Day: April 22, 2025

Another person from Karnataka was killed in Pahalgam terror attack on Tuesday, taking the toll from the state to two.

The storm that was brewing over the targeting of migrant students in the United States has taken a sharp upswing. More than 100 universities and colleges, including the elite Ivy League institutions, have come together to take on the US government.

LIVE | US State Dept Makes Bombshell Reveal On Iran, Ukraine, Signal Chat Leak, Trump,Rubio, Hegseth

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Rep. Al Green delivers a blistering condemnation of President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy, branding it the "Art of the Steal" in a fiery House floor speech. Accusing Trump of economic deception and reckless policy, Green called for impeachment, citing abuse of power and a betrayal of public trust. The remarks reignite debates over the economic fallout of Trump’s aggressive trade moves and deepen partisan divides in Congress.

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A difference of 20 minutes. That’s what saved them, says the family from Maharashtra who survived the terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, the worst attack on civilians in years.

“My Ferrari burned to ashes an hour after delivery. I bet I’m the only one in all of Japan to experience this kind of trouble,” Honkon posted on X.

Kashmir terror attack live updates: At least 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed in a terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday, sources said, in what is the deadliest attack in the Valley since 2019.

The attack on Tuesday that killed 26 people in Pahalgam is the biggest one targeting tourists this year, and comes amid the government’s resolve to end terrorism in the Union Territory. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, ahead of leaving for Srinagar th

At least two persons from Pune have suffered gunshot injuries in a terrorist attack in Kashmir, with NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule requesting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to provide immediate medical aid and support.

US Vice President JD Vance extends condolences after J&K terror attack, says “thoughts and prayers” are with people of India.

Gold prices have crossed Rs 1 lakh for 10 grams in India as the yellow metal witnesses a record rally driven by uncertainties in global markets.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim bail to the mother of the teenage accused in the Pune Porsche crash case, which resulted in the death of two software engineers after a speeding car collided with their motorbike.

Images and videos of Pope Francis in his open coffin were made public by the Vatican on Tuesday. The photos were taken in the chapel of Francis’s home in the Vatican, Casa Santa Marta, where he died on Monday. The images showed Pope Francis holding a rosary in his hand while wearing a scarlet robe and the papal mitre on his head.

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Margo Martin, a key aide of US President Donald Trump, shared a picture with her boss from the White House’s Oval Office on Tuesday, praising him as the “world’s greatest boss.”
“‘Margo you’re always behind the camera! Let’s get a photo. World’s greatest boss,” Martin captioned the photo on X.
Martin stood next to a map which showed “Gulf of America.” In February, days after returning to the White House, Trump had issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”
Who is Margo Martin?
The 28-year-old, a special assistant and communications advisor of Trump, grew up in Oklahoma, according to New York Post. As per the website, she “stayed by his side,” even as several other press officers left through the course of the Republican leader’s “many scandals.”
Martin is also among the few staffers who stayed on despite Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election, which he contested as the sitting president. In April 2024, she was one of the few individuals among the then former commander-in-chief’s inner circle, to accompany him to a Manhattan criminal court for the commencement of the first criminal trial against him – the hush-money case.
Martin had a previous White House stint as well, when she served as Trump’s press assistant during his first presidential term. Ahead of the campaign season for the 2024 presidential election, she was the deputy director of communications for his Save America political action committee.

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“Ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” President Trump quipped this Easter Monday, defending his embattled Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. But behind the bravado and bunny suits on the White House lawn, top officials are privately doing just that — asking if Hegseth’s tenure, marred by leaks, insubordination, and now a national security scandal, is becoming untenable.
According to a senior US official not authorised to speak on the record, the White House has quietly begun the search for a replacement. The catalyst? A second revelation that Hegseth shared sensitive, minute-by-minute details of airstrikes in Yemen — not just with aides, but in a private Signal group that included his wife, brother, and lawyer.
If the first leak was a lapse, the second looks like a pattern. And patterns — especially those that risk lives — are rarely tolerated long in Washington, even in a Trump-led administration where loyalty often trumps protocol.
The SignalGate Scandal
The SignalGate saga began with a bombshell: Hegseth had inadvertently looped a journalist into a private Signal chat with top White House officials just hours before a coordinated airstrike on Houthi targets. That alone triggered alarm bells across the Pentagon, as adversaries like Iran and the Houthis have demonstrated a growing capability to intercept communications and retaliate — already having shot down two American drones this year.
Now, the existence of a second, even more cavalier chat thread — this time with family — has sparked internal panic. According to officials, the chats included real-time strike updates, precise targeting information, and assessments before missions had even launched.
“This isn’t just bad judgement. It’s operational malpractice,” said Rep. Jim Himes, a senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

Trump’s Dilemma: Loyalty vs Liability

Publicly, Trump has stood by Hegseth — calling him a “great patriot” and dismissing the uproar as “media hysteria.” But behind closed doors, aides are reportedly weighing how long the president can afford to defend a man increasingly viewed as a national security risk.
For Trump, the decision is politically fraught. Hegseth is a loyalist, a fellow Fox News alumnus, and a face of the Trump-era military ethos: brash, anti-bureaucratic, and deeply ideological. But even in Trumpworld, loyalty has limits — especially when headlines shift from “tough on terror” to “reckless with secrets.”
One former official described the West Wing mood as “tense and tired” — a recognition that keeping Hegseth may be more costly than letting him go.

Pentagon in Disarray

Adding to the drama is the exodus of senior staff. Four top Pentagon advisers either resigned or were forcibly removed in the past week. Former spokesperson John Ullyot, once a Hegseth ally, now paints a dire picture of dysfunction, calling it a “full-blown meltdown.”
The purge has fueled speculation that Hegseth is not just leaking — he’s losing control.
Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick, two of the aides escorted out, were close allies of Hegseth from his Concerned Veterans for America days. In a defiant joint statement, they accused the Pentagon of political scapegoating, saying they still hadn’t been told what they supposedly leaked.
“All three of us served honorably in Iraq and Afghanistan,” they wrote. “We know what operational security means.”
Their defence — and their sudden dismissal — adds another layer of intrigue. Is Hegseth cleaning house to protect himself? Or is the house simply collapsing?

An Unforced Error

To many defence experts, Hegseth’s appointment was always a gamble. A former weekend TV host and Iraq War veteran with no prior experience managing large institutions, he was an odd choice to run the Pentagon — a behemoth of 3 million personnel and a $900 billion budget.
That oddity is now a liability.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, bluntly called for accountability — not just from Hegseth, but from Trump.
“This is what happens when a complex, consequential job is given to someone with a resume built on primetime rants and MAGA bromides,” she said.
The Endgame
Whether Hegseth survives this scandal may ultimately depend less on the Pentagon than on politics. Trump, facing rising global tensions and seeking re-election, may decide that the symbolism of strength matters more than the substance of discipline.
But make no mistake — the knives are out.
And if history is any guide, Trump doesn’t fire his loyalists until the threat becomes existential. Hegseth may still have a few weeks of borrowed time. But in Washington, as with warfare, leaks have a way of sinking even the most loyal ships.

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The death of Pope Francis last week has triggered solemn mourning in cathedrals—and speculative murmurs in corners of the internet where history, anxiety, and memes collide. A pattern, they say, is emerging: Pope Pius X died in 1914, just as World War I began. Pope Pius XI died in 1939, on the eve of World War II. Now, as the world simmers with conflicts from Ukraine to Gaza, and with tensions rising in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, Pope Francis has passed. The timing, to some, feels… ominous.
But here’s the thing: timing is not causality. The idea that papal deaths somehow signal or foreshadow world wars is compelling as a narrative—especially in a social media age where historical trivia morphs easily into eschatological prophecy. But it falls into a classic logical trap: post hoc ergo propter hoc—after this, therefore because of this.
It’s the same fallacy that leads people to think carrying a rabbit’s foot prevents bad luck, or that a stock market crash is inevitable every time a comet appears. In truth, correlation does not imply causation. Popes do not cause wars, nor do their deaths catalyse international conflict. History is messy, multicausal, and rarely as narratively tidy as a meme might suggest.
The Pius X – World War I Theory
On social media platforms like Reddit and X (formerly Twitter), a particularly viral claim draws a dotted line between the death of Pope Pius X and the start of World War I. Pius X died on 20 August 1914, barely three weeks after Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Online historians note that he had been gravely ill but reportedly heartbroken by the news of war engulfing Europe—a narrative that adds a touch of spiritual gravitas to a bloody, imperialist brawl. But the implication that his death somehow unlocked the gates of global war is a leap of logic, not fact. The war was already underway; the Pope died with it—not before it.
The Pius XI – World War II Theory
Similarly, Pope Pius XI’s death in February 1939—mere months before Hitler invaded Poland—is often held up as another prophetic papal exit. His successor, Pius XII, would become the wartime Pope, navigating the Vatican through neutrality, moral ambiguity, and post-war reckoning. But again, this connection is exaggerated. The world was already on the brink. Hitler had annexed Austria, occupied the Sudetenland, and torn up treaties like confetti at a fascist wedding. The Pope’s death didn’t cause the war; it merely coincided with a crescendo of fascist momentum that had been building for years.
Why the Pattern Feels Real
Still, we’re not entirely irrational to search for patterns. Humans are pattern-seeking creatures, especially in moments of uncertainty. The deaths of Pius X and Pius XI did coincide with inflection points in world history—not because the papacy drives global violence, but because the papacy, like everything else, exists within history’s tides.
And now, in 2025, the world is once again on edge. But this is not because Pope Francis died. Rather, his death occurred amid an already unstable international order—one defined by decentralised conflict, climate-driven migration, economic disruption, and an ongoing epistemic crisis where truth is contested and institutions are under siege.
The Danger of Drawing Lines Too Neatly
The allure of connecting papal deaths with world crises also reflects a deeper psychological need: the desire for meaning. In a world that feels chaotic, the illusion of pattern offers comfort. If history follows cycles, perhaps we can predict—and avoid—disaster. But this thinking can lead us astray.
Assigning too much significance to such correlations distracts us from real drivers of conflict: ethno-nationalism, unchecked militarism, authoritarian revival, resource scarcity, and digital disinformation. These are the forces shaping the world today—not Vatican funerals or papal conclaves.
A Reminder of Continuity, Not Crisis
What the death of a Pope does signify is a moment of reflection for a major global institution—one that still carries moral and symbolic weight for over a billion people. The transition of papal power often marks the end of an era, a shift in tone, sometimes in theology or diplomacy. But it is not a doomsday clock. It is a bell tolling in a world already noisy with real alarms.
So, as the College of Cardinals convenes in Rome to elect the next spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, it is not history’s hidden codes we should decipher, but the open wounds of our time. The threats we face—geopolitical, environmental, ideological—are not prophetic mysteries. They are human-made. And they require human solutions.
Still, if you see someone quietly lighting candles and looking nervously at a world map after a papal death, don’t scoff. Just gently remind them: history doesn’t repeat—it only rhymes. And not all rhymes are omens. Some are just echoes.

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NEW DELHI: Over 20 people, mainly tourists, were killed on Tuesday in a terrorist attack in the Baisaran Valley area of Pahalgam, located in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, police told news agency AFP.
The gunshots were reportedly heard in the Valley, a popular tourist destination often referred to as “mini-Switzerland,” prompting the immediate deployment of security forces to the area.
The site is accessible only on foot or horseback, making the rescue and response efforts more challenging.
The officials said that authorities pressed a chopper into service for the evacuation of the injured, adding some of the wounded were brought down from the meadows by local people on their ponies.
Officials have confirmed injuries among tourists, though the extent is yet to be fully determined.
A doctor at the Pahalgam hospital told PTI that 12 injured tourists were admitted there and the condition of all of them was stable.
Hours after the attack, PM Modi, who is on a visit to Saudi Arabia, spoke Union home minister Amit Shah and asked him to take all suitable measures. The PM also asked the home minister to visit the site.
Condemning the attack on tourists, PM Modi said those behind the “heinous act will be brought to justice…they will not be spared! “
“I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected. Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice…they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger,” PM Modi wrote on X.
Amit Shah said that “those involved in this dastardly act of terror will not be spared”.
“Anguished by the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. My thoughts are with the family members of the deceased. Those involved in this dastardly act of terror will not be spared, and we will come down heavily on the perpetrators with the harshest consequences,” Shah wrote.
President Droupadi Murmu said attacking “innocent citizens, in this case tourists, is utterly appalling and unpardonable”.
“The terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam of Jammu and Kashmir is shocking and painful. It is a dastardly and inhuman act which must be condemned unequivocally. Attacking innocent citizens, in this case tourists, is utterly appalling and unpardonable. My heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their dear ones and my prayers for the quick recovery of the injured,” the President wrote on X.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh said he was “deeply anguished by the news of terrorist attack in Pahalgam (Jammu & Kashmir)”.
“This dastardly attack on innocent civilians is an act of cowardice and highly reprehensible. My thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families,” Singh said.
Reacting to the attacks, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said he was “shocked beyond belief” and expressed sympathies to the families of the deceased.
“I’m shocked beyond belief. This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman & worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough. I send my sympathies to the families of the deceased. I’ve spoken to my colleague Sakina Itoo & she has moved to the hospital to oversee arrangements for the injured. I’ll be flying back to Srinagar immediately,” he wrote on X.
Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha also condemned the attack and said search operations were under way.
” I strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam. I assure the people that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished. Spoke to the DGP & Security officials. Army and J&K Police teams have rushed to the area and launched search operations,” he said.
Sinha said he has directed the district administration and the health officials to provide immediate medical attention to those admitted at Pahalgam.
BJP leader Ravinder Raina claimed that Pakistani terrorists were behind the brutal killings of the tourists.
He said that the entire area has been cordoned off and that terrorists and those helping them would be punished.
“Pakistani terrorists have carried out a cowardly terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam, South Kashmir. Cowardly Pakistani terrorists cannot face the brave soldiers of the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and our paramilitary forces. These cowardly terrorists have targeted unarmed innocent tourists who had come to visit Kashmir,” Raina said.
He further added: “Some tourists have been admitted to the local hospital in an injured condition. The entire area has been cordoned off by the Army and police. The terrorists who are guilty of this attack and those who are helping them will be punished.”
Former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the attack on tourists, saying a “thorough investigation is needed to bring the perpetrators to justice and examine potential security lapses”.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which tragically killed one and injured several. Such violence is unacceptable and must be denounced. Historically, Kashmir has welcomed tourists warmly, making this rare incident deeply concerning,” she wrote on X.
Mufti futher said: “A thorough investigation is needed to bring the perpetrators to justice and examine potential security lapses. Ensuring visitor safety is paramount, and steps must be taken to prevent future attacks. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi said the whole country “is united against terrorism” and lashed out at the central government for “making hollow claims of the situation being normal in Jammu and Kashmir”.
“The news of the death of tourists and injuries to many in the cowardly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir is extremely condemnable and heartbreaking. I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured. The whole country is united against terrorism,” Rahul said.
He further wrote: “Instead of making hollow claims of the situation being normal in Jammu and Kashmir, the government should now take accountability and take concrete steps so that such barbaric incidents do not happen in the future and innocent Indians do not lose their lives like this.”
24/7 Emergency Help Desk for Tourists – Police Control Room Anantnag: 9596777669; 01932225870. Whatsapp: 9419051940

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Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin has expressed deep disappointment over the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) Ombudsman’s directive to remove his name from the North Stand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
The former cricketer did not hold back his emotions, calling the situation “heartbreaking” and a “complete disgrace to the sport.”
“It pains me deeply to say this, but I sometimes regret having played cricket. It’s heartbreaking to see individuals with little to no understanding of the game now in positions to teach and lead. It’s a complete disgrace to the sport,” he told IANS.
Azharuddin, who served as HCA president from September 2019 to September 2023, said he intends to take legal action and urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to step in.

“I am determined to pursue legal action against this injustice, and I urge the BCCI to intervene and take appropriate action. This issue isn’t isolated – Sunrisers Hyderabad also had a dispute with the association over passes, highlighting a pattern of mismanagement and conflict,” the former skipper said.

He further added that the situation has become personal, especially after he was barred from contesting the HCA elections.
“What’s unfolding is beyond comprehension, and it hurts me on a personal level. I was not allowed to contest the HCA elections, simply because I exposed the corruption within the system. That truth made me a target,” he said.
The decision to remove Azharuddin’s name from the stadium stand was taken by Justice (Retd) V. Eswaraiah, the HCA’s ethics officer, following a petition filed by Lords Cricket Club — a member unit of the state association.
The petition alleged that Azharuddin, during his tenure as HCA president, misused his position by taking arbitrary decisions. It pointed specifically to an Apex Council meeting in December 2019, just a month after he took office, where a resolution was passed to name the North Stand after him. According to HCA rules, such resolutions require approval from the General Body, which was reportedly not obtained.

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NEW DELHI: Panic gripped Pahalgam in South Kashmir on Tuesday after terrorists attacked a popular tourist spot, leaving more than 20 people feared dead, according to AFP.
The attack occurred around 3 PM when terrorists descended from the mountains of Baisaran Valley and opened fire on tourists in the area, which is often called ‘mini Switzerland’ for its scenic green meadows.
Videos circulating online showed security forces and police rushing to the scene, with several people lying injured or motionless on the ground.
‘Loved ones lie in pools of blood’
Cries for help echoed across the Baisaran meadows, as panicked women were seen weeping and frantically searching for their loved ones amid pool of blood.
One woman, who did not reveal her identity, pleaded for urgent help to move the injured to the hospital.
“Bhaiyya, please save my husband,” she cried, her voice shaking with desperation, reported news agency PTI.
‘My husband was shot in the head’
Ambulances were rushed in to assist the victims. At Pahalgam hospital, medical staff confirmed 12 tourists were receiving treatment, adding that all were in stable condition.
“My husband was shot in the head while seven others were also injured in the attack,” a woman survivor told PTI over phone call.
The incident occurs during a period of increased tourism in Kashmir following years of unrest. The 38-day Amarnath pilgrimage is due to commence on July 3.
‘Attackers emerged from the dense pine forest’
Officials deployed a helicopter to evacuate the wounded, whilst local residents assisted in transporting some injured individuals from the meadows using ponies.
Early PTI reports indicated that the attackers emerged from the dense pine forest surrounding Baisaran, a location previously favoured by Bollywood productions in the 1980s.
Military, CRPF and local police forces rushed to Baisaran meadows upon receiving news of the attack, according to a senior police official.
Security forces have initiated a comprehensive counter-terrorism operation, deploying personnel in all directions to locate the perpetrators.
‘Tourists evacuated following attack’
The previously bustling Pahalgam resort became vacant as tourists evacuated the area following the attack, concerned for their safety.
Baisaran serves as a significant tourist destination in Pahalgam and provides camping facilities for trekkers heading towards Tulian Lake.
The site is accessible via pony rides from Pahalgam, offering visitors views of the town and Lidder Valley during the journey.
The Amarnath shrine pilgrimage attracts thousands of devotees who travel via two routes: the traditional 48-km Pahalgam path in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
‘Strongly condemn cowardly terror attack’
Taking to X, PM Modi said, “I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected.”
“Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice…they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger,” he wrote on X.
Earlier, chief minister Omar Abdullah confirmed that authorities are still determining the number of casualties. “This attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years,” he said on X.
“I’m shocked beyond belief. This attack on our visitors is an abomination. The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt. No words of condemnation are enough. I send my sympathies to the families of the deceased,” CM Abdullah said.
“These cowardly terrorists have targeted unarmed, innocent tourists who had come to visit Kashmir. Some tourists have been admitted to the local hospital in an injured condition,” he added.
Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha condemned the terror attack at the tourist destination of Pahalgam, promising to ensure accountability.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam. I assure the people that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished,” the LG posted on X.

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A rare terror strike targeting tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, is thought to have killed at least 20 people. Around 2:30 pm on Tuesday, a group of terrorists wearing fatigues opened fire on visitors in Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadow, causing one of the bloodiest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

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Watch live as opening statements begin in Karen Read’s second murder trial over the death of her police officer boyfriend.
Read is accused of striking her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm in 2022 outside a house party in Massachusetts. Her attorneys have said O’Keefe was actually killed by someone else, possibly another law enforcement agent who was at the party, and that she was framed

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