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Three Army personnel were injured in an exchange of fire along the Line of Control (LoC)  near the Kumkadi post in Trehgam sector in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district today, officials said.

Further details are awaited as the operation is ongoing, the officials added.

Taking note of froth in the heavily polluted Yamuna river in Delhi, the AAP government on Friday asked the Centre to instruct Haryana and UP to ensure industries there do not release untreated residue in the river.

The government is concerned about the sudden rise in pollution level in Yamuna and has put in "urgent measures" to control the situation, ruling AAP said in a statement. "This problem has occurred all of a sudden due excessive industrial waste being released from UP and Haryana that is entering Delhi through river Yamuna," it claimed.

The Centre should immediately put in place measures to ensure that industries operating in the two states do not release their residue in Yamuna without proper treatment, AAP said.

Yamuna is Delhi's lifeline and unlike other states the people living in the city entirely depend on the river for their day to day sustenance, it said.

Nepal’s Ministry for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens on Friday announced the rescue of 28 Nepalese men who were being exploited as bonded labourers in India.

The men, aged between 24 and 60, were freed from hazardous conditions in Jammu and Kashmir. The rescue operation was carried out by a ministry team with assistance from the Indian NGO 'Keen India,' according to the ministry's statement.

The men, seven from Dhanusha and 21 from Siraha were taken to Kashmir five months ago in the pretext of providing them jobs with attractive salaries in road construction work. The incident came to light when Saroj Ray, a social worker from Sarlahi, learned of the situation from two Nepalese workers who had managed to escape from the workplace.

The Foreign Ministry, Nepali Embassy in New Delhi and ‘Keen India’ were then informed, the Kathmandu Post newspaper quoted Ray as saying.

The workers were given Rs 7,000 as advance payment by agents to win their trust, said Nabin Joshi, ‘Keen India’ President.

Police have filed a chargesheet against seven accused in the Porsche car accident case, including the parents of a minor boy who was allegedly behind the wheel, in a Pune court, more than two months after the fatal crash, an official said on Friday.

The 900-page chargesheet, submitted on Thursday, has excluded the 17-year-old boy, whose case is being handled separately by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB).

The high-end car allegedly driven by the minor under the influence of alcohol knocked down two motorbike-borne IT professionals, one of them a woman, in Pune's Kalyani Nagar area in the wee hours of May 19, killing them. The boy's father is a prominent builder. "We have filed a 900-page chargesheet against seven accused, including the parents of the minor, two doctors and a staffer from Sassoon General Hospital and two middlemen, in a Pune court on Thursday," said Shalesh Balkawade, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime).

The boy's parents and two Sassoon General Hospital doctors — Ajay Taware, then-HOD of the forensic medicine department and Dr Shrihari Halnor — and one Atul Ghatkamble, a staffer at the Maharashtra government-run medical facility, are accused of swapping the blood samples of the minor with those of his mother after the crash. Two other accused — Ashpak Makandar and Amar Gaikwad — acted as middlemen between the father and the doctors to facilitate financial transactions to swap the blood samples, according to the chargesheet.

The voluminous police document contains statements of 50 witnesses.

Last month, the police had submitted the final report to the JJB detailing all evidence against the 17-year-old boy in the car crash case.

WhatsApp and its parent company Meta has not informed the government of any plans to shut down its services in India, I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

"Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has shared that WhatsApp or Meta has not informed the government about any such plans," Vaishnaw told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. Congress member Vivek Tankha had asked whether WhatsApp was planning to shut its services in India due to the government's directives to share user details.

Earlier this year, WhatsApp had told the Delhi High Court that it will stop functioning in India if it was compelled by the government to break encryption of messages.

WhatsApp and its parent company Meta had challenged the newly amended IT Rules contending that they violate the right to privacy and were unconstitutional. Responding to Tankha's question on curbs on social media platforms, Vaishnaw said the central government issues directions under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 in the interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence relating to above in respect of the information on a computer resource.

A special court in Mumbai on Friday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's brother, Anmol Bishnoi, in the case related to the firing outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan's Bandra residence.

A warrant was also issued against Rohit Godera, an alleged member of the Bishnoi gang.

Godera and Anmol, along with Lawrence Bishnoi, have been shown as absconding accused in the charge-sheet filed by Mumbai police earlier this month in connection with the April 14 firing incident. Lawrence Bishnoi is currently lodged in the Sabarmati central prison in Ahmedabad. Anmol and Godera are believed to be in Canada, as per the police.

Allowing the prosecution's application, special judge for Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) cases B D Shelke issued a standing non-bailable warrant against Anmol and Godera.

Six people have been arrested in the case. Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal allegedly fired shots outside Galaxy Apartments, Salman's residence, in the early hours of April 14.

The two along with Sonukumar Bishnoi, Mohd Rafiq Choudhary and Harpal Singh are currently in judicial custody. Anujkumar Thapan, another accused, allegedly committed suicide in police custody.

Pakistan has not learnt any lessons from history and continues to wage a proxy war in the garb of terrorism to stay relevant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, asserting that the evil designs of the enemy will not be allowed to succeed.

On the occasion of the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas, the prime minister paid homage to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty,

He also attended a 'shraddhanjali samaroh' and heard the 'Gaurav Gatha', briefing on Kargil War by non-commissioned officers and visited Amar Sansmaran, and Hut of Remembrance here. He also visited the Veer Bhoomi. The prime minister slammed Pakistan, saying it has always faced defeat in the past. "Pakistan has not learnt anything from its past and has continued to wage war in the garb of terrorism and proxy wars to stay relevant," he said. The remarks come in the backdrop of surge in terror incidents in Jammu region.

Modi, however, asserted that the nefarious intentions of terrorists will never be fulfilled. "Our bravehearts will crush all terror attempts," he added.

Paying tributes to the soldiers, Modi said the sacrifices made by the soldiers are immortal.

"Kargil Vijay Diwas reminds us that the sacrifices made for the nation are immortal. Even though months, years, decades and centuries pass by, the lives laid down to protect the nation's borders cannot be erased. The nation is forever indebted and deeply grateful to the mighty superheroes of our armed forces," Modi added. Modi said India was making all efforts to maintain peace with its neighbour, but Pakistan showed its true colours.

"However, falsehood and terror were brought down to their knees by truth," he added.

"Today, I am speaking from a place where masters of terror can hear my voice directly. I want to tell patrons of terrorism that their nefarious designs will never succeed," he said, adding, "our bravehearts will crush terrorism and the enemy will be given a befitting response."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday defended the Agnipath scheme as a crucial reform for the Army, criticising the opposition for politicising the recruitment process designed to maintain a youthful average age in the armed forces.

Speaking on Kargil Vijay Diwas, Modi accused some of exploiting this sensitive national security issue for political gain. He dismissed allegations that the scheme was introduced merely to cut pension costs. "The aim of Agnipath is to make the forces young...The aim of Agnipath is to keep the armies continuously fit for war," he said.

"Unfortunately, such a sensitive issue related to national security has been made a subject of politics by some people. Some people are playing politics of lies for their personal interests even on this reform of the army," he said. The prime minister said the Agnipath scheme is an example of necessary reforms done by the army.

"For decades, there have been discussions in Parliament and various committees on making the armed forces younger. The average age of Indian soldiers being higher than the global average has been a matter of concern," he added.

Following Kerala's appointment of senior IAS officer K. Vasuki to oversee 'external cooperation,' the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a reminder on Thursday to state governments about respecting constitutional boundaries.

MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasised that under the Constitution, specifically the 7th Schedule, Union List, item 10, foreign affairs are solely within the Union Government's jurisdiction. Jaiswal’s remarks came in response to Kerala's July 15 decision to appoint Vasuki as “secretary in charge of external cooperation,” a role that drew criticism since foreign affairs typically fall under central government control.

While states are significant stakeholders in foreign and security matters, the central government ultimately shapes foreign policy. The BJP in Kerala criticised the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for this appointment, which focuses on issues such as the diaspora and foreign investment pertinent to the state.

However, Jaiswal underscored that foreign policy formulation is beyond state administration's scope, affirming, “It is not a Concurrent subject and definitely not a State subject. Our position is that State governments should not intrude into matters that are beyond their Constitutional jurisdiction.”

Union Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav stated that no expert committee has been established to extend health benefits to citizens aged 70 and above under Ayushman Bharat.

He also clarified that there was no proposal to expand the scheme beyond existing beneficiaries based on premium contributions.

The Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana provides health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to 55 crore individuals, equivalent to 12.34 crore families. Initially, 10.74 crore beneficiary families were identified based on the 2011 socio-economic caste census.

In January 2022, the beneficiary base was expanded to 12.34 crore families, and states and Union Territories were given the flexibility to use other digitised databases of similar socio-economic conditions for identification.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday asked the government to explore the possibility of placing an authentic copy of the Shah Commission report on Emergency excesses on the table of the House, as it had investigated the "darkest period of democracy".

The Shah Commission report relates to atrocities committed during the Emergency imposed in 1975.

During the Zero Hour, Dhankhar asked the government to take note of the issue raised by Deepak Prakash, a BJP MP from Jharkhand, regarding the matter relating to the Shah Commission report. "The government must examine the possibility of having the authentic report (of Shah Commission) and place it on the table of the House for the benefit of the members and public at large," he said.

The Shah Commission was set up to investigate the 'darkest period of democracy' and the report relates to atrocities committed during the Emergency imposed in 1975, he noted.

Earlier raising the issue, Prakash said, the Shah Commission, which was set up in 1977, conducted 100 sittings and evaluated 48,000 documents. (Swipe) The final report was presented on August 6, 1978. This report was published in three volumes. "Indira Gandhi led government came in 1980. This report was destroyed. But one copy of the Shah Commission report is available in the National Library of Australia. This report will reveal the real facts of the Emergency," he said. He demanded that the Shah Commission report should be made public.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is being treated as a "political prisoner", AAP alleged on Friday as it stressed that the party supremo's sugar levels had declined to 50 nearly 34 times between June 3 and July 7.

Addressing a press conference, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak alleged that Kejriwal was a victim of a "conspiracy".

"Kejriwal is a political prisoner. Everyone knows how dictatorships have treated political prisoners. Efforts are being made to scare him so that he does not raise his voice," he said. Pathak said Kejriwal, who has had severe diabetes for 30 years, was suffering from hypoglycemia, calling it "hazardous" for his health.

"His sugar levels declined 34 times while in judicial custody between June 3 and July 7. This is a serious issue. He is not an ordinary person. He is an elected chief minister," he said.

Pathak said AAP spoke to its I.N.D.I.A bloc allies over the matter and added that they would hold a rally on July 30. "It is not a matter of any person or a party. It is a matter of the system in the country. Who will join politics and form a party if such things happen?" he asked.

"This matter was discussed by the I.N.D.I.A bloc constituents and consensus emerged that it was not a matter of just Kejriwal and that the country could not be left to fend for itself against a dictatorship," Pathak said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee confirmed on Friday that she would participate in the central think-tank NITI Aayog meeting scheduled on July 27 in Delhi, clearing the air over the speculated uncertainty on whether she, too, would skip the meet like most other CMs of the INDIA bloc.

Addressing reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for Delhi, Banerjee said she would join the meeting and register her protest against a "discriminatory budget" and the "conspiracy to divide Bengal and other opposition-ruled states." "I was asked to send my written speech seven days ahead of the meeting which I have done. That was before the Union Budget was tabled.

"If I get an opportunity to deliver my speech at the meeting and record my protest against the discrimination and political bias against the opposition-ruled states besides the conspiracy that is being hatched to divide Bengal and its neighbouring states, I will do so. Else, I will walk out of the meeting," the chief minister said.

The Congress on Friday hit out at the government over the Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation Limited (BIBCOL) reportedly facing a "grim future", and said shutting down vaccine PSUs will only erode the country's capabilities further.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared a media report claiming that the BIBCOL factory in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr has not produced a single vaccine since December 2022. "Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation (BIBCOL) was set up in the late 1980s, at the personal initiative of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, to make India self-sufficient in the production of oral polio vaccines," Ramesh said in a post on X.

He said that BIBCOL now faces a "grim future in the era of the non-biological PM" and that workers have not been paid for a year. "Proposals to revive it to produce Covaxin, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, did not take flight due to the lack of administrative will despite the sanctioning of funds," he claimed.

He also claimed that PM Modi had even visited Bulandshahr for his election campaign without saying a word about reviving the plant.

Shutting down our vaccine PSUs will only erode our capabilities further, Ramesh added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that Pakistan has not learnt any lessons from history and has faced defeat whenever it carried out any misadventure.

Paying tributes to soldiers in Drass (Kargil) on Kargil Vijay Diwas, he said the nation honours the gallant efforts and sacrifices of the armed forces. “In Kargil, we not only won the war, we gave a wonderful example of truth, restraint and strength,” he said at a ceremony.

“Our bravehearts will crush terrorism and the enemy will be given a befitting response,” he asserted while holding that Pakistan is trying to remain relevant through terror and proxy war.

The mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam - ‘Moidams’ - was on Friday included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it the first cultural property from the North-East to get the coveted tag.

The decision was taken during the ongoing 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) being held in India.

The unique burial mounds, represented by pyramid-like structures known as ‘Moidams’, were used by the Tai-Ahom dynasty that ruled Assam for around 600 years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi carried out the “first blast” for the construction of a tunnel that aims to provide all-weather connectivity between Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh.

The ‘first blast’ marks the start of construction of the Shinkun La tunnel, remotely from Ladakh’s Drass.

The project consists of a 4.1-kilometre twin-tube tunnel, to be constructed at an altitude of around 15,800 feet on the Nimu-Padum-Darcha Road, to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh. “Once completed, it will be the highest tunnel in the world. The Shinkun La tunnel will not only ensure swift and efficient movement of our armed forces and equipment but also foster economic and social development in Ladakh,” a spokesperson said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid homage to the Kargil war martyrs in Drass (Kargil) to mark the 25th anniversary of India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1999 war.

The Prime Minister laid a floral wreath at the Drass War Memorial to pay tributes to officers and soldiers of the armed forces who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation.

On July 26, 1999, the Indian Army announced the successful culmination of ‘Operation Vijay’, declaring victory after a nearly three-month-long battle on the icy heights of Kargil in Ladakh. The day is observed as ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ to commemorate India’s victory over Pakistan in the war.

Every year for the last 25 years, a Kargil war braveheart has been visiting the home of his buddy who fell to Pakistani bullets during the battle to recapture Tiger Hill.

For Vir Chakra recipient Colonel Sachin Nimbalkar, this has become a ritual and fulfilment of a promise he made to himself in the biting cold of the hill in 1999.

An officer said Colonel Nimbalkar last met the parents of the soldier on July 4 this year. Incidentally, it was on the night of July 4 during the Kargil war, that the 18 Grenadiers team was tasked with recapturing the Tiger Hill top. To evict the Pakistani troops from the hill, the Indian soldiers launched an attack and reached the Hill Top using ropes and other accessories.

On the Hill Top, they were engaged in an intense gun battle with the enemy, during which Grenadier Udayman Singh received a fatal gunshot and succumbed to his injuries on July 5.

Later, as the others were busy celebrating India’s victory, Colonel Nimbalkar, then a young Captain, who led his troops to victory in the battle of Tiger Hill, remembered his fallen buddy, with whom he had taken part in many encounters against terrorists and had forged a strong bond of trust and camaraderie. He decided that no matter where he was in the years to come, he will make it a point to visit the family of Grenadier Udayman at least once a year to share their sorrow of losing the 19-year-old son.

It has been 25 years since the army officer, then 24, took the vow and has kept it. He has been on foreign postings, field areas and military courses, but has always found time to visit the soldier’s family.

Grenadier Udayman Singh is survived by his parents and two sisters. The parents live at Shama Chak village near Jammu. They are farmers and also run a gas agency. Colonel Nimbalkar has also been instrumental in arranging the weddings of the soldier’s two sisters, the officer said.

The 18 Grenadiers had launched the operation to recapture Tiger Hill under the cover of bad weather and darkness. “Captain Sachin Annarao Nimbalkar displayed inspirational leadership, ferocity, unparalleled courage and bravery in the face of the enemy, which led to the capture of the Tiger Hill,” reads his Vir Chakra citation.

The citation notes that 12 enemy soldiers were killed in the “brilliant” operation and a large cache arms and ammunition recovered.

The movement of five trains were affected on the South Western Railway due to a landslide between Dudhsagar and Sonaulim sections on the Goa-Karnataka border shortly after Thursday midnight, an official said today. 

The track was also closed after a tree fell between Londa and Tinaighat (Karnataka side of the border) affecting the overhead power supply.

South Western Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer Dr Manjunath Kanamadi said that both incidents were reported at 12:55 am today, and the train traffic resumed around 6 am after clearing the debris and the fallen tree.

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Anil Deshmukh has claimed that in 2021, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis pressured him to file false affidavits against four Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders in an attempt to topple the coalition state government at the time, according to Times of India. 

“I was promised freedom from ED and CBI investigators in return…The offer came from Fadnavis’ intermediary, and I personally spoke to him on phone. I will disclose every detail at an appropriate time,” Deshmukh said.  “Fadnavis’s aide visited me multiple times, facilitating phone conversations between us. Once Fadnavis told me he was sending documents for review. I was told if accusing Ajit Pawar wasn’t possible, I should speak out against the Thackerays and Anil Parab (Shiv Sena).”

He told The Hindu that had he agreed, “[Uddhav] Thackeray, the then Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, the then Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray and the then Transport Minister Anil Parab would have been in trouble.

”The case against Deshmukh, a former state home minister, is related to accusations made by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh alleging Deshmukh had asked some officers to extort Rs 100 crore every month from bars and restaurants in the city.

Singh had written about the allegations to Uddhav Thackeray in March 2021 as he was the Chief Minister at the time. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Kargil War Memorial and pay homage to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty, his office said.

“On the occasion of the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas on 26th July 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Kargil War Memorial at around 9:20 am and pay homage to the bravehearts,” the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.

“We will mark the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas. It is a day to pay homage to all those who protect our nation. Work will also commence for the Shinkun La Tunnel Project. This project is important to improve connectivity to Leh, especially during bad weather,” PM Modi said on X. The Shinkun La Tunnel Project consists of a 4.1-km-long twin-tube tunnel which will be constructed at an altitude of around 15,800 feet on the Nimu-Padum-Darcha road to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh, the statement said.

Once completed, it will be the highest tunnel in the world. The Shinkun La tunnel will not only ensure swift and efficient movement of the armed forces and equipment but also foster economic and social development in Ladakh.