RAIPUR: Three people died and at least six others were injured after a passenger bus enroute to Raipur from Jagdalpur (Bastar) rammed with a Hyva truck on a national highway near Kendri, about 30 km from the Chhattisgarh capital on Tuesday. A police team from Abhanpur rushed to the spot, shifted the injured to a local hospital. The bus, moving at high speed while trying to overtake the Hyva lorry, hit the truck from the left side. The bus of Royal Travels was on its way to Raipur. The injured si

NEW DELHI: Fatima Nafis, the mother of JNU student Najeeb Ahmed who went missing in 2016, accused CBI and Delhi Police on Tuesday of egligence in her son's case and said that even if she has to knock on the Supreme Court's doors for justice, she will do it. In a Facebook post, she said she will fight till her last breath. A Delhi court on Monday allowed the C entral Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to close Ahmed's case , saying that the agency exhausted all options. Ahmed, a first-year student, w

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar on Sunday emphasised Indias desire for a steady and stable relationship with China, based on fairness and mutual respect, even as he issued a sharp warning to Pakistan over its continued support for terrorism. In a wide-ranging conversation with a leading US media outlet during his visit to New York, Jaishankar outlined Indias evolving foreign policy posture, particularly in relation to its two most complex neighbours. On China, he acknowledg

CHENNAI: Mounting criticism on the DMK government for the custodial death of B Ajithkumar, a security guard employed at a temple in Sivaganga district, the AIADMK on Tuesday demanded a CBI inquiry into his death. The AIADMK also urged the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to take up this issue suo motu. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, in a post on X, said that the post-mortem report of Ajithkumar was shocking since it said there were 18 injuries from head to toe. The repor

CHANDIGARH: One person died and 18 went missing in Himachal Pradeshs Mandi district due to flashfloods triggered by multiple cloudbursts in the Karsog subdivision early Tuesday. At least 41 people were rescued from various locations. The Kiratpur-Manali highway has been blocked at multiple places between Mandi and Kullu and the motorists were stranded inside road tunnels the whole night. Sources said cloudbursts occurred at at least four locations in Mandi district, triggering flashfloods that w

CHANDIGARH: One person died and nine went missing in Himachal Pradeshs Mandi district due to flashfloods triggered by multiple cloudbursts in the Karsog subdivision early Tuesday. At least 41 people were rescued from various locations. The Kiratpur-Manali highway has been blocked at multiple places between Mandi and Kullu and the motorists were stranded inside road tunnels the whole night. Sources said cloudbursts occurred at at least four locations in Mandi district, triggering flashfloods that

IMPHAL: The Manipur Police on Tuesday said security forces have launched search operations to arrest the gunmen who killed four people in an ambush in Churachandpur district a day ago. An FIR has been registered in connection with the killing of the four people, and security has been tightened to prevent any escalation of violence, a police statement said. Operations have been launched by security forces to arrest the culprits involved in the incident. An FIR has been registered in connection wi

GOPESHWAR: Police have arrested seven pilgrims after a violent clash between Nihangs and a local businessman near Uttarakhand's Jyotirmath, officials said. The accused also attacked a police officer with sharp weapons while he was trying to intervene, injuring him, they added. Nihang Sikhs, who had come to visit Hemkund Sahib near Jyotirmath, had an argument with a local businessman on Monday over moving a scooter. The argument escalated, and the Nihangs allegedly attempted to attack the busines

PILIBHIT: Two brothers-in-law allegedly raped the wife of a BSF jawan on multiple occasions and blackmailed her using obscene videos, police here said. An FIR has been lodged against seven persons, including the rape survivor's in-laws, in connection with the matter. One of the brothers-in-law has been arrested, police said on Monday. The complainant told the police that after she got married, she lived in a separate house with her mother-in-law, outside her village. Her husband was in BSF, so h

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis upcoming overseas visit, the Congress party launched a sharp attack, accusing him of avoiding pressing national concerns. Congress General Secretary in-charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, slammed the prime ministers five-nation, eight-day tour, labeling it a jaunt and dubbing Modi the Super Premium Frequent Flier PM. Ramesh, in a post on X, said, When the going gets tough, the self-styled toughs get going, suggesting that Modi is fleeing from critical

NEW YORK: The Pahalgam terror attack was an act of economic warfare meant to destroy tourism in Kashmir, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, asserting that India has made it clear that it will not allow nuclear blackmail to prevent it from responding to terror emanating from Pakistan. India has had a string of terrorist attacks over the years emanating from Pakistan and in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack , there was a sentiment in the country that 'enough is enough', Jai

PUNE: A 17-year-old girl travelling in a car was allegedly sexually assaulted and three other women occupants robbed of gold jewellery by two motorbike-borne unidentified persons on a highway in Maharashtra's Pune district, police said. The incident took place around 4.15 am on Monday near Bhigwan on the highway in Daund area when the car in which the victims were travelling halted after the driver wanted to answer nature's call, a police official said. There were seven persons in the car -- the

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday granted K V Kuppam MLA Poovai M Jagan Moorthy anticipatory bail in the case of alleged kidnapping of a teen. A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and N Kotiswar Singh also issued notice to the Tamil Nadu police on the appeal filed by the MLA, president of Puratchi Bharatham Katchi, against the Madras High Courts June 27 order rejecting his plea for an anticipatory bail. If the petitioner is arrested in connection with FIR registered at Thiruvalangadu police stat

NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a wetter and cooler July than usual. Major parts of the country may experience above-normal rainfall and below-normal temperatures. However, most regions in Northeast and East India, along with several areas in extreme South Peninsular India and some parts of Northwest India, are likely to receive below-normal rainfall. The IMD states that the overall monthly average rainfall for July 2025 is expected to be above normal, exceeding

Politics in Bihar are in overdrive with the Assembly elections nearer. The ruling NDA faces the challenge of neutralising incumbency accumulated over the last two decades. The opposition Mahagathbandhan narrowly missed the chance to form the government in the previous election. RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav feels that he carries the responsibility to ensure that the Mahagathbandhan puts up a strong show in the polls and, if possible, wrest power from the NDA.

NEW DELHI: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday expressed concern over the allegations being levelled against constitutional post holders, particularly governors, in states governed by opposition parties, saying that the governors are often treated like easy punching bags. He also lamented the growing trend of dragging high constitutional positions such as the President and Vice-President into political controversies. Speaking at the Sneh Milan Samaroh organised in Jaipur, Dhankhar remarked

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Railways has rationalised the basic fares for passenger train services, effective from July 1 this year. The changes apply to AC and non-AC reserved classes of mail and express trains. In an official circular issued on Monday, the Railways detailed the fare revisions, stating that non-AC class fares in mail and express trains have been increased by 1 paisa per kilometre, while all AC classes have seen a hike of 2 paisa per kilometre. Suburban trains and monthly season

NEW DELHI : One in six people worldwide is affected byloneliness, which is linked to an estimated 100 deaths every hour - more than 8,71,000 deaths annually, said a WHO report released Monday. The World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Connection in its global report said that strong social connections can lead to better health and longer life. Loneliness affects people of all ages, especially youth and people living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). While data on social

BHOPAL: Tourist arrivals at Madhya Pradeshs Kuno National Park (KNP) the first home of African cheetahs in India have grown by 19% in 2024-25 compared to the previous year. Just a day before the park is closed for tourists as part of the annual July 1-September 30 monsoon closure the KNP management released figures of tourist arrivals spanning between 2019-20 and 2024-25. The figures showed that the tourist inflow at the park grew by 19%, rising from 3,221 travellers in 2023-24 to 3,833 (incl

MUMBAI: Indias banking sector has shown spectacular improvement in asset quality as gross non-performing assets (NPAs or bad loans) touched a decadal low of 2.3% in March 2025, the Reserve Bank of India said in its Financial Stability Report, released on Monday. However, the report forecasts a marginal 20 basis-point rise in gross NPAs by March 2027 to 2.5% in a normal scenario and 5.6% in an extreme adverse scenario. The soundness and resilience of commercial banks are bolstered by robust capit

NEW DELHI: Indian negotiators currently in the US for last-minute talks to finalise an interim trade deal on Monday extended their stay by three more days, raising hopes of a deal before the July 9 deadline when the Trump tariffs will kick in if there is no pact. A commerce ministry official said the Indian team would stay till July 1. The negotiators were originally scheduled to stay for two days June 26 and 27. The Indian team is headed by Rajesh Agrawal, special secretary, Department of Comm

BHOPAL: The 337 metric tonnes of hazardous waste, which was safely shifted out from the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy-hit, now defunct Union Carbide Plant, has been completely incinerated at the private Treatment-Storage-Disposal facility (TSDF) in Pithampur industrial town of Dhar district. The waste was shifted on the intervening night of January 1-2, 2025. According to official sources in Dhar district, the process of burning the waste, which began on May 5, in pursuance of a December 2024 order of

BHOPAL: Massive protests by tribals accompanied by pressure by union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has compelled the Dr Mohan Yadav-led Madhya Pradesh government to put on hold the process of creating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Wildlife Sanctuary in Sehore district of the central Indian state. In pursuance with the directions from the government, the proposal to create the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Wildlife Sanctuary in parts of the Sehore Forest Division is put on hold. Entire process

BHOPAL: A Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) girl student has sustained around 50% burn injuries in an acid attack allegedly by her female college mate-childhood friend in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The incident happened in Awadhpuri Colony under Gwarighat police station area at around 8 pm on Sunday, when the accused girl Ishita Sahu (22) reached outside the house of Shraddha Das (23) and called her outside. Both the girls who are BBA students at the same college and friends si

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh state Bureau for Investigation of Economic Offences (EOW) on Monday filed a 1200-page supplementary charge-sheet in the special court against the arrested Congress MLA Kawasi Lakhma, in connection with the alleged liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. A six-time Congress legislator Lakhma, who was excise minister in the earlier Congress regime led by Bhupesh Baghel, was arrested on January 15 this year and has been in jail as among the prime accused. Lakhma appeared virtually before

GUWAHATI: A water bottle was hurled at the convoy of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma by alleged Congress workers on Monday. The incident occurred in upper Assams Golaghat when Sarma was passing through the area during an official visit. The Congress workers were protesting the alleged sale of 90 Gir cows, procured by the state government, to a few individuals, including a ministers wife and a few BJP MLAs. The government earlier procured 300 cows for the Gorukhuti dairy project. CM Hima

PATNA: Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) said that it would form third front ahead of Bihar assembly elections in the absence of a positive response from the Opposition INDIA bloc on alignment with AIMIM. AIMIM state president Akhtarul Iman said that he was hopeful of positive response from INDIA bloc on alignment with AIMIM to defeat the BJP-led NDA in state assembly elections. Discussions were held on the matter, but there is no further development, he told the media. H

KOLKATA: The BJP on Monday alleged that women are unsafe in West Bengal under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees leadership, citing the alleged gang rape at South Calcutta Law College and questioning the rising crimes against women in a woman-led state. The party criticised the Trinamool Congress government for failing to ensure women's safety and demanded immediate action against the perpetrators. A four-member BJP fact-finding team arrived at Kolkata on Monday morning. The team, which consisted o

NEW DELHI: Brazil has expressed interest in acquiring Indias Akash air defence system, which was prominently deployed during Operation Sindoor, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the South American nation for the 17th BRICS Summit. India successfully countered multiple aerial threats using indigenous systems, including the Akash missile system. At a special briefing on Modis upcoming five-nation tour beginning July 2, Secretary (East) in the External Affairs Ministry P. Kumaran said

NEW DELHI: The upcoming BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro is set to strongly denounce the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and back a unified, firm approach to combating terrorism, aligning closely with India's stance on the issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the summit on July 6 and 7, marking the beginning of Indias chairmanship of the bloc for the following year. The visit is part of his five-nation tour from July 2 to 9, which also includes Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, an

LUCKNOW: Prayagraj Police on Monday arrested over 65 persons allegedly involved in Sundays violence incited by the supporters of Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad in the Karchhana area. Police authorities also claimed they were contemplating invoking the Gangsters Act against the accused. The action follows Sundays incident wherein supporters of Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad and the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) went on a rampage for over two hours, indulging in vandalism, arson, damaging about a do

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday held the third round of talks with a joint delegation of Manipur valley-based Meitei Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). According to sources, the deliberations concluded on a positive note. The sources said the delegation had come with a four-point declared agenda, and they stood firm on it. They also said to the MHA representatives that the time has come now for action rather than talks. The 19-member delegation included seven repre

JAIPUR: A teenage Pakistani couple who illegally crossed the border into India near Jaisalmer in search of a better life were found dead from thirst and dehydration in the Thar desert. The couple, Ravi Kumar (17) and Shanti Bai (15), had married four months ago in Pakistans Sindh province and reportedly crossed over after their visa applications were rejected amid strained Indo-Pak relations. Despite warnings from family, they crossed the border carrying a jerry can of water, which was found emp

NEW DELHI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on June 30 conducted a meeting with the Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand administrations and police to ensure adequate arrangements for smooth 'Kanwar Yatra' and minimise inconvenience to highway users. The meeting aimed to address various issues pertaining to the route -- used by pilgrims -- such as water logging and potholes. The meeting also aimed to ensure adequate street lighting, implementation of short-term road safety measures and inst

NEW DELHI: The Coast Guards of the QUAD nations - India, Japan, the United States, and Australia - have launched a multilateral initiative titled the 'QUAD at Sea Ship Observer Mission'. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Monday termed the initiative a landmark step towards deepening maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. This strategic cross-embarkation initiative sees two officers, including women officers, from each participating nation embarked onboard the United States Coast Guard Cutter (U

LUCKNOW: The Prayagraj police claim to have busted a racket in which minor Dalit girls were being lured to Kerala on one pretext or the other and were being subjected to religious conversion. A racket came to the fore when a woman -- Guddi Devi -- of Lilhat village, approached Phulpur police on June 28, alleging that Daraksha Bano, on May 8, enticed her 15-year-old daughter on the pretext of money from a wedding event and took her to Kerala, where she was forcibly converted. She was then forced

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain, who was set to retire on Monday with a formal farewell planned by the cabinet, received a last-minute three-month extension following a phone call from Delhi. The extension came after Governor Ramen Deka had already conveyed his wishes and the state cabinet led by Vishnu Deo Sai had prepared to bid him farewell at the secretariat. The state government in the cabinet meeting, following the approval from the Centre, took the decision to extend the

BEIJING: China on Monday said that the boundary dispute with India is complicated and will take time to settle but at the same time, it expressed its readiness to hold discussions on the delimitation of the border and keep it peaceful. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in his meeting with Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in Qingdao on June 26 proposed that India and China should solve the complex issues under a structured roadmap comprising steps to de-escalate tensions along the frontiers and rejuvena

LUCKNOW: Observing that the judiciarys tolerance towards cases with anti-national overtones was contributing to the rise in such incidents, the Allahabad High Court denied bail to a 62-year-old man for sharing a 'Pakistan Zindabad' post on a social media platform. The court said his anti-national conduct did not entitle him to seek protection of his right to liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Rejecting the bail plea of Ansar Ahmad Siddique, the bench comprising Jus

PATNA: Row over assault and misbehaviour with a non-Brahmin Kathavachak in Itawah district of Uttar Pradesh have reached poll-bound Bihar, too. Residents of Tikulia village in East Champaran district on June 30 imposed restrictions on the entry of Brahmins, especially priests following assault and misbehaviour with a non-Brahmin Kathavachak in Itawah district of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh on June 21. Residents put up banners on the entrance gate of the village, restricting the movement of Brahmi

RANCHI: Ahead of the special programme organised on Hul Diwas at the historic Bhognadih village in Sahibganj on June 30, Police resorted to lathi-charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the descendants of tribal freedom fighters Sidho-Kanho. According to police, they had to apply mild force after stones were pelted from the other side. Local sources informed that the police force was also attacked with bows and arrows by the crowd. At least six police personnel, including two havildars, two

GUWAHATI: Unidentified assailants ambushed a car in Manipurs Kuki-majority Churachandpur district on June 30, killing a rebel leader and his two bodyguards. An elderly woman also lost her life in the incident after being hit by a stray bullet. The incident occurred at around 2 pm on the Jesami Road near Mongjang village, around 10 km from Churachandpur town. All the bodies were sent to a hospital for postmortem. Thahpi Haokip, deputy commander-in-chief of Kuki National Army (KNA), was travelling

NEW DELHI: India has hardened its position on issues related to agriculture as negotiations with the US team in Washington have entered a crucial stage, an official said on Monday. The official also said that the stay of the Indian team, headed by special secretary in the Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal, is expected to be extended further. The team is in Washington for negotiations on an interim trade agreement with the US. Both sides are rushing to close a deal ahead of the July 9 deadlin

With an eye on civic body elections, Maharashtra deputy chief minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, Ajit Pawar on Monday tabled supplementary demands of Rs 57,509 crore on the first day of the monsoon session of Maharashtra state legislative assembly. Interestingly, a huge chunk of the funds, running to Rs 17, 465 crore, has been allocated to urban development department to improve infrastructure in urban local bodies. This gains significance in view of the upcoming elections to 29 civ

CHANDIGARH: A red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall across several parts of Himachal Pradesh has prompted the state government to announce the closure of all educational institutions, including schools and colleges, in four districts Kangra, Mandi, Sirmaur, and Solan. In a separate incident, a five-storey building collapsed in the Bhattakufar area of Shimla early today. Fortunately, there were no casualties as the building had been evacuated the previous night. According to the State Emerge

LUCKNOW: Emphasising that the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed the harmful impact of a consumption-driven culture on humans, animals, and the environment, President Droupadi Murmu stressed the need to organize Animal Health Melas to promote grassroots-level animal care and suggested holding veterinary camps in villages. While addressing the 11th Convocation of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly on Monday, the President expressed concern over the decreasing visibility of dom

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court has ordered a CBI investigation into three murder cases which took place six years ago at Sandeshkhali in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district. In 2019, three BJP workers were allegedly murdered and Shahjahan Sheikh , who is currently suspended from the Trinamool Congress, was allegedly involved in all three cases. Ordering a CBI probe, Justice Joy Sengupta also directed the central agency to form an SIT for investigation. On June 8, 2019, Pradeep Mandal, Devd

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has granted interim protection from arrest to a man facing charges under Sections 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the POCSO Act, while seeking clarity on whether the complainants statement has been recorded in ongoing custody proceedings. The court directed the filing of a fresh affidavit regarding the status of the complainants statement before the concerned family court. The accused, reportedly a friend of the complainants mother, who has also been named a co-accused for allege

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Monday granted leave to file two public interest litigation (PIL) petitions concerning the alleged gang rape incident at South Calcutta Law College in Kasba, South Kolkata. One of the petitions, filed by Advocate Sauma Subhra Ray, argued that the incident at the law college was not a spontaneous crime of opportunity but a premeditated and politically motivated plan. In his plea, Ray sought a CBI investigation into the incident under the supervision of a retire

SHIVAMOGGA: A shocking incident of mob violence has surfaced from Gautampura village in Sagar taluk, where a 67-year-old woman was allegedly dragged out of her house, tied to a pole, and brutally beaten by her neighbours for objecting to waste being dumped near her home. The incident took place on the morning of June 24 but only came to light after a disturbing video of the assault went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage. The police acted promptly and registered a case the next d