Daily Excelsior

WASHINGTON, Apr 8: U.S. President Donald Trump said he has agreed to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. Mr. Trump said he spoke to leaders in Pakistan, which has been a mediator between Washington and Tehran and which had sought a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war. Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force [] The post Trump Says He Has Agreed

NEW DELHI, Apr 7: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval hosted Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman for a dinner meeting on Tuesday, hours after the latter landed in New Delhi for a three-day visit aimed at repairing bilateral ties following more than 18 months of heightened diplomatic tension. It is the first high-level visit to India by a senior member of the new Bangladesh Nationalist Party government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman that came to power in February following the [] T

Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 7: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today launched the trophy for the 2nd edition of the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Tournament and unveiled the team jerseys at Maulana Azad Stadium here. At the launch ceremony, Minister for Agriculture Javid Ahmed Dar, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, tournament organizer Tejinder Singh, along with other organizers, participating teams and concerned officials, were present. The Chief Minister unveiled the trophy f

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 7: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu & Kashmir, released Special Edition of its monthly publication, Kamal Paigam (Volume 6)- Special Edition, at the party Headquarters in Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, as part of its Foundation Day celebrations. Sat Sharma, president, J&K BJP and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), along with Ashok Koul, general secretary (Organization), general secretaries, Sanjita Dogra and Gopal Mahajan, and MLA Dr. Devinder Kumar Manyal released

Ashok Bhan ashokbhan@rediffmail.com The debate over the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has once again returned to the centre of national discourse following recent observations by the Chief Justice of India during a hearing in the Supreme Court. While examining issues relating to alleged discrimination in personal laws governing inheritance, the Court observed that a Uniform Civil Code could be the most effective answer to disparities that deny equal rights to women. The remarks have reignited an issu

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 7: A seminar on topic Build with AI Bootcamp organized by the Department of Emerging Technologies at Chandigarh Engineering College (CEC), CGC Landran, was held here today. The seminar was organized in collaboration with Google for Developers and powered by Hack2Skill. The event aimed to provide participants with practical exposure to artificial intelligence through the theme Learn, Build and Deploy with Google AI. The bootcamp brought together students and ind

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 7: A formal ceremony was held today at the High Court of J&K and Ladakh to mark the generous donation of a fully equipped ambulance by Kandhari Beverages Pvt. Ltd. for the benefit of Judges, advocates, litigants and staff visiting the court premises. The ambulance was formerly handed over by Major Deepak Choudhary, Advisor of Kandhari Beverages Pvt. Ltd. to the Chief Justice Arun Palli in the presence of Justice Sindhu Sharma, Justice Rajnesh Oswal, Justice []

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 7: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the progress on the construction of the new complexes for the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court at Srinagar and Jammu wings, underscoring the need for expeditious execution of the prestigious judicial infrastructure projects. During the meeting, the Chief Minister emphasized time-bound completion and inter-departmental coordination, directing all concerned departments and ex

Assures all help to hail-hit farmers Excelsior Correspondent Srinagar, Apr 7: Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo today said the Government is working on a crop insurance policy to safeguard farmers, while assuring all possible assistance to those affected by the recent hailstorm in south Kashmir. The absence of a crop insurance policy has added to the distress of growers. The Government is examining how it can be implemented, Itoo told reporters

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 7: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today emphasized that the establishment of Centres of Excellence in agriculture and allied sectors is aimed at providing high-quality plant material and seeds to farmers, enabling them to significantly enhance their earnings. The Chief Minister made these remarks after inaugurating the Centre of Excellence for Entrepreneurship in Precision Vegetable and Floriculture Farming at Talab Tillo, developed under NABARD at a project cost

SHIMLA, Apr 7 : Heavy rains in the past 24 hours have triggered a massive landslide on the border of Chamba and Lahaul and Spiti districts of Himachal, cutting off the tribal Pangi valley from the rest of the state. The local meteorological station on Tuesday issued orange and yellow warnings of hailstorm, thunderstorm and lightning in the plains and higher hills and also predicted a wet spell up to April 13. The remote Pangi valley of Chamba district was [] The post HP: Heavy rains trigger mass

KATHMANDU, Apr 7 : Nepal has recalled its ambassadors from six countries, including India, who were appointed by the previous K P Sharma Oli-led government. The government has recalled ambassadors serving in India, Australia, Sri Lanka, Denmark, South Korea and South Africa through a cabinet decision, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri said. Those recalled include Shankar Prasad Sharma (India), Chitralekha Yadav (Australia), Sumnima Tuladhar (Denmark), Purna Bahadur Nepali (Sri La

GUWAHATI, Apr 7 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday slammed the Congress for not verifying the documents based on which it brought allegations against him and his family. Congress leader Pawan Khera had on Sunday alleged that Sarmas wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the chief ministers election affidavit. Sarma also hit out at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, claiming that he was speaking like a madman due t

BEIJING, Apr 7 : China on Tuesday criticized former US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns for his remarks regarding Chinas stance on Iran and Venezuela. China has noted the relevant remarks. Such remarks are clearly made with ulterior motives, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a regular press briefing. Mao emphasised that the facts and merits regarding the situations in Iran and Venezuela are clear, as is Chinas position. She accused Burns of ignoring the root causes of [] T

TIKAMGARH (MP), Apr 7 : Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti on Tuesday protested against the administrations anti-encroachment drive against roadside eateries by setting up a stall of Poha and Jalebi in front of her private residence in Civil Lines here. On Monday, a joint team of the municipal corporation and district administration demolished several stalls selling food items on the footpaths in the area. Bharti condemned the action and asked the vendors to set up their stalls back

BENGALURU, Apr 7: Karnataka BJP on Tuesday lodged a complaint with Director General and Inspector General of Police MA Saleem, seeking registration of a case and arrest of AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge over his alleged objectionable remarks against the BJP and the RSS. A BJP delegation comprising MLAs Muniraju, CK Ramamurthy, Dheeraj Muniraju, MLC Gopinath Reddy, and retired police officer Bhaskar Rao submitted the complaint at the State Police Headquarters on Nrupathunga Road here. In the c

JAIPUR, Apr 7 : Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the Centre is working with states to prepare crop-specific agricultural roadmaps based on their geographical and climatic conditions to promote scientific farming and enhance farmers income. Addressing a press conference here, the minister said data related to soil, water and weather is being analysed to ensure that scientific methods reach farmers at the field level. He said the Centre plans to

AGRA, Apr 7 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday delivered a major development gift to the Taj City of Agra. At a ceremony held in Rahankalan near the Agra Inner Ring Road, the Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 325 development projects worth Rs6,466.37 crore. He performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the Greater Agra township, laying a roadmap for the citys urban expansion. The Chief Minister stated that Greater Agra will not only be [] The post

DHAKA, Apr 7 : Bangladesh is conducting emergency measles-rubella vaccinations while trying to contain an ongoing outbreak that has killed more than 100 children in less than a month. The government, in partnership with the World Health Organisation, the UN childrens agency and the Gavi vaccine alliance, began working to vaccinate children aged 6 months to 5 years old in 18 high-risk districts on Sunday and will expand nationwide in phases from next month, a joint statement said. A UNICEF [] The

KOCHI, Apr 7 : Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that invective should have no place in political discourse and everyone should treat each other with respect, despite disagreements over principles and policies. Tharoor was responding to queries from reporters, at a press conference here, regarding Congress president Mallikarjun Kharges recent remark terming Gujaratis as illiterate. He said that he has deplored in the past about the quality of the political discourse going down. We h

Announces Seismological Earthquake Observatory Avtar Bhat KISHTWAR, Apr 7:Union Minister in PMO with independent charge of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Ministries, Dr. Jitendra Singh today said that Government of India is taking serious steps to prevent Chasoti like tragedy in Kishtwar and in this regard the Government is focusing on strengthening disaster preparedness in the district. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Dr Jitendra Singh announced this during DISHA meeting

70-yr-old revives eco-friendly transport Nawshaba Iqbal Srinagar, Apr 7: Amid the steady hum of engines and the rush of motor traffic, the clip-clop of hooves has returned to Srinagar, as a traditional mode of transport-the horse-drawn cart, or tanga-reappears on city roads. Ghulam Rasool Kumar, a septuagenarian, has resumed operating a tanga after several years, attempting to revive a system that once served as a primary means of travel across both urban neighbourhoods and rural belts. Follow t

Major interstate terror module, hideouts busted Fayaz Bukhari Srinagar, Apr 7: Police busted a major interstate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) module and arrested five people, including top LeT commander Abdullah alias Abu Hureira who was on the run for the last 16 years and had developed an interstate terror network. An official said that over the few days, security forces searched 19 locations, including in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Haryana, and recovered a large quantity of weapons including fo

NEW DELHI, Apr 7: The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that all issues concerning the installation of CCTVs in police stations across the country would be sorted out within two weeks. Attorney General R Venkataramani told a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that he was taking stock of the issue and a lot of things were happening. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp The Union Home Secretary also appeared in court in pursuance of [] The post All issues of CCTVs in

NEW DELHI, Apr 7: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will begin a three-day visit to Washington DC on Wednesday to review bilateral trade and defence ties, and discuss the escalating crisis in West Asia. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Misris April 8-10 trip will provide an opportunity to review the full spectrum of India-US bilateral relations and advance ongoing cooperation across key areas. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp The visit comes as both sides work to stabilise

MUMBAI, Apr 7 : The rupee depreciated 16 paise to close at 93.06 against the US dollar on Tuesday, as investors remained on edge ahead of US President Donald Trumps deadline for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the Reserve Banks monetary policy review. Forex traders said the USD/INR pair is trading under pressure, dragged down by unabated withdrawal of foreign capital, a firm dollar, and higher crude oil prices amid a volatile geopolitical situation. Moreover, market participants [] The p

NEW DELHI, Apr 7:The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday said it has attached a house in Delhis Jamia Nagar, agricultural land in Faridabad, and several bank deposits, worth more than Rs 39 crore, as part of a money laundering probe against Al-Falah Group chairman Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui and his charitable trust. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Al-Falah University, based in Haryanas Faridabad, came under the scanner of probe agencies during an investigation into a white-collar terror

NEW DELHI, Apr 7: Indian carriers have cancelled over 10,000 flights since the onset of the West Asia conflict, as escalating tensions and airspace restrictions disrupted international operations, a senior government official said. The widespread closures of key transit corridors forced airlines to suspend or reroute services, particularly on long-haul routes to Europe and North America. On an average, Indian carriers used to fly about 300 to 350 flights daily to the Middle East (both ways put t

NEW DELHI, Apr 7: Exit polls can neither be held nor disseminated from 7 am of April 9 till 6.30 pm of April 29 for the five assembly elections taking place this month, the Election Commission has said. It has also cautioned that conducting or broadcasting exit polls in the period is violative of section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and is punishable with imprisonment up to a period of two years, or with fine or [] The post No exit polls from April 9-29: EC appeared first o

Jammu, Apr 7: Reminding Pakistan of Operation Sindoor, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that it would be in Islamabads interest to focus on improving relations with India rather than engaging in rhetoric and escalating tensions. He also welcomed the busting of a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror module by Srinagar Police, but stressed the need to strengthen surveillance and plug any remaining loopholes in the security framework. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a

SRINAGAR, Apr 7: The Jammu and Kashmir authorities on Tuesday issued a medium danger avalanche warning for the higher reaches of Ganderbal and Kupwara districts in view of a fresh wet spell in the Valley. Avalanche with medium danger level is likely to occur above 2600 metres over Ganderbal and Kupwara in the next 24 hours, an official of the Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority said here. People living in these areas were advised not to venture into vulnerable [] The post Medium Aval

Washington, United States, Apr 7: President Donald Trump warned that a whole civilization will die in Iran on Tuesday (April 7, 2026) if the country does not heed his ultimatum to accept U.S. war demands. With Mr. Trump ratcheting up his strident language in recent days, Vice-President J.D. Vance offered his own threatening assessment of what may follow, warning Tehran that U.S. forces have tools they so far havent decided to use against the Islamic republic. Through weeks of conflict, [] The po

Srinagar, Apr 7: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday said they have caught two officials of the PWD (R&B) Mechanical Division, North Kashmir, Baramulla, red-handed while accepting a Rs 13,000 bribe allegedly demanded to release a pending payment. In a statement, a spokesperson said an information was received telephonically at Anti-Corruption Bureau, J&K on 06.04.2026 through ACB Helpline No. 9419678060 from a complainant, who disclosed that he is working as Manager for a private firm du

Jammu, Apr 7: Jammu and Kashmir Banks business has crossed Rs 2.90 lakh crore, its Managing Director and CEO Amitava Chatterjee said on Tuesday, as Lt Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the lenders regional business centre here. Marking a significant milestone in the banks infrastructure and business expansion strategy, the centre will serve as a vital operational and administrative hub. The facility is designed to further improve service delivery and operational efficiency through its robust infr

MUMBAI, Apr 7: The rupee depreciated 10 paise to close at 93.00 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, as investors remained on edge ahead of US President Donald Trumps deadline for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the Reserve Banks monetary policy review. Forex traders said the USD/INR pair is trading under pressure, dragged down by unabated withdrawal of foreign capital, a firm dollar, and higher crude oil prices amid a volatile geopolitical situation. Moreover, market particip

Leh, Apr 7: In a major relief to the large population facing uncertainty and hardships due to the non-renewal of expired lease deeds, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has cleared the deck for the renewal of the expired lease deeds, fulfilling the long-pending demand of the people of Ladakh. Saxena has directed the Chief Secretary to organise special camps to settle the pending cases and hand over the renewed lease deeds to the eligible applicants. The Lieutenant Governor has directed [] Th

Imphal, Apr 7: Manipur Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam on Tuesday said two persons were killed and five others injured in firing after a mob stormed a CRPF camp in Bishnupur district. A large number of youths and women held a protest against the killing of two children in a bomb attack by suspected militants in Moirang Tronglaobi area earlier in the day, he said. The protesters stormed the CRPF camp near Gelmol, a few 100 metres from the bomb attack [] The post 2 killed, 5 injured in firing af

JAMMU, Apr 7: Jammu and Kashmir Police Headquarters has nominated Tahir Ashraf Bhatti, SSP SIA Kashmir, as the Enquiry Officer to conduct a fact-finding enquiry into the alleged involvement of Sub-Inspector Zakir Hussain. The order follows the transfer of IPS officer Divya from J&K to Puducherry and her subsequent relieving from the Union Territory. As per the order, the enquiry will be conducted in place of a departmental enquiry, and the officer has been directed to submit findings to the [] T

JAMMU, Apr 7: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has placed Manzoor Ahmad Dar, In-charge Executive Engineer of PHE Mechanical Division South Awantipora, under suspension with effect from March 28, 2026, the date he was detained by the ACB Kashmir. The action has been taken in terms of Rule 31 of the J&K Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956. As per the order, the officer will remain attached with the office of the Chief Engineer, Jal Shakti (PHE) Kashmir [] The post J&K G

New Delhi, Apr 7: The Election Commission may roll out the third and final phase of special intensive revision of voters list in the remaining 22 states and Union territories, including Delhi, after the polls to five assemblies this month, officials said. Assembly elections are taking place in Kerala, Assam, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal this month and counting will take place on May 4. The officials said special intensive revision (SIR) could be rolled out after the polls [] The post E

MUMBAI, Apr 7: Stock market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended higher on Tuesday, as a drop in crude oil prices and a rally in global markets calmed investors sentiment. Also, buying in IT stocks aided recovery in the markets after early losses. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 509.73 points, or 0.69 per cent, to settle at 74,616.58. During the day, it hit a high of 74,686.32 and a low of 73,282.41, gyrating 1,403.91 points. The 50-share NSE Nifty climbed [] The post Stock markets rally for

BARRACKPORE (WB), Apr 7: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her government of pursuing politics of appeasement, encouraging infiltration for vote-bank reasons and pushing the state into an era of misrule and corruption. Addressing a public meeting in Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district, Singh alleged that the Trinamool Congress government had divided society on the basis of caste, religion and sect

GUWAHATI, Apr 7: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday asserted that the opposition alliance will form a government in Assam by winning around 73 seats of 126 assembly constituencies in the upcoming elections. Addressing a press meet here, he described Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as the most corrupt in India and sought comments from RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on this. The Congress-led alliance is going to form the next government in Assam. We will win 72-73 seats, Kharge []

NEW DELHI, Apr 7: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Tuesday described the Indira Gandhi National Open University, or IGNOU, as a pillar of Indias open and distance learning ecosystem and said it is an institution that has played a transformative role in expanding higher education in the country. He was speaking as the chief guest at the 39th convocation of IGNOU, held at its Baba Sahib Ambedkar Convention Centre in Maidan Garhi. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu was [] The post I

Jammu, Apr 7: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday inaugurated the Regional Business Centre of Jammu Kashmir Bank here at Rail Head Complex, Jammu. The Lieutenant Governor congratulated and extended his felicitations to the entire team of J&K Bank on the occasion. Marking a significant milestone in the Banks infrastructure and business expansion strategy, the newly established centre will serve as a vital operational and administrative hub, said an official communiqu . It

JAMMU, Apr 7: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, held a meeting of the Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD) to assess the progress of major schemes aimed at transforming urban infrastructure, generating livelihoods, ensuring cleanliness and improving quality of life across the urban areas in J&K. During the comprehensive review, the Chief Secretary took a detailed appraisal of the implementation of key Centrally Sponsored Schemes, including the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), Pradhan Mantri

DUBAI, Apr 7: Airstrikes pounded Tehran on Tuesday, and Iranian officials urged young people to form human chains to protect power plants, hours before the expiration of US President Donald Trumps latest deadline for the Islamic Republic to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz or face punishing strikes on its infrastructure. Trump has extended previous deadlines but suggested the one set for 8 p.m. in Washington was final, and the rhetoric on both sides reached a fever pitch, leaving Iranians []

Jammu, Apr 7: J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said modern court infrastructure is key to ensuring efficient justice delivery and strengthening public trust in the legal system. Chairing a high-level meeting to review the progress of construction of High Court complexes in the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, he reiterated his governments commitment to augmenting judicial infrastructure and institutional capacity in both divisions. The meeting was attended by Advisor to the

Mumbai, Apr 7: Superstar Salman Khan on Tuesday came out in support of Rajpal Yadav after a joke over the comedians financial troubles during an awards ceremony stirred up a media storm. Yadav on Sunday night attended the Chetak Screen Awards, where host Saurabh Dwivedi made a remark about the actors Rs 9 crore cheque bounce case, which led to him being jailed briefly. The clip of the exchange has since gone viral on social media. Khan tagged Rajpals official [] The post Salman Khan backs Rajpal

MELBOURNE, Apr 7: A former Australian soldier was charged on Tuesday with war crimes on allegations that he killed five unarmed Afghans while serving in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2012, police said. Police have not confirmed the 47-year-old mans name. He is expected to appear in a Sydney court later on Tuesday. The soldier is only the second Australian veteran of the Afghanistan campaign to be charged with a war crime. Former Special Air Service Regiment soldier Oliver Schulz, 44, [] The post Form