Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a high-level meet at his Delhi residence – to review the ongoing fallout of last week’s Pahalgam terror attack and the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and NSA.
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The head of Israel’s domestic intelligence service, Ronen Bar, will step down on 15 June.
The head of Israel’s domestic intelligence service, Ronen Bar, has announced his resignation and will step down on June 15, Israeli media reported late on Monday, six weeks after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to oust the security chief.
The Shin Bet, which handles counter-terrorism investigations, has been at the centre of a growing political battle pitting Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government against an array of critics ranging from members of the security establishment to families of hostages in Gaza.
Netanyahu said on March 16 that he had long ago lost confidence in Bar and that trust in the head of the domestic security service, whose roles include counter-terrorism and security for government officials, was especially crucial at a time of war.
The Supreme Court later temporarily froze the government’s bid to sack Bar, who claimed that Netanyahu wanted to fire him after he refused to fulfill requests that included spying on Israeli protesters and disrupting the leader’s corruption trial.
Netanyahu, in response to the accusations, accused Bar of lying.
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.
#WATCH | Paris, France: Members of the Indian diaspora stage a protest against the #PahalgamTerroristAttack, in front of the Eiffel Tower. pic.twitter.com/nX2rq9gUmV
— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2025
“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.
#WATCH | United Kingdom: Members of the Indian diaspora counter the Pakistani protest outside the Indian High Commission in London. #PahalgamTerroristAttack pic.twitter.com/woLKqFhE0E
— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2025
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.
#WATCH | Washington DC, US: Members of the Indian diaspora hold a peaceful demonstration in memory of #PahalgamTerroristAttack victims. pic.twitter.com/xamn4WH0EO
— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2025
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.
— Anantnag Police( اننت ناگ پولیس) (@AnantnagPolice) April 24, 2025
A reward of Rs 20 lakh has been announced for credible information leading to their arrest.
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.
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Questions for the Hon’ble Member of Parliament from the Congress Party:
1.Did you visit Pakistan for a continuous period of 15 days? If so, could you kindly clarify the purpose of your visit?https://t.co/a83u47Zq6L it true that your wife continues to receive a salary from a…— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 27, 2025
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.
Questions for the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam
1) Will you resign if you fail to prove your allegations of me and my wife being agents of an enemy country ?
2) Will you take questions on your own children and wife ?
3) Will the state police arrest those linked to coal mafia… https://t.co/KEhs4h9M1R
— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) April 27, 2025
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.
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,… https://t.co/7seOlw2WaZ— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 27, 2025
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”.
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.
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.)
