More Today's Headlines
Anti-Drug Activist Parvinder Singh Jhota Shot Dead in Punjab's Mansa Amid Protests
Anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead in broad daylight at a medical store in Mansa, Punjab, during a confrontation over alleged illegal drug sales. The incident, captured live on Jhota's Facebook, sparked widespread protests and political backlash. Police investigations suggest personal enmity as a motive, with the accused medical store owner absconding. Jhota's family and opposition parties criticized the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, for failing to ensure law and order and protect activists campaigning against drug abuse.
India Standardizes Names of 28 Ladakh Locations Amid China’s Objections
India has standardized the names of 28 strategic geographical features in Ladakh, including peaks and passes, for official mapping to improve public awareness and administrative clarity. China strongly opposes this move, calling it illegal and rejecting the Union Territory's status, asserting territorial claims over the region. India’s Ministry of External Affairs reaffirmed Ladakh as an integral and inalienable part of India, dismissing China’s objections as baseless. The locations include key border friction points like Gogra and Hot Spring, significant in the 2020 India-China standoff.
Zoho Freezes 2026 Salary Hikes Citing Rising AI Costs and Uncertain Software Outlook
Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu announced that the company will not grant annual salary hikes in 2026 due to sharply rising costs linked to artificial intelligence (AI), including a fourfold increase in server prices and growing AI usage expenses. Zoho has also cut its marketing budget and maintained a flat employee count for 18 months, aiming to avoid mass layoffs amid a challenging software industry outlook compounded by geopolitical uncertainties. Vembu described the software jobs outlook as grim and said the company is undergoing a reinvention expected to take three to five years.



