Category: India

Fans were quick to spot an interaction of Kohli’s verified Instagram account with Kaur’s recent photo from a series of pictures she posted from her Goa vacation.

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli found himself at the centre of controversy after what he claimed to be an “algorithm error” on Instagram.

Fans of Kohli have been flooding Instagram comments under posts of actress Avneet Kaur and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, after the cricketer “liked” a picture of of the actress, according to multiple media reports.

Fans were quick to spot an interaction of Kohli’s verified Instagram account with Kaur’s recent photo from a series of pictures she posted from her Goa vacation. In the comments section of said post, even Anushka Sharma, Bollywood star and the cricketer’s wife, was tagged by his fans.

DH could not independently verify the account interaction.

Kohli issued a clarification on his account, saying, “I’d like to clarify that while clearing my feed, it appears the algorithm may have mistakenly registered an interaction,” the post read.

“There was absolutely no intent behind it. I request that no unnecessary assumptions be made. Thank you for your understanding,” it further stated.

Soon his fans started leaving comments under Zuckerberg’s posts, asking the Meta CEO to apologise to the cricketer.

The “like”, however, was no longer seen on the post, but netizens continued discussions over it.

Some started having fun in the comment section of the “liked” picture, with gifs, while the other half showed support and defended Kohli’s action by saying “it’s not a big deal.”

The social media frenzy began just a day after Kohli posted a heartfelt message for his wife Anushka Sharma on her birthday.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/virat-fans-flood-zuckerbergs-social-media-after-cricketer-blames-algorithm-for-like-on-avneet-kaurs-instagram-post-3523286

Goa Stampede: A large crowd had gathered at the Shirgaon Temple in Goa for the annual procession. It suddenly led to a stampede after which six people died and many received severe injuries.

At least seven people died and more than 50 were left injured after a stampede during the Shirgaon temple jatra (procession) in Goa. Those injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital. Some of the injured are said to be in critical condition.
The incident happened late on Friday night when chaos was seen after a huge crowd had gathered during the temple procession. A stampede occurred due to the large number of people at the site and many, including women and children, were injured.

Goa CM Pramod Sawant visited the GMC and North Goa District Hospital in Mapusa where the injured are being treated.
In an exclusive conversation with Times Mow, the Chief Minister said the incident happened at 4 am. “There were more than 50 thousand people…when the procession reached a slope, the crowd went berserk. Injured are being treated,” he said.

In a post on X, he said, “Deeply saddened by the tragic stampede at the Lairai Zatra in Shirgaon this morning. I visited the hospital to meet the injured and have assured all possible support to the affected families. I am personally monitoring the situation to ensure that every necessary measure is being taken.”

“Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with me and took detailed stock of the situation, offering his full support during this difficult time,” the Goa CM added.
After meeting the injured at the hospital, Union Minister Shripad Naik said, “Many people got injured in the ‘yatra’, many people died. This is first such incident there. I cannot say how it happened as of now. I pay my condolences to the people who died and wish for speedy recovery of the injured. The festival is being celebrated for many years, we have to be careful in future.”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/6-killed-over-50-injured-in-stampede-during-shirgaon-temple-procession-in-goa-many-critical-article-151553295

The video shows Sushila striking the young pair as they attempt to leave on a motorcycle, whilst trying to grasp the girl’s hair.

In a shocking incident, a 21-year-old man and his 19-year-old girlfriend were physically assaulted in public by the former’s parents in Kanpur.

The incident, which was captured on video and has since spread across social media, took place at Ram Gopal intersection in the Gujaini locality on Friday.

According to local authorities, the man identified as Rohit was having chowmein with his girlfriend at a street-side eatery when his parents, Shiv Karan and Sushila, discovered them.

Rohit’s parents, who disapproved of his relationship, then started thrashing him and his girlfriend.

The video shows Sushila striking the young pair as they attempt to leave on a motorcycle, whilst trying to grasp the girl’s hair. Onlookers are seen attempting to assist the couple, while Rohit’s father is seen slapping him with a slipper.

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/thrashed-with-slippers-parents-catch-son-girlfriend-eating-noodles-beat-them-up-video-ws-kl-9322861.html

Under the land-pooling scheme, farmers from 29 villages contributed approximately 34,000 acres during Naidu’s tenure as chief minister.

The relaunch of construction works for Amaravati marks an emotional milestone for over 30,000 farmers who surrendered their lands for the capital city under a land pooling scheme implemented by N Chandrababu Naidu’s government between 2014 and 2019.

During the YSRCP’s tenure from 2019 to 2024, these farmers waged a relentless campaign against the government’s plan to relocate the capital. The YSRCP had proposed a decentralized development model with three capitals, abandoning the vision of a single grand capital of the then TDP government.

Despite this setback, the farmers’ protest camp continued uninterrupted for nearly six years, demonstrating extraordinary determination.

“For three generations my family has lived in this region. I expanded my initial 3 acres to 20 acres and surrendered all of it to the government in 2015 for Amaravati with tremendous hope and expectations. Everything turned upside down after YSRCP came to power in 2019. For five years I suffered sleepless nights worrying about our future. But we never lost hope, believing justice would prevail. Now, I’m overjoyed that Modi is relaunching Amaravati,” said an emotional 70-year-old Aluru Kotayya from Mandadam village in Tullur mandal. Kotayya was among many farmers who participated in Friday’s Amaravati relaunch program.

Under the land-pooling scheme, farmers from 29 villages contributed approximately 34,000 acres during Naidu’s tenure as chief minister. In exchange, they were promised 800 to 1,200 square yards of residential land and 100 to 450 square yards of commercial land in layouts developed by the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), complete with modern amenities.

The farmers feared that if the executive branch moved to Vizag as part of Jagan’s three-capital plan—executive in Vizag, judiciary in Kurnool, and legislature in Amaravati—the value of their allocated sites would plummet.

After Hyderabad was assigned to Telangana following the 2014 state bifurcation, Naidu developed this innovative land pooling scheme to create a greenfield capital for Andhra Pradesh. During his previous five-year term, he named it Amaravati, a name that resonated throughout the country. With his reputation as a “CEO CM” who had successfully built Cyberabad—now one of India’s premier IT hubs—Amaravati gained national attention between 2014 and 2019. This momentum shifted in 2019 when Jagan became Chief Minister with different priorities.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/andhra-pradesh/amaravati-relaunch-farmers-rejoice-at-revival-of-their-capital-city-dream-after-a-more-than-5-year-fight-3522352

The NIA had on April 27 taken over the probe into the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which left 26 dead. The agency has also intensified search for evidence and questioned scores of eyewitnesses to unravel the terror conspiracy.

The Pakistan-based terrorists, who killed 26 innocent civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, were in constant touch with their handlers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and had their weapons hidden in Betaab Valley, according to the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) preliminary probe, sources told Times Now. Twenty-six civilians, mostly tourists, were killed on April 22 after terrorists opened fire at Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley.
The NIA, in its preliminary investigation, has uncovered strong evidence pointing towards the involvement of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and elements of the Pakistan Army in the planning and execution of the Pahalgam terror attack. Hashim Musa (also known as Suleman or Suleiman), involved in the Pahalgam attack, is believed to be a former para commando of the Pakistani army’s special forces. The Resistance Force (TRF) – an offshoot of the LeT – had initially claimed the responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. However, the group denied its involvement as global pressure mounted and termed the previous online claim as a breach. Days later, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that Islamabad used its position in the UNSC to remove TRF from its statement on Pahalgam attack.

During the commissioning of the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala, Modi took a swipe at the opposition INDIA bloc, saying their presence would give “sleepless nights to many”. He made the comment in the presence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

The Congress on Friday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks suggesting that the opposition’s presence would cause “sleepless nights,” saying the party will instead use those nights to hold him accountable.
During the commissioning of the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala, Modi took a swipe at the opposition INDIA bloc, saying their presence would give “sleepless nights to many”. He made the comment in the presence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

Responding to Modi’s comments, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “Even after the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, our PM remains fixated on disturbing the sleep of opposition leaders instead of confronting the real threat—Pakistan. His priorities are crystal clear: appeasing his real master–Adani.”

“But rest assured, PM, while you’re busy with your distractions, our sleepless nights will be spent holding you accountable,” Venugopal said.

“We will relentlessly pressure you to set a timeline for the caste census, remove 50 percent cap on reservations, and finally deliver the strong, decisive response that Pakistan so rightly deserves,” he added.
At the Vizhinjam event, Modi referred to Vijayan as a “pillar” of the INDIA bloc and said Tharoor’s presence would “take away the sleep of many.” The translation of the speech was inaccurate, prompting Modi to say, “The message has gone across to whom it was meant.”
Tharoor, the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, welcomed the prime minister upon his arrival in the city Thursday. He wrote on X, “Despite delays at the dysfunctional Delhi airport, managed to land in Thiruvananthapuram in time to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his arrival in my constituency. Looking forward to his officially commissioning Vizhinjam port, a project I have been proud to have been involved with since its inception.”
Tharoor’s presence has sparked criticism within his party. Some Congress leaders have accused him of going soft on the BJP, especially after the Pahalgam terror attack. In March, Tharoor also drew attention for praising the Modi government’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, calling it an example of “deft diplomacy.”
Congress leader Udit Raj recently criticised Tharoor for reportedly saying, “no country has 100-per cent foolproof intelligence” after the Pahalgam attack. Raj questioned how Tharoor, a Congressman, could appear to defend the BJP.
Tharoor responded by noting Raj’s background. “He is a former Bharatiya Janata Party MP and is better qualified to understand who speaks for the BJP,” Tharoor said.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/our-sleepless-nights-will-be-spent-holding-you-accountable-congress-counters-pm-modis-tharoor-vijayan-jibe-in-kerala-article-151551354

The term persona non grata, meaning “unwelcome person,” received diplomatic meaning under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations established in 1961.

In the aftermath of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 people dead, India downgraded its diplomatic relations with Pakistan, announcing a series of measures such as suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty and shutting the Attari land transit. Officials of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were declared Persona Non Grata and were given one week to leave India.
“The Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared Persona Non Grata. They have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on April 23, a day after the attack.

In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, Rajnath Singh is unlikely to travel to Moscow for the Victory Day parade, sources said on Friday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to skip Russia’s Victory Day celebrations scheduled for May 9 in Moscow, defence sources said on Friday.

The development comes after it was reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the Victory Day Parade next week, in light of the Pahalgam terror attack, and that the Defence Minister would represent India instead.

However, sources now indicate that the Minister of State (MoS) for Defence, Sanjay Seth, may represent India in place of Singh.

The Victory Day Parade in Moscow marks the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

Russia had extended an invitation to PM Modi to attend the parade.

Since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the Prime Minister has chaired a number of key security meetings with various officials, including the tri-services chiefs. He has also chaired two Cabinet Committee on Security meetings within a week, followed by a Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs meeting and a Cabinet meeting this week.

What Is Victory Day Parade In Moscow?

The Moscow Victory Day Parade is a major military event held every year on May 9th in Red Square as part of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations. It is an important and symbolic show of the Russian Armed Forces, with President Vladimir Putin usually attending and giving a speech. The parade is a key part of how Russia honors its military strength and history.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/rajnath-singh-likely-to-skip-victory-day-parade-in-moscow-mos-defence-may-represent-india-9321875.html 

Participating aircraft included Rafale, Sukhoi-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Jaguar, C-130J Super Hercules, AN-32, and MI-17 V5 helicopters.

As the roar of fighter jets pierced the night sky above Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur, history was scripted on the tarmac of the Ganga Expressway. For the first time in India, the Indian Air Force demonstrated its might with night landings and take-offs on a public expressway—proving that the country’s highways are no longer just roads, but runways of national resilience.

India’s First Night-Landing-Ready Expressway Airstrip

This remarkable feat makes the Ganga Expressway the first expressway in the country to be engineered for both day and night operations of fighter aircraft. Equipped with cutting-edge lighting and navigation systems, this dedicated airstrip enables precision landings even in low-visibility conditions, setting a new benchmark in India’s dual-use infrastructure development.

The ‘touch and go’ exercise was conducted in two phases—one in the daytime and the other between 7 PM and 10 PM—to fully test the expressway’s night-operational readiness and also to showcase IAF’s operational strength, especially amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Participating aircraft included Rafale, Sukhoi-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Jaguar, C-130J Super Hercules, AN-32, and MI-17 V5 helicopters. These aircraft conducted low-altitude flypasts, some as low as one metre, before carrying out smooth landings and take-offs.

Grit, Precision, And The Sound Of Supersonic Thunder

On Friday, a sequence of drills began with an AN-32 transport aircraft executing a ceremonial flyover around 12:41 PM. The aircraft circled the area for about five minutes before landing and later took off around 1 PM. This was followed by the landing of IAF helicopters and fighter jets like Rafale, Sukhoi, and Jaguar, demonstrating the preparedness of the expressway’s newly built 3.5-kilometer airstrip.

However, after a brief lull, as the darkness enveloped the Saharanpur sky, the sky came alive again with the roar of jet engines. Between 7 PM and 10 PM, fighter aircraft performed low-altitude flypasts and precise landings, guided by the advanced lighting and navigation systems installed on the runway. The powerful visual and sonic display left observers awestruck, reinforcing the strategic capability of India’s infrastructure.

In a recent post, the UP CM Office highlighted that the expressway, the longest in the state, now features India’s first night landing airstrip for fighter aircraft, fortified with 250 CCTV cameras and ready for use in war or disaster scenarios. UP CM’s another post on ‘X’ reads, “Ganga Expressway is the longest in the state, stretching 594 kilometers. It now hosts the country’s first night landing airstrip—3.5 kilometers long—near Shahjahanpur, equipped with 250 CCTV cameras for round-the-clock surveillance. This expressway has been strategically designed to support contingency scenarios like war or disaster, allowing Air Force fighter aircraft to take off and land at any hour.”

Spanning across 594 kilometers, the Ganga Expressway connects Meerut in western UP to Prayagraj in the east, traversing through 12 districts including Hapur, Amroha, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj. Once fully operational, it is expected to drastically cut travel time across the state and serve as a major economic corridor.

The 3.5-kilometer-long airstrip, located near Kurebhar village in Shahjahanpur district, was constructed keeping in mind national defense needs. The airstrip is part of a broader vision to ensure that India’s infrastructure can double up as operational assets for the armed forces in times of crisis or war.

What Makes The Ganga Expressway Airstrip Special?

Officials said the airstrip on the Ganga Expressway is perhaps the country’s first road runway in the country designed to accommodate night landings and take-offs of fighter aircraft. This is made possible by integrating advanced LED-based lighting systems, GPS-guided navigational aids, and tactical runway markings that enable precision in low-light conditions. Built with high-strength concrete and reinforced for durability, the airstrip is capable of handling the impact of heavy military aircraft such as the Rafale and the C-130J Super Hercules. Security has also been prioritized, with over 250 CCTV cameras installed along both sides of the airstrip to ensure continuous monitoring. What further enhances its strategic utility is its convertible design—featuring removable median dividers and a clear runway path free of overbridges or signage—allowing it to seamlessly switch from an expressway to a fully operational airstrip in times of emergency.

Strategic Relevance Amid Regional Tensions

This display of capability comes at a time of heightened alertness following the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir on April 22. With borders under constant scrutiny, having emergency runways integrated into national highways and expressways is a forward-looking strategy that enhances India’s quick-response capabilities during wartime or natural disasters.

The exercise demonstrated that even civilian infrastructure can be leveraged for military preparedness, providing redundancy and strategic flexibility to India’s armed forces.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/in-a-first-iaf-fighter-jets-land-at-night-on-ganga-expressway-in-up-video-9321863.html

He highlighted that to reduce the financial burden on farmers, the Government of India has spent nearly Rs 12 lakh crore over the past 10 years to provide affordable fertilisers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the foundation of Viksit Bharat rests on four key pillars that are the poor, farmers, youth, and women’s empowerment.

“The foundation of a developed India rests on four key pillars–the poor, farmers, youth, and women’s empowerment. These pillars remain central to their government’s policies, with special priority given to farmers’ welfare,” the Prime Minister said, addressing a rally in Amravati.

He highlighted that to reduce the financial burden on farmers, the Government of India has spent nearly Rs 12 lakh crore over the past 10 years to provide affordable fertilisers.

PM remarked that thousands of new and advanced seed varieties have been distributed to farmers, boosting agricultural productivity.

The PM said that under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers in Andhra Pradesh have received claim settlements worth Rs 5,500 crore.

“Additionally, under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, more than Rs 17,500 crore has been directly transferred to the accounts of lakhs of farmers in Andhra Pradesh, ensuring financial support for their livelihoods,” he added.

Emphasising that India is rapidly expanding irrigation projects across the country, along with launching river-linking initiatives to ensure water reaches every farm and farmers do not face water shortages, PM Modi underlined that with the formation of the new state government, the Polavaram Project has gained fresh momentum.

PM Modi stated that millions of people in Andhra Pradesh will see their lives transformed by this project. He reaffirmed that their government is fully supporting the state government to accelerate the completion of the Polavaram Project.

The Prime Minister noted that raw materials such as cement, steel, and transportation services benefit significantly from large-scale infrastructure projects, strengthening multiple industries.

He stressed that infrastructure development directly benefits India’s youth, creating more employment opportunities.

He remarked that thousands of young people in Andhra Pradesh are gaining new job prospects through these ongoing infrastructure projects.

Emphasising that over the past 10 years, India has focused extensively on physical, digital, and social infrastructure, PM Modi highlighted that India is now among the fastest-modernizing infrastructure nations in the world, and Andhra Pradesh is benefiting significantly from this progress.

PM Modi noted that thousands of crores worth of road and rail projects have been allocated to Andhra Pradesh, accelerating its development.

“Andhra Pradesh is witnessing a new era of connectivity, which will enhance district-to-district links and improve connectivity with neighbouring states”, he stated, stressing that farmers will find it easier to access larger markets, and industries will benefit from improved logistical efficiency.

PM Modi also highlighted that the tourism and pilgrimage sectors will also gain momentum, making key religious sites more accessible.

He cited the Renigunta-Naidupeta Highway as an example, stating that it will significantly ease access to the Tirupati Balaji shrine, allowing devotees to visit Lord Venkateswara Swami in much less time.

The Prime Minister inaugurated, laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 58,000 crore in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.

PM Modi noted that the capital of ‘Indralok’ was named Amaravati, and it is no coincidence that Amaravati is the capital of Andhra Pradesh, adding that the city will be one where the dreams of the youth will get fulfilled.

“Amravati was the name of the capital of Indralok, and it is not merely a coincidence that Amravati is the capital of Andhra Pradesh. It is a sign of the establishment of ‘Swarna Andhra’. ‘Swarna Andhra’ will strengthen the pathway for a Viksit Bharat and Amravati will empower the vision of ‘Swarna Andhra’,” PM Modi said.

Further, the Prime Minister said that the centre has extended all possible assistance for the construction of Amaravati from 2014 to 2019.

“NTR garu envisioned a vibrant and developed Andhra Pradesh. Together, let us strive to transform Amaravati and Andhra Pradesh into a leading growth engine for the nation. It is our responsibility to fulfill the cherished dream of NTR garu,” the PM said.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi was in Kerala and dedicated Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport worth Rs 8,800 crore to the nation in Thiruvananthapuram.

Addressing the gathering on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Adi Shankaracharya, the Prime Minister highlighted that three years ago, in September, he had the privilege of visiting the revered birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya.

He expressed his joy that a grand statue of Adi Shankaracharya has been installed in the Vishwanath Dham complex in his parliamentary constituency, Kashi.

PM Modi emphasised that this installation stands as a tribute to the immense spiritual wisdom and teachings of Adi Shankaracharya.

He further highlighted that he also had the honour of unveiling the divine statue of Adi Shankaracharya at the sacred Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand.

The Prime Minister noted that today marks another special occasion as the doors of the Kedarnath temple have been opened to devotees.

Prime Minister Modi underscored that Adi Shankaracharya, originating from Kerala, established monasteries in different corners of the country, awakening the consciousness of the nation.

PM Modi highlighted the vast ocean, rich with immense possibilities, standing on one side, while on the other, nature’s breathtaking beauty adds to the grandeur.

Amidst all this, he emphasised that the Vizhinjam Deep-Water Sea Port has now emerged as a symbol of new age development. He extended his congratulations to the people of Kerala and the entire nation on this remarkable achievement.

Underscoring that the Vizhinjam Deep-Water Sea Port has been developed at a cost of Rs 8,800 crore, the Prime Minister remarked that the capacity of this transhipment hub will triple in the coming years, enabling the smooth arrival of some of the world’s largest cargo ships.

He pointed out that 75 per cent of India’s transhipment operations were previously conducted at foreign ports, leading to significant revenue loss for the country.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/foundation-of-developed-india-rests-on-4-key-pillars-pm-modi-andhra-pradesh-visit-8315284

A viral photo allegedly showing a 1,000-foot-wide UFO spotted near Four Corners has sparked fierce debate online, with some calling it alien evidence and others dismissing it as irrigation fields.

A mysterious photo making the rounds on social media claims to show a massive 1,000-foot-wide UFO hovering over the American Southwest. Shared by UFO disclosure activists, the image has quickly gone viral, sparking intense debate online—with many wondering whether it’s proof of alien life or just an optical illusion.
According to the New York Post report, the photo was revealed by former Pentagon insider Luis “Lue” Elizondo during a UAP Disclosure Fund panel held in Washington, DC. The event, titled Science, National Security and Innovation, featured US lawmakers and scientists advocating for the full release of classified UFO data.
The UAP Disclosure Fund posted the image on X (formerly Twitter), captioning it: “Captured near Four Corners at FL210, estimated 600–1000 ft in diameter, silver-hued, disc-shaped.” The photo, reportedly taken by a commercial airline pilot in 2021, appears to show a metallic disc casting a large shadow on the landscape below.

Elizondo clarified that the image was taken using a civilian camera and admitted, “I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the photo because I didn’t take it.” However, he pointed to the apparent shadow on the ground as a sign that the object had physical presence. The group also claimed that various speakers confirmed the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community possess hundreds of similar classified images and sensor data.

Still, skeptics were quick to weigh in. Prominent UFO debunker Mick West argued that the “flying saucer” is likely just a set of circular crop irrigation fields—common in arid areas—and pointed out that the shadows on nearby hills don’t align with the supposed shadow of the UFO. Elizondo has been criticized in the past for presenting questionable UFO evidence, and the Pentagon has distanced itself from many of his earlier claims.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/viral/alien-truth-or-farming-fields-viral-1000-foot-ufo-spotted-over-four-corners-sparks-online-frenzy-article-151549779

Bloodied and severely injured, the tourist was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors performed emergency treatment, including more than 50 stitches.

What was meant to be a lighthearted visit to a mangrove park ended in blood, stitches, and shock after a man was nearly killed by a crocodile he believed was nothing more than a harmless statue.

The bizarre and horrifying encounter took place at Kabug Mangrove Park, a tourist spot in the wetlands of Zamboanga Sibugay in the Phillipines. According to a report by Cosmo, a 29-year-old man whose name has not yet been released, had been exploring the park when he spotted what he assumed was an impressively lifelike crocodile sculpture. Enthralled by its realism, he reportedly waded into the water to snap a selfie – unaware that the 15-foot reptile was very much alive.

Within seconds, the crocodile lunged, clamping its powerful jaws around the man and dragging him into the murky water as onlookers screamed in disbelief. The sheer force of the ambush left the man helpless as the animal attempted to pull him into deeper water, presumably to drown and dismember him – a standard tactic for crocodilian predators.

Park personnel and a crocodile handler battled the reptile for over 30 minutes before the man was finally pried from its grip. Bloodied and severely injured, he was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors performed emergency treatment, including more than 50 stitches to close extensive wounds.

Police Sergeant Joel Sajolga later shared a video of the aftermath, showing the disoriented man behind a protective cage. In a blunt caption accompanying the clip, Sajolga wrote, “This man did a stupid thing and got trapped.”

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/tourist-tries-to-get-selfie-with-crocodile-statue-ends-up-with-50-stitches-ws-adl-9321585.html

Jaisalmer: A man has been arrested by Rajasthan Intelligence for spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Jaisalmer. The man visited Pakistan in 2013 where he came in contact with ISI officers. He was lured with money, the agency said.
Pathan Khan visited Pakistan in 2013 and came in contact with officers of the Intelligence Agency of Pakistan, an official release said. He detained around a month ago for questioning and was formally arrested on Thursday (May 1). A case has been registered against the Pathan Khan under the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
In Pakistan, Khan was lured with money and received training for espionage.

Even after 2013, he continued meeting Pakistan Intelligence Agency officers by going there and kept sharing sensitive and confidential information related to the Jaisalmer International Border with Pakistan handlers, the press note stated.

Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack. Over cross-border links to the attack, India took a raft of punitive measures, including the suspension of the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty, cancellation of visas, closure of the Attari land-border crossing and the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches.
India has also shut its airspace for all Pakistani flights. Pakistan, cornered over terror backing, also announced the suspension of the Simla Agreement.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/rajasthan-man-arrested-for-spying-for-pakistans-isi-jaisalmer-passed-intel-for-money-since-2013-article-151546452

According to a detailed report titled “Echoes of Pahalgam,” nearly one million cyber attacks have been recorded since April 22, post-Pahalgam terror attack.

tension between India and Pakistan post-Pahalgam terror attack, a recent report by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell has raised an alarm for the nation. Maharashtra Cyber Police, in its 20-page report, has raised red flags for what is being called one of the biggest cyber attacks or cyber warfare incidents.
According to a detailed report titled “Echoes of Pahalgam,” nearly one million cyber attacks have been recorded since April 22, post-Pahalgam terror attack. Marking a massive spike in digital intrusions, officials say what is concerning is the fact that these attacks are not isolated incidents but part of a larger, coordinated cyber offensive carried out in synergy between multiple groups from multiple countries.
The report highlighted how one of the attacker groups, identified as Team Insane PK, which is Pakistan-based, has been the leading force behind the attacks. The Pak-based group, along with Mysterious Team Bangladesh, Indo Hax Sec, Golden Falcon, and Moroccan Dragon from countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Middle East, and Morocco, have unitedly launched one million attacks—all in a span of 8 days.

In response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Navy has heightened its alert status, conducting extensive military exercises in the Arabian Sea’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

Indian Navy warships have been placed on high alert against any ‘unusual activity’ in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, Defence sources told Times Now on Thursday. Extensive exercises are being carried out in its Exclusive Economic Zone in the Arabian Sea, including multiple anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile firings.
“Indian Navy is carrying out exercises in the Arabian Sea extensively in its Exclusive Economic Zone. Warships are on alert against any unusual activity. Multiple anti-ship and anti-aircraft firings have been conducted in the area in recent times. Indian Coast Guard vessels are also deployed in forward areas near the International Maritime boundary off the Gujarat coast. Indian Navy is strengthening presence in the entire area of responsibility in the region,” Defence sources said.
The drills come at a time when India and Pakistan witness tensions after the Pahalgam terror attack, in which terrorists killed 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baisaran meadow.

‘Anytime, anywhere’: Indian Navy stands combat-ready
Earlier, the naval forces took to X and shared multiple videos and images of the drills showing missiles being launched from the warships.

“Indian Navy Ships undertook successful multiple anti-ship firings to revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems, and crew for long-range precision offensive strike. Indian Navy stands combat-ready, credible, and future-ready in safeguarding the nation’s maritime interests Anytime Anywhere Anyhow,” said the Indian Navy in an online post.

PM Modi’s big message to armed forces
During a high-level meeting held recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi granted the Armed Forces “complete operational freedom” to decide the mode, target, and timing of their response to the Pahalgam attack. The message was delivered as the Prime Minister chaired meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence.
“It is our national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism,” PM Modi asserted, expressing complete faith and confidence in the ability of India’s defence forces, sources said, citing officials aware of the development.
Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/indian-navy-warships-on-high-alert-in-arabian-sea-against-unusual-activity-after-pahalgam-terror-attack-missile-firings-carried-out-article-151543478

Shah said the government’s fight against terrorism will continue till the menace is completely wiped out.

New Delhi: Insisting that by striking terror one should not think they have won the battle, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said India will “hunt down” each and everyone involved in the Pahalgam terror attack and be made answerable for it.

At a function where he unveiled a statue of patriarch of Assam’s Bodo community Upendra Nath Brahma and name a road after him, Shah said the Modi government has been pursuing a zero-tolerance policy against terrorists and if someone thinks they will escape by carrying out such a cowardly attack, they are wrong.

“Whoever has carried out the dastardly attack in Pahalgam, we will not spare anyone. We will hunt down each and every perpetrator…This is Narendra Modi’s government,” he said.

Emphasising that the government’s fight against terrorism will continue till the menace is completely wiped out, Shah said, “do not think that you have won by killing 26 people. Everyone of you will be made answerable.”

He said the entire country is with the families of victims, sharing their grief and pain. He said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the government has been giving “strong response” to terrorists operating in the north-east, naxal-infested localities and in Kashmir.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/we-will-hunt-down-every-terrorist-involved-in-pahalgam-attack-amit-shah-2-3520399

The student was going on a scooter, when she saw that a Pakistani flag was stuck in the middle of the road, and vehicles were passing over it, The student stopped her scooter and started trying to remove the flag from the road. However, she failed to remove it.

Saharanpur: An 11th-class student had to pay a heavy price for trying to remove a Pakistani flag stuck on the road. The student was going on a scooter, when she saw that a Pakistani flag was stuck in the middle of the road, and vehicles were passing over. The student stopped her scooty and started trying to remove the flag from the road. However, she failed to remove it.

A passerby made a 12-second video of this entire incident and posted it on social media. The video has gone viral on social media. According to reports, on 29 April, in protest against the Pahalgam terrorist attack, some organisations had pasted the flag of Pakistan on the road, so that people could trample it under their feet.

After the video went viral, Hindu outfits got agitated and called it an anti-national act. The very next day, people from the “Kranti Sena” organisation reached the school and pressurised the management and demanded the expulsion of the student. They called it a case of treason.

Currently, the school administration has expelled the student from the school in view of the protests by Hindu organisations and the seriousness of the situation. The student belongs to the Muslim community and is said to be a resident of Gangoh area of ​​Saharanpur.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/education/class-11-girl-student-removed-from-school-in-saharanpur-for-trying-to-remove-pakistani-flag-from-ground-video

Delhi-NCR was hit by heavy rainfall coupled with severe thunderstorms and gusty winds early on Friday. An orange alert is in place in the national capital, with flights being delayed due to the inclement weather conditions.

Heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, gusty winds, and hail, lashed Delhi and its adjoining National Capital Region (NCR) early Friday morning, leading to widespread disruption. Over 40 flights were diverted and nearly 100 delayed as the weather wreaked havoc across the capital, according to airport authorities.

Tragedy struck in Dwarka’s Jaffarpur Kalan, where strong winds caused a neem tree to fall on a tube well room in Khadkhadi Nahar village. The collapse of the structure led to the deaths of a 26-year-old woman, Jyoti, and her three children. Despite rescue efforts by the police and fire brigade, all four were declared dead at RTR Hospital. Ajay, the husband of the deceased and the owner of the property, sustained minor injuries.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Delhi on Friday morning, warning of severe thunderstorms and squally winds reaching 70-80 kmph. However, by late morning, this was downgraded to an orange alert.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre has announced it will conduct a caste census in a decision that has surprised the Opposition and political analysts.

In a move that has stunned the Opposition and political pundits, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre announced it will conduct a caste census. The Congress party, of course, is taking credit for the move, saying that the saffron party conceded to relentless pressure from Rahul Gandhi. BJP supporters, on the other hand, are calling this move a masterstroke, claiming it has taken the sting out of the Opposition’s main poll plank ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls.

Regardless, the move came as a surprise as the BJP has long been non-committal about it. It has consolidated a Hindu-majority vote bank on the lines of Hindutva and nationalism, and exhorted voters to rise above caste. It has been successful to a large extent with massive victories in the 2014 and 2019 general elections and many state elections. So, what made the BJP, which once called the demand for a caste census divisive, take a U-turn?

1) Congress push for social justice: The Congress party guaranteed a nationwide caste census if it came to power. In two of the three states where it is in power, the party has followed through on this promise, indicating this isn’t just a gimmick.

It has also promised to pass a constitutional amendment to raise the Supreme Court-mandated 50 per cent cap on reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.

A similar technique was used by the anti-terror agency during the 2019 Pulwama attack as well.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday revisited the Baisaran meadow for three-dimensional, or 3D, mapping of the site based on the statements of witnesses, officials familiar with the development said.

A similar technique was used by the anti-terror agency during the 2019 Pulwama attack as well to reconstruct the scene and to understand the duration, exact location, and routes taken by the terrorists involved. Last year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also used 3D-mapping of the crime scene in the RG Kar hospital rape case to track the movement of the main accused Sanjay Roy.

“A NIA team, armed with the testimonies of the family members of those killed present at Baisaran on April 22, the pony operators, vendors and other workers there, as well as technical data like satellite imagery, video footage of the meadow shot by the investigation team, visited the site on Wednesday for 3D mapping,” an officer who asked not to be named said :.

This officer stressed that “the 3D mapping will provide accurate, graphic-rich visualization of the attack site, which can be used while questioning hundreds of people without bringing them to the site and understand the exact location of everyone who was present that day, entry and exit points of the terrorists, and the radius in which the killings took place”.

It will also be crucial to put evidence into context before the courts at a later stage, he added.

Officials said that the NIA probe team was accompanied by forensic experts during their visit to the meadow.

Sharing details of the use of 3D mapping in its probe of the Pulwama attack, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers were killed by Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists, a second officer said: “The route taken by Maulana Masood Azhar’s nephew Umar Farooq, suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar, and places from where the terrorists collected gelatin sticks, ammonium nitrate, ammonium powder and RDX were mapped.”

A team led by an inspector general rank officer is currently stationed in Pahalgam and has questioned dozens of individuals,including overground workers of terror outfits, as well as pony guides, vendors, photographers and those employed in adventure sports activities to gather clues on the dastardly terror strike, in which 26 tourists have been killed.

While information suggests that four to five terrorists were involved in the killings, sketches of three terrorists –two Pakistanis, Ali Bhai alias Talha Bhai and Hashim Musa alias Suleiman — and a local operative Adil Hussain Thoker have been released as of now and they are being hunted by security forces.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/in-baisaran-probe-niadeploys-3d-mapping-101746038658533.html

India has announced a series of measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack

India has closed its airspace to all flights operated by Pakistan-based airlines days after the Pahalgam terror attack. A similar decision was taken by Pakistan to shut its airspace for Indian flights last week.

As per the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), Indian airspace is not available for Pakistan-registered aircraft and any aircraft operated, owned, or leased by Pakistani airlines or operators-including military flights. Restrictions will remain in place till May 23.

However, foreign airlines flying from Pakistan (like Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, etc.) can continue to use Indian airspace as usual.

Flights of Pakistan International Airlines, the national carrier, are being rerouted via China for destinations like Kuala Lumpur, leading to added time and costs.

Last week on Thursday, Pakistan announced its decision to shut its airspace for Indian flights, reacting to a bevy of diplomatic measures New Delhi took against Islamabad in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. India’s tit-for-tat airspace move follows a series of measures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Attari border, sending back Pakistani nationals and slashing diplomatic representation.

More than 600 Indian flights bound for the west affected by Pakistan’s decision in the last one week and around 120 flights were forced to make extra stop to refuel when flying to Europe, North America and other destinations that involve overflying Pakistan, data shared by online travel agents and flight tracking platforms with Moneycontrol showed.

Indian airlines are expected to incur additional weekly expenses of Rs 77 crore for international flights originating from north Indian cities due to airspace restrictions leading to increased fuel consumption and longer flight durations.

An analysis by PTI, considering the number of overseas flights and approximate expenses based on increased flight time, indicates that the additional monthly operational costs could exceed Rs 306 crore.

According to Cirium data analysis, over 800 weekly flights are operated by Indian airlines from north Indian cities to international destinations, including North America, the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.

There are slightly over 3,100 flights in both directions per month, with nearly 800 flights weekly. Of the total monthly flights, around 1,900 are operated with narrow-body planes and some wide-body aircraft to the Middle East. With an additional cost of Rs 5 lakh per flight for the extra 45 minutes, the overall expenses will be approximately Rs 90 crore.

For Europe and North America, the total number of two-way flights is nearly 1,200. Based on the additional flying time of 1.5 hours, costing about Rs 29 lakh for North American services and Rs 22 lakh for European flights, the total amount will be around Rs 306 crore per month.

The analysis shows that the total additional monthly expenses will be about Rs 307 crore, with Rs 77 crore on a weekly basis. These figures are rough estimates.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/india-closes-airspace-for-flights-from-pakistan-days-after-pahalgam-terror-attack-report-9319177.html

A massive fire broke out at Dilli Haat, a popular market in south Delhi, on Wednesday night. As many as 13 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

As per officials, 24 shops were gutted in the fire. However, no loss of life or injuries was reported.

“We received a call regarding fire at Dilli Haat Market INA at 8.55 pm and have deployed 13 fire engines at the spot. Further operation is underway,” an official of the Delhi Fire Service said.

Dilli Haat is a popular art and craft mart and also has a food plaza.

This was the second fire incident in the day. Earlier today, a fire broke out in a building in Gandhi Nagar Market.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta said she is closely monitoring the situation and ensuring all necessary assistance to those affected.

“The news of the fire incident at Dilli Haat is unfortunate. The team of firefighters have brought the fire under control. No casualties have been reported so far. We are closely monitoring the situation & ensuring all necessary assistance to those affected,” she wrote on X.

Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra said that the cause of fire will be investigated and compensation will be paid for those who lost their shops.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/massive-fire-breaks-out-at-delhis-dilli-haat-13-tenders-rushed-to-spot-9319135.html

India has been working with manufacturers for indigenous drones. Not just this, an anti-drone system is also equally important for the safety and security of the country.

Drones are the future, when it comes to military operations and the Armenia-Azerbaijan and the Russia-Ukraine wars have proved that. Of course, India’s armed forces have acquired drones and the process is continuing, but now, there is a possibility of using them in counter-terror operations.
Drones can be particularly useful in the higher altitudes, both for surveillance and for strikes. They can be easily equipped with weapons. These are areas where it is more difficult for security personnel to reach without alerting the terrorists holed up there.
Already, there is a decision to ensure that drones are available at the battalion level. Now, there is a realisation that they could be useful for counter-terror operations within the country. And work towards that has begun.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/why-drones-are-next-big-thing-for-india-counter-terrorism-ops-pahalgam-attack-jammu-kashmir-article-151536684

As Pakistan is scrambling to shield itself diplomatically and militarily, India has quietly reached out to Kabul, Islamabad’s worst friend-turned-foe. With this smart tactical move, India further cornered Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack. The Taliban have condemned the dastardly terror attack.

India is taking the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan on its side as it moves to act against Pakistan over the Pahalgam massacre. India has held talks with Kabul, even as Pakistan faces a Taliban-linked insurgency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. This comes even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave “complete operational freedom” to the Indian armed forces on their response to Pakistan. The Taliban have condemned the terror attack in Kashmir, and are reaching out for better ties with New Delhi.

This is quite a diplomatic coup for New Delhi, which snapped formal ties with Kabul after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Pakistan, which hosted and sponsored the rebels, seems to have lost out.

An Indian delegation visited Kabul on Monday, where it met the Taliban’s top leadership and discussed “recent regional developments”, pushing Pakistan further into the corner.

The Indian diplomatic trip to Kabul comes just days after Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar visited Afghanistan following a year of strained ties marked by border disputes, terror allegations, and the mass deportation of Afghan refugees by Islamabad.

With Islamabad rushing its officials to world capitals, tucking terrorists into bunkers, pleading for neutral probes, shifting air defence to the border, and unleashing relentless cross-border fire, Pakistan has turned panicistan. Kabul’s overtures to New Delhi would add to Islamabad’s jitters.

India has briefed diplomats from 25 countries, including the G20 and Gulf nations, on the Pahalgam attack and its zero-tolerance policy on terror, according to reports.

However, India’s Kabul diplomacy is a smart tactical move. One has to remember, Pakistan cultivated the Taliban for decades in its ambition for “strategic depth”.

Then ISI chief, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, rushed to Kabul to celebrate soon after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The equations have changed greatly.

MODI GIVES FREEDOM TO ARMED FORCES AFTER PAK CLAIMED INDIAN ATTACK IMMINENT

India’s talks with the Taliban leadership come even as it keeps all options open on its response to the Pahalgam massacre.

PM Narendra Modi, who has vowed to “identify, track, and punish” those responsible for the terror attack, on April 29 gave the Indian armed forces “complete operational freedom” to decide the mode, targets, and timing of a response.

PM Modi’s “free-hand” to the armed forces came in as Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that it had “credible intelligence” about India’s military action plans.

Tarar on Wednesday claimed that India was planning military action on Pakistan “in the next 24–36 hours” on the basis of “baseless and concocted allegations” of Islamabad’s involvement in the terror attack in Pahalgam.

Tarar’s claim followed another claim by Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, where he said an Indian attack was imminent.

“We have reinforced our forces because it is something which is imminent now. So in that situation some strategic decisions have to be taken, so those decisions have been taken,” Asif told Reuters on Monday.

TALIBAN-LED KABUL CONDEMNS PAHALGAM TERROR ATTACK

Amid the charged atmosphere, India’s diplomatic outreach to Afghanistan can be considered a masterstroke.

On April 28, India’s Joint Secretary for Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran, M Anand Prakash, met Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul.

In the meeting, alongside strengthening bilateral ties, trade, and transit, both sides also exchanged views on ‘recent regional developments’.

The mention of “exchange of views on recent regional developments” was a message in itself.

In fact, the Taliban-led government of Afghanistan had condemned the Pahalgam attack, ahead of the meeting with the Indian delegation.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan categorically condemns the recent attack on tourists in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir, and expresses condolences to the bereaved families,” Taliban spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said.

During the meeting, the Afghan side reiterated that it posed no threat to any country, an assurance earlier echoed by the Emirate’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in January.

The statement, coupled with the diplomatic engagement between India and Afghanistan, suggests a growing alignment between New Delhi and Kabul, particularly as Pakistan-Afghanistan relations deteriorate.

Pakistan’s ties with the Taliban have soured in recent years, exacerbated by Islamabad’s decision to expel Afghan refugees and accusations that Kabul was allowing the Pakistani Taliban to use its soil for attacks on the Pakistani military.

The Taliban’s warming ties with India, including its acceptance of Indian humanitarian and infrastructure aid, have further strained this dynamic.

Pakistan and its military establishment, over the years had cultivated and nurtured the Taliban in quest of “strategic depth” against India. Islamabad’s hosting of Taliban leaders and anti-India terrorists was aimed at bleeding India with a “thousand cuts” over Kashmir.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-diplomats-meet-afghanistan-taliban-kabul-takes-them-on-side-before-military-offensive-on-pakistan-2717428-2025-04-30

Ambergris is produced by sperm whales. It is waxy substance which is highly sought after in the perfume industry. It is considered to be rare as it is formed in the intestines of sperm whales.

The Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on Wednesday arrested four persons with 2.904 kilograms of ambergris, also known as floating gold or whale vomit.

DCB officials said that based on a tip-off that they apprehended a person identified as Aamir Mansuri, a resident of Surat, who had come to Ahmedabad to sell ambergris.

Officials said that they obtained information from the cell phone of Mansuri’s video that the consignment had been sent by another Surat-based person identified as Usman Sheikh.

A team of DCB was dispatched to Surat which raided Usman Sheikh’s house and a total of 2.904 kilograms of ambergris, worth Rs 2,90,40,000 was recovered from his possession.

During the further investigation, two more suspects involved in illicit business were apprehended. They have been identified as Sahadatali alias Babu Rangrez, originally from Daman and Mohammad Hanif Sheikh, who is from Surat.

Ambergris is produced by sperm whales. It is waxy substance which is highly sought after in the perfume industry. It is considered to be rare as it is formed in the intestines of sperm whales.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/gujarat/four-held-with-whale-vomit-worth-rs-29-crore-in-ahmedabad-3519128

A 69-year-old Pakistani national, who was to be sent back to his nation, died of cardiac arrest here on Wednesday, officials said.

Abdul Waheed was brought from Srinagar by the Jammu and Kashmir Police for his repatriation to Pakistan.

He had been living in India for the last 17 years and was found with an expired visa by the police, they said.

Meanwhile, a total of 224 Indian nationals and Pakistani citizens who were holding No Obligation to Return to India (NORI) visas crossed over to India through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at the Attari border. A total of 139 Pakistani nationals crossed over to the other side.

Monika Rajani, 35, a Pakistani passport holder having NORI and Long Term Visa (LTV), crossed over to India along with her five-year-old India-born daughter Saimara.

She said, “I have crossed over to India from Pakistan in a panic with the fear that ICP may be closed at any time. I belong to a Hindu family and married a Hindu man at Vijayawada around nine years back. My in-laws and husband from Vijayawada were waiting here to receive me.” “I crossed over to India at 3 pm, where it took around three hours for customs and Immigration clearance. It was difficult for children travelling with their mothers to wait for all the necessary clearances due to the scorching heat,” she said.

Before leaving for Vijayawada, my family members and I will visit the Golden Temple, she said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/69-year-old-man-dies-in-amritsar-during-deportation-to-pakistan-8299788

The blast occurred at a unit, where propellant is manufactured, leading to the tragedy. It was not immediately clear how the blast occurred, police said.

Three persons were killed and an equal number suffered injuries in a blast in an explosives manufacturing factory in the Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana Tuesday evening, police said.

The blast occurred at a unit, where propellant is manufactured, leading to the tragedy. It was not immediately clear how the blast occurred, they said.

Those injured were undergoing treatment in a hospital, police said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/telangana/three-killed-in-blast-in-explosives-factory-in-telangana-3517009

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday granted the Indian Armed Forces “complete operational freedom” to respond to the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam which killed 26 civilians last week, government sources told India Today TV.

The decision came during a high-level meeting convened by the Prime Minister at his residence in New Delhi.

The 90-minute meeting was attended by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the three service chiefs — Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, and Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh.

According to sources, the Prime Minister reiterated that delivering a “crushing blow” to terrorism remained a matter of national resolve.

He also expressed complete confidence in the capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces and told senior defence leadership they have “full operational freedom” to determine the mode, targets, and timing of any military response, sources said.

The meeting came a day ahead of the PM-chaired Cabinet Committee on Security, the government’s highest decision-making body on national security matters.

Ranath Singh, on Monday, briefed PM Modi on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir as top defence officials mulled options to punish those behind the April 22 attack, the worst terror strike on civilians in India since the 26/11 Mumbai carnage.

During his recent “Mann Ki Baat” address, the Prime Minister reiterated that the “perpetrators and conspirators” of the Pahalgam attack will be “served with the harshest response”.

“The whole world stands with 140 crore Indians in our fight against terrorism. I once again assure the affected families that they will get justice, and justice will be done,” PM Modi said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pm-fresh-meet-residence-pahalgam-terror-attack-defence-minister-nsa-ajit-doval-chief-of-defence-staff-2716956-2025-04-29

If you thought Bengaluru couldn’t get more “tech meets daily life,” think again. A man used ChatGPT to ease his auto ride.

In the city where auto drivers are often reported to insist that customers to speak Kannada, one man found a creative workaround. What did he do? He let AI do the talking.

When Instagram user Sajan Mahto came across an auto driver demanding ₹200 and his student budget was less, he did what any Gen Z might: turned to ChatGPT for help.

He asked OpenAI’s tool to speak for him and bargain with the auto driver in Bengaluru.

In a now-viral Instagram reel, which has already attracted 2.3 million views, Sajan started exploring ChatGPT’s voice feature by saying, “Hi ChatGPT, can you help me negotiate with the auto driver in Bengaluru? The auto driver is saying that the fare is Rs 200, and I am a student. Please negotiate it for Rs 100”.

He added, asking ChatGPT to be polite and convincing, “Please talk to him nicely as my big brother”.

Seconds later, he held the phone up and played the response.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/viral/peak-bengaluru-man-bargains-with-auto-driver-using-chatgpt-video-records-what-happens-next

However, the Court allowed the consolidation and transfer of multiple FIRs filed against the accused to a single court in Madurai for joint trial.

The Supreme Court recently declined to quash the First Information Reports (FIRs) lodged against two members of the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ) for their alleged hate speech in which they had praised parliament terror attack convict Afzal Guru and used unparliamentary language against judges of the High Court and the Supreme Court [Rahamathulla vs. The State of Tamil Nadu and Ors.].

A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta observed that the language used by the petitioners in their speeches was highly objectionable and clearly contained the essential ingredients of the hate speech.

However, the Court allowed the consolidation and transfer of multiple FIRs filed against the accused to a single court in Madurai for joint trial.

“At the outset, we must note that the language used by the petitioners in their speeches is highly objectionable and definitely discloses the necessary ingredients of the offences alleged. Hence, there is no scope for the exercise of writ jurisdiction of this Court under Article 32 of the Constitution of India so as to quash the impugned FIRs…not for a moment, are we convinced by the submission advanced by learned counsel for the petitioners that the subsequent FIR should be quashed as the same tantamounts to a second FIR on the same facts, but in any event, we feel that allowing multiple trials before Courts of different jurisdiction in reference to the speeches of the petitioners dated 17th March, 2022 is not expedient in the interest of justice and the trials deserve to be clubbed,” the Court said.

The petitioners were booked for allegedly delivering an inflammatory speech during a protest organized without permission in Madurai. The speech allegedly praised Afzal Guru and criticized various religious practices and also slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

It also contained derogatory remarks against the judiciary, particularly in the context of the Karnataka High Court’s verdict in the Hijab case, which upheld an order of Karnataka government to disallow hijab (headscarves worn by Muslim women) in government educational institutions.

Following this speech, three FIRs were filed against the accused, two in Tamil Nadu and one in Karnataka.

The petitioners approached the Supreme Court against the registration of multiple FIRs for the same incident. They contended that such multiple prosecutions violated their fundamental right against double jeopardy under Article 20(2) of the Constitution.

Petitioners relied on precedents including TT Antony v. State of Kerala, Arnab Goswami v. Union of India, and Mohammed Zubair v. State of NCT of Delhi, contending that registering multiple FIRs for the same speech amounted to abuse of process and was unconstitutional.

The State opposed the plea, arguing that the inflammatory nature of the speech caused public unrest in different regions, justifying registration of FIRs in each location where the speech had impact

After considering the submissions, the Court found the language used in the speech to be highly objectionable.

However, the Court observed that allowing multiple prosecutions of the petitioners across different jurisdictions could result in a serious anomaly, with the potential for conflicting decisions.

“It is not in dispute that the contents and language of the hate speech attributed to the petitioners are verbatim the same. Thus, we are of the view that allowing multiple prosecutions of the petitioners in different jurisdictions could lead to a serious anomaly with the possibility of conflicting decisions. Additionally, such a course of action would give rise to multiple trials for the same/similar set of allegations,” Court said.

Accordingly, Court directed that all three FIRs be consolidated and transferred to a competent court in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai for a joint trial.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/supreme-court-refuses-quash-firs-against-two-praising-afzal-guru-slamming-judges

The President of India Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday notified the appointment of Justice BR Gavai as the next Chief Justice of India with effect from May 14.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, Judge of the Supreme Court, to be the Chief Justice of India with effect from 14th May, 2025,” the Union government said in a notification issued today.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna had earlier written to the Union Law Ministry recommending Justice BR Gavai to be the next CJI. CJI Khanna is set to demit office on May 13.

Justice Gavai will be the second-ever CJI from the Dalit community, the first being Justice KG Balakrishnan, who had demitted office in 2010.

He will have a relatively short tenure at the helm and will demit office on November 23, 2025.

Justice Gavai was appointed as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003, and became a permanent judge in 2005.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/president-clears-appointment-supreme-court-justice-br-gavai-as-next-chief-justice-of-india

An Instagram user has gone viral for creating high-fashion-style photos using everyday food items like bananas, crabs, and watermelon. His quirky self-portraits, styled with edible accessories, have captivated fashion lovers and amused social media users. Viewers praised his bold creativity, calling the video both hilarious and uniquely artistic.

People on social media continue to impress with their creativity, and many of these imaginative videos often go viral, captivating the internet. In a particularly inventive video, a man has created his own fashion magazine-style photos using food items such as bananas, a dead crab, berries, a dead salmon, and more. The video has struck a chord with internet users, especially those who appreciate quirky fashion content.
The video was posted on Instagram by a user identified as Gracieux. According to his account, he enjoys creating fashion-related content, and many of his videos receive high engagement. In this particular video, he starts by placing berries on his head, then covers his eyes with a dead crab’s legs—an idea that’s both bizarre and bold. He later replaces the crab with a dead salmon, again covering his eyes.
At one point in the video, he tapes bananas all over his face, then uses slices of bread to cover one or both of his ears. Additionally, he creates a hat out of a watermelon and places it on his head. Using these unconventional accessories, he poses for self-portraits and, with some basic editing, transforms them into what he calls fashion magazine-style images. The video is captioned: “What if I created my own fashion magazine? Let’s see what that would look like. (DRIIIP edition).”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/viral/dead-crab-on-eyes-bananas-on-face-mans-wildest-fashion-shoot-stuns-internet-creativity-at-its-peak-article-151532565

Pahalgam terror attack: With Kashmir being the primary flashpoint, India and Pakistan have witnessed full-scale wars, proxy conflicts, and military standoffs that have dramatically influenced the South Asian geopolitical environment. The Pahalgam Terror Attack in April 2025, which killed at least 26 tourists, has further worsened relations, leading to major diplomatic and strategic fallout.

India is one of the top military spenders globally, spending almost nine times more than its nuclear-armed neighbour, Pakistan. According to a report, India spent $86 billion in 2024, making it the fifth-largest military spender after the US, China, Russia and Germany.
Pakistan spent $10bn that year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The top five military spenders — the United States, China, Russia, Germany and India — accounted for 60% of the global total, with combined spending of $1,635 billion, as per the Swedish think-tank report.

The report comes at a time when the strained diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan reached a new low in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 tourists dead. Apart from Pakistan, India was also engaged in a border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.

Seven people died and four were injured during the Chandanotsavam festival at Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Visakhapatnam. Rescue operations by the NDRF and SDRF are underway.

At least eight died and four others were injured after a rain-soaked wall collapsed during the annual Chandanotsavam festival at Sri Varahalakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday morning.
The centuries-old temple, perched on the Simhachalam hill, was brimming with thousands of pilgrims who had gathered for the sacred ritual. The incident occurred during the peak of the morning rush, just as devotees were lining up to catch a glimpse of the deity, traditionally covered with a thick layer of sandalwood paste on this auspicious day.

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister V Anitha said preliminary reports indicated that the wall collapse in the temple in Simchalam was triggered by soil loosening due to heavy rains in the area.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/city/andhra-pradesh-vishakhapatnam-chandanotsavam-festival-sri-varahalakshmi-narasimha-swamy-temple-seven-dead-after-20-foot-long-stretch-collapses-article-151532566

In October 2021, a technical committee was constituted to examine if phones of individuals were hacked and in 2022

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it will not compromise the security of the nation by disclosing the contents of the report submitted to the court by the technical committee in the Pegasus snooping case, although it added that individuals whose phones were kept under surveillance deserve to know if their phones were hacked as their right to privacy enjoys Constitutional protection.

Hearing a clutch of petitions filed by individuals and organisation seeking an independent probe into the alleged hacking of phones and the involvement of the Centre in employing malware to snoop on private citizens, a bench headed by justice Surya Kant said, “Any report touching on the security of the country, we are not going to disclose even a single word. But if there are private citizens, we can examine that part.”

The matter has been kept for further consideration on July 30.

In October 2021, a technical committee was constituted to examine if phones of individuals were hacked and in 2022, the committee headed by former Supreme Court judge, justice (retd) RV Raveendran submitted its report in sealed cover.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for one of the petitioners, journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, claimed that while ordering the formation of the technical committee , the bench was not aware of whether the phones were hacked.

Other petitioners represented by senior advocates Shyam Divan and Dinesh Dwivedi sought that the report be made public alleging that the state had used spyware against its own citizens. Divan said that portions of the technical committee’s report, read out by the court in August 2022 confirmed that malware was detected in some of the devices submitted by the petitioners/individuals examined by the technical committee.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta appearing for the Centre said that the committee’s findings should not be made public as it would reveal details that could impact the security of the country. He said, “What is wrong in using spyware against terrorists. They cannot have a right to privacy.”

The bench, also comprising justice N Kotiswar Singh, remarked, “We cannot sacrifice the security of the nation. But individual citizens have a right to privacy which is protected under the Constitution.”

Striking a balance, the bench noted that the individuals who are before the court have a genuine concern whether their phones were hacked.

In the face of Centre’s opposition to part even with the redacted portion, the court proposed that details pertaining to individuals could be shared “like an objective Q&A”, by responding “yes or no” to questions from petitioners on whether their phones were hacked.

Mehta told the court that the petitions have been filed by individuals who have nothing to do with the case and are simply seeking a “roving” enquiry.

Dwivedi, also appearing for the petitioners informed the court that the chairman of the technical committee had also submitted a separate report listing its recommendations and that this could be shared. The bench admitted that it has not opened the sealed cover yet to find out its contents.

The court agreed to examine these issues on the next date of hearing and permitted petitioners to give names of individuals who wanted confirmation of their apprehensions that their phones were hacked.

The other members of the court-appointed committee included Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, professor cyber security and digital forensics, and dean, National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat; Prabaharan P, professor at the school of engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kerala; and Ashwin Anil Gumaste, associate professor of computer science and engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

The court had directed former Indian Police Service officer Alok Joshi and Sundeep Oberoi, chairman of the subcommittee in the International Organization of Standardization, International Electro-Technical Commission and Joint Technical Committee, to assist the committee on matters involving technical and investigational aspects.

As the petitions highlighted breach of their right to privacy and alleged that the highly sophisticated spyware Pegasus was a military software sold only to governments and government agencies, the court picked the committee to enquire whether the Pegasus software was used on phones or other devices of citizens “to access stored data, eavesdrop on conversations, intercept information” and the details of the persons affected by such a spyware attack.

Reports first surfaced in 2019 that WhatsApp accounts of Indian citizens, including journalists, judges and politicians were hacked using Pegasus spyware. As the petitioners alleged that the state was behind it, the court had asked the committee to examine “if any governmental agency” or “domestic entity/person” had used the spyware and under what law, rule, guideline, protocol, or lawful procedure was such a deployment made.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/complete-freedom-to-forces-to-decide-mode-time-target-of-response-to-pahalgam-attack-pm-modi-101745934806596.html

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the arrests were made for supporting Pakistan on social media. He also warned that those with greater involvement or a prior history would be booked under the National Security Act (NSA).

More than 30 people have been arrested in Assam so far for controversial social media posts about the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed more than two dozen civilians.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the arrests were made for supporting Pakistan on social media. He also warned that those with greater involvement or a prior history would be booked under the National Security Act (NSA).

“There are no similarities between Bharat and Pakistan. The two countries are enemy nations, and we must remain so,” Mr. Sarma stated while speaking with the media on Tuesday.

Earlier, at least 24 people, including an MLA, a journalist, students, a lawyer, and retired teachers, were arrested in Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura for their controversial posts on social media about the Pahalgam attack.

Aminul Islam, an MLA from the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), was among the first to be charged with sedition for his statement that the 2019 Pulwama and recent Pahalgam attacks were “conspiracies by the government.”

Last Tuesday, terrorists opened fire at a meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, killing 26 tourists in cold blood.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/in-assam-over-30-arrested-so-far-for-supporting-pakistan-on-social-media-8290871

The searches were undertaken on Monday at five locations in Hyderabad under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the federal probe agency said in a statement.

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it has seized 45 old cars, including some vintage ones, apart from Rs 23 lakh in cash and some foreign currency during searches in Hyderabad in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal sale of government land.

The searches were undertaken on Monday at five locations in Hyderabad under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the federal probe agency said in a statement.

The ED case stems from an FIR registered by Telangana Police against private persons and government officials in connection with “illegal” sale of government land involving forgery of documents and manipulation of revenue records.

Describing the case, the agency said government land or ‘Bhoodan’ land at Nagaram village under the Maheshwaram Mandal (Ranga Reddy district) was “falsely claimed” by a woman named Khaderunissa as her ancestral property.

Revenue records were “fraudulently” mutated and the land was sold to various entities in association with several middlemen. These middlemen, in connivance with government officials, “forged” the documents and changed the land revenue records, resulting in de-notifying the said land from the prohibited list and its subsequent sale to some private parties, the ED alleged.

Residences and farmhouses, including that of Khaderunissa, Mohd Munawar Khan, Mohd Lateef Sharfan, Mohd Akhtar Sharfan and Mohd Sukoor, were searched and “incriminating” documents related to fraudulent sale and purchase of government land, Indian currency worth Rs 23 lakh and 12,000 UAE Dirhams were seized, the agency said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/probe-agency-ed-seizes-45-old-cars-including-vintage-after-raid-in-hyderabad-land-scam-8289638

Flying from Delhi to cities in North America requires a fuel stop without access to Pakistan’s airspace.

After India unveiled a slew of diplomatic measures following last week’s terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed, Pakistan responded by – among other steps – closing its airspace to Indian airlines. The measure has affected flights to and from North America the most, increasing the time taken to fly to Delhi from San Francisco, for instance, by nearly four-and-a-half hours.

According to a blog by flight tracking website Flightradar24, flying from Delhi to cities in North America requires a fuel stop without access to Pakistan’s airspace. Air India, it said, has established refuelling stops in the Austrian capital of Vienna and Denmark’s capital Copenhagen, with the former getting most of the traffic.

The website said AI127 from Delhi to Chicago used to fly through Pakistan’s airspace and covered 12,500 kilometres, taking, on average, 14 hours and 47 minutes to cover the distance. Now that the flight has to avoid Pakistan’s airspace and make a stop to refuel, it has to cover nearly 15,000 km, taking over 19 hours to get to Chicago.

Some Air India flights from North America are also stopping in Vienna or Copenhagen to refuel while returning to India. AI174 from San Francisco to Delhi used to take 15 hours and 25 minutes non-stop. With a refuelling stop in Vienna, the total time taken to get to Delhi is now over 20 hours.

The blog said regional flights are getting affected too, with the IndiGo flight 6E1806, which used to take 2 hours, 18 minutes from Delhi to the Uzbekistani capital of Tashkent now taking 5 hours, 30 minutes and travelling through Iran and Turkmenistan.

Airlines’ Take

In a post on X on April 24, Air India had said it expected some Air India flights to or from North America, UK, Europe, and Middle East would have to take an extended route.

“Due to the announced restriction of Pakistan airspace for all Indian airlines, it is expected that some Air India flights to or from North America, UK, Europe, and Middle East will take an alternative extended route. Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen airspace closure that is outside our control. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority. To check if your flight is affected by this disruption, please call our Contact Centre on 011 69329333, 011 69329999 or visit our website http://airindia.com,” the airline wrote on X.

In a travel advisory, IndiGo had said, “We’re closely monitoring the situation following the sudden airspace closure by Pakistan. Some of our international flights remain impacted. Please check your flight status http://bit.ly/31paVKQ and rebooking options http://bit.ly/31lwD2y.”

India’s Steps

A day after the attack, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had said that Pakistani nationals will not be allowed to travel to India under the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Visa Exemption Scheme.

The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, Mr Misri announced, will be suspended immediately until “Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism”, and the Integrated Check Post at Attari will be closed with immediate effect. “Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1,” the foreign secretary said.

Another major announcement was that the defence/military, naval and air advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi have been declared “persona non grata” and have to leave India.

A day later, India had also revoked most visas issued to Pakistanis, including medical visas.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pahalgam-terror-attack-india-pakistan-after-pak-airspace-closure-san-francisco-delhi-flight-time-up-4-hours-8289423

“Take Your Clothes Off, Sit In Lingerie”:Ishqbaaaz Actress Navina Bole Accuses Sajid Khan Of Sexual Harassment

Television actress Navina Bole, known for her role in Ishqbaaaz, has accused filmmaker Sajid Khan of sexual harassment.
In a recent social media post, Bole recounted an incident from 2008 when she was called to Khan’s office for an audition. She alleged that during the meeting, Khan asked her to remove her clothes and sit in lingerie, stating, “Take your clothes off, sit in lingerie.” Bole described the experience as “traumatic” and labeled Khan a “terrible man.”
These allegations add to the series of accusations against Sajid Khan that surfaced during India’s #MeToo movement in 2018. Actress Saloni Chopra detailed her experiences of harassment while working as Khan’s assistant director in 2011. She claimed that Khan would call her at odd hours, make inappropriate comments, and once asked her to touch his genitals. Chopra stated, “It took me years to get over the trauma he put me through.”

Journalist Karishma Upadhyay also accused Khan of misconduct during an interview in the early 2000s. She alleged that Khan exposed himself and made lewd comments. Similarly, actress Rachel White recounted that during an audition for Humshakals, Khan insisted she strip so he could assess her suitability for a bikini

Following these revelations, Khan stepped down as the director of Housefull 4. The Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) conducted an investigation and suspended Khan for a year, citing serious instances of sexual harassment and abuse of power

Khan has denied the allegations, stating that they have caused irreparable harm to his career and personal life. He expressed willingness to cooperate with investigations but maintained his innocence. ​

Source : https://www.spotboye.com/television/television-news/-take-your-clothes-off-sit-in-lingerie-ishqbaaaz-actress-navina-bole-accuses-sajid-khan-of-sexual-harassment/680eef4098e7b5da75cc76ee

A Delhi man’s Reddit post went viral on social media, as per which, he and his wife allegedly ended up receiving deadly ‘threats’ from a group of bikers, over some ‘accidental water spill’. Here’s the entire matter…

When it comes to ‘patience’- especially on the road- India and Indian streets are not exactly on the top. Road rage incidents and abusive arguments and fights over the pettiest of inconveniences have turned into an ‘everyday thing’ for most- based on countless social media posts narrating the same. Highlighting something similar with yet another incident, a Delhi man narrated a rather ‘scary’ incident that allegedly unfolded with him and his wife. As per the man’s Reddit post, his wife was watering some plants in their residence’s balcony. She was allegedly almost done, when some of the water accidently ended up spilling on the street below, resulting in a group of bikers getting a little wet. What happened next left the couple ‘scared’ for their safety; the bikers allegedly turned abusive and began to threaten ‘the people who spilt the water’.
The man expressed his shock over the matter and claimed that nothing like this ever happened to him in the last ‘15 years’. As per the post, one of the bikers threatened to ‘burn’ the ‘responsible’ alive. “Jala dunga (Will burn you),” the biker had allegedly shouted. The couple, as per the post, did not confront the bikers due to fear for their safety. The post, soon after getting shared, went viral in an instant. Times Now could not confirm the exact location and authenticity of the post.
“After 15 years of living here, what happened today shook me,” the post read.

The post was shared on Reddit, by the handle ‘UniversityClean1855’. It was shared today and pulled many reactions from people.

“Typical. Just have an iron door. Like not Jali Wala stuff. The proper door is made of iron saria square steel. For all roof and main entries. Let the dogs bark. Never engage or peep out. And always have CCTV. They come with night vision and sound as std nowadays, on all fronts, and kitchen for maid,” a user said.
“Sadly, folks do be like this nowadays, everyone wants to act all tough and gangster. All it took was some ‘chullu bhar pani’ to hurt that man’s ego, imagine if a tiny rock or pebble would’ve fallen onto him,” added a second person.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/viral/delhi-couple-gets-threatened-by-group-of-bikers-over-this-minor-accident-viral-reddit-post-article-151525026

Lucknow police filed a sedition case against folk singer Neha Singh Rathore after Abhay Pratap Singh accused her of posting provocative content on X, allegedly aimed at inciting religious discord and threatening national unity following the Pahalgam tragedy.

Lucknow police have registered a case of sedition against folk singer Neha Singh Rathore over a complaint that her provocative social media posts targeting a particular faith community in the wake of the Pahalgam tragedy could harm the nation’s unity.
Lucknow police have registered a sedition case against her after a formal complaint was loged by an individual named Abhay Pratap Singh. Abhay accused Rathore of sharing objectionable material on her X account, alleging that her posts were designed to creatge discord among religious communities and harm national unity.
“In this situation, singer and poetess Neha Singh Rathore, using her Twitter [now X] handle @nehafolksinger made some objectionable posts that can adversely affect the national integrity and made repeated efforts to incite one community against another based on religion,” the complainant Abhay Pratap Singh said.

The complaint was registered at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow.

Based on the complaint, police registered a case against the folk singer on multiple charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including attempting to promote sectarian animosity, disturbing public tranquillity and endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, police said, adding that she has also been booked under the Information Technology Act.

Owaisi reminded Bilawal Bhutto about the devastating impact that homegrown Pakistani terrorists had on his own family.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday hit back at Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s provocative “blood will flow” remark. Dismissing the statements made by Bhutto after the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Owaisi reminded the leader about the devastating impact that homegrown Pakistani terrorists had on his own family.
“Arre chhodo… bachpane ki baatein nahi karna (Leave it, don’t say childish things). He does not know what happened to his grandfather. His mother (Benazir Bhutto) was killed by their homegrown terrorists. Does he even know what he is saying?” Owaisi was quoted as saying by News18.
Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, was assassinated in Rawalpindi during an election rally in December 2007. Rogue elements of the Pakistani Taliban were said to have had a hand in her death, and the government and military were accused of a cover-up.

The banned platforms include YouTube channels of news outlets such as Dawn, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, and Suno News. Channels of journalists Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq have also been blocked, along with The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Razi Naama.

Sixteen Pakistani YouTube channels, including that of cricketer Shoaib Akhtar, with a combined 63 million subscribers, have been banned in India for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content after the Pahalgam terror attack, based on recommendations from the Union Home Ministry, government sources said.
The banned platforms include YouTube channels of news outlets such as Dawn, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, and Suno News. Channels of journalists Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq have also been blocked, along with The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Razi Naama.

According to an official, with this surrender, 203 Naxalites have so far laid down arms the district, while 90 have been killed and 213 arrested.

Twenty-four Naxalites, including 14 with a total reward of Rs 28.50 lakh on their heads, surrendered in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Monday, a police official said.

The surrender comes amid a massive anti-Naxal operation involving around 24,000 security personnel underway on hills of Bijapur bordering Telangana since April 21.

The surrendered Naxalites include 11 women, the official said.

“They cited disappointment with the inhuman Maoist ideology, atrocities on local tribals by ultras and growing differences within the outlawed outfit. They are also impressed by ’Niyad Nellanar’ (your good village) scheme of the state government aimed at facilitating development works in remote villages around security camps,” Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said.

“The surrendered cadres belong to different formations of east Bastar division, Partapur area committee and west Bastar division of the Maoists. Of them, Sudru Hemla (33), a member of Bhairamgarh area committee, and Kamli Modiam alias Urmila (36), Partapur area committee member, carried rewards of Rs 5 lakh each on their heads,” he said.

Jaymoti Punem (24) and Mangu Punem (21) carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh and Rs 50,000, respectively, the SP added.

“Shamnath Kunjam (40), Chaitu Kursam (30), Buchchi Madvi alias Roshni (25), Sukhmati Ursa (28) and Somli Hemla (45) carried a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each, while Bujji Padam (20), Sukko Punem (28), Hidme Veko (22), Soni Korsa (30) and Lachha Tati (25) were carrying reward of Rs 1 lakh each,” Yadav informed.

With this surrender, 203 Naxalites have so far laid down arms the district, while 90 have been killed and 213 arrested, he said.

All the surrendered Naxalites were provided assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government’s policy, he said.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/24-naxalites-including-11-women-surrender-during-anti-maoist-operation-in-chhattisgarhs-bijapur-9316703.html

In wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the department of pharmaceuticals has sought pharmaceutical export data from Pharmexcil, an arm under the ministry of commerce and industry

Amid the growing strain on bilateral trade relations, the department of pharmaceuticals has requested the pharma export body to prepare a list of medicines and pharmaceutical products exported to Pakistan.

The move was triggered by the terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. Accusing Pakistan of backing cross-border terrorism, India announced a raft of measures against its neighbour. Islamabad, however, has denied the allegations and retaliated with reciprocal steps against Delhi, including snapping trade ties.

The department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) under the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers has sought details from Pharmexcil – an arm that functions under the ministry of commerce and industry.

“We have asked for the export data to see what we are sending to Pakistan. Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) is working on it and will send details soon,” a senior government official told News18.

The DoP has requested the information on an “urgent” basis. According to Pharmexcil data, Pakistan is the 38th out of 219 countries in India’s pharmaceutical exports market. In the fiscal 2023, India exported $191.36 million followed by $176.54 million in the fiscal 2024. The latest data pegs trade at around $200 million.

“Dubai is a major business trading centre for Pakistan. While India exports medicines and pharma products to the UAE, in turn, Pakistan imports from these countries,” another government official told News18, while explaining the pharmaceutical trade relationship between India and Pakistan.

“The majority of Indian exports to Pakistan include active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). While it won’t impact India by snapping the pharma trade ties, it will impact Pakistan as it would import costlier drugs and APIs from the countries rerouting our medicines,” the official said.

Also known as bulk drugs, APIs are the therapeutic agents that give the main effect to the medicine. For instance, paracetamol is an API in the Crocin tablet.

News18 contacted Raja Bhanu, director general of Pharmexcil and secretary of the DoP, for comments. Repeated calls and text messages to him went unanswered.

It is not the first time the two countries have faced a strained bilateral relationship. Following the Balakot airstrikes and the abrogation of Article 370, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had banned bilateral trade with India.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/india-seeks-list-of-medicines-pharma-products-exported-to-pakistan-on-urgent-basis-ws-l-9316648.html

The 53-second video starts with the zipline operator chanting “Allahhu Akbar” (God is the greatest) before sending the man on the ride

Nearly a week has passed since the terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people. Several videos filmed by tourists in Pahalgam are now under scrutiny.

A new video has emerged showing a man recording his zipline ride in Baisaran meadow while some tourists can be seen running on the ground, seemingly from terrorists. The man, possibly unaware of the attack at the time, was at a considerable height. Gun shots can heard in the background.

The 53-second video starts with the zipline operator chanting “Allahhu Akbar” (God is the greatest) before sending the man on the ride. Initially, everything seems normal, but as he continues, people can be seen running away. Over 100 people were in the Baisaran meadow at the time. One tourist fell while running for his life.

Sources told CNN-News18 that the zipline operation has been picked up for questioning by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Rishi Bhatt, the man on the zipline, said he got saved because he was taking the ride.

“When I took the zipline, one person said Allahu Akbar and moved his head left and right and then the firing started from those sides,” Bhatt told CNN-News18.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/pahalgam-terrorist-attack-tourists-zipline-selfie-unknowingly-captures-terror-victims-collapsing-at-baisaran-valley-ws-dl-9316493.html 

India’s manufacturing share of iPhones, depending on estimates, ranged between 10% to 20% at the end of 2024.

There are reports that Apple intends to shift manufacturing of all US-bound iPhones, from China to India. That means, around 60 million more iPhones may be made in India, destined specifically for the US — this, in addition to iPhones already made here for domestic consumption, and exports. If Apple’s manufacturing partners in India are able to pull this off, it’ll be nothing short of a coup, say analysts.

There are three distinct yet overlapping pieces that need to come together. The current iPhone manufacturing capacity in India with headroom for increasing local consumption and exports; investments lined-up by Apple and its partners Foxconn as well as Tata Electronics to add more production capacity; and sourcing of raw materials for which any production facility still largely relies on China.

On April 24, around 15 scientists, with an army of instruments gathered at Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, where seers performed a Som Yagya

Smoke is an aerosol; aerosol particles help form clouds; clouds bring rain.

Havans (traditional fire rituals) create smoke.

So far, so good.

That could explain why a group of scientists is engaged in an exercise to determine the efficacy of havans in bringing rain.

Scientists from the Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology and Scientific Council, Indian Institute of Technology, Indore, and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), have started a research project to find whether Som Yagya, a havan in which juice of a medicinal plant Samovalli (Sarcostemma brevistigma, a kind of oleander) is offered to the fire can purify the environment and promote cloud condensation , bringing about rain.

On April 24, around 15 scientists, with an army of instruments gathered at Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, where seers performed a Som Yagya. They measured multiple parameters such as the release of various gases, changes in temperature and humidity, aerosol behaviour, and cloud condensation from April 24 to 29.

Facilitated by non-government organisation (NGO) Akshay Krishi Pariwar which aims to bridge traditional agricultural practices with modern ones, the study, scientists said, is aimed at validating religious beliefs and traditions.

Rajesh Mali , a scientist who retired from the India Meteorological Department and who is part of the effort said: “This is a unique project which started on April 24 and will go on for next a few years. In this project, we are measuring various things by using least 13 instruments. The two main instruments are Cloud Condensation Nuclei Counter (CCN counter) and a Tethersonde (an instrument that measures atmospheric parameters). CCN measures the concentration of aerosol particles in air to build blocks of cloud droplets. Tethersonde, a balloon with a sensor, measures pressure, temperature and humidity in the area where the Yagya is being performed.”

He added that other machines used include the Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) to calculate aerosol events.

Another scientist Dr Yang Lian from the regional office of IITM added: “After measurement, we will analyse the effect of Yagya on environment. We are noting down the data four times a day — two times during Yagya and in morning and evening. The comparative data will help us to conclude our study.”

Anil Kothari, the director of Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology, which is also participating in the research said, “This study will work as bridge between science and ancient practices of India. It will offer new insights in the field of environment and science.”

Akshaya Krishi Pariwar convener Gajanand Dange said that the purpose is to provide “scientific evidence” for traditional beliefs which are there for centuries. If the study fails, he added, the team will look for new machines which can measure the atmospheric changes better.

“Our motive is not to question the efficacy of Yagyas and its effect mentioned in the Vedas. Our effort is to provide supportive scientific evidence so that these traditional methods can be used by the scientists to deal with problems such as global warming and drought,” he said.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mp-scientists-study-whether-havan-can-bring-rain-101745866502810.html

The honours included four Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan, and 57 Padma Shri awards, recognising outstanding contributions across diverse fields.

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday conferred the prestigious Padma Awards to 71 distinguished individuals at the Civil Investiture Ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan’s Durbar Hall. The honours included four Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan, and 57 Padma Shri awards, recognising outstanding contributions across diverse fields.

The event marked the first phase of Padma Award presentations for the year 2025.

Renowned violinist L. Subramaniam was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his exceptional contribution to the field of art. The late Osamu Suzuki, former CEO of Suzuki Motor Corporation, was posthumously honoured with the Padma Vibhushan for his contributions to trade and industry. His son and current CEO Toshihiro Suzuki accepted the award on his behalf.

In the field of art, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, actor and Andhra Pradesh legislator Nandamuri Balakrishna, actor S. Ajith Kumar, and the late singer Pankaj Udhas were awarded the Padma Bhushan. The award for Pankaj Udhas was received by his wife Farida Udhas. Former Indian hockey goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh was conferred the Padma Bhushan for his achievements in sports.

Notable Padma Shri recipients included playback singer Jaspinder Narula for her contribution to music and Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin for excellence in sports.

Prominent Vedic scholar Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid was also honoured with the Padma Shri. He is credited with determining the auspicious timings for the consecration of Ram Lalla at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya and the foundation ceremony of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi.

American author and researcher Stephen Knapp, known for his writings on Vedic culture and spirituality, was awarded the Padma Shri for his work in literature and education.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/president-murmu-confers-padma-awards-to-71-distinguished-individuals-8280907

The man got so furious that he rammed a tempo traveller into the wedding guests. As chaos ensued, he fled the hall on the bus.

A man crashed a minibus in a wedding hall, injuring six people and damaging goods worth Rs 3 lakh in Uttar Pradesh’s Chandauli district. Reason: He didn’t get ‘paneer’ (cottage cheese) in the wedding feast.

It was the wedding of Rajnath Yadav’s daughter in Hamidpur village of Mughalsarai Kotwali area. The ‘barat’ (wedding procession) arrived at the venue late Saturday evening. Everything was going well.

Then, a man entered the hall and went straight towards the food stalls. When Dharmendra Yadav couldn’t find paneer among other dishes, he got angry.

“Dharmendra Yadav came to the wedding and started eating, and asked for paneer. When he didn’t get it, he got angry and drove a bus in the middle of the wedding ceremony, in which eight people were injured and goods worth more than Rs 3 lakh were damaged,” said Rajnath Yadav.

He got so furious that he decided to do the unthinkable. He rammed a tempo traveller into the wedding guests. As chaos ensued, he fled the hall on the bus.

Several people were injured, including the groom’s father and bride’s uncle. They are undergoing treatment at a trauma centre in Varanasi.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/upset-over-not-being-served-paneer-man-drives-bus-over-wedding-guests-in-up-8281057

The resolution – which didn’t mention Pak— was passed after a discussion where CM Abdullah said he will not cite the attack to push for statehood.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and briefed him on the security dynamics in Jammu & Kashmir and the military’s readiness after the Pahalgam terror attack, the 40-minute meeting coming hours after the Pakistan Army opened fire at several Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) and violated the ceasefire for the fourth straight day.

The meeting – which came a day after Modi reiterated his resolve to give the “harshest punishment” to the terrorists – assumes significance in the context of India considering military options to target the neighbouring country for its support to terror; it has already suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, downgraded bilateral ties, and shut down the only operational land border crossing at Attari after the April 22 attack that killed 26 people.

Earlier in the day, the Jammu & Kashmir assembly unanimously passed a resolution expressing shock and anguish over the attack and resolved to defeat designs to “disturb communal harmony”. The resolution – which didn’t mention Pakistan— was passed after a discussion where chief minister Omar Abdullah said he will not cite the attack to push for statehood for the Union territory.

“As the chief minister and tourism minister of Jammu & Kashmir, I had invited these people here. It was my responsibility to ensure they were sent back safely to their homes. I could not send them back,” a visibly emotional CM said, adding that he had no words to apologise to the victims.

Last Tuesday, a group of heavily armed terrorists emerged from the woods and targeted tourists on the lush Baisaran grassland near Pahalgam in Kashmir. Twenty six people died – all men, 25 of them tourists, and 24 of them Hindus – in the attack that was reminiscent of the heydays of militancy in the 1990s and 2000s and the worst to rock the country since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba’s proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), claimed responsibility for the attack that coincided with US vice president JD Vance’s visit to India. New Delhi has since identified three Pakistani terrorists and used signal intelligence to underline Islamabad’s role in the attack.

Tensions spread along the LoC on Monday as the Pakistan Army targeted Indian posts located on the southern side of the Pir Panjal mountains (it had so far fired at posts on the northern side), officials with knowledge of developments said.

The latest round of overnight, unprovoked firing took place in the Poonch and Kupwara sectors, bruising the February 2021 ceasefire agreement and signalling the neighbouring army’s intent to further escalate hostilities along a wider front of volatile frontier after the terror attack that killed 26 people, officials aware of the matter said.

“Indian troops responded swiftly and effectively,” said an official.

Previous ceasefire violations took place north of the Pir Panjal range in sectors including Uri, Tangdhar, Kupwara and Gurez, but the latest violation in the Poonch sector in the south indicates the Pakistan Army’s intent to activate the entire frontier.

On Sunday, forward deployed Indian troops responded firmly to an earlier night-long provocation and targeted the adversary’s posts facing the Tutmari Gali and Rampur sectors in north Kashmir.

The violations are likely to intensify and expand along the LoC as the ceasefire crumbles, HT reported on Monday, citing a top official.

Separately, in Jammu, Abdullah cited sweeping protests in the region and spontaneous shutdown calls to protest against the killings as proof that terrorists had no support.

“In the past 26 years I never saw people coming out in such big numbers to condemn the attack…Terror and militancy can be wiped out only when people are with us and this is the beginning. We shouldn’t take any step that alienates the people,” he said.

“The security in J&K is not the responsibility of the elected government but I will not cite the Pahalgam attack to demand statehood. How can I push for statehood now? I don’t want such cheap politics at this stage,” he added.

On Sunday, Modi reiterated his resolve to give the “harshest” punishment to those behind the Pahalgam attack, which he said was aimed at derailing development in Kashmir as he urged the people of the country to stay united in the fight against terrorism.

Among the most visible markers of the rising tensions have been the exchange of fire across the LoC. The repeated targeting of Indian posts in north Kashmir and now the Poonch sector has sparked the most extensive cross-border exchange in four years.

The hostilities along the LoC are the worst in four years as the 2021 ceasefire had mostly held until the Pahalgam attack. Unlike isolated, brief exchanges that were quickly resolved through established channels, the current pattern involves simultaneous salvos at multiple points across most of the 740-km frontier and has persisted with increasing frequency after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Pakistan has also unveiled tit-for-tat reactions to punitive measures announced by India but neither side has thus far indicated its intent to abandon the ceasefire.

Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian airlines, suspended all trade with India, including through third-party countries, and has threatened to suspend bilateral pacts such as the Simla Agreement. The use of heavier weapons and artillery along the LoC cannot be ruled out, as previously reported.

The two armies announced on February 25, 2021, that they had begun observing a ceasefire along the LoC from midnight of February 24. They had earlier agreed to a ceasefire in November 2003, but it was frequently violated. The ceasefire violations by the neighbouring army have traditionally been aimed at providing cover to infiltrators.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rajnath-briefs-pm-as-loc-on-edge-j-k-passes-resolution-101745865721634.html

The tragedy also left one rescuer dead and four others injured, with several passengers still unaccounted for. According to police sources, the van tried to negotiate the road with a biker and knocked down the rider before plunging into the well. The bike rider died on the spot.

As many as ten people were killed and four sustained injuries on Sunday afternoon when an Eco van plunged into a well after hitting a motorcycle in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district.

The accident occurred around 1:15 pm at Budha-Takarwat Phata under Narayangarh police station area.

According to police, the Eco van (MP09-WC2452) from Khojan Kheda village near Jaora lost control and collided with a motorcycle before falling into a nearby open well. The victims were traveling to visit Aatri Mata temple.

The 10 deceased have been identified as residents of Mandsaur and Ratlam districts, including Gobar Singh, Manohar Singh, Kanhaiya Lal Keer, Nagu Singh, Pawan Keer, Dharmendra Singh, Asha Bai, Madhu Bai, Mangu Bai and Ram Kunwar.

Gobar Singh was from Abakhedi, a resident of Sitamau, and was riding the motorcycle involved in the collision.

Manohar Singh, a local resident who had descended into the well to assist with rescue operations, also died after inhaling poisonous gas from the well while saving others, said Narayangarh police station in charge Anil Raghuwanshi. Reports indicate he had rescued 2-3 people.

4 injured undergoing treatment

The four injured survivors – Maya Keer (26), Priyanshi (3), Devendra (12) and Mukesh (27) – are currently receiving treatment at the district hospital.

Emergency teams have recovered two bodies so far and have successfully extracted the vehicle using a crane. Four injured survivors, including 3-year-old Priyanshi, have been rescued and admitted to Mandsaur District Hospital.

Deputy CM Jagdish Devda visits site

Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda, who rushed to the scene, confirmed that 13 people were involved in the accident. “First the children were taken out and sent to the hospital,” Devda told reporters.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/madhya-pradesh-five-feared-dead-as-van-carrying-devotees-plunges-into-well-in-mandsaur-rescue-efforts-underway

Two children died and five people were injured when a massive fire gutted over 800 shanties in a jhuggi cluster at Sector 17 in Rohini on Sunday morning, a Delhi Fire Service official said.

The blaze was doused completely after fire-fighters worked tirelessly for three hours, but cooling operations are still underway, he said. Charred bodies of two children — a two-and-a-half year old and a three-year-old — were recovered from the remains, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Amit Goel told PTI. The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official said they received a distress call around 11.55 am.”We received a call reporting a fire close to Sriniketan Apartment at Sector 17. We immediately dispatched 17 fire engines. Upon observing the intensity of the fire, we upgraded it to a medium category fire by 12.40 pm and called for more vehicles and manpower,” he said, adding that a total of 26 fire tenders were deployed at the spot.

The fire engulfed over 800 densely packed shanties spread across around five acres. Thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky as fire fighters battled the flames.”It took more than three hours to douse the flames completely. The cooling operation is still underway. The bodies of two children were recovered and immediately sent to a nearby hospital,” the DFS official said.”The fire is now completely under control. Cooling operations are in progress,” he said.

Multiple police teams were also deployed at the spot along with the fire brigade.According to DFS, the fire started from one of the huts and immediately engulfed the entire area.The official explained that fire-fighters faced significant hurdles due to the location.”There is an apartment complex with boundary walls in front of the affected area, making access extremely difficult. Fire engines had to be lined up one behind the other, delaying the operation,” he said.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/video-massive-fire-breaks-out-in-delhis-rohini-sector-17-kills-2-children-destroys-800-shanties-5-injured

The Delhi High Court has ruled that original compositions based on Hindustani classical music traditions can be protected under copyright law, provided they exhibit sufficient creativity and originality.

Justice Prathiba M Singh held that while foundational elements like ragas and taals remain in the public domain, composers who create distinct musical works using these traditional frameworks are entitled to copyright protection under the Copyright Act, 1957.

“A composition in Hindustani classical music would have to follow the structure and rules of a Raga to identify as a composition within the said Raga. However, the various possibilities and choices available to a composer within the structure of a Raga are several in number,” the Court said.

Hence, songs which are derived from original classical music based compositions can infringe copyright, the judge held.

She further noted that the legislature had also evolved the law to protect works based on Hindustani classical music.

“It is also necessary to consider the reason for the legislature to evolve/amend the Act to extend protection to certain creative works, including to works based on Hindustani classical music,” the judgment stated.

The observations were made in an interim order passed in a copyright infringement suit filed by Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar (plaintiff) against legendary composer AR Rahman (defendant).

Dagar alleged that Rahman’s song “Veera Raja Veera”, featured in Ponniyin Selvan 2, was derived from “Shiva Stuti”, a Dhrupad composition credited to the Junior Dagar Brothers.

Rahman and the film’s producers denied infringement, arguing that Shiva Stuti was a traditional composition, and no exclusive rights could subsist over classical works adhering to public domain structures like Raga Adana.

The Court navigated this tension between preserving access to traditional knowledge and protecting individual creative contributions. Justice Singh ruled affirmatively on the broader legal principle, holding that:

Ragas, taals, and stylistic traditions form part of the public domain and are free for all to use.

However, when a composer arranges, selects, and expresses musical notes within these frameworks in an original and creative manner, that specific composition qualifies as a “musical work” eligible for copyright protection under Section 13 of the Copyright Act, 1957.

The Court noted the plaintiff’s argument that though there is no copyright in the Raga, the musical compositions are themselves original in nature. Every composer can set the composition to a particular Raga, which would then become the original composition of that compose

The Court established that composers working within traditional frameworks can create original, copyrightable works.

Justice Singh elaborated on this concept by drawing a parallel between Saptaswara and English literary works.

“All Classical music compositions are based on the eight Swaras – Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa. Similarly, all English literary works would be based upon the same English alphabet A – Z. Every Raga is based on the principles prescribed for a Raga. Similarly every language is bound by the rules of grammar too.”

Thus, the Court clarified that while no one can claim ownership of a raga itself, the specific creative expression within that framework can be protected, much like how no one owns grammar but authors own their novels.

“The core of the impugned song Veera Raja Veera is not just inspired but is in fact identical in Swaras (notes), Bhava (Emotion) and Aural impact (impact on the ear) of the suit composition Shiva Stuti, from the point of view of a lay listener,” the judge said.

Hence, she specifically rejected Rahman’s defense that any similarities were merely due to both works following the discipline of the same raga.

“If the impugned song is not based on Raga Adana, the defendants are not bound by the principles of the said Raga or discipline of the said Raga. Thus, the defence being taken by the Defendant that the particular composition sounds similar because of the discipline of the Raga is also completely untenable and baseless,” the Court opined.

Justice Singh stressed upon the “lay listener test” rather than technical notation analysis, noting that in Indian classical music tradition, “it is the sound of the music or the aural effect of the music that would be the test.”

A significant finding was that Rahman had deliberate access to the original composition. Two singers of the song were disciples of the plaintiff and Rahman had specifically sought compositions from the Dagarvani tradition.

“The selection of a composition based on the Dagarvani tradition, especially the ‘Shiva Stuti’, was a conscious and deliberate choice made by the Defendant No.1, who is himself an acclaimed composer of global renown,” the Court said.

In its order, the Court crafted a set of remedies balancing recognition for the original composers with commercial realities.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/can-songs-derived-from-classical-music-compositions-infringe-copyright-delhi-high-court-answers-in-arr-rahman-case

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that terrorists killed 26 people in a brutal attack to destroy peace in Kashmir. He said the attack shows the frustration of those who “patronise terrorism”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the terrorists who killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam will be served with the “harshest response”. Addressing the country in his monthly Mann Ki Baat programme, he said, “In the war against terrorism, the unity of the country, the solidarity of 140 crore Indians, is our biggest strength.”
He said that when peace was returning to Kashmir, terrorists attacked the region with the aim of destroying it. “This attack in Pahalgam reflects the frustration of those who patronise terrorism…. At a time when peace was returning to Kashmir, enemies of the nation and J&K did not like it. Terrorists and their masters want Kashmir to be destroyed once again,” the PM said in the 121st episode of his monthly broadcast.
“That is why such a big conspiracy was hatched. In this war against terrorism, the unity of the nation is our biggest strength… We must strengthen our resolve to face this challenge,” he added, saying “Nyay milke rahega”.

“The perpetrators and conspirators of this attack will be served with the harshest response…There is a deep anguish in my heart. The terrorist attack that took place in Pahalgam on the 22nd of April has hurt every citizen of the country,” the Prime Minister further said.

He added that global leaders have called him, written letters, and sent a message condemning the heinous terrorist attack. “….The entire world stands with the 1.4 billion Indians in our fight against terrorism. Once again, I assure the victims’ families that they will get justice. The conspirators and perpetrators of this attack will face the harshest response,” he added.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/mann-ki-baat-pm-narendra-modi-pahalgam-terrorists-their-masters-want-jammu-kashmir-to-be-destroyed-again-article-151508151 

The ongoing action against suspected terrorists has evoked sharp reaction from political leaders in Jammu & Kashmir.

The residences of three more suspected terrorists were demolished by security personnel in South Kashmir, taking the number of such razed homes to nine since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, officials said on Sunday.

The ongoing action against suspected terrorists has evoked sharp reaction from political leaders in Jammu & Kashmir. While chief minister Omar Abdullah said strong action must be taken against terrorists, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti emphasised the need to distinguish between civilians and terrorists during counterterror operations following the attack that claimed the lives of 26 people.

According to officials, three residences of suspected terrorists were razed during the intervening night of April 26-27. The houses of Adnan Shafi Dar in Zainapora area of Shopian, Amir Nazir in Daramdora area of Pulwama, and Jameel Ahmad in Naz Colony area of Bandipora.

Officials said that all the terrorists were associated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), with Dar affiliated with its offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF), which has claimed responsibility for the April 22 attack. Ahmad, meanwhile, has been reportedly operating out of Pakistan since 2017.

The action comes days after six residences of suspected terrorists were razed by security forces in South Kashmir since April 24. While security forces said the explosions were caused by bombs kept at the houses, relatives of some of the terrorists alleged that the forces planted the explosives.

Amid the ongoing crackdown against suspected terrorists, chief minister Omar Abdullah said that strong action must be taken. “After the Pahalgam terror attack, there must be a decisive fight against terrorism and its origin. People of Kashmir have come out openly against terrorism and the murder of innocent people, they did this freely & spontaneously,” he said in a post on X.

However, he also noted that innocent civilians should not be harmed by the punitive action taken by security forces and the administration. “It’s time to build on this support and avoid any misplaced action that alienates people. Punish the guilty, show them no mercy but don’t let innocent people become collateral damage,” he further said.

Former chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said the Centre must “tread with caution” and distinguish between terrorists and civilians while taking action. “It must not alienate innocent people, especially those opposing terror,” she said on X.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/houses-of-three-more-terrorists-demolished-in-south-kashmir-101745779596596.html

A Rajasthan government school teacher was suspended after reportedly instructing a class nine student to stop writing his exam and instead prepare and skin a chicken.

In a bizarre incident, a government school teacher in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district was suspended after he allegedly asked a class nine student to quit writing his paper and cut, skin and clean a chicken. The student was allegedly pressurised mid-exam to focus on preparing the chicken instead.
According to a PTI report, when the shocking allegations came to the fore, other students of the school came forward to claim that their teacher, Mohanlal Doda, had dismissed the school cook from duty around a month ago. This resulted in the school students not getting food in the school since then, the locals alleged.
Mohanlal Doda’s alleged unethical conduct caused a furore among the locals, who approached Rajasthan Minister Babulal Kharadi to complain. A detailed report on the matter was then directed by the minister.

After the inquiry, Sub-Divisional Officer Hasmukh Kumar’s report found that Doda had indeed made the class 9 student, Rahul Kumar Pargi, cut, skin, and clean the chicken during the exam at the school, officials told PTI.

It is not yet clear if the school boy was forced to skin a chicken in the middle of his paper for the school, or ostensibly for the tutor to take it home.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/rajasthan-school-teacher-tells-class-9-student-to-quit-writing-exam-cut-clean-chicken-instead-article-151510974

A member of the family shared the incident of the receptionist demanding over Rs 800 for emergency bathroom usage by the sick woman.

A shocking incident has surfaced near the Khatu Shyam Temple in Rajasthan, where a hotel reportedly charged an elderly woman Rs 805 for using their restroom for just six minutes. In a clear violation of ethics, the hotel took advantage of the woman, who was urgently seeking a clean bathroom during a medical emergency. A family member shared the distressing experience in a LinkedIn post, which has since gone viral.

The elderly woman fell seriously ill on her way to the temple for darshan, suffering from severe stomach cramps and nausea. As she struggled to stand, her family desperately searched for a restroom but found none nearby. The basic public bathing areas were unsuitable for her needs, leaving them with no choice but to approach a nearby hotel.

However, instead of showing compassion, the hotel receptionist demanded over Rs 800 for just a few minutes of restroom access, despite clearly seeing the woman’s fragile condition. Left with no alternative, the family agreed to the exorbitant charge in the face of the emergency.

‘While we were waiting, my mother suddenly started feeling extremely unwell. Nausea, stomach pain, and a strong urge to vomit. Papa looked around desperately for a washroom. While we were taking care of Maa. But there was nothing usable. No washroom near the temple area around 1 km. A few public bathing areas, but no proper restrooms. She was in visible pain, barely able to stand,’ the LinkedIn user posted.

‘We rushed to a nearby hotel and begged the person at the reception— We don’t need a room, just the restroom, just for 5-10 minutes. Please, it’s an emergency. He looked at my mother’s condition… and said, Rs. 800 to use the restroom. We were (in) shock. No empathy. No hesitation.’

‘I’m still trying to understand… How can someone see a woman in pain and still put a price on basic humanity? What have we become?’ a member of the family decried in the LinkedIn post that has gone viral. When her husband asked for the bill, the receptionist took to an illegal practice, absurdly offering the family the choice to pay Rs 100 less if they demanded no proper bill.

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/rajasthan-woman-charged-rs-800-for-using-rest-room-aa-9314398.html

A major blaze broke out at the Enforcement Directorate’s office building in south Mumbai in the early hours of Sunday, and there were no casualties in the incident, officials said.

The fire broke out at the Kaiser-I-Hind building in the Ballard Estate area around 2:31 am, they said.

Officials said the blaze, which started on the fourth floor of the five-storey building housing the ED office, raged for hours and was brought under control.

A senior police official said a short circuit had caused the fire, and furniture, cupboards and electric installations were damaged.

He said police teams were at the spot and conducting panchnama, and further enquiry was underway.

Mumbai Fire Bridge upgraded the fire to Level III at around 4.17 am, which is generally considered a major fire.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/major-fire-breaks-out-at-ed-office-building-in-south-mumbai-3512742 

Airlines have been instructed to ensure that technical halt airports have emergency medical support and ground ambulances. Additionally, cabin crew will receive briefings on managing passenger fatigue, discomfort, and potential medical incidents during extended flights.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued guidelines for Indian airlines operating flights between North India and the West, requiring them to inform passengers about potential rerouting, longer flight times, and technical stops due to Pakistan’s closure of its airspace.
“Passengers will generally remain onboard such stops,” says the advisory issued by DGCA CFO Captain Shweta Singh. “Airlines must ensure that catering uplift is revised based on actual travel time (including technical halt). This includes adequate meals and beverages for the full duration. Additional hydration and dry snacks. Special meals as per requests.”
Airlines have been instructed to ensure that technical halt airports have emergency medical support and ground ambulances. Additionally, cabin crew will receive briefings on managing passenger fatigue, discomfort, and potential medical incidents during extended flights.

Air India may need to take a fuelling and crew change halt for its Delhi-North America/Europe/UK flights. “Our North America nonstops may remain so or take a fuelling halt en route, depending on the conditions each day, each flight. Which means on a given day, how are the wind flows and aircraft loads like, that call will be taken,” said an Air India official.

Due to Pakistan’s airspace closure, flights from North India to the West will now take a longer route over the Arabian Sea, via Mumbai and Ahmedabad, instead of the usual Delhi-north Pakistan-Hindukush route. Pilots note that this new route will expose flights to strong headwinds, potentially increasing flight times and fuel consumption. As a result, airfares for new bookings may rise by 30-40 per cent.
The DGCA has advised airlines to prepare for potential disruptions, including protocols for passengers missing onward connections and compensatory action for delays. Indian airlines, particularly Air India, are expected to face significant financial impacts due to Pakistan’s airspace closure, as longer routes will increase operational expenses, including fuel, stopovers, and crew costs.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/industry/dgca-guidelines-airlines-must-ensure-passenger-care-in-long-flights-to-the-west-amid-pak-airspace-closure-article-151504443

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath condemned the recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam with a warning.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday warned that those attempting to provoke India will face retaliation in a language that they understand. His remarks came in the aftermath of the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
While addressing the public during a rally in Lakhimpur Kheri, Yogi Adityanath condemned the Kashmir attack and paid his condolences to the bereaved families. “UP government pays condolences to the people who lost their lives in the Pahalgam terror attack and condemns this cowardly attack. There cannot be any place for terrorism and anarchy in a civilised society,” he said.
“The Indian Government’s model of security, service, and good governance is based on the development, welfare of the poor, and security of all. Yeh naya Bharat kisi ko chhedta nahin lekin agar koi chhedega toh usko chhodega bhi nahin. (This new India does not provoke anyone, but if anyone dares to do it, they won’t be spared),” he said.

“If someone tries to lay a hand on the security of the nation, then they will be made to understand in the language that they understand. New India is ready to reply to such people,” the UP CM added.

On Saturday, authorities in Uttar Pradesh said that they are overseeing the departure of Pakistani nationals on short-term visas, while monitoring the ones with long-term visas. India has directed Pakistani citizens residing in the country to return to their homeland before April 27 in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Days ago, Yogi Adityanath had also met the family members of Shubham Dwivedi, the Kanpur resident who was killed in the Pahalgam attack.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/kashmir-attack-yeh-naya-bharat-hai-kisi-ne-chhedaa-toh-yogi-adityanaths-warning-after-pahalgam-terror-attack-news-article-151506827

The glossy wooden table on which the Simla Agreement was signed between Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1972 is kept in the Kirti Hall of the Himachal Pradesh Raj Bhavan.

A day after Pakistan suspended the 1972 Simla Agreement, the country’s flag was seen missing on the historic table at the Himachal Pradesh Raj Bhavan on which the agreement was signed.
The glossy wooden table on which the agreement was signed is kept in the Kirti Hall of the Himachal Pradesh Raj Bhavan on an elevated red-coloured platform cordoned off with brass railings with a plate which reads — “Simla Agreement was signed here on 3-7-1972”.
A photograph of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto signing the agreement and former PM Indira Gandhi sitting beside him is kept on the table, while several other photographs of the India-Pakistan Summit of 1972 hang on the wall in the background.

The Pakistani flag is not present on the iconic table anymore, reported PTI, citing Raj Bhavan officials. However, it is yet to be known if the Pakistani flag was removed or not.

Lieutenant Vinay Narwal was a resident of Haryana’s Karnal, and was on his honeymoon in Pahalgam with his wife when he was killed.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday announced compensation of Rs 50 lakh and a government job to the family of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was among the 26 tourists killed in Jammu-Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22 in the deadly terrorist attack.

According to an official statement, the job will be given to any of the family members as per the wish of Narwal’s parents.

The last rites of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was a resident of Haryana’s Karnal, were performed on April 23. Haryana CM Nayab Saini also attended his last rites.

Speaking to the media, CM Saini said, “I came here to pay tribute to Vinay Narwal and meet his family. Those who have carried out the cowardly attack will not be spared… strict action will be taken against them. Vinay Narwal is a brave soldier…The Haryana government stands with Vinay Narwal’s family.”

Several people arrived at the residence of the officer to pay tribute and take a final glimpse of the officer.

Lieutenant Vinay Narwal was killed less than 10 days after he got married.

His widow bid an emotional goodbye to her husband as she stood with tears in her eyes at the funeral ceremony.

“I hope his soul rests in peace. He lived a good life. He made us really proud, and we should keep this pride in every way,” she said, with a trembling voice.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/haryana-cm-announces-ex-gratia-of-rs-50-lakh-govt-job-for-kin-of-navy-officer-killed-in-pahalgam-9314725.html

The Assam CM asserted that under PM Modi’s leadership, “India will hunt down terror and destroy terror infrastructure wherever it exits in the world”.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for his threat to India, asserting that “no one can deter India from taking decisive revenge” for the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

He affirmed that India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, “will hunt down terror and destroy terror infrastructure wherever it exists in the world”.

Sarma took to X and shared a clip of Zardari addressing a gathering in Sukkur.

‘Unworthy son’

“The State of Pakistan has a long and bloody history of betrayal — it took lives of Bilawal Bhutto’s grandfather and mother. It is a tragedy that an unworthy son today chooses to speak in a manner that dishonors even their sacrifice,” he wrote.

“Let it be absolutely clear — no one can deter India from taking decisive revenge when it comes to safeguarding its honour and its people,” Sarma added.

He said that India’s national security is non-negotiable. “The waters of the Indus are ours — and they shall remain ours, unchallenged and eternal,” the Assam CM added.

Pakistan People’s Party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claimed Indus belongs to Pakistan.

He said that under the Indus Waters Treaty, “India has acknowledged that the Indus belongs to Pakistan”.

Speaking at an event, Zardari said, “I would like to stand here in Sukkur by the Indus and tell India that the Indus is ours and the Indus will remain ours, whether water flows in this Indus or their blood.”

On April 22, terrorists gunned down 26 people, mostly tourists, in Baisaran, near J&K’s Pahalgam. The attack has led to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, with New Delhi announcing massive punitive actions against Islamabad.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/unworthy-son-himanta-biswa-sarma-slams-bilawal-bhutto-says-no-one-can-deter-india-from-revenge-101745713623657.html

With his wedding attire ready and all set to tie the knot in Pakistan’s Amarkot city on April 30, Singh along with his family and ‘baraat’ set out from Barmer district for the Attari border on Tuesday.

Rajasthan’s Shaitan Singh got engaged to Kesar Kanwar from Pakistan’s Sindh province four years ago. As the groom’s family struggled for years to get visas, the cross-border wedding was hit by another hurdle when the government closed the Attari border on Thursday.

With his wedding attire ready and all set to tie the knot in Pakistan’s Amarkot city on April 30, Singh along with his family and ‘baraat’ set out from Barmer district for the Attari border on Tuesday.

But by the time they reached there, authorities refused to let them cross the border as India on Wednesday ordered immediate shutdown of the Attari-Wagah border as part of a series of retaliatory steps following the tragic Pahalgam terror attack.

“We’ve waited a long time for this day,” said Singh, adding that after years of efforts it was only recently, February 18, that he, his father and brother were granted visas.

The groom’s cousin Surendra Singh said the situation has left both families disheartened.

“Our relatives from Pakistan had come here but they had to return. We are very disappointed. Terror attacks cause a lot of damage. Relations get spoiled. Movement on the border stops,” he said.

As the cross-border wedding remains disrupted. The visa of Singh, a resident of Indroi village in Barmer district, is valid until May 12, giving the families a glimmer of hope that the wedding might still happen if the border reopens in time.

“Whatever the terrorists did was wrong. The wedding has been interrupted. What to do? It is a matter of borders,” the groom said.

The cross-border marriage was arranged through family ties, a common practice among the Sodha Rajput community, which has a significant population in Sindh province of Pakistan.

Many of them prefer marrying within the community, and often seek matches across the border to preserve their cultural traditions.

Singh, who works in the finance sector, is one of many in the region with relatives in Pakistan. For now, his family waits in hope that the situation improves and the border reopens in time for the marriage to go ahead.

India on Wednesday downgraded diplomatic relations with Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were gunned down.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/band-baaja-wedding-in-limbo-indian-groom-shaitan-singh-stuck-at-attari-wagah-border-8261658

This ignition test conducted on April 24 is the second milestone after the successful first hot test on March 28, 2025, that was a major breakthrough in the testing of the Semicryogenic engine test programme, the space agency said.

A short duration hot test of the semicryogenic engine was successfully conducted at the test facility in ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu, the space agency said on Saturday.

This ignition test conducted on April 24 is the second milestone after the successful first hot test on March 28, 2025, that was a major breakthrough in the testing of the Semicryogenic engine test programme, the space agency said.

In a statement, ISRO said, this test, the Engine Power Head Test Article, encompassing all engine systems except the thrust chamber, was subjected to a hot test for a duration of 3.5 seconds, that validated the engine start-up sequence.

“During the test, the engine was successfully ignited and operated up to 60 per cent of its rated power level, demonstrating stable and controlled performance,” it said.

According to ISRO, these tests are part of a planned series of evaluations designed to validate the design integrity and performance of critical subsystems, including the low-pressure and high-pressure turbo pumps, pre-burner and associated control systems.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/isro-successfully-conducts-short-duration-hot-test-of-semicryogenic-engine-8265170

Over 1,000 Pakistani nationals in Maharashtra have been directed to leave, following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Similar actions are taken in UP, Goa, and Uttarakhand.

Over 1,000 Pakistani nationals residing in Maharashtra have been directed to leave the state, the state government confirmed on Wednesday.

In a similar move, authorities in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, and Uttarakhand have also issued exit notices to Pakistani nationals on short-term visas. This action follows increased scrutiny of foreign nationals after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam earlier this week.

Officials in these states have also indicated that those on long-term visas are under observation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah contacted the chief ministers of all states on Friday and instructed them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the stipulated deadline.

In Punjab, 75 Pakistani nationals have returned to their country, while 335 Indian nationals have come back from Pakistan.

Maharashtra minister Yogesh Kadam stated on Saturday that 5,000 Pakistani nationals are living in the state, including 1,000 on short-term visas who have been asked to leave the country as per the Centre’s directives.

Some have been residing in India for 8-10 years, some are married, and some have surrendered their Pakistani passports and applied for Indian citizenship, he said.

According to his estimate, there could be 4,000 long-term visas, including 1,000 SAARC visas, for those who have come to the state for film work, medical reasons, journalism, or personal matters, Kadam said.

Those with short-term visas have been asked to leave by April 27, while those with medical visas have been given two additional days, Kadam said.

In Maharashtra, 55 Pakistani nationals on short-term visas have been asked to leave by the Central government’s deadline of April 27, a state home department official said. There are 18 Pakistani nationals on short-term visas in Nagpur, 19 in Thane, 12 in Jalgaon, and three in Pune, while Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, and Raigad have one each.

Uttar Pradesh

Authorities in Uttar Pradesh are overseeing the departure of those on short-term visas, while monitoring those with long-term visas.

Prayagraj Police Commissioner Tarun Gauba said four Pakistani nationals were on short-term visas in Prayagraj district.

While one Pakistani woman left on Friday, three Pakistani women will leave on Saturday, he said.

Gauba mentioned that these individuals had come for brief periods, including one for medical treatment, and assured that the local intelligence unit is closely monitoring the situation.

Similarly, authorities in Muzaffarnagar and Bulandshahr also reported that Pakistani nationals are leaving.

However, there are still 26 Pakistani nationals in Muzaffarnagar on long-term visas.

Azamgarh, Baghpat, Bhadohi, and Shahjahanpur districts also have Pakistani citizens with long-term visas who are currently exempted from leaving. Meanwhile, police in Amroha and Moradabad said no Pakistani nationals are residing in their districts.

Meerut and Mainpuri authorities said no Pakistani nationals are living in their districts on short-term visas.

Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand Police on Friday said two of the three Pakistani citizens living in different districts on short-term visas have been sent back.

According to a press release, the process of sending back the third one is underway.

Twenty-six people, most of them tourists, were killed in the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday.

Following this, the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to allow normal Pakistan visa holders to return to Pakistan by April 27 and medical visa holders by April 29.

State police said about 250 Pakistani citizens are living in Dehradun, Haridwar, and Nainital districts, out of which 247 are on long-term visas and three are on short-term visas.

Most of the Pakistani citizens who came to India on long-term visas are Hindus, according to the release.

Goa

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said three Pakistani nationals on short-term visas in the state have been asked to leave by the central government’s deadline.

At a press conference in Porvorim, he said, Three Pakistani nationals on short-term visas have been asked to leave the country.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/over-1000-pakistani-nationals-asked-to-leave-maharashtra-up-goa-uttarakhand-hand-exit-notices-ws-dkl-9314731.html

After the video elicited a barrage of comments, lauding the husband for a swift intervention, Rapido issued a statement saying its driver’s conduct was unacceptable and he had been permanently removed from the platform.

A woman here has accused a Rapido bike rider of sending an unsolicited message, asking for her flat number.

He also wrote, “Call me, else I’ll come over,” she alleged in a post on social media.

The woman informed her husband about the message, who caught the Rapido driver outside their apartment building. He also made a video of the driver and uploaded it on social media. The driver was handed over to the apartment’s security personnel.

Police, however, said no complaint has been received in connection with the matter.

After the video elicited a barrage of comments, lauding the husband for a swift intervention, Rapido issued a statement saying its driver’s conduct was unacceptable and he had been permanently removed from the platform.

“We barred the captain from the platform, and we spoke to the customer and offered legal assistance, and are on standby for further instructions from her,” Rapido said.

The company asserted that it had its zero-tolerance policy towards misconduct and it would tighten its driver verification protocols.

The accused was identified as Manjar Alam, who was using someone else’s identity to operate the ride hailing app.

According to the video, the woman had scheduled a Rapido bike ride through the app to step out for an errand. Shortly after, the driver arrived and called to notify her of his presence and she asked him to wait a couple of minutes.

A minute later, the driver texted her, asking for her flat number and suggesting he should come up. He also shared his personal number, insisting she call him. ‘ Feeling unsafe, the woman locked her door and immediately contacted her husband. Her husband returned home and confronted the driver outside their apartment.

Upon being confronted, the driver fell to his knees and pleaded for forgiveness. The woman’s husband documented the exchange and later shared the footage online.

In the video, the driver claimed it was a misunderstanding and that his message had been misread.

When questioned, the driver introduced himself as Manjar Alam from Ghata village.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/haryana/gurugram-man-accosts-rapido-driver-for-sending-wife-messages-video-viral-on-social-media-3511345

In the case at AIIMS Raipur, two male End Stage Renal Disease patients, aged 39 and 41 from Bilaspur, had been on dialysis for three years, the union health ministry said.

New Delhi: The AIIMS Raipur has successfully performed its first swap kidney transplant, making it the first among the newer AIIMS institutions and the first government hospital in Chhattisgarh to carry out this complex and life-saving procedure.

The Union Health ministry said swap kidney transplant, which is also known as Kidney Paired Transplant (KPT), can lead to a 15 per cent increase in the number of transplants.

In a swap transplant, a patient with renal failure who has a willing living donor but is unable to receive the kidney due to an incompatible blood group or the presence of HLA antibodies can still undergo a transplant by exchanging donors with another incompatible pair. Through this arrangement, both recipients receive compatible kidneys, resulting in successful transplants for both pairs.

In the case at AIIMS Raipur, two male End Stage Renal Disease patients, aged 39 and 41 from Bilaspur, had been on dialysis for three years, the ministry said in a statement.

Both were advised to undergo kidney transplantation.Their respective wives came forward as living donors. However, due to blood group incompatibility direct donation was not possible.

To overcome this challenge, the transplant team at AIIMS Raipur coordinated a successful swap transplant, the statement said.

Each donor gave her kidney to the other recipient, ensuring blood group compatibility and enabling both patients to receive life-saving organs. The surgery was conducted on March 15, and all four individuals — both donors and recipients — are currently recovering well under close observation in the Transplant ICU.

Recognising its potential, the National Organisation and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) has recommended for the implementation of Swap donor transplantation to all states and Union Territories as this option could increase the number of donors.

The NOTTO has also decided to have a ‘uniform one nation one swap transplant programme’ to facilitate these transplants more effectively across the country, the statement said.

AIIMS Raipur has played a pivotal role in the development of organ transplant in Chhattisgarh. The institute has successfully developed a renal transplant program, encompassing both living and deceased donor transplants.

Six deceased donors have donated their organs in last two years, the statement said.

AIIMS Raipur has also been first amongst the newer AIIMS to start deceased donor organ donation and deceased donor kidney transplantation, it said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/health/first-swap-kidney-transplant-conducted-at-aiims-raipur-3508141

The Pahalgam attack was carried out by a hardened module affiliated with the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, comprising mostly foreign terrorists, with support from local militants.

The terrorist attack in Baisaran valley near Pahalgam, which ended in 26 people dying, has brought a long-active terror group operating in Jammu and Kashmir to the forefront. This terror attack, one of the deadliest since the scrapping of Article 370 in 2019, has triggered high-level diplomatic and security responses from the government against Pakistan, which has been accused of harbouring the handlers and backers of this terrorist group.

The attack was carried out by a group affiliated with the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror organisation, comprising mostly foreign terrorists, with support from local militants, overground workers from the Valley and under the control of 26/11 attacks mastermind and Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed.

The Module’s Past Operations
According to sources, this particular module has been active in the Kashmir Valley for a long time. Security agencies believe it has been behind several high-profile attacks across the region, including in Sonamarg, Boota Pathri, and Ganderbal. In October 2024, four individuals, including two Indian Army personnel, were killed in a terror strike at Boota Pathri. That same month, Sonamarg witnessed a deadly assault on tunnel construction workers in which six labourers and a doctor were gunned down. Hashim Musa, one of the main accused in the Pahalgam massacre, is believed to a suspect in this attack.

Following the Sonamarg massacre, a key figure in the module, Junaid Ahmed Bhatt, an A+ category Lashkar terrorist from Kulgam, was neutralised in an encounter in Dachigam in December 2024. Other members of the group managed to escape, dispersing into nearby forested regions. After a major attack, these terrorists typically go underground, hiding in dense forest hideouts until receiving fresh orders from their handlers in Pakistan.

Links to Lashkar Leadership

The module is reportedly controlled directly by Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed and his deputy Saifullah, both believed to be operating from Pakistan. Indian intelligence agencies maintain that the module receives not only ideological but also logistical and tactical guidance from Pakistan’s military and its intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The group’s composition includes a majority of foreign fighters, but several locals and overground workers from Kashmir are embedded within it, providing support and cover.

The Pahalgam Attack

In the Pahalgam attack, terrorists struck at three separate locations within the Baisaran valley. According to police sources, five people were killed together at one location, two were shot dead in an open field, and others were targeted near a fencing structure around the valley. Those who managed to jump over the fencing and flee were spared. Survivors have said that the attackers even engaged them in brief conversations before opening fire.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday released sketches of three suspects linked to the Pahalgam attack. Two are Pakistani nationals: Hashim Musa alias Suleman and Ali Bhai alias Talha. The third, Abdul Hussain Thokar, is a resident of Anantnag in Kashmir. The police have announced a cash reward of Rs 20 lakh for credible information leading to their capture.

Security forces also uncovered a hideout used by the module in nearby forests on Thursday.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pahalgam-terror-attack-terror-module-that-struck-pahalgam-handled-by-lashkar-chief-hafiz-saeed-8250934

The DMK has frequently accused Governor RN Ravi of acting on behest of the BJP to deliberately delay implementation of laws and scuttle the state’s development.

Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK and Governor RN Ravi are at loggerheads, again.

This time it is over Mr Ravi alleging Chief Minister MK Stalin used the state police force to deter vice-chancellors from attending a conference chaired by him in the hill-town of Ooty.

Mr Ravi – whom the Supreme Court rebuked this month for withholding assent to 10 bills cleared, each twice over, by the Tamil Nadu government – declared Mr Stalin’s behaviour was reminiscent of the Emergency imposed by late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

“Is MK Stalin afraid of the consequences of a rise in standards of state universities… that this could be a threat to his political future?” the Governor, roiled in a row with the state government over appointment of vice-chancellors to state-run colleges and universities, asked.

The DMK hit back quickly and declared “intimidation is in the BJP’s DNA”.

The Tamil party has frequently accused Mr Ravi of acting on behest of the BJP – which appoints governors – to deliberately delay implementation of laws and scuttle the state’s development.

“We have it in us to stand for the state’s rights. There is no provision in the Constitution to make governors chancellors of state universities,” Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiaan said.

On existing vice-chancellors skipping the Governor’s conference, Mr Chezhiaan said they had “understood the Supreme Court verdict” and had chosen to boycott the event.

“How can the state government be responsible? The Governor convened the meet disrespecting the law… does that mean the vice-chancellors should do it too?”

The head-to-head between the Tamil Nadu government and Mr Ravi – at least on the issue of withholding assent for bills – came to a big denouement on April 8 after the Supreme Court said Mr Ravi had not acted in good faith, and that his actions were “illegal” and “arbitrary”.

The verdict was hailed as “historic” by Chief Minister Stalin, who said it was a win for all states, referring to similar disputes between non-BJP states and their respective governors.

In addition, the court also specified timelines for governors and the President to assent to bills passed by state legislatures; that section of the verdict led the BJP’s Nishikant Dubey to attack the judiciary.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/south/tamil-nadu-news-dmk-vs-governor-rn-ravi-vice-chancellors-skip-conference-in-ooty-8255733

Despite the attack, Mr Goyal expressed confidence that tourism in Kashmir will resume soon, emphasising that no one can derail Kashmir from its developmental path, highlighting the region’s progress and potential.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday assured a smooth Amarnath Yatra, which is set to commence on July 3 this year, despite the Pahalgam terror attack.

Despite the attack, Mr Goyal expressed confidence that tourism in Kashmir will resume soon, emphasising that no one can derail Kashmir from its developmental path, highlighting the region’s progress and potential.

“People of India are capable and confident enough that soon tourism will resume there, Amarnath Yatra will be conducted successfully, and no one can derail Kashmir from the developmental path that it has taken,” said Mr Goyal.

Registrations for this year’s Shri Amarnath Yatra began in Jammu and Kashmir on April 15. They took place at 533 branches of Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, J&K Bank, and Yes Bank across the country.

The Amarnath Yatra is set to commence on July 3 this year, simultaneously from both routes–the Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district. It will culminate on August 9 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Mr Goyal reiterated that the government has already announced the cancellation of visas for Pakistani nationals, and they must leave India.

“We have already announced it (visa cancellation for Pakistani nationals) and they all must go…,” he said.

Mr Goyal strongly condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack, emphasising that India will not tolerate terrorism. Mr Goyal stated that India has no interest in having trade relations with Pakistan, labelling it a “terrorist nation.”

“India has no interest in having a trade relation with a terrorist nation like Pakistan… There will be no place in India where we will let terrorism rise…,” added the Union Minister.

Referring to Pakistan’s persistent challenge, Mr Goyal made it clear that India has already taken steps to sever ties.

“The loss caused to Pakistan is of no interest to India. What is the use of trading with a terrorist country like Pakistan?” he said. He further assured that India’s decisions, particularly regarding the visa cancellations, would be communicated soon, underscoring that these steps are part of a broader strategy to tackle terrorism.

“As long as 140 crore Indians consider patriotism and nationalism their highest duty, such incidents will continue to trouble the nation,” he added.

Meanwhile on Friday, while extending condolences to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said Central government will identify, trace and punish the terrorists along with their backers.

Recalling the remarks of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Goyal said, “I remember Atal Bihari Vajpayee said, cross-border and state-sponsored terrorism is a menace to civilised society. This is the moment when the entire country comes together and expresses the anger and collective commitment of the nation to give a fitting response to those responsible for this.”

Reminding people of the resolve taken by Prime Minister Narendra over the terror attacks, Mr Goyal said, “We will identify, trace and punish the terrorists and their backers. This is the resolve of every Indian… We faced the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and came back stronger. We gave a befitting reply to Pulwama attacks.”

Union Minister also expressed condolences to all the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

“There is outrage across the country from Kargil to Kaniyakumari against the attack on India’s very fabric. We are all united in grief, pray for the departed and wish for quick recovery of those injured. We pray that strength is bestowed upon those families who are deeply impacted by this heinous and criminal act of terrorists,” Mr Goyal said.

The attack in Pahalgam occurred on Tuesday at Baisaran meadow, where terrorists targeted tourists, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, and leaving several others injured. It was one of the deadliest attacks in the region since the 2019 Pulwama strike, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF jawans.

Following the attack, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi reached Srinagar on Friday and assessed the situation in the valley.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/amarnath-yatra-will-be-conducted-successfully-minister-piyush-goyal-in-wake-of-pahalgam-terror-attack-8258457

Pope Francis, who was the first non-European Pope in nearly 1,300 years, died on Monday. He was 88.

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday paid homage to Pope Francis at the Basilica of St Peter in Vatican City.

Pope Francis, who was the first non-European Pope in nearly 1,300 years, died on Monday. He was 88.

His funeral will be held on Saturday.

“President Droupadi Murmu paid homage to His Holiness Pope Francis at Basilica of St Peter in Vatican City,” her office said in a post on X.

Droupadi Murmu is accompanied by Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju; Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, George Kurian; and Deputy Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly, Joshua De Souza.

Droupadi Murmu, who reached here earlier in the day, is on a two-day visit to the Vatican City beginning Friday and will offer condolences on behalf of the government and people of India.

“On April 26, the president will attend the funeral Mass of His Holiness Pope Francis at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, which will be attended by dignitaries from around the world,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a statement.

India had declared a three-day state mourning on the passing of Pope Francis.

Media reports quoted the Vatican as saying that about 164 delegations are confirmed for Francis’ funeral. These include 54 heads of state and 12 reigning sovereigns.

Droupadi Murmu is accompanied by Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju; Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, George Kurian; and Deputy Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly, Joshua De Souza.

Droupadi Murmu, who reached here earlier in the day, is on a two-day visit to the Vatican City beginning Friday and will offer condolences on behalf of the government and people of India.

“On April 26, the president will attend the funeral Mass of His Holiness Pope Francis at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, which will be attended by dignitaries from around the world,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a statement.

India had declared a three-day state mourning on the passing of Pope Francis.

Media reports quoted the Vatican as saying that about 164 delegations are confirmed for Francis’ funeral. These include 54 heads of state and 12 reigning sovereigns.

The tourists stranded in Chungthang were rescued via Sankalang Bridge in Dzongu, officials said.

Hundreds of tourists stranded in Chungthang in Mangan district of north Sikkim following landslides were rescued on Friday, officials said.

Chungthang is nearly 100 km away from the state capital Gangtok. The landslides were caused by heavy rainfall in Lachen and Lachung areas of Mangan on Thursday.

The tourists stranded in Chungthang were rescued via Sankalang Bridge in Dzongu, officials said. A total of 222 vehicles left the region through a reconstructed Bailey bridge at Sangkalang, which was opened for traffic movement, the officials said.

While roads to Lachen and Lachung remained closed due to mudslides caused by heavy rainfall last evening, efforts were on to clear the routes as fast as possible.

Around 100 tourists from the Lachung area hiked downhill, crossing the landslide-hit Bop village, to reach Chungthang. Mangan District Magistrate Anant Jain said the remaining tourists stranded in Lachen and Lachung have been advised to remain in their respective hotels. Adequate accommodation and food arrangements have been made to ensure their well-being, he said.

Mr Jain and Superintendent of Police (SP) Sonam Detchu Bhutia helped the stranded tourists so that they could return to their destinations safely.

District officials visited Bop village to assess the situation. They are expected to visit Leema on Saturday, once the Bop road is cleared. The road conditions at Munshithang will also be reviewed during tomorrow, the officials said.

Several agencies have been directed to mobilise their machinery to clear the roads. Local construction companies have also been asked to coordinate and utilise their available machinery to expedite the clearance work to resume vehicular movement.

Besides, the power department has been directed to prioritise and expedite the restoration of supply in Chungthang, Lachen, and Lachung.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/hundreds-of-tourists-stranded-in-north-sikkim-due-to-landslides-rescued-8256211

Elvish Yadav Reveals Emotional Connection To Pahalgam Terror Attack Victim: “She Was My Classmate At Hansraj College

Elvish Yadav, the Bigg Boss OTT winner and popular influencer, recently opened up about a deeply personal connection to a national tragedy. In a heartfelt video, he revealed that the wife of the Navy officer martyred in the Pahalgam terror attack was his classmate from Hansraj College. Expressing his shock and sorrow, Elvish said they had studied together and that it was heartbreaking to see someone he once knew now facing such an unimaginable loss.

The terror attack in Pahalgam claimed the lives of several soldiers, leaving the country in grief. Elvish’s revelation adds a powerful, emotional layer to the story, reminding people that behind every uniform is a family and a life that gets forever altered. His message resonated deeply across social media, as he spoke not just as a celebrity, but as a friend and a citizen who felt the weight of the tragedy personally.

Source: https://www.spotboye.com/trending/trending-news/elvish-yadav-reveals-emotional-connection-to-pahalgam-terror-attack-victim-she-was-my-classmate-at-hansraj-college/680b60b498e7b5da75cc76d8

Acting on a tip-off from reliable sources, a special forest department team set up a trap near the Motu checkpoint. Around 3 a.m., they intercepted a suspicious vehicle and discovered the turtles hidden in 13 sacks. The turtles were reportedly being smuggled from Andhra Pradesh into Odisha.

In a significant crackdown on wildlife trafficking, forest officials in Odisha’s Malkangiri district seized 473 rare turtles during an anti-smuggling operation in the Motu area early Friday morning.

Acting on a tip-off from reliable sources, a special forest department team set up a trap near the Motu checkpoint. Around 3 a.m., they intercepted a suspicious vehicle and discovered the turtles hidden in 13 sacks. The turtles were reportedly being smuggled from Andhra Pradesh into Odisha.

Although the occupants of the vehicle managed to flee, forest officials successfully seized the live turtles along with the vehicle used for their illegal transport. Both have been secured at the MV-79 forest office.

An investigation is currently underway to trace those behind the smuggling attempt. Authorities suspect the involvement of an inter-state trafficking network.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/odisha-news-forest-officials-seize-473-rare-turtles-in-malkangiri-anti-smuggling-operation

Ekta Tiwari, part of a 20-member tourist group visiting Jammu & Kashmir, claimed that on April 20, while heading to Pahalgam, they encountered suspicious individuals near Baisaran.

The Ganderbal Police arrested a local horse handler, Ayaz Ahmad, following allegations by a tourist group from Uttar Pradesh. The complaint was filed by Ekta Tiwari of Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur, who accused Ahmad and others of questioning their religion and discussing weapons over phone calls.

Ekta Tiwari, part of a 20-member tourist group visiting Jammu & Kashmir, claimed that on April 20, while heading to Pahalgam, they encountered suspicious individuals near Baisaran. According to her, two men approached them during a horse ride, inquiring about their religion and the size of their group.

“They asked if we were Hindu or Muslim, told us to read the Quran, and questioned why my brother was wearing a rudraksh (Hindu prayer beads),” Tiwari said. A verbal altercation ensued, prompting the group to retreat and seek help from other handlers.

Tiwari further alleged that shortly after the confrontation, one of the men received a phone call and spoke in coded language, mentioning, “Plan-A has failed.” She claimed they also discussed sending “35 guns into the valley.”

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/pahalgam-terrorist-attack-jk-police-arrest-pony-ride-operator-after-tourist-complains-about-him-asking-about-religion

During routine patrolling near Shri Geeta Mata Mandir, police team intercepted a man identifying as one Puran Singh. On verifying, police found his name to be Manir Hussain.

Two men were booked for allegedly impersonating pony service providers using fake documents on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi route in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, officials said.

During routine patrolling near Shri Geeta Mata Mandir, police team intercepted a man identifying as one Puran Singh. On verifying, police found his name to be Manir Hussain.

He was using someone else’s authorised service card to operate illegally, police said, adding that an FIR under relevant sections of law has been registered at Katra Police Station.

In a similar case near Ban Ganga bridge, police caught Sahil Khan, who was from Kotli in Jammu district, for allegedly operating a pony service without any valid license.

He admitted that he had no authorisation and a case was registered, police said.

Authorities said surveillance and verification drives would continue to curb unauthorised activities on the shrine route. Police have urged all service providers to carry valid documents and requested the public to report suspicious behaviour.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/jammu-and-kashmir/jk-two-men-posing-as-pony-service-providers-caught-on-vaishno-devi-route-3509641

In 2023, the 32-year-old woman from Pakistan’s Sindh province entered India illegally via Nepal along with her four children.

In the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed at least 26 tourists, the Indian government has taken a series of diplomatic and policy actions against Pakistan — raising questions about the status of Pakistani nationals currently residing in India, including Seema Haider, a woman who made headlines for illegally entering the country to meet her Indian boyfriend.

India’s response to Pahalgam

India has closed its Attari border, expelled Pakistani diplomats, and suspended the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty — a key agreement that had governed water-sharing between the two nations since 1960. Additionally, Delhi has revoked a visa exemption scheme previously available to Pakistani nationals. Those in India under this scheme have been ordered to leave the country within 48 hours.

These policy changes raised the question about Seema Haider, who went viral for her cross-border love story with a young Indian boyfriend Sachin Meena.

India’s top leadership, including PM Narendra Modi, has vowed a befitting reply over the Pahalgam massacre. Pakistan’s role is undeniable, and India has both diplomatic and kinetic options on the table, like after the Uri and Pulwama attacks. This is why Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, might be risking a limited war with India.

Nothing unites a country like war does. With its economy in the doldrums, armed rebels running riot in two of its four provinces and the popularity of its army at a new low, Pakistan might be itching for a military confrontation. Since the 1971 split, this is the closest Pakistan has come to breaking up. A mini-war could fix multiple problems, and the Pahalgam attack could be intended for that.

That India will respond with might to the Pahalgam massacre has been made clear by the country’s top leadership. The questions are how and when. There is also another important question — Why has Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir risked a military confrontation with India? That despite witnessing India’s resolve after the Uri and Pulwama terror strikes.

India has been at the receiving of Pakistan’s terror export ever since its formation in 1947. However, the Pahalgam attack was unlike anything that Pakistan-backed terrorists have carried out in India.

Twenty-six people were massacred in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22. The Resistance Front, indeed a front for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack on holidayers. A top LeT commander, Saifullah Kasuri, is reportedly the mastermind.

It is the targeting of tourists, the toll and the singling out of non-Muslims that make the Pahalgam attack unlike any other in recent years.

The attack seemed well-planned and timed even as tourism received a major boost, with the overall security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir improving in recent years.

Though Islamabad is denying its link to the massacre, it is a given that no terror attack of this scale in Jammu and Kashmir would have been carried out without the support of Pakistan’s military establishment. Experts aren’t debating that.

“This has been unleashed by the Pakistan army. SSG commandos of Pakistan are posing as terrorists and carrying out these attacks,” SP Vaid, former DGP of Jammu and Kashmir, said.

The cross-border involvement was underscored at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Wednesday.

The communal line in the attack also comes after the recent dog-whistling by General Asim Munir.

“Our forefathers believed that we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different. Our customs are different… That was the foundation of the Two-Nation Theory,” said General Munir on April 16.

This was perceived as a signal to the Pakistani terror assets, according to reports, and the Pahalgam attack came within a week of that speech.

While Pakistani military chiefs have historically made anti-India remarks, it isn’t usual for them to make anti-Hindu remarks.

“It’s not a coincidence that Asim Munir utters illogical words two days back, and such an attack takes place where the religion of the victims is asked, and they are asked to recite the Kalima,” Vaid said.

Munir’s anti-Hindu remarks and the singling out of non-Muslim tourists by terrorists was meant to provoke a massive outrage in India and New Delhi to react.

INDIA HAS MADE ITS INTENTIONS CLEAR ON TERROR

Though Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khwaja Asif said his country had nothing to do with the Pahalgam terror attack, India isn’t buying that.

India signalled its intent with a diplomatic offensive, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, cancellation of visas for Pakistanis and reducing the strength of the Pakistani High Commission, on Wednesday in the CCS.

However, there might be expectations beyond the diplomatic offensive.

“Must say, I don’t see the measures announced by the Indian government today being able to greatly placate the anger of the Indian citizenry,” strategic expert Faran Jefferey said after the CCS decisions were made public.

With the cross-border surgical strikes after the 2016 Uri attack and an aerial bombing after the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, India has set examples of retaliatory military responses.

In his first public statement since the Pahalgam attack, PM Modi on Thursday said, “India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.”

PM Modi was speaking at a rally in Bihar in Hindi and made a rare switch to English to ensure that the world doesn’t miss a word of his fierce message.

There is chatter online that, fearing retaliation, Pakistan has moved its fighter jets closer to bases in the northern region that are closer to the Indian border.

It is well-believed that there cannot be an all-out war between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed countries. The fallout will be scary, and the world desperately has to intervene to prevent that. The two countries have fought three wars over Kashmir — in 1947, 1965, and 1999 –, all initiated by Islamabad, or more precisely, Rawalpindi, the headquarters of the Pakistan army.

A limited war is, however, a possibility, and General Munir knows that.

ASIM MUNIR’S RISING UNPOPULARITY IN PAKISTAN

Pakistan’s military establishment is under unprecedented pressure and Army Chief Asim Munir is facing rising unpopularity.

“Pakistan Army chief wants to escalate it, he wants to prove his credibility,” said Vaid, the former Jammu and Kashmir DGP.

Munir and his men are marked in all of Pakistan’s four provinces.

While Baloch rebels are running over them in Balochistan, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan are attacking at will in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In Sindh, a canal project has brought the people on the streets, and in Punjab, people are furious over the jailing of former PM Imran Khan.

“General Munir can’t even take a train through parts of Pakistan without getting hit and bombed. That is why he has decided to play the Kashmir card,” explained defence expert Colonel Rohit Dev (Retd) on India Today TV.

Since 1971, this is the closest Pakistan has come to breaking apart.

The military has been the most-respected organisation in Pakistan and people have rallied behind it. Recent protests and attacks on people in uniform reveal the extent of fury against them now.

Though the military is all-powerful in Pakistan and runs the country, General Munir cannot ignore popular sentiment for too long.

And what is better than a strike from India to bind Pakistanis together and get them behind their military?

Much like in 2007, when Pakistan’s military dictator Pervez Musharraf faced growing resistance and survived assassination attempts, the Pakistan Army today finds itself battling domestic unrest and an erosion of public trust.

“The Pakistani military, for the first time in the country’s history, does not have the unanimous or even majority support of the Pakistani people in a face-off with India. How the mighty have fallen,” UK-based investigative journalist of Pakistani-origin Adil Raja wrote on X.

WHY ASIM MUNIR WANTS INDIA TO STRIKE BACK

Any counterattack, including a limited war, by India will hit Pakistan’s already-shattered economy.

The fear of India hitting back sent jitters down Pakistan’s stock market on Thursday. The benchmark KSE-100 was down by over 1,000 points.

Pakistan has been going around the globe with a begging bowl. It secured $7-billion in extended loans from the IMF last September.

However, the military has kept its budget intact, and the economy might not be a priority in Asim Munir’s immediate plans to prove credibility and unite the people behind him. Munir’s speech last week, in which he unleashed anti-Hindu rhetoric and raked up the Kashmir issue, came across more as an attempt to assert the establishment’s position both domestically and among the diaspora.

That his reading of the situation isn’t totally incorrect was revealed by former Pakistani minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain.

“Pakistan is politically divided, but we stand united as a nation. If attacked or threatened by India, all groups — PML-N, PPP, PTI, JUI, and others — will rally together under the Pakistani flag to defend our homeland,” Hussain, a member of Imran Khan’s party, said on Wednesday.

“India cannot twiddle its thumbs. Once the escalatory ladder is revved up, it can go out of hand,” a security analyst told The Guardian on condition of anonymity.

India has almost the same number of nuclear warheads as Pakistan but is much superior when it comes to conventional war capabilities.

Strategic expert Michael Kugelman said that both diplomatic and kinetic responses against Pakistan were on the table.

“Initial public reactions from the Trump administration suggest it may not oppose an Indian retaliation,” said Kugelman.

Not just the US, the whole world is backing India in the aftermath of the dastardly attack in Pahalgam.

Source :https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pahalgam-terror-attack-why-pakistan-army-chief-asim-munir-risking-mini-war-with-india-2714005-2025-04-24

Three female bodies, identified as members of the CPI (Maoist) guerrilla squad, were recovered following an encounter at the tri-junction of the Chhattisgarh-Telangana-Maharashtra border on Thursday.

Three female bodies, identified as members of the CPI (Maoist) guerrilla squad, were recovered following an encounter at the tri-junction of the Chhattisgarh-Telangana-Maharashtra border on Thursday. Sources suggest the death toll may rise as joint security forces continue to surround the so-called “safe zone” of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit. Intermittent gunfire was reported, according to local sources.

From Chhattisgarh, a joint team comprising DRG, COBRA, STF, CRPF, and Bastar Fighters is engaged in the operation. Meanwhile, Telangana’s Greyhound Forces and Maharashtra’s C60 Forces have encircled the hills of Karregatta, Nadpalli, and Pujari Kanker.

The operation was launched based on concrete intelligence regarding the presence of top Naxal commanders, including Hidma, Damodar, and Deva, along with their armed cadres. Reports indicated the presence of over 300 Naxalites in the area, prompting interstate action starting April 22.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/naxal-encounter-3-women-maoists-killed-in-joint-operation-at-chhattisgarh-telangana-maharashtra-border-gunbattle-continues

A viral video shows a man swinging from a construction crane in downtown Austin, sparking widespread shock online. Reactions online range from humour to frustration, with some speculating on how the stunt was performed. Read more to know the details.

A shocking video is going viral on social media, leaving the internet asking, “What?” The clip shows a man swinging from a construction crane in downtown Austin. Hanging from the edge of the crane at the top of a building, he swings freely, sparking reactions of disbelief across the web.
The video has been widely shared across various social media platforms. According to a Fox 7 Austin report, the Austin police responded to a welfare check call at the 400 block of Guadalupe Street, where a caller reported someone hanging from a crane. When officers arrived, they found a person apparently rappelling down from the crane’s edge at the top of the building. The area was evacuated as a precaution.
Soon after, the person climbed down the crane’s ladder and entered the high-rise building. At the time of the report, the individual’s identity was unknown, and no arrests had been made. The investigation is still ongoing.

The video was filmed by a man named Jack Zimmermann, and it quickly gained attention online, prompting various reactions. One user joked, “Brought to you by Red Bull. ‘Red Bull gives you swings.'” Another commented, “I wish these roof-topper types would show a ‘how they get down’ video, because I really want to know!” A crane operator expressed frustration, saying, “As a crane operator, this irritates me.” Meanwhile, another user explained, “It’s pretty simple. Just climb up the rope. They make climbing equipment called ascenders to make it easier. Anyone doing this is comfortable with rope work—it’s not hard, just requires strength and knowledge.”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/viral/red-bull-gives-you-wings-man-hangs-and-swings-from-edge-of-crane-internet-in-disbelief-watch-article-151489250

A new video has emerged showing the initial moments of the Pahalgam terror attack. Children can be seen playing on a trampoline, while other tourists enjoy themselves nearby. Suddenly, gunfire rings through the valley and a tourist is seen dropping dead. Watch the video below.

A chilling video has surfaced showing the initial moments of the Pahalgam terror attack. The video shows a terrorist shooting dead a tourist under a tree, as other tourists take a few seconds to realise the terror unfolding. The video begins with a few children playing on a trampoline and tourists relaxing nearby, but within seconds of gunfire, panic sets in as people scramble for safety.

Nearly 28 people have died and over 60 others are said to be injured in the attacks that are now being called the Valley’s deadliest since 2019. The terrorists segregated the tourists based on gender, and confirmed if they were non-Muslims, before shooting most of the men dead.
Pallavi, the wife of a tourist from Karnataka’s Shivamogga, revealed: “I noticed that there were three to four attackers. After my husband was killed, I faced one of the terrorists and said, ‘Mere pati ko mara hai na, mujhe bhi maaro’. My son also confronted him and said, ‘Kutte, mere papa ko maara, humein bhi maar daalo’.”
The terrorist told her, “‘Nahin marenge. Tum Modi ko jaake bolo’.”
PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have vowed strict action against the perpetrators.

“I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected. Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice…they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger,” PM Modi said in a tweet.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/pahalgam-terror-attack-chilling-video-captures-initial-moments-of-gunfire-panic-collapse-article-151484763 

Pahalgam Terror Attack: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a strong message to Pahalgam terrorists, said that the perpetrators will be “punished beyond their imagination”.

India will identify, track and punish every terrorist, their handlers and their backers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said from the “soil of Bihar” in a stern message to terrorists who killed 26 innocent people in Baisaran meadows in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
“We will pursue them to the ends of the earth. India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the culprits of Pahalgam and their handlers will be punished “beyond their imagination”.

The Prime Minister was addressing a gathering in Bihar’s Madhubani on Thursday, and said that people lost their loved ones in the terror attack in Pahalgam. The PM was giving the speech in Hindi and then suddenly, he switched to English and said, “Friends, today from the soil of Bihar, I say to the whole world India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the earth. India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism. Terrorism will not go unpunished.”

The PM further added, “Every effort will be made to ensure that justice is done. The entire nation is firm in this resolve. Everyone who believes in humanity is with us. I thank the people of various countries and their leaders who have stood with us in these times.”

Without naming Pakistan, PM Modi said the terrorists and the conspirators of this attack will be punished beyond their imagination. “Punishment will definitely be served,” he added.
The prime minister said the willpower of 140 crore Indians will break the back of patrons of terrorism.

On Tuesday, (April 22, 2025), terrorists opened fire on tourists in the peaceful town of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Dressed in camouflage fatigues, the terrorists separated men from women and children, asked the men to recite Islamic verses and shot dead the ones who couldn’t do so.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/will-pursue-them-to-the-ends-of-earth-pm-modi-vows-to-punish-pahalgam-terrorists-beyond-imagination-article-151486108

As per the latest information, a flag meeting is on between the two forces to secure the release of the BSF jawan, the officials said. They added that such incidents were not uncommon and have happened in the past between the two sides.

A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan has been detained by Pakistani soldiers after he mistakenly crossed the border in Ferozepur in Punjab. The jawan accidentally crossed the Punjab border. Pakistan Rangers apprehended Constable PK Singh of the 182nd battalion across the Ferozepur border on Wednesday.
Now, officials from both sides are engaging in talks to secure his release, officials said on Thursday, reported PTI. According to the information, the jawan was in uniform and carrying his service rifle when he accidentally crossed the border.

The soldier was accompanying farmers when he moved ahead to rest in the shade and Pakistani rangers apprehended him.

As per the latest information, a flag meeting is on between the two forces to secure the release of the BSF jawan, the officials said. They added that such incidents were not uncommon and have happened in the past between the two sides.

The incident comes amid fresh tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack in which terrorists killed 26 tourists in Baisara tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
The detained jawan hails from the Hooghly district in Kolkata. According to sources, Singh inadvertently crossed the zero line while accompanying farmers harvesting wheat near Gate No. 208/1, close to the border fencing in Mamdot.
The BSF’s 24th Battalion, recently deployed from Srinagar, was tasked with monitoring the farmers working in the fields. During this routine duty, Singh reportedly strayed into Pakistani territory, where Rangers swiftly apprehended him and confiscated his AK-47 rifle.
During this routine duty, Singh reportedly strayed into Pakistani territory, where Rangers swiftly apprehended him and confiscated his AK-47 rifle.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/bsf-jawan-detained-by-pakistani-rangers-after-he-accidentally-crosses-border-article-151487388

Just two days after Pahalgam terror attack, Indian Navy’s INS Surat destroyed a sea-skimming target in a precision drill. The Navy described the moment as a milestone.

Just two days after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Navy seems to be sending a message to Pakistan after its guided missile destroyed wrecked a sea-skimming target in a precision drill. Sharing the video, the Indian Navy wrote on X: “#IndianNavy’s latest indigenous guided missile destroyer #INSSurat successfully carried out a precision cooperative engagement of a sea skimming target marking another milestone in strengthening our defence capabilities. Proud moment for #AatmaNirbharBharat!”

The decision comes in the aftermath of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam terror attack which claimed the lives of at least 26 lives and left several others injured.

Indus Water Treaty: India on Thursday officially informed Pakistan that the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty is being held in abeyance “with immediate effect” citing the neighbouring country’s sustained cross-border terrorism targeting Jammu and Kashmir.

The decision comes in the aftermath of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam terror attack which claimed the lives of at least 26 lives and left several others injured.

Jal Shakti Ministry’s Secretary Debashree Mukherjee has sent a formal letter to her Pakistani counterpart, Syed Ali Murtaza, informing the Government of India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 in abeyance, marking a major escalation in regional water diplomacy.

India said that sustained cross-border terrorism has impeded its rights under the Indus Waters Treaty.

“The obligation to honour a treaty in good faith is fundamental to a treaty. However, what we have seen instead is sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” the letter read.

The letter highlighted multiple shifts, including dramatic changes in population demographics and India’s push toward clean energy, which have altered the foundational assumptions of the agreement.

India further said that Pakistan has refused to respond to its request to enter into negotiations as envisaged under the treaty.

“The resulting security uncertainties have directly impeded India’s full utilisation of its rights under the Treaty. Furthermore, apart from other breaches committed by it, Pakistan has refused to respond to India’s request to enter into negotiations as envisaged under the Treaty and is thus in breach of the Treaty,” the letter read.

Concluding the letter, Mukherjee declared, “The Government of India has hereby decided that the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect.”

India has announced downgrading diplomatic ties with Pakistan and suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam carnage on Tuesday in which 26 tourists were shot dead in broad daylight by the Resistance Front terrorists, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The decision was taken during the meeting of the Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Pakistan’s Reaction To India’s Decision

Earlier today, Pakistan’s National Security Committee had said any attempt by India to block or divert river water under the Indus Waters Treaty would be treated as an “Act of War”. Terming the 1960 agreement a lifeline for its 240 million citizens, Islamabad claimed the treaty cannot be held in abeyance unilaterally and warned of retaliation “across the complete spectrum of National Power”.

Pakistan appeared to take into account that if India holds the IWT in abeyance it might not bode well for its citizens. Protests have erupted across Pakistan following its inadequate response to the droughts which have occurred across Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab provinces.

What Is Indus Waters Treaty?

India and Pakistan signed the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960, with the World Bank as an additional signatory. The pact sought to divide the water of the Indus river and its tributaries equitably between the two countries. Under the treaty, water from three eastern rivers—Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej—was allocated to India, and that from the three western rivers—Chenab, Indus, and Jhelum—to Pakistan.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/india-notifies-pakistan-of-indus-treaty-suspension-with-immediate-effect-amid-rising-tensions-9312392.html

Both airlines said they regretted the inconvenience caused and urged passengers to double-check flight timings and schedules before leaving for the airport.

IndiGo and Air India have warned passengers of service disruptions following Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian airlines. In messages on X the two said some international flight schedules may be impacted due to changing of flight paths leading to “an alternative extended route”.

Air India said some flights to the United States, Europe, and Middle East might be impacted

Both airlines said they regretted the inconvenience caused and urged passengers to double-check flight timings and schedules before leaving for the airport.

Hours earlier Pakistan shut its airspace to all Indian-owned or -operated airlines.

That was after a slew of diplomatic measures by India, including suspension of visas and the Indus Waters Treaty, as the first set of retaliatory measures for the Pahalgam terror attack.

On suspension of the treaty – under which Pak receives an estimated 80 per cent of its riverine water supply – Islamabad said any attempt to “usurp” its rights would be seen as “an act of war”.

Twenty-six people, including civilians and tourists, were killed in the Tuesday afternoon attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The attack was the worst on civilians in the past several years.

And it was the worst terror strike in India since February 2019, when 40 CRPF, or Central Reserve Police Force, personnel were killed in J&K’s Pulwama district.

In a strong message Thursday afternoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi – who was in Saudi Arabia at the time but rushed back the next day – put the terrorists and their handlers on notice, warning them his administration will “identify and punish” all those who conspired against India.

The warning was fierce but it was the switch from Hindi to English – in Bihar’s Madhubhani – to deliver the message that raised eyebrows. The switch has been seen as India telling the world there will be consequences for an attack that has been condemned by the global community.

What also raised eyebrows was the Prime Minister’s plane side-stepping Pak airspace when it flew back from Riyadh early Wednesday. The re-routing was seen as a clear sign India’s security agencies were aware of the threat from Pakistan and altered the flight path for the PM’s safety.

Indian security agencies say they have evidence to prove Pak was behind the attack.

Earlier today Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefed diplomats from the US, Europe, Qatar, Japan, Russia, and China – all of whom had condemned the attack – on that material.

Pak’s involvement was also flagged by Major General Yash Mor (retd.), a defence expert who told NDTV the attack needed military-level training and bore the hallmark of the ISI.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pahalgam-terror-attack-news-air-india-indigo-on-alert-after-pak-shuts-airspace-to-indian-flights-8246816#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

EV cab service BluSmart co-founder Puneet Jaggi has been detained from a hotel in Delhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to Gensol Group, another company that he co-founded, sources said today

EV cab service BluSmart co-founder Puneet Jaggi has been detained from a hotel in Delhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case linked to Gensol Group, another company that he co-founded.

The ED also searched properties of Gensol in Delhi, Gurugram, and Ahmedabad, sources said. The action came in a case under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), they said.

Mr Jaggi had been staying in the Delhi hotel for the last one week, sources said.

Power Finance Corporation filed a complaint with the Delhi Police and the Economic Offences Wing some days ago, sources said, adding Mr Jaggi’s brother Anmol Jaggi is in Dubai and has not yet returned to India.

This ED investigation began on the basis of a report by the capital markets regulator SEBI, which alleged fund diversion, transfer of money to shell firms, share price manipulation, and running personal expenses from loan funds.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/blusmart-co-founder-puneet-jaggi-detained-in-case-related-to-gensol-engineering-sources-8247960#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The Indian Air Force operates two squadrons of the Rafale aircraft which are based out of Ambala and Hashimara in West Bengal.

The Indian Air Force is carrying out Exercise Aakraman (Attack) over a large area in the central sector involving its mainstream fighter aircraft fleets led by the Rafale combat aircraft.

The Indian Air Force operates two squadrons of the Rafale aircraft which are based out of Ambala and Hashimara in West Bengal.

“The cutting-edge technology fighter jets are carrying out complex missions involving ground attack and electronic warfare drills,” defence sources told ANI.

“The assets of the Indian Air Force have been moved from multiple airbases, including from the eastern side,” they added.

The Indian Air Force has been practising for complex ground attack missions for operations in different terrains, including plains and mountainous areas, the sources said.

The Indian Air Force also holds an edge over its adversaries in the south Asian region with the inductions of Meteor air to air missiles and induction of long range high speed low drag missiles like the Rampage and Rocks.

The exercise is taking place at a time when tensions between India and Pakistan have risen after the Pahalgam attack.

The exercise is being closely monitored by the Air Headquarters. Tactical Air Combat and Development Establishment (TACDE) pilots of the Indian Air Force, the best aviators of the air force, are taking part in the exercise. TACDE pilots are often referred to as the ‘Top Gun’ pilots of the Indian Air Force.

The Indian Air Force was used to carry out the post-Pulwama attack strikes inside Pakistan in February 2019.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indias-rafales-simulate-ground-attack-missions-in-significant-exercise-pahalgam-terror-attack-8247620

The court granted Balaji time till April 28 to decide upon it, pointing out that the bail was not granted to him on merits of the matter.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday told Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji that he must choose between retaining his post and remaining out on bail in the money laundering case linked to the ‘cash-for-jobs’ scam.

“You have to make a choice between the post (Minister) and freedom. What choice you want to make,” a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih asked his counsel senior advocate Kapil Sibal.

The court granted Balaji time till April 28 to decide upon it, pointing out that the bail was not granted to him on merits of the matter.

The court was hearing the applications filed by the Enforcement Directorate and others seeking to recall the bail granted to Balaji on the grounds that he was influencing the witnesses in the case.

The court had on September 26, 2024 granted bail to Balaji. He took the oath as a Minister in DMK government on September 29.

The court subsequently expressed its displeasure and serious concern as to how Balaji was reappointed as a Cabinet Minister.

On Tuesday, the bench questioned his conduct and his reappointment by referring to the observations in a previous judgment which recorded that as a Minister, he had forced people to withdraw the complaints and the role played in the predicate offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court pointed out it had granted bail to him only on the grounds of delay in trial and long incarceration.

The court was concerned about the misuse of Supreme Court’s liberal stand on bail in PMLA cases.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also said Balaji was granted bail not on merits, but on the ground of Article 21 violation.

However, Sibal said that the trial can be shifted out of the State if there was an apprehension of influence by him.

The court asked what signals the Supreme Court would be sending if such a person is allowed to be on bail, despite the categorical findings in the earlier judgment about the role played by him in the predicate offence.

The court also pointed out that his resignation as a Minister was cited as a “change in circumstances” to plead for bail before the High Court, however, soon after bail was granted by the Supreme Court, he took oath as a Minister.

“There are findings and judgement of this court attributing role to him in the predicate offence as Minister. Can we ignore that? What signals are we sending,” the bench asked.

The bench said it would say that it made a mistake by ignoring the previous judgment, which had recorded findings against Balaji.

“We will record it in the order that we have made a mistake by ignoring the judgements against you, because the entire hearing proceeded on the footing that he is no longer minister. We will accept our mistake,” the bench said.

Sibal insisted that there was no chance of Balaji influencing witnesses.

“There is no witness coming in the box, how will I influence,” Sibal asked.

“You are preventing them from coming,” the bench retorted.

“What troubles us is for the first time in case of PMLA we have applied a law that if case is not going to commence we will grant bail. When we read the order of the trial court and high court we were told that he is no longer minister. Therefore we ignored the allegation based on the judgements on the ground that he is no longer minister. Now you bring about a change within few days of order granting bail and he is again the minister,” the bench said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/tamil-nadu/choose-between-minister-post-and-freedom-supreme-court-tells-senthil-balaji-3507502

At least 26 people were killed when terrorists opened fire on tourists in the popular Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam in one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Kashmir in recent years.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday attended the funeral of the pony rider who was among those killed in the deadly Pahalgam terrorist attack on Tuesday. Abdullah condemned the attack and met with pony rider Syed Adil Hussain Shah’s family members, promising them all the possible support. The chief minister said that Hussain died trying to save the tourists during the attack.

At least 26 people were killed when terrorists opened fire on tourists in the popular Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam in one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Kashmir in recent years.

“I condemn this attack in the strongest terms. A poor local labourer has died in this cowardly attack. He was brave. He died trying to save the tourists. I have also heard that he even tried to snatch the gun from one of the terrorists. That was when he was made a target and shot,” Abdullah said while speaking to the media after Hussain’s funeral at Hapatnar in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

The chief minister conveyed condolences to Hussain’s family and assured them full support of the government.

Notably, Syed Adil Hussain was the only local and only Muslim who died in the dastardly attack.

On Tuesday, at least 5–6 terrorists, clad in camouflage outfits and kurta-pyjamas, came to the Baisaran meadow from the dense pine forest surrounding the valley and opened fire with AK-47s.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pahalgam-terror-attack-syed-adil-hussain-shah-tried-to-snatch-terrorists-rifle-killed-2713505-2025-04-23