IBTimes

An argument had broken out between the MLA's daughter and the police officer over the former's attempt to enter the temple's sanctum sanctorum. Soon after the exchange turned physical, bystanders stepped in and separated the two.

Delhi Directorate of Education has issued an advisory to government and private schools amid a rise in swine flu cases in the national capital. Schools have been asked to strengthen respiratory and hand hygiene, ensure proper ventilation and regular cleaning, maintain distance from people showing respiratory symptoms, and promote healthy habits among students and staff.

The teaser of 'Vvaan' has received mixed reactions online. While some viewers praised its mysterious atmosphere, fantasy elements and folklore-inspired storyline, others compared the film to 'Bhediya' and criticised its narrative and Sidharth Malhotra's performance.

The trailer of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan's upcoming action thriller 'Haiwaan' has been released, teasing an intense face-off between the two actors. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film features Akshay in a dark titular role, while Saif plays a blind man.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has launched an investigation into OpenAI following an AI-driven hack of Hugging Face during an internal cybersecurity test. His office subpoenaed OpenAI to examine whether its safety controls and oversight violated state consumer protection laws.

Sensex declined as much as 223 points or 0.28 per cent to hit an intraday low of 77,146 in early deals, while Nifty fell 90 points or 0.37 per cent to 24,128.

The discussions are expected to focus on boundary delimitation, border management, mechanism-building and trans-border cooperation, with both sides stressing the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

BJP leaders accused the Congress government of diverting funds meant for Dalit and Scheduled Tribe welfare and demanded accountability and the return of the alleged misappropriated funds. The BJP said its agitation would continue.

Indian scientists have developed a promising smart cancer drug candidate, RK-251, designed to activate mainly inside cancer cells and reduce damage to healthy tissues. Developed by scientists from IASST and IIT Guwahati

The Sensex declined 171.72 points, or 0.22 per cent, to settle at 77,369.11, while the Nifty fell 32.95 points, or 0.14 per cent, to close at 24,219.05.

The government has removed export restrictions on wheat flour, maida, semolina (rava), wholemeal atta and resultant atta, shifting them from the prohibited to the free export category. The restrictions were introduced in 2022 to protect domestic food security and control rising prices amid global supply disruptions following the Russia-Ukraine conflic

Anthropic acknowledged the disruption and said it had identified the cause and was working to restore normal service. Several Claude models were reportedly affected, while developers also faced failed API requests and intermittent access. The company had not provided a timeline for full recovery or confirmed the cause of the outage at the time of publication.

Authorities detected 4,155 illegal import cases between January and June, compared with 1,189 cases throughout 2025. Most cases involved international mail shipments, while hundreds were linked to travellers carrying the medicines.

New SIM card rules came into effect in India on Monday, limiting individuals to nine mobile connections, or six in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and the North-East. Telecom operators must block excess connections and move to real-time checks by November 30, 2026.

Onion prices have surged up to 40 percent in a week, with retail rates reaching Rs 50-60 per kg in major cities as delayed crop arrivals tighten supplies.

A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the alleged sexual assault, illegal termination of pregnancy and death of a 12-year-old tribal girl and her stillborn child in Kishtwar's Chatroo. Meanwhile, the Tribal Gujjar Bakarwal Welfare Foundation has demanded protection for the victim's family and strict action against those allegedly attempting to hush up the case.

The BJP faced another embarrassment in Jammu and Kashmir after police registered an extortion and fraud case against Pulwama Kisan Morcha vice-president Aijaz Ahmed Shah. The development comes days after the party suspended its Pulwama district president Showkat Gayoor following an extortion case against him.

Two female employees of AIIMS Jammu, including a doctor and a staff nurse, died under mysterious circumstances within 48 hours in Jammu and Samba districts. Police have launched a joint investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths and whether there is any connection between the two cases.

Veteran Ladakhi leaders Thupstan Chhewang and Tashi Gyalson met Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and urged the administration to withdraw cases against youth linked to the September 24, 2025, Leh violence. They also sought financial assistance for affected families, early submission of the inquiry report and an early meeting with the Centre on the broader Ladakh issue.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have booked BJP's Pulwama district president Showkat Gayoor in an alleged extortion and criminal intimidation case following a complaint by a contractor. The BJP has suspended Gayoor from all organisational posts and responsibilities. The case comes amid renewed efforts by the party to expand its political footprint in the Kashmir Valley and recalls an earlier case involving the BJP's former Bandipora district president.

India's first-ever Global Black-necked Crane Festival has opened in Ladakh, attracting tourists, bird lovers, conservationists and experts from India and abroad. The August 1114 festival aims to promote black-necked crane conservation while strengthening ecotourism, local livelihoods and community participation across Changthang.

A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has expressed concern over the growing drug menace in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly among youth, and called for a comprehensive strategy combining strict enforcement with prevention, early intervention, de-addiction, rehabilitation and social reintegration.

Security has been intensified across parts of Jammu and Kashmir following a purported threat letter issued by the United Liberation Council, a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba-linked shadow outfit, targeting Kashmiri Hindu employees. The communication allegedly names six employees and contains threats against government officials and police personnel. Security agencies are examining the threat, while Panun Kashmir has demanded a probe into the purported communication.

Over Rs 62,683 crore remains unclaimed in Public Sector Banks across India as of June 30, 2026, according to the Union Government. To help depositors, nominees and legal heirs recover their money, the Centre and the RBI have introduced a series of measures, including simplified claim procedures, special outreach drives, the UDGAM portal, and the nationwide Your Money, Your Right campaign.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced the launch of the first-ever Rehabilitation and Socio-Economic Reintegration Scheme for Drug Abuse Victims, 2026. The pilot project will begin in the two worst-affected districts of Jammu and Kashmir, focusing on treatment, counselling, skill development, employment, and long-term reintegration of drug abuse victims.

The Crime Branch's Economic Offences Wing has chargesheeted a former ICICI Prudential Life Insurance employee for allegedly siphoning off over 10.75 lakh by fraudulently surrendering an insurance policy using forged documents and a fake SBI account. The investigation found evidence of forgery, cheating and attempted fraud involving multiple insurance policies, with the case now before a Jammu court.

The Union Government informed the Rajya Sabha that it has launched the National Mental Health Survey-2 to assess mental health disorders, including those linked to prolonged conflict, natural disasters and substance abuse in Jammu and Kashmir. It said the Union Territory has around 120 psychiatrists, 40 clinical psychologists, 21 addiction treatment facilities and expanded Tele-MANAS services as part of efforts to strengthen mental healthcare across all districts.

The Jammu and Kashmir Sarnarthi Action Committee (JKSAC) has demanded a high-level probe into the alleged misappropriation of lakhs of kanals of evacuee land meant for the rehabilitation of families displaced from PoJK. The demand comes after the ACB unearthed a major Custodian land scam and registered multiple FIRs against revenue officials and beneficiaries.

FASTag-based toll collection on National Highways reached a record 70,278.18 crore in 2025-26, marking a steady rise over the past three years, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha. The Centre said it has reviewed the toll pricing mechanism to reduce the burden on commuters through measures such as an annual pass, rationalised toll charges and lower penalties for UPI payments.

The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway Corridor has come under the spotlight after official data tabled in the Rajya Sabha revealed that 58 of J&K's 73 identified black corridors are located in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts, through which the mega highway project passes.

Jammu and Kashmir Police has executed a court proclamation against Pakistan-based designated terrorist Mohammad Qasim alias Sulliman, directing him to appear before a designated court in Jammu by August 21. Qasim, who carries a Rs 10 lakh reward, is accused of involvement in the Katra and Narwal blasts and of operating a terror network in Rajouri and Poonch.

A Kashmiri youth was allegedly lured to Cambodia with a promise of a lucrative computer operator job but was instead forced into online scamming activities. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Kashmir, has filed a chargesheet against the accused in the overseas job fraud case registered in April.

The sleuths of the ED conducted raids at nine locations in J&K and Punjab as part of a money laundering investigation into an alleged Pakistan-linked narco-terror funding network. The probe revealed a cross-border heroin smuggling racket with suspected links to Hizbul Mujahideen, leading to the seizure of incriminating documents and the freezing of bank accounts containing approximately 49.9 lakh.

The killing of Police Head Constable Aashiq Hussain Qureshi in Anantnag has triggered one of the largest anti-terror operations in Kashmir in recent years. Security forces have detained over 2,000 terror associates, intensified surveillance across the Valley, and demolished the houses of two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists as investigations point to possible cross-border involvement.

Nature's fury continued across the Jammu division as three more people died in rain-related incidents, pushing the death toll beyond 23 in three days. Poonch witnessed the worst devastation, with three families nearly wiped out in separate cloudburst and landslide tragedies, while Rajouri issued a flood advisory amid forecasts of more heavy rainfall and ongoing rescue operations.

Six more people died in rain-related incidents across Jammu division on Monday, taking the death toll to 16 in two days. Rescue operations in flood-hit Poonch and Rajouri were hampered by fresh rainfall, while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced Rs 6 lakh ex gratia for the families of those killed.

Partial shutdowns were observed in Doda and Kishtwar following the death of a youth in an alleged police firing in Bhadarwah. Protesters demanded a CBI investigation, while authorities extended internet restrictions, detained two associates of the deceased for questioning, and intensified security to maintain law and order.

The National Conference has expelled LAHDC-Kargil Chief Executive Councillor Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon from the party for six years over alleged anti-party activities. The action comes days after Akhoon retained his majority with BJP-backed support, deepening the political crisis over the NC-Congress power-sharing agreement in Kargil.

The Principal Sessions Court in Jammu has rejected the bail application of Kamal Singh, the accused in the attempted assassination of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah. The court cited the gravity of the offence, public safety concerns, and the possibility of the accused repeating the crime if released.

A major tragedy was averted during the Shri Amarnath Yatra after a bus carrying 47 pilgrims caught fire near Ramban following a tyre burst. The driver's quick thinking and prompt rescue by police, Army, CRPF and SDRF ensured all occupants escaped safely, though the bus and passengers' belongings were completely destroyed.

In a significant political development in Ladakh, the National Conference and the BJP joined forces in the Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) to help Chairman Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon retain his position, defeating the Congress's bid to unseat him through a no-confidence motion. The passage of the council's budget with the support of 20 councillors highlighted an unlikely political convergence between the two rivals, even as they remain bitter opponents in neighbouring Jammu and

A Special NIA Court has issued a non-bailable warrant against the Pakistan-based terrorist. The attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, is being investigated as a Pakistan-backed cross-border terror conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by LeT and its proxy outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF).

A political row has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah alleged that the BJP was attempting to topple the National Conference-led government by offering Rs 30 crore to some NC legislators. The BJP dismissed the charge as aseless and demanded proof or an apology, while Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary backed Omar Abdullah's claims and NC MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi alleged that he had been approached to quit the party.

The counter-intelligence wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police has arrested three publishers in connection with the controversial textbook case involving alleged glorification of terrorists and separatist leaders in government school libraries. While investigations continue, authorities are intensifying efforts to trace co-author Hilal Ahmed, whose identity itself has come under scrutiny, with officials probing whether he is a real person or a fictitious name.

The State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir has secured an Interpol Red Corner Notice against designated Hizbul Mujahideen commander Imtiyaz Ahmad Kandoo, the alleged mastermind of the 2013 Hygam terror attack in Sopore that claimed the lives of four Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel. Believed to be hiding in Pakistan, Kandoo is also wanted in multiple terror-related cases involving targeted killings, arms trafficking, and narco-terror financing.

National Conference MP Syed Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has distanced himself from the party's July 20 Jantar Mantar protest for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, saying he was neither invited nor needed at the party meeting.

Twenty days after suspending a senior cardiologist over the alleged pacemaker implantation scam at GMC Anantnag, the Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered a fresh inquiry into cardiology procedures carried out under the AB PM-JAY and SEHAT schemes.

The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered an FIR against five Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) officials and nine Fair Price Shop dealers for allegedly embezzling government food grains worth over Rs 5.57 crore meant for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in Kupwara's Karnah area.

The University of Jammu has directed all its departments to review their library collections within seven days after the controversial book Personalities and Legends of J&K, recently banned by the J&K government for allegedly glorifying terrorists and separatists, was found in the Department of Political Science library.

The investigation into the controversial book Personalities and Legends of J&K has intensified, with one of its authors, Hilal Ahmed, still untraceable. Police have invoked the UAPA, raided the publisher's office, and expanded the probe to examine other publications after the textbook allegedly glorified terrorists and reproduced content from Pakistani propaganda material.