Sunday, 18 October 2026

Bengal CM forms high-level panel to review safety at Durga Puja pandals after 19 die at Chorbagan stampede

Hindustan Times

4 hours ago · 1 min read★ 3.5 trust

Bengal CM forms high-level panel to review safety at Durga Puja pandals after 19 die at Chorbagan stampede Bengal CM forms high-level panel to review safety at Durga Puja pandals after 19 die at Chorbagan stampede Published on: Oct 18, 2026, 02:13:57 IST PTI Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link

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'Efficacy of curbs not proved': SC against blanket internet ban on kids over safety

It said the efficacy of such restrictive measures remains far from established in countries which have imposed them. NEW DELHI: Raising citizens’ right to access and use of internet to the level of fundamental right, Supreme Court has held that even children are entitled to that right and said it does not endorse imposing in the name of safety a blanket ban on children accessing internet. At the same time, it favoured restricting access to content that is inherently harmful to kids.A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Chandran said that right to access and use of the internet is part of Article 21 (right to life and liberty) and Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression). The internet is “priceless” as it provides access to information and education to all in even remote areas, where it is often the only source of learning for many children. Noting that the SC had earlier refrained from expressing a definitive view on whether the right to access the internet is, by itself, a fundamental right, the bench said, “...we have no hesitation in saying that the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right of every individual under Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.”SC: Internet’s value priceless, efficacy of curbs not provedSC said, “Our children, irrespective of their age enjoy the same rights, and to deny the same altogether would be as absurd as saying children below a certain age do not have a conscience worth protecting or freedom of speech worth expressing.” The order was passed on a public interest litigationfiled by NGO ‘Just Rights for Children Alliance’, which highlights continued lapses by intermediaries in tackling child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) despite SC’s 2024 judgment in this regard. Join conversation View All Comments → Share your thoughts in the comments Insightful Agree Disagree Skeptical Concerning Promising Worth Reading Big Development Post Comment Be respectful · TOI community guidelines Agreeing with its plea, SC said there has been “no progress worth the name” in the last two years.Acknowledging that there has been “a growing yet short-lived tendency across the globe in the recent past to limit the access of children below a certain age to the internet, more particularly to social media platforms,” SC said, “we too gave this our anxious consideration, and only thereafter, we decided consciously not to endorse the same”.It said the efficacy of such restrictive measures remains far from established in countries which have imposed them.“... Children do not cease to use the internet merely because the law prohibits them from doing so ... They move to other platforms and websites that are unregulated and even more unsafe,” SC said.“All that we are trying to say is that any blanket restriction on access to internet by children is nothing more than unproven measures of proven disproportionality. No jurisdiction has, so far, been able to demonstrate that children are any safer on account of such measures,” it said.It said some age-based restrictions and safeguards should exist for the safety of children online.

Times of India·3 hours ago·3 min read

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Experts discuss roadmap for quantum-resistant digital infrastructure

SRM University-AP hosts stakeholder consultation workshop on Post-Quantum Cryptography and Cybersecurity

The Hindu·3 hours ago·2 min read

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'War booty': Cheap iPhone 18s advertised in Tehran after Hormuz shipwreck

(Screengrab from footage shared on social media) Apple's iPhone 18 smartphones are being advertised in Tehran at unusually low prices as “war booty”, with sellers claiming the devices were recovered from a cargo ship that sank near the Strait of Hormuz, Iran International reported on Saturday.The advertisements surfaced after a container ship reportedly sank near the strategic waterway on October 13. Videos circulating on social media purportedly showed shipping containers floating in the sea, with iPhones and expensive perfumes scattered in the water as people aboard small boats collected the goods.According to a report by Ynet News, footage circulated by media outlets across the Arab world on Thursday evening showed people retrieving objects from the water. One boat appeared to be carrying boxes of iPhones, with one report claiming that the devices were Apple's latest iPhone 18 models. The identities of those seen collecting the goods remain unclear.There has been no official confirmation of the incident.Iran's cyber police have warned prospective buyers against paying deposits or advance fees before inspecting the products and verifying sellers' identities. Officials cautioned that scammers could exploit the shipwreck reports to advertise products that do not exist, using attractive prices to lure unsuspecting customers. The advertisements have emerged amid escalating maritime tensions in West Asia, with commercial vessels facing repeated attacks around the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global oil shipments.Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that an “illegal supertanker” carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil was struck by a sea mine while attempting to cross what it described as the “unauthorised” strait. Iran's ISNA news agency reported an explosion and a severe fire following the incident.Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that two vessels transiting through the Persian Gulf off Saudi Arabia were struck on Friday. The crews were safe, according to the maritime monitoring agency.US President Donald Trump has maintained that Washington would continue its blockade of Iranian maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz while negotiations continue, even as attacks on vessels add to concerns over security in the region.

Times of India·4 hours ago·2 min read