The Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) has announced the tentative schedule of annual exam-1 and -2 of 2026-27 for the SSLC and II PU, on Thursday.

The II PU annual exam-1 will be held from February 27 to March 17, 2027, and the annual exam-2 will be held from May 3 to 15, 2027 across the State.

According to the schedule, the SSLC annual exam-1 will be held from March 22 to April 5, 2027, and the annual exam-2 will be held from May 24 to 31, 2027.

The II PU annual exam-1 and -2 will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., while the SSLC annual exam-1 and -2 will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 1.15 p.m.

The board has given 15 days time to submit objections. Students and parents can submit their objections by October 22 via email: dpikseab@gmail.com for SSLC and directorpuekseab@gmail.com for II PU.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Thursday announced June 30 as a new deadline for armed factions to turn over their weapons to the state, following the end of the US-led coalition’s mission in the country.

“October 1 is considered a serious beginning to address the issue of weapons outside state control… according to a clear roadmap and agreed timelines extending no later than June 30, 2027,” Mr. Zaidi said in a statement, having backed away from an original September 30 deadline.

The Iraqi government believes the withdrawal of coalition forces will deprive the armed factions, many of which are backed by Iran, of the excuse they have used to retain their arsenal.

But many fear the pullout might boost the factions instead, and draw the country deeper into the West Asia war.

“Based on the constitutional principle, the decision of war and peace should be left to the constitutional authorities, banning all military action to the contrary,” Mr. Zaidi said on Thursday (October 1).

The U.S.-led, anti-jihadist coalition officially ended its mission in Iraq a day earlier, more than a decade after it deployed to the country to help fight the Islamic State (IS) group.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards welcomed on Thursday the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq as a “historic victory” and called for American troops to leave the Middle East.

The Guards “congratulate the proud nation of Iraq, the united front of the Islamic Resistance, and the revolutionary fighters of the Islamic world on this historic victory,” they said in a statement carried by official media.

‘Not bound by any timeline’

Mr. Zaidi had originally set September 30 as the deadline for factions to disarm, but later withdrew it as talks to “regulate” weapons continued.

While some factions have already handed over their weapons to the state, others have refused to disarm.

Iraqi armed factions backed by Tehran said on Wednesday (September 30) that they were “not bound by any timeline or agreement” to surrender their weapons to the state.

A military spokesman for Kataeb Hezbollah, Jaafar al-Husseini, said at an event to celebrate the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces that the factions had been in talks on “regulating” their weapons but “have not yet received a response from the Iraqi government”.

“Based on this, the Islamic Resistance declares that it is not bound by any timetable or agreement that any governmental or political party has spoken of or may speak of.”

Factions have put forward conditions that include not only the withdrawal of foreign troops but also an end to American political and economic interference.

Kataeb Hezbollah has said the withdrawal of “the occupation forces… is a start towards achieving full sovereignty”.

But the group also threatened Zaidi’s government.

“A government that doesn’t work for the good of its people will be brought down by all possible means,” it said.

The pro-Iran groups had long demanded the withdrawal of U.S. troops, targeting them with drones and missiles, and triggering U.S. retaliatory strikes that killed several faction commanders over the years.

During the West Asia war that began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran and allied factions intensified their attacks in Iraq, targeting U.S.-led troops in the Kurdistan region.

The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) on Wednesday announced a phased ban on the registration of new petrol, diesel and CNG light goods vehicles (LGVs) in Delhi and the wider National Capital Region (NCR) from next year.

According to its order, the CAQM has prohibited the registration of petrol, diesel and CNG smaller LGVs in Delhi from January 1, 2027. The same ban will come into effect in Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar from July 1, 2027. In these cities, only electric smaller LGVs or mini pick-up trucks will be allowed to ply.

For the remaining districts in the NCR, the registration of petrol and diesel smaller LGVs will be banned from January 1, 2028. Both electric and CNG smaller LGVs will continue to be permitted to ply.

Two categories

The CAQM has classified LGVs into two categories. Smaller LGVs fall under category N1 and have a gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes. Larger LGVs fall under category N2 and have a gross vehicle weight above 3.5 tonnes and up to 7.5 tonnes.

For the N2 category, the ban will also be rolled out in phases. In Delhi, the registration of petrol, diesel and CNG LGVs will be prohibited from January 1, 2028. In Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar, the ban will take effect from July 1, 2028. In these areas, only electric LGVs of the N2 category will be allowed. For the rest of the NCR districts, the ban on N2 LGVs will be limited to petrol and diesel vehicles from January 1, 2029. Both electric and CNG smaller LGVs will continue to be allowed.

The CAQM said the decision was taken because pollution caused by LGVs is disproportionate to their share of the total vehicles. “Though LGVs constitute only about 1.2% of total active vehicle stock across the NCR, their contribution is approximately 3.3% of the PM (particulate matter) emissions. This highlights the importance of steering future LGV sales towards cleaner technologies to avoid the long-term accumulation of high-emitting vehicles,” the order read.

The panel also justified the inclusion of CNG vehicles in the ban. “Though CNG significantly reduces primary particulate emissions compared to diesel, it continues to generate substantial nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, a key precursor to secondary PM2.5 (a major pollutant) formation,” the order stated.