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Massive Protests In US, France, England, Germany Against Pahalgam Attack

by | Apr 28, 2025 | top-stories




New Delhi:

The Indian community members across different parts of the world held massive protests against the Pahalgam terror attack on Sunday, seeking justice for 26 people killed last Tuesday. The demonstrations were held in Canada, Denmark, England, France, Finland, Germany, Spain and the US.

They held placards with slogans in support of India, chanted anti-Pakistan slogans, and waved Indian flags, seeking justice for the victims.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have increased after the role of a terror group linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba emerged in the Pahalgam terror attack. It was one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in the region in recent years.

One of the protestors held a placard that read, “India, we stand with you”. 

“Pakistan has executed many attacks previously as well, we have seen Pulwama, 26/11 (Mumbai) and now the Pahalgam terror attack. We don’t represent a religion or a political party. We just want to send out a message to Pakistan,” a protester in Paris told the news agency ANI.

“We are here to show our support and solidarity to the families of the people who died in the terror attack… We hope the Indian government gives a reply to Pakistan in a language they understand,” a member of the Indian community, who joined the demonstrations in London, said.

A woman, who was part of the protests in Washington, said she was there as she has also “suffered”, referring to the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir Valley in the early 1990s.

“We were singled out for the faith that we followed. My grandfather was targeted and was shot. He was targeted (in Kashmir) because he was a Hindu as well. April 22 brought back a lot of nightmares. We Kashmiri Hindus are facing the same and reliving the horrific incidents that happened over the decades with us,” she said.

Family members of multiple victims of the attack in Baisaran valley in Pahalgam have said the terrorists went to each of them and asked about their religion. Those who said they were Hindu were shot dead.

India hit Pakistan with a series of strict measures, including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the key Indus Waters Treaty and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post. Pakistan has also suspended all bilateral pacts with India, including the Simla agreement.

Sketches of three terrorists suspected of being involved in the Pahalgam attack have been released.

The three suspects have been identified as Hashim Musa alias Suleman and Ali Bhai alias Talha Bhai, both residents of Pakistan, and Adil Hussain Thoker, a native of Anantnag district.

A reward of Rs 20 lakh has been announced for credible information leading to their arrest.






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“Is It True That Your Wife…”: Himanta Sarma vs Congress MP Turns Personal

by | Apr 27, 2025 | top-stories




New Delhi:

The heated exchange between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi over the Enforcement Directorate’s raids against illegal coal mining in the Northeastern state has taken a turn for the personal.

While Mr Sarma has alleged that Mr Gogoi’s wife Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi receives salary from a Pakistan-based NGO and that she and their children are not Indian citizens, the Congress MP has hit back, questioning if the Chief Minister was ready for questions about his wife and children.

Earlier, Mr Gogoi said the Enforcement Directorate had “exposed Assam’s illegal coal empire”. “Rs 1.58 Crore cash seized. Fake invoices. 1200 tonnes of illegal coal extracted DAILY in Margherita, Jogighopa, Guwahati. All under the nose of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, who kept denying illegal mining,” he said in a post on X.

“Is this loot possible without the government’s protection? Who is Assam’s real Syndicate Raja? When ED raids & HC summons expose the truth, how long will the CM hide behind denials?” he added.

Mr Sarma said the Congress MP’s remarks had exposed the Opposition party’s stand on the Enforcement Directorate. “On one hand, @RahulGandhi and his camp are relentlessly maligning the ED, calling it a political tool. On the other hand, their own Deputy Leader is busy glorifying the very same agency. This doublespeak reflects the utter confusion and hypocrisy within Congress,” he said.

The Chief Minister’s attack then turned personal. Without naming Mr Gogoi, he posted questions for him. “Did you visit Pakistan for a continuous period of 15 days? If so, could you kindly clarify the purpose of your visit? Is it true that your wife continues to receive a salary from a Pakistan-based NGO while residing and working in India? If so, may we ask why a Pakistan-based organization is paying a salary for activities conducted in India? What is the citizenship status of your wife and your two children? Are they Indian citizens, or do they hold the citizenship of any other country? Many more questions will follow,” he said.

The Congress MP from Jorhat responded with a list of questions. “Will you resign if you fail to prove your allegations of me and my wife being agents of an enemy country? Will you take questions on your own children and wife? Will the state police arrest those linked to coal mafia who make are ravaging the hills of Assam and making crores of undeclared money? Waiting for the SIT report to be submitted,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Sarma, once a close aide of Mr Gogoi’s father and former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, had said the state would witness a political storm due to Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi’s alleged Pakistan links. “SIT has found many inputs regarding links of a number of Indian individuals with Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh. The SIT has also found multiple links of Ali Sheikh in India, and more revelations will come up in the next few days,” he said, adding that the SIT has been asked to complete the probe by September.

In his response to the Congress MP, Mr Sarma said, “I would like to clarify that neither I nor my son and daughter have ever visited Pakistan. Furthermore, my wife and our entire family would never even think of accepting any salary or financial support from Pakistan.”

“All members of my family, including my wife, son, and daughter, are Indian citizens. None of my children has ever surrendered or renounced Indian citizenship. Now, it is your turn to answer. In the coming days, sufficient material will be placed in the public domain exposing the connections between the concerned Congress Member of Parliament and Pakistan. Wait for 10th September 2025,” he said.

The Assam Chief Minister also invoked the late Tarun Gogoi and said, “What can be more heartbreaking than late Tarun Gogoi’s grandchildren not being Indian citizens? As our investigation digs deeper, more details are being unravelled.”

Mr Gogoi said none of his questions were answered and added, “Wait for 2026”. Assembly polls in Assam are due next year.

Mr Sarma’s personal attack on Mr Gogoi and his wife, citing his alleged Pakistan links, comes amid nationwide outrage over the Pahalgam terror attack that left 25 tourists and a Kashmiri dead. Assam police has launched a crackdown against those making controversial remarks on the terror strike, with Mr Sarma stressing that “Assam will not tolerate any individual who, directly or indirectly, supports or defends Pakistan in connection with the heinous attack in Pahalgam”. 






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“We Never Harm Our Neighbours, But…”: Mohan Bhagwat After J&K Attack

by | Apr 26, 2025 | top-stories




New Delhi:

In a veiled message after the Pahalgam terror attacks in which 26 people were killed, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said non-violence is India’s religion and a key part of its values, but so is teaching a lesson to “oppressors and hooligans”. 

Speaking at an event to mark the release of the book ‘The Hindu Manifesto’ in New Delhi on Saturday, Mr Bhagwat also gave the example of Ravan and said he was killed not to harm him but for his own good. 

“We never harm or disrespect our neighbours but if someone is bent on being evil, what is the cure? The king’s duty is to protect the people and he will do his duty. The Gita teaches non-violence, but the teaching is to ensure that Arjun fights and kills… because he was confronted with people whose development could only be done this way,” Mr Bhagwat said in Hindi. 

“Non-violence is our nature, a key value,” Mr Bhagwat said, asserting, “our non-violence is to change people and make them non-violent too. Some people will change, seeing our example, but others will not… they won’t change no matter what you do and cause disorder in the world. So what will you do?”

The RSS chief then cited the example of Ravan and said he was a devotee of Lord Shiva who had knowledge of the Vedas and knew how to govern very well. 

“He (Ravan) had all the qualities required to be a good person. But the body and intelligence he accepted did not allow the good qualities in. So, if he wanted to be good, the only option was to end that body and intelligence. So, God killed him. That killing is not violence, it’s still non-violence,” Mr Bhagwat said.  

Degrees Of Punishment

“Non-violence is our religion, but not getting beaten by oppressors and teaching hooligans a lesson is also our religion. In Western thought, these two things can’t go together because the thought that you should assess whether your enemy is good or not does not exist… We see it, though, and punish some a little, others a lot and still others none at all to reform them. But those that cannot be reformed are sent, for their own good. to places where they need to be sent to get basic material,” he added.

Speaking at an event in Mumbai on Friday, the RSS chief had also said that the current fight is between ‘dharma’ (righteousness) and ‘adharma’ (unrighteousness), rather than just a conflict between sects and religions. 

Referring to the Pahalgam attack, he said, “The fanatics who killed people by asking about their religion, Hindus would never do this. That is why the country should be strong,” he had said.





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Prince Andrew, Epstein Accuser Virginia Giuffre Dies By Suicide: Report

by | Apr 26, 2025 | top-stories




Sydney:

Virginia Giuffre, who accused disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein and Britain’s Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, has taken her own life at her home in Australia, her family said Saturday. Giuffre, a US and Australian citizen, was 41.

“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” the family said in a statement provided to AFP by her agent.

“She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.”

She had accused Epstein of using her as a sex slave, and said she had sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17 — a minor under US law — after meeting him through the American billionaire.

In 2019, Epstein took his own life in a New York City jail cell, while awaiting his own trial for sex crimes.

Prince Andrew repeatedly denied her allegation of sexual assault and avoided trial by paying a multimillion-dollar settlement. As part of the deal, he reportedly gave money to a charity for sex-trafficking victims.

“There are no words that can express the grave loss we feel today with the passing of our sweet Virginia,” Giuffre’s family said, remembering her “incredible courage and loving spirit”.

“In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight. We know that she is with the angels.”

Giuffre left three children, Christian, Noah, and Emily, who were “the light of her life”, her family said.

Last month, she was hospitalised after a car she was in crashed with a school bus in a rural area north of the Western Australian capital Perth.

Giuffre initially posted a picture to social media from her hospital bed of her bruised face, saying she only had four days to live.

Her agent later said Giuffre had not realised the post had been published to the public.

Western Australia police said at the time it was a “minor crash” between a school bus carrying 29 children and another vehicle.

Giuffre’s lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, said Giuffre had been a “dear friend” and a champion for other victims.

“Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring.”

New York-based agent Dini von Mueffling described her client as “one of the most extraordinary human beings”.

“Deeply loving, wise, and funny, she was a beacon to other survivors and victims,” she said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)





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Indian Airlines Brace For Higher Costs, Detours After Ban From Pakistan Airspace

by | Apr 25, 2025 | top-stories




New Delhi:

Top Indian airlines Air India and IndiGo are bracing for higher fuel costs and longer journey times as they reroute international flights after Pakistan shut its airspace to them amid escalating tensions over a deadly militant attack in Kashmir.

India has said there were Pakistani elements in Tuesday’s attack in which gunmen shot and killed 26 men in a meadow in the Pahalgam area of Indian Kashmir. Pakistan has denied any involvement.

The nuclear-armed arch rivals have unleashed a raft of measures against each other in response, with India keeping a critical river water-sharing treaty in abeyance and Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian airlines.

International airlines are not affected by the ban.

The impact of the airspace closure was visible starting late on Thursday, as Air India and IndiGo began to reroute flights to New York, Azerbaijan and Dubai – all of which typically use Pakistan airpsace, according to data from tracking website Flightradar24.

The worst impacted airport will be New Delhi, one of the world’s busiest, from where flights cross Pakistani airspace to fly to destinations in the West and the Middle East. Data from Cirium Ascend showed IndiGo, Air India and its budget unit Air India Express have roughly 1,200 flights combined from New Delhi scheduled for Europe, the Middle East and North America in April.

Air India’s flights to the Middle East from New Delhi will now be forced to fly roughly an hour extra, which means higher fuel costs and less cargo to accommodate the extra fuel, said an Indian aviation industry executive, who declined to be identified.

IndiGo said on Friday “a few” of its flights will be impacted, while Air India said on X that some “flights to or from North America, UK, Europe, and Middle East will take an alternative extended route.”

“Air India is currently the most affected with the largest long- and ultra-long haul network out of Delhi,” said Ajay Awtaney, founder of aviation-focused website LiveFromALounge.

The airspace closure is the latest headache for the Indian airline industry, with expansion plans already complicated by jet delivery delays from Boeing and Airbus. Aircraft fuel and oil costs usually make up for about 30% of an airline’s operating costs, by far the biggest component.

One Indian airline pilot told Reuters the move will disrupt schedules, but also force airlines to redo their calculations of flying hours in relation to regulations, and adjust their crew and pilot rosters accordingly.

Another executive at an Indian airline said the carrier was scrambling to assess the impact with some employees working late into the night on Thursday.

Both spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to brief media.

IndiGo flight 6E1803 from New Delhi to Baku on Thursday took 5 hours and 43 minutes via a longer route that involved going southwest to India’s Gujarat state and then over the Arabian Sea, before swinging back north over Iran to Azerbaijan, FlightAware data showed. The same flight, through Pakistan airspace, took 5 hours 5 minutes on Wednesday.

Pakistan has said the ban will be in place until May 23.

In 2019, India’s government said that the closure of Pakistan airspace for about five months during tensions between the neighbours at that time caused a loss of at least $64 million to Air India, IndiGo and other airlines.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)




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India's 7 Big Steps Against Pak After Pahalgam Terror Attack

by | Apr 24, 2025 | top-stories



New Delhi:

India has taken seven steps against Pakistan following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26. The government yesterday announced five steps after discussing cross-border linkages of the attack, and two more actions today.

Steps that India took against Pakistan over terror attack

  1. India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 with immediate effect. The government said it will remain suspended unless Pakistan credibly and irrevocably stops support for cross-border terrorism.
  2. The integrated check post Attari was closed on Wednesday. People who crossed over with endorsements are allowed to return through that route before May 1.

  3. The government no longer allowed Pakistani nationals to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas. SVES visas issued earlier to Pakistani nationals were cancelled. And all Pakistanis holding SVES visas were told to leave India in 48 hours.
  4. The defence/military, naval and air advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were declared persona non grata, and given a week to leave the country. India also announced it would withdraw its defence staff from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
  5. India said it would bring down the overall strength of the High Commissions to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be done by May 1.
  6. The government today suspended visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect. It told all Pakistani nationals to leave India by April 27. However, those who hold medical visas can stay only till April 29.
  7. The Border Security Force (BSF) took a calibrated decision to scale down the ceremonial display during the Retreat Ceremony at Attari, Hussainiwala, and Sadki in Punjab. The key changes include suspension of the symbolic handshake of the Indian Guard Commander with the counterpart Guard Commander. The gates will remain closed during the ceremony. This step reflects India’s serious concern over cross-border hostilities and reaffirms that peace and provocation cannot coexist, the BSF said.



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