Category: India

“We are appalled at the attempt by Pakistan to misuse the forum and to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum. We strongly condemned such an attempt,” Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said.

India has said that Pakistan should stop blaming it for the breach of the Indus Water Treaty, as the unrelenting cross-border terrorism from its soil is interfering with the treaty’s implementation. Addressing the plenary session of the first UN conference on glaciers in Tajikistan’s Dushanbe on Friday, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said that Pakistan itself was violating the treaty through terrorism.
“We are appalled at the attempt by Pakistan to misuse the forum and to bring in unwarranted references to issues which do not fall within the purview of the forum. We strongly condemned such an attempt,” he said.
Singh said it is an undeniable fact that there have been fundamental changes in circumstances since the Indus Waters Treaty was signed, which requires a reassessment of the treaty’s obligations.

These changes include technological advancements, demographic changes, climate change and the ongoing threat of cross-border terrorism, he said.

The minister said that the treaty’s preamble states it was concluded in the spirit of goodwill and friendship, and that honouring the treaty in good faith is essential.
“However, the unrelenting cross border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with an ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions.
“Pakistan, which itself is in violation of the treaty, should desist from putting the blame of the breach of the treaty on India,” he said.
At the International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said his country would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains.
“India’s unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin’s water, is deeply regrettable,” Pakistani newspaper Dawn quoted Sharif as saying.
Following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people, India announced the suspension of the treaty as part of several punitive measures against Pakistan. The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan with the World Bank as a signatory, governs the sharing of the Indus River system’s waters between the two countries.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/india-blames-pakistans-terror-links-for-indus-waters-treaty-troubles-at-un-summit-article-151762860

In a major financial scam, the Enforcement Directorate’s prosecution complaint (PC) revealed how approximately Rs 4.35 crore, invested through fake pharmaceutical and financial advisory shell companies, was allegedly used to establish Torres Jewelry, a fraudulent firm involved in a Rs 177 crore scam.

In a major financial scam, the Enforcement Directorate’s prosecution complaint (PC) revealed how approximately Rs 4.35 crore, invested through fake pharmaceutical and financial advisory shell companies, was allegedly used to establish Torres Jewelry, a fraudulent firm involved in a Rs 177 crore scam. The investigation has unearthed a vast network of shell firms, dummy investors, and bogus investments linked to an absconding Ukrainian national.

The case exposes how a relatively small initial investment was leveraged to orchestrate a massive financial fraud, highlighting the sophisticated modus operandi behind cross-border money laundering.

According to the ED’s findings, At the core of the scam is Lallan Jamedar Singh, who allegedly controlled two key shell companies M/s Astrozen Pharma Pvt Ltd and M/s Prisah Advisory Pvt Ltd. which illicit funds were funneled into M/s Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd, the front company behind Torres Jewelry’s fraudulent operations.

According to the ED PC, Singh acted as a frontman for Oleksandr Zapichenko alias Alex, laundering Rs 45 lakh via M/s Astrozen Pharma Pvt Ltd, and Rs 3.9 crore via M/s Prisah Advisory Pvt Ltd by routing the funds as investments into M/s Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd. This company served as the front entity behind the fraudulent operations of Torres Jewelry. The funds were layered through bogus investments across multiple levels to conceal their true origin.

These funds were layered through bogus investments to mask their origins, enabling the setup of six showrooms across Mumbai, including prime locations in Mira-Bhayandar and Navi Mumbai. The ED further revealed that the funds were also spent on renting commercial spaces, purchasing artificial jewelry, gemstones, and luxury items such as Toyota cars, iPhones, and laptops. These items were often distributed through “lucky draws” to create an illusion of a legitimate and attractive business.

The complaint further alleges that Singh facilitated the conversion of cryptocurrency (USDT) sent by Zapichenko into Indian rupees, integrating the illicit proceeds into the formal economy under Torres Jewelry’s cover. Singh has reportedly admitted during interrogation that he provided accommodation entries using multiple entities under his control. The prosecution complaint names Singh, the shell companies, and several other co-accused already in custody.

The ED has also named Tausif Riyaz, CEO of Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd, and Chartered Accountant Abhishek Gupta as active accused participants in the scam.

Riyaz, allegedly appointed as CEO by the Ukrainian accused, was actively involved in the company’s formation and financial operations. He was also found carrying cash for Lallan Singh, further strengthening the investigative agencies’ case and linking key players to the financial misappropriation.

According to the ED’s complaint, Tausif Riyaz played an active and central role in the company’s day-to-day operations, including facilitating its incorporation alongside foreign nationals. He was directly involved in financial dealings, receiving cash commissions and payments disguised as loans with TDS deductions indicating they were actually commissions. He also facilitated the cash conversion of digital assets through third-party intermediaries. These actions reflect his deep involvement in both the operational and financial aspects of the company, including potentially illicit transactions and proceeds of crime.

According to the ED prosecution complaint (PC), Chartered accountant Abhishek Gupta has also been booked in the case for his active role in concealing the fraud. Gupta not only helped register Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd with the Registrar of Companies on April 7, 2023, but also remained in constant contact with both the arrested and absconding accused. As the statutory auditor, he failed to report glaring financial irregularities and continued to aid the laundering process, a serious breach of professional conduct, as per ED findings.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/torres-jewelry-scam-435-crore-shell-firm-investment-sparked-177-crore-scam

An 11-year-old girl presented a portrait depicting Operation Sindoor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his public meeting held here on Friday to inaugurate developmental projects worth Rs 47,600 crore.

While speaking at the Chandra Shekhar Azad University ground, Modi noticed that a girl, Class 7 student Shivanya Tiwari, was holding up a portrait at the gathering. He remarked from the stage, “This girl has made a painting to be presented here, SPG people can take it.” The PM instructed the security personnel to collect the artwork and asked the girl to write her name and address, promising to send her a letter.

A similar gesture followed when Modi spotted another girl holding a painting and a boy, later identified as seven-year-old Love Dubey, enthusiastically waving at him. “You’ll get tired and your shoulders will hurt,” Modi said affectionately, asking the child to lower his hands.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/prime-minister-narendra-modi-accepts-operation-sindoor-portrait-from-class-7-girl-in-kanpur-8549374

Ankita Bhandari, a resident of Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district, had joined Vanantra Resort in Yamkeshwar as a receptionist in August 2022. Less than a month into her job, she was dead.

The report of a missing 19-year-old receptionist at a remote Uttarakhand resort came in as just another entry in a local police station on September 18, 2022. Within days, however, the matter escalated far beyond a routine search for a young woman. The teenager’s body was pulled from a canal near Rishikesh, and three men, including the resort’s owner, were arrested.

What followed was a sequence of events that drew national attention, sparked political fallout, and exposed disturbing details about the accused and their circle of crime.

A Night In Yamkeshwar

Ankita Bhandari, a resident of Dobh-Srikot village in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district, had joined Vanantra Resort in Yamkeshwar as a receptionist in August 2022. Less than a month into her job, she was dead. According to the police, on the night of September 18 that year, an altercation occurred between Ankita and her employer, Pulkit Arya, the son of a senior BJP leader, along with his two staff members, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta.

Following a heated confrontation, Ankita was allegedly forced into a vehicle and later pushed into the fast-flowing Cheela canal, a man-made irrigation channel known for its dangerous currents.

Arya and his aides then returned to the resort, located around 10 km from Rishikesh, then filed a missing person complaint himself.

Loopholes And Delayed Action

The initial investigation into Ankita’s disappearance was marred by confusion. The Vanantra Resort is located in a semi-rural area outside the jurisdiction of regular police. Responsibility fell upon a revenue police officer or a “patwari”, whose authority and investigative capacity were limited.

The lapse delayed crucial early actions. It wasn’t until three days later, under public pressure and mounting suspicions from Ankita’s family and friends, that the case was transferred to the regular police. By then, public anger had grown.

State Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar admitted the absence of immediate police action may have cost the investigation precious time.  “The area where this resort, Vanantra, is located doesn’t fall under regular police. We have a system of patwari (land revenue official) registering FIRs in such areas. He did register a ‘missing person’ FIR, filed by the resort owner himself,” he said.

Friends Raise Alarm

Ankita’s disappearance first became known to her close friend Pushp, who recounted that she had called him on the night of September 18. According to their conversation, she had been pressured by resort management to provide what were euphemistically referred to as “special services” to guests, an allegation that later became central to the motive behind the murder.

That night, after 8:30 pm, Ankita’s phone became unreachable. Pushp attempted to contact Pulkit Arya directly. Arya responded that Ankita had retired to her room. The next morning, Arya’s phone, too, was switched off. Later, other staff members gave contradictory answers. The manager said Ankita was in the gym. The chef said he hadn’t seen her.

Sensing something was seriously wrong, Pushp and Ankita’s family contacted police again, this time urging them to treat it as a potential crime. When the police finally intervened, events moved quickly.

Body Recovered, Protests Begin

On September 24, six days after she was last seen, Ankita’s body was retrieved from the Cheela canal. The post-mortem, conducted at AIIMS Rishikesh, confirmed drowning as the cause of death. But it also revealed multiple injuries-blunt force trauma consistent with physical assault. Her viscera samples, tested for signs of sexual assault, returned negative results.

Public outrage boiled over. Locals attacked the police vehicle transporting the accused, breaking windows and attempting to pull them out. In Bhogpur, villagers vandalised the resort, accusing the administration of shielding the accused due to Arya’s political connections. Overnight, authorities bulldozed the resort, declaring it illegal.

Political Repercussions

Pulkit Arya’s father, Vinod Arya, was a senior member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttarakhand. Following the revelations, he was expelled from the party. Still, he publicly defended his son, referring to him as a “simple boy” who wouldn’t commit such a crime. “Seedha sadha balak hai (he is a simple boy). He is only concerned about his work. I want justice for both my son Pulkit and Ankita Bhandari, ” Mr Arya said, drawing sharp criticism.

Vinod Arya himself was later named in another case by his former driver, who accused him of physical assault and attempted sodomy.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that the case would be tried in a fast-track court. The state government also appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by senior IPS officer Renuka Devi. A compensation of Rs 25 lakh was announced for Ankita’s family.

The Body, The Funeral, and Questions

Ankita’s mother later alleged that the family had been tricked into staying away from her funeral. In a video that surfaced weeks later, Ankita’s mother is seen inside a hospital, claiming she had been forcibly taken there under the pretext of being allowed to see her daughter’s body. She claimed she was given intravenous fluids against her will and not permitted to attend the cremation.

“They took my husband along forcibly, but didn’t take me. They brought me here from the forest where I live, saying I will see my daughter,” the mother could be heard complaining in the video.

“Doctors then put me in a wheelchair. I asked why was it needed but they took me to a hospital. They then forcibly put me on intravenous sugar solution and started recording a video,” she said.

She said four or five people had come to her and said they would take her to the cremation site. “I said I am her mother, I won’t do anything until I see her. I said I won’t budge until you show me my daughter. I wasn’t unwell at all. They tricked me into coming here. I was sitting at the civic body’s office. This is just for show, they have betrayed us,” she said.

Audio Clips

Perhaps the most damning evidence against Pulkit Arya came in the form of two audio recordings between him and Ankita’s close friend, Pushp. In the two audio clips, Arya can be heard attempting to manipulate Ankita’s friend Pushp, even suggesting she was “probably with him.”

In the first audio clip, Pushp can be heard asking Pulkit, “Last night, why did she [the victim] take your phone?” To that, Pulkit replied, “Her phone had run out of battery and there was no need for me to keep my phone for the night. So I gave it to her when she asked for it.”

Pushp then told Pulkit, “So, she did have a phone last night. Yet, it’s surprising that she never contacted me. In fact, I called her thrice, but her phone was switched off.”

The investigators later suspected that Arya had hoped Ankita’s body would never be found. If she remained missing indefinitely, he may have anticipated that suspicion would naturally fall on Pushp, with whom Ankita had communicated frequently. Her phone, investigators believed then, was deliberately disposed of, either dumped in the canal or destroyed to hide evidence.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ankit-bhandari-refused-to-serve-vip-guests-then-she-was-dead-the-ankita-bhandari-murder-8545964#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

PM Modi’s remarks about the BrahMos missile came in response to Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif’s recent confirmation that Indian missiles had struck multiple targets in his country

A day after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif admitted that India’s BrahMos missiles hit their targets before Pakistan could respond on the morning of May 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that the supersonic cruise missiles had left the neighbouring country sleepless.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur to launch development projects worth nearly Rs 50,000 crore, PM Modi praised the Indian military for the success of Operation Sindoor, saying that India destroyed terror dens deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

“We entered their (terrorists) camps and destroyed the terror sites in Pakistan. Our Armed Forces showed such courage that the Pakistan Army ended up begging to stop the war,” said PM Modi, adding that BrahMos had given the Pakistan Army “sleepless nights”.

The Prime Minister’s remarks about the BrahMos missile came in response to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent confirmation that Indian missiles had struck multiple targets within Pakistan on the nights of May 9 and 10.

Speaking in Azerbaijan, Sharif acknowledged that the barrage—which included BrahMos missiles—caught the Pakistani military off-guard. He also revealed that Pakistan had been preparing a strike just before the Indian missiles hit.

Earlier this month, Sharif admitted that Indian missiles, including the BrahMos, had targeted key locations such as Pakistan’s Nur Khan air base and other strategic sites in the early hours of May 10.

These missile strikes were reportedly part of India’s Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory response launched against the drone and missile attacks by Pakistan on the night of May 7.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/brahmos-gave-sleepless-nights-to-pakistan-pm-modis-stern-reply-to-shehbaz-sharif-9360401.html

The man’s facial features, including the beard, were quite similar to Virat Kohli’s.

A man from Odisha has gained widespread attention online for his striking resemblance to Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli. A video captured at the Ananta Vasudev Temple in Bhubaneswar showed the person distributing prasad among pilgrims. After the footage went viral, it attracted reactions from many cricket fans. Kohli, who is now gearing up to play his fourth IPL final for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, believes in spirituality and often visits guru Premanand Maharaj’s ashram in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, with his wife Anushka Sharma. Fans were quick to connect the dots after the doppelganger of Kohli came to light.

A content creator met the man during his recent visit to the Ananta Vasudev Temple. The main purpose of the video was to highlight the “mega kitchen” of the temple and how many items they offer as prasad.

After showing the food, the vlogger started speaking to a man, supposedly in charge of Prasad distribution. As the camera panned towards him, viewers should have been left stunned by his appearance. His facial features, including the beard, were quite similar to Kohli’s.

The original video was shared on YouTube but later created buzz across other social media platforms as well. Many asked if artificial intelligence (AI) was used to modify the look of the man to create confusion. However, the most hilarious comments certainly came from Kohli fans.

“Bro finally became the pooja path type,” said one. Another quipped, “This is Virat Kohli when not playing cricket.” “So Kohli never left for the UK? Instead, he started serving the mandir?” read a sarcastic remark.

A person humorously asked, “What will happen to the match (IPL 2025 final) now?” “This is the bodybuilder version of Kohli,” claimed one. Another called the temple man the “Judwaa (twin brother) of Virat Kohli”. “He seems to have figured out what to do after retirement,” quipped a fan.

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/watch-virat-kohlis-spiritual-twin-found-handing-out-prasad-in-odisha-ws-l-aa-aa-9360569.html

A highway worker said he had honked repeatedly to warn the car’s occupants and was seen asking if anyone was still inside after the landslide struck

A landslide on National Highway 707 in Shillai, Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, endangered the lives of four people, including a woman. The occupants managed to exit their car just in time, moments before large boulders rolled down the hillside.

The incident, which occurred amidst heavy rains on Friday, has been captured in a video. The footage shows a car stopping moments before the landslide, with three passengers hastily exiting and running to safety.

The video clearly shows large stones tumbling down the hillside. Just moments before the debris hits the spot, the car halts and three people — including a woman — are seen quickly exiting and running to safety. A National Highway employee present at the scene is heard saying he had been honking repeatedly to alert the occupants. He is also seen asking whether anyone else was still inside the vehicle.

The region witnessed about 77 mm of rain in Rajgarh on the same day, contributing to the landslide. Landslides are a recurring issue on this highway, exacerbated by ongoing road widening works.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/is-anyone-still-in-the-car-landslide-hits-himachal-highway-caught-on-camera-watch-ws-dkl-9360467.html

Earlier, the RBI had announced new regulations to combat rising financial fraud carried out through voice calls and SMS, directing all regulated entities to implement safeguards by March 31.

A voicemail claiming to be from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is doing the rounds on social media, warning recipients that their bank accounts will be blocked due to alleged fraudulent activity on their credit cards. The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) fact-checking unit issued an alert on social media, urging the public not to fall for the “hoax”. It said that such calls are not from the RBI or any official government agency.
“Beware! This is a scam,” the PIB Fact Check team posted on Friday, along with a reminder to verify suspicious messages, photos, or videos related to the central government.

The public has been advised to report any such suspicious content to PIB’s fact-checking team for verification, the government said. It also warned against sharing personal banking information over the phone and reminded citizens to remain cautious of unsolicited calls or messages related to financial matters.

Earlier, the RBI had announced new regulations to combat rising financial fraud carried out through voice calls and SMS, directing all regulated entities to implement safeguards by March 31.

Entities must monitor accounts linked to revoked numbers to prevent misuse for cyber fraud or as money mule accounts, the RBI had said. Moreover, institutions are required to align with TRAI’s communication rules, using approved number series, ‘1600xx’ for transactional calls and ‘140xx’ for promotional ones, to help customers distinguish between genuine and unsolicited messages.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/scam-alert-fake-rbi-voicemail-claims-credit-card-fraud-dont-fall-for-it-article-151756332

India achieved a diplomatic victory as Colombia retracted its previous statement expressing condolences to Pakistan following Indian military actions on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) after the Pahalgam terror attack.

In a significant diplomatic achievement for India, Colombia withdrew its earlier statement sympathising with Pakistan over alleged loss of lives following Indian strikes in response to the Pahalgam terror attack after an Indian delegation led by Shashi Tharoor exposed Islamabad.
During his visit to Colombia, a country in far-off South America, as part of a global outreach programme after Operation Sindoor, Tharoor had expressed dismay over the country’s stand.
“There is no equivalence possible between terrorists on the one hand and innocent civilians on the other. There is no equivalence between those who attack our country and those who defend their own country, and our only disappointment with the earlier statement by Colombia was that it seemed to have overlooked this difference,” Tharoor said after meeting MP Alejandro Toro, President of the Second Commission of the Chamber of Representatives.

“We’re very pleased to learn that that statement has been withdrawn as you’ve also mentioned, and we are also very pleased that you, as representatives of the people of Colombia, are determined to stand with us for our sovereignty, for peace in the world…” he added.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio in Bogota, said that “we are very confident with the explanation that we received today and the detailed information that we now have regarding the real situation, the conflict, and what happened in Kashmir, we can also continue the dialogue…”.

Earlier, Shashi Tharoor said, “We were a little disappointed in the reaction of the Colombian government, which apparently expressed heartfelt condolences on the loss of lives in Pakistan after the Indian strikes, rather than sympathising with the victims of terrorism…”
Tharoor is leading the delegation to Colombia as part of India’s global outreach to expose Pakistan’s support for cross-border terrorist activities and India’s policy of zero-tolerance for terrorism. Other members of the delegation include Tejasvu Surya (BJP), Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), Shambhavi (LJP), GM Harish Balayogi (TDP) and former ambassador of India to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/big-diplomatic-win-colombia-withdraws-statement-on-pakistani-casualties-after-indias-objections-article-151759072

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Thursday barred Bollywood actor Arshad Hussain Warsi, his wife Maria Goretti Warsi and others from accessing the securities market for a period of one year, following their involvement in a coordinated ‘pump and dump’ scheme related to shares of Sadhna Broadcast Limited (SBL).

The regulator also barred 57 other entities and persons including Warsi’s brother Iqbal Warsi from the market for periods ranging from one to five years.

The order passed by SEBI Whole Time Member Ashwani Bhatia notes that Arshad Warsi, his brother Iqbal and Goretti were complicit in the market manipulation scheme orchestrated by the mastermind, Manish Mishra.

“It is noted that Arshad Hussain Warsi in his statement recorded before SEBI on June 27, 2023, stated that apart from placing trades in his own account, he was also trading from the accounts of his wife (Noticee 61) and brother (Noticee 62).” the order noted. It further observed, “I note from the screenshot of Whatsapp Chat dated July 13, 2022 between Arshad Warsi and Manish Mishra that the orders placed on the said date from the account of Arshad Warsi for purchase of 3,29,050 shares, from the account of Noticee 61(Maria Warsi) for purchase of 3,29,755 shares, and from the account of Noticee 62 (Iqbal Warsi) for purchase of 82,625 shares of SBL, at Rs. 12.08 per share, were under the express instructions of Manish Mishra.”

In March 2023, SEBI had passed an interim order in the matter barring Warsi, his wife and several others from the securities market. However, the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) later that month restricted the bar only to the scrip of SBL.

SEBI’s investigation covered the period from March 8, 2022 to November 30, 2022. The probe was initiated after complaints were received between July and September 2022 alleging stock price manipulation in Sadhna Broadcast shares, promoted by misleading YouTube videos and a large-scale paid marketing campaign.

The company, listed on BSE since January 2018, is engaged in the television and film media business. During the investigation period, the number of public shareholders rose sharply from 885 to 72,509, while promoter shareholding fell from 40.95% to 25.58%.

SEBI found that the manipulation scheme operated in two phases. First, coordinated trades among connected entities created artificial price and volume increases in the scrip. Second, promotional YouTube videos were uploaded, projecting the company as a turnaround story and making false claims such as acquisition by the Adani Group, possession of a 5G license and unrealistic price targets ranging from ₹76 to ₹340.

These videos were uploaded through five YouTube channels run by one Manish Mishra and promoted using Google Ads. WhatsApp chats showed Mishra giving trade instructions and coordinating with Arshad Warsi and others.

On July 13, 2022, trades from the accounts of Arshad Warsi (3,29,050 shares), Maria Goretti Warsi (3,29,755 shares), and Iqbal Hussain Warsi (82,625 shares) were executed at ₹12.08 per share under Mishra’s directions.

SEBI noted that the Warsis’ trading activity was limited to stocks manipulated by Mishra. WhatsApp conversations showed discussions about receiving funds and executing buy orders. The regulator rejected the argument that they were inexperienced investors or unaware of the fraud, citing consistent trading patterns, fund transfers and chat records.

The markets regulator found that the Warsis’ violated several provisions of the SEBI Act, 1992, as well as Regulations 3 and 4 of of the SEBI (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices relating to Securities Market) [PFUTP] Regulations, 2003. The unlawful gains were calculated at ₹41.70 lakh for Arshad Warsi, ₹50.35 lakh for Maria Goretti and ₹12.61 lakh for Iqbal Warsi.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/sebi-bars-arshad-warsi-wife-from-securities-market-for-role-in-pump-and-dump-scheme

The Excise Department, Punjab, has seized around 80,000 litres of ethanol from two trucks during overnight raids in Bathinda, making eight arrests in a major crackdown on illicit liquor, state Finance and Excise Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said on Friday.

The trucks carrying ethanol bore Gujarat registration numbers indicating that the consignment originated from Gujarat, he said.

Additionally the department impounded two cars and an SUV linked to the case, Cheema said according to a statement.

Eight persons — four from Bathinda, two from Uttar Pradesh, and as many from Nepal — have been arrested and booked under stringent provisions of the law, which include the possibility of life imprisonment.

Both the Excise Department and the police are interrogating the accused, he added.

The minister said the quantity of ethanol seized could have been used to produce around 6,25,000 bottles of liquor, including 3,75,000 bottles of country-made liquor, or 1,10,000 bottles of sanitiser.

“If such a large quantity of liquor had been manufactured and distributed, it could have endangered thousands of lives,” Cheema said, calling the operation a significant achievement for the government.

He warned those involved in the manufacture or sale of illegal liquor to shut down operations immediately or face stringent legal action, including imprisonment.

The ethanol consignment was loaded at a factory in Dinanagar, Gurdaspur, and Excise officials are probing the intended destination and purpose, Cheema said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/punjab/80000-litres-of-ethanol-seized-in-bathinda-8-held-in-crackdown-on-illicit-liquor-punjab-govt-3564835

Claiming that she clearly knows what impact electrocution has on the body, the woman, arguing before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, stated that she disapproves of the prosecution’s theory of electrocution based on her scientific knowledge.

In a recent incident, a 60-year-old chemistry professor, who is sentenced to 20 years in jail over the charges of killing her husband, has challenged the forensic findings in the autopsy report, media reports said.

Claiming that she clearly knows what impact electrocution has on the body, the woman, arguing before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, stated that she disapproves of the prosecution’s theory of electrocution based on her scientific knowledge.

This was the woman’s reply when the court asked her about her views on the post-mortem findings accusing her of murdering your husband by electrocution.

The convict, Mamta Pathak, arguing her case before the HC bench Justices Vivek Agarwal and Devnarayan Mishra gave a detailed explanation on how a human body is affected when electric current interacts with tissues. She mentioned that it’s not possible to differentiate between ‘electric and thermal burn marks’ in an autopsy, and it can only be done only through a chemical analysis and not visually.

Pathak’s explanation on the case took the judge by surprise, leading him to find out that she was a chemistry professor. The video of this extraordinary court hearing has been making rounds on the internet.

Mamta Pathak was arrested on the charges of killing her husband, Neeraj Pathak, who was a retired govt doctor, by allegedly giving him electric shocks and giving him sleeping pills, several media reports said.

A TOI report quoting the prosecution said that Mamta’s husband was found dead in his house in Chhatarpur on April 29, 2021.

The report also added that Mamata lived separately from her husband but had returned to him a few months before his death. Though the couple started living together, they often had arguments over the suspicion of Neeraj having an affair.

On the day of the incident, Neeraj had called one of his relatives, stating that he had been tortured, was not given food, and was locked in the bathroom, the publication said.

A recording of their phone conversation was presented in the trial court, the report added. Further quoting the prosecution, the publication said that Neeraj was released by Mamta from the bathroom only when the relative contacted the police and the cops intervened. Neeraj had also suffered head injuries, and on the same night, died around 9 pm.

Authorities also mentioned that sleeping pills were recovered from her husband’s room during the investigation.

Mamta had gone to Jhansi for her dialysis the very next day, however, it could not be done due to the absence of her Covid certificate. She informed the police about her husband’s death after she returned from there at 9 pm.

A session court found her guilty of murder, based on circumstantial evidence and she was sentenced to a life term.

In her argument, Mamta mentioned that the house was safe from any kind of accident due to a short circuit as her husband had got his house insured, adding that there was no expert inspection in the house following her husband’s death.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/madhya-pradesh/chemistry-professor-accused-of-killing-husband-challenges-autopsy-report-hc-judges-surprised-by-her-knowledge-3564570

“The Indians”, Zakaria said, “consider the renaming of sundry things to be historically, legally and genetically an exclusive Indian foible.” He added, “We’ll hit where it hurts them most: we’ll hit back at renamings with renamings.”

Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir was yelling as if his uniform had caught fire. “What a despicable, hideous, abominable, vile thing to do!” he screamed, as he began the meeting on a heap of broken glass and shards of metal.

“Yes, sir, this rubbish flew in when the Indians blew up our Nur Khan airbase,” said Lieutenant General Muhammad Asim Malik, a lackey of Munir. Lieutenant General Nauman Zakaria, another lackey, nodded so vigorously that it looked as if his head might fall off.

Munir yelled even louder. “I was referring to the renaming of Mysore Pak by the Indians.” Deep Throat—as I call my source—crouched behind the heap and watched.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif coughed to get attention. “May I have the permission to speak, sir?” he pleaded, sounding as if he had a fish bone stuck in his throat. “Yes, but for 10 seconds,” the army chief snapped.

“It’s regrettable that India has—” Sharif began. “Your time is up,” Munir bawled and turned to Zakaria, who raised a hand.

“The Indians”, Zakaria said, “consider the renaming of sundry things to be historically, legally and genetically an exclusive Indian foible.” He added, “We’ll hit where it hurts them most: we’ll hit back at renamings with renamings.”

Munir grunted. Malik’s face lit up. “The Kavita Didi Ka Indian Khana in Lahore”, he said, “serves vada pav and pav bhaji. Quite popular, sir. We must order the owner to rename them as Vada Pak and Pak Bhaji at once.”

“At once,” Munir commanded Sharif, who quickly picked up his phone and spoke into it.

“Munir boy,” said Masood Azhar, the chief of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, a special invitee, “we must find alternative names for Lahore and Kasur too. Wikipedia reveals that Lahore was founded by Prince Lava, the son of Lord Ram, and Kasur by his twin Kusha.”

After a nod from Munir, the Prime Minister picked up his phone again.

“Now about the so-called Mysore Pak,” said Masood Azhar with a wicked smile. “My boys have found a photograph to prove that Mysore Pak was originally invented in 1864 in Muridke, now in Pakistan, and called Muridke Pak. A chef in Mysore stole the recipe and named it Mysore Pak. We must move the International Court of Justice to restore our rights over it.”

“File a case,” Munir ordered Sharif. “But will Pakistan win the case at the World Court?” he asked, his face tensed up.

“Not to worry,” Masood Azhar said with a wink. “We surely will.”

Ministry of External Affairs,

Janpath, New Delhi

“Will India win the case?’ asked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the emergency meeting he had summoned.

“Of course,” said Congress leader Shashi Tharoor with humongous confidence. He was a special invitee. “We surely will. The verdict will come any minute.’

“And how does a teeny-weeny, pea-sized country like Pakistan,” asked Jaishankar, “so shamelessly invade our renaming territory?” His mobile rang. He picked it up with the haste of a drowning man clutching a lifeguard ring. He hoped it was news of the verdict. It wasn’t.

Sandhya Kumari, the 18-year-old chief political editor of the Fata-Fat news channel, another special invitee, scowled prettily. “We can’t sit back and bite our nails,” she said. “We must go on. We must now rename Chomchom.”

“Chomchom?” exclaimed Asaduddin Owaisi of All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), yet another special invitee.

“Chomchom is a yummy Bengali sweet,” Kumari said, licking her lips. “But I have discovered that it’s also the name of the dog of the classmate of the daughter of the neighbour of the hairstylist of Munir.”

Owaisi sighed. “We must also find new names for Shahbaz in Navi Mumbai, Shahbaz Lane in Hyderabad and Shahbazpur in UP, etc.”

“To me”, Jaishankar said, “even Kachori sounds too much like Karachi . . .” His mobile rang. His face brightened as he heard the caller.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/vada-pav-will-now-be-vada-pak-in-pakistan-3563398

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday termed her government a ‘Nirmam Sarkar’ (cruel government) and another BJP heavyweight in West Bengal called for an operation on the line of ‘Operation Sindoor’ to oust her from power, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dared the saffron party to advance the state polls and try its luck.

Mamata alleged that Modi and the BJP were politicising the ‘Operation Sindoor’, India’s May 7 military offensives against terrorist camps in Pakistan and areas under illegal occupation of Pakistan, although all the opposition parties, including her Trinamool Congress, stood by the Union Government against cross-border terror after the April 22 carnage in Jammu and Kashmir.

She also alleged that the prime minister had halted India’s military offensives against Pakistan after the intervention by the United States.

“As I am standing on the sacred land of ‘Sindoor Khela’, it is only right that we speak about a new resolve against terrorism, ‘Operation Sindoor’,” the prime minister said while addressing a rally at Alipurduar in West Bengal – a rally the BJP planned to add momentum to its preparations to pose a formidable challenge to the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state assembly elections in April-May next year.

Modi sought to draw a cultural link between ‘Operation Sindoor’ and the ‘Sindoor Khela’ ritual of Bengali Hindu women rubbing vermilion on the faces of each other on the last day of the annual Durga Puja festival.

“From this land of Bengal, I, on behalf of 140 crore Indians, declare that ‘Operation Sindoor’ is not over yet,” Modi said, adding that India would exact a heavy price on Pakistan in case of another terrorist attack.

Modi also targeted the TMC government in West Bengal. “Look at what happened in Murshidabad and Malda. These were clear examples of the government’s cruelty. In the name of appeasement, lawlessness was allowed to flourish. Hooligans had a free run, while the police stood by as mute spectators and did nothing,” he said, referring to the communal clashes triggered by the violence during protests against the new Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, in West Bengal.

“Today, West Bengal is grappling with a series of crises. People don’t want ‘nirmam sarkar’ (cruel government). They want change and good governance. That is why the people of (West) Bengal are saying they don’t want cruelty and corruption anymore,” the prime minister said.

With Modi on the podium, Sukanta Majumdar, the state BJP chief and a union minister, drew a parallel between the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, at Baisaran near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir by a gang of Pakistani and Pakistan-trained terrorists on April 22 and the violence during the protest against the new law in Murshidabad and other places in West Bengal. “Thousands of BJP workers, the soldiers of Modi Ji, will also launch Operation Paschim Banga like the Operation Sindoor, oust the TMC from power and throw it in the Bay of Bengal,” said Majumdar.

Mamata reacted strongly, terming the statements of Modi and the other BJP leaders as “shocking” and “unfortunate”. “He (Modi) and his party leaders have suggested ‘Operation Bengal’ like Operation Sindoor at a time when the entire opposition is representing the country on the world stage (to espouse India’s resolute stance against terrorism sponsored by Pakistan),” she told journalists in Kolkata.

Her heir apparent and the TMC general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, has joined one of the all-party delegations, which the BJP-led Union Government sent around the world to convey India’s policy of zero-tolerance against terrorism and to expose Pakistan’s role in supporting the menace.

“I challenge them (the BJP)…If they have the courage, they should hold elections in the state tomorrow. We are ready and West Bengal is ready…The people of West Bengal are with us,” she said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/modi-calls-tmc-govt-cruel-mamata-pm-him-for-politicising-op-sindoor-after-bjp-calls-for-ops-bengal-to-oust-her-3563495

Pathania, MLA from Udhampur East, has categorically denied the allegations, claiming the clip was “morphed” to malign him and said a police complaint has been filed by the party’s legal team.

Indian army personnel. (Image for representational purposes.) Credit: PTI File Photo

A video clip purportedly showing BJP MLA R S Pathania making disparaging remarks about the Indian Air Force (IAF) during a meeting on a land dispute has gone viral, sparking a political storm in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pathania, MLA from Udhampur East, has categorically denied the allegations, claiming the clip was “morphed” to malign him and said a police complaint has been filed by the party’s legal team.

The controversy erupted after a nine-second video clip surfaced on social media in which Pathania purportedly criticises the IAF’s role during Operation Sindoor, allegedly calling out their competence. The clip led to sharp reactions, including condemnation from the J-K Congress, which termed the remarks “disrespectful’ and demanded an apology.

“During Operation Sindoor, everyone remembers what happened at the Air Force station. Either it was the fault of the incompetent ones, or these people must have been asleep.

“We were not at fault. We had placed them here with great respect, as if on our eyelids,” Pathania is purportedly heard saying in the clip.

Reacting to the backlash, Pathania released a video statement, asserting, “I have not said anything against the armed forces. The clip is edited and morphed. Our legal team has taken action and filed an FIR against those responsible for spreading this misinformation.”

Pathania reaffirmed his support for the armed forces, stating, “Bharat Mata ki Jai. Armed Forces ki Jai. Indian Air Force ki Jai. We are proud of our forces.” BJP state president Sat Sharma backed Pathania, stating that his remarks were being misconstrued. “I have spoken to Pathania ji. An FIR has already been registered in this regard,” he told reporters.

However, Congress working president Raman Bhalla slammed the BJP for its silence. “We condemn it. Why is the top BJP leadership silent over such utterances against our armed forces? We demand stern action against all such leaders,” Bhalla said.

The row stems from a long-standing land dispute between the local residents and the IAF station near Udhampur. Notices were recently issued by the district administration and IAF regarding alleged unauthorised obstructions on a road leading to the station.

Addressing villagers at a protest meeting in Kaseeda village, Pathania accused the administration and the IAF of issuing arbitrary notices. “Just today, a notice under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been issued. This is about unauthorised obstruction. The administration should understand the law or we will make them understand,” he said.

Pathania asserted that the land in question legally belongs to locals and was originally given in good faith for the national interest. “This road was acquired without any compensation. The government cannot take even an inch of land without due legal process,” he said.

He warned against any “illegal or unconstitutional steps” from the administration or the IAF. “We will respond not with bricks but with stones if forced. Stay within constitutional limits,” he said, while also emphasising that locals are patriotic and cooperative.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/jammu-and-kashmir/jk-bjp-mla-denies-disrespecting-armed-forces-terms-viral-video-morphed-3563353

Notably these are the first official state-level film awards since Telangana’s formation, ending a prolonged hiatus that began after the last Nandi Awards were presented in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh in 2011.

In an intriguing development, the Telangana government has selected ‘Icon Star’ Allu Arjun as the best actor for his role in Pushpa 2 for the state government’s Gaddar Telangana Film Awards (GTFA) for the year 2024. This recognition comes months after Arjun was arrested by Telangana police in connection with his alleged role in causing a stampede during his film’s screening, which resulted in a woman’s death.

The actor spent a night in jail in December last year, leading to significant backlash against the Revanth Reddy government from Arjun fans. At that time Tollywood actor Allu Arjun refuted claims that he acted irresponsibly during the screening of his Pushpa 2 movie at Sandhya Theatre, which resulted in a stampede that killed a woman on December 4 last year.

“I am truly honoured to receive the first Best Actor award for #Pushpa2 at the #GaddarTelanganaFilmAwards 2024. Heartfelt thanks to the Government of Telangana for this prestigious honour . All credit goes to my director Sukumar garu, my producers, and the entire Pushpa team. I dedicate this award to all my fans , your unwavering support continues to inspire me,” said Allu Arjun on X.

Notably these are the first official state-level film awards since Telangana’s formation, ending a prolonged hiatus that began after the last Nandi Awards were presented in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh in 2011.

Nandi awards are now named as GFTA. The awards ceremony recognizes excellence in Telugu cinema within the newly formed state. Other notable winners include Nivetha Thomas, acclaimed singer Shreya Ghoshal, and the film Kalki 2898 AD, which received top honors at the state awards.

The jury, chaired by veteran actor Jayasudha, announced the complete list of winners on Thursday. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka recently announced that the government will present the Gaddar Telangana Film Awards on June 14, with the ceremony expected to take place at HITEX in Hyderabad.

Jayasudha said the jury received 1,248 nominations for the awards in 11 categories. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy last year announced that Nandi awards for excellence in Telugu cinema will be revived and renamed after revolutionary poet and balladeer Gaddar, who passed away in 2023.

Kalki 2898 AD has bagged the best feature film award while Pottel and Lucky Bhaskar were declared second and third best feature films respectively.

Nivetha Thomas has been adjudged as the best leading actress for ’35-Chinna Katha Kadu’. SJ Surya bagged the best supporting actor award for ‘Saripoda Sanivaram’ while Saranya Pradeep received the best supporting actress award for her performance in Ambajipeta Marrige Band.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/telangana/months-after-pushpa-2-stampede-row-telangana-picks-allu-arjun-as-best-actor-for-state-awards-3562986 

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has suspended its project director and site engineer following the collapse of a section of National Highway 66 at Kooriyad in Malappuram on May 19.

In addition, a committee was constituted on May 24 to inspect other potentially vulnerable locations with Reinforced Soil Walls and Slope Protection Works across 17 ongoing NH-66 projects in Kerala.

A three-member expert panel, led by a retired professor from IIT-Delhi, had earlier visited the collapse site on May 21 to assess the failure and suggest remedial measures. Preliminary findings indicated that the collapse occurred due to the foundation soil’s inability to bear the high embankment load.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stated that the contractor, KNR Constructions, had committed serious errors during construction. Investigations revealed that soil conditions were inadequately assessed and land reinforcement was neglected.

Based on these findings, KNR Constructions has been debarred from future bids for up to one year and fined ₹20 lakh. The company has also been directed to clear the debris and rebuild the damaged structure—a new flyover—at their own expense, estimated at around ₹80 crore.

Source : https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2025/05/29/nh-66-malappuram-collapse-nhai-project.html

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has admitted that its army was caught unawares on the intervening night of May 9-10 when India launched BrahMos missiles to strike key military bases, including the airport in Rawalpindi.

Speaking at an event in Azerbaijan, among the few nations to have sided with Pakistan, Sharif said the army, led by Asim Munir, had planned to attack India on May 10 after morning prayers. However, even before dawn, long-range supersonic BrahMos cruise missiles rained down on various provinces of Pakistan, the Prime Minister said.

Sharif said he was informed of the early morning attack by Munir, who has now been promoted to the rank of Field Marshal.

“On the night of May 9-10, we decided to respond in a measured fashion to Indian aggression. Our armed forces were prepared to act at 4.30 in the morning after Fajr prayers to teach a lesson. But before that hour even arrived, India once again launched a missile attack using BrahMos, targeting various provinces of Pakistan, including the airport in Rawalpindi,” Sharif said during his speech in Lachin.

The Prime Minister’s rare acknowledgement of India’s military response came in the presence of Asim Munir.

In fact, the Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi was among the 11 military sites targeted by India in response to Pakistan launching drone and missile attacks on civilian areas along the western border.

The airbase, a stone’s throw away from the Pakistan Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi, houses top-of-the-line military aircraft such as Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Ilyushin Il-78 refuellers. Analysis of satellite imagery indicates damage to at least two military transport vehicles.

Apart from Nur Khan, India struck Pakistani military bases at Rafiqui, Murid, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian. The air bases in Skardu, Bholari, Jacobabad and Sargodha also suffered extensive damage.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-hit-airbases-with-brahmos-missiles-before-pak-could-act-admits-shehbaz-sharif-2732562-2025-05-29

From the compiled digital evidence, authorities have identified at least 140 people allegedly engaged in the violence, including stone-pelting and firing. So far, 65 individuals have been detained for questioning, with 15 found to be directly involved in the assault.

Forensic analysis has confirmed that approximately 1,500 individuals were present during the violent mob attack on police in Nahal village on May 25, which resulted in the death of Constable Saurabh Deshwal. Investigators used mobile tower location data and recovered video footage from three CCTV systems installed in nearby homes to establish a clearer timeline and identify individuals involved.

From the compiled digital evidence, authorities have identified at least 140 people allegedly engaged in the violence, including stone-pelting and firing. So far, 65 individuals have been detained for questioning, with 15 found to be directly involved in the assault. Those arrested include Qadir alias Mantar, a known history-sheeter. His brother Adil has also been seen in footage physically attacking police personnel.

Investigators face ongoing challenges in pinpointing the exact weapon used in Constable Deshwal’s killing. Video footage recorded during the incident is hindered by poor visibility due to nighttime conditions, complicating efforts to match ballistic evidence with a specific firearm.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/uttar-pradesh/nahal-mob-attack-forensic-data-reveals-presence-of-1500-people-during-violence

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a native of Lucknow and officer in the Indian Air Force, will soon depart for the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s Axiom-4 mission. He becomes the second Indian to fly into space after Rakesh Sharma and the first to do so in over four decades. He has also been selected for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a native of Lucknow and officer in the Indian Air Force, will soon depart for the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s Axiom-4 mission. He becomes the second Indian to fly into space after Rakesh Sharma and the first to do so in over four decades. He has also been selected for ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission.

Shukla’s early life and education took place in Lucknow. His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, expressed pride at his son’s achievement, stating that preparations for this mission began in 2019. “It’s a matter of honour for the country and state. He is fully prepared and confident,” he said, while thanking the Chief Minister and Prime Minister for their support.

Shukla’s mother, Asha Shukla, highlighted the role of her daughter-in-law, who supported him throughout. She added that the mission is especially emotional as they haven’t met him since March last year.

She recalled that Shukla never had this dream in childhood, his selection into NDA, then Air Force, then as a test pilot and eventually astronaut happened gradually and swiftly.

Born on October 10, 1985, Shukla joined the IAF in June 2006 and became Group Captain in March 2024. He has over 2,000 flying hours on aircraft like Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32. He received astronaut training in 2019 at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, Russia.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/up-news-lucknows-group-captain-shubhanshu-shukla-to-fly-to-iss-with-nasas-axiom-4-mission-first-indian-in-space-after-40-years

Top intelligence sources said the presence of Pakistani politicians alongside Talha Saeed shows the country’s institutional support of terrorism

A video of UN-proscribed terrorist Talha Saeed – son of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed – has emerged in which he is purportedly inciting violence against India, during a public rally at Lahore in the presence of the Pakistani politicians on stage.

The video clip from the rally, which was held on Wednesday (May 28), shows Talha Saeed welcoming the speaker of the Punjab assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan, on stage along with other politicians. Posters of Field Marshal Asim Munir can also be spotted, alongside those of Hafiz Saeed.

According to top intelligence sources, this shows Pakistan’s institutional support of terrorism. Under the guise of appreciating ‘Operation Bunyan al-Marsus’, when Pakistan tested its nuclear weapons, all the extremists are back together on the same stage, the sources said.

The intelligence sources told CNN-News18 that the presence of Talha shows that the extremists are celebrating the Pakistan Army under state sponsorship. He also named alleged Pahalgam attack mastermind Saifullah Khalid during the rally, they said.

They said India did not err by targeting terror infrastructure under Operation Sindoor in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Talha’s speech threatened to “choke India” over the abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which is a lifeline for Pakistan’s agriculture.

“Today there is a message for India from Pakistan. We have won ‘Operation Bunyan al-Marsus’ and God should accept our presence here. I’m thankful to Malik Ahmad Khan, speaker of Punjab Assembly, Malik Rashid Khan and Saifullah Khalid for their presence here on stage. I also salute the people of Pakistan on behalf of my father Hafiz Saeed. I am here to tell you God loves those who do jihad,” he said during the rally.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/hafiz-saeed-son-talha-saeed-anti-india-rally-lahore-pakistan-ws-l-9358125.html

It was a marriage made in Manhattan — and it brought Wall Street to a full stop.

An extravagant Indian wedding parade, or baraat, turned the Financial District into a full-blown block party on Saturday, halting traffic and causing jaws to drop faster than a stock market crash.

Hundreds of people, decked in glittering sarees, sequinned lehengas and gold-embellished finery, gathered outside Cipriani Wall Street to watch the happy couple arrive and grooved to a pulsating blend of Bollywood beats and pop bangers spun by a live DJ.

“We shut down Wall Street for a 400-person Baraat,” DJ AJ @djmumbai wrote alongside a clip of the epic moment. “Who would’ve ever thought?!”

“Who are the bride and the groom? Must be billionaires,” one person commented.

Turns out, the mystery newlyweds weren’t Bollywood royalty — but they might as well be.

Thanks to a plethora of social media posts tagging them, the duo was identified as Varun Navani, CEO of enterprise AI platform Rolai, and Amanda Soll, a director of legal compliance and risk management, per their LinkedIn pages.

Their identities were confirmed by their wedding page on The Knot, which contained the details of their four-day wedding celebration.

The high-powered pair hail from Boston, Mass., but decided to tie the knot in the city that never sleeps.

The bride and groom didn’t just break the internet — they broke the bank.

According to city records viewed by The Post, the couple filed 28 permits for their big day, likely shelling out between $25,000 and $66,000 per location to shut down the Financial District.

The Mayor’s Office classifies street events — which take over curbs, sidewalks and roads — by size and impact, with “large” events requiring a full block closure and extensive setup, and “extra-large” events demanding even more space, permits and NYPD coordination.

The baraat — a time-honored tradition in Hindu and Muslim South Asian weddings — is essentially a pre-ceremony procession where the groom’s family and friends dance their way to the venue, often with dhol drums, music and more flair than a Broadway finale.

Traditionally, the groom arrives on horseback, following rituals like his sister feeding daal-channa (lentils) to the steed and sisters-in-law applying kaala teeka (a black dot) to the back of his neck to ward off the evil eye.

According to their Knot page, the lovefest kicked off Friday, May 23, with breakfast and afternoon tea at the Conrad hotel, followed by a lively sangeet — a pre-wedding bash full of music, dancing and revelry — at The Glasshouse.

Saturday brought more breakfast, brunch and tea at the Conrad before the main event: the baraat at 3:30 p.m., followed by a lavish reception at Cipriani Wall Street that kept guests partying from 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.

For the baraat, Navani arrived in a traditional ivory long coat, or sherwani, and layered pearl necklaces and stunned onlookers, who captured the dazzling scene of hundreds dancing down the historic street. The groom was also seen riding in a white vehicle down the street at one point and clapped with a megawatt grin as his crew hoisted him into the air.

Soll, the bride, stunned in a deep ruby lehenga by renowned Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, adorned with ornate gold embellishments and matching glimmering jewelry. Her brunette tresses swept into an elegant updo with soft face-framing tendrils.

Her glam? A modern classic with kohl-rimmed, winged liner, glistening highlighter and rosy blush on her cheekbones and a minimal nude lip.

Even the groomsmen brought the fashion heat in coordinated pink-and-white ethnic attire, setting a festive tone for the scene that had bystanders wondering if they’d stumbled onto a movie set.

But wait — there’s more.

On Sunday, the pair hosted another round of breakfast and tea before exchanging vows again in an evening Jewish wedding at Cipriani and an after-party at Slate that lasted until 4 a.m.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/05/29/lifestyle/indian-couples-extravagant-wedding-parade-shuts-down-wall-street-meet-the-bride-and-groom/

The audio clip features a conversation between the two government doctors from the time when Covid-19 was at its peak in 2021, and hospitals were crowded with patients

A purported audio clip of a Maharashtra government doctor instructing his colleague to kill a patient suffering from Covid-19 has surfaced on social media. The conversation between the two medical professionals is from the time when the pandemic was at its peak in 2021, and hospitals were crowded with patients and resources were scarce.

News18 could not access the audio clip. The police said they have registered an FIR in the matter. The purported conversation is between a senior doctor of a government hospital in Latur district and his colleague, officials said.

The police said the accused are Dr Shashikant Deshpande, who was then additional district surgeon at the Udgir Government Hospital in Latur, and Dr Shashikant Dange, who was posted at a Covid-19 care centre. The patient, Kausar Fatima, wife of Dayami Ajimoddin Gaussoddin (53), had later recovered from the disease.

In the conversation, Dr Deshpande is allegedly heard saying: “Don’t allow anyone to go inside, just kill that Dayami woman.” To this, Dr Dange responds cautiously, noting that oxygen support had already been reduced.

Based on a complaint by Gaussoddin, the police registered a case against Dr Deshpande on May 24 under legal provisions for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings and other offences.

WHAT DOES THE FIR SAY?

In the FIR, the complainant said in 2021, during the pandemic, his wife Kausar Fatima (then aged 41), tested positive for Covid-19. She was admitted as an inpatient at the government hospital in Udgir on April 15, 2021, and Covid treatment was being provided in a building opposite an eye hospital on Nanded Road, under the management of the hospital. Dr Dange was treating Covid-19 patients at that centre.

The woman remained admitted there for 10 days. Around the seventh day of her admission, her husband was sitting beside Dr Dange while he was having lunch. At that moment, Dr Dange, who received a call from Dr Deshpande, placed the phone on speaker and continued the conversation regarding hospital matters.

During the call, Dr Deshpande enquired about bed availability. When Dr Dange informed him that there were no vacant beds, the man claimed that he distinctly heard Dr Deshpande saying: “Kill the Dayami patient. You’re used to dealing with such people.”

He also allegedly made a caste-based slur during the conversation, as per the man’s complaint. The man said he was shocked, but chose to remain silent at the time since his wife was still undergoing treatment. A few days later, his wife recovered and was discharged.

However, on May 2, 2025, the audio clip of the purported conversation surfaced on social media. The man said hearing the same disturbing remarks again deeply hurt him and offended his religious sentiments, especially the alleged use of derogatory caste-related comments, following which he lodged the police complaint.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/just-kill-that-woman-maharashtra-doctors-instructions-to-colleague-treating-covid-patient-ws-l-9358334.html

MEA Randhir Jaiswal made this statement after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said he was “ready to talk” with India

India has laid down firm conditions for any future talks with Pakistan, saying dialogue can only take place once Islamabad hands over wanted terrorists and vacates Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

This response came after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently said he was “ready to talk” with India to resolve “longstanding issues.” Relations between the two neighbours have remained tense, especially after Operation Sindoor, which India launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s position on Pakistan has always been “clear and consistent.”

“We want to reiterate that terrorism and talks cannot go hand in hand,” Jaiswal said. “As far as terrorism is concerned, the discussion will be solely about Pakistan handing over to India the terrorists from the list provided to them several years ago.”

He further stated that any talks on Jammu and Kashmir will only happen when Pakistan begins the process of vacating PoK.

“For Jammu and Kashmir, any bilateral talks will only take place regarding the timeline and process for Pakistan to vacate PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir),” he added.

The MEA spokesman also made it clear that the Indus Waters Treaty will remain suspended till Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” ends its support for cross-border terrorism.

“As far as the Indus Water Treaty is concerned, it will remain in abeyance till the time Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support to cross-border terrorism,” Jaiswal stated.

Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added, “terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together, and water and blood cannot flow together.”

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/indus-water-treaty-on-hold-till-pakistan-stops-supporting-cross-border-terrorism-mea-9358268.html

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that there has been a lot of progress in the agriculture sector in the last decade, Modi said this success should reach the farmers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the ’Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ provides a unique opportunity for farmers across the country to clear their doubts and ask questions to agricultural scientists who visit their areas during the campaign.

Modi said this in a video message which was played at a programme held at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology and attended by Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, scientists, farmers and others.

Speaking on the ’Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ which was launched on May 29, the Prime Minister said that the farmers across 700 districts of the country, will get the opportunity to clear their doubts when preparing to start kharif crop cultivation after the onset of the Monsoon. He said over 2,000 teams of agricultural scientists and experts will visit villages (from May 29 to June 12) in a mission mode as part of his vision of “Lab to Land” and the concept of a developed India.

Modi said scientists and experts will visit villages and meet farmers with all data and information. “This campaign will certainly help farmers before beginning of the cultivation activities,” Modi said appealing to the scientists to take the campaign in a mission mode and help farmers in acquiring modern knowledge in agriculture.

“I would like to tell the scientists and other employees that this is a big mission before them. The challenge that you are taking is not just a government assignment. Please do it in a spirit of serving the nation. You have to satisfy the intellectual curiosity of farmers and also record their valuable suggestions,” Modi said, adding that the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan will open a new door of progress for Indian farmers.

Stating that there has been a lot of progress in the agriculture sector in the last decade, Modi said this success should reach the farmers working in the field. “We have worked on how to raise the income of farmers, strengthen the agricultural economy, increase food grain production, climate change challenges, cultivation in less water and modernise cultivation. These experiences should now reach farmers,” he said.

The PM also suggested that the farmers be made aware of solar panelling in their fields, bee farming under sweet revolution, the impact of chemical and pesticide use and convert agricultural wastes to wealth.

“The farmers should be informed on where and how to grow ’Sree Anna’ for better production, inclusion in Govardhan Yojana and others,” the Prime Minister said.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/pm-modi-asks-farmers-to-clear-doubts-with-scientists-during-viksit-krishi-sankalp-abhiyan-9358931.html

Sources said all ministries have been instructed to submit a detailed report of their achievements. This would include a review of the past year as well as the full eleven-year term

The Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will focus on another performance review as it completes 11 years in power and one year of Modi 3.0 on June 9. Sources said all ministries have been instructed to submit a detailed report of their achievements. This would include a review of the past year as well as the full eleven-year term.

These reports will be compiled and submitted to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, which will create a booklet highlighting the government’s achievements, sources said.

The government will also make an all-out effort to reach out to the people. The key outreach efforts, sources said, would include comparison between the past and present to showcase progress, promotion of achievements on social media by all ministries.

To spread the message, the government will also reach out through newspaper articles and media conferences.

The government will also hold special programmes on key dates. The schedule is:

• June 5: World Environment Day
• June 9: One year of Modi 3.0
• June 21: International Yoga Day
• June 25: 50 years since the Emergency

The complete blueprint was discussed in detail at yesterday’s cabinet meeting. BJP chief JP Nadda also held a video conference with all party MPs to outline the upcoming public engagement programmes.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/list-achievements-ministers-told-as-narendra-modi-government-completes-11-years-8540651

The Kerala government has declared the wreckage of the Liberian-flagged cargo ship, MSC ELSA-3, which sank 14.6 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala on May 24, a State-specific disaster.

Tinku Biswal, Principal Secretary of the State Disaster Management Department, stated that the shipwreck posed a potentially serious threat to Kerala’s coast, both environmentally, socially, and economically.

Ms. Biswal stated in the government order that the maritime incident had raised serious environmental concerns, including the potential for oil spills and drifting of debris, including cargo containers, in the littoral waters abutting Kerala’s 640 km coastline.

The order permits the State Disaster Management Authority to mobilise resources, including personnel and significant sums of money from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), for expeditious relief efforts.

The container ship, which had set course for Kochi from Vizhinjam, foundered after encountering heavy weather 38 km southwest of its port of call.

A perilous combination of heavy seas, possible hull leakage, mechanical failure and perhaps unbalanced cargo reportedly caused the ship to list heavily before capsizing and sinking. The Coast Guard rescued the ship’s crew, comprising up to 21 individuals from various nationalities, including Russia and the Philippines.

The Customs department verified the ship’s cargo manifesto. It said the sunk vessel threw 640 containers, including 12 containing hazardous incendiary material, overboard when it flipped over.

Thus far, at least 54 containers have washed ashore on the beaches of Kollam (43), Thiruvananthapuram (9), and Alappuzha (2). Nevertheless, flotsam from damaged containers battered by the high seas off Kerala’s coast could wash up on the southern beaches of Kerala.

Source : https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kerala-government-declares-kochi-shipwreck-a-state-disaster/article69633025.ece

Model Rachel Gupta announced on social media on Wednesday that she has resigned from her Miss Grand International 2024 title. However, a controversy ensued after the organisers claimed she had been officially terminated.

In a post on Instagram, Gupta, 21, claimed she had been subjected to a toxic environment and repeated unkept promises. According to her, the decision to step down was difficult but necessary.

“Being crowned was one of the most cherished dreams of my life, but the months following my crowning have been marked by broken promises, mistreatment, and a toxic environment I can no longer endure in silence,” she wrote.

Gupta said she would share her full side of the story in a video soon, adding in her caption: “The truth will come out very soon.”

“To all my supporters around the world: I’m truly sorry if this news has disappointed you. Please know this wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the right one for me,” she said.

While Gupta pointed to a toxic environment, the Miss Grand International (MGI) Organisation painted a different picture.

In a statement posted on social media, MGI confirmed that Gupta had been officially terminated from her position.

The organisation accused Gupta of failing to honour her duties, pursuing unauthorised external projects, and refusing to attend an official trip to Guatemala.

“The Miss Grand International Organisation hereby announces the termination of Miss Rachel Gupta’s title as Miss Grand International 2024, effective immediately,” the statement reads. They also asked that she return the crown to the MGI Head Office within 30 days.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/trending-news/story/rachel-gupta-resigns-miss-grand-international-2024-organisers-terminated-2731897-2025-05-28

Though China purportedly decided to fast-track the supply of J-35A stealth fighter jets to Pakistan in the wake of India’s “Operation Sindoor” targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan as well as in the areas illegally occupied by Pakistan, New Delhi is not keen to disturb its détente with Beijing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are likely to meet at Rio de Janeiro in early July, with New Delhi keen to continue the process of normalising its bilateral relations with Beijing, notwithstanding China’s support to Pakistan during the recent flare-up between India and its western neighbour.

Though China purportedly decided to fast-track the supply of J-35A stealth fighter jets to Pakistan in the wake of India’s “Operation Sindoor” targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan as well as in the areas illegally occupied by Pakistan, New Delhi is not keen to disturb its détente with Beijing.

Modi and Xi are expected to attend the 17th BRICS summit, which will be hosted by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil on July 6 and 7. The officials of India and China are exploring the possibility of a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the summit, a source in New Delhi told DH.

If the meeting happens, it will be the second between Modi and Xi, after the talks between the two leaders on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS summit at Kazan in Russia on October 23 last year marked the beginning of a process to normalise the relations after more than four years that saw India-China relations hit a new low over the military stand-off along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.

New Delhi has taken note of Beijing’s support to Islamabad after tension escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, at Baisaran near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.

Even before India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan as well as areas under illegal occupation of Pakistan, China vowed to support its “all-weather ally” Pakistan in “safeguarding its territorial integrity and sovereignty”.

Beijing also supported Islamabad’s call for an impartial probe into the April 22 carnage in J&K, although The Resistance Force, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the latest terrorist strikes in India. New Delhi, however, rejected Islamabad’s call for a neutral and international probe, terming it just a delaying tactic.

Pakistan even fired PL-15 missiles made in China at targets in India during the May 7-10 cross-border flare-up between the two South Asian neighbours.

China also purportedly provided satellite support to Pakistan to choose targets in India and to neutralise India’s counterattacks.

India’s air defence systems, however, intercepted the missiles fired by the Pakistani Army.

New Delhi sent out a message to Beijing, with the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, recently stating that “mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity” remained the basis of India-China relations.

A few days after New Delhi and Islamabad agreed to halt the four-day-long cross-border military offensives and counter-offensives on May 10, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, in Beijing.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/modi-may-meet-xi-in-rio-de-janeiro-despite-chinas-military-support-for-pak-3561785

S Jaishankar also spoke about collaborations in other areas including the IMEEC or the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor and the solar alliance as well as working together in areas like disaster management.

Italy and India are on the same page on terror. Both sides believe in zero tolerance for those responsible for the deaths of 26 tourists in Pahalgam. And also, their supporters, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Speaking at the Italian national day function this evening, Jaishankar said Italy had expressed solidarity after Pahalgam and added that the top leadership of both countries were in touch and felt the same about resolutely fighting terrorists.

Jaishankar also spoke about collaborations in other areas including the IMEEC or the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor and the solar alliance as well as working together in areas like disaster management.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/italy-and-india-on-same-page-on-terror-s-jaishankar-article-151742042

While the other 871 junior doctors got postings as per the counselling process, three doctors – Aniket Mahata, Asfakulla Naiya, and Debashis Halder – were not given postings as they chose.

Three senior doctors, who have been the prominent faces of medics’ protest against the West Bengal government after the RG Kar Rape-Murder case, have been allegedly given ‘punishment’ postings, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government being accused of witch-hunting, reported The Times of India.
As per rules, all post-graduate medical students, after finishing their course, must work for three years in government hospitals. Their job postings are decided based on a counselling process, and the hospitals are picked as per available positions. Like this year, the PG results were published on February 28, and the counselling process was completed on April 8. After the counselling, the candidates were made to sign an undertaking that the option they chose is final and will not ask for a change in future.
While the other 871 junior doctors got postings as per the counselling process, three doctors – Aniket Mahata, Asfakulla Naiya, and Debashis Halder – were not given postings as they chose, the report said.

Mahata picked RG Kar but was sent to Raiganj. Naiya chose Arambag but got Purulia instead. Haldar opted for Howrah District Hospital, but was posted at Gajol sub-divisional hospital, the report said.

“According to my ranking and the vacancy list, I opted for RG Kar during counselling. However, as per the final list, I have been posted to Raiganj Medical College, TOI quoted Mahata as saying. “This is vendetta,” he said.
Asfakulla Naiya said, “The reason is our participation in RG Kar protests. The move is also destroying the sanctity of the counselling process, introduced two years ago to make it transparent.”
The medics were part of the long-drawn struggle in Kolkata seeking justice for the postgraduate trainee doctor who was brutally raped and murderes at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last year.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/rg-kar-doctors-face-of-kolkata-protest-get-punishment-postings-report-article-151736584

The Haryana government on Wednesday evening said the civil defence exercise – Operation Shield – scheduled for Thursday stood postponed following the Union Home Ministry’s directions.

After the government decided to carry out a civil defence exercise on Thursday in states and Union Territories adjoining the western border, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab on Wednesday postponed the scheduled mock drill.

The Haryana government on Wednesday evening said the civil defence exercise – Operation Shield – scheduled for Thursday stood postponed following the Union Home Ministry’s directions.

“According to the instructions of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Haryana Home Department announced the postponement of the comprehensive civil defence exercise, Operation Shield, which was scheduled to be conducted on Thursday,” an official statement said.

All the deputy commissioners and other stakeholders have been informed about this, the statement said.

The Chandigarh administration also announced postponement of the civil defence exercise.

A statement issued by the UT administration on Wednesday evening said, “As per the directions received from the Government of India, it is hereby informed that the civil defence exercise Operation Shield, which was planned for May 29, is hereby postponed due to administrative reasons. There will be no blackout or mock drill tomorrow.” Earlier in the day, the Haryana government issued a statement, which said a mock drill was scheduled to take place across all the 22 districts of the state between 5 pm and 9 pm on Thursday to strengthen emergency preparedness.

The mock drill has also been postponed in Rajasthan, where it was scheduled to be held across all the districts on Thursday, officials said.

According to an official statement, the civil defence exercise has been postponed due to administrative reasons and a new date will be announced soon.

Earlier, the civil defence department issued guidelines for conducting a blackout and mock drill in all the 41 districts of the state on Thursday evening.

The Punjab government, meanwhile, wrote to the Centre on Wednesday, proposing June 3 as the date for carrying out the mock drill, citing that their civil defence staff were undergoing training being conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

A senior Punjab Police officer said the Centre accepted the state government’s request for holding the drill on June 3.

The deputy commissioners in Punjab have been told that the civil defence exercise will take place in all districts on June 3.

Earlier, the Directorate General of Fire Service and Home Guards conveyed that the civil defence exercise – Operation Shield – will be carried out in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Chandigarh. Responding to the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalagam in which 26 people were killed, Operation Sindoor was carried out by India on May 7 through which the defence forces targeted terror camps at nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Later, some Pakistani military bases were also targeted by India in retaliatory action during four days of skirmishes with the neighbouring country between May 7 and 10.

Pakistani forces resorted to heavy shelling along the border and LoC in Jammu and Kashmir and also tried to attack some other places along the International Border in the western sector with drones and missiles.

The Directorate, which comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, said during the first civil defence exercise held on May 7, critical gaps in the civil defence preparedness of the vulnerable areas of the country were observed.

Instructions to take necessary actions to suitably address the issues were issued on May 9.

Accordingly, emergency powers were invoked and funding arrangements through the State Disaster Response Force were also made.

To augment the civil defence preparedness against any hostile attack, Operation Shield has been planned in all the districts of states and UTs adjoining the western border.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/civil-defence-exercise-postponed-in-haryana-rajasthan-chandigarh-punjab-schedules-it-for-june-3-3561726

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently invoked Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s stance on PoK, revealing how it differed from Jawaharlal Nehru’s approach.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a recent rally, reignited the long-standing Kashmir debate by invoking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s position on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). PM Modi said the Nehru-led Congress government had ignored Patel’s call to continue the military offensive in 1947 until PoK was fully reclaimed.
“It was Sardar Patel’s wish that until PoK was taken back, the army should not stop. But Sardar Sahib’s words were not followed,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi’s remarks have drawn attention to Patel’s evolving stand on Kashmir and his divergence from Nehru’s approach.

Initially lukewarm on Kashmir, Patel’s stance changed after Pakistan accepted Junagadh’s accession in September 1947. “If Jinnah could take hold of a Hindu-majority State with a Muslim ruler, why should the Sardar not be interested in a Muslim-majority State with a Hindu ruler?” wrote Rajmohan Gandhi in ‘Patel: A Life’.

From that point on, Kashmir became a key priority for Patel alongside Junagadh and Hyderabad, which he likened to chess pieces — the Queen, the pawn, and the King.
The first major flashpoint between Nehru and Patel emerged during an October 26 meeting, when Mehr Chand Mahajan, Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, sought urgent troop deployment to halt Pakistan. Nehru reportedly told him to “go away”, but Patel stepped in, saying firmly, “Of course, Mahajan, you are not going to Pakistan”.
When Nehru, influenced by Lord Mountbatten, decided to take the issue to the United Nations, Patel opposed it but did not push back hard. “Kashmir was Jawaharlal’s baby by now and Vallabhbhai did not insist,” Gandhi noted.
Patel’s opposition was stark when Mountbatten proposed a peace visit to Lahore. “For the Prime Minister to go crawling to Jinnah when we are on the stronger side and in the right would never be forgiven by the people of India,” he warned. Nehru ultimately skipped the visit.
While Nehru sought an international resolution, Patel was in favour of pressing India’s military advantage. But he was often sidelined, especially on decisions like offering Kashmir special status or removing the Maharaja.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/sardar-patel-words-were-ignored-pm-narendra-modi-sharp-take-on-pok-and-kashmir-legacy-article-151736439

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi cited the terror financing going to terrorist outfits and urged for Pakistan to be added back to the FATF grey list.

Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) said there are “clear evidence” of Pakistan’s involvement with terrorism.

Speaking at an interaction in Riyadh, Asaduddin Owaisi, who is a member of the all-party delegation led by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Baijayant Panda, pointed out the promotion of Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir as Field Marshal and how a US-designated terrorist was seen sitting beside him at a celebratory event. The AIMIM chief also referred to a photo to prove his point.

Pakistan should be put back on FATF grey list: Owaisi

Citing the need to control the terror funding to terrorist organisations, Owaisi urged that Pakistan should be put back on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.

“Pakistan must be brought back to the FATF grey list. That is where we will be able to control this terror financing of all these terrorist organisations. When this person (Asim Munir) was made a Field Marshal in Pakistan, a US-designated terrorist called Mohammad Ehsan was sitting right beside the Field Marshal. There are photographs of him shaking hands with this field marshal,” Owaisi said.

“There is clear evidence of Pakistan’s involvement,” he added. The AIMIM leader said that terror groups are prospering and being trained in Pakistan, and their aim is to destabilise India, to manufacture more Hindu-Muslim riots in the nation.

According to the specially designated nationals (SDN) list on the official website of the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), “Ahsan, Muhammad (aka Ehsan Muhammad, aka Ihsan Muhammad, aka Ullah Ehsan), Sialkot, Pakistan, Islamabad, born in 1970, alternatively in 1971, and again alternative year 1972, in Sialkot, is designated under the “Secondary sanctions risk, section 1(b) of Executive Order 13244, as amended by Executive Order 13886 (individual).” He is linked to the terrorist outfit ‘Lashkar-e-Taiba’.

Pakistan’s ‘lie’ about Sajid Mir

Meanwhile, Owaisi further backed his call to add Pakistan back to the FATF grey list and recalled that after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Indian investigators provided Islamabad with all the evidence, but still, they did not take any action.

“What made Pakistan move forward in this terrorist trial was when it was put on the FATF grey list,” Owaisi said.

He further exposed Pakistan’s lie about the Mumbai attacks’ key accused, Sajid Mir.

“One meeting was held in Germany, and India wanted one Sajid Mir to be indicted, but Pakistan said he’s dead… Pakistan came up to the Committee of FATF and said Sajid Mir is alive. Can you imagine the country which was saying he’s dead, suddenly, he’s alive?” Owaisi asked.

The AIMIM chief clarified and busted the rumour spread by the Pakistani government that Indian courts had allegedly convicted Mir for some 5-10 years, but the main culprits were still scot-free. “They were convicted for money laundering, not for terrorism,” he added.

The AIMIM chief added that Indian investigating agencies had recorded conversations between the 26/11 attacker and their handlers in Pakistan, providing it to Islamabad as evidence.

“The Indian legal system followed all the due process of law, and Ajmal Kasab was sentenced to death, and he revealed many things. Our agencies were capable enough to record the audio conversations in which the terrorist group, sitting in Pakistan, were having with terrorists who were killing Indians in five-star hotels, and those conversations they were clearly told them not to lose heart, kill as many Indians as you can, and you’ll go to Jannat. This was the conversation that was recorded,” Owaisi stated.

He further recalled that after the 2016 attack on the Indian Air Force’s Pathankot Airbase, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone to Pakistan uninvited and called on Islamabad to send its own team to India to get clear evidence and even then, nothing happened.

“Pathankot happened, after my Prime Minister went to Pakistan, uninvited, and I want to put it on record, I was the one who criticised him for going over there. Many opposition parties criticised why my Prime Minister went uninvited from Afghanistan to Nawaz Sharif’s place. Our air base was attacked, and we lost many personnel over there,” he said in Riyadh.

Owaisi added, “The Prime Minister said Pakistan wants proof; you (Pakistan) send your own team. Can you imagine any country inviting a neighbouring country’s spy agency? They were invited, they were given all the records, but nothing moved, nothing happened. If the question is – why don’t we speak to Pakistan, who do we speak to in Pakistan?”

Operation Sindoor global outreach

In addition to Owaisi, the Baijayant Panda-led delegation includes Nishikant Dubey (BJP), Phangnon Konyak (BJP), Rekha Sharma (BJP), Satnam Singh Sandhu, Ghulam Nabi Azad; and Ambassador Harsh Shringla.

These all-party delegation teams, the key part of India’s global outreach program on Operation Sindoor, are tasked with briefing the nation’s international country partners about New Delhi’s stance on terrorism and its fight against the same.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/in-riyadh-asaduddin-owaisi-targets-pakistan-army-chief-us-designated-terrorist-sitting-with-asim-munir-101748479363932.html

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to begin a four-state tour, from Uttar Pradesh to Sikkim, on Thursday, May 29.

PM Modi will start his two-day visit from Sikkim, where he will participate in the “Sikkim@50: Where Progress meets purpose and nature nurtures growth” programme at around 11 am.

Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects in Sikkim. Projects include a new 500-bedded District hospital worth over Rs 750 crore in Namchi district; Passenger Ropeway at Sangachoeling, Pelling in Gyalshing District; Statue of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji at Atal Amrit Udyan at Sangkhola in Gangtok District among others.

Later on the same day, he will visit West Bengal where he will lay the foundation stone of City Gas Distribution project in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts in Alipurduar at around 2:15 pm and then will go to Bihar. There, he will inaugurate the new terminal building of Patna Airport at around 5:45 PM.

The new terminal built at a cost of around Rs 1200 crore can handle 1 crore passengers per year. He will also lay the foundation stone of the new civil enclave of Bihta Airport worth over Rs 1410 crore. The Bihta airport will serve the town which is rapidly emerging as an educational hub near Patna, housing IIT Patna and the proposed NIT Patna campus.

The CGD project in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts, worth over Rs 1010 crore, aims to provide Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to more than 2.5 Lakh households, over 100 commercial establishments and industries besides providing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to vehicular traffic by establishing around 19 CNG stations in line with the Minimum Work Program (MWP) targets stipulated by the Government. It will provide convenient, reliable, environment-friendly and cost-effective fuel supply and create employment opportunities in the region.

Next day, on May 30, at around 11 am, he will inaugurate, lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 48,520 crore in Karakat, Bihar. He will also address a public function.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pm-modi-to-visit-sikkim-west-bengal-bihar-uttar-pradesh-on-may-29-30-whats-on-his-agenda/articleshow/121455246.cms

PM Modi urged state governments to make sure all eligible real estate projects are registered under the RERA Act

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday underlined the importance of strict compliance with the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) provisions, saying it is essential for restoring trust in the housing market.

He made these remarks while reviewing three major infrastructure projects worth over Rs 62,000 crore during a PRAGATI meeting, the government’s ICT-based multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation.

According to a press release by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the Prime Minister reviewed projects spanning the sectors of road transport, power, and water resources across various states and union territories.

Emphasising their strategic importance, PM Modi called for coordinated efforts to overcome delays and ensure timely completion.

PM Modi highlighted that project delays not only lead to cost overruns but also deprive citizens of essential infrastructure and services. He urged all stakeholders to focus on efficiency and accountability, stating that timely delivery is crucial for achieving broader socio-economic development.

The Prime Minister also reviewed public grievances linked to RERA and stressed the need to improve both the quality and speed of grievance resolution to ensure fairness for homebuyers.

He urged state governments to make sure all eligible real estate projects are registered under the RERA Act, reaffirming that strict compliance with the law is vital for strengthening public confidence in the housing sector.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/pm-modi-flags-project-delays-urges-strict-rera-compliance-to-protect-homebuyers-ws-l-9357112.html

The Border Security Force (BSF) will soon get a makeover with a new digital camouflage pattern uniform for its jawans, officials have said.

The digital patterns – significantly harder to replicate – and the colour of the uniform have been finalised and the jawans are expected to be seen in the new combat wear within a year, the officials added.

In 2022, the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force had introduced digital camouflage uniforms for its respective forces.

Unlike the existing BSF uniform that is 50% cotton and 50% polyester, the new one will be 80% cotton, 19% polyester and 1% spandex, making it breathable and comfortable for the jawans across varied climates. The spandex material will ensure its stretchability and elasticity.

In terms of colour, the new uniform will be 50% khaki, 45% green and 5% brown, the officials said.

In the existing combat wear, the pattern was printed on the fabric. For the new ones, it will be sealed inside the fibre, ensuring it is fade resistant.

Officials said the force has worked on the new combat wear for one-and-a-half years. The BSF has also copyrighted the digital print of the uniform.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/border-security-force-prepares-for-makeover-with-digital-camouflage-pattern-uniform-8532173

Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov on Wednesday said discussions between India and Moscow on the procurement of more S-400 air defence systems are “ongoing” as both countries continue to solidify the special and privileged strategic partnership.

In an exclusive chat with IANS, Mr Alipov, while citing various reports on Operation Sindoor, termed the performance of the S-400 system and jointly-manufactured BrahMos missiles as “exemplary”.

“From what we know, India has clearly stated the goals and undertaken actions after having identified the targets and the terrorists. As far as we know, during the operation, the S-400 system was used and the BrahMos missiles were engaged. Judging by the reports available, the performance of these weapons was exemplary,” Mr Alipov told IANS.

India has a longstanding and wide-ranging cooperation with Russia in the field of defence. The cooperation is guided by the IRIGC-M&MTC mechanism, headed by the Defence Ministers of both countries.

Time-tested partners, both countries have been involved in several bilateral projects, including the supply of S-400, licensed production of T-90 tanks and Su-30 MKI, supply of MiG-29 and Kamov helicopters, INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov), production of Ak-203 rifles in India and BrahMos missiles.

New Delhi and Moscow acknowledge that the military technical cooperation has evolved from a buyer-seller framework to one involving joint research and development, co-development and joint production of advanced defence technology and systems.

As the Indian Armed Forces successfully retaliated and also inflicted significant losses on Pakistan earlier this month, the S-400 air defence system has been credited with shooting down several incoming missiles from across the border.

Sources had indicated earlier that, considering the strategic planning and military preparedness, New Delhi may procure more S-400 air defence systems soon.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/operation-sindoor-india-pakistan-talks-on-russian-envoy-on-india-buying-more-s-400-air-defence-systems-8532356

Sarma also claimed that he had documents to back his allegations but would only make them public on September 10.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday stepped up his attack on Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, claiming that he had documents to establish that Gogoi and his wife were “deeply into anti-India activities”.

Sarma also claimed that he had documents to back his allegations against Gogoi, who was appointed Assam Congress president on Monday, and his British wife, Elizabeth but would only make them public on September 10 after an ongoing probe by a special investigation team (SIT) of the state police into the allegations is completed.

“I have documents to prove that his wife is involved in collecting various intelligence inputs of Government of India on behalf of a climate lobby. On September 10, I am going to reveal their relationship with the Pakistan army, the interior department of Pakistan and how they are doing all these things for a climate lobby,” said the chief minister, who has been targeting Gogoi since February this year.

Sarma’s statement came after Gogoi rebutted his allegations, and told reporters in New Delhi that he had visited Pakistan in 2013 when his wife was employed there as part of a climate change project. On X, Gogoi also questioned if Sarma would resign if he could not prove his allegations.

Sarma said he would be able to prove the allegations.

“He and his wife (Gogoi) are deeply into anti-India activities, and I will prove it. Gogoi’s visit to Pakistan had nothing to do with his wife’s employment there, it was his personal visit. At that time, his wife was not in Pakistan. She was in India,” Sarma said.

He said Gogoi and his family were not nationalists because the MP’s wife and the couple’s two children hold British passports. “If in a family, three out of four members aren’t Indian citizens, can they be called nationalists?… Only someone who has no shame will admit that his wife and children aren’t Indian citizens,” Sarma said.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/gaurav-gogois-wife-collected-ib-reports-for-pak-agency-himanta-biswa-sarma-101748437667449.html

‘Pagis’ (meaning scouts) are local residents who often walk barefoot in the white desert in Kutch, their eyes focused on patterns in the vast landscape, noticing even a slight disturbance.

They can identify the enemy just by seeing footprints in the white desert sand in Kutch, and technical advancements may have been made, but security forces continue to depend on them for their expertise, including during Operation Sindoor.

The unique skill has been perfected by the ‘Pagis’ (meaning scouts), local residents who walk barefoot in the white desert, their eyes focused on patterns in the vast landscape, noticing even a slight disturbance.

After the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India launched Operation Sindoor with precision strikes on terror infrastructure inside Pakistan on May 7. Pakistan then targeted civilian and military sites in India on three successive days, prompting India to strike back and attack military installations, including key air bases.

Along with other border states like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan, Gujarat was also targeted by Pakistan, and the services of Pagis were mobilised by the authorities.

Gujarat shares a 508-km border with Pakistan. The land border between the two countries is mostly the Rann of Kutch, a massive salt marsh in the Thar Desert that is difficult for security forces to patrol. Additionally, over half a dozen districts in the state share a sea border with the neighbouring country.

Officials from the Border Security Force and Gujarat Police said the skills of the Pagis have been utilised during peacetime – when they help thwart the smuggling of drugs and other contraband – and during phases of tensions with Pakistan, including 1965, 1971 and the Kargil war – and the escalation after Operation Sindoor was no different.

Pagis use their extraordinary skill and instinct to locate not only places in the desert without any maps but people and animals in a group – guessing their weight, height and even gender – by merely seeing the footprints of both camels and humans. “Naturally, they make the most coveted and unparalleled ‘soldiers’ on the line of defence,” an official said.

“We used all our resources, including the Pagis, during Operation Sindoor. We have a sufficient number of Pagis in the border areas, who work for us during peacetime as well. Pagis are experienced, and though some may have retired from our services, we still depend on them for their expertise. They help track the intruders in the border areas,” said Vikas Kunda, Superintendent of Police, Kutch West.

The Pagis, the officials said, helped them be sure that there were no enemies – terrorists or otherwise – entering Gujarat from the Pakistani side.

The Gujarat Police have a post called Pagi and 25 Pagis were recruited by the force in a single year in 2014. Their numbers have only increased since then. The Pagis also serve as guides to the Border Security Force.

The BSF conducts extensive patrolling on 168 km of the Pakistani border, where fencing is not feasible. This is where the skills of the Pagi prove especially useful – many Pakistani drug smugglers have been arrested or killed in these areas and drugs worth crores have been seized because of the information provided by them.

History

Ranchhor Das Rabari, a scout and tracker who helped the Army on the India-Pakistan border at Kutch in 1971, was immortalised by Sanjay Dutt in the Hindi movie ‘Bhuj: The Pride of India’, which also starred Ajay Devgn.

General Sam Manekshaw bestowed the title of Pagi on Ranchhor Rabari for being a scout for the Army since 1965. The title was a mark of respect and authority, recognising his knowledge and unique skills.

The Gujarat State School Textbook Board introduced a chapter on Ranchhor Pagi in its Gujarati subject textbook for Class 7 for the 2023-24 academic year. There is also a Ranchhor Das checkpost at the Kutch border named after him.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-pakistan-kutch-rann-of-kutch-scouts-footprints-in-the-sand-how-pagis-unique-skill-helped-gujarat-during-op-sindoor-8532292

Having met tour operators, the Chief Minister said that they want to promote Jammu and Kashmir and especially Kashmir.

Omar Abdullah was cycling on Tuesday in Pahalgam. On Wednesday, he was on a Gondola (cable car) ride in Gulmarg. The aim, he says, is to revive the tourist season, which suffered a body blow due to the deadly terror attack in the picturesque Pahalgam.

The visits by Mr Abdullah were also a counter to the “don’t go to Kashmir” narrative and the “boycott Kashmir” campaign being run by some.

“Terrorists also want this, that you don’t go to Kashmir. Those people are enemies of this country. They are not only enemies of Kashmir, they are enemies of the country. Of India. They are enemies of India who are running such a campaign. Because they are doing the same work as the terrorists did on April 22,” the Chief Minister told NDTV.

“This Boycott Kashmir campaign is to strengthen the hands of those people. And if these people want to do this, then let them do it. But I would like the central government to use its agencies and identify which people and which forces are running the boycott Kashmir campaign and take the strictest action against them,” Mr Abdullah said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Abdullah, 55, took his council of ministers and the whole administrative set up to a picturesque resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district for a meeting aimed at negating the perception of fear in the Valley. This came a day after a meeting of the council of ministers at a resort in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

Having met tour operators, the Chief Minister said that they want to promote Jammu and Kashmir and especially Kashmir.

“Tourism should gradually get a revival and this is our hope and this is our effort,” he said after meeting tour operators from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.

The Chief Minister said he was hoping that there would only be 20 tour operators in the meeting, but that number rose to 70.

“We have come to thank the tourists who are associated with our tourism industry, to boost their morale and to send a message that the April 22 attack will not derail us from our mission,” the Chief Minister underlined.

On April 22, terrorists attacked holidaymakers enjoying picturesque Pahalgam, in a lush valley beneath snowcapped Himalayan peaks. Survivors said the attackers separated the men, asked several about their religion, and shot them at close range. All 26 killed were Indian nationals, except one from Nepal. Most were Hindus. One was a Kashmiri Muslim who gave horse rides for tourists.

“The terrorists want that there should be no progress here; they want that the environment should remain spoiled. They don’t want the tourists to come here. But God willing, we will succeed,” he said.

Asked if he was satisfied with the efforts and the tourist revival has begun, Mr Abdullah said,”There is still a lot to do. We have taken the first two steps. This is just the beginning. We will continue to do more.”

Mr Adbullah met the tourists with warm handshakes and smile, sought feedback about their Kashmir visit and happily posed for photographs and selfies with them.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pahalgam-terror-attack-on-boycott-kashmir-trend-omar-abdullahs-big-appeal-to-centre-8531990

Panda and Azad are part of one of the seven multi-party delegations India has tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community on Pakistan’s designs and India’s response to terror, especially in view of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

Former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is part of an all-party delegation to the Gulf region, has been admitted to a hospital and is now under medical supervision, BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda said on Tuesday.

“Halfway into our delegation’s tour, Shri @ghulamnazad has had to be admitted to hospital. He is stable, under medical supervision, and will be undergoing some tests and procedures,” Panda, who is leading the delegation, said in a post on X.

It was not immediately known where and in which hospital the 76-year-old former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister had been admitted.

Taking to X, he said, “Blessed to share that despite the extreme heat in Kuwait affecting my health, by God’s grace I’m doing fine and recovering well. All test results are normal. Thank you all for your concern and prayers — it truly means a lot!”

Panda and Azad are part of one of the seven multi-party delegations India has tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community on Pakistan’s designs and India’s response to terror, especially in view of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

The delegation visited Bahrain from May 23 and Kuwait from May 25, with Azad taking part in meetings with leaders in both nations.

Azad’s contributions to the meetings in the two countries were highly impactful, and he is disappointed at being bedridden, Panda said.

“We will deeply miss his presence in Saudi Arabia and Algeria,” said Panda, who arrived in the Saudi capital on Tuesday along with the delegation.

Apart from Azad and Panda, the group includes Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak, Rekha Sharma (all BJP), Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), Satnam Sandhu (nominated), and former foreign secretary Harsh Shringla.

During the visit to Saudi Arabia, the delegation will interact with a cross-section of political dignitaries, government officials, thought leaders and members of the Indian community.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/ghulam-nabi-azad-admitted-to-hospital-amid-all-party-delegation-to-kuwait-3559852 

The Patna-based teacher, who has been alleged to be the man behind the protests against the Agniveer scheme a couple of years ago and the more recent stir by BPSC candidates, made the claim in a video he posted on Monday.

Internet sensation ‘Khan Sir’, whose “classes” on YouTube are raved about, claimed that he kept his marriage, solemnised earlier this month, a hush-hush affair because of the military conflict between India and Pakistan.

The Patna-based teacher, who has been alleged to be the man behind the protests against the Agniveer scheme a couple of years ago and the more recent stir by BPSC candidates, made the claim in a video he posted on Monday.

In the video clip, he was seen telling students of his class, “I did not tell you guys one thing: when the war was on, I got married.” The students can be heard erupting into cheers at the news as Khan Sir had a tough time making them hold their horses.

He said, “Initially I wanted to put off the wedding and go and help the soldiers fighting the enemy at the borders. But things had been planned by my parents and they were distraught.” “Finally, I relented. I cursed the Pakistanis for their sudden attack and agreed to tie the knot, but on the condition that nobody will be invited,” the famed YouTuber said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/bihar/i-got-married-quietly-because-of-indo-pak-clash-khan-sir-3559625

The Murid air base is 150 kilometres from the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Pakistan’s Chakwal, supporting the Sargodha air base and the Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi.

New high-resolution satellite images, accessed by NDTV, show extensive damage to the Murid air base of Pakistan, showing a three-metre-wide crater just 30 metres from an underground facility of the Pakistan Air Force and damage to the rooftop of a structure adjacent to unmanned aerial vehicle hangars.

The first image shows a massive crater at the air base after strikes.

“The Strike is visible at the most guarded complex within Murid Airbase. The approximately three-meter-wide munition impact crater is just 30 meters north of one of the two entrances to a likely underground facility,” says Damien Symon, a geospatial intelligence researcher associated with the Intel Lab, known for his work analysing satellite imagery to monitor military and infrastructure developments.

“This complex is heavily protected with double fencing, its own watchtowers and access control indicating its high-value nature as a target. The earth-protected entrances suggest this site might serve as storage for special equipment or as a hardened operational shelter for personnel, capable of withstanding heavy bombardment,” he added.

NDTV accessed an image from April 16 (Image 1), showing the undamaged building at Murid, a Forward Operating Base of Pakistan. The post-strike (image 2) from May 10 shows damage to the building. Mr Symon said, “Structural damage is evident at this facility, believed to serve as a command-and-control node near the UAV complex of the airbase. A portion of the roof has collapsed inward, and the outer walls also exhibit visible deterioration, likely from impact-related stress. A strike like this could’ve also caused damage within the upper floors of the building as well.”

The Murid air base is 150 kilometres from the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Pakistan’s Chakwal, supporting the Sargodha air base and the Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi.

Both were struck by India on May 10, along with eight other bases. India struck deep inside Pakistan, its response was “measured and calibrated.”

New Images Of Nur Khan Air Base

Nur Khan is a strategic air base situated between Rawalpindi and Islamabad – the two nerve centres of Pakistan. The former is the headquarters of the Pakistan military, and the latter is the political power centre of the country. Satellite imagery from April 25, taken almost two weeks before the strikes, shows the facility and the undamaged trucks, says Mr Symon.

Satellite imagery from May 10 shows two trailer trucks, believed to be command and control facilities, having been destroyed by a pinpoint-accurate Indian strike. Post-strike image from May 17 indicates that Pakistani authorities cleared the area around the site of the attack, he added.

The image from May 17, taken a week after the strikes when a ceasefire was declared, shows Pakistan’s clean-up operation at the air base. Mr Symon, explaining the extent of damage, said, “Previously, only two special-purpose trucks were assessed as damaged here, but the demolition of the adjoining 7,000 sq ft facility indicates India’s strike had deeper consequences. The structures part of this demolished complex likely suffered extensive internal and structural damage, making repairs unviable for the Pakistan Air Force.

The Maxar high-resolution images, earlier accessed by NDTV, showed extensive damage to Pakistan’s Sargodha, Nur Khan (Chaklala), Bholari, Jacobabad, Sukkur and Rahim Yar Khan.

At the Jacobabad air base, a hangar was damaged after Indian strikes, and debris was visible in the satellite images. Hangars are structures built at an air base to protect aircraft, primarily for maintenance and repair.

During India’s precision strikes, Bholari air base was chosen as a target, and India struck the hangar, causing severe damage to its roof, as shown in an image from May 11.

Sukkur air base, located in the Sindh province, is a strategic air base for Pakistan, which lies west of the International border with Rajasthan.

A satellite image from May 10 shows severe structural damage at the base and massive debris on the side. There was vegetation burn that may have been caused by fire after the strike, with a possible burn/strike scar next to the damaged structure.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/satellite-pics-india-targeted-underground-facility-at-paks-murid-air-base-operation-sindoor-8523571

King Charles III was given a heartfelt standing ovation in Canada’s parliament in Ottawa after a historic speech in support of the country staying “strong and free”.

Outside the Senate building later, another voice from the crowd shouted: “Thanks for coming King Charles” in a voice full of emotion – as the King himself had sounded at the end of his speech.

But what was never mentioned was what the speech was really about: US President Donald Trump.

There was a promise to “protect Canadians and their sovereign rights”, but with diplomatic discretion, there was no mention of who might be threatening the country’s independence.

Claims by Trump that Canada would be the 51st US state hung over this speech, but his name was never uttered.

Not when the speech talked of the virtues of “open trade” (ie, not tariffs) or when it talked of a “critical moment” in which “democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, self-determination and freedom” must be protected.

And there was no one named as making it necessary to guard the country’s “fundamental rights and freedoms”.

There might even have been an olive branch, with a promise by the Canadian government to do more to stop fentanyl crossing the border, a drug that was the subject of accusations by the US administration. But there was no mention of Trump by name.

The opening of parliament followed a general election in which Mark Carney had been brought to power on a wave of anti-Trump sentiment.

The speech was written on the advice of the Canadian government, but there was a great deal of symbolism in the King reading it out. The King of Canada was in town.

Inviting King Charles seemed to have paid off for Carney, who afterwards said how well the speech had been delivered. “Our sovereignty is strong,” said Carney.

From the parliamentarians inside the packed chamber to the crowds pressed up against the railings outside, the King’s visit was seen as sticking up for Canada when it was under pressure from its bigger neighbour.

Compared with openings of Parliament in Westminster, this was a more dressed-down affair. No crowns or robes, with the King looking businesslike in a suit.

Showing this really is a relaxed country, the former PM, Justin Trudeau, was wearing a pair of green trainers.

A theme of this brief royal visit has been paying respects to the First Nations people and the King noted that parliament was meeting on the territory of the Algonquin people.

Among the parliamentarians were many representatives of First Nations communities, dressed in traditional outfits and spectacular headdresses. The speech, delivered in French and English, made a virtue of the country’s diverse roots.

Before the King’s arrival, there was an unmistakable sense of anticipation with the sober lawmakers taking a few quick selfies before the big royal moment. There was that nervous buzz ahead of something important.

There would be a long list of government plans and policies, but there was a bigger historic feel to events, with a huge media encampment outside and crowds lining the streets.

The opening of parliament took place in Canada’s Senate, which is currently using temporary accommodation while its own building is renovated.

The building being used by the Senate used to be Ottawa’s main railway station. You could still see how the floor of the chamber had once been the station concourse.

A different type of king, Elvis Presley, had come through here on a train journey in 1957. If there were suspicious minds here about whether King Charles would stand up for Canada, he was able to put that to rest.

In the warm Ottawa sunshine, there were crowds sending their own message by turning out to see the King. Even a fleeting visit here soon shows how deeply people have been upset by their near neighbours and allies in the US.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y84pn0erxo

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday approved the “execution model” for implementing a major indigenous project to develop India’s fifth-generation, deep-penetration advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) for the Indian Air Force, potentially making India the fourth country to possess such stealth fighter jets.

At present, only three countries — the United States (F-22 and F-35), China (J-20), and Russia (Su-57) — operate fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft.

With China speculated to have developed a sixth-generation jet, India has recently accelerated the development of the AMCA, with advanced stealth capabilities, aimed at significantly enhancing the country’s air power.

“In a significant push towards enhancing India’s indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model,” the Defence Ministry announced on Tuesday.

Rajnath Singh called it an “important step towards harnessing the indigenous expertise, capability and capacity to develop the AMCA prototype, which will be a major milestone towards Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in the aerospace sector”.

The initial development cost of the project is estimated to be approximately Rs 15,000 crore, with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) spearheading the programme through strategic industry partnerships.

With the latest approval, eligible Indian companies can now bid either independently or as part of consortia for various aspects of the aircraft’s development. ADA is expected to issue an Expression of Interest (EoI) for industry participation in the coming months.

India’s confidence in the AMCA’s development received a major boost following the successful creation of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. Last year, the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, granted in-principle approval for the fighter jet programme.

The urgency around the project has grown in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor and rising tensions with China, which already operates a fifth-generation platform — J-20. Reports suggest China is also set to export 40 J-35 fighters to Pakistan.

A recent US Congressional report underlined China’s growing air dominance in the Indo-Pacific, noting its fleet of over 1,300 fourth-generation fighters and expanding deployment of J-20s, including near the Indian border in Tibet.

WHY IS AMCA A GAME CHANGER?

The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is an ambitious next-generation project aimed at developing a fifth-generation stealth, multi-role combat aircraft for both the Indian Air Force and Navy.

Designed to execute a wide array of missions, including air superiority, ground strikes, Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD), and electronic warfare (EW). The AMCA will significantly enhance India’s aerial combat capabilities.

The single-seat, twin-engine aircraft is designed for all-weather operations and is expected to have a maximum takeoff weight of around 25 tonnes. It will be capable of flying at altitudes of up to 55,000 feet. The aircraft will feature an internal weapons bay with a 1,500 kg capacity, support an external payload of up to 5,500 kg, and carry 6,500 kg of fuel.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rajnath-singh-new-fighter-jet-programme-amca-project-tejas-fight-2731149-2025-05-27

Terrorism as an instrument of state policy is a part of the military state of Pakistan, BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad had told media in France.

France on Tuesday reiterated its solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism emanating from Pakistan and agreed that the democratic world needs to speak in one voice on this issue, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said at the conclusion of the Paris leg of his all-party delegation’s visit to European capitals.

The nine-member delegation was joined by representatives of the India-France Friendship Group in the French Senate led by its Vice-President, Jacqueline Eustache-Brinio, as well as members of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee at the grand Luxembourg Palace for their final engagement in the French capital before departing for Rome, Italy.

“All the colleagues in the Senate in this majestic building have only one word to say: we are together with India in the fight against terrorism,” Prasad told reporters.

“They totally agreed that France and India, indeed the whole democratic world, need to speak in one voice in the fight against terrorism emanating from Pakistan and supported by the Pakistani state,” he said, adding that the delegation was “really touched” by this support and expressed gratitude to the French Senators.

“We saw it all here: energy, compassion, love for France and India and the people, that is the takeaway (of the visit),” he added.

The dialogue with the Senators followed a meeting with members of the India-France Friendship Group in the Assemblee Nationale (National Assembly) earlier on Tuesday.

“This meeting was very interesting for us to note how India sees France. We have a partnership that is very strong, very old and very good for both nations. It’s promising for the future,” said Thierry Tesson, President of the group which is planning a visit to India soon.

“We are fighting against terrorism in France also. Like the president of the delegation (Prasad), I agree it (terrorism) is like a cancer that has to be fought against. We are stronger when we are together against this cancer,” he said.

Earlier, the multi-party delegation including MPs Daggubati Purandeswari, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Ghulam Ali Khatana, Dr Amar Singh, Samik Bhattacharya and M Thambidurai, and former Union minister MJ Akbar and former Deputy National Security Advisor Ambassador Pankaj Saran addressed the local French media to highlight the global aspect of terrorism rooted in Pakistan.

“The distinction between the state of Pakistan and terrorism has now withered away. Terrorism as an instrument of state policy is a part of the military state of Pakistan,” Prasad told reporters.

The European delegation, one of 33 similar all-party teams travelling across the globe to express India’s zero-tolerance stance against terror, is now scheduled for dialogues and meetings in Italy. This will be followed by visits to Denmark, the UK, Belgium and Germany.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/manipur-bus-row-central-officials-locked-up-by-protesters-101748372781583.html

President Droupadi Murmu conferred Padma Awards to 69 individuals who have made contributions in diverse fields.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attended the ‘Civil Investiture Ceremony-II’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan in which 69 individuals were conferred Padma Awards.

“Attended the Civil Investiture Ceremony-II, where the Padma Awards were presented. The Padma awardees have made notable contributions to our society. The life journeys of those who were conferred the Padma are deeply motivating,” the Prime Minister wrote on X.

Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu conferred Padma Awards to 69 individuals who have made exceptional contributions in diverse fields such as art, literature, education, public affairs, medicine, social work, science, sports, and industry.

The event was also attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and other dignitaries.

The event marked the second phase of the Padma Awards ceremony for the year 2025.

The Padma Awards, among the highest civilian honours of India, are conferred in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. This year, the government announced a total of 139 Padma awardees on the eve of Republic Day.

Among those honoured in this phase were three Padma Vibhushan, nine Padma Bhushan, and 57 Padma Shri awardees. The ceremony held special significance with 13 posthumous recognitions, honouring legends who left a lasting legacy in their fields.

One of the most emotional moments of the event was the posthumous conferral of the Padma Vibhushan to late Bhojpuri and folk singer Dr Sharda Sinha, whose music resonated deeply with the Indian heartland.

Other recipients of the Padma Vibhushan included former Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar and classical dancer Kumudini Lakhia (posthumous).

The Padma Bhushan awardees included social activist Sadhvi Ritambhara, known for her role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, actor-politician Nandamuri Balakrishna, and celebrated journalist and author A. Surya Prakash.

Among the posthumous Padma Bhushan recipients were legendary singer Pankaj Udhas, veteran politician Manohar Joshi, and economist Bibek Debroy. enowned Malayalam writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair, and Osamu Suzuki, the Japanese industrialist known for his pivotal role in Suzuki’s partnership with India.

The largest share of honours came under the Padma Shri category, with 57 individuals recognised for their grassroots and innovative contributions across the country.

Notably, 23 of the awardees are women, showcasing the growing recognition of female excellence in various sectors.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/deeply-motivating-pm-modi-hails-life-journeys-of-padma-awardees-9355391.html

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is reportedly finalising an order worth Rs 2,000–3,000 crore for INVAR anti-tank guided missiles for the Indian Army, official sources said. While Defence Minister Rajnath Singh clears orders up to Rs 2,000 crore, any deal exceeding Rs 3,000 crore would require approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
The INVAR missiles, known for their precision and compatibility with T-90 tanks, are expected to enhance the Indian Army’s firepower, particularly in the context of modern battlefield requirements.
Meanwhile, in a major boost to indigenous defence capabilities, the government has approved the execution model for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme—India’s ambitious fifth-generation fighter jet project. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will lead the project, in collaboration with industry partners.

The cabinet committee on security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had given in-principle approval to the AMCA project last year. The initial development cost is estimated at around Rs 15,000 crore.

“In a significant push towards enhancing India’s indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model,” the Defence Minister’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday.
The AMCA will be a medium-weight, deep-penetration fighter jet with stealth features designed to strengthen the Indian Air Force’s long-term capabilities. The ministry added that the execution model ensures equal opportunities for public and private sector entities, allowing them to bid individually, as joint ventures, or as consortia—provided they are Indian companies in compliance with domestic laws.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/india-defence-boost-rs-3000-crore-invar-missile-deal-awaits-cabinet-nod-article-151730801

India’s journey toward self-reliance began with INS Kalvari, the first of the Scorpene-class submarines built under Project-75. These submarines, constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in Mumbai, have advanced stealth, sonar, and weapon systems, making them a formidable underwater force.

The Pahalgam terrorist attack, which killed 26 tourists, triggered a swift and robust Indian Navy response in the Arabian Sea, with carrier groups, destroyers, and submarines deployed at full combat readiness within 96 hours. This show of maritime strength forced the Pakistan Navy into a defensive posture near its harbours, demonstrating India’s resolve and deterrence following the attack.
It was not just a test of India’s resolve but a demonstration of how decades of indigenous naval development have transformed the nation’s ability to deter and respond to threats. As Indian naval assets surged into the Arabian Sea within 96 hours of the attack, it became clear that the backbone of India’s crisis response was not imported hardware but homegrown innovation and self-reliance—a vision encapsulated by the Navy’s Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) doctrine. The Indian Navy has truly led the way in self-reliance over the decades.

Some of the residents of the sector, who had noticed the parked car in a secluded area of the sector till late night, informed police as well as the ambulance, said that even though the police team came in about 15 minutes, the ambulance came after more than half an hour.

Seven members of a family from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, were found dead in a car in Sector 27, Panchkula, near here, late on Monday night.

Suspecting it to be a case of suicide due to huge debt and psychological issues, police said that the deceased family members, included one Praveen Mittal, 42, his father Deshraj, mother Vimla, Praveen’s wife Reena, twin teenage daughters Dhruvika and Dalisha and son Hardik.

Some of the residents of the sector, who had noticed the parked car in a secluded area of the sector till late night, informed police as well as the ambulance, said that even though the police team came in about 15 minutes, the ambulance came after more than half an hour.

Police said all the family members were presumed to have consumed poison inside their car which had its rear window panes covered with a towel and its doors locked from inside. When a police team reached the spot after being informed about the vehicle, Praveen was alive, who told the police personnel that he and his family members had consumed poison. Praveen also died after a few minutes.

A handwritten suicide note was also found from Praveen which read that he had gone bankrupt and he was responsible for the suicide by all. Stating that his father-in-law should not be harassed, the note further read that the last rites of his family should be done by his cousin brother.

Meanwhile, some of the relatives told police that the family had also lived in Panchkula and financially stable but they had moved to Dehradum about nine years ago after facing huge losses in business.

The family members also said that Praveen had taken a loan of about Rs 1 crore which he failed to repay and that he earlier ran a business of scrap material but had moved to Dehradun where he attempted to run a tours and travels business but failed and fell under huge debts.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/haryana-news-debt-mental-stress-suspected-in-deaths-of-7-family-members-in-panchkula-video

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India’s premier defence research agency, is carrying out trials of the indigenously developed Kaveri jet engine in Russia and is planning to use it for powering the Made in India long-range Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV).

The Kaveri engine is undergoing detailed trials in Russia and there are around 25 hours of testing left to be done on it. The slots have to be given by the authorities, defence officials informed India Today TV.

The engine is planned to be used for powering the indigenous UCAV project, they said. Interest in the Kaveri engine has been revived as there is an ongoing trend in the Evian media, asking the government to #FundKaveri engine project.

The Kaveri engine was planned to be developed by the DRDO for the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), but due to delays in the programme, the combat aircraft had to be powered by the American GE-404 engines.

The GE-404 has been used to power the 32 LCA Mark 1s and the twin-seater-trainer versions. The 83 LCA Mark 1As are also set to be powered by the GE-404s, but the plan has been delayed due to issues in supplies by the American firm. Asked if the Kaveri engine could still be used for powering the LCA, the officials said there were plans to put the Kaveri on one of the LCA aircraft and showcase its capabilities.

The DRDO is also working towards working with a foreign firm for the development and manufacturing of a more powerful engine for the futuristic aircraft, including the Mark 2 versions of the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). India has been in talks with multiple firms, including those from France, the UK and the US. The decision in this regard is expected to be taken soon.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kaveri-jet-engine-trials-underway-in-russia-to-power-unmanned-combat-aerial-vehicle-2731605-2025-05-28

A curious situation unfolded in the Supreme Court on Tuesday during the hearing of a plea questioning an earlier order permitting the Uttar Pradesh government to utilise funds for the Shri Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan. The order, which was authored by Justice SC Sharma, was also a part of the present bench on Tuesday.

The case took an interesting turn as Justice BV Nagarathna, sitting alongside Justice Sharma, raised strong questions about the state’s involvement in what she described as a private dispute. Justice Nagarathna, who was heading the bench, questioned why the state decided to “hijack” a litigation between two private parties.

Justice SC Sharma, the author of the order and now a part of the bench examining it, clearly questioned how the applicant was seeking a review of the earlier judgment through an application, adding that the same cannot be permitted.

“The application was filed by a sevak (priest) of the temple, seeking modification of the Supreme Court’s earlier direction. I’m pleaded in the case as the party will question how a temple’s money could be handed over to the state without even making them a party,” the bench said.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the applicant, pointed out that the order regarding Banke Bihari Temple was passed in a case which was filed regarding Giriraj temple.

“How can you, by an order in another petition, direct that a private temple’s earnings be handed over to the government?” Sibal asked.

Justice Nagarathna appeared visibly concerned at the UP government’s interference.

“In what capacity has the state entered into this dispute? If states start interfering in private disputes between parties, it will be a breakdown of the rule of law,” Justice Nagarathna said.

While the state government claimed it was not a private dispute and a newly-issued ordinance now placed the temple funds under a trust’s control, Justice Nagarathna remained firm. “We’re not coming in the way of development. But hijacking private litigation by the state is not permissible,” she said.

Justice Sharma, whose prior judgment was being questioned, told the applicant during the hearing, “By filing this application, you want that judgment to be reviewed.” In response, Sibal said he was only seeking to be impleaded in the matter, not to reopen the judgment.

As Justice Sharma said the applicant should file a review first, Sibal responded by saying, he had to be impleaded first and the court cannot pass an order taking away the property of a private temple without pleading with them.

Justice Nagarathna observed that the only concern was the state government filing an impleadment in a private litigant, adding that it can do development work without being party to litigation.

The bench directed the UP government to place on record the latest ordinance issued on May 26 and asked the Principal Secretary of the concerned department to submit details. The matter will next be heard on July 29.

On May 15, the Supreme Court granted the UP government the go-ahead to implement its Rs 500-crore development plan for the Shri Banke Bihari Temple Corridor in Vrindavan, aimed at improving infrastructure and ensuring a safer pilgrimage experience.

A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and SC Sharma had permitted the state government to utilise temple funds for acquiring approximately five acres of land surrounding the temple.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/law-news/story/supreme-court-raps-up-government-banke-bihari-temple-fund-case-vrindavan-litigation-parties-2731601-2025-05-28

A simple yet powerful symbol has become the face of India’s decisive military response to terror. The iconic logo of Operation Sindoor, now etched in the national consciousness, was designed not by advertising professionals or branding firms, but by two men in uniform — Lt Col Harsh Gupta and Havildar Surinder Singh.

The logo, unveiled shortly after India’s precision strikes on May 7 against nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir, uses symbolism that has deeply resonated with millions. The second “O” in Sindoor is designed with a traditional vermilion bowl — a sacred symbol of married Hindu women — its bold red hue speaks volumes about sacrifice, justice and national pride.

According to the Indian Army’s special edition of Baatcheet magazine, this now-iconic image was created in-house by the Social Media Section of the Additional Directorate General of Strategic Communication.

“Operation Sindoor was not just a military mission, but the face of a changing India,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his Mann Ki Baat radio address. “It reflects the country’s resolve, courage, and growing strength on the global stage.”

The logo was first posted at 1.51 am on X on May 7, just minutes after the conclusion of the 25-minute air operation. It was accompanied by a crisp, thunderous message: “#PahalgamTerrorAttack Justice is Served. Jai Hind!”

The page-turning opening of Baatcheet carries the poster in full glory, underscored by the Indian Army emblem. The second page recounts the trigger — the April 22 Pahalgam massacre, where five terrorists slaughtered 26 civilians in the Baisaran Valley.

“This incident fortified the resolve of our country to fight terror with punitive action,” reads a caption titled Pahalgam.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/operation-sindoor-indian-army-reveals-designers-behind-viral-logo-glbs-2731607-2025-05-28

Hari put his hand inside her body after the sexual assault following which her intestines came out. He tried to put back the intestines, but could not do so.

One of the accused arrested for the gangrape of a tribal woman allegedly put his hand inside her body after the assault following which her intestines came out and she died of excessive bleeding in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Monday.

“No iron or wooden rod has been recovered from the crime scene so far. She died of excessive bleeding,” Khargone range Deputy Inspector General of Police Siddharth Bahuguna and Kalwa police station in-charge inspector Jagdeesh Sindya told PTI over phone.

Sindya is the investigation officer of the case, in which two accused — identified only as Hari (40) and Sunil (35) — have been arrested by police.

Hari put his hand inside her body after the sexual assault following which her intestines came out. He tried to put back the intestines, but could not do so, said the in-charge inspector, citing the accused person’s statement to police.

Her intestines had come out, while the uterus remained unharmed, he added.

“We are piecing together evidences and video recording them. We are trying to get remand of the two accused to recover a blood-soaked bed roll from the cot from the scene,” Sindya said.

The initial post-mortem report is awaited, the police officer said.

The accused have been charged under sections 66 (causing death), 70 (1) (gangrape) and 103 (1) (murder punishment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/madhya-pradesh/mp-gangrape-victims-intestines-had-come-out-after-assault-police-3558203

Justice Gavai, who has been part of several benches that delivered landmark rulings, including the one upholding the Centre’s decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 that bestowed special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India on May 14.

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday hosted a dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre to welcome the newly sworn-in Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of State for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, former CJI Justice Sanjiv Khanna and other dignitaries, including Supreme Court judges and Chief Justices of the High Courts also attended the dinner, the President’s office said in a post on X.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/president-murmu-hosts-dinner-for-newly-sworn-in-chief-justice-of-india-3558358

The Indian Army has unveiled images from the night ‘Operation Sindoor’ was launched, showcasing top military officials, including Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and Navy Chief Admiral DK Tripathi, monitoring real-time updates.

The Indian Army has released rare images from its war room, offering a behind-the-scenes look at ‘Operation Sindoor’ which was launched on May 7 to dismantle terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The pictures show Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral DK Tripathi, and Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh monitoring real-time updates of the operation in a high-security command centre. Another senior officer of the Army is also visible along with them. These images have been released in a booklet on Operation Sindoor for the personnel and discuss the operation’s scope, coordination, and execution, highlighting the scale and significance of the strikes.
In the photos shared by ANI, one image, timestamped 1:05 AM, captures the exact moment Operation Sindoor was launched. The top brass of the Indian armed forces, including General Dwivedi and the senior officer, are seen watching live feeds from drone footage and satellite imagery, as the strikes were launched on nine terror targets. The officials can be seen monitoring the coordinated and multi-branch offensive on the feeds.

S Jaishankar acknowledged the US’s influence but underlined India’s independent approach to strategic decisions.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently offered a pointed response when asked about China’s role in the recent India-Pakistan military conflict following the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists.

In an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Jaishankar, without naming the specifics, noted that “many of the weapons systems that Pakistan has are of Chinese origin and the two countries are very close.”

“You know, many of the weapons systems that Pakistan has are of Chinese origin, and the two countries are very close. You can draw your conclusions from that,” the minister told the reporter about China’s role in the India-Pakistan conflict.

On a question about whether or not the military confrontation between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor reached a point of nuclear escalation, the EAM said, “he was astonished by the question.”

In a sharp retort, the minister said that anything that happens in South Asia is promptly linked to a nuclear crisis by the West.

Asked “how far away was the world from a nuclear conflict”, Dr Jaishankar said, “far, far away.”

“Very, very far away. I’m frankly astonished by your question. We have terrorist targets. Those were very measured, carefully considered and non-escalating steps. After that, the Pakistani military opened fire on us. We were able to show them that we could disable their air defence systems. Then the firing stopped at their request,” he said.

Jaishankar was also asked if the world should thank the US for the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

He replied, “The cessation of firing was agreed upon between the military commanders of both sides through direct contact. The morning before, we effectively hit and incapacitated Pakistan’s main airbases and air defence system. So, who should I thank for the cessation of hostilities? I thank the Indian military because it was the Indian military action that made Pakistan say: We are ready to stop.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/what-eam-s-jaishankar-said-about-chinas-role-in-the-india-pakistan-conflict-operation-sindoor-draw-your-conclusions-101748284444229.html

Sri Jagannath Temple Administration would apply for patents of terms such as ‘Srimandir’, ‘Jagannath Dham’, ‘Mahaprasad’, ‘logo of Srimandir’ and more.

Amid the tussle between Odisha and West Bengal over naming of the Jagannath temple in Digha as Jagannath dham, the Jagannath temple management committee of Puri on Monday said it would apply for patent for expressions such as ‘Srimandir’, ‘Jagannath Dham’, and ‘Mahaprasad’.

The temple management committee which met in Puri on Monday said the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration would apply for patents of terms such as ‘Srimandir’, ‘Jagannath Dham’, ‘Mahaprasad’, ‘logo of Srimandir’, ‘Shrikshetra’, and ‘Purushottam Dham’. It has been approved in a high-level meeting today,” said SJTA chief administrator Arabinda Padhee.

“Patenting these temple-related terms is a legal measure aimed at preserving the sanctity, heritage, and unique identity of the Jagannath Temple. This step is crucial to prevent the indiscriminate use of sacred terminology linked to Lord Jagannath,” said Arabinda Padhee, chief administrator of the temple.

Last month, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Jagannath Temple in Digha referring to it as “Jagannath Dham” sparking widespread criticism, as “Dham” is a sacred designation traditionally linked to Puri, per Hindu scriptures and Adi Shankaracharya’s designation of four Dhams (Puri, Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameswaram).

The Puri Shankaracharya and several others have argued that using “Dham” for Digha undermines Puri’s unique spiritual and cultural significance.

The Digha temple allows non-Hindus and foreigners, unlike Puri’s Hindu-only tradition, further fuelling objections.

BJP leaders Sambit Patra and Suvendu Adhikari accused the West Bengal government of using the temple for political leverage ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.

Though Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi this month wrote to Banerjee requesting the removal of the term ‘Jagannath Dham’ from the Digha temple’s official name, the Bengal CM remains unmoved.

Puri’s king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb on Monday urged the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the state government to take immediate action against the naming of the newly inaugurated Jagannath temple in Digha of West Bengal as ‘Jagannath Dham’.

“The nomenclature used for the Digha temple has deeply hurt the sentiments of devotees. Terms like Nilachal Dham, Shreekhetra, Srimandir, and Jagannath Dham have always been exclusively associated with the sacred temple in Puri,” he said.

The inauguration of the temple in Digha has already stirred a controversy after Ramakrishna Dasmohapatra, secretary of the Daitapati Nijog, the group of servitors that is responsible for some rituals during the annual Rath Yatra such as carrying the deities to their respective chariots, claimed that leftover wood not used in Nabakalabera was used for idols of Jagannath temple in Digha.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/jagannath-temple-body-to-apply-for-patents-on-names-101748304739735.html

A truck ran over six people who were removing a crashed vehicle from the road in Beed district of Maharashtra on Monday, officials said.

At around 8.30 pm, a car driven by Deepak Atkare of Gevrai climbed over the divider on a stretch of National Highway-52 near Gadhi village, about 100 km from here.

While some people were busy removing the car, a truck ran over them at around 11.30 pm, they said. Six of them died while one was injured, they added.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/6-killed-as-truck-runs-over-them-in-maharashtras-beed-cops-8515398

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, issued a stern warning to Pakistan from Gujarat’s Bhuj. “The people of Pakistan need to come forward to get their country rid of terrorism. Their youth will have to come forward,” he said. He further said, “Sukh chain ki zindagi jiyo, roti khao, warna meri goi toh hai hi.” Which roughly translates to, “Live peacefully, eat bread, or else my bullet is there.”

Earlier in the day, PM Modi held a roadshow in Gujarat’s Bhuj and later inaugurated multiple development projects. PM Modi received a warm welcome in his home state. People in large numbers had gathered to catch a glimpse of him. They waved at him and greeted him enthusiastically.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/roti-khao-warna-meri-goli-toh-pm-modis-stern-warning-to-pakistan-in-gujarats-bhuj-video

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan was transferred out of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir just six days before the deadly terrorist attack struck the high-security area, sources told India Today TV.

The accused, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Moti Ram Jat, was posted to the 116th battalion of the CRPF in Pahalgam before his transfer.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which arrested Jat from Delhi earlier today, said he was involved in passing classified intelligence to Pakistan Intelligence Officers (PIOs) in exchange for money since 2023. According to officials, the information shared included operational details of Indian security forces, movement patterns, and locations of key military installations.

The soldier has been dismissed from the Army post his arrest. He is currently being interrogated by NIA officials, who are probing the depth of the espionage network and his possible links to the Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians, mostly Hindu tourists.

Jat landed in trouble after central agencies, working with the Army, flagged his social media activity, which allegedly “acted in violation of established norms and protocols,” according to a statement issued by the CRPF.

“Concurrently, the individual has been dismissed from service with effect from 21.05.2025, under the relevant provisions of the Constitution of India read with the CRPF Rules,” the statement said.

Jat was presented before a special court, which remanded him to NIA custody till June 6.

In the past two weeks, authorities have arrested at least 13 people from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh on espionage charges, uncovering what appears to be a Pakistan-linked spy network active across northern India.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/crpf-jawan-arrested-for-spying-for-pak-moti-ram-jat-pahalgam-posting-terror-attack-2730963-2025-05-26

The issue assumed a political colour in Telangana on Sunday with BRS Working President K T Rama Rao demanding an impartial and thorough investigation into the “allegations of harassment” made by Magee”.

A senior IAS officer in Telangana, who conducted an enquiry into Miss England Milla Magee’s reported allegations concerning ethical issues during the ongoing Miss World 2025 pageant, said that he found no evidence for the charges.

Jayesh Ranjan, a Special Chief Secretary of the state government, told PTI on Sunday that he has completed the inquiry and “no evidence was found” over Magee’s reported allegations.

Magee withdrew from the contest, citing family issues.

In a statement to a British tabloid, Magee reportedly expressed disappointment with the pageant’s environment, which she said did not align with her expectations of ‘beauty with a purpose’.

Contestants were allegedly expected to wear make-up at all times and remain dressed in ball gowns throughout the day, media reports said, quoting her.

Miss World CEO Julia Morley has denied the allegations.

The issue assumed a political colour in Telangana on Sunday with BRS Working President K T Rama Rao demanding an impartial and thorough investigation into the “allegations of harassment” made by Magee”.

Noting that Telangana has a rich culture of respecting and venerating women, Rama Rao said “such an incident” is profoundly distressing.

Magee withdrew midway, citing a family emergency involving her mother’s health, the organisers said on Saturday.

Following her departure, Charlotte Grant, the first runner-up of Miss England, has stepped in to represent her country.

“Earlier this month, Milla Magee requested to leave the competition due to a reported family emergency involving her mother’s health.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/telangana/no-evidence-found-in-miss-englands-allegations-telangana-govt-official-3556880

Stalin also wondered why his party, the DMK, should make compromises for the ED’s action, which is based on FIRs for the alleged irregularities in TASMAC during the AIADMK regime.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday said his participation in the NITI Aayog meeting was considering deliberations over India’s growth plans.

He rejected accusations from opposition parties in this regard.

Writing to party cadres, Stalin said, as soon as the news of his participation in the NITI Aayog meeting on May 24 spread, political rivals were rattled and they began showing malice as usual.

Such opponents derived happiness by posing questions on his non-participation in the NITI meeting held in previous years, he said.

Also, they levelled allegations that he was meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in order to escape from the Enforcement Directorate’s “action” following the central agency’s searches in the state-run liquor corporation (TASMAC, Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) premises in connection with an alleged scam, he said.

No other party has been targeted by central agencies, including the CBI and ED, like the DMK. Still, the party is only legally fighting against it in courts and has not surrendered like the main opposition party, AIADMK.

Stalin also wondered why his party, the DMK, should make compromises for the ED’s action, which is based on FIRs for the alleged irregularities in TASMAC during the AIADMK regime.

However, the Dravidian model regime has also proven that ED’s action in this regard violated the law, and the Supreme Court’s stay directive confirms this, the chief minister said.

He said, notwithstanding such explanations, the opposition parties will only reiterate the same allegations without reforming themselves.

Stalin alleged AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami was the one who mortgaged his party with Union Home Minister Amit Shah following raids by central agencies on premises linked to relatives and business associates in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Dismissing opposition allegations, Stalin asserted that, be it support or opposition, DMK’s stand had always been and would continue to be firm and resolute, and this was stated by none other than Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Seasoned national leaders, including Prime Ministers A B Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, were aware of such a feature of his party.

The chief minister said he decided to take part in the NITI meeting as it was intended to discuss India’s future growth with chief ministers, and also considering that Tamil Nadu’s share in the national growth was very significant during the past 4 years of Dravidian model regime.

PM Modi’s interactions with CMs were quite natural in that meeting, and while the deliberations were about the journey towards a 30 trillion dollar economy by 2045, “I conveyed to the PM that Tamil Nadu’s share will be 4.5 trillion dollars.” Currently, Tamil Nadu’s share in India’s growth is about 10 per cent and it would go up to about 15 per cent, thanks to the Dravidian model government’s initiatives, and this was conveyed with confidence in the meeting.

The DMK, similar to its vigorous pursual of the state’s development goals (alongside national objectives, while in power) is also a truly patriotic organisation when it comes to national security, and this is the party’s characteristic since the days of party founder CN Annadurai.

He recalled the tricolour rally led by him recently in Chennai to show solidarity with the Armed Forces against the background of Operation Sindoor. Also, he pointed to DMK MP Kanimozhi leading the Indian delegation to Russia.

Hence, “political standpoint is different and extending cooperation to the government (union government) considering welfare of the nation is different.” In the same manner, the chief minister said he took part in the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by PM Modi to deliberate on growth goals. Stalin said he spoke on Tamil Nadu and batted for schemes and pending projects directly.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tamil-nadu/cm-stalin-says-no-compromise-on-tns-rights-defends-participation-in-niti-aayog-meet-3556890

Pakistan, on the other hand, sees India as an “existential threat” and will continue the development of tactical nuclear weapons

India perceives China as its “primary adversary” and Pakistan as “an ancillary security problem to be managed” despite the military clashes this month triggered by New Delhi’s military strikes on terrorist facilities, according to a new assessment by the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).

Pakistan, on the other hand, sees India as an “existential threat” and will continue the development of tactical nuclear weapons to counter India’s conventional military advantage, while tensions between India and China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are “capable of escalating quickly”, DIA director Lt Gen Jeffrey Kruse said in his worldwide threat assessment to the US House armed services subcommittee on intelligence.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to target terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians last month. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes using drones, missiles and long-range weapons that ended with an understanding between the two countries on halting military actions on May 10.

The DIA assessment, presented on May 11, said the Indian and Pakistani militaries had “agreed to a full ceasefire” after multiple rounds of missile, drone and loitering munition attacks and heavy artillery fire during May 7-10.

Kruse concluded: “India views China as its primary adversary and Pakistan more an ancillary security problem to be managed, despite cross-border attacks in mid-May by both India’s and Pakistan’s militaries.”

On the other hand, the DIA said, Pakistan regards India as “an existential threat and will continue to pursue its military modernisation effort, including the development of battlefield nuclear weapons, to offset India’s conventional military advantage”.

Pakistan is modernising its nuclear arsenal and “almost certainly procures WMD-applicable goods from foreign suppliers and intermediaries”, the assessment said. “Pakistan primarily is a recipient of China’s economic and military largesse, and Pakistani forces conduct multiple combined military exercises every year with China’s PLA”, it said.

Chinese-origin combat jets such as the JF-17 and J-10C and the PL-15 missile were extensively used by Pakistan during the recent clashes.

The DIA said foreign materials and technology supporting Pakistan’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programmes are “very likely acquired primarily from suppliers in China, and sometimes are transshipped through Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates”.

The assessment further said tensions between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are “capable of escalating quickly”, and the Indian government’s defence priorities will “probably focus on demonstrating global leadership, countering China, and enhancing New Dehli’s military power”.

“To counter Chinese influence and boost its global leadership role, India is giving priority to advancing its bilateral defence partnerships in the Indian Ocean region through exercises, training, arms sales, and information sharing,” the assessment said.

Last October, India and China reached an agreement on disengagement of forces two remaining “friction points” on the LAC and the leadership of the two countries agreed to revive several mechanisms to resolve the long-standing border dispute and to normalise relations.

The DIA said the “disengagement did not resolve the longstanding dispute about border demarcation but reduced some tension still lingering from a 2020 incident when troops on both sides were killed in a clash” along the LAC.

The DIA further assessed that India will continue promoting its “Make in India” initiative to build its domestic defence industry, mitigate supply chain concerns, and modernise its military. India also continued military modernisation efforts in 2024 by conducting a test of the nuclear-capable Agni-I Prime MRBM and the Agni-V multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle and by commissioning its second nuclear-powered submarine to “strengthen its nuclear triad and bolster its ability to deter adversaries”.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/china-adversary-pakistan-ancillary-problem-for-new-delhi-us-report-101748197965439.html

Employees are also no longer required to submit clearances from and attestation by their HR department for withdrawals and settlement of claims.

In a relief for employees who are locked out of their savings because of an overlap in service periods, the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the state-backed retirement fund manager, has issued instructions that claims of such subscribers can’t be rejected.

An overlap in service period occurs when an employee is shown to be working in two different companies on the same date and this can happen when the exit date from one company and the joining date in another firm overlap due to various technical reasons or errors.

“It has been observed that transfer claim requests are being rejected due to the issue of overlap in service periods by the regional offices. However, overlapping in services can occur due to genuine reasons and therefore the same should not be considered to be a disqualification per se in effecting transfers,” a circular issued by the EPFO to all its offices on May 20 states.

Provident funds provide retirement income and a financial safety net for nearly 70-million salaried Indians. It is often the key corpus of lifetime savings for working people.

The EPFO said transfer claims, where a previous PF account is sought to be transferred to a current one to consolidate the savings, which can then be withdrawn, should be processed even if there are overlapping services. Such transfer claim requests should be paused only in cases where a genuine need for clarification is felt, the circular said.

“Only in cases where a genuine need is felt to clarify the overlapping of service, would the claims be processed after obtaining the requisite clarification,” the order said.

“This is great relief because let’s say, an employee worked for 20 years and there’s an overlap of even a single day between any of the employee’s two companies, then the money used to get blocked,” said personal finance expert Kunal Kabra of Kustodian.Life.

In such cases, in the event of an employee’s death, it was impossible for survivors of the PF subscriber to get funds released, according to Kabra.

The latest circular is part of a series of reforms at the retirement funds body by the Union labour ministry. Among key steps taken recently, employees are no longer required to submit clearances from and attestation by their HR department for withdrawals and settlement of claims. Both these processes have been moved completely online.

Employees also won’t need to submit cheque leaves and bank-attested updated passbooks while filing claims, especially for partial withdrawals due to financial emergencies, such as sudden health expenses, educational financing needs and marriages.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/overlap-in-service-no-ground-to-reject-claims-epfo-circular-101748198865915.html

A Reddit post has sparked widespread debate by highlighting the absurdity of modern job requirements. The post revealed that the user was rejected from a job for not having five years of experience with a software tool that was only launched in 2023. The irony of requiring expertise that couldn’t possibly exist has left many scratching their heads, prompting discussions about the disconnect between hiring practices and reality.

“Applied for a job I was genuinely excited about. One reason I got rejected? “Lack of experience in X.” I Googled it — the tool was released in 2023. The job post also said: Must have 5+ years of experience”. “We value adaptability. “Thrives in fast-paced environments.

“So let me get this straight — you want someone with future experience in a brand new tool… but also someone who’s adaptable? At this point, job hunting feels like: Company: “Must walk on water.” Me: “I can swim.” Company: “Sorry, not good enough.” This isn’t job search fatigue anymore. It’s corporate fantasy disguised as hiring. Anyone else run into this nonsense lately?” the user added.

The post went viral, with many professionals chiming in to share their own tales of absurd job requirements or simply expressing their incredulity at the situation.

One user wrote, “Peak corporate logic: ‘You’re too early for your own tool.”

Another commented, “This. Ghost recruitment or fake post to satisfy internal hiring requirements without actually allowing for other candidates. I would forward the post to someone higher up in the company and say “i was rejected as a candidate because of a requirement that is impossible as this software has not existed for 5 years. I wanted to bring this to your attention as this could negatively impact your ability to fill the roll. If you wanted to be really evil, you could watch the position for if/when they hire. If it’s an internal candidate you could raise issue.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/feature/job-applicant-rejected-for-not-having-5-years-experience-in-2023-launched-software-8503614#pfrom=home-ndtv_lateststories

A Dubai-bound Air India flight from Delhi faced drama due to a technical delay, leaving passengers without electricity for over 90 minutes. Further delays led to deplaning.

A Dubai-bound Air India flight from Delhi became a scene of intense drama on Sunday as travellers clashed with the crew over a technical delay. Flight 2205, scheduled to depart at 5 pm, was delayed by several hours due to technical issues.

Passengers on the flight were without electricity for over 90 minutes due to a power failure, which was attributed to a technical issue. As the delay dragged on, passengers grew restless, with some even choosing to deboard. After the issue was resolved, the crew had to re-conduct a hand baggage check before proceeding.

The cabin crew worked to keep passengers calm despite the technical issues, offering water and snacks. However, the pilot later announced another delay due to a failure in the external electrical source, dashing hopes of an imminent departure.

After some passengers complained of feeling claustrophobic and some said they don’t feel safe anymore, all passengers were deplaned, probably for reboarding later.

Earlier, passengers on an Air India flight from Delhi to Patna were allegedly made to sit inside the aircraft for hours despite a non-functional air conditioning system.

A video of passengers creatively using in-flight magazines as hand fans to cope with the heat is going viral on social media.

One of the passengers, Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA Rishi Mishra, made a self-recorded video from the flight. In the video, passengers were seen complaining about the non-functional air conditioning.

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/passengers-argue-with-crew-on-delayed-dubai-bound-air-india-flight-deplaned-after-feeling-unsafe-ws-l-9352256.html

Security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the protesters in front of Kangla Gate, some 150 metres from Raj Bhavan gate.

Several people were injured after a scuffle broke out between protesters and security forces who were on their way to gherao the Raj Bhavan against the removal of the state’s name from a government bus.

The security forces fired tear gas shells and used mock bombs to disperse protesters in front of Kangla Gate, some 150 metres from Raj Bhavan gate, news agency PTI reported.

The protesters responding to a call by COCOMI (Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity) to stage mass agitation against the alleged removal of “Manipur” from Manipur State Transport bus with journalists on board on May 20 en route to the Shirui Festival in Ukhrul district.

The protestors marched for some 500 metres before they were stopped by security forces. They were demanding an apology from Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla over an alleged insult to Manipur’s identity.

Five protesters have been admitted to hospital with injuries, a hospital official said.

The governor continues to disregard the sentiments of the people by his silence. He and his administration has completely humiliated the state’s historical and cultural legacy all the while administering the state. The inquiry commission set up by the government to probe the incident is not enough and does not mention anything about penalising those who were involved,” a protestor told the news agency.

A row erupted after a media team, en route to cover the opening ceremony of the five-day-long Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul district on May 20, was forced to return to Imphal, allegedly after some security personnel blocked their bus at Gwaltabi in Imphal East district.

It was alleged that security forces had stopped the state-run bus, on which journalists were being taken by the government to cover the tourism festival in the district on Tuesday, and forced the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) staffers to cover the state’s name written on the windshield with a white paper.

COCOMI had announced the statewide agitation and demanded the resignation of the Chief Secretary, DGP, and Security Advisor over the incident. The group had also announced a civil disobedience movement across the state in protest against the Governor’s alleged refusal to apologise for the removal of the state’s name from the government bus.

Meanwhile, the Manipur government earlier this week ordered a probe into the allegations.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/protesters-scuffle-with-security-forces-near-manipur-raj-bhavan-several-injured-ws-kl-9352212.html

Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney is pushing for deepening economic cooperation with India

In the first official conversation since a major diplomatic dispute between India and Canada, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his counterpart Anita Anand.

Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney is pushing for deepening economic cooperation with India. The country will be hosting the G7 Summit from June 15 to 17.

Anand made the announcement on her social media handle on X, thanking Jaishankar for the “productive discussion” on Indo-Canadian ties.

“Thank you Minister @DrSJaishankar for the productive discussion today on strengthening Canada-India ties, deepening our economic cooperation, and advancing shared priorities. I look forward to continuing our work together,” she wrote on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated Carney on being elected as the Prime Minister after his predecessor Justin Trudeau stepped down from the role. In his message, he had stressed strong people-to-people ties between the two countries while saying he was looking forward to “unlocking greater opportunities”.

With Carney, it looks like India wants to turn a new leaf in bilateral ties that had nosedived under Trudeau amid unsubstantiated allegations against New Delhi related to the killing of pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023.

Even during his campaign, the Canadian Prime Minister said rebuilding ties with India was a priority for his government, describing it as an “incredibly important relationship”. He had said Canadians have deep personal, economic and strategic ties with India.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/in-first-conversation-after-major-diplomatic-meltdown-jaishankar-speaks-to-canadian-counterpart-ws-l-9352286.html

A Liberian container ship, MSC ELSA 3, sank off the Kochi coast, carrying 640 containers, including hazardous materials. All 24 crew members were rescued after the vessel developed a critical tilt and capsized.

Liberian vessel carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo, sank off the Kochi coast on Sunday, sparking fears of a possible oil spill. All 24 crew members were rescued after the ship developed a critical tilt on Saturday, according to officials.
So far, no oil spill has been reported, the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday as full pollution response preparedness was activated by the Indian Coast Guard which was monitoring the situation along with the Indian Navy.
“Liberian container vessel MSC ELSA 3 (IMO NO. 9123221) sank off the Kochi coast at around 0750 hrs today on May 25, 2025, due to flooding…

“The vessel went down with 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous cargo and 12 containing calcium carbide. It was also loaded with 84.44 MT of diesel and 367.1 MT of furnace oil,” the ministry said in a statement.

Of the 24 crew members, 21 had been rescued by the Indian Coast Guard on Saturday, and the remaining three were later rescued by INS Sujata, which joined the rescue operation launched by the ICG.
Given the sensitive marine ecosystem along Kerala’s coast, the ICG has activated “full pollution response preparedness” and ICG aircraft equipped with advanced oil spill detection systems are conducting aerial surveillance, officials said.
“ICG ship Saksham, carrying pollution response equipment, remains deployed at the site. So far, no oil spill has been reported,” the defence ministry said.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has cautioned the general public against touching any cargo containers or oil spills that may wash ashore.
The coast guard has confirmed that the vessel was carrying Marine Gas Oil (MGO) and Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO).
Deploying its ships and aircraft, the Indian Coast Guard had launched a rescue operation on Saturday following a distress call from the Liberian container vessel that developed a critical 26-degree list nearly 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi.
The emergency began on May 24, when MSC ELSA 3, en route from Vizhinjam to Kochi, developed a 26-degree “starboard list” approximately 38 nautical miles southwest of Kochi, the officials said.
The vessel lost stability, prompting a distress call. ICG’s Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) in Kochi immediately launched a coordinated response, they said.
“An ICG Dornier aircraft was deployed for aerial surveillance, spotting two life rafts with survivors. ICG patrol ships and merchant vessels MV Han Yi and MSC Silver 2 were also diverted to assist, in line with global search and rescue protocols,” the defence ministry said.
By late evening of Saturday, 21 of the 24 crew, including nationals from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Philippines, had been rescued. Three senior crew members remained onboard to assist with salvage arrangements, it said.
“However, the vessel’s condition deteriorated overnight and it capsized on May 25. The three crew members were forced to abandon the ship and were rescued by INS Sujata,” the statement by the ministry said.
The Coast Guard on Sunday also shared the rescue operation update and some pictures on X.
Noting that the sensitive coast of Kerala is home to both vivid biodiversity and is a major tourist attraction, the Coast Guard in a statement issued earlier in the day, said, the ICG has geared up pollution response preparedness and coordination with the state administration for all possible scenarios.
“ICG aircraft with advanced oil spill mapping technology are undertaking an assessment of the situation. Presently, no oil spill has been reported,” it said.
A Defence PRO said another vessel from the parent company had reached the area as part of the assistance efforts.
He added that the Coast Guard, which spearheaded the rescue operation, and Indian Navy ships are maintaining their positions in the area and monitoring the situation.
The KSDMA has cautioned the general public against touching any cargo containers or oil spills that may wash ashore.
They have also urged people to immediately inform the police if they spot any containers or oil on the shore.
The 184-metre-long vessel, MSC ELSA 3, departed for Kochi from Vizhinjam port on Friday.
At around 1.25 pm on May 24, the company owning the ship informed Indian authorities that it was listing by 26 degrees and sought urgent assistance.
The Coast Guard was coordinating rescue operations by maintaining ships and aircraft near the distressed vessel.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/no-oil-spill-so-far-indian-navy-on-high-alert-after-liberian-ship-sinks-off-kerala-coast-article-151717094

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is considering a new toll policy that includes a FASTag Annual Pass for Rs 3,000, allowing unlimited travel on national highways for a year. Users can choose between this pass or a distance-based pricing model at Rs 50 per 100 km.

A new toll policy could allow vehicle owners to opt for a FASTag Annual Pass, allowing them to have unlimited travel on national highways and expressways with a one-time payment of Rs 3,000 per year.
According to a report in Times Of India, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is considering a dual-payment system under the new toll regime, offering users the choice between an Annual Pass and distance-based pricing. Changes are also being considered in regards to physical toll booths to make travel seamless.

YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra was arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence. Following her arrest, a photo of her with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi circulated online, prompting public outrage. But here’s the truth.

Days after Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra was arrested for espionage and allegedly leaking sensitive information to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs), a picture of her with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has gone viral on social media.
The photograph linking Jyoti Malhotra and Rahul Gandhi was shared by several users on social media platform X, who wrote, “Rahul Gandhi with notorious YouTuber, Jyoti Malhotra!” Jumping on the bandwagon, others expressed outrage over Gandhi meeting Malhotra and questioned the ties between the Leader of the Opposition and the YouTuber, who has been booked under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to a report, 47 people were declared dead a total of 280 times over three years from 2019-2022. Every time a person was declared dead due to a snake bite, Rs 4 lakh was issued as the government’s financial aid.

In a shocking case of fraud involving government aid for those who died of snake bites or drowning, 47 people were declared dead a total of 280 times due to ‘snake bites’ in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni district. The startling case has unravelled a crime that was committed over three years to the tune of Rs 11.26 crore. A report said that each time a person was declared dead, an amount of Rs 4 lakh was issued as a natural disaster relief aid.

The scam finally came to notice when the Revenue and Accounts Department conducted an audit in November 2022. According to a report in India Today, the officials of the department found that 47 people were declared dead about 280 times from 2019 to 2022.
“The relief amount is given to the kin of people who died of snake bite or drowning. After investigation, we found that Rs 11 crore 26 lakh has been misappropriated and sent to the accounts of 47 people,” Investigation Officer, Rohit Singh Kaushal, was quoted as saying by India Today.

Citing an example, he said a woman named Dwarka Bai, who had died of a snake bite, was declared dead 29 times. As per the report, a relief amount of Rs 1.16 crore was released in her name. A man, Shri Ram, apparently died 28 times, and Rs 4 lakh was sanctioned each time, totalling to Rs 1.12 crore.

Gangaram co-existed peacefully with people of Bawa Mohtara for 130 years.

Stories of human-wildlife coexistence in India are often headlined by elephants, leopards and tigers, but a village in Chhattisgarh has an unlikely protagonist in its tale: a crocodile.
Gangaram was a beloved and docile Mugger, whom residents of Bawa Mohtara considered a friend. In 2019, when he died aged 130, the village had a funeral and later built him a memorial.
And why, should you wonder, was a village so attached to a crocodile? Peaceful co-existence. They trusted Gangaram not to attack their children at play or women when they washed clothes at the edge of his pond.

Crocodiles are highly-successful apex predators that have been around for millions of years, without having to evolve significantly. They are incredibly strong, stealthy and almost invincible.

Humans may not be their natural prey, but, being opportunistic predators, the reptilian behemoths are not above hunting us, especially when they feel threatened.
It was clear that Gangaram was extraordinarily special. And so, for 130 years, Bawa Mohtara lived in harmony with their friendly water neighbour, even coming to be known as ‘Magarmachha-vala gaon’ or the crocodile village at one point.
In January 2019, he died of natural causes. About 500 people gathered for his funeral, to which Gangaram was taken on a tractor, garlanded.
“After getting information about its death, the forest personnel went there and a post mortem was conducted by veterinarians,” the sarpanch said.
“After the autopsy, the carcass was handed over to the villagers as they wanted to perform its final rites.”
In fact, many mourning homes didn’t even cook that day.
A few years later, the village built a memorial to the crocodile by the pond in which he lived.
Then-sub-divisional forest officer R K Sinha said Bawa Mohtara had set a rare example of coexistence, considering predators who enter human settlements aren’t usually given the same treatment.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/viral/why-a-chhattisgarh-village-gave-a-crocodile-a-funeral-and-a-memorial-article-151715893

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patron Lalu Prasad Yadav on Sunday expelled his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav from the party for six years, citing his “irresponsible conduct” and deviation from the family’s values and public decorum.

This came a day after a purported post by the 37-year-old on Facebook spoke of his long-standing relationship with Anushka Yadav, saying that they have been in love and in a relationship for the past 12 years. However, he later claimed that his Facebook account was hacked and the photos edited to defame him and his family.

Announcing the move in a social media post, the former Bihar Chief Minister said that ignoring moral values in personal life weakens the party’s collective struggle for social justice, adding that the conduct of Tej Pratap was not in line with family values or traditions.

“Ignoring moral values in personal life weakens our collective struggle for social justice. The activities, public conduct and irresponsible behaviour of the eldest son are not in accordance with our family values and traditions. Therefore, due to the above circumstances, I am removing him from the party and family. From now on, he will not have any kind of role in the party, and the family. He is expelled from the party for 6 years,” Lalu Yadav said in a post written in Hindi.

“He is capable of differentiating between the good and bad and the merits and demerits of his personal life. Whoever will have relations with him should take a decision as per their own discretion. I have always been an advocate of public shame in public life. The obedient members of the family have adopted and followed this idea in public life. Thank you,” he added.

Lalu Yadav’s younger son and Tej Pratap’s younger brother, Tejashwi Yadav, shared his thoughts on the development while speaking to the media in Patna on Sunday, and said that, according to him, one should keep their political and personal life separate.

“As far as I am concerned, I neither like nor tolerate all this. Personal life should be separate. He is the elder one, and has the right to take his own decisions. But Lalu ji has also made his thoughts clear through a tweet. He did what he thought was right. I came to know about this only through the media,” Tejashwi Yadav said.

Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) hit out at Lalu Prasady Yadav, calling his move an eyewash by the RJD patron in the wake of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

“Lalu ji is misleading. Why did his conscience not awake when the Lalu family committed a heinous sin against Aishwarya (Tej Pratap Yadav’s former wife). This is pure immorality. He is misleading the people at the time of the elections and after the polls, Tej Pratap will be taken back into the party,” JDU national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said.

Notably, Tej Pratap’s divorce case with Aishwarya Rai remains stuck in court. His marriage to Rai, granddaughter of ex-Bihar CM Daroga Rai, collapsed within months, with Aishwarya accusing her husband and in-laws of throwing her out.

Aishwarya’s father, Chandrika Roy — himself a former minister, quit the RJD in protest, pledging to fight the battle “politically and legally”.

THE POST THAT STIRRED ROW

On Saturday, the purported post garnered a lot of attention on the social media platform. While many people praised Tej ‘Pratap’s courage, some netizens were curious to know whether this relationship will now lead to marriage.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/tej-pratap-expelled-lalu-yadav-rjd-bihar-assembly-elections-tejashwi-yadav-2730278-2025-05-25

Ahead of PM Modi’s Gujarat visit, the roads and streets in his home state have been adorned with gigantic billboards, posters and hoardings, hailing the Prime Minister as well as the Armed Forces for the successful Operation Sindoor.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to reach Gujarat, his home state, for a two-day visit beginning Monday, where he will launch many big-ticket projects amounting to thousands of crores. This marks his first visit to his home state, after Operation Sindoor — Indian Armed Forces’ targeted strikes that turned terror bases into ashes, across the border.

Ahead of PM Modi’s Gujarat visit, the roads and streets in his home state have been adorned with gigantic billboards, posters and hoardings, hailing the Prime Minister as well as the Armed Forces for the successful Operation Sindoor.

Huge posters have been put up at key intersections of the cities, including Ahmedabad and Bhuj, billboards erected at multiple locations to celebrate the armed forces’ targeted strikes across the border under PM Modi’s stewardship.

Big advertisement boards displaying the success of Operation Sindoor have been put near Metro stations, roundabouts and other locations.

The elaborate arrangements for the Prime Minister’s visit to his home state seek to showcase the idea and resolve of ‘New India’ that doesn’t fear but deters its enemies with stern action, under the strong leadership of PM Modi.

During his two-day visit to Gujarat, PM Modi is set to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple projects, including Rs 53,400 crore in Bhuj and Rs 24,000 crore in Dahod.

The PM will begin his Gujarat tour with Dahod visit on May 26, where he is scheduled to arrive around 11:15 a.m. He will dedicate to the nation Indian Railways’ Locomotive Manufacturing Plant, which will produce 9,000 HP electric locomotives for both domestic use and export. He will also flag off the first electric locomotive manufactured at the plant.

Thereafter, he will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects worth around Rs 24,000 crore in Dahod and will also address a public function.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/gujarat-gears-up-for-pm-modis-visit-with-operation-sindoor-posters-on-may-26

Abdullah also raised the issue of recent shelling from Pakistan that claimed 23 lives in Poonch, Rajouri and north Kashmir and underlined that the construction of individual bunkers for residents is necessary.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday proposed a dual approach to resuscitate Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism sector, severely impacted by the Pahalgam terror attack, urging the Centre to mandate PSUs to hold meetings in Kashmir and to convene parliamentary committee meetings there.

Speaking at the Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Abdullah also raised the issue of recent shelling from Pakistan that claimed 23 lives in Poonch, Rajouri and north Kashmir and underlined that the construction of individual bunkers for residents is necessary.

Acknowledging the severe impact of the recent events on the vital tourism sector, Abdullah proposed that as an immediate step, the government should direct its public sector undertakings (PSUs) to hold their meetings in Kashmir.

He also strongly pitched for holding of parliamentary consultative committee and parliamentary standing committee meetings in Jammu and Kashmir.

These concerted efforts by the government will significantly alleviate public fears, foster a renewed sense of security and trust, and ultimately pave the way for the revival of tourism in the Kashmir valley, bringing much-needed economic relief and a return to normalcy, he added.

During his extempore speech, the chief minister hailed the public’s defiance against the April 22 Pahalgam attack while simultaneously seeking the Centre’s attention for the region’s security, tourism and economic revival.

The security challenges post-Pahalgam have severely impacted Jammu and Kashmir’s economy, particularly its crucial tourism sector — a significant source of livelihood for many in the region.

Abdullah emphasised that while the nation mourns the loss of lives in the Pahalgam massacre, the memory of the 23 people who died due to shelling from across the border must not be forgotten.

The speech began with the chief minister commending the widespread condemnation from the people of Jammu and Kashmir following the Pahalgam massacre, which claimed 26 lives.

He also extended his gratitude to the central leadership, including the prime minister, for its crucial assistance in protecting Kashmiris targeted by anti-social elements in the rest of the country in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.

“When the victims of the Pahalgam massacre are remembered, the nation should also not forget 23 people who lost their lives in shelling from across the border as they were also killed by shells that emanated from Pakistan,” he said, drawing a direct link between the violence and its source.

India launched Operation Sindoor and targeted nine terror camps, including the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba outfits, on May 7. This was followed by heightened tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/delhi/hold-psu-parl-panel-meetings-in-kashmir-to-allay-public-fears-revive-tourism-omar-abdullah-at-niti-aayog-meeting-3556062

Shashi Tharoor stressed global solidarity against terrorism during a visit to New York. He asserted that India, like the US, will not remain silent in the face of such attacks.

Shashi Tharoor, who arrived in the United States as the leader of the all-party delegation, on Sunday said India will not be sitting quietly against the forces of evil.

Delivering his remarks while speaking to the media outside the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, the Congress MP also called on the global community to stand together with mutual solidarity and strength against the menace of terrorism.

Referring to the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre in the US, Tharoor said that the visit to the memorial is a solemn reminder of how, just like the US, India has been subjected to terrorism.

“We in India have been subject to the same wounds that you are seeing the scars of today in this very moving memorial. We have come in a spirit of solidarity, we have come at the same time on a mission,” Tharoor said.

The delegation, which is presently in the United States, will also visit Guyana, Panama, Brazil, and Colombia.

“In these countries, we are hoping to be able to explain to the world how important it is for all of us to stand together against the scourge of terrorism. Just as the US showed such resolution and determination in the wake of 9/11, so too our country has stood up against the forces of evil who attacked us on April 22,” he said.

“We hope that a lesson has been learned by those who perpetrated this attack and by those who finance, train, equip, and direct them, but we want to communicate to the world that we will not be sitting quietly if this is repeated.”

“We want the world to understand that this is not a time for indifference, but for mutual strength and mutual solidarity, so that we can all unitedly stand up for the values that the United States has always cherished – the values of democracy, of human freedom, of diversity, of coexistence of people of different communities, none of which sadly is on the agenda of those who conducted such attacks,” he added.

WHAT SHASHI THAROOR TOLD THE CONSULATE

After paying tribute at the 9/11 memorial, Tharoor, during an interaction at the Consulate, Congress in New York, said, “We came both as a reminder that this is a shared problem, but also out of a spirit of solidarity with the victims, who included Indians. It is a global problem, we must fight it unitedly.”

Speaking about how India has been subjected to terror acts time and again, Tharoor underlined that “Perpetrators of terror should indeed be brought to justice, and we are not going to stop our hunt for those who did this latest atrocity”.

He said, “We need to think about where these people are based, where they have safe havens, where they are trained, equipped, financed, guided, armed, and often directly directed. To perpetrate these horrors, and they too should be accountable for what they have been doing.”

“We are determined now that there’s got to be a new bottom line to this. We have tried everything, an international dossier, complaints… everything has been tried. Pakistan has remained in denial, there has been absolutely no conviction, no serious criminal prosecution, no attempt to dismantle the terror infrastructure in that country, and the persistence of safe havens,” Tharoor said.

“You (Pakistan) do this, you are going to get this back, and we have demonstrated with this Operation (Operation Sindoor) that we can do it with a degree of precision,” Tharoor mentioned.

Speaking further, the Congress MP said, “Some people decided that they would want to attack that process of normalisation (in Jammu and Kashmir), second to undermine the narrative, as well as the prosperity of the people of Kashmir. Third, by doing so in an atrocious manner, that is, it was not just a terrorist attack of somebody incriminating going on people with a bomb. It was a bunch of people going around identifying the religions of the people before them and killing them on that basis, which was clearly intended to provoke a backlash in the rest of India, since the victims were overwhelmingly Hindu.”

“The message was very clear that there was a malign intent, India, sadly, had no reason to doubt where it came from,” he said.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/shashi-tharoor-delegation-us-new-york-message-against-terrorism-india-pakistan-conflict-pahalgam-terror-attack-operation-sindoor-9351399.html

The directive comes amid growing concerns over a rising trend of law enforcement officers engaging in online content creation

In a bid to uphold professional discipline, the Kolkata police department has issued strict directives, barring all personnel under its jurisdiction from creating or sharing social media reels while in uniform or within police premises.

Senior officials have conveyed the instructions to all police stations (thanas) across the city, warning that any violation of the order will be met with disciplinary action.

The directive comes amid growing concerns over a rising trend of law enforcement officers engaging in online content creation, which authorities believe undermines the dignity and decorum expected of a disciplined force.

A senior officer told News18, “It’s a clear violation of discipline and unbecoming of a member of a disciplined force. Such actions are not in line with the standards we are expected to maintain and cannot be tolerated.”

Recently, several videos of uniformed police personnel from various states have gone viral, drawing criticism and sparking debate. Members of the police fraternity believe these incidents, along with similar occurrences within other forces, have prompted this decisive move.

Sources indicate that personnel have been instructed to adhere strictly to the directive, and any failure to comply will lead to action. Over the past month, three police officers have already been suspended over issues related to behaviour and discipline, signalling the force’s firm stance on such matters.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/no-reels-in-uniform-kolkata-cops-under-the-lens-as-police-dept-enforces-new-disciplinary-rule-9351283.html

On Feb 28, the EPFO had kept the widely watched metric of middle-class savings unchanged at 8.25% despite global financial uncertainties, following which the decision had been sent to the finance ministry for concurrence.

New Delhi The Centre has ratified the decision of the trustees’ board of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the state-run retirement fund manager, to maintain the interest rate on provident-fund deposits for 2024-25 at 8.25%, a move that will benefit nearly 70 salaried Indians.

On Feb 28, the EPFO had kept the widely watched metric of middle-class savings unchanged at 8.25% despite global financial uncertainties, following which the decision had been sent to the finance ministry for concurrence.

“The finance ministry has given its concurrence to the 8.25% PF interest. The labour ministry has sent a communication to the EPFO in this regard,” an official said. With this, the interests accrued will be credited to the accounts EPFO subscribers.

Provident funds provide retirement income and a financial safety net for nearly 70-million salaried Indians. It is often the key corpus of lifetime savings for the working people.

The present EPF deposit interest rate is significantly lower than the EPF deposits rate for the year 2015-16, when it used to be 8.8%.

The EPFO is mandated to invest its corpus in stock markets, equities and exchange-traded funds. In November last year, the board in its 236th meeting chaired by labour minister Mandaviya, approved reinvesting 50% of its redemption proceeds from exchange traded funds (ETFs) back into equities.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/imd-issues-red-alert-in-delhi-for-next-2-3-hours-warns-of-severe-thunderstorm-rain-101748107204883.html

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) swiftly initiated rescue efforts, deploying ships and aircraft in the vicinity to provide aerial support.Out of the 24 crew members on board, nine have already abandoned the vessel and are currently safe in liferafts.

A large-scale rescue operation is underway after the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3 developed a severe 26-degree tilt approximately 38 nautical miles southwest (Nm SW) of Kochi on Saturday, prompting emergency response from Indian maritime authorities.
Nine of the 24 crew members have already evacuated, while the Indian Coast Guard is working to save the remaining 15.
The 184-metre-long ship had departed from Vizhinjam Port on May 23 and was expected to reach Kochi on May 24.Around 1.25 pm on Saturday, the vessel’s operator, MSC Ship Management, informed Indian authorities about the incident and sought immediate assistance.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) swiftly initiated rescue efforts, deploying ships and aircraft in the vicinity to provide aerial support.Out of the 24 crew members on board, nine have already abandoned the vessel and are currently safe in liferafts.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/liberian-container-ship-tilts-sharply-off-kochi-coast-9-crew-rescued-rescue-op-on-for-others-onboard-article-151711998

The MEA said changes in the ground situation, such as advancements in engineering, the effects of climate change, and the melting of glaciers, make it necessary to renegotiate the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

India’s decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance follows Pakistan’s disregard for the guiding principles of the agreement, including friendship and goodwill, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has told a parliamentary committee.
The MEA said changes in the ground situation, such as advancements in engineering, the effects of climate change, and the melting of glaciers, make it necessary to renegotiate the 1960 treaty. The ministry noted that these issues would also be highlighted by Indian delegations visiting world capitals to explain the country’s stance following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, according to PTI sources.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, in a briefing to the committee, pointed out that the treaty’s preamble mentions it was concluded in a “spirit of goodwill, and friendship.” He said, “All these principles have in effect been held in abeyance by Pakistan.”

Misri also updated the committee on Indian actions taken in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, including Operation Sindoor, and spoke to all seven multi-party delegations currently visiting 33 countries and the European Union to present India’s position on its ongoing tensions with Pakistan.

The MEA said that Pakistan had consistently refused India’s requests to hold government-to-government negotiations over the treaty, despite significant changes in conditions since it was signed.
There is a compelling case for the treaty to be renegotiated to make it fit for the 21st century, the ministry said, citing that the agreement is based on engineering practices from the 1950s and 1960s.
Additional concerns include climate change, melting glaciers, fluctuating water availability, population growth, and the need for clean energy—all of which, the MEA said, justify a revision of the treaty’s terms and obligations.
“The treaty in its preamble says that it is concluded in a spirit of goodwill, and friendship. All these principles have in effect been held in abeyance by Pakistan. The unrelenting cross-border terrorism from Pakistan interferes with our ability to exploit the treaty as per its provisions,” the MEA stated.

The ministry emphasised that it is “only natural and well within India’s right to hold the treaty in abeyance when the fundamental ground situations have changed completely.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drawing a firm line, recently said, “Blood and water cannot flow together.”
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said that the Indus Waters Treaty will continue to be in abeyance, adding that dealings with Pakistan will be “strictly bilateral”.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/india-decision-to-put-indus-waters-treaty-in-abeyance-follows-pakistan-disregard-for-guiding-principles-mea-article-151710479

Cyclone ‘Shakti’ Name: A low-pressure system over the Arabian Sea is likely to intensify into a depression and may soon be named Cyclone ‘Shakti’, as per IMD. The storm is expected to bring heavy rains to coastal Maharashtra and Goa, with red alerts already issued.

As monsoon clouds gather over India’s west coast, a brewing system in the Arabian Sea is drawing the nation’s attention and it may soon earn the name Cyclone ‘Shakti’. But what does this name mean, and how close are we to seeing it declared a full-blown storm?
A low-pressure area hovering over the east-central Arabian Sea has shown signs of strengthening, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirming on Thursday that it may intensify into a depression within the next 36 hours, as per ANI. Currently positioned near the south Konkan-Goa coastline, the system is drawing energy from an upper-air cyclonic circulation, stirring up intense convection, a meteorological sign of brewing trouble.
IMD stated, “A low-pressure area lies over east-central Arabian Sea off south Konkan-Goa. It is likely to move nearly northwards and intensify further into a depression during next 36 hours. There is also possibility of its further intensification thereafter.”

While no cyclone warning has been issued just yet, the signs are being closely monitored.

Heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds and thunderstorms battered Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) early Sunday.

Although the rainfall provided a much-needed respite from the sweltering summer heat, it caused significant disruptions by causing waterlogging and flight delays. Several roads and underpasses were waterlogged, leading to traffic.

More than 100 flights were affected due to a strong storm and heavy downpour at Indira Gandhi International Airport. Around 49 flights were diverted between 11:30 pm on Saturday to 4:00 am on Sunday, the airport authority said on Sunday..

As per the latest data from IMD, the highest wind speed was reported at Safdarjung (Airport) at 82 km/h last night at around 2 am, followed by 76 km/h at Pragati Maidan. The lowest wind speed was reported at 37 km/h at Delhi University (North Delhi).

The latest advisory by the Delhi Airport said that flight operations are still affected due to disruptions last night. The airport urged passengers to keep checking their flight’s status and stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest updates.

As per the latest data, rainfall measurements recorded across various parts of Delhi until early morning include:
Safdarjung: 81 mm
Palam: 68 mm
Pusa: 71 mm
Mayur Vihar: 48 mm

A case has been registered against BJP leader Manohar Lal Dhakad, after his alleged obscene video with a woman has gone viral. The police has taken cognisance of the matter and registered an FIR. The objectionable video allegedly of Manohar Lal Dhakad, from Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur, in a compromising position with a woman on the Delhi-Mumbai 8 lane expressway has sparked controversy.

The footage, reportedly is of May 13 and was captured by a CCTV camera. Dhakad is seen in an objectionable position after getting down from a white car with a woman. Dhakad’s wife is an elected District Panchayat member from Ward No. 8 in Mandsaur’s Bani village.

Meanwhile, the Dhakad Mahasabha Youth Association has removed him from the post of National General Secretary. The BJP has also distanced itself from Dhakad. The party has said, he is not a primary member of the party and had joined through online registration.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/viral/mp-bjp-leader-booked-after-video-of-him-making-out-with-nude-woman-on-delhi-mumbai-expressway-goes-viral

South Indian Bank donated the kiosk machine to TTD at Sri Kodandarama Swamy temple in Tirupati.

Tirupati: A private bank on Friday donated a kiosk machine to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which can enable devotees to donate up to Rs 1 lakh through QR code transactions.

TTD is the official custodian of Lord Venkateswara temple here.

South Indian Bank donated the kiosk machine to TTD at Sri Kodandarama Swamy temple in Tirupati.

“South Indian Bank has donated a kiosk machine to TTD at Sri Kodandarama Swamy Temple in Tirupati. Devotees can donate up to Rs 1 lakh in UPI mode using the QR code machine,” said a press release from the temple body.

The bank had already donated a similar machine which is being used at Matrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Annaprasadam complex in Tirumala while today’s donation will be used at the Sri Kodandarama Swamy Temple.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/andhra-pradesh/private-bank-donates-kiosk-machine-to-ttd-for-facilitating-qr-code-based-donations-3555111

Inspector Dinesh Kumar of Utawad police station said that on the information of the intelligence department, a raid was conducted and 59 alleged Bangladeshis were taken into custody from the brick kiln.

Palwal police arrested 59 Bangladeshi nationals, including women and children, allegedly staying without any legal documents during a raid at a brick kiln in the Palwal district on Friday, officials said police.

They were working as labourers at a brick kiln. Fake identity documents have also allegedly been found with them, police said. The police are examining their documents and it is being ascertained when and how these people entered India illegally, they added.

Inspector Dinesh Kumar of Utawad police station said that on the information of the intelligence department, a raid was conducted and 59 alleged Bangladeshis were taken into custody from the brick kiln.

During questioning, they allegedly revealed that they had come to India from Bangladesh about 10 years ago by crossing the border illegally. Their names, addresses and identity details will be prepared and they will be sent back to Bangladesh, he added.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/haryana/59-bangladeshi-nationals-arrested-in-haryanas-palwal-3555159

The IndiGo flight crew initially sought permission to divert to Pakistan’s airspace but were denied. They subsequently navigated toward Srinagar while managing significant technical alerts and manual flying due to challenging conditions with the help of the IAF.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has shared details of how the IndiGo flight from the national capital to Srinagar on Wednesday was made to land safely after it was denied permission to enter Pakistan airspace with the assistance of the Indian Air Force (IAF). In a detailed statement about the incident, which occurred on May 21, the DGCA said that IndiGo’s A321 neo aircraft operating flight 6E 2142 encountered a hailstorm and severe turbulence near Pathankot after taking off from Delhi.
The IndiGo aircraft was immediately assisted in co-ordinating their route diversion by contacting Delhi Area and passing requisite contact frequencies of Lahore control for overflight weather diversion request. “As per crew statement, they requested Northern control (IAF) for deviation towards left (International Border) due to weather on the route, however, it was not approved,” the DGCA said.
“It later the crew contacted Lahore to enter into their airspace to avoid the weather but the same was refused too,” DGCA added.

When Lahore refused overflight clearance, and the aircraft proceeded towards Srinagar, Indian Air Force sources told PTI that the Northern Area Control stepped in and advised the IndiGo crew within the frame of the NOTAM, ensuring the safety of the aircraft and passengers. The flight was subsequently professionally assisted till a safe-landing at Srinagar airfield by giving control vectors and groundspeed readouts, the sources said.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Berlin alongside his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, Jaishankar said, “India has zero-tolerance for terrorism. India will never give in to nuclear blackmail.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday reaffirmed India’s firm stance against terrorism, declaring that the country will “never give in to nuclear blackmail” while addressing cross-border links to the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Berlin alongside his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, Jaishankar said, “India has zero-tolerance for terrorism. India will never give in to nuclear blackmail.”
He added, “India will deal with Pakistan purely bilaterally. There should be no confusion in any quarter in that regard.”

Jaishankar’s comments come during a visit to Germany, part of a three-nation tour of Europe. His remarks followed discussions with Wadephul, during which both leaders addressed regional security, counterterrorism, and bilateral cooperation.

Wadephul, speaking in German, condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people and expressed support for India’s right to defend itself, according to official sources.
Jaishankar praised Germany’s understanding of India’s security concerns, stating, “India values Germany’s understanding that every nation has a right to defend itself against terrorism.”
In response to the Pahalgam attack, India carried out precision strikes on May 7 targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor. Pakistan retaliated with attempted strikes on Indian military installations on May 8, 9, and 10. Hostilities between the two countries ceased after four days of conflict, with an understanding reached on May 10.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has since declared a “new normal,” stating that any act of cross-border terrorism will be treated as an act of war by India.
During the press conference, both ministers marked 25 years of strategic partnership between India and Germany. Wadephul noted the growing diversity of bilateral ties, saying Germany wants to “deepen our ties,” while Jaishankar highlighted that the relationship has “gained much stronger momentum.”
Jaishankar also met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and acknowledged his commitment to strengthening bilateral relations.
“Our talks addressed different dimensions of our bilateral cooperation, they ranged from trade to technology and investment, to defence, security, energy, sustainability, mobility of talent and societal exchanges,” Jaishankar said.
He noted that discussions also covered a wide range of regional and global issues, describing Germany as “a really important partner.”
“We cooperate in forums like the G4… to the G20,” he said, referring to multilateral groupings where both countries are active participants.
Jaishankar pointed to a shifting global landscape, saying, “The world order is under considerable churn, the political uncertainty is as evident as economic volatility,” and highlighted the challenges posed by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
He also praised Germany’s support for the India-EU free trade agreement, which leaders have aimed to conclude by the end of this year.
“Germany has been one of the most consistent and powerful supporters of rapidly doing a free trade agreement,” he said. “I am confident that if the two countries can meet the goal of FTA this year, there will be many more doors that will be opened to businesses on both sides.”
Prime Minister Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have both expressed a desire to finalize the agreement this year to boost cooperation in areas such as defense, security, and critical technologies.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/india-will-never-give-in-to-nuclear-blackmail-jaishankar-in-germany-article-151705931

In the advisory, hospitals have been directed to ensure the availability of beds, oxygen, vaccines, and essential medicines, along with proper functioning of equipment

The Delhi government on Friday issued an advisory to hospitals and health centres, asking them to step up preparedness for Covid-19. The advisory from the health department comes amid a small but noticeable rise in Covid cases being reported in several Indian states.

In the advisory, hospitals have been directed to ensure the availability of beds, oxygen, vaccines, and essential medicines, along with proper functioning of equipment such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators, Bi-PAP machines, and PSA plants.

“The hospitals must ensure preparedness in terms of availability of beds, oxygen, antibiotics, other drugs and vaccine. All equipment such as ventilators, Bi-PAP, oxygen concentrators and PSA must be in functional condition,” the health department’s advisory stated.

The advisory also directed that all positive samples are to be sent to Lok Nayak Hospital for genome sequencing to help track any emerging variants. Health facilities have also been asked to provide daily updates through the Delhi State Health Data Management Portal.

Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, speaking to the media, said as of Thursday (May 22), around 23 active Covid cases had been reported in the national capital. “The Delhi government is currently verifying whether these patients of Delhi or have come from outside the city,” he said.

Singh added that the BJP-led Delhi government has already coordinated with medical superintendents, doctors, and hospital staff to ensure readiness.

“The Delhi government is fully prepared to deal with any situation, and there is no need for the public to panic,” he stated.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/delhi-govt-issues-covid-advisory-as-cases-rise-hospitals-told-to-step-up-preparedness-ws-kl-9349992.html

In a narrow street made narrower by rows of parked motorbikes, businessmen sitting cross-legged on the sidewalks or perched on the motorbikes, are conducting business with their clients. The tools of their trade are basic — trays lined in velvet, tweezers, and magnifying glasses. Their wares are anything but.

These men in Surat, a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat, are trading in diamonds, carrying the precious stones wrapped in small squares of colored paper in their shirt pockets. The casualness of the whole operation belies its complexity. Both the sellers and the buyers are seasoned businessmen who can quickly appraise the smallest of diamonds. Deals worth thousands of dollars are sealed over cups of tea ordered from street vendors.

There is an unwritten code of honor among these traders and a slip of paper noting the transaction suffices for credit. No one is a complete stranger here and reputations are built or broken over time. The most trustworthy buyers have access to generous lines of credit.

The increasing popularity of lab-grown, cheaper diamonds, and the banning of diamonds originating from Russia by the European Union and G7 countries have adversely affected the industry. But the biggest recent threat is from U.S. President Donald Trump’s 10% tariffs on imports, including diamonds. An even bigger 27% tariff on Indian exports to the United States has been delayed for 90 days as the Trump administration negotiates trade deals. But even the 10% cut in profits is hurting.

Four out of five of the world’s diamonds are cut and polished in Surat, where generations have known no other skill or trade. Behind the grimy facades of several buildings in the market lie swanky workshops equipped with sophisticated technology to design and cut the raw diamonds arriving from Australia, Canada, Russia and parts of Africa.

Only a small percentage of Surat’s output is absorbed by Indian consumers. The rest is exported to the U.S., the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Belgium and other countries. The U.S. has no diamond mines. But two of the three main institutes for grading the gems are in the United States, and diamonds cross multiple borders before they are finally sold in their finished form.

The United States accounted for about 30% of gem and jewelry exports from India in 2023-24. About half of that was in the form of cut and polished diamonds. The future of this trade is now uncertain, depending on what Trump does about his tariffs.

“If the proposed tariffs are implemented, we may lose about half of our export revenue. We won’t be price-competitive anymore,” said Jigar Patel, treasurer of the Jewellers Association Ahmedabad, based in Gujarat’s main city.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/india-diamond-traders-surat-photos-3939be164713b5a7aec5d12a9123b4c3

Top defence sources said more than 170 terrorists were killed in the May 7 strike on the nine terrorist headquarters in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK)

Operation Sindoor led to over 200 casualties on the Pakistani side, including nearly 42 of their military personnel, top defence sources have told CNN-News18. Several Indian women pilots were part of Operation Sindoor that inflicted serious damage on Pakistan, defence sources added.

Sources said more than 170 terrorists were killed in the May 7 strike on the nine terrorist headquarters in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), with the maximum damage being inflicted on the Bahawalpur headquarters of the Jaish-e-Mohammad. This is where India’s most wanted terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar’s family suffered heavy casualties.

On May 9-10, India used the Brahmos missile to inflict serious damage to multiple Pakistan air bases, including Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan and the Nur Khan airbase, sources told CNN-News18. At least 42 Pakistani Military personnel were killed in Indian strikes. Sources added that India had hit all the targets it had planned with spectacular precision. India’s women pilots were also a part of Operation Sindoor, defence sources revealed to CNN-News18.

India remains on alert with Operation Sindoor not over, but only paused. Sources said Pakistan was “badly humiliated” and so it will try to do something. “We are on alert for any action by them. Forces have been told to be prepared. Operation Sindoor has not ended, it is only paused,” defence sources added.

“Making Army Chief Asim Munir as the Field Marshall is a face-saving gesture by Pakistan,” top defence sources told CNN-News18.

Defence sources also said that India’s military success was a consequence of several decisions taken after the Doklam stand-off in 2017.

In a powerful and emotionally charged address in Bikaner on May 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on India’s decisive counterterror operations in response to the April 22 attack in Jammu & Kashmir, asserting that “every drop of Indian blood will be avenged”.

“The bullets flew in Pahalgam, but all 140 crore Indians were hurt,” Modi declared, describing the nation’s collective pain and unity after the deadly terrorist strike.

Modi confirmed that in just 22 minutes, India launched a precise retaliation, destroying nine top terrorist headquarters inside Pakistan in Operation Sindoor. “Jab sindoor barood ban jata hai, then what is the result – the world saw it.”

Framing the strike as a fulfilment of the nation’s vow post-Pahalgam, Modi said: “Those who tried to erase our sindoor, we have turned them to dust. Those who spilled Indian blood—today, we’ve settled every drop.”

‘PAKISTAN BROUGHT TO ITS KNEES’

Crediting India’s armed forces, Modi said: “Our government gave full freedom to all three armed forces. They created a chakravyuh that brought Pakistan to its knees.”

Referring to Pakistan’s attempted strike on the Nal Air Base, he said the base stood untouched—while India’s response targeted Pakistan’s Rahim Khar air base, rendering it inoperable:

“Rahim Khar air base is now in the ICU. No one knows when it will reopen.”

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/op-sindoor-indias-women-pilots-played-key-role-over-200-killed-in-pak-exclusive-ws-l-9349892.html

Calling out Pakistan’s double standards, India says a nation that shelters terrorists and kills civilians cannot preach about protecting human rights at the global stage.

India on Friday launched a sharp attack on Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), accusing its neighbour of deliberately targeting civilians and supporting terrorism, including by using civilian spaces as cover for terror operations.

Speaking at a UNSC session on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said that the Pakistani army recently shelled Indian border villages, killing over 20 civilians and injuring more than 80. He alleged that the attacks intentionally targeted religious places and medical facilities.

Pakistan attacked border villages with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), constant firing and shelling as its forces intervened on behalf of terrorists after India targeted terror hideouts of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of Operation Sindoor earlier this month.

Indian Army dispelled the aerial attacks but the Pakistan Army attacked civilian and residential areas forcing Indian armed forces to carry out strikes on Pakistani military installations. The Pakistan Army attacked hospitals and places of worship in Poonch and other border districts.

“There was intentional targeting of places of worship, including gurudwaras and temples, as well as medical facilities,” Harish said, adding that the assault was a blatant violation of international humanitarian norms.

He further said that India has endured decades of Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attacks, pointing to past incidents such as the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the recent massacre of tourists in Pahalgam in April 2025.

Harish criticised Islamabad’s consistent glorification of terrorists, saying, “We just recently saw senior government, police and military officials pay respects at the funeral of noted terrorists.”

“A nation that makes no distinction between terrorists and civilians has no credentials to speak about protecting civilians,” the envoy added.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/india-calls-out-pakistans-hypocrisy-at-unsc-cites-shelling-of-villages-support-for-terror-ws-l-9350156.html