Gwadar is viewed as a critical pearl in China's maritime strategy as it would give a permanent logistical footprint near an important choke point - the Strait of Hormuz and the oil rich Persian Gulf, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
The southwest monsoon has advanced across northern Indian states, leading to widespread rainfall, waterlogging, road blockages, and rain-related deaths, particularly in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Centre is monitoring the situation, especially concerning potential drought conditions in some areas due to the El Nino effect.
West Bengal's appointment of Manoj Agarwal, the former Chief Electoral Officer, as the new Chief Secretary has ignited a political firestorm, raising concerns about the fairness and impartiality of the state's electoral processes.
A 28-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Chhattisgarh's Surajpur district. The incident has sparked outrage among local villagers, who are demanding compensation and government jobs for the victim's family.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has criticised the DMK for allegedly trying to gain 'political mileage' from the 2025 Karur stampede that killed 41 people, and also faulted the police for failing to alert him about the swelling crowd or cancelling the event.
Major General Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri (retd), former Uttarakhand chief minister and respected BJP leader, has died at 91.
The Supreme Court of India has affirmed that the right to live with dignity includes the right to live without the threat of harm from stray dogs, dismissing petitions seeking to overturn earlier directives on relocation and sterilisation.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, prohibits only the conversion of religious character but does not prevent the state from acquiring such properties for secular and public purposes. This observation came while dismissing a petition challenging the widening and beautification of the Dalmandi area in Varanasi for the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor, which involved the proposed demolition of six ancient mosques.
A 75-year-old man, Hiralal Dwivedi, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Lodiawa village, Amethi. Police are investigating the motive and have formed multiple teams to apprehend the culprits.
Three men, including a groom-to-be, were killed in a road accident in Rajasthan's Sirohi district when a trailer truck collided with their motorcycle.
A truck driver was killed and a police constable injured in Manipur's Ukhrul district when suspected militants attacked a convoy of goods vehicles. The Chief Minister condemned the attack and vowed to restore peace.
Police in Thane, Maharashtra, seized 25,000 litres of diesel worth Rs 24.5 lakh from a tanker transporting the fuel illegally. A case has been registered against eight people, including the tanker owner and driver.
A couple and their young daughter were killed in Wardha district after their moped was struck by a tipper truck on a national highway.
Gurugram Police arrested two alleged sharpshooters linked to the Himanshu Bhau gang after an encounter on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. The suspects, who sustained leg injuries during the exchange of fire, have multiple criminal cases against them, including murder and robbery.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Northeast's first Emergency Landing Facility in Assam, boosting regional defense and disaster response capabilities.
Monsoon rains have unleashed widespread destruction across India, claiming seven lives in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka due to landslides and floods, while heavy downpours have disrupted normal life and triggered red alerts in Maharashtra and other regions.
A 22-year-old man died after his motorcycle was struck by a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus in Beed. The accident occurred near Neknoor on the Ahilyanagar-Ahmedpur highway. Police are investigating the incident.
Three unidentified individuals broke into an elderly man's home in Mullakkara, Thrissur, tying him up and stealing gold ornaments worth Rs 49.5 lakh and Rs 50,000 in cash. The police have launched an investigation, examining CCTV footage and tracking vehicles near the National Highway.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of a stake in AI acceleration cloud provider Neysa Networks by Blackstone-backed private equity funds and other investors, following Neysa's announcement of a USD 1.2 billion capital raise.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled an inter-state drug trafficking syndicate in Nagpur, seizing 522 kg of ganja worth Rs 2.61 crore and arresting two individuals involved in supplying contraband across the Odisha-Central India corridor to Maharashtra.
A couple died in Seoni district, Madhya Pradesh, after a truck overturned onto their motorcycle, allegedly due to potholes on the Seoni-Balaghat road.
Sources reveal that Pakistan's ISI allegedly planned attacks on a Delhi temple, a highway dhaba, and a Haryana military camp through operatives linked to the Shahzad Bhatti module.
An Army jawan was killed in a road accident in the Beed district of Maharashtra when a car collided with his motorcycle. The jawan, identified as Sandipan Bangar, had recently joined the Army.
Uttar Pradesh Police have seized an illegal consignment of 14,520 litres of beer, valued at Rs 61 lakh, being smuggled from Punjab to Bihar. Two individuals from Rajasthan have been arrested in connection with the interstate operation.
A resident of Pathankot, Punjab, has been arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan-based handlers, transmitting live feeds of army and paramilitary movements.
Search operations have been intensified for four people, who remain missing following a flash flood in Keyi Panyor district of Arunachal Pradesh, officials said on Friday.
A committee constituted by the West Bengal government to carry out a special audit of sanctioned plans for high-rise residential and commercial buildings in and around the city will meet on Friday to begin the exercise, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said.
Punjab Police have dismantled an inter-state illegal weapons supply module, arresting two individuals from Uttar Pradesh and recovering a cache of country-made pistols and magazines.
Police in Muzaffarnagar have booked over 20 activists, including the youth wing president of Hindu Raksha Dal, for allegedly vandalising a non-vegetarian roadside eatery. The incident involved beating employees, damaging property, and burning a flex board, with threats related to the upcoming Kawad Yatra.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has called for Indian companies to form joint ventures with US companies to leverage new technologies, while also expressing an ambitious target to make India's automobile industry the world's number one within five years.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced the official end of the war and warned that any Israeli attack on Lebanon would violate an agreement between Iran and the United States. He also stated that negotiations on nuclear issues and sanctions lifting would begin on Saturday, led by Iran's Parliamentary Speaker M B Ghalibaf and US Vice President J D Vance.
A former village head and three of his family members were allegedly murdered and their bodies set on fire inside a car in Rajasthan. Police have detained the ex-sarpanch's first wife and her children in connection with the crime, suspecting a family dispute over the sarpanch's two wives as the motive.
Two individuals died in separate incidents in Ballia district, one involving a collision with a nilgai and the other a road accident with a trailer truck.
Hazare has been on a hunger strike since Wednesday demanding appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs at the Centre and in Maharashtra.
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister's announcement of four 'Namo Cities' aims to decentralise development and decongest Delhi, but experts warn that the initiative may face execution challenges similar to previous urbanisation plans due to inadequate coordination among NCR states.
The Supreme Court of India is considering formulating pan-India guidelines to prevent road accidents on expressways and national highways, following a fatal accident in Rajasthan. The court is focusing on the issue of illegal 'dhabas' and encroachments along highways as potential causes of accidents.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay concluded his first official visit to Delhi, meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss key state issues.
NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule reported that her car was hit by another vehicle on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway due to reckless driving. Sule and her companions are safe, and she has urged motorists to prioritise road safety.
A local BRS leader was found murdered in Suryapet district, Telangana, with his body dismembered and placed in a gunny bag. Police suspect old rivalries as the motive behind the killing.
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district demolished an alleged illegal commercial property belonging to an alleged drug peddler as part of an ongoing crackdown against narcotics trafficking.