Category: India

The most striking improvement has been in the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), considered a key measure of health standards

For the first time, India’s birth and death rates have dropped to nearly half their levels from fifty years ago, marking strong improvements in healthcare, family planning, and social well-being across the country, according to the latest government data for 2023.

According to the latest data from the Sample Registration System, India’s birth, death, and infant mortality rates have shown a steady decline over the past few decades.

Fall in birth rate

The birth rate (live births per thousand population) has fallen from 21.4 in 2013 to 18.4 in 2023. Overall, data shows the birth rate at all-India levels has declined drastically over the last five decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 18.4 in 2023—a drop of 18.5.

Birth rate defines the number of babies born alive in a year for every 1,000 people in the population, and it shows how fast a population is growing. Data shows that in rural areas, where birth rates have traditionally been higher, it recorded a decline from 22.9 to 20.3 over the same period, while in urban areas, it saw a sharper fall from 17.3 to 14.9. The data also highlighted regional disparities: Bihar reported the highest birth rate at 25.8 in 2023, while the Andaman & Nicobar Islands recorded the lowest at 10.1.

Declining death rate

The death rate (deaths per thousand population) also continued its downward trend, decreasing from 7.0 in 2013 to 6.4 in 2023. Death rate defines the number of people who die in a year for every 1,000 people in the population and gives an idea of overall mortality, life expectancy, and health conditions in a population.

Rural areas reported a death rate of 6.8, compared to 5.7 in urban areas. However, the gap between states remains significant. Chhattisgarh recorded the highest death rate at 8.3, while Chandigarh registered the lowest at 4.0.

Plummeting IMR

The most striking improvement has been in the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), considered a key measure of health standards. IMR shows the number of babies who die before reaching 1 year of age (infants), per 1,000 babies born alive in a year. IMR is considered one of the best indicators of a country’s healthcare quality, nutrition, and living conditions, because it reflects how well newborns and mothers are cared for.

IMR dropped from 40 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013 to 25 in 2023, a decline of nearly 37.5%. Rural IMR fell from 44 to 28, while urban IMR declined from 27 to 18 over the same period. In 2023, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest IMR at 37, while Manipur had the lowest at just 3.

MMR too headed down

A similar trend was visible in the data from the National Health Mission on the Maternal Mortality Rate. It showed that India’s decline in Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) is higher than the global ratio. Between 1990 and 2020, India’s MMR declined by 83% in comparison to a 42% fall on a worldwide scale. It means in India, during 1 lakh live births, 556 mothers died. However, the number has now improved, and maternal mortality now stands at 97 deaths.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/indias-birth-and-death-rates-halve-in-50-years-sharp-drop-in-infant-and-maternal-mortality-9550394.html

The new slab structure blends economic relief with strategic messaging: trimming household bills while protecting key sectors before elections

The GST 2.0 overhaul isn’t just a tax reform; it’s a political statement. From the middle class to farmers, the restructuring of India’s indirect tax regime appears carefully calibrated to please key voter segments ahead of the Bihar elections. The four-tier structure of 5, 12, 18, and 28 per cent is being replaced by just two core slabs—5 and 18 per cent—while a new 40 per cent rate has been introduced for luxury and ‘sin goods’.

The slab changes seem to have been designed with precision, targeting constituencies that matter both economically and electorally. Here’s how each group stands to benefit.

Middle Class: Aspirational Gains, Political Stakes

Comprising nearly 31 per cent of India’s population, the middle class is both an economic driver and a critical electoral bloc. The BJP has already tried to woo this segment with tax cuts in the Union Budget, and GST 2.0 takes it further.

The government has slashed GST on a host of goods associated with middle-class consumption and aspirations— small cars, LED TVs, air conditioners, cinema tickets, chocolates, pencils, geometry boxes—have seen tax rates slashed to 18 per cent. Daily-use items like soaps, shampoos, hair oil, toothpaste, toothbrushes, talcum powder, candles, shaving kits, safety matches, and even stationery and toys are now taxed at just 5 per cent, down from 12–18 per cent earlier.

Healthcare expenses, a major outlay for many households, have also been addressed. Life and health insurance premiums are now GST-exempt, while 33 life-saving drugs, including treatments for cancer and rare diseases, have been made entirely tax-free. Diagnostic kits, thermometers and most other medicines are down to 5 per cent.

With the Bihar elections around the corner, these changes are seen as a strategic move to retain middle-class goodwill in a state where their vote can swing the outcome.

Farmers and Dairy Sector: A Red Line in Tariff Talks

India’s agrarian economy has long made farmers a non-negotiable priority in policymaking. According to National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data, the country is home to between 37 and 118 million farmers, and around 93 million agricultural households. The dairy sector alone involves 70 to 80 million farmers.

GST 2.0 acknowledges their importance. Tax rates have been cut on items vital to farm and rural livelihoods—farm equipment, ghee, butter, paneer, jams, sauces, soups, namkeens, and even dry fruits like almonds, cashews, and pistachios are now taxed at 5 per cent, significantly down from 12–18 per cent.

Crucially, both the agriculture and dairy sectors have been protected during trade negotiations with the US. India has refused to open these to foreign competition, choosing instead to safeguard domestic producers. This aligns with the broader political priority of keeping rural India economically secure.

Healthy India: Taxing the Bad Stuff

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently promoted a healthy lifestyle, from popularising yoga internationally to urging citizens to cut down on oil and sugar consumption.

GST 2.0 reinforces this vision with a new 40 per cent ‘sin tax’ on products considered harmful to health. This includes tobacco, pan masala, zarda, gutkha, and aerated or caffeinated beverages with added sugar. The message is clear: the government wants to make unhealthy choices costlier while rewarding mindful consumption.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/who-gains-from-gst-2-0-middle-class-farmers-and-the-push-for-a-healthy-india-ws-l-9549242.html

“People will start benefiting from first day of Navratri. This time, Dhanteras will be more vibrant. This is the biggest reform of independent India,” PM Modi said.

The rationalisation of Goods and Services Tax — which is expected to put money in the pockets of the middle class by slashing tax on multiple items and scrapping it altogether for crucial items including bread and life saving drugs — is the “biggest reform since Independence,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today. The two tax slabs which would be operational instead of the current four, will come into effect from September 22 — the first day of Navratri.

“People will start benefiting from first day of Navratri. This time, Dhanteras will be more vibrant. This is the biggest reform of independent India,” PM Modi said.

During his address at the National Teachers Awards, PM Modi said he had promised “double dhamaka” of next-generation GST reforms before Diwali and Chhath from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

“Without timely changes, we cannot give our country its rightful place in today’s global context. I had said from the Red Fort on 15 August this time that it is crucial to undertake next-generation reforms to make India self-reliant. I had also promised the countrymen that there would be a double blast of happiness before this Diwali and Chhath Puja,” he said.

He said the GST reforms incorporated “Panch Ratna” (five gems) – simpler tax system, better quality of life for citizens, boost for consumption and growth, encouraging investments and job creation through ease of doing business and strengthening cooperative federalism for developed India – to the country’s economy.

He also attacked the Opposition Congress, pointing out that when they were in power at the Centre, they taxed anything and everything — daily essentials, food and medicine.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/biggest-reform-of-independent-india-pm-narendra-modi-applauds-gst-rationalisation-9217983?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Jaishankar highlighted that geopolitical uncertainties and economic volatility make a “very powerful case” for stronger partnerships with EU and Germany.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said the global strategic and economic landscape is undergoing “significant and far-reaching changes”, stressing the need for India, the European Union (EU), and Germany in particular, to deepen cooperation in response to these shifts.

Addressing a joint press conference with visiting German foreign minister Johann Wadephul, Jaishankar highlighted that geopolitical uncertainties and economic volatility make a “very powerful case” for stronger partnerships.

Wadephul is on a two-day visit to India, having begun his engagements in Bengaluru on Tuesday before arriving in New Delhi for talks.

The statement also comes at a time when India is facing heightened economic pressures, including the Donald Trump administration’s recent decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports linked to its purchases of Russian crude oil.

During the presser, Jaishankar urged for a stronger relationship with Germany, saying, “We are witnessing significant and far-reaching changes on the global strategic landscape. We’re also seeing a lot of volatility on the global economic landscape and I think together they make a very powerful case for India and the European Union and India and Germany to work much more closely with each other. This is a relationship where there are considerable possibilities for fairly rapid growth,” news agency ANI reported.

He added, “So the bottom line answer is yes. There are big changes underway in the world. Those changes make a very compelling case for a deeper, stronger, wider India-Germany relationship.”

India-Germany trade growth

Jaishankar underlined the importance of bilateral cooperation with Germany and said discussions also focused on advancing trade negotiations.

“Today, our conversation was mostly devoted to the bilateral part…The minister was kind enough to assure me that Germany would also put its full weight behind the FTA negotiations with the European Union,” ANI quoted EAM as saying.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jaishankar-says-big-changes-underway-in-the-world-calls-for-closer-india-eu-ties-101756908801664.html

PM Modi and President Putin had travelled in the same vehicle to the destination of their bilateral meeting after the proceedings at the SCO Summit venue in Tianjin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, while divulging details for the first time about his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their car ride in Tianjin after of the SCO Summit, said that he spoke with the Indian PM about the Alaska Summit with US President Donald Trump.
PM Modi and President Putin had travelled in the same vehicle to the destination of their bilateral meeting after the proceedings at the SCO Summit venue in Tianjin.
“After the proceedings at the SCO Summit venue, President Putin and I travelled together to the venue of our bilateral meeting. Conversations with him are always insightful,” PM Modi had said in a post on X.

The mini road-trip for Putin and Modi to reach the venue for their bilateral meeting lasted only about 15 minutes, but the two leaders then sat inside the car for a further 45 minutes to continue their discussions.

“The two leaders continued their one-to-one dialogue on the way to the hotel where they were to be joined by members of their teams. However, on reaching the hotel they did not deboard the Russian president’s limousine and continued their conversation for 50 minutes,” Russian national radio station VestiFM reported.

Later, during the bilateral meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed the depth of their partnership and exchanged views on global issues like the Ukraine war. Reiterating the long-standing friendship between New Delhi and Moscow, Prime Minister Modi said, “India and Russia have always stood shoulder to shoulder even in the most difficult situations. Our close cooperation is important not only for the people of both countries but also for global peace, stability and prosperity.”
The talks came at a time when India has been facing heat, and tariffs, from the US over their buying of Russian oil. Besides a 25 per cent tariff, US President Donald Trump has also imposed a 25 per cent penalty over India buying oil from Russia.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/putin-modi-sco-summit-car-ride-conversation-details-article-152653621

The German authorities had taken custody of Ariha Shah on September 23, 2021, when she was seven months old, alleging that her parents had harassed her.

India on Wednesday called upon Germany to ensure the early return of Indian baby girl Ariha Shah, who has been living in a foster care in Berlin for nearly four years.

The issue was raised by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during talks with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul.

“I raised the issue of Ariha Shah, an Indian child who has been in the foster care of German authorities for some time. I underlined to the Minister that it is essential that her cultural rights are ensured and she grows up in Indian surroundings,” Jaishankar said at a joint media briefing with Mr Wadephul.

“This matter needs to be resolved without further delay, and I think we have had some discussions today on that subject,” he said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-urges-germany-to-ensure-early-return-of-baby-ariha-shah-9211943

The tax on pan masala, tobacco products, cigarettes, aerated drinks containing added sugar and caffeinated and non-alcoholic beverages has been increased from 28 per cent to 40 per cent.

The GST Council has increased the tax on sin and super luxury goods under a special rate of 40 per cent. The tax on pan masala, tobacco products, cigarettes and all automobiles above 1,200 cc and longer than 4,000 mm will attract 40 per cent GST. Motorcycles exceeding 350 cc, yachts and aircraft for personal use, and racing cars will attract a 40 per cent levy.

All cars larger than 1,200 cc for petrol and 1,500 cc for diesel will be charged at 40 pc, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

The council has also raised the tax rate on aerated drinks containing added sugar and caffeinated and non-alcoholic beverages has been increased from 28 per cent to a steep 40 per cent.

The council, chaired by Ms Sitharaman, cut the current four slabs down to two, in a landmark move. It scrapped the 12 per cent and 28 per cent rates, while retaining the 5 per cent and 18 per cent slabs. The new goods and services tax (GST), except for tobacco products and cigarettes, will become effective from September 22.

The government has decided to cut taxes on hundreds of consumer items ranging from soaps to small cars, with a “focus on the common man”.

Praising the announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “GST reforms will improve lives, ensure ease of doing business, especially for small businesses”.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/tobacco-products-carbonated-beverages-what-comes-under-40-gst-9211789

Hundreds of farmers, waiting in long lines for urea under a token system, were first offered tea and biscuits by the administration in a gesture of calm.But as night fell, tempers rose.

It is the season of sowing, but there’s anger and despair across Madhya Pradesh. Farmers in several districts are facing a deepening fertilizer crisis.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, in a high-level review meeting on Wednesday, directed collectors to ensure “smooth and transparent distribution of fertilizers” and warned that they would be held accountable for any chaos.

“The state government is with the farmers in every situation,” said the Chief Minister.

He directed district administration to conduct an intensive review of fertilizer availability, keep farmers constantly informed, and share district-wise stock information with public representatives.

“This will make farmers aware of the actual status of fertilizer availability,” he said.

Mr Yadav also instructed that surprise verification and monitoring of double lock godowns, Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS), and private sales centers must be carried out.

If additional sales outlets are needed, he said, they should be started immediately.

Officials of agriculture, cooperative banks, and the marketing federation must stay in constant touch with farmers’ organizations, the Chief Minister stressed.

Yet, ground reality paints a different picture.

In Rewa’s Karhiya Mandi, chaos led to confrontation on Tuesday night.

Hundreds of farmers, waiting in long lines for urea under a token system, were first offered tea and biscuits by the administration in a gesture of calm.

But as night fell, tempers rose.

Farmers, alleging mismanagement, locked the Tehsildar, Naib Tehsildar and Markfed officials inside a room. The police responded with force. Videos from the spot show police using lathis to disperse the restless crowd.

The administration insists, however, that “no lathicharge” was carried out. Officials claim only “mild force” was used after farmers confined officers.

“Fertilizer is available in sufficient quantity, but farmers need to maintain patience,” a Rewa official said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/first-tea-and-biscuits-then-lathis-as-farmers-lock-officials-over-fertilizers-at-rewa-in-madhya-pradesh-9211711

The revised rate structure will come into effect on September 22, coinciding with the first day of Navratri

In a major move to simplify India’s tax regime and bring relief to consumers, the GST Council on Wednesday approved a sweeping overhaul of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure.

The reforms include slashing tax rates on everyday items, such as TVs, shampoos, air conditioners, medicines, and even small cars, and streamlining the number of GST slabs.

The revised rate structure will come into effect on September 22, coinciding with the first day of Navratri. The GST Council has replaced the earlier four-tier system (5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%) with a simplified two-rate structure of 5% and 18%. Additionally, a special 40% rate has been introduced for luxury and sin goods like high-end cars and tobacco products.

HERE ARE 10 KEY FAQs TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT’S CHANGING

1. When will the changes in GST rates come into force?

The new GST rates will apply from 22nd September 2025 for most goods and services. Items like cigarettes and chewing tobacco will continue with the current rates until a later date, to be notified separately.

2. What is the GST rate on medicines?

All medicines will now attract a 5% GST, unless specifically exempted.

3. What is the GST rate on air conditioners, TVs, monitors, and dishwashers?

GST on air conditioners and dishwashers has been reduced from 28% to 18%. All TVs and monitors, regardless of size, will now be taxed at 18%.

4. Has GST on agricultural machinery/equipment been reduced?

Yes. Items like sprinklers, harvesters, composting machines, and other equipment will now attract 5% GST instead of 12%.

5. What is the revised GST rate on small petrol, LPG, CNG, or diesel cars?

GST on small cars is reduced from 28% to 18%.

“Small cars” include:

• Petrol/LPG/CNG cars with engine capacity up to 1200 cc and length up to 4000 mm
• Diesel cars with engine capacity up to 1500 cc and length up to 4000 mm

6. What is the GST rate on renewable energy equipment/devices?

GST on renewable energy devices has been brought down from 12% to 5%.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/from-electronics-to-small-cars-and-medical-devices-10-key-faqs-on-new-gst-rate-cuts-ws-l-9547758.html

The MEA raised concerns about Ariha’s sudden transfer to specialized foster care in Germany, warning it could negatively impact her emotional and mental well-being

German Foreign Minister Johann Wedfful is visiting India, where he met with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi. While the talks primarily focused on strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations, attention was also drawn to a sensitive human-interest issue—the case of a young girl named Ariha Shah.

This marks the first meeting between the German and Indian foreign ministers since Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office.

Who Is Ariha Shah?

Ariha Shah, an Indian girl of about four years, has been separated from her parents, Dhara and Bhavesh Shah, and placed in German foster care. The separation occurred after an incident where Ariha was injured by her grandmother, leading German authorities to take her into protective custody, classifying the situation as a case of abuse. Ariha has been in foster care for 46 months, entangled in a complex legal case in Germany.

Her parents have maintained that the injury was accidental, but the legal proceedings in Germany have prolonged her stay in foster care.

Foreign Minister Calls For Immediate Release

Jaishankar brought up the case of Ariha Shah during talks with the German Foreign Minister, stating, “I raised the issue of Ariha Shah, an Indian girl under German authorities’ care for some time. I stressed the need to protect her cultural rights and ensure her upbringing in an Indian environment. This matter should be resolved without delay.”

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had also raised Ariha’s case in talks held in October 2024, yet she remains in foster care. The MEA and the Embassy of India in Berlin have been persistently advocating for the return of the baby, who was placed in the custody of Germany’s Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt) on September 23, 2021 when she was seven months old.

When Did Indian Government Step In?

The Government of India had stepped in following a letter from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to the Ministry of External Affairs, urging support for Ariha Shah. The letter highlighted the parents’ plea to bring Ariha back home.

The MEA emphasized that the child’s best interests can only be fully safeguarded in her home country, where her socio-cultural rights can be protected. India has repeatedly requested German authorities to return Ariha and ensure her access to her cultural, religious, and linguistic background. The Indian Embassy had also sought consular access and opportunities for cultural immersion at the Indian Cultural Centre in Berlin.

However, these requests have so far not been fulfilled. The MEA had expressed concern over Ariha’s abrupt transfer to a specialized foster care arrangement in Germany, describing the process as potentially harmful to her emotional and mental development.

Officials also noted that India has a strong child welfare system and that prospective foster parents are ready to provide a home that preserves her socio-cultural identity.

Ariha’s Parents Spoke Out

According to Shinde’s letter to S. Jaishankar, Ariha’s parents, Dhara and Bhavesh Shah of Mumbai, have been tirelessly working to reunite with her.

Earlier, Dhara Shah had expressed deep worry, saying, “Based on the court order there, Ariha has now been sent to an orphanage. We have no idea about the people she will live with. We are extremely concerned for her safety.”

She mentioned that with their German visas expiring, delays in the process could result in permanent loss of custody.

Ariha was just seven months old when separated from her parents, who have been allowed visits only once every 15–20 days.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/who-is-ariha-shah-4-year-old-indian-girl-taken-from-parents-and-placed-in-german-foster-care-ws-dkl-9546976.html

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen approximately Rs 40.69 crore in nine bank accounts linked to Congress MLA KC Veerendra amid a money laundering investigation related to illegal online betting.

ED has frozen around Rs 40.69 crore kept in 9 bank accounts and one bank account of Congress MLA KC Veerendra in a money laundering probe revolving around illegal online betting investigations.
On August 22, ED had arrested Karnataka MLA from Chitradurga KC Veerendra in Gangtok and later got his custodial remand. In total, the ED has frozen Rs 55 crore.
“An amount of Rs. 55 crore (approx.) were marked freeze, including Rs. 40.69 crore (approx.) in 9 bank accounts and one Demat account of KC Veerendra and a total amount of Rs. 14.46 Crore (approx.) in 262 mule accounts recovered from one of the accused gateways through which money collected by multiple gaming websites being operated by K C Veerendra and his associates were being routed,” said ED on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, ED again carried out fresh searches in several locations in Bengaluru and Challekere.

It has also seized five high end vehicles all Mercedes Benz with VIP number plates ending with 0003 and one with 5267.
The federal probe agency has claimed that illegal betting syndicate allegedly being run and one payment gateway being used could be around Rs 2000 crores.
“The accused is running several online betting sites in name of King 567, Raja 567, Lion 567. It has been revealed that several gateways are being used to route payments collected through websites,” said ED on Wednesday.
“The money collected from these websites being operated by KC Veerendra and his associates through single gateway alone is more than Rs. 2,000 Crore in a short span of time,” ED said in a statement on Wednesday.

ED claims Congress MLA’s brother KC Thippeswamy is reportedly operating three business entities in Dubai, Diamond Softech, TRS Technologies and Prime9Technologies.
“These entities are related to call centre services and gaming business of KC Veerendra,” said an official.
“We have traced other Dubai based entities like Castle Rock Project Management, Lascaux Core Project Management Services which have been incorporated by Veerendra in partnership with his brother and others,” he added.
“K C Veerendra and his associates in Dubai are operating several gaming websites by using various gateways and fintech service providers for layering of funds and for masking their illicit activities as genuine e-commerce businesses,” said ED.
On 22nd August – 23rd August ED had carried out searches at 31 locations in Karnataka, Goa and Sikkim. During these searches, an amount of Rs. 12 Crore in cash, gold jewellery worth Rs. 6 Crore, silver articles around 10 Kg along with 4 vehicle were seized.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/ed-freezes-rs-40-crores-of-karnataka-congress-mla-in-illegal-betting-case-article-152654493

Ranya smuggled 127 kg of gold, according to evidence gathered, says DRI

The saga of Sandalwood actress Ranya Rao’s involvement in a major gold smuggling racket has taken a dramatic turn, with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) serving a show-cause notice demanding a staggering fine of Rs 102 crore. This development intensifies the legal troubles for the actress, who is already in judicial custody and has seen her assets worth Rs 37 crore seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

While Ranya Rao was initially caught with 14 kg of gold, the DRI’s meticulous investigation has revealed a far more extensive operation. Documentary evidence compiled by the agency indicates that the actress, through her multiple international trips, was a key player in the illegal smuggling of a colossal 127 kg of gold.

The notice, served under the Customs Act, marks a critical step for the DRI Bengaluru, which has built a watertight case and is now moving to recover a penalty of 100% of the smuggled goods’ value, as mandated by law. The DRI can also seek confiscation of the already seized assets.

The crackdown extends beyond the actress, exposing a complex network of individuals involved in the multi-crore illicit trade. The DRI has also issued show-cause notices to three other accused. Tharun Raju, accused no. 2 in the case, is alleged to have smuggled 71.6 kg of gold and faces a penalty of Rs 62 crore. The other accused, Bharat Jain and Shahil Jain, each implicated in the smuggling of around 63 kg of gold, have been ordered to pay a fine of Rs 53 crore each.

The serving of the notices on Tuesday through the jailer brings a new chapter to this unfolding investigation, as the accused now face the full financial consequences of their alleged crimes.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/dri-serves-jaw-dropping-rs-102-crore-penalty-notice-to-actress-ranya-rao-in-gold-smuggling-case-9544608.html

Relentless rains in Himachal Pradesh caused landslides, road closures, and evacuations. Kiratpur-Manali highway remains blocked, stranding thousands of tourists.

Relentless rains have wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh, triggering a series of landslides that have crippled road connectivity, disrupted essential services, and forced several families to evacuate.

Further, two women died in separate house collapse incidents on Tuesday amid relentless rain. The extreme weather also led to the closure of 1,337 roads, including four national highways, causing widespread disruption. With several key roads being blocked, contact with some of the key regions have been cut off, leading to widespread logistical challenges.

The Kiratpur-Manali four-lane highway remains out of bound for a second day on Tuesday owing to multiple landslides between Mandi and Banala. With the alternate Kataula route also being blocked, over 2,000 vehicles are stuck in Mandi and Kullu, leaving tourists and locals stranded amid deteriorating weather.

The transport paralysis has severely impacted farmers from Lahaul and Spiti, who are now watching their unsold vegetable produce rot in the fields. The prolonged blockade threatens both their seasonal income and the wider vegetable supply chain.

In a separate incident, a rockfall near the Paddal Gurudwara in Mandi town struck two houses, sparking panic among residents. Fortunately, all occupants evacuated in time, and no injuries were reported.

The area has been declared unsafe and vacated as a precaution, the authorities have said. The affected families were moved to safer locations, and nearby residents also left their homes fearing further rockfalls.

Further, in Manali, two people were rescued after their vehicle was caught in a landslide-related mishap. Rescue teams remain on high alert, with officials urging the public to stay away from unstable areas and report any signs of ground movement.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/himachal-rain-fury-2000-vehicles-stranded-in-mandi-kullu-1337-roads-closed-ws-l-9544773.html

A 26-year-old man allegedly strangled his 52-year-old lover after she demanded loan repayment and marriage. The victim used Instagram filters to hide her real age.

A 26-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district allegedly killed his lover, double his age, for pressuring him to marry her and return the loan he took from her. As per the police, the man strangled the victim with her dupatta.

Accused, Arun Rajpoot, befriended a 52-year-old woman on Instagram and after chatting for 1.5 years, they exchanged numbers. The woman allegedly used Instagram filters to appear younger.

2 months ago, they met each other for the first time at a hotel in Farrukhabad. When Rajpoot saw the victim, he was stunned as she appeared much older. She told him that her age was 52. Rajpoot didn’t act on it and conspired to take money from her. He took a loan of almost Rs 1.5 lakh from her.

The victim asked for loan repayment after Rajpoot refused to marry her.

Rajpoot got miffed by the continuous pressure and planned to murder the woman. He called her to Mainpuri and strangled her to death with her dupatta. He pulled out the SIM card from her mobile and got rid of it. He left the body in the bushes.

Police Performed Last Rites

The woman’s abandoned body was found by the police on August 11 near Kharpari Rajbaha in the Kotwali area of ​​Mainpuri. A mobile phone was also found near the body. When the body could not be identified, the police registered it as abandoned and cremated it. However, the police had sent the photo of the woman to all the police stations of the district and the surrounding districts.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/52-year-old-woman-used-instagram-filter-to-hide-age-killed-by-lover-after-pressing-for-marriage-ws-l-9545205.html

The Delhi High Court was responding to the delay in the trial cited as one of the major reasons to grant bail by the lawyers of the accused

Denying bail to activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and eight others, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday said a hurried trial in the 2020 riots conspiracy case will be “detrimental” to both the accused and the State.

Khalid, Imam, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima and Shadab Ahmed have been behind bars for the past five years in an anti-terror law case linked to the alleged conspiracy behind the February 2020 riots in Delhi.

“All the appeals are dismissed,” said a bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur, while acting on the bail pleas. “A hurried trial would also be detrimental to the rights of both the Appellants and the State. The parties have informed this Court that the trial is currently at the stage of hearing arguments on the framing of charges, thus, it indicates that the case is progressing.”

The court was responding to the delay in the trial cited as one of the major reasons to grant bail by the lawyers of the accused.

The division bench noted that the Delhi Police has filed a 3,000-page chargesheet with an additional 30,000 pages of electronic evidence. It observed the police had carried out a detailed investigation, leading to the arrest of several people and, in such a background, “the pace of the trial will progress naturally”.

A different bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar rejected the appeal of Tasleem Ahmed against a bail rejection order of the trial court.

Khalid, Imam and several others were booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of IPC for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. The violence erupted during the protests against the CAA and NRC.

The accused have been in jail since 2020 and they moved the high court against a trial court order dismissing their bail pleas. While challenging this order, Imam, Khalid and others had cited their long incarceration and parity with other co-accused who were granted bail.

WHAT DID THE PROSECUTION SAY?

The prosecution opposed the bail pleas saying it was not a case of spontaneous riots but a case where riots were “planned well in advance” with a “sinister motive” and “well-thought-out conspiracy”.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta contended it was a conspiracy to defame India on a global level and merely citing long incarceration was no ground for bail. He argued that the intention behind the riots was to globally defame the nation through a “well-planned and orchestrated” criminal conspiracy by the accused persons.

Delhi Police argued that it was not a spontaneous riot but a well-organised act planned in advance, aimed at a particular day and time. It was alleged the protests were part of a conspiracy of the accused persons to cause violence at the time of the visit of then US President Donald Trump.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/hurried-trial-detrimental-to-accused-state-delhi-hc-says-role-of-umar-khalid-in-2020-riots-grave-ws-l-9544857.html

Shubhanshu Shukla is the first Indian to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS) and the second from the country to go into space.

Shubhanshu Shukla shared a surprising video that captured how he used to eat food while aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The first Indian to visit the ISS and the second Indian to go into space explained the routine astronauts have to follow while eating in zero gravity.

“Food in space. Never thought I would have to learn to eat again. Here I am explaining why habits matter when you are eating in space. If you are not mindful you can easily create a mess and you don’t want to be that guy. Solid mantra that works for anything in space ‘Slow is Fast’,” Shukla wrote.

How do astronauts digest food in space?

He added, “Other interesting fact is we don’t need gravity to digest food. A process called ‘peristalsis’ is responsible for digestion which is gravity independent. It is the contraction and relaxation of muscles to push food down through the digestive tract. Head up or head down, gravity or no gravity your body will always digest food. Bon appetit.”

The astronaut also shared a video of himself on the ISS. In the video, he says that eating and drinking in space is a challenge. He then goes on to show how everything is attached with Velcro so they don’t float.

In the video, he drinks coffee as the liquid floats around. At one point, he jokingly says, “You can eat water in space,” concluding his video about “food in space.”

Take a look at the post:

Social media is mesmerised:

An individual wrote, “Wow, Shubhanshu! It’s incredible to see you master the art of dining in zero-G. From test pilot to a space pro, you’ve shown us that with the right mindset, even the most mundane tasks become a scientific adventure. Your insights are as inspiring as your journey! We’re all rooting for you.” Another added, “Space has always inspired me, Captain, but your food training journey excites me even more. Awesome.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/shubhanshu-shukla-reveals-how-he-had-to-learn-to-eat-again-while-in-space-you-can-eat-water-101756853394857.html

“Every child has a right to the affection of both parents. Even if parents live apart or in different countries, it is important for the child to maintain a relationship with both of them, ” the top court said.

Every child has a right to the affection of both parents and even if they live apart or in different countries, it is important for the child to maintain a relationship with them, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, while allowing a plea filed by a man seeking video interaction with his nine-year-old son who was living in Ireland with his mother, said denying such contact would deprive the child of the love, guidance and emotional support of the father.

The top court noted that at present, the child is living with his mother in Ireland and seems to be settled there. Noting that the conduct of both parents has not been ideal, the top court said their personal differences have grown into a long and bitter conflict but the court cannot allow the child to become a casualty of this conflict.

The bench said it would not be in his interest to disturb that arrangement at this stage.

“The father has also limited his request before us as he is not asking for custody, but only for the chance to interact with his son regularly through video-conferencing. We find this request to be both fair and necessary.

“Every child has a right to the affection of both parents. Even if parents live apart or in different countries, it is important for the child to maintain a relationship with both of them. Denying such contact would deprive the child of the love, guidance, and emotional support of the father.

“We are therefore of the view that the appellant’s request for video interaction is reasonable. It balances the reality of the child’s present living situation with the need to ensure that the father remains a part of the child’s life,” the bench said.

Issuing a slew of directions, the top court said the man shall be entitled to interact with his son through video-conferencing for two hours on every alternate Sunday from 10 am to 12 noon (Ireland time).

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/every-child-has-right-to-affection-of-both-parents-supreme-court-9206560

Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has used Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s China visit to launch a blistering attack on Donald Trump, warning it is “bad news for the West.”

Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has launched a sharp attack on Donald Trump, tying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with Xi Jinping in China to what he calls the US President’s “disastrous” trade approach. Speaking to Times Now, Bolton said PM Modi’s China visit was “bad news for the West”. “Trump’s recent moves arm the Chinese President,” he said.

In a string of posts on X, Bolton argued that Trump’s tariff moves have undone years of Western efforts to pull India away from its Soviet-era alignments and warn New Delhi of Beijing’s rise.
“The West has spent decades trying to wean India away from its Cold War attachment to the Soviet Union/ Russia, and cautioning India on the threat posed by China. Donald Trump has shredded decades of efforts with his disastrous tariff policy,” Bolton wrote.

He added: “Donald Trump’s unwillingness to consider diplomatic moves in a larger strategic context has given Xi Jinping an opportunity to reset the East.”

Bolton’s comments came just after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, where PM Modi held separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Ministry of External Affairs said Modi and Xi acknowledged the stabilising role their economies play in global trade.
During his meeting with Putin, the Prime Minister underlined that India and Russia have “always stood shoulder to shoulder, even in the most challenging situations.” He stressed that the partnership remains vital for “global peace, stability and prosperity.” Putin, for his part, highlighted that 2025 marks 15 years of the India-Russia “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/ex-us-nsa-john-bolton-uses-pm-narendra-modi-china-visit-to-target-donald-trump-bad-news-for-the-west-article-152642595

Russia is exploring plans to manufacture its Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets in India, with defence sources saying investment options are under review amid growing New Delhi-Moscow defence alignment despite US tariff pressures.

Amid Washington’s steep tariffs on Indian exports, Russia is weighing a major defence move — manufacturing its fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets in India. Defence sources told ANI that Russian agencies are “assessing the level of investment required to manufacture the aircraft in India.”
The discussions come as President Donald Trump has slapped 25% tariffs across sectors, with an additional 25% citing New Delhi’s purchase of Russian crude oil. Yet, instead of pushing India away from Moscow, the measures appear to be strengthening defence cooperation between the two.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which already produces the Su-30 MKI in Nashik, is viewed as a potential hub if the Su-57 deal takes shape. Sources also pointed out that “there are other facilities in India also where a number of other Russian origin equipment is manufactured and can be used in the fifth-generation fighter aircraft production… which would also help cut costs.”

India has previously flagged the need for at least two to three squadrons of fifth-generation fighters. Both the Russian Su-57 and the American F-35 are contenders, with Moscow actively pitching the Su-57 while Washington continues to push New Delhi towards the F-35.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/donald-trump-tariff-tantrums-push-india-russia-bonhomie-moscow-weighs-su-57-jet-production-in-india-article-152643022

Union Minister Piyush Goyal expressed optimism regarding the potential conclusion of a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between India and the United States by this fall.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal gave signal of hope over negotiations between India and United States saying that a Bilateral Trade Deal (BTA) may be concluded by November or end by this fall. This comes as Donald Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India including 25 per cent reciprocal and 25 per cent as penalty for purchasing Russian oil and defence equipment.
Mentioning that some geopolitical issues encircled the trade matters, he hope that things between India and US will get back on track and a trade deal will be sealed by this fall.
Making remarks during his address at the Annual Global Investor Conference 2025 in Mumbai, Piyush Goyal said the world is excited to do business and trade with India adding, “We have had a little bit of geopolitical issues overtaking trade issues in our negotiations with the United States of America.”

Suhana Khan Faces Legal Trouble Over ₹12.91 Crore Alibaug Land Deal: Investigation Launched Into Shah Rukh Khan’s Daughter’s Property Purchase

Suhana Khan, daughter of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, is currently embroiled in a legal controversy concerning a land transaction in Thal village, Alibaug, Maharashtra.
Reports indicate that she purchased the property for ₹12.91 crore from the Khote family, residents of Mumbai’s upscale Cuffe Parade area. The deal, finalized on May 30, 2023, involved a stamp duty payment of ₹77.46 lakh and was processed through Standard Chartered Bank.

The land in question was originally allotted by the government to farmers for agricultural purposes. Under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, non-farmers are prohibited from purchasing such land without obtaining explicit permission from the District Collector. Investigations suggest that these legal formalities were not adhered to during the transaction. Additionally, Suhana was reportedly listed as a farmer in the sale documents, raising further concerns about the legitimacy of the deal .

The Resident Deputy Collector has directed the Alibaug Tehsildar to conduct an impartial inquiry into the matter. Authorities are examining potential irregularities in the transaction, including possible collusion between officials and misuse of authority to facilitate the sale. If found in violation of the law, the deal could be annulled, and the land may revert to government control .

Source : https://www.spotboye.com/trending/trending-news/suhana-khan-faces-legal-trouble-over-12-91-crore-alibaug-land-deal-investigation-launched-into-shah-rukh-khan-s-daughter-s-property-purchase/68b6d1499f17ff90ccaa2a7a

Uttarakhand’s Chardham Yatra and Hemkund Sahib Yatra postponed till September 5 due to heavy rainfall alerts and safety concerns, says government.

The Uttarakhand’s Chardham Yatra—pilgrimage to holy shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath— and the Hemkund Sahib Yatra have been temporarily postponed till September 5 by the Uttarakhand government in view of red and orange alerts of heavy rainfall issued by the Meteorological Department.

Vinay Shankar Pandey, Secretary to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Commissioner of Garhwal Division, said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure with extremely heavy rainfall forecast for the coming days.

“Due to heavy rains, the roads are being obstructed due to landslides or debris in many places in the state, which the government is opening on priority, but in view of the safety and convenience of the passengers, it has been decided to postpone the Chardham and Hemkund Sahib Yatra till September 5,” news agency ANI quoted Pandey as saying.

Pandey further appealed to the passengers not to depart on the travel routes for the time being in view of the adverse weather conditions and to follow the advisory issued by the administration.

The Met department has issued a red alert for Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Haridwar on Monday, warning of extremely heavy to very heavy rain. For September 2, an orange alert has been sounded for Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Bageshwar.

Amid the warnings, schools have been closed in several districts, including Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Champawat.

Following the warning, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday directed the officials to remain alert 24×7.

The Chief Minister, in a meeting with senior officials, said that the coming few days will be challenging, and appropriate steps should be taken to ensure the safety of common people.

Dhami asked the State Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman to monitor the situation from the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), given the high possibility of landslides and waterlogging in many areas.

“We are providing immediate assistance to those whose houses have been affected by the disaster and are relocating them to safe places. Camps have also been set up. Our goal is to ensure that all basic needs are met in the relief camps… Efforts to open the blocked roads are underway…,” he added.

Cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods in recent days have wreaked havoc across Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand, with the Central government constituting Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) to assess the damage caused by heavy rainfall, officials said.

All educational institutions across the state have been instructed to remain closed on Monday after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that heavy rainfall could trigger landslides and flash floods in Uttarakhand in September.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/uttarakhands-char-dham-hemkund-sahib-yatra-temporarily-suspended-in-view-of-heavy-rain-alert-ws-l-9541858.html

An IndiGo flight with 272 passengers on board made an emergency landing in Nagpur after a bird hit damaged the aircraft’s front portion shortly after takeoff.

An IndiGo flight with 272 passengers on board returned to the Nagpur airport after it suffered a bird hit soon after take off.

The flight was bound for Kolkata, but made an emergency landing in Nagpur as the crew decided to make a U-turn midair.

According to the details, the front portion of the aircraft suffered damage due to the bird strike.

All passengers were reported safe.

An image from the runway at the Nagpur airport showed an airport staffer inspecting the aircraft, with the nose of the plane visibly damaged.

In a statement, Abid Ruhi, Senior Airport Director, Nagpur Airport, said the authorities at the airport were trying to analyse what had happened.

“There has been a suspected bird strike on IndiGo’s 6E812 Nagpur-Kolkata flight. We are trying to analyse what has happened,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying.

Later, an official statement by a spokesperson of the airline read, “IndiGo flight 6E 812 operating from Nagpur to Kolkata on 02 September 2025 encountered a bird strike soon after take-off.”

“As a precautionary step, pilots decided to turn back, and the flight landed safely at the Nagpur airport,” it added.

“Due to the requirement of necessary inspection and maintenance of the aircraft, the flight has been cancelled for the day,” the statement read.

On Monday, a Delhi-bound SpiceJet flight from Pune made a mid-air turnback to the originating airport due to a technical glitch and landed under full emergency conditions, news agency PTI quoted sources.

The aircraft landed safely and passengers were deplaned normally, SpiceJet said in a statement.

“SpiceJet Boeing 737 aircraft, bearing registration VT-SLG was midway diverted back to Pune airport due to a technical glitch. The flight landed back under full emergency conditions after an hour of its take off for Delhi,” the source told PTI.

The flight SG937 had departed with a delay of 40 minutes from its scheduled time of 6 am from Pune airport, and was to land in Delhi at 8.10 am, as per the flight tracking website flightradar24.com.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/nagpur-kolkata-indigo-bird-hit-emergency-land-portion-of-aircraft-damaged-9542952.html

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate ‘Semicon India 2025’, a conference aimed at catalysing India’s semiconductor ecosystem, here on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate ’Semicon India – 2025’, a conference aimed at catalysing India’s semiconductor ecosystem, here on Tuesday.

He will also participate in the conference on Wednesday and attend the CEOs roundtable, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Monday said.

The three-day conference starting from Tuesday will focus on advancing a robust, resilient and sustainable semiconductor ecosystem in India, it said.

It will feature sessions on the progress of the Semicon India programme, semiconductor fab and advanced packaging projects, infrastructure readiness, smart manufacturing, innovations in R&D and artificial intelligence, investment opportunities, and state-level policy implementation, among others.

Additionally, the event will highlight initiatives under the Design Linked Incentive (DLI) scheme, the growth of the startup ecosystem, international cooperation and the future roadmap for India’s semiconductor sector.

Over 20,750 attendees, including more than 2,500 delegates from over 48 countries, over 150 speakers, including over 50 global leaders, and more than 350 exhibitors will participate in the event, the statement said.

It will also include six countries roundtable discussions, country pavilions and dedicated pavilions for workforce development and startups, among others.

The statement said semicon conferences organised across the world aim to maximise outreach of the technological advancements in the semiconductor domain as well as the policies of various countries to strengthen their semiconductor ecosystem.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/pm-modi-to-inaugurate-semiconductor-conference-in-delhi-tomorrow-9542533.html

A section of social media users also pointed out that the scammer seemed to have a Pakistani accent.

Scam calls have become so frequent that most people either hang up instantly or try to block the number. But recently, a video surfaced online showing a very different response. Instead of panicking, a man kept chatting with a scammer only because his Spotify subscription had ended and he wanted to “pass some time.”

The clip, shared on Instagram by Dipak Bhagwat, has already been viewed more than five lakh times and is leaving people amused at the unusual exchange.

A Police Uniform, Portraits And Flags

The scammer tried to make his act look real. On the video call, he wore a full police uniform. Behind him were flags and a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, something usually seen in police stations. But the scammer had also put up a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Normally, portraits of freedom fighters are placed in such spaces, not the Prime Minister, which made the whole setup look unusual.

‘Bas Time Pass Kar Raha Tha’

At first, the caller instructed Dipak to show his identity card and follow certain steps. He listened to all of them quietly but then revealed the real reason why he was on the call.

Dipak said, “Main travel kar raha tha, aur mera jo Spotify hai, uska subscription bhi khatam ho gaya. Toh jane ke liye kuch time pass tha nahi, toh mai bas aap logo ke sath time pass kar raha tha…toh jane do, koi dusra bakra dhundo aap (I was travelling and my Spotify subscription had ended. I had no way to pass time, so I was just chatting with you people… now let it be, go find another fool).”

Hearing this, the scammer couldn’t help but smile. He replied, “Ab esse jyada main kya bol sakta hu (What more can I even say now).”

A Strange Friendly Chat

The conversation continued in a friendly manner. When Dipak reminded him that it was not his first scam call, the scammer admitted, “Hume bhi toh karna hai na (We also have to do it, right).” To this Dipak responded, “Haan karna hai, majboori hai aapki (Yes, you have to, it is your compulsion).”

At one point, the scammer even summed up the moment by saying, “Maine aapke maze le liye, aapne mere maze le liye. Accha ho gaya (I’ve had my fun, you’ve had your fun. That’s good).”

Dipak further asked the scammer where he was speaking from. While the man first claimed he was in Mumbai, he later said that he could not disclose his exact location.

‘Accha Business Mile’

The unusual exchange did not end there. Dipak also told the caller that he earns his money fairly and wished the same for him.

“Mauka milega, main prabhu se prathana karunga ki aapko accha business mile aur tab tak aapko acche acche bakre bhi mile (You will get your chance, I will pray to God that you get good business. Till then, may you continue to find good fools),” he said with a laugh as both ended the call.

The overlay text on the video reads: “Spotify khatam hone par scammer ke sath time pass kaise kare (How to pass time with a scammer when your Spotify ends).”

Reactions Are As Entertaining As The Call

People in the comments section could not stop laughing at the exchange and shared their varied reactions.

One user commented, “Bhai ka convincing power. Chor ko bhi comfortable feel karvaya aapne. Salute hai bhai (Brother’s convincing power. You even made a thief feel comfortable. Salute to you, brother).”

“Pakistani tone hai eska,” a comment read.

Another playfully remarked, “I think till now this is the best ad for Spotify. They should consider this as an official Spotify ad.”

Someone defined the situation with, “When hacker meets developer,” while a person noted, “Bro stopping scammer, nope, he is appreciating them.”

“Scammers ke saath scam hogaya (The scammers got scammed),” a viewer jokingly wrote.

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/spotify-subscription-over-bored-man-passes-time-with-scammer-mere-maje-le-liye-video-9542807.html

The resurgence of extreme work culture has been reignited by Daksh Gupta, a 23-year-old entrepreneur from India, who leads the AI startup Greptile in San Francisco. Advocating for grueling 12-to-14-hour workdays, Gupta promotes a lifestyle devoid of distractions, emphasizing discipline among young professionals.

The global debate on extreme work culture has resurfaced with fresh intensity, this time driven by a 23-year-old Indian-origin entrepreneur who has made Silicon Valley sit up and take notice. Daksh Gupta, the founder and CEO of San Francisco-based AI startup Greptile, has become the latest tech leader to advocate relentless work schedules, urging young professionals to embrace 12-to-14-hour workdays, six days a week, while giving up drinking, drugs, and what he describes as “distractions.”

This development has come at a time when the Supreme Court has directed the transfer of similar PILs from various High Courts to the top court for consideration.

In a significant development, the Meghalaya High Court has requested the Supreme Court to allow it to retain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the stray dog menace, observing that the stray dogs issue in Meghalaya is distinct due to the aggressive nature of the dogs, which poses a grave danger to public safety.

This development has come at a time when the Supreme Court has directed the transfer of similar PILs from various high courts to the top court for consideration.

On August 30, the division bench of Meghalaya high court comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh in its order passed on Saturday stated that, “Although many issues may be common between petitions concerning stray dogs in other high courts and in the Supreme Court, we feel that it is our duty to point out that in this State there is peculiarly distinctiveness in the menace pose by stray dogs. We have been specifically told that quite a number of stray dogs are biter dogs and very vicious in nature. In roads, streets and other public places they attack persons suddenly and at times causing grave injury. Having heard those submissions in this public interest litigation, we had, inter alia, directed those dogs to be taken hold of by the public authorities, inoculated, vaccinated medically attended to and then kept in shelters for observation before setting them free. With dogs of this nature, freeing them without satisfaction that they have ceased to be biter dogs, and allowing them to frequent public places would pose grave danger to the public.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/meghalaya-high-court-to-supreme-court-stray-dogs-in-meghalaya-are-dangerous-in-nature-9194086

Mahua Moitra clarified that her remarks were idioms and that one doesn’t really cut someone’s head off. She said the idiom is “a metaphor for accountability”.

In response to the FIR registered against her in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur for her alleged “derogatory” remarks against Home Minister Amit Shah, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra took a sharp jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday and said that “idiots don’t understand idioms”.

The TMC MP had triggered a row after allegedly saying that if Shah fails to stop infiltration from Bangladesh, “the first thing you should do is cut Amit Shah’s head and put it on your table”. She had allegedly made the remarks in Bengali.

Moitra clarified that her comments were “idiomatic”, accusing the police of twisting her words, news agency ANI reported.

‘Idiots don’t understand idioms’

An FIR was registered against Moitra in Raipur’s Mana Camp police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 196 (promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) and 197 (imputations prejudicial to national integration).

Moitra explained the use of her Bengali expressions and said, “Similarly, in the Bengali language, ‘matha kata jawa, we say lojjay matha kata chhe,’ which means that ‘you are so ashamed that you can cut your own head off. When we say matha kata jawa, matha ke tebi le rakha, it means taking accountability, owning responsibility.”

“This is an idiom. Now, of course, idiots don’t understand idioms, which is where we are,” she added.

According to the TMC leaders, her words were misinterpreted, and she was speaking in metaphors and idioms.

She drew parallels with another situation to further clarify her point. Mahua Moitra said, “So in June 2024, when the Lok Sabha results came out, abki baar, 400 paar fell flat on its face. And the foreign media reported that the results, only 240 seats, was a slap in the face for Narendra Modi. Now, did the BJP’s claim really fall flat on its face? No. Did someone go and slap the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji on his face? No.”

“Then everyone said that heads will roll. Did heads roll? Yes, they did. These are what in the English language are called idioms, right? When you say heads will roll, it refers to when kings used to cut the heads off of people who were disobedient. And when you cut the head off, it starts rolling. A beheaded head can only roll,” she added.

Moitra further said that one doesn’t really cut someone’s head off, adding that it is an idiom, “a metaphor for accountability”.

‘…making heroine out of me’

The TMC leader also accused the BJP of trying to turn her into a “political victim”. She said every time that such a thing happens, the party does this “stupidity of making a heroine out of me”.

“You did this before; you expelled me from Parliament, and I won and came back. Every time you do this to me, politically it gets you nowhere, it makes me into Joan of Arc,” Moitra added.

“Haven’t you learnt your lesson?” she asked. Asking for her to just let be, Moitra said that every time she is in a tiff with the BJP, they fight her, she wins and comes back stronger.

“So take your FIRs and keep them where the sun doesn’t shine, and hopefully you’ll get better sense soon,” the TMC MP added.

Moitra also slammed the Chhattisgarh police. Addressing the Raipur SP directly, she accused officials of filing false cases.

The TMC MP referred to an earlier incident involving migrant workers and said, “Please do me a favour. Call your colleague. Why Anant Kumar, SP Kondagaon? On the 12th of July, he illegally picked up 12 migrant workers from Kondagaon, Bengali workers from my constituency, booked them under Section 128, falsely filed an FIR, booked them, beat them, arrested them, did not produce them in court, kept them illegally detained, and released them only on the 14th of July.”

She recalled how a notice was issued to the police after she approached the Chhattisgarh High Court. “Now, with your tail between your legs, another idiom, tail between your legs after getting a slap in the face, your colleague has withdrawn the case,” Moitra added.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/idiots-don-t-understand-idioms-mahua-moitra-amid-row-over-remarks-on-amit-shah-bjp-fir-tmc-101756692221119.html

PM Modi that the foundation of SCO rests on three key pillars — security, connectivity, and opportunity.

During his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of respecting national sovereignty in global connectivity projects.

“Connectivity that bypasses sovereignty loses both trust and meaning,” PM Modi said, raising India’s concerns about regional unilateral infrastructure projects.

PM Modi’s remarks come amid ongoing debates over international projects such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which India chose to stay out of, citing issues related to territorial integrity, particularly in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a large-scale infrastructure development programme launched by China in 2013. The initiative aims to connect Asia with Europe and Africa through a network of railways, highways, ports, airports, and other infrastructure projects with the intent to promote trade, investment, and economic growth in participating countries.

PM Modi also shared India’s vision for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and said it is guided by three pillars — Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.

Regarding the second pillar of connectivity, PM Modi highlighted the importance of connectivity projects.

“India has always believed that strong connectivity not only boosts trade but also opens doors to growth and trust. With this in mind, we are working on initiatives like the Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor. This will help us improve connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia.”

PM Modi on Pahalgam attack at SCO Summit

The Prime Minister also presented India’s strong stance against terrorism, calling out “some countries” for their open support of terrorism and reaffirming that such “double standards” are not acceptable.

He said that the Pahalgam terror attack was an open challenge to every country that believes in humanity, and urged SCO members to stand united in their fight against terror.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/connectivity-without-sovereignty-is-in-china-pm-modis-message-on-global-projects-101756702533461.html

19 NHPC were workers trapped for hours after both tunnels of the Dhauliganga project were blocked due to landslide.

The tractor was carrying devotees during the Ganesh immersion procession, killing four people on board and injuring one. The injured has been admitted to hospital with serious injuries.

Four people were killed and one was injured when the tractor in which they were travelling overturned in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. The deceased and the injured were part of a Ganesh immersion procession when the incident happened.

The deceased have been identified as Tirumala Narasimha Murthy (35), Kadiyam Dinesh (9), Eevana Satyanarayana (58), and Guruju Murali (38).

Another victim, Kancharla Prasad (26), suffered grievous injuries and was rushed to a hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment.

District Collector Chadalavada Nagarani rushed to the spot and later visited Narasapuram Government Hospital. She instructed the hospital superintendent to ensure the injured received the best possible medical care.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/tractor-carrying-devotees-during-ganesh-immersion-yatra-overturns-in-andhra-pradesh-2779743-2025-08-31

The exercise, observed by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Gajraj Corps, demonstrated an impressive integration of advanced technology, operational innovation, and professional expertise by the troops.

The Indian Army recently conducted Exercise Yudh Kaushal 3.0 in the challenging terrain and extreme weather of the Eastern Himalayas, specifically in the Kameng region.

The exercise, observed by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Gajraj Corps, demonstrated an impressive integration of advanced technology, operational innovation, and professional expertise by the troops.

The large-scale manoeuvres highlighted the Army’s capability to operate across multi-domain environments, with demonstrations including drone surveillance, real-time target acquisition, precision strikes, air-littoral dominance, and coordinated battlefield operations.

A key feature was the operational debut of the newly raised ASHNI platoons, showcasing how next-generation technology, combined with proven tactical experience, can provide a decisive advantage in both current and future conflicts.

A unique aspect of Exercise Yudh Kaushal 3.0 was the active involvement of the Indian Civil Defence Industry, reflecting India’s ongoing “Decade of Transformation.”

This collaboration highlighted how indigenous defence innovations are increasingly being translated into tangible battlefield advantages, enhancing national security and promoting self-reliance under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/armys-exercise-yudh-kaushal-30-next-gen-combat-readiness-eastern-himalayas-arunachal-pradesh-2779745-2025-08-31

India has released its first national guidelines for animal blood transfusion, addressing a long-neglected gap in veterinary healthcare. With dogs having 13 blood groups and limited donor awareness, mismatched transfusions have often proved fatal. The new SOPs aim to regulate procedures, boost safety, and improve survival chances for pets and livestock alike.

Pet parents are no strangers to frantic calls and social media posts seeking blood donations for dogs suffering from severe anaemia, tick fever, injuries from accidents, or complications after surgery. But most of the time, finding a donor is nothing short of a miracle. Thousands have often lost their four-legged companions due to instances where mismatched blood types proved fatal. Dogs have as many as 13 different blood types, making it a challenge to get a suitable match. Often, the absence of regulation and the unavailability of blood or plasma costs dogs and their lives.

Not just dogs, even for farm animals, which are of great value to farmers, such as cows, buffaloes, sheep, and goats, blood transfusions can be life-saving, as they often suffer blood loss from road accidents or parasitic diseases that necessitate the procedure.

However, the government has now formally acknowledged the need for blood transfusion and blood bank facilities for companion animals and livestock.

On the eve of International Dog Day, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying released the country’s first ‘Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Blood Transfusion and Blood Banks for Animals in India’.

The move is expected to streamline the process of donor selection, blood collection, component processing, storage, transfusion procedures, and monitoring, while ensuring ethical and safety safeguards.

WHAT SOPs FOR ANIMAL BLOOD TRANSFUSION AND BLOOD BANKS SAY

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif kept their distance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, with a banquet photo showing them facing away from each other and a family photo placing them far apart. The distancing came against the backdrop of India’s Operation Sindoor after April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, underscoring tense ties.

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif were photographed with their backs turned to each other, a moment that drew attention amid the diplomatic gathering. In a picture posted by PM Modi’s official X handle, Sharif is seen in the background while Modi highlighted his “productive exchange of views” with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on energy, security, healthcare and pharma cooperation.

The optics of distance were also visible a day earlier during the customary family photo session of SCO leaders, where Modi and Sharif stood far apart in the group lineup. The strained atmosphere between the two nations comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, India’s May 7 cross-border strike following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which has kept India–Pakistan relations on edge in recent months.

The summit also featured a rare and formally announced meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Modi conveyed India’s commitment to improving ties with China while flagging the need to maintain border stability and narrow a near-USD 100 billion trade deficit, a conversation freighted with the unresolved 2020 Galwan clash and subsequent military standoff.

The SCO meet unfolded amid turbulence in global trade triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariff measures. His administration has imposed a universal 10% tariff and steep China-specific duties, with a temporary truce in place until November 10.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/silent-standoff-pm-modi-shehbaz-sharif-keep-their-distance-at-china-summit-2779777-2025-09-01

Zelenskyy also briefed Modi on his August 18 meeting with US President Donald Trump in the White House that took place three days after Trump held a summit with Putin in Alaska.

Tianjin, China: India supports all efforts for peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a phone conversation on Saturday.

Modi is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with Putin on Monday on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in this Chinese city. The Ukraine conflict is expected to be one of the focus areas of the talks.

Zelenskyy dialled Modi and conveyed his readiness for a meeting with the top leadership of Russia and that the end of the war must begin with an immediate ceasefire.

In a social media post, the Ukrainian president said India is ready to make the necessary efforts and to deliver the appropriate signal to Russia.

Zelenskyy also briefed Modi on his August 18 meeting with US President Donald Trump in the White House that took place three days after Trump held a summit with Putin in Alaska.

“Thank President Zelenskyy for his phone call today. We exchanged views on the ongoing conflict, its humanitarian aspect, and efforts to restore peace and stability. India extends full support to all efforts in this direction,” Modi said on ‘X’.

The prime minister landed in Tianjin this evening to attend the two-day SCO summit beginning Sunday.

An Indian readout said Modi reaffirmed India’s “steadfast and consistent position” for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict and support for efforts aimed at the earliest restoration of peace.

The prime minister reiterated India’s commitment to extend all possible support in this regard, it said.

In a lengthy post on social media, Zelenskyy said he informed Modi about the talks with President Trump, adding India is ready to make the necessary efforts and to deliver the appropriate signal to Russia and other leaders during the meetings on the sidelines of the SCO summit.

“It was a productive and important conversation, a shared vision among partners on how to achieve real peace. Ukraine reaffirmed its readiness for a meeting with the head of Russia,” he said.

“Almost two weeks have passed, and during this time, when Russia should have been preparing for diplomacy, Moscow has given no positive signal – only carried out cynical strikes on civilian targets and killed dozens of our people,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president said he thanked PM Modi for his words of condolences to the families of the victims.

“We coordinated our positions ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. The end of this war must begin with an immediate ceasefire, with the necessary silence,” he said.

“This position is understood and supported by everyone. It is impossible to speak meaningfully about peace while our cities and communities are under constant fire.” “India is ready to make the necessary efforts and to deliver the appropriate signal to Russia and other leaders during the meetings on the sidelines of the summit,” Zelenskyy added.

India has been consistently calling for ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

In July last year, PM Modi travelled to Moscow and told Putin that a solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace efforts do not succeed in the midst of bombs and bullets.

The next month, Modi visited the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv and conveyed to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that both Ukraine and Russia should sit together without wasting time to end the war.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/india-ready-to-deliver-appropriate-signal-to-russia-zelenskyy-after-dialling-pm-modi-3704869 

Defence Secretary R K Singh also said that the government is likely to ink a fresh contract with HAL for procuring an additional batch of 97 Tejas jets after the delivery of the two aircraft.

Two Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets are likely to be delivered next month by the state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Defence Secretary R K Singh said on Saturday.

Singh also said that the government is likely to ink a fresh contract with HAL for procuring an additional batch of 97 Tejas jets after the delivery of the two aircraft.

The Indian Air Force had flagged concerns over delays in the delivery of the Tejas Mark 1A jets under a previous contract.

“Hopefully, the first two of those will be delivered with weapons integration by the end of September,” Singh said at the NDTV Defence Summit.

The defence secretary said about 38 Tejas jets are already in service and another 80-odd are being manufactured.

In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF.

The delivery of the jets is facing delays primarily due to the US defence major GE Aerospace missing several deadlines for the supply of its aero engines to power the jets.

Last week, the government approved an additional batch of 97 Tejas fighters at a cost of around Rs 67,000 crore.

“I have made it clear to HAL that we will sign this contract only after HAL delivers two Tejas featuring a complete package,” Singh said on the additional procurement.

He said HAL “will have an order book for four to five years”.

“Hopefully, they (HAL) will be able to perfect this platform, integrate the radar and Indian weapons, so that it becomes a workhorse for us along with the Sukhoi,” Singh said.

“There will still be a gap and for that gap we will have to look at some other options,” he said, hinting at the procurement of more platforms for the Indian Air Force.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/hal-likely-to-deliver-2-tejas-mark-1a-jets-next-month-defence-secretary-3704978

Yogesh has been arrested by police, and his blood-stained clothes and a pair of scissors, allegedly used in the crime, were recovered from the scene.

A man has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife and mother-in-law in Delhi’s Rohini following a dispute over the gifts exchanged between the two sides of the family during his son’s birthday on Saturday, police said.

A PCR call was received at 3:50 pm at the KNK Marg Police Station regarding the murder of the caller’s mother and sister in Sector-17, Rohini. Upon reaching the scene, the police found the bodies of Kusum Sinha (63) and her daughter Priya Sehgal (34) lying in a room, they said.

The caller, Megh Sinha (30), Kusum’s son, informed that on August 28, his mother had come to Priya’s house to celebrate the birthday of her grandson, Chirag, a senior police officer said.

During the function, a dispute allegedly arose between Priya and her husband, Yogesh, regarding the gifts. Kusum stayed at Priya’s residence to settle the matter, he said.

“On August 30, when the caller tried to contact his mother over the phone, his calls went unanswered. He then came to Priya’s house and found the flat locked from outside with blood stains visible near the door,” the officer said.

He immediately informed other family members and broke open the lock, whereupon he found his mother and sister lying in a pool of blood inside the room. He alleged that Yogesh Sehgal, the husband of Priya and presently unemployed, had killed both his mother and sister and fled with the children, the police said.

Yogesh has been arrested by the KNK Marg police, and his blood-stained clothes and a pair of scissors, allegedly used in the crime, were recovered from the scene. According to the police, the motive appears to be a domestic dispute.

Teams from the Crime Team and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) have been called to the scene. Further investigation is underway.

Himalaya, brother of Priya, told PTI, “My mother had gone to my sister’s house a day before and told us she would return the next day. When we called her in between, she said there was a fight going on between my sister and her husband, and that she would help sort it out and then come back. But she never returned. We kept calling her the next morning around 11:00 AM, 11:30 AM and again at 12, but neither she nor my sister picked up. We thought maybe they were asleep. By afternoon, we decided to go and check. When we reached the house and knocked, we saw blood stains on the lock.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rohini-double-murder-delhi-man-kills-wife-mother-in-law-after-fight-over-birthday-gifts-9189400?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

A special bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath on August 22 modified the August 11 order that prohibited the release of captured stray dogs from shelters in Delhi and neighbouring areas.

Known for his light-hearted banter both in and out of the courtroom, senior Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath on Saturday said the “stray dog” case has made him famous in civil society across the world.

A special three-judge bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath on August 22 modified the August 11 order of a two-judge bench that prohibited the release of captured stray dogs from shelters in Delhi and neighbouring areas.

Speaking at a regional conference on human-wildlife conflict organised by the National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Justice Nath said he was grateful to Chief Justice of India BR Gavai for assigning him the case.

“For a long time, I have been known in the legal fraternity for my odd jobs, but I am also grateful to stray dogs for giving me recognition not only in this country but in the entire civil society across the world. And I am grateful to our Chief Justice for assigning me this case,” Justice Nath, who is in line to be the Chief Justice of India in 2027, said.

He said he recently attended a summit, where lawyers, including the president of the lawyers’ association, asked him questions about the stray dog issue.

“I am also getting messages that, apart from dog lovers, dogs are also giving me blessings and best wishes,” he said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/supreme-court-judge-justice-vikram-nath-on-stray-dog-order-made-me-famous-across-world-9189467?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

As Peter Navarro accuses India of fuelling Putin’s war for profit, the facts point to a very different reality, one of public sector sacrifice and price cap compliance

Peter Navarro, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump and one of the architects of his protectionist trade agenda, launched a fresh attack on India this week. In a fiery thread on X, he accused Indian refiners of laundering Russian oil, profiting from discounted crude, and indirectly fuelling the war in Ukraine. Navarro claimed Indian companies, with “silent Russian partners”, refined and re-exported oil to global markets while shielding themselves under the “pretense of neutrality”.

“We run a $50-billion trade deficit with India – and they’re using our dollars to buy Russian oil. They make a killing and Ukrainians die,” he said, alleging that India had become a “massive oil money laundromat for the Kremlin”.

Navarro tied these accusations directly to the 50 per cent tariff now imposed on Indian exports by the Trump administration, saying the move was aimed at cutting off what he called a “financial lifeline” New Delhi had extended to Vladimir Putin’s war machine.

But while the rhetoric has escalated, the numbers tell a very different story, one where India’s public sector units (PSUs), far from profiteering, took a significant financial hit to protect its own people during a global crisis.

What The Data Shows: Rs 21,000 Crore Loss, Not Profit

In the immediate aftermath of the Ukraine war, international oil prices surged, peaking at $137 per barrel in March 2022. Yet, the Indian government chose not to pass the burden to consumers, keeping petrol and diesel prices frozen.

This decision came at a cost. India’s three major oil PSUs—Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL)—sold diesel at a net cash loss of up to Rs 10 per litre. Between April 2022 and January 2023, they collectively incurred a cumulative loss of Rs 21,000 crore, or nearly $2.5 billion. These losses were absorbed by the companies without compensation at the time.

Instead of reaping profits from discounted Russian crude, India’s state-run refineries acted as a buffer between global energy volatility and the average Indian citizen.

Why Didn’t India Raise Fuel Prices Like Other Nations?

With 1.4 billion people and a vast population dependent on affordable fuel for transport, agriculture, and essential goods, India made a policy choice to cushion citizens from global inflation. The Centre slashed excise duties by Rs 10 per litre in May 2022, and several state governments followed with VAT cuts. Together, this helped contain fuel inflation, even as other economies struggled with spiking energy bills.

Meanwhile, oil PSUs bore the brunt. The government also took additional steps to prevent private refiners from exporting excessively during high-margin periods. Export duties were imposed, and companies were mandated to sell a portion of their exports back in the domestic market—50 per cent for petrol and 30 per cent for diesel. These steps ensured that not a single retail outlet in India ran dry during the global supply crisis.

Was India’s Oil Trade With Russia Illegal Or Secretive?

Navarro’s implication that India bypassed sanctions is misleading. Russian oil was not banned by the US, EU, or G7. Instead, a price-cap mechanism was designed to prevent excess profits while allowing oil to keep flowing.

India’s purchases were in line with this framework. Transactions were settled in non-dollar currencies, such as the UAE dirham, often through traders in third countries. At no point did the US officially ask India to halt these purchases, until trade talks with the Trump administration collapsed.

In fact, key Western officials acknowledged India’s stabilising role. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen publicly stated the US was comfortable with India’s oil purchases. Ambassador Eric Garcetti credited India with preventing price shocks. Geoffrey Pyatt, the US energy envoy, called India a key market stabiliser.

Did Indian Refineries Really Flip Oil For Profit?

India has long been one of the world’s top refining hubs. Its 23 refineries cater to domestic and export markets. One of Reliance’s two major refineries, located in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), was built specifically for exports in 2006, well before the Ukraine war.

India exported 99.2 million metric tonnes (MMT) of refined products in FY 2021-22. That figure remained largely stable over the next three years—at 98.8 MMT in FY 2022-23 and 107 MMT in FY 2023-24. For FY 2024-25, the volume actually dropped to 88.25 MMT.

Meanwhile, domestic demand increased, and about 70 per cent of refined products were consumed within India. Exports to the EU did rise marginally, from 12.6 MMT in FY22 to 21.1 MMT in FY25, but that shift was driven by changing market routes, not a profiteering strategy. The EU itself relied on Indian diesel and jet fuel after banning direct Russian imports.

So Why Is India Being Singled Out?

Navarro’s renewed tirade against India comes at a moment of heightened friction in the US–India relationship. The imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports, growing scrutiny of H-1B visa allocations, and stalled defence technology transfers have all added strain to bilateral ties. But to target India as the chief enabler of Putin’s war effort, while overlooking far bigger players like China, has drawn criticism even within the United States.

Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said the Trump administration’s approach “does not match the scale of the problem.” In a statement, they pointed out that instead of imposing sanctions on countries purchasing larger volumes of Russian oil, “Trump’s singling out India with tariffs, hurting Americans and sabotaging the US–India relationship in the process.”

Even conservative foreign policy experts have expressed disbelief. Jeff M. Smith, director of the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation and generally aligned with Trump’s worldview, called the move “dumb.” Responding to the tariff decision, he said, “Yeah, I’m also perplexed. I can’t see the strategic rationale for sanctioning India but not China. Dumb.”

The criticism underscores a growing concern in Washington that the punitive approach could damage a strategic partnership built over decades.

Source : https://www.news18.com/explainers/india-didnt-make-a-killing-why-trumps-trade-advisers-russian-oil-claims-fall-flat-ws-l-9538262.html

The High Court had directed the Rajasthan Judicial Academy to provide training to the judge in judgment writing. The judge then moved the Supreme Court in appeal.

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the strictures and adverse observations made by Rajasthan High Court against a judge of a special court under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) [Sonika Purohit v. State of Rajasthan].

A bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Vijay Bishnoi was hearing an appeal challenging a Rajasthan High Court single-judge’s order of May 2025 which said that the special judge had neglected her duty and had relied on a cut, copy, paste method while writing a judgment.

The High Court had further suggested the judgment was prepared by a stenographer rather than the judge herself and had therefore, directed Rajasthan Judicial Academy to impart training to judge in judgment writing.

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the State on the appeal filed by the concerned judge and also stayed the operation of the High Court order.

“Issue notice returnable in four weeks. In the meantime, further action pursuant to the directions issued in the order impugned shall remain stayed,” the Supreme Court ordered.

The case stemmed from a First Information Report (FIR) registered in Jaisalmer involving offences under the POCSO Act. Two separate trials were conducted on the basis of the same FIR and overlapping evidence — one against an adult accused and another against a juvenile. Both trials culminated in convictions by the trial court.

When the conviction of the juvenile was challenged before the High Court in a criminal appeal with a suspension of sentence application, the judgment of the trial court came under close scrutiny. The High Court found that large portions of the reasoning in the judgment against the juvenile were identical to the passages appearing in the judgment against the co-accused.

The High Court observed that the trial judge had effectively shirked judicial responsibility and had resorted to a “cut, copy, paste methodology.” It went so far as to record that the judgment appeared to have been prepared not by the judge but by a stenographer.

Hence, it directed the Rajasthan Judicial Academy to provide training to the officer in judgment writing and further ordered that these observations be placed in the judge’s annual confidential report after seeking her response.

Aggrieved by the order, the judge moved the Supreme Court.

She argued that the adverse remarks were unduly harsh as they arose only from inadvertent clerical errors which had no impact on the substance of the judgment.

It was pointed out that even the High Court, while refusing suspension of sentence, did not find any illegality on merits and upheld the conviction.

The petition acknowledged that minor clerical errors had inadvertently crept into the judgment, such as an incorrect serial number of a prosecution witness, though the contents and substance of the testimony were accurately recorded.

It was submitted that such lapses were not substantive but purely clerical in nature and could have been rectified by the trial court under Section 362 CrPC if brought to the petitioner’s notice.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/supreme-court-stays-rajasthan-high-courts-strictures-adverse-remarks-against-judicial-officer

Justice Kant was speaking at an event aimed at addressing the growing challenges of human-wildlife conflict in Kerala.

While a large number of protesters were coming to Mumbai for the Maratha reservation agitation, protester Vijay Ghogre died of a severe heart attack on Saturday. He was immediately taken to G. T. Hospital in Fort, where doctor declared him dead before the admission. His body was later sent to J. J. Hospital for post mortem.

While a large number of protesters were coming to Mumbai for the Maratha reservation agitation, protester Vijay Ghogre died of a severe heart attack on Saturday.

Ghogre Had Travelled From Latur District

Protesters are arriving in Mumbai from across the state to participate in the Maratha agitation. Vijay Ghogre, a resident of Takalgaon village in Ahmedpur taluka of Latur district, had come to Mumbai for the protest when he suddenly suffered a severe heart attack.

Declared Dead Before Admission at GT Hospital

He was immediately taken to G. T. Hospital in Fort, where doctor declared him dead before the admission. His body was later sent to J. J. Hospital for post mortem.

Protesters Seeking Medical Help Amid Heat and Fatigue

Many protesters attending the agitation have also been visiting G. T. Hospital and St. George’s Hospital for treatment over the past two days.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/maratha-reservation-stir-protester-dies-of-heart-attack-during-agitation-in-mumbai

The victim, identified as Tej Narayan Narwaria, was following the district administration’s order of refusing fuel to two-wheeler riders not wearing helmets.

A petrol pump employee was shot at on Saturday by two bike-borne men in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district for refusing fuel for not wearing helmets.

The victim, identified as 55-year-old Tej Narayan Narwaria, was following the district administration’s order of refusing fuel to two-wheeler riders not wearing helmets.

According to a report by NDTV, the incident happened around 5 AM on Saturday morning at the Savitri Lodhi Petrol Pump on the Bhind-Gwalior National Highway (NH-719). The victim refused to refuel the motorcycle of two men who were not wearing helmets.

The men began arguing with him, and he said his hands were tied because the order had been issued by the district collector.

Angered by the refusal, the men hurled expletives and subsequently took out a pistol and a rifle to shoot Narwaria, who sustained a bullet wound in his hand.

The shooting was caught on CCTV camera at the fuel station, which shows one of the men shooting using a pistol and another firing from a rifle. Both the accused fired multiple bullets while the pump employees ran to hide.

Narwaria was rushed to the Bhind district hospital after the shooting, from where he was referred to a hospital in Gwalior. According to the report by NDTV, the victim’s condition is stable.

Bhind police identify petrol pump shooters

The Bhind police told the media that the attackers involved in the petrol pump shooting incident have been identified using the CCTV footage obtained from the fuel station, and a manhunt to nab them is on. According to the police, the attackers are residents of Bijpuri village, which is within Bhind’s rural police station limits. A wrestling event was underway in Bijpuri, and the two men had stopped at the petrol pump to refuel their bike.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/petrol-pump-worker-shot-at-in-madhya-pradesh-bhind-for-refusing-fuel-to-riders-without-helmets-101756610266040.html

The rebuilding of India-China ties coincides with friction between New Delhi and Washington after Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on India. The focus will be on the outcome of the talks between Modi and Xi Jinping today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for bilateral talks Sunday in the port city of Tianjin, as India and China look to reset strained ties amid Donald Trump’s tariff offensive that has soured Washington’s ties with both New Delhi and Beijing.

The 40-minute closed-door meeting comes on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. PM Modi is also scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tianjin, the first huddle between the two leaders since the US doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent over New Delhi’s refusal to stop buying Russian oil.

Seven years have passed since PM Modi last set foot in China. His last trip, to Wuhan in 2018, followed the tense Doklam standoff. This time, the focus is on economic and strategic alignment as the two Asian powers navigate the turbulence caused by the US President’s tariff barrage.

On Sunday, PM Modi and the Chinese President will hold two bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the SCO summit. The next day, he will sit down for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

For Modi, the spectacle of him standing alongside Xi and Putin at the summit will send a pointed message to Trump.

Especially since in recent weeks, Trump and his officials have intensified their attacks on India over its purchase of Russian oil amid the war in Ukraine. White House adviser Peter Navarro went as far as to claim that the Ukraine conflict was essentially “Modi’s war”.

INDIA, CHINA HIT RESET BUTTON

V Anantha Nageswaran pointed out that stronger domestic demand, supported by a good monsoon and growing rural consumption, could help make up for the impact of higher tariffs.

V Anantha Nageswaran, the Chief Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister, said the impact of US tariffs would have offsetting effects, with job losses largely confined to export-oriented units that are heavily dependent on the American market.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump announced 25 per cent base tariffs on India and an additional 25 per cent for buying Russian oil, saying it indirectly funded the Ukraine war. The US also wanred that if India did not stop buying Russian crude, secondary tariffs may be well on their way too.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Nageswaran pointed out that stronger domestic demand, supported by a good monsoon and rising rural consumption, could help compensate for the impact. Therefore, he added, any job losses that do occur are unlikely to be significant.

The top economist also noted that some of these firms could explore alternative markets, while others might take a medium-to long-term view, choosing to retain workers if the tariff-related uncertainties proved temporary.

On Friday, he also said that high tariffs are expected to be “short-lived” as both countries are in talks for the removal of the 25 per cent penal tariff and a subsequent bilateral trade deal.

Commenting on India’s 7.8 per cent GDP growth rate in Q1 2026, Nageswaran said that India’s strong GDP performance was driven by robust growth in manufacturing and services, along with government consumption, which had been negative in the first quarter of the previous year but benefited this time from a favourable base effect and added that a lower GDP deflator, reflecting easing inflation, also supported the figures.

“Despite the reciprocal tariffs and penal tariffs (imposed by the US), and after seeing the resilience of Q1 growth, we are retaining the growth rate projections for the current fiscal at 6.3-6.8 per cent,” Nageswaran told reporters in Delhi.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/job-losses-due-to-trump-tariffs-will-be-very-low-says-chief-economic-adviser-v-anantha-nageswaran-2779365-2025-08-31

According to the report, which cited an unnamed Indian official as its source, Xi’s letter was intended as a test of India’s willingness to recalibrate ties with China.

When US President Donald Trump intensified his trade war with China earlier this year, Beijing began an outreach to India with a private letter from President Xi Jinping to President Droupadi Murmu, a Bloomberg report claims.

According to the report, which cited an unnamed Indian official as its source, Xi’s letter was intended as a test of India’s willingness to recalibrate ties with China. Although the letter was sent to President Murmu, the message was swiftly conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the note, President Xi expressed concern about any prospective US-India agreements that might harm Beijing’s interests, the report claimed. The Chinese premier also named “a provincial official who would steer Beijing’s efforts,” the report stated.

It further added that PM Modi’s government began taking the Chinese outreach seriously in June, amid its own talks with the United States over Trump’s tariff threats and his claim that it was he who brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following the sharp regional escalation over the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which 26 people were killed.

Stung by Trump’s tariffs, both India and China agreed to accelerate efforts to move beyond the 2020 border clash, pledging to renew talks over the long-standing boundary disputes, the report states.

Following these developments, there has been a marked improvement of India-China ties. Direct passenger flights between India and China are set to resume within weeks. Beijing has relaxed restrictions on urea shipments to India. New Delhi, for its part, has reopened tourist visas for Chinese nationals after years of suspension.

Ironically, the trigger for this renewed ties was Trump’s tariff policy – intended to punish Beijing and, later, India. In March, just after he doubled tariffs on Chinese goods, China’s foreign ministry called on Delhi to join in “opposing hegemonism and power politics.” Xi himself declared that making the “elephant and dragon dance together is the only right choice.”

By July, Chinese officials were repeating the metaphor. The Global Times, a state-backed newspaper, went further, calling for a “ballet dance” between the two Asian giants in resisting US tariffs.

PM Modi is likely to meet President Xi during his China tour later this week for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. This will be the Prime Minister’s first visit to China in more than seven years. The last time the two leaders shared a stage was at last year’s BRICS summit in Russia’s Kazan.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/xi-jinping-secret-letter-after-trump-tariff-barrage-secret-xi-letter-revived-india-china-ties-report-9179960?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

PM Narendra Modi’s eighth trip to Japan since 2018 is a bid to diversify partnerships, assert autonomy, and reinforce India’s global positioning amid a tariff tussle with the US

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Japan, at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba, serves as a message of strategic balancing to the United States amid growing tariff tensions.

Modi’s eighth trip to Japan since 2018 is a bid to diversify partnerships, assert autonomy, and reinforce India’s global positioning. Hence, it becomes even more significant that he will follow it up with his trip to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.

THE INDIA-JAPAN STORY
This coming together coincides with US President Donald Trump’s unpredictability and trade war with India, which has unravelled more than two decades of a partnership built through successive administrations from George W Bush to Joe Biden.

The Quad – comprising India, Australia, Japan, and the US – is the cornerstone of the Indo-Pacific strategy, essential to India, Japan, and Australia’s vision. Yet, its trajectory appears uncertain due to Trump’s engagement.

The US President’s second term signals disengagement and a narrower view of alliances, evident as Washington imposed the highest tariff of 50 percent on New Delhi, a key strategic ally. This raises the question – will the India-US trade war risk diluting the Quad’s strategic coherence?

By engaging with India, Japan is sending a larger political message – one that transcends economics and defence. Tokyo offers consistency, resources, and a shared strategic outlook to New Delhi, rooted in an old partnership, democratic values, and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

STRENGTH IN CIVILISATIONAL TIES
Reciting the Gayatri Mantra, the Japanese welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting the deep civilisational relationship between India and Japan.

Stretching from the Himalayas to Mount Fuji, India-Japan ties are rooted in a shared cultural heritage, including Buddhism, which arrived in Japan from India in the 6th century AD.

During the visit, Modi received a Daruma doll from the chief priest of the Shorinzan Daruma-Ji temple in Takasaki-Gunma. This gesture reaffirms the close spiritual and civilisational ties between the two countries. The Daruma doll, which is considered a good luck charm in Japanese culture, also symbolises the legacy of Bodhidharma – an Indian monk known as Daruma Daishi in Japan.

This ancient connection underpins the shared ideals of democracy, tolerance, pluralism, and open societies, now strengthened by economic and defence cooperation.

SUMMIT DIPLOMACY
Japan and Russia are India’s two oldest annual summit-level mechanisms, a crucial element in diplomacy ensuring mutually beneficial outcomes.

In 2000, New Delhi and Tokyo forged a global partnership, which was elevated to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014 under Modi and former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. The bond between these leaders gave a strategic edge to the time-tested ties.

India and Japan – two of Asia’s leading democracies and among the world’s top five economies – now focus on new priorities and challenges. Topmost during this visit is Japan’s investment plan, which amounts to USD 68 billion over the next decade.

This investment will boost infrastructure, manufacturing, clean energy, and technology partnership, showcasing Japan’s long-term commitment to India’s growth, especially as investors grow cautious of China.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/pm-modi-in-japan-how-his-visit-is-a-message-of-strategic-balancing-to-the-us-ws-l-9536859.html

In 2008, 38 students at the University of Michigan set out on a walk. Half of them wound their way through the trees in Ann Arbor’s Nichols Arboretum for 2.8 miles (4.5km), while the other half navigated the same distance on the busy streets of downtown. A week later, the two groups swapped routes.

Both times before they set out, the students took a test that challenged their attention and working memory, where they were given progressively longer sequences of numbers that they had to repeat back in reverse order. When they returned to campus, the students took the test again. Walking through town improved their performance slightly, but walking in nature boosted scores by nearly 20 per cent.

“You didn’t even need to like or enjoy the nature walk to get these cognitive benefits,” said Marc Berman, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, who conducted the study while he was a graduate student at Michigan. People who walked on a cold January day experienced just as much benefit as those who did the experiment in July.

The effect that nature has on our minds has been studied many times before and since, and the research generally – though not always – finds that exposure to green spaces boosts our cognition and creativity, not to mention our mood.

Many of us have experienced firsthand the natural world’s ability to revitalise us – a moment of clarity after summiting a mountain, or renewed focus following a lunchtime stroll in the park. Scientists are trying to understand exactly why that happens.

In his new book, Nature And The Mind, Dr Berman attributes the cognitive benefits of nature to “attention restoration theory.” First proposed in the 1980s by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan (both of whom were psychology professors at the University of Michigan when Dr Berman was a student there), the premise is that our ability to focus is a finite resource that gets easily used up, and being in nature is an effective way to replenish it.

One of the most important things about nature, according to attention restoration researchers, is that it is “softly fascinating,” meaning it tickles our attention in a gentle way without being too boring or stimulating. (Think about watching ocean waves roll in and out, or gazing at a field of wildflowers.) Urban environments, by contrast, are more harshly fascinating and demand our vigilance in a way that depletes us.

Dr Berman posits that one reason nature has this effect on us is because of its physical properties, particularly its curved lines and fractals. And the arc of a river or a rock formation, or the repeating patterns of a snowflake, may be easier for our brains to process than the straight edges of a skyscraper. “That might give our brains a rest, and that’s why we might see these benefits,” he said.

Attention restoration theory has dominated the field of environmental neuroscience for decades, but not everyone is fully convinced.

“The evidence is accumulating that, yes, something about walking in nature is benefiting our attention,” said Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of the book Attention Span. But, she added, attention restoration is “a theory, and we don’t know if that’s the real explanation for what’s going on.”

It’s a little “hand-wavy,” agreed Amy McDonnell, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Utah. Much of the research relies on cognitive tests and people’s subjective reports of how being in nature makes them feel, and there are a lot of open questions, like what’s actually happening in the brain.

Dr McDonnell is one of the experts trying to fill in that gap. Last year, she ran a similar experiment to Dr Berman’s, in which people walked either through a local arboretum or on an urban medical campus. Walking in both settings improved people’s cognitive abilities compared to their pre-walk scores. But when Dr McDonnell looked at their brain waves using EEG, those who were in nature had less brain activity immediately after the walk, followed by bigger spikes while they were performing the attention task the second time.

Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/nature-brain-attention-470151

The Court said that it welcomes accurate and critical reporting of its decisions and working, provided it is done in good faith.

The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court recently dropped contempt of court proceedings against the editors, correspondents and publishers of The Hindu and ETV Bharat English [Court on Its Own Motion vs Suresh Nambath and Others].

The High Court last year had initiated a suo motu case against them over their reportage claiming that Justice Atul Sreedharan – who is presently posted at Madhya Pradesh High Court – had gone on leave after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act cases and Habeas Corpus matters were shifted from the bench headed by him.

A Division Bench headed by Justice Sreedharan himself taken exception to the report and had asked the Registrar Judicial to place the matter before then Acting Chief Justice.

The newspaper report that the roster was changed midway was “false, malicious and contemptuous” and the same amounted to interference with the administration of justice, the bench had then said.

The alleged contemnors later apologized to the Court for the misreporting and sought leniency. A digital version of the news report was taken down by The Hindu after the court order.

In the judgement passed on August 22, a Bench of Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Rahul Bharti found the repentance and regret shown by the alleged contemnors to be bona fide and noted that they have realized the seriousness of the mistake committed by them.

However, the Court also opined that their reporting was clearly suggestive of an underlying intent to bring the High Court as an institution to disrepute and create distrust that the alteration of roster was with a view to disable a particular bench from hearing of NIA and Habeas Corpus matters.

It added that roster changes are regularly published on the official website and therefore, there was hardly any need and scope for any newspaper or news portal to carry and add any angle of information to it.

“We have no reluctance whatsoever to observe that never-ever before the publication of the offending information by the respondents, there was any such like news item carried by any Online or Offline mode of newspaper publication with regard to the fixation of Roster in the High Court by the Hon’ble Chief Justice,” the Court further said.

The Court added that the publication of the information “while lacking good faith was lurking with bad faith and definitely counted as an attempt to scandalize the functioning of the High Court which had infliction of necessary effect of eroding the faith of General Public in the justice delivery system with respect to the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.”

However, considering the apologies and takedown of the publications, the Court decided not to proceed with the contempt of court case.

“Before we part with this case, we however, caution the respondents to remain extra careful in future while reporting about the court proceedings and its functioning. They shall stay well advised to keep in mind the due diligence which we have highlighted herein before,” it directed.

Court welcomes critical reporting but advices caution

In the same order, the Court said that it welcomes accurate and critical reporting of its decisions and working, provided that all is made in good faith and actuated with a mindset to highlight the deficiencies and inefficiencies and also to contribute in furthering the improvements in the judicial system and its working.

“Courts are always open to Public’s discourse and discussion and in that regard the journalists/news reporters are there to act as a bridge between the institution of judiciary and the Society. Mining and bringing information with regard to the functioning of the Courts and even the shortcomings and drawbacks therein in the public domain in good faith definitely contributes in enhancing the transparency and establishing accountability,” the Court asserted.

However, the Court added that the freedom of press, which is implicit in the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India, is subject to the caveat of non-interference in the administration of justice and law of contempt of courts.

“It is, thus, an imperative for the journalists and news reporters engaged and connected with reporting of court matters and affairs therewith to ensure that they do not print and publish inaccurate, false, misleading or self-fancied information and reports,” the Court said.

The bench further said that it is always advisable for the media not to rely upon casual sources of information and further to ensure that information is verified from the authoritative sources.

“If the information pertains to the courts’ functioning, be it judicial or administrative side, it would be proper and appropriate to seek its verification from the Registrar General of the High Court or from such officer nominated by the High Court for the purposed before venturing to pen, print, publish and publicize it,” the Court suggested.

The Court further remarked that it is a bounden duty and responsibility of the media to avoid temptation of scandalization and attribute motives “by innuendoes with respect to judiciary and judges”.

“Any news publication in respect of Court/s and its working/ functioning made with a motive and potentiality, latent or patent, of degrading and deriding the judicial institution or lowering its prestige in the eyes and estimation of General Public shakes and erodes the public trust in the courts of law and of law of land as an institution and, therefore, is to be viewed nothing less than an ill-motivated interference in the administration of justice rendering such a publication definitely to fall within the purview of criminal contempt, as defined in Clause (c) of Section 2 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971,” it said.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/jk-high-court-drops-contempt-case-against-hindu-etv-bharat-over-report-on-justice-atul-sreedharans-roster-change

Dr Gradlin Roy, a consultant cardiac surgeon at Saveetha Medical College, collapsed in the hospital on Wednesday.

A 39-year-old cardiac surgeon collapsed after a heart attack and died during rounds at a hospital in Chennai.

Dr Gradlin Roy, a consultant cardiac surgeon at Saveetha Medical College, collapsed in the hospital on Wednesday.

Dr. Sudhir Kumar, a Hyderabad-based neurologist, said Dr Roy’s colleagues tried everything to save him, but could not.

“Colleagues fought valiantly – CPR, urgent angioplasty with stenting, intra-aortic balloon pump, even ECMO. But nothing could reverse the damage from a massive cardiac arrest due to a 100% left main artery blockage,” Dr Kumar wrote on X.

The doctor pointed out that Dr Roy’s death is not an isolated incident and there is a disturbing trend of young doctors in their 30s and 40s suffering from sudden cardiac events.

Experts said prolonged working hours is one of the key reasons for such deaths. Doctors often work 12-18 hours a day, sometimes stretching for more than 24 hours in a single shift.

There is also intense stress. The constant pressure of life-or-death decisions, high patient expectations, and medico-legal concerns takes a toll.

The other reasons cited are unhealthy lifestyles, irregular meals, lack of physical exercise, and neglected health check-ups.

The mental strain of the profession, including burnout, depression, and anxiety, is also often ignored.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/chennai-cardiac-surgeon-39-suffers-heart-attack-during-rounds-at-hospital-dies-9184888?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

Three people were recovered from debris following a cloudburst in Ramban District, Jammu and Kashmir. This is the second incident reported in the union territory.

Seven members of a family were killed after a landslide flattened their house in a remote village in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir early on Saturday, officials said. The incident was reported shortly after a cloudburst in Ramban led to the death of three people.
Heavy rains in the Badder village of Mahore in Reasi triggered the landslide. A rescue operation is underway to trace the missing family, officials said. Reasi district is about 131 kms from Ramban.
Situated on the Chenab river and National Highway-44, which connects Jammu and Srinagar, Ramban district is known for its mountainous terrain and is divided into eight tehsils. Heavy rainfall in the district has resulted in the Chenab River breaching the danger-level mark and river water entering low-lying areas.

This is the second cloudburst incident reported in the union territory within 24 hours, and the third within a week.

The NDA is likely to put up a dominant show and win 324 seats if the Lok Sabha elections are held today, as per the Mood of the Nation survey. The Congress-led opposition alliance, which gave the NDA a run for its money in 2024, is projected to be down to 208.

With a spring in its step following back-to-back victories in three major Assembly polls, the NDA is likely to put up a dominant show and win 324 seats if the Lok Sabha elections are held today, according to the India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation survey. On the other hand, the Congress-led opposition alliance, which won 234 seats in 2024, giving the NDA a rude shock, is projected to be down to 208 if the polls are held today.

The India Today-Cvoter Mood of the Nation (MOTN) poll was conducted between July 1 and August 14, 2025, surveying 54,788 individuals across all Lok Sabha segments. An additional 1,52,038 interviews from CVoter’s regular tracker data were also analysed. Thus, the opinion of a total of 2,06,826 respondents was considered for this MOTN report.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP, riding on the charisma of PM Modi, received a reality check when it won only 240 out of 543 seats, which was 32 short of the 272 seats needed for a simple majority to form a government on its own.

However, along with its NDA partners, the overall tally of 293 allowed Modi to form a third government – a feat matching Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. The INDIA bloc gave the NDA, which boasted of crossing 400 seats, a run for its money, securing 234 seats.

Since then, the electoral fortunes of the opposition bloc have hit a nadir, losing the Assembly polls in key states of Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi.

WHAT MOOD OF THE NATION REVEALS

The impact of the dramatic turnaround ushered in by the BJP is reflected in the latest Mood of the Nation survey.

If seen party-wise, the survey predicts that if a general election was held now, the BJP would secure 260 seats but still fall short of getting a simple majority of its own. This is a sharp fall from the 281 seats that the MOTN survey predicted in its February edition.

It has coincided with the NDA tally seeing a dip from the numbers projected by the MOTN survey in February – from 343 seats to 324.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/story/nda-wins-324-seats-india-bloc-208-seats-if-polls-are-held-today-mood-of-the-nation-survey-2778314-2025-08-28

The victim, Shilpa, who had previously worked with IT giant Infosys, had been married to Praveen for about two-and-a-half years. The couple has a one-and-a-half-year-old child.

In yet another alleged dowry harassment-related death, a 27-year-old woman was found hanging at her home in Bengaluru on Wednesday, police said. The woman’s husband was arrested for allegedly abetting suicide.

The family of the woman, identified as Shilpa, alleged that constant dowry harassment by the victim’s in-laws drove her to die by suicide.

Police have arrested Shilpa’s husband Praveen, a former software professional.

Shilpa, who had previously worked with IT giant Infosys, had been married to Praveen for about two-and-a-half years. The couple has a one-and-a-half-year-old child, and her family said Shilpa was pregnant again.

In their complaint, Shilpa’s parents stated that Praveen’s family initially demanded Rs 15 lakh in cash, 150 grams of gold jewellery and household articles before the wedding.

They alleged that despite fulfilling these demands, Shilpa was repeatedly pressured for more money and valuables after marriage. Her uncle, Chennabasayya, said the family had made huge financial sacrifices to meet these expectations.

“We got her married in a grand way three years ago. We sold our house and spent Rs 40 lakh on the wedding. We also gave her 160 grams of gold ornaments at the time of marriage,” Chennabasayya said.

According to him, the demands continued even after marriage. “A few months ago, he had taken another Rs 10 lakh from us. They now have a one-and-a-half-year-old child, and she is pregnant again. At the time of marriage, he claimed to be a B.E., M.Tech graduate. But for the past two years, he has been selling pani puri,” he added.

Chennabasayya also raised suspicions about the circumstances of Shilpa’s death.

“Inside the house, there was no chair or anything placed under the fan. The fan was also not at a height easily reachable to anyone. There were no signs of the door being broken either,” he said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/karnataka/story/bengaluru-techie-death-shilpa-found-hanging-home-family-alleges-dowry-harassment-2778434-2025-08-28

Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed the name of semiconductor plant which is likely to manufacture India’s first home-made chip.

The first Made-in-China semiconductor chip may be manufactured from CG Semi Pilot Line soon, Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Thursday.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “1st ‘Made in India’ chip to come from CG Semi Pilot Line soon.” The CG Semi Pilot line is being set up in Gujarat’s Sanand.

The CG Semi’s G1 or pilot facility was inaugurated by Ashwini Vaishnaw along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel.

“CG Pilot line has started today. It is a very important milestone in India’s semiconductor journey. Among all the plants that started (chip) projects in Gujarat, CG Semi plant is the first one to start a pilot line,” Vaishnaw said.

He said that the pilot line helps customers in testing the chips before placing the order.
“Hopefully, we will have the first Made in India chip rolled out of this plant very soon,” Vaishnaw said.
The pilot facility of CG Semi will operate at a peak capacity of approximately 5 lakh units per day. The facility is equipped to handle end-to-end chip assembly, packaging, testing, and post-test services.
Backed by central and state governments, and in collaboration with Renesas and Stars Microelectronics, CG Semi is investing over Rs 7,600 crore (around USD 870 million) over five years to develop two facilities (G1 and G2) with a total production capacity of 15 million or 1.5 crore units.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a significant two-nation visit to Japan and China, commencing August 29. Central to this trip is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for their first bilateral discussion in seven years.

A hospital memo claims Greater Noida woman Nikki Bhati suffered severe burns in a gas cylinder blast, while her family has accused husband Vipin Bhati of setting her ablaze.

As the mystery surrounding Greater Noida woman Nikki Bhati’s death continues to deepen, a hospital memo, widely shared on social media, suggests that she was taken to a hospital after she suffered burn injuries following a “cylinder blast”.

The purported memo, from a private hospital, stated Nikki was brought to the hospital on August 21 at 6 pm. It further, in Hindi, stated, ‘Ghar par gas cylinder fatne se mareej ko kaafi gambheer roop se jal gaya hai‘ (The patient has suffered severe burn injuries due to a gas cylinder explosion at home).

“Burn at home, due to blast of cooking cylinder,” it mentioned in English.

The memo also states that Nikki was brought to the hospital by Devendra, her relative, and that her condition was “critical”.

Meanwhile, a team of the Noida Police recorded a statement of the hospital staff who attended to Nikki Bhati as she was brought there.

Sources told CNN-News18 that the staff informed the police that Nikki had herself told them that she suffered burn injuries while she was cooking at home, and that there was a cylinder blast.

However, investigations revealed that there was no cylinder blast in the house where she lived.

The police also recovered an empty bottle of thinner and a lighter from her home.

Efforts were also underway to record the statement of Nikki’s sister, Kanchan, after the hospital memo emerged.

This comes days after Kanchan, who filmed her on fire, and her family members alleged that Nikki was set ablaze at her residence in Greater Noida’s Sirsa by her husband, Vipin Bhati.

On Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh Women Commission member Meenakshi Bharala reached Nikki’s residence in Greater Noida and met the grieving family members.

She assured Nikki Bhati’s family of an impartial probe into her death and also promised that the murder case would be put on a fast-track trial.

According to IANS, Nikki’s mother fainted several times while narrating the family’s trauma over her murder, before the commission member.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/nikki-bhati-death-case-hospital-memo-cylinder-blast-burn-injuries-greater-noida-dowry-death-case-vipin-bhati-9533024.html

Only one in four women expressed confidence that authorities would take effective action on their safety complaints

A new and comprehensive study on women’s safety in Indian cities has revealed an alarming truth: around 40% of women feel “not so safe” or “unsafe”. The findings, released in the inaugural National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety (NARI 2025), provide a stark look into the daily realities faced by women across the country.

The report, a collaborative effort by the Group of Intellectuals and Academicians (GIA), Pvalue Analytics, The NorthCap University, and Jindal Global Law School, is based on a survey of 12,770 women across 31 cities in all states. It goes beyond traditional crime statistics, which often fail to capture the reality of underreported harassment. NARI 2025’s key findings highlight a “dark figure” of crime, with the report noting that only one in three women who face harassment actually report it to authorities. This means that official crime records from bodies like the NCRB miss the vast majority of incidents.

The index ranked cities based on various safety metrics, revealing a significant disparity. Cities like Kohima, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, and Mumbai were identified as the safest, correlating with factors such as stronger gender equity, improved infrastructure, and more effective policing. In contrast, cities like Ranchi, Srinagar, Kolkata, Delhi, and Patna ranked at the bottom, often linked to inadequate public infrastructure, weak institutional responsiveness, and prevalent patriarchal norms.

Safety perceptions also varied dramatically depending on the time of day. While 86% of women felt safe in educational institutions during daylight hours, that sense of security plummeted at night, particularly on public transport and in recreational areas. The report also pointed to significant institutional gaps: only one in four women expressed confidence that authorities would take effective action on their safety complaints, and a concerning 53% were unaware whether their workplaces had a Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) policy in place.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/nari-2025-these-are-the-safest-and-deadliest-cities-for-women-in-india-says-study-9535205.html

The shark’s white eyes indicate a potential form of albinism, a condition involving a lack of melanin pigmentation.

A rare and visually striking shark has been spotted off the coast of Costa Rica, drawing widespread interest from marine biologists and the public alike. The unique nurse shark, notable for its vibrant orange colouration and white eyes, was encountered by fisherman Garvin Watson near Tortuguero National Park in August 2024.

The shark was observed at a depth of 37 meters, in waters with a temperature of 31.2°C. “[It was] incredible,” Watson told USA Today. “We couldn’t believe what we had in front of us, an orange shark that looked like an alien.” He took photographs of the unusual marine animal before releasing it back into the ocean. Watson and his companions later described the encounter to marine researchers, comparing the shark’s colour to that of a goldfish.

Though Watson had initially shared photos of the shark on his Facebook page last year, public fascination surged following the release of a recent scientific study titled “First record case of free-living xanthism in the nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre, 1788) from the Caribbean Sea.”

The 6-foot, 6-inch nurse shark has become a subject of scientific curiosity due to its distinctive pigmentation. According to marine biologists, the shark’s vivid orange hue is the result of a rare genetic condition known as xanthism, which causes yellow or golden pigmentation in an animal’s skin, scales, or fur. Xanthism is extremely uncommon and has been previously documented in some species of fish, reptiles, and birds, but not in this particular shark species, until now.

The peer-reviewed study, published this month in the journal Marine Biodiversity, was authored by Marioxis Macías-Cuyare, Gilberto Rafael Borges Guzmán, and Daniel Arauz-Naranjo. The researchers wrote that the shark represents “the first scientifically documented case of total xanthism in the species and the first record from the Caribbean Sea.”

In addition to xanthism, the shark’s white eyes indicate a potential form of albinism, a condition involving a lack of melanin pigmentation.

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/rare-case-of-xanthism-orange-nurse-shark-with-white-eyes-found-in-costa-rica-ws-l-9535200.html

The DGCA move had come against the backdrop of Turkiye backing Pakistan and condemning India’s strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country in May.

Aviation regulator DGCA has granted a six-month extension to IndiGo on leasing of two Boeing 777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines with certain conditions, sources said on Thursday.

The surprising development comes less than three months after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in May provided a one-time final extension of three months till August 31 to IndiGo for operating the Turkish Airlines aircraft and had also asked the carrier not to seek any further extension.

The DGCA move had come against the backdrop of Turkiye backing Pakistan and condemning India’s strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country in May.

The sources on Thursday said the regulator has granted a six-month extension to IndiGo for operating the planes from Turkish Airlines on wet lease with certain conditions. The current lease is to expire on August 31.

Generally, wet-leasing of an aircraft involves the leasing of foreign aircraft along with crew, maintenance and insurance.

“We acknowledge the acceptance of IndiGo’s request for extension to its wet lease arrangement with Turkish Airlines, subject to conditions laid down by the regulator. This approval comes at a crucial time and will help mitigate losses to the Indian aviation due to geopolitical restrictions, and greatly benefitting Indian travellers during the peak travel season by ensuring a seamless, direct connection to Istanbul and points beyond,” the airline said in a statement.

IndiGo is operating two B777-300 ER aircraft under damp lease from Turkish Airlines, and the current lease is to expire on August 31. These planes are used by IndiGo to operate direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul.

In the statement on Thursday, IndiGo said that given the current geopolitical challenges, the extension provides much-needed continuity and stability in operations, allowing it to better serve the growing demand for international travel.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indigo-gets-6-month-extension-to-operate-2-turkish-airlines-planes-9177723

In the flood-hit Rajanna Sircilla district of Telangana, the heart-wrenching anguish of a mother became a powerful symbol of the flood’s human toll. For 30 gruelling hours, Lakshmi waited for her son, Jangam Swamy, who was trapped in the swirling floodwaters. “I fall at your feet. Please save my son. It’s been 30 hours,” she pleaded.

Five people had got stranded at Upper Manair and repeated attempts by rescue helicopters were thwarted by adverse weather.

“What use are elections and leaders if they can’t come to the rescue of my son? You dare not try to silence me. I want you to try again and save my son,” Lakshmi cried, her anguish turning into anger with the endless wait.

Hope, though, prevailed.

In a dramatic rescue operation by IAF chopper, Jangam Swamy was brought to safety –, his return met with loud wails, the fears of the mother, son and rest of the family exploding into a flood of tears and an outpouring of welcome from his family.

A grateful Jangam Swamy, alive and well, thanked his rescuers for “giving him a second life”.

In Medak, another badly hit district, it was a different kind of race against time. A pregnant woman in labour was in desperate need of medical help. In a precarious and careful operation, the “Knights in Fluorescent Orange”, as the rescue teams are being hailed on social media, moved her to the safety of a hospital just in time.

The timely arrival of the NDRF team ensured that both mother and baby were given a chance at a healthy life, underscoring the vital role of these rescue forces in moments of critical need.

In Kamareddy district, which, along with Medak received the highest rain in 50 years over the last two days, it was a daring rescue operation by the police who emerged as #RealHeroes.

With not a hint of hesitation, risking their lives, the police crossed the furiously flowing, chest-deep waters, using just a single rope, to rescue 10 people marooned in flood.

Among them were children whom they carried on their shoulders, earning for themselves the sobriquet of the police being everyone’ heroes.

The spirit of survival was also evident in Nirmal district, where an NDRF team successfully rescued Shankar Naik, who had been trapped by rising floodwaters.

Using a specialised boat, rescuers brought Shankar to safety, a moment of relief in a town where heavy rains have already forced the relocation of 250 families. The main route connecting Nirmal to Maharashtra remains closed, a stark reminder of the widespread disruption.

However, not all stories had a happy ending. In a tragic turn, two men, Bestha Sathyam and Yada Goud, were swept away while attempting to cross the Rajpet bridge. Both are currently missing.

Former irrigation minister Harish Rao brought a heart-wrenching detail to light, saying the men were in an auto-rickshaw, on way to a flooded Gurukul school to pick up their children.

Yada Goud and Bestha Sathyam were both washed away. He claimed that for “at least four hours, they were holding on to an electric pole, hoping for a rescue but no helicopter was sent”.

He also criticized the government, saying, “A minister said yesterday chopper would be used only in utmost emergency whereas they use it to go to marriages and political rallies”.

Telangana’s Kamareddy and Medak districts are grappling with the aftermath of an unprecedented downpour that has crippled the region over the past 24 hours. According to reports, the rainfall is the heaviest in a 50-year period for such a short duration.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/son-swept-away-telangana-mother-waits-for-30-hours-then-a-dramatic-rescue-reunion-9177693

PM Modi departed to Japan earlier today, and members of the Indian diaspora gathered in Tokyo to welcome him.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to Japan at the invitation of his counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba, to attend the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit. Calling the visit an opportunity to advance India’s national interests, PM Modi said it would also strengthen regional and global peace and security.

“I look forward to engaging with PM Ishiba and others during this visit, thus providing an opportunity to deepen existing partnerships and explore new avenues of collaboration,” PM Modi wrote on X upon arrival in Tokyo.

Kickstarting his first standalone visit to Japan in seven years, PM Modi also met members of the Indian community who had been awaiting his arrival in Tokyo. The PM was “deeply touched” by the warmth he received and heaped praise on the Indians’ “commitment to preserving cultural roots while contributing meaningfully to Japanese society”.

Members of the Indian diaspora had gathered in Tokyo to welcome him, while Japanese artists prepared cultural performances for the occasion.

The summit is expected to focus on deepening economic and investment partnerships, while also enhancing cultural ties between the two nations.

What’s on agenda?

PM Modi announced his departure earlier today, announcing that key agenda of his visit to Japan would be fostering Special Strategic and Global Partnership, saying it made steady progress over 11 years.

He also spoke about economic and investment ties, saying Artificial Intelligence and semiconductors would also be the technologies where both nations would advance cooperation.

“We would endeavour to give new wings to our collaboration, expand the scope and ambition of our economic and investment ties, and advance cooperation in new and emerging technologies, including AI and Semiconductors. The visit will also be an opportunity to strengthen our civilizational bonds and cultural ties that connect our peoples,” a part of his post read.

According to Bloomberg report, PM Modi may secure investment pledges worth $68 billion during the two-day visit. An economic security pact focussing on semiconductors, critical minerals, and AI may also be signed, the publication further reported.

E10 Shinkansen bullet trains

It was earlier reported that India and Japan may ink a deal for the manufacture of next generation E10 Shinkansen bullet trains in India. An announcement in this regard is likely during PM Modi’s visit to the country.

“The project is in line with the success of the Maruti Suzuki joint venture that happened about four decades ago, but its scale and strategic importance is immense,” one of the people said, asking not to be named.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pm-modi-in-japan-annual-summit-investments-indian-diaspora-tokyo-shigeru-ishiba-101756427902024.html

The Las Vegas entrepreneur alleged that her ex-husband tried bribing her to commit immigration fraud, claiming that he had also committed tax fraud.

A Las Vegas entrepreneur shared a video on Instagram alleging that her ex-husband once offered her a huge amount of money to stay married so that he could easily secure American citizenship. In the post, the woman claimed that since her refusal, he has dragged her through “unnecessary and frivolous legal proceedings”, which have completely destroyed her life.

“My ex-husband offered me $339,000 to stay married so he could get his U.S. citizenship,” Las Vegas entrepreneur Alejandra Aguilar Sonnier wrote on Instagram while posting a video.

“Let that sink in… he was bribing me to commit immigration fraud for him,” she continued, adding, “And yet this same man has been dragging me through Las Vegas Family Court for 17 months with frivolous lawsuits while acting like he hasn’t broken a few federal law, including tax fraud.”

In the video, she alleged the same thing and shared a series of pictures, claiming they are text screenshots and legal documents she received from her ex.

She concluded her post by tagging several government agencies and writing, “Instead of targeting hardworking families, maybe ICE and federal authorities should start looking at the criminals openly trying to game the system.” HT.com has not independently verified the claims in the post.

Social media is divided:

The video has sparked mixed reactions among social media users. While some showed their support for Sonnier, others were quick to dismiss her claims.

An individual supporting her posted, “Gosh, I’m so glad I’m liking this post and writing this comment so this gets more coverage.” Another argued, “Why would you post this? Just let him get citizenship? This is a stupid post. Take the money for goodness’ sake. This post is ridiculous.”

A third commented, “All lies. If he has $339k to give away, he doesn’t need you to stay in the US.” A fourth joked, “ICE likes this post.” A fifth wrote, “I know that’s right, girl. Expose him.”

Woman launches GoFundMe asking for help:

Sonnier has also started a GoFundMe titled, “Legal Battles Drained Me—Need Your Help.” She wrote, “For the past 16 months, I’ve been relentlessly harassed, stalked, and financially drained through the Las Vegas Family Court system—by a man I have no children, no ties, and no obligation to. He’s weaponized the courts to punish me for moving on with my life.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/us/las-vegas-entrepreneur-claims-ex-husband-offered-her-339-000-to-stay-married-for-his-us-citizenship-101756422556802.html

Seven of the 15 victims of the Virar building collapse have been identified, including a 24-year-old woman and her infant daughter, as rescue teams run against time to save those feared trapped in the debris.

At least 15 people were killed and many others are feared trapped after a rear section of an unauthorised four-storey building collapsed on an adjacent vacant chawl in Maharashtra Virar early on Wednesday, officials said. Among those killed in the incident included a woman and her one-year-old daughter and six others remain critically injured.

The structure, declared ‘illegal’ by the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC), came crashing down at 12.05 am.

Rescue operations have continued for more than 20 hours, with National Disaster Response Force units and civic teams clearing rubble first by hand and later with heavy machinery, delayed initially due to the building’s congested location.

District Collector Indu Rani Jakhar confirmed that some people could still be trapped beneath the debris. Officials said the collapse rendered several families homeless, all of whom have been shifted to Chandansar Samajmandir and provided with food, water, and medical aid.

Authorities have identified seven victims so far, including Arohi Omkar Jovil (24), her daughter Utkarsha (1), Laxman Kisku Singh (26), Dinesh Prakash Sapkal (43), Supriya Nivalkar (38), Arnav Nivalkar (11), and Parvati Sapkal.

Some bodies were pulled out of the debris, while others died during treatment at nearby hospitals, officials said.

According to authorities, the crash site has 50 flats in total, with the collapsed section housing 12 apartments. Officials said that although the chawl it fell on was vacant, nearby residents in adjoining tenements were evacuated as a precaution.

Meanwhile, police have arrested the builder, Nital Gopinath Sane, after the VVMC lodged a complaint against him. A case has also been registered against the landowner. The charges included violations under sections 52, 53, and 54 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act and section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

VVMC Assistant Commissioner Gilson Gonsalves said debris clearance is now “progressing on a war footing”.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/maharashtra-virar-building-collapse-death-toll-injured-feared-trapped-builder-arrested-2777938-2025-08-28

The teams of army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) which had been pressed into service rescued more than 400 students and school staff in Gurdaspur district and a large number of others from parts of the state with the help of boats and choppers.

The flood situation in Punjab continued to worsen on Wednesday due to continuous torrential rains in Himachal Pradesh, catchment areas of Sutlet, Ravi and Beas rivers and heavy discharge of water from Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams, inundating a score of villages across more than 10 districts of the state.

Meanwhile, the teams of army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) which had been pressed into service rescued more than 400 students and school staff in Gurdaspur district and a large number of others from parts of the state with the help of boats and choppers.

They initiated a rescue operation to airlift over 50 workers stranded after flood-gate of Madhopur Headwork collapsed. The said headwork is located on the Ravi river in Gurdaspur district, near Pathankot and diverts the river water for irrigation in Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and other nearby areas through canals’ network.

Also, the release of water from Ranjit Sagar dam worsened the situation in Pathankot area inundating several villages in neighbouring Gurdaspur districts too.

In Amritsar district, the Ravi river floods waterlogged several villages, residential areas and farmlands in the Ajnala area after the Dhussi embankment breached due to the swollen waters of Ravi, forcing residents to move to safer places.

Teams of the army and the NDRF rescued about 400 students and 40 staff members of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, a boarding school, at Daburi village in Gurdaspur district. These teams were also helped by villagers – who brought over six tractor-trolleys to access the school site – and a social organisation, Khalsa Aid. Dubri and several other villages were waterlogged because of the overflowing Ravi river.

25 RESCUED IN ARMY HELICOPTER OP

Elsewhere, the army team rescued 25 persons, including CRPF personnel, with the help of helicopter who were trapped atop a building surrounded by floodwaters near Madhopur Headworks. The building collapsed moments after all the people were airlifted from the spot.

CM LEAVES BEHIND CHOPPER, TRAVELS BY ROAD

Meanwhile, chief minister Bhagwant Mann announced to depute the state helicopter to assist and evacuate people and send relief material of the stranded families in the flood affected areas of the state.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/floods-fury-in-punjab-army-ndrf-rescue-400-students-staff

She incorporated elements like blue backdrops, seashells, rocks, aquatic plants and several marine creatures for the unique pandal.

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most auspicious occasions of the Hindu religion and marks the birth of Lord Ganesha, the god of wisdom, knowledge, success and new beginnings. In India, the festival is celebrated with a wide range of themes, with pandals often featuring elaborate and unique designs for the idols, such as environmental conservation or social messages.

Communities may choose themes that highlight traditional art forms, cultural heritage, or even depict Lord Ganesha in various innovative or mythological avatars.

Ganesh Chaturthi Underwater Theme

To mark this year’s festivities, TV actress Shweta Mahadik, devotee of Lord Ganesha, went all the way ahead and designed a stunning Underwater theme for Ganeshotsav at her residence.

A video shared on Instagram showcases the unique theme and the efforts the content creator put into making the festivities even more memorable. It incorporates ocean elements like blue backdrops, seashells, rocks, and aquatic plants and several marine creatures like Dolphins, Sea Horses, jellyfish, Starfish, a Turtle, a Lobster and others for decoration, creating a vibrant and immersive setting to celebrate Lord Ganesha.

Interestingly, the Bappa idol was seen dressed as a Mermaid with a crown and necklace made of pearls, to give it a more vibrant look.

The post caption reads, “Ganpati Bappa Morya!!! May all our wishes come true, god pls bless the world.”

The Step-by-Step Journey Of Creating A Pandal

In other videos, she also shared the entire process of creating the Marine theme for Ganesh Chaturthi 2025, which took around one month of hard work and dedication.

The process began with sculpting the idol of Lord Ganesha from clay, followed by crafting decorative backdrops and designing intricate props such as turtles, starfish, clownfish, seahorses, corals, and more.

Next, instead of simply using wallpaper for her Ganeshotsav 2025 theme, the actress chose to showcase her artistic skills by hand-painting the entire backdrop herself, complete with marine creatures. In the video, she revealed that her inspiration came from the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, located in Australia.

Lastly, she focused on decorating the Ganpati Bappa idol. From perfecting the skin tone and eyes to designing the jewellery and clothes, the actress revealed the entire behind-the-scenes process of bringing her unique theme to life. To enhance the backdrop, she also crafted additional marine elements, including jellyfish, an octopus, and dolphins.

How Did Social Media React?

Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee questioned the logic behind targeting India with tariffs while neglecting China, the largest buyer of Russian energy.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats have criticised President Donald Trump for imposing tariffs on India over its purchase of Russian oil while sparing China and other major buyers. In a post on social media platform X, the Committee quoted a foreign media report and said that Trump’s decision to focus solely on India with tariffs is “almost like it’s not about Ukraine at all.” They also flagged that the move was “hurting Americans & sabotaging the US-India relationship in the process.”
Quoting a media report, they stated, “It would be one thing if the Trump administration had opted to follow through on the threat of secondary sanctions for any country that purchases Russian oil. But the decision to focus solely on India has resulted in perhaps the most confusing policy outcome of all: China, the largest importer of Russian energy, is still purchasing oil at discount prices and has so far been spared similar punishment.”

India is initiating outreach programs in 40 countries to enhance exports amid Donald Trump’s newly imposed 50% tariffs on Indian imports.

India is planning an outreach programme in 40 nations to boost its exports as Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs take effect on Indian imports to the United States, according to news agency PTI.
According to PTI, government sources have said that there is no cause for panic over Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs, as their impact is unlikely to be severe due to India’s diversified exports.
In addition to this, steps are also being taken to cushion affected sectors and support exporters. The current fading of India-US ties is seen as a temporary phase in the long-term relationship between the two nations.

The US has been the largest trading partner of India from 2021-22. In 2024-25, the bilateral trade in goods stood at USD 131.8 billion (USD 86.5 billion exports and USD 45.3 billion imports).
India is planning dedicated outreach programmes in 40 countries, including the UK, Japan, and South Korea, to push textiles exports.
Together, these 40 countries represent more than USD 590 billion in textile and apparel imports, offering vast opportunities for India to enhance its market share, which stands at only 5-6 per cent, the official said.

According to exporters, these high tariffs will have impact on their cost competitiveness in the US as their competitor countries, including Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia are being subjected to lower duties by America.
Exporters said the imposition of a 25 per cent penalty on India over and above the 25 per cent tariffs move will disrupt the flow of Indian goods to its largest export market.

According to the Navy Chief, fishing fleets, once regarded as harmless extensions of coastal economies, have increasingly been fitted with sophisticated equipment such as satellite communication systems and long-range sensors.

Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, speaking at Ran Samvad 2025, sounded a strong cautionary note on how rapid technological advancements are reshaping the maritime security environment. He said that emerging technologies are enabling adversaries to operate in the “gray zone” of conflict—below the threshold of conventional war—while still exerting strategic pressure and challenging order at sea.
According to the Navy Chief, fishing fleets, once regarded as harmless extensions of coastal economies, have increasingly been fitted with sophisticated equipment such as satellite communication systems and long-range sensors. These upgrades allow them to remain at sea for prolonged periods, relaying positional and surveillance intelligence in real time. “What was once a livelihood activity has, in many cases, become an extension of national strategy,” Admiral Tripathi remarked, underscoring how these seemingly civilian platforms are being transformed into tools of state power.
The Admiral also highlighted the role of research and survey vessels, which, under the banner of scientific exploration, now carry advanced sonar arrays and electronic suites capable of seabed mapping and hydrographic data collection. He warned that such data has “obvious military utility,” ranging from submarine operations to targeting seabed infrastructure and shaping undersea battle spaces. This, he noted, represents a dangerous blurring of lines between peaceful research and military reconnaissance.

Another major concern flagged by Admiral Tripathi was the weaponization of autonomy at sea. Small autonomous boats, he explained, have now advanced to the point where they can carry and launch sophisticated payloads such as surface chernobysites, opening the possibility of covert offensive actions being conducted from platforms that appear to be civilian in nature. “It is entirely conceivable that fishing vessels of the near future could carry out offensive operations without revealing their true intent until the last moment,” he cautioned.

Emphasizing the challenge of “platforms of ambiguity,” the Navy Chief said these systems are “civilian in appearance but military in function,” making it increasingly difficult to identify threats and establish clear rules of engagement. This ambiguity, he stressed, complicates both deterrence and response in the maritime domain.
Looking ahead, Admiral Tripathi called for urgent action to safeguard India’s maritime interests, which span vast sea lines of communication, energy routes, and undersea infrastructure. He outlined the need for enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness through satellite surveillance, drones, and radar networks; technological countermeasures such as electronic warfare tools and AI-based anomaly detection systems; doctrinal adaptations to counter gray-zone challenges; and deeper international cooperation with like-minded navies to build norms, share intelligence, and deter hostile actions masked under civilian cover.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/fishing-vessel-today-offensive-platform-tomorrow-navy-chiefs-stark-alert-article-152532320

The Indian Army said alert troops in Gurez sector challenged terrorists, responded to indiscriminate fire, and successfully neutralised two militants.

Two terrorists were neutralised in Gurez sector of Bandipore district during a joint operation by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police, carried out following intelligence on a likely infiltration attempt.

Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said alert troops spotted suspicious activity in Gurez sector, challenged the terrorists, and responded effectively when they opened indiscriminate fire, neutralising two terrorists.

“Based on intelligence provided by JKP regarding likely infiltration attempt, a joint operation was launched by #IndianArmy and @JmuKmrPolice in Gurez Sector. Alert troops spotted suspicious activity and challenged, which resulted in terrorists opening indiscriminate fire. Troops responded with effective fire, neutralising two terrorists. Operation is in progress,” Chinar Corps wrote in a post on X.

On August 13, a soldier was killed during an exchange of fire as the Army foiled an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector, Jammu and Kashmir. The troops successfully stopped the infiltration in the Churunda area of Uri in Baramulla district, north Kashmir, the Army said.

Earlier, on July 30, two heavily-armed terrorists, believed to be members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), were killed in a fierce gunfight as alert Army troops foiled their infiltration bid along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The encounter came two days after security forces eliminated three hardcore terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in a forest in Srinagar.

The Army said the operation, conducted under the code name ‘ShivShakti’, was a major setback to the nefarious designs of Pakistan-sponsored terrorist organisations that are constantly abetting acts of terror in Jammu and Kashmir.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/terrorists-killed-as-security-forces-thwart-infiltration-attempt-along-loc-in-gurez-101756348949208.html

The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC)’s 2025 report is based on an analysis of pollution data from 2023 when Delhi’s annual PM 2.5 concentration was 88.4µg/m3

Delhi residents are losing 8.2 years of their life expectancy to high PM 2.5 concentration in the city, a new report released on Thursday said, underlining that this loss could be mitigated by bringing down pollution levels to the World Health Organization (WHO) standard of 5 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3). The loss is 4.7 years as per the national standard of 40µg/m3, it said. The average Indian is losing 3.5 years of their life expectancy, said the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI).

The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC)’s 2025 report is based on an analysis of pollution data from 2023. Delhi’s annual PM 2.5 concentration in 2023 was 88.4µg/m3. It was 41µg/m3 for the entire country.

The report cited the latest satellite-derived PM2.5 estimates in 2023 and said particulate concentrations in India were higher than in 2022. “These levels are more than 8 times higher than the WHO guideline, and reducing them to permanently meet the WHO Guideline would add 3.5 years to the average life expectancy of Indians,” said the report. It added that people of Delhi were the worst impacted across the country.

The average person globally was losing 1.9 years of their life, according to the WHO standard. “The AQLI’s 2023 data reveals that global PM2.5 concentrations in 2023 were 1.5% higher than in 2022 and nearly 5 times the WHO guideline of 5 μg/m3.”

The AQLI is a pollution index that quantifies the causal relationship between long-term human exposure to air pollution and life expectancy. The life expectancy calculations made by AQLI are based on a pair of peer-reviewed studies. By comparing two subgroups of the population that experienced prolonged exposure to different levels of particulate air pollution, the studies plausibly isolate the effect of particulate air pollution from other factors that affect health.

The biggest loss in life expectancy as per the WHO standard after Delhi was in Bihar (5.4 years), Haryana (5.3 years), and Uttar Pradesh (5 years), the report said. The report said the northern plains, with 544.4 million residents or 38.9% of the country’s population, could gain an average of five years of their life in relation to WHO standards and 1.6 years in relation to the national standard.

Overall, the country’s entire population of 1.4 billion lives in areas where the particulate matter pollution levels exceeded the WHO standards. “This means that even people living in the cleanest regions of India could live 9.4 months longer if particulate concentrations in these regions were reduced to meet the WHO guideline,” the report said.

It added that 46% of the population lived in areas where the pollution levels also exceeded the annual national standard of 40 µg/m³.

“Reducing particulate concentrations in these regions to meet India’s national standard could add 1.5 years to the life expectancy of people living in these regions,” it said.

Air Quality Life Index director Tanushree Ganguly, who co-authored the report, said the data and findings were particularly stark for Delhi. “Consistent exposure to the levels seen in Delhi over the past five years suggests that residents could lose up to eight years of life if such conditions persist. Pollution reduction in Delhi must therefore be guided by strict concentration reduction targets. To meet India’s national standard of 40 µg/m³, the city would need to cut particulate concentrations by more than 50%.”

She said doing so could add over 4.5 years to the life expectancy of the average resident. “Research shows that about 50% of Delhi’s pollution comes from local sources and controlling these sources alone could therefore help meet national standards,” she said.

Source :https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhi-residents-losing-8-2-years-of-their-lives-to-high-air-pollution-report-101756354755785.html

Ramdev’s comments come hours after US President Donald Trump’s doubling of tariffs on imports from India to as much as 50% took effect on Wednesday.

Yoga guru Ramdev has hit out at the Donald Trump administration for imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods for purchasing Russian crude oil, calling for a complete boycott of American companies and brands.

Ramdev’s comments come hours after US President Donald Trump’s doubling of tariffs on imports from India to as much as 50 per cent took effect as scheduled on Wednesday, delivering a serious blow to ties between two powerful democracies that had in recent decades become strategic partners.

A punitive 25 per cent tariff, imposed due to India’s purchases of Russian oil, was added to Trump’s prior 25 per cent tariff on many imports from the South Asian nation.

Describing the move as a “political bullying, hooliganism and dictatorship”, Ramdev, while addressing the media, said, “Indian citizens should strongly oppose the 50 per cent tariffs that America has imposed on India. American companies and brands should be completely boycotted.”

Ramdev also urged people to stop buying US food products from Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Subway, KFC, or McDonald’s outlets.

“Not a single Indian should be seen at the counters of Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Subway, KFC, or McDonald’s. There should be such a massive boycott… If this happens, chaos will ensue in America. Inflation will increase in America to the point where Trump himself may have to retract these tariffs. Trump has committed a blunder by turning against India,” news agency ANI quoted Ramdev as saying.

Trump tariffs on India

The additional 25 per cent duties take total tariffs as high as 50 per cent for goods as varied as garments, gems and jewellery, footwear, sporting goods, furniture and chemicals, among the highest imposed by the US and roughly on par with Brazil and China.

The new tariffs threaten thousands of small exporters and jobs in India, including Gujarat, and are expected to hurt growth in the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

There was no indication of renewed talks between Washington and New Delhi on Wednesday, after five rounds of talks failed to yield a trade deal to cut US tariff rates to around 15 per cent – like the deals agreed by Japan, South Korea and the European Union.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/no-pepsi-mcdonald-s-ramdev-s-desi-counter-to-trump-50-tariffs-on-india-101756347454251.html

Prime Minister Modi invited President Stubb to visit India soon, and both leaders agreed to remain in touch.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official statement.

According to the MEA, President Stubb shared his assessment of the recent meetings held between the leaders of Europe, the United States and Ukraine in Washington on the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s consistent support for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the early restoration of peace and stability.

The leaders also reviewed progress in the India-Finland bilateral relationship and reaffirmed their commitment to enhance partnership in emerging fields including quantum technologies, 6G, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and sustainability.

The MEA added that President Stubb reiterated Finland’s support for an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-EU Free Trade Agreement. He also affirmed support for the success of the AI Impact Summit to be hosted by India in 2026.

Prime Minister Modi invited President Stubb to visit India soon, and both leaders agreed to remain in touch.

Reflecting on the conversation, PM Modi posted on X, “Had a good conversation with President Alexander Stubb. Finland is a valued partner in the EU. Discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in key sectors such as trade, technology and sustainability. Exchanged perspectives on the ongoing efforts for peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.”

President Stubb also echoed a positive tone in his post on X.

Stubb said, “A good conversation with the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. We discussed the need for a just and lasting solution to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ending the war is in all our interests, it’s a shared goal. India plays an important role. It is heard and respected in the South, West and East. We also agreed on the need to further deepen the relations between India and the EU. Our cooperation grows and continues.”

Source : ndtv.com/india-news/pm-modi-finland-president-alexander-stubb-discuss-ukraine-war-india-eu-free-trade-9171600

Officials from both sides are working on an agreement for the procurement of E10 bullet trains

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Miyagi in Japan this week to see the prototypes of the E10 bullet trains being manufactured at a plant may set the stage for India to procure the most advanced high-speed rolling stock, which the East Asian nation itself would launch in 2030.

With Modi and his counterpart in Tokyo, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, likely to visit the manufacturing plant, officials from both sides are working on an agreement for the procurement of E10 bullet trains, being developed by East Japan Railway Company, for the 508-kilometre Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor of India.

Modi will leave New Delhi on Thursday for an official visit to Japan. He and Ishiba will hold the 15th India-Japan annual summit on Friday.

“The 15th summit will give both the prime ministers the opportunity to do an in-depth review of the bilateral ties, take stock of progress in the last few years across multiple domains, and, of course, as is usual, exchange views on regional and global issues of importance,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told journalists in New Delhi on Tuesday.

“This will also be an opportunity to launch several new initiatives to build greater resilience in the relationship, and to respond to emerging opportunities and challenges.”

With Modi and Ishiba likely to explore Japan’s participation in future bullet train projects in India, beyond the one between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, the summit in Tokyo on Friday might result in the launch of a next-generation mobility partnership, sources in New Delhi told DH.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/modis-japan-visit-may-see-deal-for-quake-safe-bullet-trains-3698497

A week ago, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the purchase of 97 additional Tejas LCA Mk-1A from HAL at a cost of Rs 62,000 crore to boost the Indian Air Force’s depleting squadron strength.

New Delhi: Amid ongoing tariff tensions, India is likely to sign a mega defence deal with the US to buy 113 additional F-404 engines from General Electric for 97 Tejas LCA jets, which the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will manufacture.

The deal worth around $1 billion is likely to be inked by September, according to an ANI report that quoted unnamed defence officials.

A week ago, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the purchase of 97 additional Tejas LCA Mk-1A from HAL at a cost of Rs 62,000 crore to boost the Indian Air Force’s depleting squadron strength.

Indian officials said the new deal would help HAL complete the delivery of 180 Tejas LCA Mk-1A in time.

Due to a long delay in GE’s supply of F-404, the Bengaluru-based aviation major is yet to supply the homegrown fighter jets to the Indian Air Force.

HAL plans to meet its production targets, with the first batch of 83 aircraft slated for delivery by 2029-30, and the subsequent 97 by 2033-34, provided GE fulfils its promise of supplying two engines per month.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/india-us-set-to-seal-1-billion-tejas-jet-engine-deal-amid-tariff-tensions-3698747

The engine order, seen costing around $1 billion, follows the Centre clearing a ₹62,000 crore deal to buy 97 more LCA Mark 1A fighters earlier this month

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd is set to sign a contract with US manufacturer GE Aerospace for an additional 113 GE-404 engines to power the light combat aircraft (LCA) it is building for the Indian Air Force, a person familiar with the matter said.

The engine order, seen costing around $1 billion, follows the Centre clearing a ₹62,000 crore deal to buy 97 more LCA Mark 1A fighters earlier this month, this person said. The IAF had initially ordered 83 Mk-1A fighters for ₹48,000 crore in February 2021. HAL had ordered 99 GE-404 engines to power these aircraft.

GE in March announced that it has delivered the first of these 99 engines to HAL. A total of 12 engines are expected in 2025 with 20 engines each expected to be delivered by GE every year to fulfill the 2021 contract.

The LCA Mk-1As will replace the IAF’s MiG-21 fighter jets that are set to retire in September.

The first Mk-1A jets were slated to be delivered in March, 2024 but the first delivery is expected only sometime this year. In February, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh criticized HAL saying he did not believe it could meet the air force’s critical requirements in the backdrop of the delay in the supply of the Mk-1A fighters.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hal-ge-may-ink-deal-for-113-more-jet-engines-101756235023620.html

Couple clarified viral bidaai video after backlash over bride booking a cab, saying the car broke down and she booked it as she knew her home address.

A couple has issued a clarification after a video from their wedding went viral, sparking a heated discussion online. In the viral clip, the bride is seen booking a cab from her phone while the groom smiles beside her. The video, originally shared on Instagram by the couple, was later reshared on X by a user named ‘Matakti aankhein’. In the caption, the user claimed the bride had to book the cab herself “because no one in the groom’s family cared about her.” “Ruined a special and emotional moment of her bidaai,” she added.

The video quickly caught the attention of social media users, with many calling the incident extremely humiliating for the bride. Several users slammed the groom and his family for ruining the bride’s special moment.

However, the couple has now responded to the backlash, seeking to clarify the context behind the widely shared footage.

Couple explains truth behind viral video
In the video, the groom said that the X user had ‘misinterpreted’ the clip and had no idea about the actual context. He then explained what really happened after the wedding ceremony.

According to him, the car arranged by his family broke down before reaching the wedding venue. He added that since they are from Bihar, it is a ritual for the groom to go to the bride’s house and stay there for four days. When the car broke down, the bride booked a cab because she knew the exact address of her home, making it easier for them to reach their destination.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/couple-breaks-silence-after-video-of-bride-booking-cab-during-bidaai-ceremony-sparks-outrage-101756210713413.html

In a disturbing incident, a man who ordered food online discovered an unwanted thing in his item, raising serious hygiene concern.

How would one react if they ordered food online and their worst fear was unlocked? In a shocking incident, a man who ordered food online was stunned to see an unpleasant addition to his item, raising a serious hygiene issue.
A person named Satish Sarawagi ordered a sandwich via the food delivery app Zomato but was terrified when he noticed a hand glove stuffed inside his food.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Satish Sarawagi said, “I ordered a sandwich and found a glove inside the food! This is unacceptable and a serious hygiene concern. Please investigate and respond ASAP.”

The monkey checked the bag after climbing up the tree. When the monkey did not find any food inside the bag, it began to throw the notes into the air. The people who were present at the spot rushed to grab the money.

In a bizarre incident, a monkey pulled out a bag full of money from a bike and climbed up a tree in Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya. The monkey then started throwing the money down, creating chaos as the people gathered quickly to collect the money. The incident was caught on camera and the video of the incident is doing rounds on social media. It can be seen in the video that the Rs 500 currency notes are falling from the tree and the people underneath are collecting the money.

The strange incident occurred in Bidhuna tehsil on Tuesday afternoon. There are reports that a private teacher identified as Rohitash Chanra from Dodapur village came to the tehsil office with his lawyer to complete a registration formality. There was Rs 80,000 in a bag inside the bike’s diggy. While they were busy with the documents, the monkey took the bag and climbed up the tree.

The monkey checked the bag after climbing up the tree. When the monkey did not find any food inside the bag, it began to throw the notes into the air. The people who were present at the spot rushed to grab the money.

In the confusion, Rohitash tried to recover his cash but could only get back Rs 52,000 with the help of the crowd. The remaining Rs 28,000 either got torn or the people took it away.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/viral/bizarre-monkey-snatches-bag-of-cash-showers-80000-from-tree-at-tehsil-office-in-ups-auraiya-video-surfaces

US President Donald Trump recently reiterated his assertion of having brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, claiming he communicated directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Despite Trump’s comments, the Indian government has persistently rejected the notion of US mediation, emphasising that external leaders did not influence its military operations.

In what could be seen as another long shot at the Nobel Peace Prize, US President Donald Trump once again claimed that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. While briefing the media at the White House late on Tuesday, Trump boasted about brokering ‘peace’ between Pakistan and India – the claim refuted by India on several occasions. In the briefing, a special mention was made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Calling him a “terrific man”, Trump repeated his peace claim.
“I am talking to a very terrific man, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. I said what’s going on with you and Pakistan. The hatred was tremendous. This has been going on for a hell of a long time, like, sometimes with different names for hundreds of years. I said, I don’t want to make a trade deal with you. You guys are going to end up in a nuclear war,” Trump said.
“I said, call me back tomorrow, but we’re not going to do any deals with you, or we’re going to put tariffs on you that are so high, your head’s going to spin…Within about five hours, it was done…Now maybe it starts again. I don’t know. I don’t think so, but I’ll stop it if it does. We can’t let these things happen,” he added.

A heavy downpour triggered a landslide on the route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Jammu and Kashmir’s Trikuta hills, leaving at least six dead and 14 injured.

Six people were killed and over a dozen injured when a landslide struck the route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop the Trikuta hills on Tuesday afternoon, amid relentless heavy rain battering the region. With this, the death toll in the state over the past 24 hours has risen to 10.

The pilgrimage to the revered shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district was suspended following the incident, officials said.

A massive rescue operation is underway near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkwari, where the landslide occurred around 3 pm, at a point roughly halfway along the 12-km trek to the hilltop shrine. The Army said its personnel were “swiftly mobilised for rescue and relief operations” and that “efforts are underway to save lives, provide assistance to the needy, and move civilians to safe areas.”

Anticipating heavy rain, a red alert has been issued in several districts of the state, including Anantnag, Kishtwar, Doda, Kathua, Ramban, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Jammu, and Sabma.

The Yatra has been suspended in view of the situation, and the shrine authorities have urged devotees to reschedule their journey. Earlier in the day, the Yatra along the Himkoti trek route was already suspended. Pilgrims were allowed to proceed on the old route until 1:30 pm, when authorities halted it completely due to torrential rain.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/5-killed-14-injured-due-to-landslides-on-vaishno-devi-yatra-route-amid-heavy-rain-in-jk-2777128-2025-08-26

India and the United States are close to finalising a defence deal worth over USD 1 billion for 113 GE-404 engines to power 97 LCA Mark 1A jets, ensuring timely delivery of the aircraft to the armed forces.

India and the United States are on the verge of finalising a significant defence deal, with an agreement worth over USD 1 billion to purchase 113 engines for 97 LCA Mark 1A Tejas fighter jets. This new order would be in addition to the 99 GE-404 engines already contracted for the initial 83 Mark 1A jets.

The development comes at a time when India-China relations are under strain following Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on New Delhi over its trade with Russia.

Defence sources indicated that negotiations for the 113 engines are nearing completion and a deal is likely to be signed by September of this year.

The acquisition aims to ensure a continuous supply of engines for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which is manufacturing the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), thereby avoiding any types of delays in engine supplies.

This steady supply is crucial for HAL to meet its production targets, with the first batch of 83 aircraft slated for delivery by 2029-30, and the subsequent 97 by 2033-34. American firm GE is expected to supply two engines per month to fulfil its commitment to the Indian program.

Meanwhile, HAL is also in negotiations with GE for a separate deal to acquire GE-414 engines with an 80 percent transfer of technology. This around USD 1.5 billion deal is expected to be signed in the coming months to provide 200 GE-414 engines needed for India’s LCA Mark 2 and Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programs.

In a separate, but equally critical development, HAL is in advanced talks with GE for a deal to acquire 200 GE-414 engines for the future LCA Mark 2 and Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programs.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-us-set-to-seal-1-billion-deal-for-113-engines-to-power-lca-tejas-fleet-2777236-2025-08-26

The wax museum, which will be unveiled on Deepotsav this year, will recreate iconic scenes from the Ramayana by blending tradition with modern artistry

The Ramayana — a story retold over centuries through scriptures, theatre, and festivals — will soon find a new form of expression at the temple town of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, which is home to the Ram Mandir.

This Deepotsav, which is observed before Diwali, a wax museum will be unveiled that will recreate iconic scenes from the Ramayana, blending tradition with modern artistry. Spanning 10,000 square feet, it will feature nearly 50 life-sized statues of major characters from the epic, including Ram, Sita, Lakshman, Hanuman, Sugriv, and Jatayu. With an estimated investment of Rs 7.5 crore, this project is seen as both a tribute to India’s spiritual heritage and a new attraction for those who throng Ayodhya each year.

Officials from the Uttar Pradesh government said the museum is designed to be more than just a gallery of statues, offering an immersive experience that brings the Ramayana to life. Key episodes of the epic, including Ram’s battle with Ravana, Sita’s abduction, Hanuman’s journey to Lanka, and the construction of Ram Setu, will be recreated using a mix of wax artistry, intricate costumes, and state-of-the-art audio-visual effects.

To engage younger generations, the museum will include interactive displays. Children and youth will not only witness lifelike depictions of the characters from the epic but also experience the story through sound, light, and visual presentations.

A Maharashtra-based organisation, in collaboration with experts from Kerala, is leading the work on the statues. Authorities said each figure is being sculpted with attention to detail to ensure realism and cultural authenticity.

Deepotsav has now become a significant event in Ayodhya, when numerous diyas are lit along the ghats of the Saryu river. This year, the wax museum will be a highlight of the festivities.

Municipal commissioner Jayendra Kumar said the construction work is rapidly progressing and being closely monitored. “The wax museum will be a landmark attraction. We are ensuring timely completion so that devotees and visitors can witness this cultural marvel during Deepotsav,” he said.

Divisional commissioner Rajesh Kumar said the museum will add a new dimension to Ayodhya’s heritage. “Alongside the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, the wax museum will strengthen the city’s appeal as a religious destination while also presenting the timeless values of the Ramayana to the world stage,” he said.

The project is being executed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, similar to Ayodhya’s ‘Bhool Bhulaiya’ project in Amaniganj. This approach, officials said, enables efficient execution while meeting both cultural and economic goals.

This model is part of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vision of developing Ayodhya into a world-class cultural and religious tourism hub. Over the past few years, large-scale infrastructure projects such as road widening, beautification of the ghats, and heritage revival works have been undertaken to accommodate the influx of pilgrims following the construction of the Ram temple.

Officials estimated that the wax museum will further enrich the tourism circuit, offering devotees and international visitors a deeper cultural immersion beyond temple visits. They said once operational, the museum will host guided tours and educational programmes as well, helping schoolchildren and foreign visitors alike to understand the Ramayana in a more interactive format.

“The museum will showcase not just the epic story of Ramayana, but also the values of courage, devotion, and dharma that define Indian culture,” said an official associated with the project. “It is not just an attraction but a storytelling space where mythology meets modern presentation.”

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/ups-first-wax-museum-in-temple-town-ayodhya-to-have-life-sized-statues-of-ram-sita-hanuman-ws-l-9527908.html

Stay tuned for all the latest updates regarding India and the world.

Breaking News Today: PM Modi Flags Off ‘e-VITARA’ in Ahmedabad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday flags off the ‘e-VITARA’, Suzuki’s first global strategic Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), at the Suzuki Motor plant in Hansalpur, Ahmedabad.

Breaking News Today: Indian Navy to commission two advanced stealth frigates in Vizag

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to preside over the commissioning of two multi-mission stealth frigates, Udaygiri and Himgiri, at the Eastern Naval Command here by the Indian Navy on Tuesday. INS Udaygiri and INS Himagiri come from the Indian Navy’s latest state-of-the-art Project 17 A, and their commissioning is the first occasion when two frontline surface combatants built at two different shipyards will be commissioned simultaneously.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/breaking-news-today-india-breaking-news-august-26-2025-india-news-world-news-crime-news-us-tariff-donald-trump-run-samwad-2025-weather-updates-ins-udaygiri-ins-himgiri-pm-modi-e-vitara-gujarat-liveblog-152525345

A dog was seen carrying a foetus in its mouth outside the Maternity and Child Health (MCH) hospital in Noida, Sector 110, on Saturday. A viral video of the incident sparked a police investigation.

An unusual sight of a dog carrying a foetus in its mouth outside the Maternity and Child Health (MCH) hospital in Noida, Sector 110, shocked Noida residents on Saturday. Several videos of the incident went viral on social media platforms, subsequently grabbing the attention of the police officials. Upon investigation, they learned that the incident happened when a 30-year-old woman suffered a miscarriage after falling from the stairs, according to a media reports. The police have launched an investigation into the matter.
According to the officials, a woman, hailing from Noida’s Banghel, fell from the staircase at her home. She was rushed to the 50-bed MCH, where the doctors informed the family about the miscarriage. Therefore, they had to abort the fetus, said The Indian Express.
“Doctors informed the family members of the woman that she had suffered a miscarriage. They were outside the hospital and were looking for a cloth to cover it (foetus) before burying it,” said Station House Officer (Phase 2) Vindhyachal Tiwari.

At that time, a dog roaming around came, snatched the foetus, and ran away before the family could process what had happened. The SHO further added that the fetus was recovered later with the help of the locals.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/city/noida/noida-dog-carries-foetus-in-mouth-outside-maternity-hospital-cops-reveal-what-happened-article-152524803

PM Modi declared that he can’t compromise on interests of farmers, cattle-rearers, small-scale industries, cautioning “pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again pushed for the consumption of “swadeshi” or indigenous goods as India maintains firm stance against the tariff imposed by the United States. PM’s remarks came just two days before the 50 per cent US tariffs on Indian goods kick in. August 27 is the Trump administration-set deadline for the imposition of 50 per cent American tariffs on goods from India to its key export market.
Speaking at an event in Ahmedabad, PM Modi asked the shopkeepers to display ‘swadeshi boards’ outside their shops during the upcoming festive season. “This is the season of festivals. Now Navratri, Vijayadashami, Dhanteras, Diwali… all these festivals are coming. These are celebrations of our culture but they should also be celebrations of self-reliance. Therefore, I want to reiterate my request to you once again that we must adopt a mantra in our lives: whatever we buy will be ‘Made in India’, it will be indigenous,” PM Modi said.

He appealed the citizens to buy only indigenous goods, and and also asked businessowners to refrain from selling outside goods. “I appeal to the citizens of our country to prioritise purchasing goods that are Made in India. Whether it’s decorative items or gifts, let us choose products manufactured within our own nation. I also encourage businesses to refrain from selling items sourced from other countries. These small yet impactful steps can play a significant role in driving our nation’s progress and prosperity…” he said.

Businessmen should keep a big board outside their establishments, saying they sell only ‘swadeshi’ goods, the PM asserted. “Traders should keep a big board outside their establishments, saying they sell only ‘swadeshi’ goods. Let these festivals open the doors of prosperity. Swadeshi and Aatma-nirbhar Bharat (self-reliance) is the highway to ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed India). Focus on increasing quality and decreasing prices of your products,” he said.

PM Modi declared that he can’t compromise on interests of farmers, cattle-rearers, small-scale industries, cautioning “pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it.”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/pm-modi-calls-for-swadeshi-only-boards-at-shops-ahead-of-trump-tariff-deadline-watch-article-152524708

Dream11 CEO Harsh Jain’s comments come days after Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.

Dream Sports, the parent company of fantasy gaming giant Dream11, will not resort to layoffs despite being hit by India’s ban on real-money games, co-founder and CEO Harsh Jain has said.

“95 per cent of Dream11’s revenues have disappeared overnight, and 100 per cent of our profits…,” Harsh Jain told Moneycontrol on Monday.

Dream Sports has been a major real-money gaming player in India, but it has to close its money-based games after the government banned all forms of online money games.

Jain’s comments come days after Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, criminalising the offering and financing of such games, with offenders facing up to five years in prison.

“We are not interested in doing any layoffs. All the talent here is safe,” Jain said in the interview.

Dream11 has also intimated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India that it won’t be able to continue with the title sponsorship of the team as the revenue stream is going to get hit badly.

“The only way to deal with 95 per cent of your revenue being gone is to build new products that you can monetise in the future. That will always start with talent,” Jain said, adding that the company has no plans to challenge the government on the ban.

The Mumbai-based company plans to redeploy its 500 engineers and other staff across existing businesses such as FanCode, DreamSetGo, Dream Game Studios and Dream Money, while also working on new AI-driven products for the sports and creator economy.

“We have sports content, commerce, fan engagement, analytics, sports performance, and merchandise. All of this is going to be disrupted by AI. And now I have 500 engineers whom I can allocate to solving these problems,” Jain said. “We will start again to solve these problems for Indian sports fans.”

Jain asserted that Dream Sports has sufficient cash reserves to retain staff and sustain operations for the next couple of years. In FY23, the company reported operational revenue of ₹6,384.49 crore, up from ₹3,841 crore in FY22.

According to news agency PTI, Dream Sports is testing a new app, Dream Money, to foray into the financial services sector.

“Dream Money has been under pilot for the last few months. The platform has not been launched yet,” PTI reported, citing an unnamed source.

As per information available on Google Play Store, the app will offer gold purchase service on a daily basis, starting from ₹10 per day and fixed deposits starting from ₹1,000.

According to the source, the official name of the new platform is “Dream Suite Platform Private Limited”.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/what-dream11s-harsh-jain-said-on-layoffs-possibility-95-of-revenues-disappeared-overnight-101756172517065.html

Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla makes history as the first Indian on the ISS, returning to a grand welcome in Lucknow after Axiom Mission 4.

Astronaut and group captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Monday was received with a grand welcome from his city Lucknow. The ISRO astronaut returned to his home town after spending nearly 20 days in space for the Axiom-4 mission at the International Space Station(ISS).

Shukla arrived at Lucknow Airport earlier on Monday amid a huge uproar by children and supporters. The astronaut was welcomed by his family and Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak.

Pathak said that the Uttar Pradesh government has organised an event to honour Group Captain Shukla.

Afterwards, Shukla was reportedly headed to City Montessori School in Gomtinagar for a felicitation ceremony. Deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, along with several other prominent leaders, will also be present at the event, read a press release.

“Today is a big day for Lucknow. The son of Bharat, the son of Lucknow, set foot in Lucknow. Ever since he returned to earth from space, the people of Lucknow were eagerly waiting for his arrival. Today, that moment is finally here. We welcome Shubhanshu Shukla with warmth and love,” Pathak said.

An accomplished Indian Air Force pilot, Shukla made history by becoming the first Indian to set foot on the ISS.

On board the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax‑4)’s Dragon spacecraft, group captain Shubhanshu Shukla left for International Space Station (ISS), from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 26.

Describing Shukla as a symbol of courage and dedication, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said, “Your achievement is a proud symbol of courage, dedication, and commitment to science. Today, every Indian, especially the people of Uttar Pradesh, feels honoured.”

Earlier on Sunday, defence minister Rajnath Singh felicitated Shukla and his colleagues, group captain P V Nair, group captain Ajit Krishnan and group captain Angad Pratap.

Shukla also reportedly lauded the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station, stating that the learning from the “big achievement” will pave the way for executing future missions of the country.

He expressed happiness after being felicitated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and mentioned that India is on its journey of a human space flight- Mission Gaganyaan, Bharatiya Antriksh Station, and eventually, landing on the moon.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/shubhanshu-shukla-receives-roaring-welcome-in-lucknow-101756096765742.html

Commuters will have to pay an increased fare ranging from ₹1 to ₹4, depending on the distance. The fare on the Airport Express line has been hiked up to ₹5.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Monday announced a hike in fares for Metro services in the national capital, making travelling on the city’s transport lifeline more expensive.

According to DMRC, commuters will have to pay an increased fare ranging from ₹1 to ₹4, depending on the distance. The fare on the Airport Express line has been hiked up to ₹5.

“The passenger fares of the Delhi Metro services have been revised with effect from today, that is, 25th August 2025 (Monday) onwards. The increase is minimal, ranging from ₹ 1 to ₹ 4 only depending on the distance of travel (up to ₹5 for the Airport Express Line),” DMRC said in a post on X.

Following the fare revision, the minimum Delhi Metro fare is now ₹11, while the maximum has been set at ₹64. DMRC last revised its fares in 2017 based on the recommendations of the fourth Fare Fixation Committee (FFC). This means it is the first fare revision for Delhi Metro in eight years.

Details on Delhi Metro fare hike

The revised Delhi Metro fares go into effect on Monday. Prices for 0-2 kilometres and 2-5 kilometres increase by ₹1. While the old fares were ₹10 and ₹20, they will now be ₹11 and ₹21.

The fare for distances between 5 and 12 kilometres has been increased to ₹32 from ₹30. Travelling up to 21 kilometres will cost commuters ₹43, an increase of ₹3 from the existing ₹40.

For distances greater than 21 kilometres, the fare hike stands at ₹4. While the commuters travelling less than 32 kilometres will have to pay ₹54, anything above that will cost ₹64.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dmrc-hikes-delhi-metro-fares-for-first-time-in-years-check-new-ticket-prices-101756089937822.html

Rajesh Sakriya, a resident of Gujarat’s Rajkot, told the police that he attacked Rekha Gupta after she allegedly ignored his appeals against removing stray dogs from Delhi.

Rajesh Sakriya, arrested for attacking Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during a public hearing last week, had planned to attack her with a knife, sources told NDTV on Monday.

Sakriya, 41, a resident of Gujarat’s Rajkot, told the police that he attacked Ms Gupta on August 20 after she allegedly ignored his appeals against removing stray dogs from Delhi.

He also visited the Supreme Court after it ordered to catch stray dogs in Delhi and neighbouring areas and shift them to shelters away from residential areas, sources said.

Sakriya, however, left for the Chief Minister’s residence in Shalimar Bagh after seeing the tight security at the top court.

He then planned to attack Ms Gupta with a knife and visited her Civil Lines office. He, however, threw the knife after seeing the security during the public hearing.

Sakriya then allegedly slapped Ms Gupta, pushed her and pulled her hair during the ‘Jan Sunwai’ meeting.

Ms Gupta had earlier said that stray dog attacks were troubling Delhi residents for quite some time now.

“This problem has taken a formidable form and is now standing before Delhi, and providing a solution is very important. We will prepare a proper plan on this issue,” she had said after the top court order.

Second Accused Arrested In Rekha Gupta Attack Case

The Delhi Police on Sunday arrested another accused in connection with the attack on Rekha Gupta.

Tahseen Syed, a friend of Rajesh Sakriya, was brought to Delhi from Rajkot on Friday night for further questioning. He was made to confront Sakriya to verify facts and taken into custody on Sunday.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rajesh-sakriya-rekha-gupta-accused-planned-to-attack-delhi-chief-minister-with-knife-also-visited-top-court-9153046