5ive Live: Mumbai cafe shut over hygiene concerns; tech layoff fears and more

India Today is set to host the Keralam Roundtable from Thiruvananthapuram, continuing its focus on bringing South India's political leadership to national prominence. The conclave follows previous interactions with key southern leaders, including discussions covering governance, regional developments, and national perspectives. The upcoming event features comprehensive conversations on state administration and political affairs starting from 10:00 AM.

The Central Crime Branch conducted searches at the Tiruchirappalli residence of a former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister in connection with an alleged 100 crore rupees private school fraud case. Authorities allege money was collected from private school managements between 2024 and 2026 in exchange for government clearances, recognition, and upgradation. The former minister has been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act following the arrest of a party functionary. The DMK termed the action a political vendetta aimed at diverting attention from key state issues and pledged to challenge the raids legally, as party cadres staged protests outside the residence.

A panel of political analysts and commentators, including Sanjeevi Sadagopan, Rangaraj Pandey, and R. Kannan, examine Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's official visit to London. The discussion focuses on evaluating whether the trip successfully secured foreign direct investments or merely generated optical headlines and fan engagements. Panelists note that the ₹15,000 crore investment agreements involved companies already present in India and question the lack of a transparent official schedule. As Rangaraj Pandey observed regarding the investment outcome, 'I would call this is not neither a failure nor a success, and it's a tie.' The debate further delves into the government's communication strategy, administrative priorities, and comparisons with neighbouring states in attracting global corporate investment.

The United States announced the deployment of weapons in space to counter hostile enemy action, marking the first time a nation has officially declared deploying orbital weaponry. These weapons can target adversary satellites, space stations, and potentially ground installations. Space-based weapons fall into three main categories: Earth-to-space kinetic and non-kinetic systems, space-to-space weapons including co-orbital kamikaze satellites and dual-use inspector satellites capable of disabling enemy craft, and space-to-Earth strike systems. The development comes alongside the Pentagon's Golden Dome missile defence system, which plans to deploy space-based interceptors to target ballistic missiles during launch, officially launching a new era of orbital weaponisation.