KP cabinet approves tax exemptions for merged districts, Malakand

Four former female recruits have accused the UK’s Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate of fostering a culture of sexual abuse, harassment and misogyny, with one woman alleging she was raped by several fellow recruits when she was 17 years old. The women, who attended the military training college over the past five years, shared their experiences publicly for the first time. They said they faced sexual violence, harassment and degrading treatment while undergoing training at the college, which prepares teenagers for military service. One former recruit said she accepted an invitation to another recruit’s room, believing it was harmless. She alleged that several male recruits sexually assaulted and raped her over the course of several hours. The traumatic incident forced her to leave the Army within weeks, saying she could no longer continue her training after the attack. Another former recruit alleged that a fellow trainee trapped her inside a room before sexually assaulting her. She said she managed to escape after struggling with the attacker. A third former recruit’s mother said her daughter endured repeated sexual harassment throughout her training and even blocked her dormitory door at night because the room’s lock was broken and she feared male recruits entering. A fourth woman claimed some instructors openly made sexist remarks, rated female recruits based on their appearance and entered female dormitories without warning. She alleged that such behaviour encouraged disrespectful attitudes toward women among male trainees. Official data obtained through freedom of information requests revealed that police received 16 reports of sexual offences linked to the college during the year ending in June. The reported incidents included allegations of sexual assault, exposure and voyeurism. Separate Ministry of Defence figures showed that 176 complaints involving inappropriate sexual behaviour were recorded at the college between January 2018 and June 2025. Most complaints involved junior soldiers, while dozens concerned permanent staff members. The British Army described the allegations as extremely serious and distressing, stating that criminal or unacceptable behaviour has no place in the armed forces. It said several reforms have been introduced to improve victim support and strengthen the handling of serious offences, including specialist investigations conducted outside the normal chain of command. The Army also said it encourages anyone who has experienced or witnessed misconduct to report it and maintained that the college remains committed to providing a professional, safe and supportive environment for all recruits. However, concerns have grown over the safety of young recruits following previous convictions involving Army personnel for sexual offences and wider reports highlighting sexual misconduct within the armed forces.

NEW DELHI: N. Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, has decided not to seek another term at the helm of India’s major business conglomerate, bringing his leadership tenure towards an end after growing differences with the group’s influential charitable trust arm. Chandrasekaran, 63, said on Wednesday that he would remain chairman until his current term expires in February. He said greater certainty over the group’s future leadership was necessary because several major projects were at critical stages. The decision follows months of disagreement between Chandrasekaran and Tata Trusts, which controls about 66% of Tata Sons. The two sides have reportedly differed over several important strategic and governance issues. Among the disputed matters were the future ownership and structure of Tata Sons, whether the company should pursue a stock market listing, losses at Air India, the proposed departure of a minority shareholder and the composition of the board. Tata Sons had postponed a decision on Chandrasekaran’s reappointment in February after Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, opposed extending his tenure. Six months later, the issue remained unresolved. A person familiar with Chandrasekaran’s decision said the disagreement with Tata Trusts was the sole reason behind his decision not to seek another term. Tata Trusts has not publicly commented on the development. Leadership change comes at difficult time Chandrasekaran’s planned departure comes as the Tata Group faces challenges across several major businesses. Air India, which is controlled by Tata, has been struggling with losses following its return to private ownership. Tata’s automotive operations are also facing pressure, including weaker performance at Jaguar Land Rover. The group’s electronics business has additionally faced the consequences of a recent data leak that affected major customers, including Apple and Tesla. The leadership uncertainty immediately affected investor sentiment. Shares of Tata Consultancy Services, where Chandrasekaran spent most of his career, fell around 5% following news of his planned departure. Tata Motors also declined, while Tata Steel and Titan recorded smaller losses. From TCS intern to Tata chairman Chandrasekaran joined Tata Consultancy Services as an intern in 1987 and spent his entire corporate career with the information technology company. He rose through the ranks and became TCS chief executive in 2009. He was appointed chairman of Tata Sons in 2017. He became the first chairman of Tata Sons who was not a member of the Tata family or from the Parsi community. Under his leadership, Tata expanded its presence across technology, automobiles, aviation, electronics and consumer businesses. The Tata Group is one of India’s oldest and most prominent business organisations. Its companies operate across a wide range of sectors, with products and services ranging from salt and consumer goods to automobiles, hotels, aviation and software. The group’s publicly listed companies had a combined market value of hundreds of billions of dollars at the end of March, highlighting the potential significance of any leadership transition at Tata Sons. Tata’s history has also included previous disputes between its corporate leadership and charitable trusts. One of the most prominent occurred in 2016, when the Tata Sons board removed chairman Cyrus Mistry following a bitter dispute involving governance and the group’s leadership.