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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested a key accused involved in sending a man illegally to the US via the 'dunki' route. Gagandeep Singh alias Goldie of West Delhi's Tilak Nagar was arrested in Delhi. The victim, who hails from the Tarn Taran district of Punjab, was deported back to India earlier this month, NIA said in a statement. He was sent to the US via the infamous Dunki route in December 2024, it said. The term 'dunki,' which is believed to have originated from the word "donkey," refers to an illegal pathway that immigrants take to enter countries like the US without proper documentation. Their risky and arduous travel is usually facilitated by a human trafficking syndicate. The victim in this case had paid around Rs 45 Lakh to the accused agent for the illegal immigration, as per his complaint. The victim was deported to India by the US authorities on February 15. He filed a complaint against the agent after the deportatio...

Bollywood actor Amrita Arora Ladak on Saturday deposed as a witness before a court here in the case concerning Saif Ali Khan, who was accused of attacking an NRI businessman and his father-in-law at a five-star hotel in 2012. The actor was part of the group that had gone for dinner with Khan at the hotel when the alleged incident took place on February 22, 2012. She told the court that the hotel had allotted a separate enclosure to them, and they were dining there and having a good time. In the meantime, the complainant came there and began shouting and abusing them, she said. "We saw someone barging into our enclosure and, in a very loud, aggressive voice, told us to shut up and keep quiet. We all got shocked at what was happening," she said, adding that actor Khan immediately stood up and apologised. The man then left and they continued with their dinner, she said. After a while, when Khan excused himself to go to the washroom, they heard loud voices, one of them bein...

The decomposed body of a woman was found in a bed box, wrapped in a blanket, in a flat in Delhi's Shahdara on Friday, the police said. The owner of the house, Vivekanand Mishra, who is in his late 50s has been detained for questioning, the police said. The police said they are trying to find out the identity of the woman, who is in her late 40s. A call was received at Vivek Vihar police station about odour coming from a DDA flat in the area, the police said. "When police reached the spot, they found the house locked from outside and traces of blood near the backdoor," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said in a statement. On opening the flat, a woman's decomposed body was found inside a bed storage compartment, he said. It was wrapped in a blanket. She appeared to have been killed two to three days ago, a senior police officer said. During initial investigation, the police found Mr Mishra visited the flat on Thursday night and Friday after...

Three police personnel have been killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, sources said on Thursday. Two of the terrorists have also been shot dead while three to four terrorists are still holed up. Five security personnel have also been injured and are undergoing treatment at a hospital. Teams from the Army, the National Security Guard, the Border Security Force, Police, the Special Operations Group, and the Central Reserve Police Force had been carrying out searches in the area for the past four days. There was an exchange of fire on Sunday and a local resident had informed the police on Tuesday that two men in army uniform had asked her for water while they were having food in the area. "Contact has been re-established with militants in the forest area of Juthana under police station Rajbagh in Kathua," an official told news agency IANS, adding that there had been no exchange of fire since Sunday. The operation was...

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee refutes Vice President Jagdish Dhankhar's criticism of the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the NJAC Act, citing constitutional protocol. Banerjee insists policy decisions should be discussed in Parliament and not in private chambers, emphasizing parliamentary standards.

India and China held a high-level meeting in Beijing today where both sides discussed the boundary issue is great detail. This was the 33rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination or WMCC on India-China Border Affairs. Representatives from both nations reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control or LAC. They also agreed on the early resumption of cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including on trans-border rivers and the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra. The Indian delegation was led by Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the foreign ministry. The Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Beijing and New Delhi assured each other of making "substantial preparations" for the next meeting of their Special Representatives or SRs on the boundary question that is set to be held in Delhi this year. After the meeting, the Mini...

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee announced that the party will focus on the central government's alleged deprivation of West Bengal's funds as the main campaign theme for the upcoming assembly elections. He emphasized the establishment of micro-level committees to address electoral fraud concerns.

The recent filing of closure reports by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the death cases of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) has sparked fresh debates and controversies. Advocate Nilesh C Ojha, representing Disha Salian's father, has responded strongly to the CBI's move, asserting that a closure report does not automatically exonerate the accused and that further investigation can still be ordered. Speaking exclusively to IANS, Mr Ojha emphasised that the closure report filed by the CBI in the cases related to Sushant Rajput does not mean that the accused are off the hook. "First of all, there has been no authentic statement from CBI on the closure report. Even after a closure report is submitted, it does not imply that the accused are freed. There is always the possibility that the court could reject the report if it finds it unsatisfactory or if further evidence emerges. The court could order further investigations, issue fresh charge sheets, or ...

Haryana's Khap Panchayats have praised the government's decision to ban songs that glorify guns and obscenity. They urge stronger action against artists who produce inappropriate content and advocate for promoting positive societal values. Leaders demand pre-release approval for songs and stricter regulations on DJ events.

The director of a private hospital in Patna was allegedly shot dead inside her office cabin on Saturday afternoon, police said. The incident came to light when Surabhi Raj, director of Asia Hospital near Dhanki Mor in Agamkuan police station area, was found lying in a pool of blood, with bullet injuries, by the hospital staff. The woman was rushed to AIIMS, Patna, where she succumbed to injuries.  Police said they are yet to identify the accused and also ascertain the motive behind the attack. "The police learnt about the incident at around 4.30pm. A thorough probe is underway," a police officer said. A hospital staff said at least five bullet shell casings were found at the spot. "A training session by two doctors from another hospital was held for the trainees here between 2.30 and 3.30. When the session was over, we were asked not to leave. The trainers, however, left. We were giggling and having fun when we got conscious of the noise and went to check if anyone ...

Manipur witnessed a historic event with the visit of five judges of the Supreme Court where Justice BR Gavai, who is also the Executive Chairman of NALSA, virtually inaugurated free legal services camps, free medical camps, and four legal aid clinics from Churachandpur district. Justice Gavai was accompanied by other Supreme Court judges Justices Vikram Nath, MM Sundresh, KV Viswanathan, and N Kotiswar Singh. Manipur High Court Chief Justice D Krishnakumar, high court judge and MASLSA Executive Chairman Justice A Bimol Singh, high court judge Justice A Guneshwar Sharma, and high court judge Justice Golmei Gaiphulshillu were also part of the programmes. The medical camps held at 106 relief camps covered all the 290 relief camps by joining relief camps that are nearby together. Some 400 doctors and 800 supporting staff worked at the medical camps. The four legal aid clinics were inaugurated at LMS Law College, Nongpok Sanjenbam, Thongkhong Laxmi Bazar in Imphal, and Somdal village...

Nearly 77% of beneficiaries of the first batch of PM Awas Yojna (Urban) 2.0 are women, including single women and widows. About 3.1 lakh out of 3.5 lakh approved houses will be allotted to SC, ST, and OBCs. The scheme, promoting inclusiveness and equality, also benefits transgenders, senior citizens, unmarried women, widows, and separated female beneficiaries.

Just 11 days after killing her husband, chopping up his body and leaving it to rot in a cement-lined drum, Muskaan Rastogi was playing Holi with her lover Sahil Shukla in Manali, laughing and posing for a video as if nothing had happened.  In the video from Holi, which was celebrated on March 14, Muskaan and Sahil can be seen smiling at the camera with their faces covered in colour. They sway lightly, their cheeks pressed against each other while Sahil, who appears to be high, makes some happy gestures with his right hand. Music can be heard in the background and other people can also be seen, indicating that they were celebrating the festival with a group.   The couple had visited Shimla and Manali after the murder and another video from their Himachal Pradesh trip has surfaced in which Muskaan is seen feeding Sahil a piece of cake before saying "happy birthday" and kissing him. Some photos from the trip also show Muskaan walking in the snow.  Muskaan and Sahil hav...

The fire on a private firm's minibus that killed four employees near Pune was allegedly an act of sabotage by a vengeful driver who had a dispute with some staffers and was also upset over a pay cut, police said on Thursday. "Investigation revealed that the fire was not an accident but sabotage," deputy commissioner of police Vishal Gaikwad of Pimpri Chinchwad Police told PTI. Janardan Hambardekar, the accused driver, had a dispute with some of the employees and wanted to take revenge, the official said. The driver was also disgruntled due to a salary cut, he said. The employees against whom he held a grudge were not among the four who died, the DCP said. The incident took place in the Hinjawadi area near Pune city on Wednesday morning as the bus, owned by Vyoma Graphics and carrying 14 of its employees to the workplace, caught fire. "The accused had procured benzene (a highly inflammable chemical). He had also kept a cloth used to wipe toners in the bus. On Thu...

Satish Salian, father of Disha Salian, has petitioned the Bombay high court for a fresh investigation into her June 2020 death, alleging she was raped and murdered. He seeks an FIR against Aaditya Thackeray and a CBI probe, citing a politically-motivated cover-up.

Freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was killed for reporting irregularities in road construction work in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district and the murder was planned by a contractor along with his two brothers and a supervisor, as per a charge sheet filed on Tuesday. To mislead the police, the accused dumped the journalist's body into a septic tank and covered it with a fresh concrete slab. The 1,200-page charge sheet was filed in a court in Bijapur district. It named contractor Suresh Chandrakar, (his brothers) Ritesh Chandrakar and Dinesh Chandrakar, and Mahendra Ramteke, Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police Mayank Gurjar said. Suresh Chandrakar was the main accused who planned the journalist's murder after he reported irregularities in the Nelasnar-Mirthur-Gangaloor road construction work executed by Suresh and his associates, police said. The four accused were charged under sections 103 (murder), 238 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or givin...

A class 10 student was allegedly raped by a teacher at a school in Ghazipur district when she went to take an exam, police on Monday said. According to police, the accused is the national vice president of the Samajwadi Party Teachers' Wing. Superintendent of Police Omvir Singh told PTI on Monday that based on a complaint filed by the girl's uncle, an FIR was lodged late Sunday night against the politician, Janardan Yadav. Yadav was booked for rape under the BNS and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The victim is a 16-year-old native of a village in the Karimuddinpur Police Station area. According to the complaint, on March 1, the girl had gone to the school to take her Math Board exam, when Yadav lured her into a room under the pretext of helping her and then raped her. He also threatened her with grave consequences if she told anyone about the incident. Scared, the victim did not tell anyone what happened for a long time until s...

Opposition parties in Maharashtra have criticized the state government for failing to maintain law and order after violence erupted in Nagpur. They accuse the administration and ministers of inciting tensions with provocative speeches to divert attention from key issues like inflation and farmers' distress.

A probe was ordered after videos of medical students in Gujarat's Valsad purportedly celebrating their annual functions with loud music on the college-cum-hospital premises went viral, officials said on Sunday. Video clips doing rounds of social media also showed some students performing dangerous stunts by jumping out of two cars on the Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS) Medical College and Hospital campus. GMERS dean Dr Kamlesh Shah said students were allowed to organise the celebrations on a football ground near the hospital, but they prima facie violated the direction. સિવિલ હોસ્પિટલમાં નિયમોના ધજાગરા વલસાડ સિવિલ હોસ્પિટલના કમ્પાઉન્ડમાં વિદ્યાર્થીઓના જોખમી સ્ટંટ...હોસ્પિટલ હોવા છતાં ડીજે ના તાલે ભાવી તબીબો ઝુમ્યા #Valsad #Doctor #CarStunt pic.twitter.com/EQyFCHD3QO — Jay Acharya ( Journalist ) (@AcharyaJay22_17) March 16, 2025 He said a committee would investigate the matter, and action would be as per the findings. "Students had submitted ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a sneak peek on Saturday into the areas of discussion he held with computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman. Lex Fridman is a research scientist who also hosts his podcast, "Lex Fridman Podcast." In his podcasts, several personalities from various walks of life have discussed issues ranging from complex niches to other areas of mass understanding. Notable figures include political leaders like US President Donald Trump, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Argentinian Prime Minister Javier Milei, as well as leading personalities in their fields, such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Magnus Carlson, and Yuval Noah Harari. Mr Fridman wrote on X, "I had an epic 3-hour podcast conversation with @narendramodi, Prime Minister of India. It was one of the most powerful conversations of my life. It'll be out tomorrow." I had an epic 3-hour podcast conversation with @narendramodi , Prime Min...

The parliamentary panel on railways recommends reviewing AC fares and implementing dynamic pricing for AC classes and premium trains while keeping rail travel affordable for low-income passengers. They also suggest enhancing non-fare revenue through e-auctions and advertisements and maintaining targeted subsidies for suburban and non-AC travel.

A Shiv Sena leader was chased and shot dead by the three bike-borne men in Punjab's Moga late Thursday night. A chilling CCTV video shows how he tried to evade the shooters just minutes before he was killed. Mangat Rai alias Manga, who was the Moga district president of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, had stepped out of his house on a scooter to buy milk when he was attacked. He dodged several bullets fired at him before ultimately being killed. The first shot was fired around 10 pm, but it missed him and hit an 11-year-old boy who was crossing the area. Manga immediately fled the area on a two-wheeler. In the CCTV footage, the Shiv Sena leader was seen trying to climb a locked gate to elude his attackers. The men, however, find him, and one of them fires at him, but the bullet misses him. He was then fired at by another man. The next frame shows the men appearing to flee the scene when they spot an approaching car. Rai was also seen running away. This time, however, the attackers ...

Bathinda Police arrested six individuals, including two Indian Army personnel, following a brief encounter. They were involved in a gunpoint robbery using an AK-47 stolen from an army unit. The incident occurred at Green Hotel near Bathinda, where Rs 7000 was snatched from the owner. Police are verifying the claims of stolen weapon and contact with army authorities is ongoing.

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait survived a car crash on Friday when an animal jumped in front of his vehicle, damaging its front, in Uttar Pradesh.  Mr Tikait's car was crossing Muzaffarpur Mirapur Bypass in UP when a Nilgai, also known as blue bull, appeared from nowhere and rammed the vehicle. Upon impact, the airbags broke open, saving the passengers.  "It happened around 7:20 pm. A nilgai rammed the car. At the time we did not understand anything. It happened in a flash. We saw that the airbags had enveloped us," said the Bharatiya Kisan Union leader, the face of farmer protests, who escaped without any injury. Mr Tikait also underlined the importance of seatbelts and safe driving. "Everyone should wear a seat belt. We should always wear a seatbelt. While driving, the speed of vehicle should be less than 100," said Mr Tikait.  

Manipur's Meitei community began their five-day celebration of Yaoshang, or Holi as it is known in the state, with the burning of straw huts built at the Shri Govindaji temple complex and a few other areas. Yaoshang is one of the biggest festivals of Manipur's Meitei community. Due to the ethnic hostilities, the festival of colours has been restricted to religious and community sports activities associated with the carnival. A gathering of people marked the occasion in the Mantripukhri area, where festivities kicked off with traditional rituals and music. Due to law and order issues, no amusement and entertainment events, including cultural dances, were not organised by civil society groups. A Meitei priest said besides the ethnic violence, thousands of people displaced from their homes and villages and staying in relief camps since May 2023 are unable to organise festival-related events. Manipur is famous for its varied sports and cultural activities. Holi here is not cele...

He identified himself as an envoy of Oman. And sought protocol and services from cops everywhere he went. The police finally busted him in Uttar Pradesh. A black Mercedes car, one identity card and 46 visiting cards were recovered from his possession at the time of his arrest from UP Gate in Ghaziabad. The man, who has been identified as Krishna Shekhar Rana, 66, is a resident of Amar Colony in Delhi. The fake envoy has been charged under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Trans Hindon Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nimish Patil said. According to DCP Patil, Rana was a professor of Zoology at Agra. He also owns Krishna College of Science and Technology in Agra and a resort in Rajasthan. After retirement, the accused was the Appraisal Authority in the Union Environment Ministry from 2015 to 2018, where his job was to give environmental clearances. The police have not yet received a reply from the Environment Ministry. The police officer said during in...

The ministry of home affairs has returned a proposal to prosecute three IAS officers in the Jammu and Kashmir arms licences scam due to missing documents. They must resubmit the full documentation within a week. CBI is investigating irregularities in granting over 278,000 arms licences between 2012 and 2016, implicating several IAS officers for issuing licences in exchange for money.

Actor Ranya Rao's gold smuggling racket involved a huge syndicate and she got through airports with the help of the State Protocol Officer who was also part of the racket, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence or DRI, which is also investigating the smuggling case, told a court today.  The DRI, which was opposing the bail of the 33-tear-old -- who was arrested with 14 kg of gold in Bengaluru's Kempegowda airport on March 3 -- said that day, it was the State Protocol Officer who escorted her out of the airport.  She was caught just a step or two before the exit. The agency said today that Ranya Rao had passed through the immigration and the Green Channel with the help of the State Protocol Office, and alleged the department  was involved.  "We (the DRI) had intercepted there once she passed the Green Channel. She had no intention of declaring what she was carrying," the DRI counsel added.   "We have summoned the State Protocol Officer and received his state...

Cab drivers under the banner of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers' Union have launched a campaign boycotting trips facilitated by cab aggregator companies to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on the city's outskirts, protesting against the "low fares" being charged. TGPWU founder-president Shaik Salauddin said on Tuesday that the campaign has been underway on a large scale since it was launched two days ago. He alleged that aggregator companies charge as little as Rs 300-Rs 400 for a trip from the city to the airport while claiming a 30 per cent commission. The state government issued an order in 2022 setting the fare for pre-paid cabs operating at the airport at Rs 21 per km, he said. There is a difference of about Rs 300-Rs 400 between the fares charged by aggregators and pre-paid taxis, he claimed. The low fares have significantly affected drivers' earnings, he added. Additionally, cab drivers often have to wait three to four hours at the airpor...

NHAI will implement a variable UPI payment system at toll plazas to eliminate cash transactions and ensure accurate fee collection. The trial has begun at Kherki Dhaula toll plaza in Haryana and will expand nationwide. This system aims to enhance convenience, reduce transaction time, and prevent fraud, addressing issues of unauthorized fund transfer via parallel software.

South Korean singer Wheesung has been found dead, Yonhap News reported citing police on Monday. The 43-year-old's body was discovered at his home in Seoul, less than a month after actress Kim Sae-ron was found dead after her career had taken a hit following a drunk driving incident in 2022. Police were not immediately available for comment. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A woman and her friends allegedly set a cat on fire after it crossed a road ahead of them in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad on Friday. A police case has been filed against them. A video that surfaced on social media shows some people allegedly beating and then setting on fire a cat alive. The cat crossed the path of their motorcycle, triggering the response from the accused. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau received an email, along with the video, which followed up with prompt action. The accused have been charged under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. According to the first information report (FIR), the accused were also seen filming the act on camera. The authorities have traced their motorcycle and further investigation is on. (With inputs from Harsh Pandey)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today backed the call for the removal of the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb from Khulabad in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. He, however said this has to be done through the law, since the previous Congress government had protected the tomb by handing it over to the Archaeological Society of India or ASI.  "We all also want the same thing, but you need to do it within the framework of the law, because it is a protected site. The site was put under ASI's protection during the Congress regime some years back," the Chief Minister said. Recently, the BJP's Satara MP Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, had demanded that the tomb be razed.  "What is the need... send a JCB machine and raze his grave... he was a thief and lootera (robber)," he said.  "Those who visit Aurangzeb's tomb and pay homage may be his future. They should take that tomb to their own homes...

The Indian Ports Bill, 2025, proposes significant changes to the 118-year-old Indian Ports Act. It mandates all ports to report incidents threatening pollution and defines 23 violations as criminal offences, including non-payment of port fees, and safety violations. It also introduces significant penalties and requires data integration with central systems.

Women civil society leaders and professionals from Manipur's three major communities came together for in-depth discussions on the challenges and opportunities for peace in Manipur, the plight of internally displaced people, and the need for a community-led approach to reconciliation in the crisis-hit state. The speakers included peace activist from the Naga tribes Shangnaidar Tongan, Nonibala Narengbam of the Integrated Rural Development Service Organisation, national healthcare projects professional Bisoya Loitongbam, and a doctor from Manipur's Churachandpur Dr C Lalbiakdiki. Biswanath Sinha, a senior social sector professional, moderated the discussions themed on peace as the basic foundation for progress in Manipur, and the role of civil society organisations. Ms Tongan, who works with the Manipur-based Weaker Sections Development Council, shared her experiences of the Naga-Kuki conflict of the 1990s, which saw her ancestor's village burned to the ground. While she...

A student has been admitted to the hospital after a heated argument over chapatis turned into a physical fight at Kalaburagi Central University in Karnataka on Friday. The argument, at the university's campus in Aland Taluka, began when students from Bihar demanded hand-made chapatis while the mess was serving machine-made ones. The disagreement over food preference between two groups, reportedly led by students named Prashant and Suhas, turned into a fight, prompting a complaint to the police by the university authorities Officials from the Narona Police Station reached the university and brought the situation under control. An official said a student, who was injured in the fight, has been hospitalised and the matter is being investigated.

Two women were booked for allegedly attacking a couple with a tile in Mumbai's Juhu area, a police official said on Saturday. A case of attempt to murder and other offences under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered against Simran Pandey and Nitu Pandey based on CCTV footage of the attack, the Juhu police station official said. "The two women used to feed stray dogs, which was opposed by victim Asha Nikam since the area is close the water tank of her building. On Friday, when Asha's husband Amrit was parking his motorcycle, the two accused arrived there and hit him and Asha with a tile lying on the road," he said. The two women fled from the scene and efforts are on to catch them, while the injured couple is recuperating in Cooper Hospital, the official added. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that "our ideals and national heroes" are Maharana Pratap, Veer Shivaji and Guru Govind Singh, not Akbar or Aurangzeb. "Akbar can never be a hero. Be it Akbar or Aurangzeb, their mentality towards Hindus was the same. They hatched many conspiracies to trample the eternal tradition of India," he said. He was speaking after unveiling the statue of Veer Shiromani Maharana Pratap at Dadri. CM Adityanath said that only a warrior who fights an army of millions with 20 thousand soldiers can be "our true hero". "Haldighati gave the status of a national hero to Maharana Pratap and forced Akbar to kneel down by taking back the lost areas of Mewar in his lifetime," the chief minister added. He also praised Mahrana Pratap's horse Chetak. "The devotion of his horse Chetak was also amazing. Even today, people respect the soil of Haldighati as a pilgrimage." He stressed, "The ...

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mauritius, India on Saturday said it supports the island nation in its efforts to reach a mutually beneficial deal with the UK over Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean. The issue is expected to figure in PM Modi's talks with Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam. PM Modi is paying a two-day visit to Mauritius on March 11 and 12. At a media briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri indicated that Mauritius and the UK have perhaps arrived at a mutually acceptable deal in Chagos. In October last year, the UK had announced its decision to hand over the sovereignty of Chagos Islands to Mauritius after more than half a century under a historic agreement. Under the deal, sealed during tenure of previous Mauritian prime minister Pravind Jugnauth, the UK would give up sovereignty over Chagos Islands but would maintain a 99-year lease over the UK-US military airbase on the largest island, Diego Garcia. However, the new Maurit...

A transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was involved in a "serious incident" after landing in West Bengal's Bagdogra, sources said. The crew is safe, they said. The Russian-origin aircraft, An-32, which was involved in the incident today, is the backbone of the IAF's transport operations. A Jaguar jet of the IAF crashed in Haryana's Ambala earlier today during a routine training sortie. The pilot ejected safely.

Thousands of people under the banner of the Arunachal Christian Forum held a peaceful protest today near Itanagar against the implementation of the Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 1978, an anti-conversion law. Though passed by the state in 1978 and President's assent received, this law was not implemented in Arunachal Pradesh for over four decades. But in September 2024, the the Itanagar Bench of the Gauhati High Court, after hearing a petition, ordered the government to frame rules for this within six months. ACF president Tarh Miri said over two lakh Christians, cutting across denominations, had gathered at Borum today. An apex body of Christians in Arunachal Pradesh, the ACF has been protesting against the implementation of the law, claiming it would harm Christians in the state and curtail their freedom of religion. They observed an eight-hour hunger strike in Borum on February 17. "The move by the present government to implement this law is unconstitutional, a...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met a Japanese business delegation and said he is looking forward to deepening economic collaboration with Japan, India's special strategic and global partner. During the meeting, discussions focused on areas of high-quality, low-cost manufacturing in India and expanding manufacturing for global markets with a special emphasis on Africa. A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said the delegation from the Japan-India Business Cooperation Committee (JIBCC) comprising 17 members and led by its Chairman Tatsuo Yasunaga called on Prime Minister Modi. After talks with the Japanese delegation, PM Modi said he was encouraged by their expansion plans in India and steadfast commitment to 'Make in India, Make for the World'. The delegation included senior leaders from leading Japanese corporate houses across key sectors such as manufacturing, banking, airlines, pharma sector, plant engineering and logistics. "Ple...

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence arrested Kannada actress Ranya Rao at Bengaluru International Airport after she was found in possession of 14.8 kg of gold, officials said on Tuesday. Following her arrest on Monday night, she was presented before an economic offences court, which remanded her to 14 days in judicial custody, they added. According to officials, Rao had arrived from Dubai on an Emirates flight and had been under surveillance due to her frequent international travel. Investigators revealed that she had allegedly smuggled the gold by wearing a significant portion of it and concealing gold bars in her clothing. Authorities grew suspicious after noticing that she had travelled to Dubai four times in 15 days, prompting a targeted operation upon her return. Preliminary investigations suggest that the actress may have attempted to use her connections to bypass customs checks. Reports indicate that upon landing, she allegedly claimed to be the daughter of Karnataka...

A man from Uttar Pradesh has ended his life in Mangaluru, claiming he was deceived and exploited by a CISF woman officer. Abhishek Singh, 40, who is from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, was discovered dead in a lodge near Rao & Rao Circle.  Before taking the step, he recorded a 20-minute video, blaming the woman for his death and uploaded it on Instagram. Singhvi, who worked for a private company in Chennai, had come to Mangaluru with colleagues to attend an exhibition. In the video, he accused CISF Assistant Commandant Monika Sihag of misleading him. He alleged that she hid her marital status and entered into a relationship with him. He further alleged that she took advantage of him emotionally, physically, and financially, extracting gold worth Rs 8 lakh from him. He also mentioned that she had similar relationships with multiple people Local authorities have registered a case and started an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. A case has been registered ...

TMC leader Derek O'Brien highlighted the role of Christian-run educational institutions in India's development and urged them to reconnect with alumni to promote their contributions positively. He criticized government policies affecting the Christian community and called for uniting against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and uniform civil code.

A case has been registered against six students and two teachers of a government higher secondary school here in connection with an alleged incident of itching powder being thrown on a girl student last month, police said on Sunday. A cop from Infopark police station said the case was registered on Saturday based on a complaint by the girl, who alleged that the itching powder was thrown on her in the first week of February. The teachers have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, while the students have been charged under the Juvenile Justice Act, police said. The incident came to light after the girl and her mother spoke about it on a TV channel. Recounting the incident, the girl said she was resting her head on the desk after an exam when some students allegedly started throwing itching powder around, some of which fell on her. She rushed to the washroom to wash it off, but the powder entered her private areas, causing severe discomfort, she said. ...

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Saturday announced that all high-rise buildings, hotels, commercial complexes, major establishments such as airports and construction sites must install anti-smog guns to curb air pollution levels. Stressing that Delhi has to put its house in order before seeking action from others, Manjinder Singh Sirsa directed all departments concerned to prepare a detailed roadmap to tackle pollution and sought data on the contribution of key sites, including Delhi Airport, to the city's air pollution. Chairing a high-level meeting with the officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Manjinder Singh Sirsa emphasised the need for stringent pollution control measures and said that if necessary, new laws would be introduced. Rising pollution was a major election issue in Delhi and the BJP had accused the previous AAP government of failing to check it. The MCD has been asked to provide a ...

A series of unfortunate events led to three motorcycles colliding with each other in Bihar, killing one and critically injuring two others. A video of the accident, which took place near Ara in Bhojpur district at 4.40 pm on Friday, shows one of the bikers riding over the divider and attempting to cross traffic on the other side of the four-lane road. The biker moves ahead, not realising that there is another speeding bike approaching him from the wrong side. The other motorcycle, with a rider and a pillion, rams the man's bike with such force that it goes and hits another two-wheeler - whose rider was driving slowly and on the right side. The man who started off the chain of events by crossing the divider can be seen getting up and walking towards the wreckage of the two other bikes - where two other men stand up as well - before turning back. Police said one person has been killed in the accident and two suffered serious injuries. The injured people have been referred to the P...

A court on Friday sent a 37-year-old man accused of raping a woman inside an empty parked state transport bus at Swargate depot in Pune city to police custody till March 12. The accused, Dattatray Ramdas Gade, was arrested from a paddy field following an extensive search operation carried out with the help of drones and sniffer dogs around midnight on Thursday in Shirur tehsil of Pune district. He was formally arrested and produced before the Pune Sessions Court amid heavy police security. The police submitted a remand application to the court and sought Gade's custody for 14 days. They told the court the accused engaged the 26-year-old victim in conversation at the Swargate terminus on Tuesday morning, calling her 'didi' (sister) and took her to an empty 'Shiv Shahi' bus parked in the depot premises and raped her. Gade, who faces half a dozen criminal cases in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts, is clearly seen in the CCTV footage of the bus terminus on the day of...