Internet services have been suspended in Gangdhar, Bhawanimandi, and Pidawa areas of Jhalawar district in Rajasthan until midnight on Friday following violence that erupted after the murder of a videographer during a wedding ceremony.

While the situation is currently under control, heavy police deployment continues. The incident occurred in Dag town, where Shambhu Singh, a videographer from Lasudiya who had come to attend a wedding, was shot dead late Thursday night by unidentified assailants in a car.

The murder triggered chaos in the area, with an enraged crowd setting several shops and kiosks ablaze.

In the ensuing violence, Raipur Police Station Officer Banna Lal sustained a serious head injury from stone pelting and was later referred to Jhalawar for treatment.

More than 1,000 tourists have been stranded in various locations in North Sikkim due to continuous heavy rainfall and landslides.

Police sources have informed that around 200 tourist vehicles are currently stuck at Chungthang Gurudwara and the ITBP camp, while approximately 1,000 tourists remain stranded in Lachung.

Landslides have occurred at Munshithang on Lachen Chungthang road, previously affected by Glacial Lake Outburst Flood, as well as in Lema and Bob on Lachung Chungthang road, on the other side of Chungthang.

Roads till Chungthang are open, but due to heavy rain, the accessibility has been hampered in the night hours, as per information received from the Mangan District Superintendent of Police, Sonam Dechu Bhutia.

Two days after Malayalam actors Shine Tom Chacko and Sreenath Bhasi were summoned, the Kerala Excise Department on Friday issued summons to three more people asking them to appear for questioning.

The move follows the arrest of Tasleem Sultana and one of her accomplices from a resort near Alappuzha on April 1, after a tip-off.

The operation resulted in the seizure of hybrid ganja worth approximately Rs 2 crore in the open market.

Later, the Excise officials arrested one more person who is closely associated with Sultana.

At least five people died in a major industrial fire at the Rajgarhia Rice Mill located in the Dargah area of Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh on Friday, officials said. Three others are injured and undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital. Their condition is critical.

According to reports, the fire started in the upper section of the rice mill around dawn, triggering chaos among the workers present.

In an attempt to control the blaze, eight workers rushed to extinguish the fire but were quickly surrounded by the dense, toxic smoke filling the facility. Tragically, five of them lost their lives after suffocating inside the mill.

In a strong display of solidarity and national mourning, trade unions and market associations across Delhi have called for a one-day bandh on Friday, to honour the victims killed in the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which is spearheading the initiative, announced that over 900 markets in the national capital will remain closed.

According to reports, the shutdown is being voluntarily observed by the trading community and is not intended as a protest but rather as a symbolic tribute.

CAIT Secretary General and BJP member of Parliament Praveen Khandelwal stated, “This bandh is not a form of protest but a national tribute. We stand with the families of the victims and the government in this moment of grief. All traders are urged to participate voluntarily and ensure the bandh is observed peacefully.”

Two Gujarat towns - Idar and Vadali - observed a spontaneous shutdown on Thursday to protest against the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people.

The attack, marked by indiscriminate firing, has left local communities shaken and furious.

In Vadali, residents took to the streets, chanting slogans like 'Pakistan Murdabad', demanding strict action against terrorism and those behind the brutal assault.

"Emotional reactions pouring in from all corners. In Sabarkantha, people expressed deep anguish, staging demonstrations and urging the government to take decisive action against terrorist elements. The incident has reignited debates around security policies and counter-terrorism measures," sources shared.

The final rites of 33-year-old Neeraj Udhwani, who was killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, were performed on Thursday at Mokshadham crematorium in Jaipur.

His elder brother, Kishore Udhwani, lit the funeral pyre, surrounded by grieving family members, friends, and a heavy police presence.

It was heart-wrenching to see Neeraj’s wife, Ayushi, who stood near his body with folded hands, unable to hold back her tears. Despite repeated attempts by family members to console her, she remained inconsolable with grief.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma visited Neeraj’s residence at Forest View Apartment in Model Town (Malviya Nagar) to pay his respects. The CM met Neeraj’s mother, Jyoti, who broke down upon seeing him.

In a significant crackdown against Maoist insurgents, security forces in Chhattisgarh have launched a major operation in the Karregatta hills of Bijapur district. The operation has already resulted in the deaths of three Maoists, with their bodies recovered by the police.

The officials have reported the presence of a large number of Maoists in the area, which has been surrounded by the forces.

The encounter, described as fierce and intense, continues to unfold, with further details expected once the operation concludes.

Following intelligence inputs, this joint operation has been going on since Monday, involving the police forces of Telangana and Chhattisgarh, and is the largest of its kind to date along the border of the two states.

One soldier was killed on Thursday in a gunfight between the security forces and the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district.

The Army said that based on specific intelligence, a joint operation with the Jammu and Kashmir Police was launched on Thursday in Basantgarh, Udhampur.

“Contact was established, and a fierce firefight ensued. One of our Brave hearts sustained grievous injuries in the initial exchange and later succumbed despite the best medical efforts. Operations are going on,” said officials here.

Further details of the soldier were awaited.

Another encounter broke out on Wednesday in the Kulgam district between the security forces and the terrorists, and was continuing. The operation against the terrorists started with the exchange of gunfire, but since Thursday morning, no exchange of gunfire has been reported.

 A module of the overground workers (OGWs) of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has been busted in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district, said police on Thursday, adding that four have been arrested.

A police statement said, “Police received credible information that some OGW's affiliated with terrorist outfit LeT have hatched a criminal conspiracy on the directions of their handlers and are seeking a chance to attack Police /Security Forces and non-locals. Acting on this information, Bandipora Police launched a manhunt and special ‘Nakas’ were placed at different places in the district. Accordingly, a joint naka was established by Bandipora Police along with D-Coy 45 Bn (Battalion) CRPF and E-Coy of 13 RR (Rashtriya Rifles) at Kanipora Naidkhai Sumbal."

“During Naka checking, two persons identified as Mohammad Rafiq Khanday, son of Mohammad Afzal Khanday, resident of Khanday Mohalla Watalpira, Banyarai and Mukhtar Ahmad Dar, son of Mohammad Yousuf Dar, resident of Bunpora Mohalla S.K Bala, were apprehended," the statement mentioned.

As a precautionary measure following the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam, the authorities have directed the government employees engaged under the PM’s rehab package to work from home till April 27 in Kashmir

Orders issued initially by the district education officer, Baramulla, were later circulated by officials in other districts of the Valley asking PM package employees to work from home till April 27 and not attend their places of posting.

PM’s rehab package was announced by the erstwhile UPA government at the Centre for the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, who were forced to abandon their homes under threats from the terrorists in the 1990s.

Security forces on Wednesday released a photograph and sketches of terrorists suspected to be responsible for the Pahalgam attack in which 26 civilians were killed and several others were injured on Tuesday.

Three terrorists suspected to have carried out the dastardly attack have been identified as Asif Fuji, Suleman Shah and Abu Talha.

The attackers, believed to be members of The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), opened fire on tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam area, 6 kms away from Pahalgam town.

Security forces said at least five to six terrorists, wearing camouflage outfits and kurta pyjamas, came to Baisaran meadow from the dense pine forest surrounding the Baisaran meadow and opened fire with AK-47 rifles.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday advised commercial airlines such as IndiGo and Air India to increase the number of flights to meet the surge in demand from tourists stranded in Srinagar in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

The airlines have been urged to facilitate the return of the tourists to their home destinations across the country and not to charge cancellation or rescheduling charges for the flights.

The advisory issued by the DGCA said: "In the aftermath of the incident in Pahalgam, there is an unexpected demand from tourists seeking to return to their homes. In this regard, the airlines are advised to take swift action to increase the number of flights in response to the heightened demand and also to ensure uninterrupted connectivity from Srinagar to various destinations across India, facilitating evacuation of stranded tourists."

"The airlines are also requested to consider waiving cancellation and rescheduling fees and provide all necessary assistance to tourists facing unexpected circumstances and challenges during this difficult time," the advisory said.

Two terrorists were killed on Wednesday as the Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid on the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Baramulla district.

The Indian Army confirmed the operation’s success in intercepting the infiltrators, with the Chinar Corps posting on X: “On April 23, 2025, approximately 2-3 terrorists attempted to infiltrate through the general area of Sarjeevan at Uri Nala, Baramulla. Alert troops on the Line of Control (LC) challenged and intercepted them, leading to a firefight. The operation is still underway.”

A Defence Ministry statement said earlier that an exchange of fire took place between the terrorists and the Army when an infiltration bid was foiled after terrorists were engaged by the Army in a firefight near the Uri Nala area of Baramulla district.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the terror attack site in Pahalgam’s Baisaran valley on Wednesday, where the terrorists unleashed mayhem a day ago, gunning down several tourists and injuring many others.

The Home Minister arrived at ground zero in an Army helicopter and took first-hand account information from the security officials, about the ghastly attacks that claimed over a dozen innocent lives.

The tourists were targeted, segregated on basis of religion and then brutally murdered by the terrorists in South Kashmir’s ‘mini Switzerland’ on Tuesday.

Before going to Baisaran, HM Shah went to the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Anantnag where he met the injured tourists and enquired about the medical facilities there to aid in their speedy recovery.

Three people, including a man-son duo, from Gujarat have been killed in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

The deceased were identified as Sumit Parmar and his son Yatish Parmar from Bhavnagar, and Shailesh Kalathiya from Surat.

Two people from the state were injured in the attack.

The injured have been identified as Dabhi Vinod and Vijay.

The massacre unfolded around 3 p.m. in Baisaran, a scenic meadow often likened to "mini Switzerland".

US Vice President J.D. Vance, accompanied by his wife Usha Vance and their three children -- Ivan, Vivek, and Mirabel -- arrived in Agra on Wednesday as part of his ongoing India visit and received a warm welcome from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Immediately after landing in Agra, the Vance family made their way to the iconic Taj Mahal.

CM Yogi, sharing pictures from the visit on X, posted, "A warm welcome to Hon'ble US Vice President J.D. Vance and his family to Uttar Pradesh, the sacred heartland of India, renowned for its timeless devotion, vibrant culture, and spiritual legacy."

Security arrangements in Agra were heightened ahead of the high-profile visit, with personnel deployed along key routes and near tourist locations.

A retired banker from Visakhapatnam was among 16 tourists killed in the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

J. Chandramouli, a resident of Pandurangapuram in the coastal city, was on a trip with family members.

According to reports reaching here, Chanramouli tried to flee, but the terrorists chased and shot him dead.

He also reportedly pleaded with the assailants not to kill him, but they showed no mercy. Chandramouli died on the spot. His body was identified three hours after the incident.

On receipt of information, his relatives left for Pahalgam.

A 26-year-old Navy officer, Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who got married on April 16, from Haryana's Karnal city, was among 16 people killed in the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

He was on honeymoon in Pahalgam when the tragedy occurred. His wife, Himanshi, hails from Gurugram.

His wedding reception was solemnised on April 19. Hailing from Bhusli village in Karnal district, Narwal was currently living in Sector 7 in Karnal city.

He had joined the Navy three years ago.

"We were just having bhelpuri... and then a gunman shot my husband. The gunman said my husband was not a Muslim and then shot him," the officer's wife said.

A pall of gloom descended on Kashmir Valley on Wednesday as widespread condemnation and a complete protest shutdown followed the brutal killing of 16 people in Tuesday’s terror attack.

The 16 dead included 2 locals and 2 foreigners who were among the tourists caught in Tuesday’s deadly carnage by terrorists.

All trade, travel, industry, transport and educational institutions remained shut in the entire Valley on Wednesday after political, religious, social and professional organisations condemned the brutal killing of innocent people by terrorists in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam on Tuesday afternoon.

Horrifying details are now emerging about the beastly behaviour of the killers.

Eyewitnesses said the terrorists separated the men from the women and children.

Alert troops of the Indian Army on Wednesday foiled an infiltration bid on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Uri sector.

A Defence Ministry statement said that an exchange of gunfire took place between the terrorists and the Army when an infiltration bid was foiled after terrorists were engaged by the Army in a firefight near the Uri Nala area of Baramulla district.

Army’s Srinagar headquartered 15 corps said on X, “On 23 Apr 2025, approximately 2-3 UI terrorists tried to infiltrate through general area Sarjeevan at Uri Nala, Baramulla, the alert troops on LC challenged and intercepted them resulting in a firefight. Operation is in progress”.

Wednesday’s infiltration bid on the LoC comes a day after Pakistan sponsored terrorists killed 16 innocent civilians including 2 foreigners and 2 locals.

The brutal attack unfolded on Tuesday in the scenic Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, where terrorists reportedly emerged from dense forest areas and opened indiscriminate fire on a group of unsuspecting tourists.

The West Bengal government’s initial “outsider” theory behind the communal violence in the minority-dominated Murshidabad district has been nullified to a great extent by the identities of the four arrested individuals in connection with the killing of a man and his son on April 12.

It has been revealed that all four arrested individuals were not only residents of Murshidabad district but also used to frequent the village where the slain father and son, Hargobindo Das and Chandan Das, lived.

At the same time, the villagers have also confirmed that three of the four arrested were residents of villages adjacent to the village of the slain father and son.

At least six people, including a two-year-old child, were killed in a tragic road accident on the Bhopal-Jabalpur highway on Monday.

The incident occurred near ‘Bamhori Dhaba’ under Sultanpur police jurisdiction in Raisen district when a sports utility vehicle (SUV) carrying nine occupants collided with a culvert between 6.30 and 7.00 a.m.

According to the police, six individuals died instantly at the spot, while three others sustained serious injuries and are currently undergoing treatment at the Raisen district hospital.

The victims were reportedly returning from Patna, Bihar, after attending a wedding ceremony of two of the occupants of the vehicle, who received severe injuries.

Sultanpur police station in-charge, Santosh Raghuvanshi, informed that the deceased, along with the injured, hailed from Indore, although their precise details are still being confirmed.

Bhojpur police have arrested one person in connection with a firing incident that claimed the lives of two people and left four others injured in Laharpa village under Garhani police station late Sunday night, officials said on Monday.

The violence broke out during a wedding celebration after a minor dispute escalated into a scuffle, leading to indiscriminate firing.

According to police, the clash began during the Dwar Pooja ceremony of Kamlesh Kushwaha, whose wedding procession had arrived from Kaup village under Charpokhari police station.

The confrontation reportedly started over a disagreement about the right of way for a Thar SUV, resulting in a deadly altercation.

Eyewitnesses said Rahul Kumar and Lavkush Kumar, who were in the SUV, were shot dead on the spot.

The Karnataka Police were questioning the wife and daughter of former Karnataka DGP Om Prakash (68) in connection with his brutal murder, police sources confirmed on Monday. The two were detained and brought to the police station from the Observation Centre in a Hoysala patrolling vehicle.

Police sources confirmed that the deceased officer’s wife, Pallavi, had sent a message to the wife of an IPS officer, stating that she had "finished off a monster". The police have also gathered information that Pallavi made a video call after allegedly committing the crime.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that DGP Om Prakash was killed by his wife, Pallavi. However, police suspect that it may not have been possible for one person to commit such a brutal crime alone, and are therefore questioning the daughter as well.

Investigators have found that the accused sent a WhatsApp message to a family group, alleging harassment by Om Prakash. In the message, she claimed he was roaming around the house with a gun and could kill both her and their daughter. She also urged someone to file a police complaint against him.

Vinay Kumar Singh, the national vice president of Karni Sena and Jharkhand state president, was shot dead in Jamshedpur late Sunday night, triggering widespread outrage among his supporters, police officials said on Monday.

Singh, 46, was a resident of Aastha Space Township in Mango, Jamshedpur.

According to his family, he had left home on Sunday afternoon for work related to land dealings but did not return by evening. A search was launched, and around 11 pm, his body was found in a bush off a dirt road, approximately 500 meters from NH-33 (Tata-Ranchi Road).

He had bullet wounds to the head and multiple injuries on his body, police said.

Two persons were killed on Monday morning in a devastating fire at a commercial building complex at Pathuriaghata Street in North Kolkata, West Bengal.

The two deceased persons have been identified as Kishanlal Upadhyay and Sunil Sharma. Both were earning their livelihood as contractual priests. Police were trying to contact their relatives.

It is learned that the fire broke out at the commercial building late Sunday night. Ten fire tenders, after rigorous firefighting, ultimately got control over the raging blaze early Monday morning.

Thereafter, the firemen spotted Upadhyay and Sharma in a state of senselessness in the attic of the commercial building where both used to reside. They were immediately rushed to Calcutta Medical College & Hospital in central Kolkata.

 A horrific road accident on Monday in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district claimed the lives of five people and left two others seriously injured when a high-speed car lost control and rammed into a tree near Bhujauli village under the Nebua Naurangiya police station area.

The victims were returning from a wedding ceremony in the Maruti Brezza when the tragedy struck.

The impact was so severe that the vehicle was completely mangled, with its parts scattered across the crash site. According to eyewitnesses, the car was speeding when the driver lost control, leading to the devastating collision.

Five of the passengers died on the spot, while two others sustained critical injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital with the help of residents.

As part of efforts to give a boost to the 'Cheetah Project', the first four of the eight cheetahs to be brought to India from southern Africa will arrive in the country in May. The eight big cats will be brought to India from Botswana in two phases, media reports quoted officials as saying on Saturday.

This information was given by officials of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), who took part in a review meeting of the cheetah project on Friday in the presence of Union Minister for Environment, Forests & Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

"Efforts are underway to bring more cheetahs from South Africa, Botswana, and Kenya to India. Eight cheetahs will be brought to India in two phases. There is a plan to bring four cheetahs from Botswana to India by May. After this, four more cheetahs will be brought. At present, consent is being developed on an agreement between India and Kenya," stated a release from the Madhya Pradesh government quoting the NTCA officials.

Four people died and many are feared to be trapped as a building collapsed in the Mustafabad area of Delhi on Saturday, police said.

The incident took place around 3 am, police added.

"Four people died after a building collapsed in the Mustafabad area in Delhi this morning," Delhi Police said early Saturday.

Meanwhile, Sandeep Lamba, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, North East District, said 14 people were rescued.

Lamba said, "... 14 people were rescued, but four among them succumbed... it was a four-storey building...rescue operation is underway. Eight to ten people are still feared trapped."

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a seven-day weather alert for Gujarat, Diu, Daman and, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, warning of intense heat and dusty conditions across the region.

According to the forecast, isolated areas in Rajkot and Kutch are likely to experience heat wave conditions and dust-raising winds over Saurashtra-Kutch and North Gujarat on April 19 and 20, with wind speeds expected to reach 20–30 kmph. Throughout the week, dry weather will persist across the state.

Between April 22 and 24, coastal areas are likely to face discomfort due to hot and humid conditions. Ahmedabad is expected to see maximum temperatures hovering around 43 degrees Celsius under clear skies, with no immediate relief in sight. In the last 24 hours, parts of Kutch experienced heatwave conditions, with Kandla Airport recording the highest temperature in Gujarat at a scorching 44.6 degrees Celsius on Thursday. Surendranagar followed closely with 43.3 degrees, while Rajkot recorded 42.9 and Amreli 42.5. Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar also remained in the extreme heat zone, registering 41.8 degrees and 41.0 degrees, respectively.

The army on Friday said it has ordered an enquiry into the alleged manhandling of a civilian in J&K's Rajouri district.

An incident has come to light wherein certain individuals were allegedly manhandled by army personnel in Rajouri district, a Defence Ministry statement said.

It said the army had an input on the likely movement of terrorists in a vehicle in this sensitive area, and "accordingly, search operations were being conducted. Preliminary information suggests that on being stopped, the individual tried to snatch the weapon of the soldiers on duty and initiated a scuffle with them".

“However, an enquiry has been initiated. Should any personnel be found guilty of misconduct, strict action will be taken in accordance with the existing law," the army said in the statement.

Four people were killed and two others injured in a road accident near Amarpura in Karnataka's Raichur district on Friday.

The deceased have been identified as 28-year-old Nagaraj, 38-year-old Somu, 36-year-old Nagabhushan and 38-year-old Murali, residents of Hindupur in Telangana.

According to police, "The victims were travelling in a goods vehicle and proceeding towards Shahapura town in Yadgir district for the sheep fair."

Due to overspeeding, the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with the bridge's parapet.

Due to the impact of the crash, four people travelling on the front side of the goods vehicle died on the spot.

The Bengaluru Police arrested an auto-rickshaw driver on Friday for harassing a woman at a public place, demanding her contact number and pestering her to allow him to take a selfie with him.

The incident took place in the Pulakeshinagar police station limits. The arrested person was identified as Mani.

According to police, the woman was standing with her male friend near a shop when the accused auto-rickshaw driver approached her and asked her to share her contact number with him.

The accused also demanded that she allow him to take a selfie with her. The woman later told the police that the accused even attempted to take a selfie.

She later lodged a complaint with the police demanding action against him.

Security forces in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh have achieved a significant breakthrough with 22 Maoists, including nine women, surrendering on Friday, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to combat Maoism, officials said.

This operation, conducted deep within Sukma's forests, involved the Maad division and other hardcore Maoist factions.

The surrendered individuals, collectively carrying rewards amounting to Rs 40 lakh, will now benefit from the government's rehabilitation policy, said the officials.

Inspired by the "Lon Varratu (Come Back Home)" campaign in various districts of Chhattisgarh, many Maoists have returned home.