This might lead to a further outburst, flooding downstream if left unchecked.
Mountaineer Baljeet Kaur, known for scaling five 8000-metre peaks in a single season, is one of four recipients of the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards for 2024. Other awardees include Skalzang Rigzin for land adventure, Rimo Saha for water adventure, and Shiv Prasad Chamoli for lifetime achievement, recognising their exceptional contributions to adventure sports in India.
Punjab Police have dismantled a cross-border drug smuggling operation, arresting four individuals in Ferozepur and seizing a significant quantity of heroin and cash.
'How will this woman find her? And how does that affect her, because it's not a biological relationship.'
Former Army chief General Manoj Naravane asserted that while India's immediate attention is on Pakistan due to terrorism, China will be New Delhi's primary long-term competitor across political, economic, trade, and military domains, necessitating a strong military deterrence alongside dialogue.
India's Ministry of External Affairs announced that central and state forensic laboratories will provide DNA profiling services for first-degree relatives in India to help identify victims of the recent Nepal flash floods. This initiative supports Nepal's ongoing identification process, with specific guidelines for sample collection and submission of DNA profiles to Nepali authorities.
The FCNR (B) stratagem relies on using public money to defend the rupee. The State subsidises foreign borrowing to attract dollars. This tool requires large-scale borrowing to make a material difference against a gross external flow of $11 billion a day. A commensurately large fiscal cost falls upon the exchequer. The ministry of finance will choose how much it is willing to spend in exchange for this round number, points out Ajay Shah.
A Pakistani national, Avesh Khan, was apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) in Rajasthan's Barmer district after crossing the India-Pakistan border and handed over to the police for questioning.
The West Bengal government will hand over land to the Border Security Force for international boundary fencing and security infrastructure, starting with a 27 km stretch. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said more land would be provided wherever required to strengthen border management in the state.
Massive flash floods in Nepal, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche, have devastated the border town of Timure and other central districts, leaving a rising death toll and hundreds missing. The disaster, described by witnesses as feeling like an earthquake, has claimed entire families and caused widespread destruction to infrastructure. Rescue efforts are underway, with a significant number of missing individuals identified as tourists, including nearly 300 Indian nationals.
RBI Deputy Governor Rohit Jain discussed the future of India's foreign exchange markets, highlighting the increasing role of local currencies in cross-border trade, the impact of technology, and existing challenges. He emphasised the need for market evolution to facilitate India's global engagement, absorb shocks, and serve all users efficiently. Jain also addressed concerns about unauthorised forex trading platforms and the importance of customer awareness.
Former Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan (retd) revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed an 'unthinkable' and 'big lesson' action against Pakistan following the April 2024 Pahalgam terror attack, emphasising India's zero-tolerance policy for cross-border terrorism and the need for irrefutable evidence.
The Gandak river's water level in Bihar is showing a receding trend, bringing relief to low-lying areas after flash floods in Nepal caused a surge. Despite a marginal rise due to late-night rainfall in Nepal, authorities are monitoring the situation closely, with no adverse impact on embankments reported.
Extraordinary accounts of survival are emerging from Nepal's devastating flash floods, including a 97-year-old woman rescued from rubble and individuals who fled collapsing settlements, spending nights stranded in forests before rescue.
'It's a no-brainer that in the next Test in New Zealand, your first choice has to be Devdutt.'
Shimla police arrested a key heroin supplier in Jalalabad, Punjab, close to the India-Pakistan border. The accused, Akashdeep alias Akash, was arrested following an investigation into two Punjab residents caught with heroin in Shimla.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against seven foreign nationals, including a US citizen and six Ukrainians, for illegal entry and alleged terror conspiracy with ethnic armed groups, though the stringent UAPA anti-terror law was not invoked at this stage.
BJP MP Raghav Chadha addressed the 12th IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, highlighting India's digital transformation journey. He emphasised how technology is widening access and promoting inclusion, citing UPI's success, affordable data, and robust data protection laws. Chadha also discussed India's digital cooperation with Uzbekistan and the importance of digital rights, safety, and skill development for all citizens.
The White House has launched a major crackdown on the 'Great Transhipment Scam', accusing India and over 40 other nations of helping Chinese exporters bypass US tariffs by misrepresenting the origin of goods. The US plans to use AI-driven monitoring and anti-transhipment clauses in future trade agreements to strengthen enforcement.
Bangladesh-China and Bangladesh-US relations have evolved from reluctant engagement to increasingly consequential strategic partnerships.
Eleven days after devastating floods triggered by an ice-rock avalanche, Nepal continues to grapple with a rising death toll of 1,344 and nearly 5,000 missing. Authorities face significant challenges in identifying the deceased, with many bodies severely damaged. DNA samples are being collected from relatives to aid identification, while the government mobilises relief and rehabilitation efforts. A fresh flood incident in Gorkha district also caused damage.
Sanjay Sah, a 30-year-old employee, was rescued from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project in Nepal after nine days. He attributed his survival to chanting 'Hare Krishna' and was miraculously rescued on Krishna Janmashtami. Another worker, Kabir Maharjan, was also rescued but required further medical treatment. Sah, a foreman, stayed behind to ensure others' safety during the initial disaster.
In a major bureaucratic rejig, the Central government on Thursday promoted six 1995-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officers holding senior ranks in different Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
A senior cryosphere specialist has warned of a potential secondary flash flood in Nepal due to debris from an ice-rock avalanche accumulating at a river confluence, creating a temporary dam that is collecting water.
Nepal's devastating flash floods have claimed 1,127 lives, with thousands still missing a week after the disaster. Rescuers are intensifying efforts to find survivors and recover bodies across affected regions, while police work to identify victims and relocate families from high-risk areas.
Authorities in Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, have demolished the three-storey house of Naushad, the main accused in a cracker factory blast that killed 13 people, including 11 children. The demolition followed the arrest of Naushad and two women, with police also suspending nine personnel for negligence and seeking other absconding suspects.
'When a glacier collapse or a major flood event does occur, the water will simply reclaim its original path, and anything built in that path will be swept away.'
Mallojula Venugopal Rao, a former Naxal commander known as Bhupathi, has joined Gondwana University's 'Ekal' programme in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. He will work as a coordinator to help tribal villagers secure their legal rights, including those under the PESA and Forest Rights Acts, marking a significant shift from his past as a feared Maoist strategist.
A viral video showing a woman tourist complaining to security personnel at a Ladakh checkpoint has ignited widespread criticism from military veterans. The woman's tirade, allegedly over vehicular movement restrictions, has been condemned as disrespectful to soldiers and ignorant of the region's security sensitivities.
'This is no longer a single-hazard problem; it is a cascading, multi-hazard problem. A landslide never occurs in isolation. This entire chain is the cascading effect of what looks, at first, like a single disaster.'
NPCI International and Uzbekistan's NIPC have partnered to enable UPI payments across Uzbekistan, allowing Indian tourists, business travellers, and students to make instant merchant payments using the UZQR code. This agreement, approved by RBI and CBU, integrates UPI with Uzbekistan's national payment system, HUMO, facilitating direct P2M payments from Indian bank accounts and reducing reliance on foreign exchange or international cards.
Around 600 children are unaccounted for in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts following devastating flash floods, which have raised the death toll to 1,282 with over 4,700 people still missing.
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya's comments recalling the role of non-Bengali communities during the 1946 communal riots and alleging past restrictions on Durga Puja have drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, including the TMC, Congress, and CPI(M). Bhattacharya appealed for unity for peaceful Durga Puja celebrations, while opposition leaders accused him of divisive politics and distorting history.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that an Indian citizen was among 12 people killed in recent Russian aerial bomb and drone strikes on Odesa, Ukraine. Dozens more were injured in the attacks that occurred since Monday evening.
Hundreds of people are desperately searching for missing family members and friends outside hospitals in Nepal, as devastating flash floods have killed at least 270 people and left 826, including 476 foreigners, reported missing.
Journalist Kuldip Nayar's autobiography recounts Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah's despairing remark, "What have I done?", after witnessing the mass displacement during the 1947 Partition. The article also details Nayar's own grim experiences of the communal violence and human tragedy at the time, highlighting the immense upheaval that accompanied the division of the subcontinent, now commemorated as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.
Five people were killed after a massive explosion at a firecracker factory in Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi district on Monday afternoon, officials said.
Rajasthan police busted a cross-border smuggling network in Sri Ganganagar district, arresting two individuals and seizing heroin, opium, and illegal arms.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the SCO summit in Bishkek, called for a united front against terrorism and its financing, rejecting double standards. He emphasised resolving conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, not battlefields. Modi also highlighted that connectivity projects must respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, a veiled reference to China's Belt and Road Initiative. India's vision for SCO rests on security, connectivity, and opportunity.
Veteran Congress leader Karan Singh has called for the establishment of a Himalayan authority involving all Himalayan nations, including India, Pakistan, and Nepal, to protect the fragile mountain range from destruction. He also criticised the four-laning of highways in Uttarakhand's Char Dham region, deeming it "reprehensible" due to its environmental impact. His appeal comes as Nepal grapples with devastating flash floods, highlighting the region's vulnerability.
