INDIA

A Bangladeshi national was apprehended for allegedly entering Indian territory without valid travel documents from Katra in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, police said on Saturday. Fahim Ahmed was observed acting suspiciously by a police party performing routine checking near Asia Chowk, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, a police spokesman said. Upon seeing the cops, Ahmed attempted to hide but was eventually captured, the police said. A Bangladeshi identity card was allegedly found in his possession; however, he could not provide any valid travel documents, visa, or passport to justify his presence in India. Preliminary investigations revealed that Ahmed entered Indian through unauthorised means, violating immigration laws, the police said. ...

As vegetable prices continue to soar across urban centers like Srinagar and other towns in India, growing vegetables at home has become more than a hobby; it is a necessity. With reduced local production and heavy reliance on imports, residents are turning to rooftops, balconies, and even window sills to cultivate small vegetable patches. Urban gardening not only reduces kitchen expenses but also ensures access to fresh, chemical-free produce. In most urban areas, people live in houses with little to no land. But even if you do not have a garden, you can still grow your own vegetables in pots placed on rooftops, balconies, courtyards, or sunny windows. It is a practical solution for those living in cramped spaces, and it requires minimal investment. Here are five easy-to-grow vegetab...

Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP state president Suvendu Adhikari has stirred controversy with his call urging Bengalis not to visit “Muslim-majority” areas in Jammu Kashmir, following the recent killing of tourists in Pahalgam. “Don’t go to Muslim-majority areas,” Adhikari said during a public interaction on Friday. “If you want to visit Kashmir, go to Jammu. Otherwise, go to Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha—there are plenty of places to travel. In Pahalgam, they asked tourists their religion before killing them.” His comments came a day after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, where she emphasized that the safety of tourists in Kashmir is the responsibility of the central governm...

A fighter aircraft belonging to the Indian Air Force crashed on Wednesday in Rajasthan’s Churu district, near Ratangarh. The incident occurred in the afternoon, though the exact time and cause of the crash remain unconfirmed. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage on the ground. Officials said further details are awaited as a team has been rushed to the crash site. More information is expected following an official statement from the Air Force.

At least nine people lost their lives and several others were injured after a section of the Gambhira-Mujpur bridge collapsed in Padra taluka of Gujarat's Vadodara district on Wednesday morning. The collapse sent multiple vehicles plunging into the Mahisagar (Mahi) River below. The incident occurred during peak traffic hours and involved four vehicles—two trucks, a Bolero SUV, and a pickup van—that were on the bridge when it gave way. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud cracking sound just moments before the vehicles fell into the river. Emergency response teams, including the fire brigade, local police, and district officials, rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations. Locals also joined the effort, pulling injured survivors from the wreckage. So far, three people hav...

The Haj Committee of India has invited online applications from intending pilgrims for Haj 2026. According to a notification issued by the Chief Executive Officer, a copy of which lies with news agency JKNS reads, The Haj Committee of India invites applications for Haj-2026 from intending pilgrims through the online Haj Application Form. available on the official website https://hajcommittee.gov.in and the mobile application "HAJ SUVIDHA" (available for both iPhone and Android devices). The application window will be open from 07th July 2025 to 31 July 2025 (11:59 PM). Notification reads, Applicants are strongly advised to carefully read the Guidelines and Undertakings before submitting their forms. Please note that a machine-readable Indian International Passport is a prerequisite f...

A deepfake video targeting Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Hasan recently went viral, sparking outrage and prompting a formal investigation. The video, created using artificial intelligence, portrayed Hasan in an objectionable manner and was widely circulated on social media platforms. It was later discovered that the clip had been manufactured and shared deliberately, not just for attention but with the intent to defame the young parliamentarian. Deepfake technology uses artificial intelligence to superimpose someone’s face or voice onto another person’s body or speech, creating highly realistic but entirely fake content. While the technology has some positive applications in filmmaking and education, it has increasingly been misused to target public figures, spread misinformation, an...

Microsoft has initiated another round of mass layoffs, marking the second such job cut in recent months, Press Trust of India. Thousands of employees are expected to be affected globally as part of the company's latest restructuring. The technology giant began issuing layoff notices on Wednesday. Although the company did not disclose the exact number of jobs being eliminated, it confirmed that the affected positions would constitute less than 4 percent of its total workforce as of a year ago. A Microsoft spokesperson stated, “Organizational and workforce adjustments are a necessary and regular part of managing our business.” The company emphasized its continued investment in strategic growth areas despite the layoffs. The decision follows an earlier round of job cuts earlier th...

Comprehensive studies led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have found no link between COVID-19 vaccinations and sudden deaths among adults in India.COVID vaccine sudden death India. Amid rising public anxiety and speculation over unexpected deaths, particularly among individuals aged 18 to 45, the Indian government had initiated two nationwide studies to examine the causes. The investigations were intended to address claims circulating about vaccine safety and to determine whether there was any correlation between recent inoculations and sudden fatalities. One of the key studies, carried out by the National Institute of Epidemiology under ICMR, analyzed sudden deaths that occurred from October 2021 to March 20...

The Indian government has lifted its ban on several Pakistani YouTube entertainment channels that were blocked earlier this year. In late April 2025, the Indian government imposed a ban on Pakistani YouTube channels following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu Kashmir, that left 26 people dead. The crackdown was part of what officials described as a national security measure aimed at preventing the spread of misinformation and provocative narratives originating from across the border. The ban included major Pakistani news outlets such as Dawn News, Geo News, ARY News, Samaa TV, GNN, and Suno News HD. Several entertainment channels and personal accounts of Pakistani celebrities and influencers were also blocked. Among the most notable names affected were former cricketers Sh...