Month: July 2025

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand seeking their responses to a plea challenging the mandate that requires shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display QR codes, which could be scanned to reveal the names of the owners.

The UP government had issued an order earlier this year, mandating eateries to display QR codes containing information on the shop owners. Subsequently, the Uttarakhand government also followed with a similar order.

The mandate, now being challenged in the Supreme Court, is alleged to be violative of the fundamental rights of citizens.

The plea further states that the direction requiring vendors to display their names and identities will lead to discriminatory profiling. It also notes that a similar mandate issued by the UP government last year was stayed by the Supreme Court.

Thus, the plea seeks the respondent government to explain how the said mandate does not violate the constitutional rights of citizens and the interim stay order issued by the Supreme Court last year.

The plea also suggests that such a mandate should be limited to standard licensing requirements, and vague directives requiring the display of names should be eliminated. After hearing submissions, the Court posted the matter to be heard next week.

Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand, Haridwar Police arrested two Kanwariyas on July 14 after a group of Kanwariyas vandalised a shop following an altercation with the shopkeeper, a police official said.

Superintendent of Police (SP) City, Pankaj Gairola, told ANI, “After an altercation between the Kanwariyas and the shopkeeper late last night, a group of Kanwariyas vandalised a shop near Shiv Ashray Grih Guest House in Haridwar.”

He added that two Kanwariyas were arrested after the incident, and a search is going on for the accused who have absconded. (ANI)

It’s official! Get ready to witness a mega reunion of actors Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar after 17 years. Yes, you read it right.

The actors, who have previously worked together on films such as ‘Main Khiladi Tu Anari’, ‘Yeh Dillagi’, and ‘Aarzoo’, will be seen sharing the screen space in Priyadarshan’s ‘Haiwaan’.

On Tuesday, filmmaker Priyadarshan took to Instagram and shared a candid picture of Akshay and Saif from the Lord’s Cricket Ground.

In the caption, he expressed excitement to collaborate with Akshay and Saif for ‘Haiwaan’.

“Haiwaan, my next film with @akshaykumar and Saif Ali Khan at Lords,” Priyadarshan captioned the post.

This update left fans extremely excited.

Reacting to the announcement, a social media user wrote, “another blockbuster in the making!”

“Main Khiladi Tu Haiwaan,” another user quipped.

The shooting for ‘Haiwaan’ is expected to commence in August, and the makers are eyeing a grand release in 2026.Saif and Akshay were last seen together in Vijay Krishna Acharya’s directorial ‘Tashan’, which came out in 2008.

It also starred Saif’s wife and actor Kareena Kapoor Khan in a pivotal role.

In the coming months, Akshay will also be seen in Priyadarshan’s ‘Bhooth Bangla’. Bhooth Bangla is produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ektaa R Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms, along with Akshay Kumar’s production house, Cape of Good Films. The film is slated for a theatrical release on April 2, 2026. (ANI)

Actor Aasif Khan, best known for his roles in ‘Panchayat’ and ‘Mirzapur’, is currently dealing with some health issues that required hospitalisation.

On Tuesday, Aasif took to Instagram to share his health update, stating that he is on the road to recovery. However, he did not mention what happened to him. Several media reports claimed that he suffered a heart attack.

In one of his Instagram Stories, Aasif shared a picture from what seemed to be the hospital room, and wrote in the caption, “Realising after watching this for past 36 hours. Life is short, don’t take one day for granted. Everything can change in a moment. Be grateful for all you have and all that you are. Remember who is more important to you and always cherish them. Life is a gift and we are blessed.”

In his next post, he thanked his well-wishers for checking on him.

“Over the past few hours, I’ve been dealing with some health issues that required hospitalisation. I’m grateful to share that I’m now on the road to recovery and feeling much better. I truly appreciate all the love, concern, and well-wishes. Your support means the world to me. I’ll be back very soon. Until then, thank you for keeping me in your thoughts,” he posted.

Aasif’s last theatrical release was Sidhaant Sachdev’s horror comedy film ‘The Bhootnii’. (ANI)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, was on Tuesday granted bail by a MP-MLA court in Lucknow in connection with a defamation case over his alleged remarks related to the Indian Army personnel, made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2022.

“Rahul Gandhi appeared before the MP-MLA court in Lucknow today. We moved a bail application, which was accepted by the court on the condition of submitting two sureties of Rs 20,000 each,” Mohd Yasir Abbasi, a counsel for Rahul Gandhi, told ANI.

Asked about Gandhi’s absence in previous hearings, the lawyer said they had submitted a proper justification before the court, citing Rahul Gandhi’s responsibilities as the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

“The court accepted our explanation, which is why no warrant was issued against him at any stage and he appeared before the court on the issuance of summons,” he added.

The defamation case pertains to remarks allegedly made by Rahul Gandhi during the 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The complainant alleged that these remarks insulted Indian Army soldiers. The petitioner argued that the comment was defamatory and had the potential to lower the morale of armed forces personnel.

Taking cognisance of the complaint, the court had summoned Gandhi as an accused in the case.

The matter has now been posted for next hearing on August 13, 2025. (ANI)

Delhi Police have filed a supplementary chargesheet against two additional accused in an MCOCA case, in which former AAP leader Naresh Balyan is also named as an accused, before the Rouse Avenue Court.

This case pertains to an FIR against Gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu and his organised crime syndicate. Nandu is stated to be absconding and residing in the United Kingdom.

Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh took the supplementary charge sheet filed against Vikas Gehlot and his wife, Veenita.

This third supplementary charge sheet was filed on Monday.

The court has already taken cognisance of the main offence under sections 3 and 4 of the MCOC Act on 24th February 2025.

Delhi police have invoked Section 25 of the Arms Act against the accused Veenita.

It is claimed by the police that at the instructions of his husband, Vikas Gehlot, Veenita transported the firearm and ammunition from the house of Vikas to the house of a relative.

It was done on April 17, 2025. Meanwhile, on the same date, the arms and ammunition were recovered from the house of their relative. A seizure memo has also been prepared to that effect.

The Ballistic Expert’s opinion is also on record. Sanction U/s 39 of the Arms Act, 1959 has also been obtained, the court noted.

Veenita has been charged with sheeting without arrest.

The court, after taking cognisance of the offence U/s 25 of the Arms Act, 1959, has issued summons to Veenita. “Summons qua her be issued to be served through the Investigative Officer (IO) and the summons be handed over to the Investigative Officer today itself for service,” Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh ordered on July 15.

The Superintendent of Mandoli Jail has filed a reply on the plea of Naresh Balyan seeking permission for a telephonic conversation with family.

The Tihar Jail Authorities had filed a report regarding three other accused.

The court has directed the filing of a report regarding the other three accused, who are lodged in judicial custody.

The court has listed the matter for July 22 to hear arguments on Naresh Balyan’s plea.

Balyan has sought permission to have a telephonic conversation/ video call from Mandoli Jail to his family.

The court had called for a report on Balyan’s plea. A detailed report was also called in respect of applications of other accused persons who sought permission to have a telephonic conversation with their families, and what decision has been taken by the jail authorities.

This case is at the stage of arguements on charge. However, it could not be commenced on Saturday due to a change in counsel for some of the accused. The court has granted him time for scrutiny of documents.

Advocate Rajiv Mohan, Rohit Kumar Dalal appeared for Naresh Balyan. It was submitted that Naresh Balyan is ready for arguments on the charge.

Naresh Balyan’s bail petition is pending before the Delhi High Court. His earlier bail plea was rejected on May 27 by the Rouse Avenue court.

He has been in custody since December 4 of last year in the present MCOCA case.

The Delhi police have filed a supplementary charge sheet under Sections 3 and 4 of the MCOCA against Balyan. (ANI)

US President Donald Trump is under “improper pressure” from the European Union and NATO leaders to take a tougher stance on the Ukraine conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday, according to Russian state media outlet RT.

Lavrov’s remarks came during a press conference following a ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tianjin, China. The Russian minister responded to Trump’s recent announcement on future deliveries of advanced weapons systems to Ukraine, which the US president said would be funded by European NATO members. Trump also issued an ultimatum threatening Russia and its trading partners with new economic sanctions unless the conflict is resolved within 50 days.

“Clearly, [Trump] is under enormous – improper, I would say – pressure by the European Union and current NATO leaders,” Lavrov said, as quoted by RT. He claimed the “regime” of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky continues to seek arms from the West “at the mounting expense of Western taxpayers.”

Lavrov also criticised the new wave of sanctions proposed by Trump, stating that they would likely backfire on the West. “Trump clearly explained that Europe will be paying for all of that,” Lavrov said. “European economists and political experts who are objective acknowledge that this sanctions war is damaging the nations who initiated it. We are already dealing with an unprecedented number of sanctions, and I am certain we can handle more,” he added, according to RT.

The Russian foreign minister emphasised Moscow’s long-standing position that NATO instigated the Ukraine crisis by threatening Russia’s national security. “The West has pursued a containment strategy against Russia for decades and ignored repeated warnings from Moscow,” Lavrov said, as reported by RT.

He also noted that Russia has faced numerous ultimatums in the past, involving deadlines and demands that infringe on what it considers its core strategic interests in Ukraine. Lavrov downplayed the effectiveness of Western pressure, insisting that Moscow remains firm in its stance.

His remarks came as US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 100 per cent “secondary tariffs” on Russia if a deal on Ukraine is not reached within 50 days.

During his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the White House on Monday (local time), Trump expressed disappointment with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin and threatened to impose severe tariffs if there is no deal within 50 days.

He said, “We are very unhappy, I am with Russia. But, we will discuss that maybe a different day. But, we’re very, very unhappy with them, and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days. Tariffs at about 100 per cent. You’d call them secondary tariffs. You know what that means. But today, we’re going to talk about something else. And as you know, we’ve spent USD 350 billion, approximately, on this war with Russia and Ukraine and would like to see it end. It wasn’t my war. It was Biden’s war. It’s not my war.”

“I’m trying to get you out of it. And we want to see it end and I’m disappointed in President Putin because I thought we would have had a deal two months ago, but it doesn’t seem to get there. So, based on that, we’re going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days. It’s very simple and they’ll be at 100 per cent and that’s the way it is. It can be more simple. It’s just the way it is. I hope we don’t have to do it. But regardless, we are going to be, we make the greatest military equipment in the world, whether it’s missiles,” he added.

Trump also unveiled a deal under which NATO will buy arms from the US and then distribute them to Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia.

He said, “The only one we haven’t been able to get to yet is Russia, and I’m not happy. And I will tell you that Ukraine wants to do something again. It’s a war that should have never started. If I were president, it never would have happened. I used to speak to President Putin about it a lot. It was the apple of his eye. But once I saw what was going on, I said, they’re going to they’re going to have a war here. I was outside. Lecture was rigged and I was outside looking in and I said, you know, that thing’s going to be a war. Couldn’t believe it because what Biden said was the exact opposite of what should have been said and it started and it’s a real mess. We’re losing I guess they’re losing five or six thousand people a day. It’s actually now more.”

“I used to was saying 5,000 a day. It’s actually more now, mostly soldiers but a lot of people in cities and towns that are getting blown up to it’s a horrible war and it should be stopped. And so if it’s not done, if we don’t have an agreement in 50 days, that’s what we’re doing secondary tariffs and they’re biting and I hope we don’t get to the point where we do, but I I’ve been hearing so much talk. It’s all talk. It’s all talk and then missiles go into Kyiv and kill 60 people. It’s got to stop. But, the purpose of this is to say that this is a very big deal we’ve made. This is billions of dollars worth of military equipment is going to be purchased from the United States going to NATO etc. And that’s going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield, Ukraine will take it up,” he added. (ANI)

The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) has issued a statement cautioning against hasty conclusions based on the preliminary report into the Air India 171 incident.

The federation emphasised that preliminary reports are meant to disseminate factual data obtained during the early stages of an investigation and do not provide definitive answers.

IFALPA highlighted that the preliminary report is not conclusive and should not be used for speculation or drawing premature conclusions.

The federation noted that the report clearly states that no safety recommendations are being provided at this stage, and the investigation is ongoing.

An official statement by IFALPA said on Monday, “IFALPA again cautions against hasty conclusions published by the media and social media based on this report. As a reminder, a Preliminary Report is merely the means of communication used for the prompt dissemination of data obtained during the early stages of the investigation and only contains factual information and an indication of the progress of the investigation. In accordance with the provisions of ICAO Annex 13, such Reports are published within thirty days of the occurrence.”

IFALPA is concerned about the potential for media and social media speculation based on the preliminary report, which could be detrimental to the investigation. The federation stressed the importance of a thorough and professional investigation to determine the causes of the accident and ensure aviation safety.

IFALPA expressed its commitment to supporting the efforts of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India in determining the contributing factors of the accident and emphasised the need for professionalism and respect for the victims, including the families of the crew and passengers, while the full investigation is conducted

“Whilst this preliminary Report by its very nature raises many questions, it does not provide answers, and any extrapolation of its content can only be regarded as guesswork, which is not helpful to the good conduct of the investigation. IFALPA also notes that the Report clearly states that no safety recommendations are being provided at this stage. The Federation remains committed to supporting the efforts of the AAIB of India as they work to determine the contributing factors of this accident.”

It said, “The victims, including the families of the crew and passengers of Air India 171, deserve our collective professionalism while the full investigation is conducted.”

The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations represents over 1,48,000 pilots in nearly 100 countries worldwide. It is the global voice of professional pilots, providing representation, services, and support to promote the highest level of aviation safety worldwide.

This comes after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India in July 11, 2025 released the preliminary report into the tragic crash of Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12.

The report pinpointed the critical event as both fuel cutoff switches for the GE GEnx-1B engines moving from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” within one second of each other during the initial climb, approximately 30 seconds after reaching a maximum airspeed of 180 knots IAS. This cut off fuel to both engines, causing a catastrophic loss of thrust.

The report found no evidence of mechanical failure, design flaws, or bird strikes. Fuel samples from the refueling tanks were satisfactory, ruling out contamination.

The AI 171 crash of the Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad, Gujarat killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground. (ANI)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his team for successfully completing the historic Axiom Mission 4 and returning safely to Earth.

Welcome back to Earth!

ऐतिहासिक #AxiomMission4 को सकुशल संपन्न कर सफल वापसी पर ग्रुप कैप्टन शुभांशु शुक्ला जी व उनकी टीम को हार्दिक बधाई!

आपकी उपलब्धि साहस, समर्पण और विज्ञान के प्रति संकल्प का गौरवपूर्ण प्रतीक है। आज हर भारतीय, विशेषकर उत्तर प्रदेश वासी गौरवान्वित है।

भारत… pic.twitter.com/rlHYWSXKZh

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) July 15, 2025

In an X post, the Chief Minister hailed the achievement as a proud moment for India, particularly for Uttar Pradesh, highlighting the team’s courage and dedication to scientific advancement.

“Welcome back to Earth. Heartfelt congratulations to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his team for successfully completing the historic #AxiomMission4 and returning safely. Your achievement is a proud symbol of courage, dedication, and commitment to science. Today, every Indian, especially those from Uttar Pradesh, feels proud. India is eager to welcome you,” CM Yogi Adityanath posted on X.

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft ‘Grace’ successfully landed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Tuesday, marking the safe return of the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) crew, including pilot Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS).

The splashdown, confirmed by SpaceX, concludes a nearly 19-day mission aboard the ISS, fulfilling a significant milestone in Indo-US space cooperation.

“Splashdown of Dragon confirmed welcome back to Earth, @AstroPeggy, Shux, @astro_slawosz, and Tibi!” SpaceX said in a post on X.

Earlier, SpaceX stated that it was set for a splashdown on Earth off the coast of California, as the nosecone of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft ‘Grace’ has been closed and secured for reentry.

SpaceX made the announcement of the mission in a post on X, as the mission marks the final stages of the crew’s return from the International Space Station (ISS) after almost 20 days in space.

The re-entry was done following the completion of the deorbit burn and the jettisoning of the trunk, as confirmed by SpaceX.

“Dragon’s nosecone is closed and secured for reentry. Splashdown in ~26 minutes,” SpaceX stated in a post on X.

“Dragon’s deorbit burn is complete and the trunk has been jettisoned,” stated another post.

The crew returned to Earth in approximately 22.5 hours from the ISS. Earlier, on Monday, the Ax-4 successfully undocked and was making its way back to Earth, as observed by Axiom Space and NASA.

In an informative blog about mission updates, NASA announced that the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked at 7:15 a.m. EDT (4:45 p.m. IST) from the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module, completing the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4.

Axiom Space, in its live session on X, noted that the Axiom-4 mission saw over 60 scientific studies and more than 20 outreach events.

The Ax-4 crew, comprising Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Slawosz “Suave” Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) astronaut Tibor Kapu, had been actively engaged in research and outreach activities aboard the ISS as part of the mission during the past 18 days. (ANI)

Actor Richa Chadha has spoken out strongly against the shocking murder of 25-year-old tennis player Radhika Yadav, who was allegedly shot dead by her father, Deepak Yadav, in Gurugram on July 10.

Taking to her X account, the actor condemned not only the crime but also those who try to justify such violence. Chadha was responding to a video shared by Radhika’s friend, Himanshikha Singh Rajput, who revealed how Radhika had faced judgment for wearing shorts, talking to men, and living independently.

She wrote, “There is no honor in killing your own child. If a few wagging tongues spoke badly of him earlier, now the whole world will remember Deepak Yadav as a loser, forever. Deepak Yadav, you have cemented your place as a LOSER and a COWARD in the annals of history.”

The 25-year-old tennis player was allegedly shot dead by her father over a disagreement regarding her tennis academy in Sector 57, Gurugram, Haryana.

Gurugram Public Relations Officer (PRO) Sandeep Kumar informed that the 25-year-old tennis player, Radhika Yadav, was shot dead by her father, Deepak Yadav, a result of a disagreement over her tennis academy. Speaking to ANI, Kumar said the father, who runs a rental property business, was unhappy with his daughter running the academy, citing their financially prosperous background as a reason for her not to work.”

On July 11, Radhika’s body was cremated in Gurugram after the post-mortem examination. The team of doctors performing the examination confirmed multiple gunshot wounds.

“The post-mortem of the deceased tennis player has been completed. Four bullets were removed from Radhika Yadav’s body,” said Dr. Deepak Mathur, who was part of the medical team.

A Gurugram court sent the father of Radhika Yadav, Deepak Yadav, to 14 days’ judicial custody on Saturday. (ANI)

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday reached the MP-MLA court in Lucknow to appear in a defamation case related to allegedly making a controversial remark against the Indian Army.

UP Congress President Ajay Rai said, “Rahul Gandhi has come to Lucknow today, as he has to remain present before the Court. He will return to Delhi after that…”

Earlier in the day, the LoP in the Lok Sabha called the death of the 20-year-old Balasore student an “organised murder by the BJP’s system,” accusing the BJP of failing to protect the victim.

Gandhi alleged that the student, who set herself on fire after facing sexual harassment, was subjected to repeated threats, torments and humiliation instead of receiving justice.

In a post on X, LoP Gandhi wrote, “The death of a daughter fighting for justice in Odisha is nothing less than a murder by the BJP’s system. That brave student raised her voice against sexual harassment, but instead of delivering justice, she was threatened, tormented, and repeatedly humiliated. Those who were supposed to protect her kept breaking her.”

The LoP accused the BJP government of shielding the accused and called on Prime Minister Modi to break his silence, ensuring safety and justice for the daughters of India.

“As always, the BJP’s system continued to shield the accused and forced an innocent daughter to set herself on fire. This is not suicide; it is an organised murder by the system. Modi ji, whether in Odisha or Manipur, the daughters of the nation are burning, breaking, and dying. And you? You remain silent. The country doesn’t need your silence; it needs answers. India’s daughters need safety and justice,” the post reads.

The Congress workers staged a protest outside AIIMS Bhubaneswar following the death of a student from Balasore who had attempted self-immolation. Police later detained the protesting workers.

On Monday, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar confirmed the death of the 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Odisha’s Balasore, who had attempted self-immolation. (ANI)