet. A new study revealed Icarus suggests two meteorites, Ksar Ghilane 022 and Northwest Africa 15915, could belong to Mercurian origin. Such a kind of meteorite can offer a realistic opportunity to study the material of the surface of the planet, if the technical challenges and the cost of sending a spacecraft to Mercury are met.

New Meteorite Samples Show Strong Similarities

As per the new studies reported to Physics.org , Meteorite NWA 7325 and aubrites in the past were considered to be possibly from Mercury. However, the mineral composition of their samples has inconsistencies with the known surface data from the Messenger mission of NASA. Aubrites formed on a planet similar in size to Mercury, lacking spectral and chemical similarities, and further weakened as Mercurian fragments.

Ksar Ghilane 022 and NWA 15915, the new samples, share many traits of Mercury crust, with olivine, oldhamite, pyroxene, and minor albitic plagioclase. The oxygen composition of these matched with the aubrites, signalling a similar planetary origin and putting them among strong Mercurian members.