JAMMU: The Army on Friday ordered an inquiry after an IGNOU professor accused troops of assaulting him without any provocation during a checking of vehicles in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir late Thursday night. Officials said the professor, Liaqat Ali, allegedly suffered head injuries in the assault that took place near the border village of Laam in Nowshera. A purported video showing a bleeding Ali had surfaced online. An Army statement suggested the victim had tried to snatch the weapon of troops, and might have sustained injuries during the scuffle. “An incident has come to light wherein certain individuals were allegedly manhandled by Army personnel in Rajouri district. The Army had input on the likely movement of terrorists in a vehicle in this sensitive area. Accordingly, search operations were being conducted. Preliminary information suggests that on being stopped, the individual tried to snatch weapons of the soldiers on duty and initiated a scuffle with them. However, an inquiry has been initiated,” an Army spokesperson said in a statement in Jammu. “Should any personnel be found guilty of misconduct, strict action will be taken in accordance with the existing law. The Army remains steadfast in upholding the highest standards of professionalism and discipline in the conduct of counter-terror operations. All sections of society are requested to continue to cooperate and collaborate with the Indian Army for collective and comprehensive security in this sensitive area,” the statement added. The incident allegedly took place when the professor, accompanied by his brothers and other relatives, were returning to Kalakote after attending a pre-wedding ceremony of his sister. Sharing the video, which shows a bleeding Ali and others arguing with the troops, on her X handle, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said in a post: “This shocking act has shattered a common man’s faith — especially painful given that the victim’s family has proudly served in the Indian Army. I urge senior Army personnel to take immediate and strict action against those responsible. Such individuals tarnish the reputation of a respected institution through their unacceptable and high-handed behaviour.”
Amid the escalating US-China trade tensions, Beijing has reached out to India saying China is ready to welcome more premium Indian goods and stands ready to help Indian businesses tap into the Chinese market demands to address India’s trade deficit that, according to reports this week, widened to a record $ 99.2 billion. In an exclusive interview to TOI, his first to the Indian media since he assumed charge, Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong, however, also expressed hope that India will provide a transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies. Echoing PM Narendra Modi’s recent remark that competition should not be allowed to tun into conflict, Xu said dialogue is important for a stable and cooperative relationship and added China is ready to warmly welcome the PM for the SCO summit later this year. Asked about the US reciprocal tariffs, he said China and India have the responsibility to oppose all forms of unilateralism and protectionism. He responded in writing also to questions about India’s concerns over Chinese export controls on manpower and equipment, the threat of Brahmaputra water diversion and role of media and people to people contacts in fostering understanding. Excerpts: 1. India and China seem to have resolved the 2020 border standoff, leading to signs of improvement in ties, but the bigger question of rebuilding trust between the 2 countries remains. I understand it’s a two-way process but what can China do on its part to facilitate further de-escalation and ensure long term border peace? A. Last October, President Xi Jinping and PM Narendra Modi held a fruitful meeting in Kazan, which provided strategic guidance for improving and developing China-India relations. Recently, both sides have been earnestly implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthening exchanges and practical cooperation at all levels, and have made a series of positive progress. In my opinion, first and foremost, the key to the sustainable, healthy and stable development of China-India relations is adhering to the strategic judgement made by the two leaders that “China and India are partners rather than rivals, and development opportunities rather than threats to each other” and correctly view each other’s development and strategic intentions. Secondly, both countries should respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation, and put the boundary question in a proper place in bilateral relations. We should not allow bilateral relations to be defined by the boundary question, or let specific differences affect bilateral cooperation. Thirdly, we should steadily promote friendly exchanges and cooperation in various levels and fields, make bigger the cake of practical cooperation, so that more people from the two countries will benefit from the development of bilateral relations and more actively participate in the cause of China-India friendship. During a recent podcast interview, PM Modi noted that for centuries, India and China have learned from each other and together contributed to the global good in some way. As two major neighbours, differences are natural. Our focus is to ensure these differences do not turn into disputes. Only through dialogue can we build a stable cooperative relationship that serves the best interests of both nations. Similarly, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar, while attending the News18 Rising Bharat Summit, observed that the situation between 2020 and 2024 was neither in the interest of China and India, nor in the interest of our relationship. Indeed, as ancient civilizations, China and India possess the wisdom and experience to navigate challenges constructively. I am fully confident in that. 2. Are you expecting PM Modi to visit China for the SCO summit this year? A. PM Modi is warmly welcome to China to attend the SCO Summit this fall. China is ready to work with India and other member states to jointly host a friendly, united and fruitful summit, and lead the SCO into a new stage of high-quality development to benefit people from both countries and the region. 3. As India opens up to China, how can China help India address the trade imbalance? A. The essence of China-India economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. China has never deliberately pursued a trade surplus. Trade surpluses reflect market-driven efficiency and evolve with changing economic conditions. During the meeting with representatives of the international business community last month, President Xi Jinping pointed out that China offers great potential for investment and consumption with the world’s second largest consumer market and largest middle-income group. Valuing China’s super-sized market will unlock greater commercial opportunities for Indian companies. In Fiscal Year 2024, Indian products such as chili peppers, iron ore, and cotton yarn, saw significant export growth to China, surging by over 17%, 160%, and 240% respectively. We welcome more premium Indian goods export to China and stand ready to help Indian businesses tap into China’s market demand, further exploring the vast potential of our economic and trade collaboration. Indian enterprises can fully leverage platforms such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the China-South Asia Expo, and the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) to connect with Chinese buyers and consumers. At the same time, we hope that India will take China’s concerns in the economic and trade field seriously, provide a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, elevate China-India bilateral economic and trade cooperation to new heights, and deliver tangible benefits to the people of both countries. 4. India is concerned about China’s export controls on equipment and manpower that are coming in the way of India’s efforts to ramp up its domestic manufacturing. As ties improve, will Beijing address this issue? A. China has never imposed mandatory restrictions on the export of relevant equipment or the travel of personnel to India. On the contrary, China has always been willing to share its experience with friendly nations and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation. However, the reality is that Chinese citizens face significant difficulties in obtaining Indian visas, Chinese enterprises based in India encounter unfriendly and unfair treatment, and voices opposing Chinese investment are often heard in the media. These factors have created a backlash in Chinese society. Therefore, both sides need to meet each other halfway and work together to improve the situation.
5. Can China assure India that the flow of water into downstream countries won’t be impacted by the mega Chinese hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra/ Yarlung Zangbo river? A. China adheres to a responsible attitude towards cross-border river development and pursues a policy of balancing utilization and protection and taking into account the interests of upstream and downstream countries. China’s hydropower development aims to speed up developing clean energy, and respond to climate change and extreme hydrological disasters. China’s decision to build the hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River was made after rigorous scientific evaluation. The project does not consume water but only uses the potential energy of water to generate electricity. China never seeks “water hegemony” and will not use the normal development of water resources to “coerce” downstream countries. The project will not have a negative impact on the ecological environment, geological conditions and the rights and interests related to water resources of downstream countries. On the contrary, it is beneficial to downstream disaster prevention and relief as well as climate change response to some extent. China and India have maintained communication on this issue, and a new round of Meeting of China-India Expert Level Mechanism on Trans-Border Rivers will be held in New Delhi shortly. China will continue to maintain communication with countries at the lower reaches through existing channels, and step up cooperation on disaster prevention and relief for the benefit of the people by the river. 6. You have spoken about a reboot in ties. Do you think there’s a need now for a new framework for effective border management? A. In recent years, China and India have maintained close communication through dialogue mechanisms such as the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on China-India Border Affairs (WMCC) and Corps Commander Level Meeting, reached the solution on relevant issues in the border areas and brought the border situation back to tranquillity. In the 23rd Meeting of Special Representatives on China-India Boundary Question held late last year, both sides emphasized the need to give full play to the role of this mechanism, strengthen the normalized management and control of the border situation, and jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas. In the future, both sides should continue to make full use of the existing diplomatic and military communication channels, adhere to the principles of equal consultation and mutual equal security, further refine the border area management and control rules according to the actual situation along the LAC, and strengthen confidence-building measures, so as to achieve sustainable peace and tranquillity in the border areas. 7. India and China are also looking to facilitate media interactions. What role do you see the media playing in addressing the issue of trust deficit between the 2 countries? A. You have rightly pointed it out that trust deficit is a prominent problem in China-India relationship, which stems largely from the lack of exchanges between the two countries in recent years, leading to an information deficit and a cognitive deficit. At present, most of the established exchange and dialogue mechanisms between China and India remain stalled, and the level of people-to-people exchanges is quite low. Although China has been actively working to enhance bilateral exchanges, and the Chinese diplomatic missions in India issued 280,000 visas last year and over 85,000 visas so far this year, it remains difficult for Chinese citizens to obtain Indian visas. Additionally, the two countries have yet to resume the exchange of resident journalists, resulting in a lack of first-hand information about each other. Meanwhile, narratives such as the so-called China’s unfair trade practices and the China threat theory amplified by certain media outlets, have significantly influenced the perceptions of ordinary Indians toward China. Media plays a crucial role in boosting China-India understanding. China is not afraid of negative reports and welcomes Indian media to put forward constructive suggestions on China’s development and China-India relations. As the Chinese saying goes “listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; listen to only one side and you will be confused”. It is hoped that media friends can obtain information and opinions from multiple sources, break through the third-party filter and present the whole picture of China from your own perspective. Recently, the competent departments of China and India have engaged in intensive discussions on issues such as the mutual dispatch of resident journalists and visa facilitation. It is hoped that both sides can achieve tangible outcomes at an early date to bridge the information deficit, cognitive deficit and trust deficit between the two countries. 8. To what extent, if any, can this warming-up between India and China be attributed to the prevailing global uncertainty, exacerbated by some of President Trump’s policies including his tariff focus? A. The so-called reciprocal tariffs, unilaterally imposed by the US through threats and pressure are neither reciprocal nor anything but unilateral protectionism. Such actions blatantly infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of other countries, seriously undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system, and pose a grave threat to the stability of the global economic order. China’s development is a result of self-reliance and hard work. China does not seek a tariff war or trade war. However, if such a war is imposed on us, we will resolutely fight back, firmly defend our own interests, and steadfastly uphold multilateralism and globalization. Facing the US abuse of tariffs, we saw some countries made concessions and gave the bully an inch. Yet the US did buy it, and they wanted to take a mile. This clearly demonstrates that compromise and concession lead nowhere in the face of US bullying and hegemony. The US is just one country, not the whole world. Its foreign trade only accounts for 13% of global trade volume, while the remaining 87% is conducted among over 190 other countries. These countries have vast opportunities for cooperation and can still achieve stable economic growth. China and India are the most populous developing major powers, facing development imperatives and sharing vast potential for cooperation. As leading emerging economies and key members of the Global South, China and India have the responsibility to oppose all forms of unilateralism and protectionism. Together, we must uphold multilateralism and inject much-needed stability into a turbulent world.
NEW DELHI: Punjab Kings secured a five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a rain-curtailed Indian Premier League encounter on Friday. The match, delayed due to evening showers, was reduced to 14 overs per side. Batting first, Tim David played a counter-attacking knock of 50 off 26 balls, guiding RCB to 95 for nine. Josh Hazlewood starred with the ball for RCB, returning impressive figures of 3/14, but his effort couldn’t prevent PBKS from cruising to the target in just 12.1 overs. Nehal Wadhera top-scored for Punjab with a brisk 33 off 19 deliveries. Despite the loss, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar reached a personal milestone, becoming the second-fastest Indian to score 1000 runs in IPL history. He achieved the feat in just 30 innings, second only to Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan, who took 25 innings. In doing so, Patidar surpassed the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Ruturaj Gaikwad (both 31 innings), and Tilak Varma (33 innings).
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Do you think RCB can bounce back in their next match against Punjab Kings?
Notably, Patidar also became the first Indian batter in IPL history to reach 1000 runs with an average above 35 and a strike rate exceeding 150.
Bombay Sport Exchange Episode 3: Kane Williamson exclusive on NextGen cricketers to watch out for
Following the result, RCB slipped to fourth in the points table with four wins and three losses from seven games. Punjab Kings, meanwhile, climbed to the second spot with 10 points, registering their fifth win in seven matches. RCB will face Punjab Kings again in their reverse fixture in Mullanpur on Sunday.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.
Five members of a family were killed when the roof of their house collapsed during a strong storm.
Meerut:
Five members of a family were killed when the roof of their house collapsed during a strong storm in this district on Friday evening, police said.
A mother and her nine-month-old daughter died, while three other family members were injured in the incident in Lisadi Gate Police Station area, they said.
The locals immediately began the rescue work and pulled out those buried under the debris.
The deceased have been identified as Rukhsar (25) and her daughter Mahira (9 months) of Ahmednagar Gali No. 15, SHO Subhash Chandra Gautam told PTI.
Both were taken to the hospital in a critical condition, where doctors declared them dead. The other three injured family members are undergoing treatment at the district hospital, police said.
The preliminary investigation has revealed that a neighbour’s wall located at th
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The site also targets Anthony Fauci, Biden’s former chief medical advisor.
Washington:
The White House on Friday unveiled a revamped Covid-19 website that promoted the contentious theory that the virus leaked from a Chinese laboratory, framing it as the pandemic’s “true origins.”
The Covid.gov website, previously focused on promoting vaccine and testing information, now includes a full-length image of President Donald Trump and criticizes the pandemic policies implemented under former president Joe Biden.
The site also targets Anthony Fauci, Biden’s former chief medical advisor, for advancing what it calls the “preferred narrative that Covid-19 originated naturally.”
It presents five bullet points aimed at bolstering the lab leak theory, noting that Wuhan, the site of the first known coronavirus case, is also home to China’s “foremost SARS research lab” and has a history of conducting research at “inadequate biosafety levels.”
“By nearly all measures of science, if there was evidence of a natural origin it would have already surfaced. But it hasn’t,” the website said.
The lab-leak theory, once dismissed as a conspiracy theory, has recently gained mainstream traction in the United States.
Even as the debate remains unresolved — scientifically and politically — US agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Energy have come out in support of the theory, albeit with varying levels of confidence.
Earlier this year, the Central Intelligence Agency shifted its official stance on the virus’s origin, saying that it was “more likely” leaked from a Chinese lab than transmission from animals.
The assessment drew criticism from China, which said it was “extremely unlikely” Covid-19 came from a laboratory.
Beijing also urged the United States to “stop politicizing and instrumentalizing the issue of origin-tracing.”
The United States and China are currently locked in a major trade war, with Washington announcing Thursday new port fees for Chinese-linked ships and increased tariffs for Chinese goods.
The revamped White House site, which apparently seeks to redefine the political narrative about Covid-19, also criticized the mask and social distancing mandates introduced at the start of the pandemic in 2020. There is also a map of Wuhan that is animated to throb.
Under a section titled “Covid-19 misinformation,” it also accused public health officials under the previous administration of demonizing “alternative treatments” and colluding with social media companies to censor dissenting views about the pandemic — a charge frequently echoed by US conservatives.
The Biden administration has previously rejected the charge that it was suppressing or censoring conservative perspectives.
The website revamp comes after layoffs began earlier this month at major US health agencies, as the Trump administration embarks on a sweeping and scientifically contested restructuring that will cut 10,000 jobs.
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr — who has alarmed health experts with his rhetoric downplaying the importance of vaccines — said the layoffs were part of a major reform of his department, aiming to refocus efforts on chronic disease prevention.
More than one million people died of Covid-19 and related illnesses in the United States, and millions more were lost around the world.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Further investigation is underway, say officials. (Representational)
Godhra:
A 36-year-old man and his three minor daughters were killed after a truck hit their motorcycle near Godhra town in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district on Friday, police said.
The accident took place on the Godhra bypass road around 1 pm, in which the man’s fourth daughter, aged three, miraculously survived, they said.
After the accident, the unidentified driver of the truck abandoned his vehicle and fled from the spot, inspector of Godhra taluka police station P K Asoda said.
“Rajendrasinh Chauahan (36) and four of his minor daughters, aged 3, 9, 12 and 13 years, were going to Sarangpur from their native place in Ghoghamba taluka of Panchmahal on their bike when a truck hit them from behind,” he said.
While Chauhan and three of his daughters died on the spot, the fourth daughter received injuries in the accident and was admitted to a hospital, Asoda said.
Efforts were on to catch the unidentified truck driver, who fled from the spot after abandoning his vehicle, he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Donald Trump said he hoped the Russian leader was not dragging his feet.
Washington:
President Donald Trump said Friday the United States will “take a pass” on brokering further Ukraine war talks unless there is quick progress from Moscow and Kyiv.
Trump was speaking after Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented — following talks with European allies — that Washington would “move on” if a truce did not seem “doable” within days.
“Yeah very shortly,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked to confirm what Rubio had said. “No specific number of days, but quickly. We want to get it done.”
Trump refused to cast blame on either Russian President Vladimir Putin, who ordered the February 2022 full-scale invasion of pro-Western Ukraine, or Ukrainian President Voloydmyr Zelensky. But he insisted both sides had to make progress.
“Now if for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say: ‘You’re foolish. You’re fools. You’re horrible people’ — and we’re going to just take a pass,” Trump said.
“But hopefully we won’t have to do that.”
Trump boasted repeatedly before returning for a second presidential term that he would end the Ukraine war within 24 hours. He claimed recently that he was being sarcastic.
Ukraine has agreed to a full temporary ceasefire and accused Russia of stalling on a deal to get a better negotiating position.
Trump stunned Western capitals when he opened direct talks with Putin in February, soon after taking office.
He said he hoped the Russian leader was not dragging his feet.
“I hope not,” he said when asked if Putin was stalling. “I’ll let you know soon.”
Trump denied that he was being “played” by the former KGB agent, who denied Russia was going to invade right up until the eve of the attack.
“Nobody’s playing me, I’m trying to help,” Trump said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The GPS-enabled tankers are part of a broader strategy to modernize the city’s water distribution. (File)
New Delhi:
Water Minister Parvesh Verma on Friday said the Delhi government will deploy 1,000 GPS-enabled water tankers across the capital to boost supply in view of the summer season.
The minister said the tankers will be flagged off to their destinations from Nirankari Ground in Burari on Sunday.
This initiative aims to ensure timely and transparent delivery of water to areas where piped supply is unavailable or unreliable, he added.
Parvesh Verma said the Delhi government is “working with complete dedication” to realize Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘s “vision of water for all on time”.
“This initiative is not just about delivering water. It’s about bringing transparency, accountability and dignity to every citizen, who depends on us for this essential service,” he added.
The tankers will be dispatched from Nirankari Ground in Burari and will be monitored in real-time through a newly established Command Center.
“The state-of-the-art facility will track each tanker’s movement, delivery times and speed, allowing authorities to ensure that water reaches the intended destinations efficiently,” said a government statement.
The GPS-enabled tankers are part of a broader strategy by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to modernize the city’s water distribution infrastructure.
In addition to improving supply, the plan includes strict monitoring of water theft, misuse and uneven distribution.
“With this rollout, the Delhi government aims to ensure that every colony, settlement and neighbourhood has access to clean and timely water – one tanker at a time,” the statement added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Donald Trump said the US will “take a pass” on brokering further Russia-Ukraine war talks if Moscow or Kyiv “make it very difficult” to reach a peace deal.
The US president told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that he was not expecting a truce to happen in “a specific number of days” but he wanted it done “quickly”.
His comments came hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the US would abandon talks “if it’s not going to happen”.
“We’re not going to continue with this endeavour for weeks and months on end,” Rubio said, adding that the US had “other priorities to focus on”.
When asked about the deal between Russian and Ukraine, Trump said: “We’re talking about here people dying. We’re going to get it stopped, ideally.
“Now if, for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say, ‘You’re foolish, you’re fools, you’re horrible people,’ and we’re going to just take a pass.”
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has placed a number of conditions on any potential ceasefire.
Despite the Trump administration’s initial confidence that it could secure a deal quickly, attempts to reach a full ceasefire have yet to materialise, with Washington blaming both sides.
Following a meeting with European leaders in Paris about a potential ceasefire on Thursday, Rubio told reporters on Friday: “We need to determine very quickly now – and I’m talking about a matter of days – whether or not this is doable.”
“If it’s not going to happen, then we’re just going to move on,” he said about truce talks.
He said it was clear that a peace deal would be difficult to strike but there needed to be signs it could be done soon.
Trump had said before he re-entered office that he would stop the fighting in the first 24 hours of his presidency.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked to respond to Trump saying he expected an answer from Russia on a ceasefire, said “the negotiations taking place are quite difficult”.
“The Russian side is striving to reach a peace settlement in this conflict, to ensure its own interests, and is open to dialogue,” he said.
The comments come as Russian strikes on Ukraine continue. On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X that Russia had launched a volley of missile attacks that killed two people.
During a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Friday, US Vice President JD Vance said he was “optimistic” about ending the Ukraine war.
“I want to update the prime minister on some of the negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and also some of the things that have happened even in the past 24 hours,” he said.
“I won’t prejudge them, but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this war – this very brutal war – to a close.”
Vance’s comments followed separate news that Ukraine and the US took the first step towards striking a minerals deal, after an initial agreement was derailed when a February meeting between Trump and Zelensky erupted into a public shouting match.
On Thursday, the two countries signed a memorandum of intent stating that they intend to establish an investment fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction as part of an economic partnership agreement.
The aim is to finalise the deal by 26 April, the memo published by the Ukrainian government says.
The details of any deal remain unclear. Previous leaks have suggested the agreement has been extended beyond minerals to control of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, as well as its oil and gas.
Ukrainian negotiators have tried to resist Trump’s demands that a joint investment fund would pay back the US for previous military aid, but have seemingly accepted his claim that it would help the country recover after the war ends.
The memo said the “American people desire to invest alongside the Ukrainian people in a free, sovereign and secure Ukraine”.
Zelensky had been hoping to use the deal to secure a US security guarantee in the event of a ceasefire deal, telling European leaders last month that “a ceasefire without security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine”.
The US has so far resisted providing Kyiv with security guarantees.
The White House argues the mere presence of US businesses would put off Russia from further aggression, but that did not exactly work when they invaded in 2022.
A bakery was hit during a recent Russian strike on Sumy
Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced the signing of the memorandum on X, with pictures of Svyrydenko and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent separately signing the document over an online call.
“There is a lot to do, but the current pace and significant progress give reason to expect that the document will be very beneficial for both countries,” Svyrydenko wrote.
Bessent said the details were still being worked out but the deal is “substantially what we’d agreed on previously.”
Trump hinted at the deal during a press conference with Italian leader Giorgia Meloni, saying “we have a minerals deal which I guess is going to be signed on (next) Thursday…and I assume they’re going to live up to the deal. So we’ll see. But we have a deal on that.”
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, an MP and the chair of Ukraine’s parliamentary committee on EU Integration, told the BBC the Ukrainian Parliament will have “the last word” in the deal.
She added: “I hope that there will be enough reasoning to ensure that whatever is signed, and if it is going to be ratified that it is in the interest of our country and our people.
The memo release comes as a 30-day moratorium on striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin expires.
Peskov said Putin had not yet issued any new orders regarding the temporary ceasefire.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met Rubio and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Paris to discuss how to end the war.
Sybiha said they had “discussed the paths to a fair and lasting peace, including full ceasefire, multinational contingent, and security guarantees for Ukraine”.
British woman killed in Naples cable car crash named
A British woman who was among four people killed in a cable car crash near Naples has been named by Italian officials as Margaret Elaine Winn.
A second Briton killed in the accident has been identified by authorities but not yet named.
The mountain cable car cabin plunged to the ground after one of the cables supporting it snapped on Thursday, local officials said.
The cable car operator said it had passed a safety inspection just two weeks ago and that a criminal investigation has been opened.
The UK foreign office said it was in touch with local authorities but has not confirmed the identities of the victims.
The two other victims include the driver of the cable car, named by authorities as 59-year-old Carmine Parlato, and an Israeli woman identified as Janan Suliman.
A fifth person in the cabin, Ms Suliman’s brother, was “extremely seriously injured” in the crash and airlifted to hospital, where he remains in a critical condition, officials said.
Authorities in Torre Annunziata have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Sixteen people were rescued from a second cabin which was also on the line near the bottom of the valley at the time of the incident. They were winched to safety.
The mayor of Castellammare di Stabia – where the cable car is located – said it was believed a traction cable had snapped.
“The emergency brake downstream worked but clearly not the one on the cabin that was about to reach the top of the hill,” he told Italian media on Thursday.
He added that there had been regular safety checks on the cable car line which runs three kilometres from the town to the top of the mountain.
A spokesperson for the UK’s foreign office said: “We are dealing with an incident in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities. Our thoughts are with those affected.”
Shortly after the crash, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was on a trip to Washington, expressed her “sincere condolences” to the families of the victims.
The Mount Faito cable car has been operating since 1952. A similar accident on the line in 1960 left four people dead.
Peter Westwell was hit by Neil Pemberton, 81, as he crossed the road in Langho, near Blackburn
An inquest into the deaths of four people killed by drivers with failing eyesight has found enforcement of visual legal standards for motorists is “ineffective and unsafe”.
HM Senior Coroner for Lancashire Dr James Adeley has sent a report to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander to say action should be taken to prevent future deaths.
He labelled the licensing system as the “laxest in Europe” as he pointed out the UK was one of only three countries to rely upon self-reporting of visual conditions affecting the ability to drive.
A source close to the transport secretary said the government accepted the rules “need to be reassessed”.
They added: “We are not ruling anything out regarding changes to eyesight requirements for driving.
“This will be considered along with wider efforts to improve safety as part of the government’s road safety strategy.”
It is thought the strategy could be published by the end of the year, after which ministers would consult on any proposed changes.
Grace Foulds and Marie Cunningham were crossing the road in Southport when they were struck
Dr Adeley said it was concerning that the UK was the only European country to issue licences without any visual checks for a continuous period up to the age of 70.
He made the remarks at the inquests of Marie Cunningham, 79, Grace Foulds, 85, Peter Westwell, 80, and Anne Ferguson, 75, held earlier at Preston Coroner’s Court.
Friends Mrs Cunningham and Mrs Foulds were struck by Glyn Jones, 68, in his Audi A3 as they crossed the road in Southport, Merseyside, on 30 November 2021.
Jones was aware for some years before the collision that his sight was insufficient to meet the minimum requirement to drive a car but failed to declare it to the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
When he was jailed for seven years and four months, his sentencing hearing was told he could not even see his steering wheel clearly.
Mr Westwell was hit by Neil Pemberton, 81, as he crossed the road in Langho, near Blackburn, on 17 March 2022.
Pemberton, who was jailed for 32 months, had a long history of eye disease and was informed on several occasions by different clinicians that he should not drive, the inquest heard.
He also repeatedly failed to declare his sight deficit on multiple licence applications to the DVLA.
Mrs Ferguson died when she was struck by a van driven by Vernon Law, 72, in Whitworth, Rochdale, on 11 July 2023.
A month before Law was told he had cataracts in both eyes but he lied to an optometrist that he did not drive.
Law, who was jailed for four years, knew he had problems with his eyes for years before the collision but his sight loss could easily have been corrected.
Law also failed to declare his sight issues on multiple licence applications to the DVLA, the inquest at County Hall heard.
‘Selfish people putting others at risk’
Following the inquests, the family of Mrs Cunningham said: “Our mum, and her friend, were killed by the selfish, reckless actions of Glyn Jones.
“His decision to put his own convenience before the law, before ethics, before human lives, cost our family everything.
“This tragedy was not inevitable. It was entirely avoidable.
“And we are left grappling with the painful truth that if this man had acted responsibly our mum would still be with us.”
Terry Wilcox, of Hudgell Solicitors, representing the families of Mrs Cunningham, Mrs Foulds and Mr Westwell, said loop holes that are available for drivers who want to evade reporting on their eyesight are “jaw-dropping”.
He said: “People ignore what they are told when it doesn’t suit their lifestyle, and in reality there is nothing in place to stop selfish people putting others at risk by getting back behind the wheel.
“We presently have a system under which the DVLA relies upon drivers to self-report, hand over their licence and stop driving when they’ve been told by a qualified healthcare professional that their eyesight is not to the required standard.
“This inquest has shown that simply doesn’t happen.”
‘Ineffective, unsafe and unfit’
Dr Adeley said: “The four fatalities shared the same feature that the driver’s sight was well below the standard required to drive a car.
“The current system for ‘ensuring’ drivers meet the visual legal standards is ineffective, unsafe and unfit to meet the needs of society as evidenced by the deaths of Marie Cunningham, Grace Foulds, Anne Ferguson and Peter Westwell where the DVLA continued to provide licences to drivers who had failed to meet the legal sight requirements.”
The Department for Transport said it would consider the coroner’s report once received.
A spokesperson added: “The NHS recommends adults should have their eyes tested every two years and drivers are legally required to inform the DVLA if they have a condition which affects their eyesight.
“We are committed to improving road safety and continue to explore ways to achieve this.”
Rob Heard, chairman of the Older Drivers’ Forum, warned that more people would die if changes were not made soon.
He called for it to be made compulsory for opticians and GPs to check a person’s eyesight once they turn 70, and inform the DVLA via an online system without the “worry of breaching patient confidentiality”.
“A car is a lethal weapon and we need to be fully in control and safe on the roads to be able to control it,” he said.
Mr Wilcox said there is currently no infrastructure for IT which would allow a sight test to be uploaded to the DVLA.
“You can be told the car is unsafe but a driver is never told they are unsafe and the DVLA aren’t informed – the driver is unsafe,” he said.
“Drivers are the solution and yet we don’t appear to have anything in place to solve the problem.”
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A tiered tiramisu or a double-patty chicken burger—just a glance can set off cravings. That’s no accident. Our brains are hardwired to seek sugar and salt, a relic of our hunter-gatherer past when such indulgences were rare but vital for survival.
Beijing on Friday (April 18, 2025) denied giving any party in the Ukraine war lethal weapons, after President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed he had “information” that China was supplying arms to Russia.
“The Chinese side has never provided lethal weapons to any party in the conflict, and strictly controls dual-use items,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
Mr. Zelensky did not elaborate on his accusations, saying only that Kyiv was “ready” to talk about them in detail.
Last week, the Ukrainian leader said Kyiv knew of at least 155 Chinese nationals deployed to assist Moscow’s invasion, and alleged the Ukrainian army had captured two Chinese soldiers in the eastern Donetsk region.
Beijing on Friday said that its “position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and clear”.
“We have always actively made efforts for a cessation of hostilities and peace talks,” Mr. Lin said.
China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in the three-year war, despite criticism from Western governments that its close ties to Russia have given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support.
A Chinese satellite company is supporting attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on American interests, the State Department said Thursday (April 17, 2025), as the U.S. military announced strikes on a fuel port it said was used by the rebels.
The Houthis began targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in November 2023, claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, and American forces have been hammering them with strikes in a bid to stop the attacks.
“Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company… is directly supporting Iran-backed Huthi terrorist attacks on U.S. interests,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told journalists.
Also read | China urges ‘dialogue’ after Yemen rebels say attacked U.S. carrier
“Their actions – and Beijing’s support of the company, even after our private engagements with them – is yet another example of China’s empty claims to support peace,” she said.
Bruce did not initially provide details on the nature of the company’s support for the rebels, but later referred to “a Chinese company providing satellite imagery to the Huthis.”
A spokesman for Beijing’s foreign ministry said Friday he was “not aware of the situation” when asked about the U.S. accusations, adding that “China has been actively working to ease” tensions in the Red Sea.
“It is clear to the international community who is promoting peace and dialogue to ease tensions, and who is imposing sanctions and pressure to escalate them,” spokesman Lin Jian added at the regular press conference.
Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company was sanctioned by Washington in 2023 for allegedly providing high-resolution imagery to Russian private military company Wagner, which played a major role in Moscow’s war against Ukraine but has since been disbanded.
Houthi attacks have prevented ships from passing through the Suez Canal – a vital route between Asia and Europe that normally carries about 12% of world shipping traffic – forcing many companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration launched a new round of military action against the Houthis starting on March 15, and the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Thursday that American strikes had destroyed the Ras Issa fuel port in Yemen.
“US forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Huthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Huthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
“The objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Huthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen,” it added.
The United States first began conducting strikes against the Houthis under the Biden administration, and Trump has vowed that military action against the rebels would continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping.
A mob beat to death a member of Pakistan’s persecuted Ahmadiyya minority on Friday (April 18, 2025) after hundreds of radical Islamists surrounded their place of worship in the port city of Karachi, police said.
A mob, many from the anti-blasphemy political group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), stormed through narrow streets of Saddar neighbourhood chanting slogans, enraged that Ahmadis were allegedly offering Friday prayers.
“One member of the community was killed after the mob identified him as an Ahmadi. They attacked him with sticks and bricks,” Muhammad Safdar, a senior local police official in the port city of Karachi where the incident happened.
“The mob included members of several religious parties,” he told AFP.
Mr. Safdar said police took around 25 Ahmadis into custody for their safety.
An AFP journalist at the scene saw a prison van escorted by police vehicles take the Ahmadi men away, after negotiating with the 600-strong chanting mob.
The Ahmadiyya community are considered heretics by the Pakistani government and have been persecuted for decades, but threats and intimidation have intensified in recent years.
A local resident among the crowd Abdul Qadir Ashrafi told AFP he joined the mob to pressure police to arrest the Ahmadis.
“We requested that the place be sealed and that those conducting the Friday prayers be arrested, with criminal proceedings initiated against them,” Abdul Qadir Ashrafi, a 52-year-old businessman said.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said it was “appalled by the orchestrated attack by a far-right religious party on a colonial-era Ahmadi place of worship”.
“This failure of law and order is a stark reminder of the continued complicity of the state in the systematic persecution of a beleaguered community,” it said on X.
Deadly mob violence
Ahmadis, who number around 10 million worldwide, consider themselves Muslims, and their faith is identical to mainstream Islam in almost every way, but their belief in another messiah has marked them blasphemous non-believers.
Pakistan’s constitution has branded them non-Muslims since 1974, and a 1984 law forbids them from claiming their faith as Islamic.
Unlike in other countries, they cannot refer to their places of worship as mosques, make the call to prayer, or travel on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
Hardline TLP supporters regularly monitor Ahmadi places of worship and file police complaints against them for identifying as Muslims and conducting prayers in a manner similar to Islamic practices – illegal in Pakistan.
According to a tally kept by the community, six Ahmadis were killed in 2024, and more than 280 since 1984.
In the same period, more than 4,100 Ahmadis have faced criminal charges including 335 under blasphemy laws which carry the death penalty.
Mob violence is common in Pakistan, where blasphemy is an incendiary issue that carries the death penalty.
Dozens of churches were ransacked in the city of Jaranwala in 2023 when clerics used mosque loudspeakers to claim that a Christian man had committed blasphemy, sparking a crowd of hundreds of Muslim rioters.
Last August, the Supreme Court was pressured into backtracking on a landmark ruling that would have allowed Ahmadis to practice their faith as long as they do not use Muslim terms, after weeks of protests by fundamentalist groups including death threats to the chief justice.
Marco Rubio said US would move on from Russia-Ukraine if an agreement can’t be reached soon.
After Secretary of State Marco Rubio Friday hinted that US can’t go one mediating between Russia and Ukraine and would “move on” within days unless there is a clear sign of an agreement, critics of President Donald Trump asked what happened to his promised that he could end the war within 24 hours. “We’re not going to continue with this endeavor for weeks and months on end,” Rubio said after landmark meetings in Paris with European and Ukrainian leaders amid the Trump admin’s ongoing efforts to spearhead a ceasefire deal. “So we need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks.” “If it’s not possible, if we’re so far apart that this is not going to happen, then I think [President Trump] is probably at a point where he’s going to say, ‘well, we’re done’,” he added. Rubio repeated what Trump has been saying that it is not his war — it is former president Joe Biden’s war, “It’s not our war. We have other priorities to focus on,” Rubio said. “The president feels very strongly about that. He has dedicated a lot of time and energy to this … this is important, but there are a lot of other really important things going on that deserves just as much, if not more attention.”
Where does the Russia-Ukraine deal stand now?
The Paris meeting was the first substantive, high-level meeting which Rubio said went well. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office called the talks constructive and positive. When asked about Rubio’s comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday that “fairly complex” negotiations are ongoing between Russia and the US. “Russia is striving toward resolving this conflict, securing its own interests, and is open to dialogue. We are continuing to do this,” he said.
<p>Mahmoud Khalil’s lawyers said Nazis have more rights in the US than anti-Israel protesters. <br></p>
Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil, whose arrest sparked protests in universities across the US described his detention as an “administrative error” and alleged that the evidence against him was based on “sensationalized tabloids.” “Last Friday, I sat in a courtroom as an immigration judge determined that the government could deport me despite my status as a legal permanent resident and despite that the government’s claims against me were baseless — much of its “evidence” lifted directly from sensationalized tabloids,” Khalil wrote. Despite being a legal permanent resident married to a US citizen, Khalil said he had been targeted for his political beliefs, particularly his criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza. In the piece, Khalil described the conditions inside the detention centre, where dozens of men sleep on hard mats under a leaking metal roof. “Which ones are dreaming about reuniting with their families? Which ones are having nightmares about becoming the Trump administration’s next ‘administrative error’?” The Columbia University graduate student and prominent face of the campus protest movement said he was shocked at how quickly his case was processed. “I think about the breakneck speed with which my case was heard and decided, running roughshod over due process,” he wrote. He compared his experience to that of Mitsuye Endo, a Japanese American who challenged her wartime incarceration in a case that reached the US Supreme Court. “Rights are granted to those who align with power. For the poor, for people of color, for those who resist injustice, rights are but words written on water,” Khalil added. “The right to free speech when it comes to Palestine has always been exceptionally weak. Even so, the crackdown on universities and students reveals just how afraid the White House is of the idea of Palestine’s freedom entering the mainstream. Why else would Trump officials not only attempt to deport me but also intentionally mislead the public about who I am and what I stand for?” he rewrote. Last Friday, Judge Jamee E. Comans ruled that the government had met the legal threshold to deport Khalil on grounds of foreign policy. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited a rarely used statute, arguing that Khalil’s activism posed “potentially serious foreign policy consequences” for the United States. In a letter to the court, Rubio accused him of participating in “anti-Semitic protests and disruptive activities,” though no crimes have been alleged. Khalil’s lawyers called the ruling “a weaponisation of immigration law to suppress dissent” and said they would appeal. They have until 23 April to seek a waiver. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has denied accusations that it is targeting pro-Palestinian voices, though Khalil’s case is part of a broader pattern. Immigration officials have arrested other students and academics critical of Israel, including a Georgetown scholar and a Brown University professor. Some had their visas cancelled, others faced deportation proceedings. Despite the pressure, Khalil said his beliefs remain unchanged. “Like the thousands of students that I advocated with at Columbia — including Muslim, Jewish and Christian friends — I believe in the innate equality of all human beings,” he wrote. “I believe in human dignity. I believe in the right of my people to look at the blue sky and not fear an impending missile.”
FSU shooter suspect Phoenix Ikner was kicked out of a political club because of his problematic views.
Phoenix Ikner, the suspected shooter who stormed Florida State University on Thursday with his shooting spree, killing two, was not a social recluse as evident from his various social interactions. He was quoted in a news report on students’ protest against President Donald Trump ahead of his January 20 inauguration; his social media posts are plenty leading to speculations over his political leaning that he was a MAGA supporter. Now an X post of a woman has gone viral who claimed to have known Phoenix Ikner when he was 16-17. They probably went to school together. “He’s not an anti-trumper, pro-palistine, pro-LGBTQ+, he is someone filled with hatred, someone who has been openly homophobic, racist, sexist, and a bully. Idc if he was republican or democratic he was someone hateful and that’s it,” the woman wrote and also posted a photo from a schoolbook to prove that she was not lying.
‘Ikner used to boast he had guns’
Ikner is a white supremacist, a conspiracy theorist which raised serious concerns among his classmates. One classmate from Ikner’s former school, Tallahassee State College, recalled how he was asked to leave a “political roundtable” club over his hate speech. Another classmate said Ikner was vocal in their federal politics class, promoting his disturbing views about black people, as well as far-right conspiracy theories, such as that former President Joe Biden was fraudulently elected. He got kicked out of the political club because of his problematic views. Step-son of a female cop, Ikner used to boast that he had guns, one classmate said. “I remember thinking this man should not have access to firearms,” he told USA Today. Reid Seybold, an FSU student, told CNN he knew Ikner, whom he encountered in an extracurricular political club a few years ago. Seybold said Ikner was asked to leave the group, which discussed current events, due to behavior that unsettled others. “He had continually made enough people uncomfortable where certain people had stopped coming. That’s kind of when we reached the breaking point with Phoenix, and we asked him to leave,” Seybold told CNN.
NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal on Friday slammed Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for criticising the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that set a timeline for the President to decide on bills and struck down the Tamil Nadu governor’s decision to withhold assent to bills passed by the state legislature. He reflected on Tamil Nadu governor’s withholding of bills, passed by state assembly, calling it, “an intrusion on the supremacy of the legislature”. Sibal drew attention that both the President and governors are constitutionally bound to act on the “aid and advice of ministers” and said the governor’s actions amounted to interference with the legislature’s authority. “This should be known to Dhankhar ji (Vice President), he asks how the powers of the president can be curtailed, but who is curtailing the powers? I say that a minister should go to the governor and be there for two years, so they can raise issues which are of public importance, will the governor be able to ignore them?” Sibal asked during a press conference in Delhi. Calling the governor’s withholding of bills “an intrusion on the supremacy of the legislature,” Sibal added, “yeh toh ulti baat hai (this is opposite of what should we). If Parliament passes a bill, can the President indefinitely delay its implementation? Even if it is not signed, does no one have the right to talk about it?” He also directed his attack at Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Kiren Rijiju for their remarks on the court’s verdict. “I am surprised about the fact that sometimes (Union minister) Meghwal says that one should stay within limits, other times (Union minister) Kiren Rijiju asks what is happening and what if they also do it? Dhankar ji says that before, 5 judges decided on a matter when there were only 8 judges, but now only two judges decide on it. However, either two or three judges decide on it anyway, as the Supreme Court sits as a bench, even with nine or eleven judges, and once thirteen also sat together, that is how it happens. People have to follow the ruling,” Sibal, who is also SC Bar association president, said. Citing a past judgment against former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Sibal questioned why Dhankhar was raising objections now. “People would remember that when the Supreme Court’s decision came regarding the election of Indira Gandhi, then only one judge gave the decision, and she was unseated. It was a one-judge decision, Justice Krishna Iyer, then it was okay for Dhankar ji? But now a two-judge decision came, so that is not correct because it is not in favour of the government,” Sibal said. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala also expressed his dissatisfaction with Vice President Dhankhar’s remarks criticism the Supreme Court’s recent ruling. In a post on X, Surjewala wrote: “The Supreme Court judgement putting Constitutional fetters on the power of Governors and President of India is timely, accurate, courageous and corrects the notion that ‘those holding high offices are above any fetters or imposition of checks and balances’ in exercise of their powers.” He further added, “If President or Governors were to have such power, it will go against the very tenets of democracy, for the elected Parliament and Legislatures will be rendered powerless and helpless.” Earlier this week, Dhankhar, while addressing Rajya Sabha interns, had criticised the Supreme Court’s judgment, saying some judges are now “legislating,” performing “executive functions,” and acting like a “Super Parliament.” “President being called upon to decide in a time-bound manner, and if not, it becomes law. So we have judges who will legislate, who will perform executive functions, who will act as super Parliament, and absolutely have no accountability because law of the land does not apply to them,” Dhankhar had said. “There is a directive to the president by a recent judgment. Where are we heading? What is happening in the country? We have to be extremely sensitive. It is not a question of someone filing a review or not. We never bargained for democracy for this day,” he said. He also invoked Article 145(3) of the Constitution, which deals with the composition of benches deciding constitutional matters. “We cannot have a situation where you direct the president of India and on what basis? The only right you have under the Constitution is to interpret the Constitution under Article 145(3). There it has to be five judges or more,” Dhankhar said. As per Article 145(3), a minimum of five judges must sit to decide any case involving a substantial question of constitutional law or for hearing references under Article 143.
NEW DELHI: A 17-year-old boy named Kunal was fatally stabbed in north-east Delhi’s New Seelampur on Thursday evening, triggering tensions in the area. According to police, the role of a local woman named Zikra, allegedly known as the “lady don”, is being investigated in connection with the murder. Kunal’s family has alleged that Zikra, who once worked as a bouncer for jailed gangster Hashim Baba’s wife Zoya, was present at the scene when he was killed. “Zikra used to roam around in the area with a pistol. An incident happened with her cousin Sahil but my son was not involved in it. Yet they killed him. They brutally stabbed him multiple times,” Kunal’s mother Parveen told news agency PTI. Zikra was reportedly living with Zoya before the latter’s arrest by Delhi Police in a drug-related case. After Zoya was jailed, Zikra was said to be forming her own gang. She was previously arrested under the Arms Act after she posted a video on social media brandishing a pistol. She is currently out on bail and had been living in a rented house close to Kunal’s residence. Joint Commissioner of Police (Eastern Range) Pushpendra Kumar said, “We have identified the accused who will be nabbed soon. Ten teams have been formed to crack the case, and they are looking at all possible angles. We have detained a few people for questioning. The case will be solved soon.” CCTV footage led the police to identify two suspects, Sahil and Rehan, in connection with the stabbing. According to sources, Zikra has been detained for questioning, although no formal arrest has been made yet. The motive behind the murder appears to be an act of revenge. Sources revealed that Kunal may have been involved in an earlier attack on Zikra’s cousin Sahil. Police had registered an attempt to murder case against some members of Kunal’s community over that previous incident. “It is suspected that Kunal was also involved in the stabbing of Sahil. Although Sahil did not die, he, along with Zikra, hatched a plan to take revenge for the attack,” said a family source. Zikra reportedly was leading a gang of 10-12 youths, several of whom are now under scrutiny in connection with Kunal’s killing. Fear has reportedly gripped the locality, with some residents allegedly fleeing the area to escape possible retaliation. Amid growing unrest, local police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed to maintain order. Protests have been staged by local people and members of Hindu outfits, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). Posters bearing slogans like “Hindus are migrating” and “Please help, Yoji ji” appeared in the area but were later removed by police. The incident has further escalated tensions between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with both blaming each other for the breakdown of law and order in the national capital.
NEW DELHI: An Indian-origin student from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, who was pursuing her master’s degree in the US, died in a hit-and-run incident in Denton City, Texas, her family said on Friday. The victim, identified as V Deepthi, was walking home with her friend Snigdha near the 2300 block of Carril Al Lago Drive on April 12 when they were hit by a speeding vehicle. Her friend Snigdha was also from Guntur district. Having suffered severe head injuries, Deepthi, who was set to graduate this May, passed away on April 15. While, Snigdha is currently undergoing surgery and her condition is stable, according to the family members. According to news agency PTI, her father, Hanumantha Rao said, “I spoke to her occasionally, and as she was in a hurry to attend classes, she told us she would call on Sunday when she would be free. That turned out to be the last call.” The body will be transported from the US on Saturday and is expected to arrive in Hyderabad by Monday morning, after completing necessary formalities. The family had sold their agricultural land to fund her education and had intended to attend her graduation ceremony next month. Deepthi was pursuing her MS at the University of North Texas and had completed her B Tech from Narasaraopet Engineering College. Deepthi’s last conversation with her mother was on Thursday.
Ukraine’s economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko says the memorandum paves the way for an “economic partnership agreement”
Ukraine’s government has announced the signing of the outline of a minerals deal between the war-torn country and the US.
Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the memorandum of intent paved the way for what she called an economic partnership agreement.
She said a final deal would also involve an investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine. US officials expressed hope that an accord could be completed by the end of next week.
Donald Trump’s public shouting match with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in February had temporarily blown the negotiations off course.
Svyrydenko announced the signing of the memorandum on X but not did not provide further details.
Her post included photos of she and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signing separately.
“We are happy to announce the signing, with our American partners, of a Memorandum of Intent, which paves the way for an Economic Partnership Agreement and the establishment of the Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine,” Svyrydenko wrote.
The signing was conducted over an online call with Bessent who said the details of the deal were still being worked out.
“It’s substantially what we’d agreed on previously. When the president [Volodymyr Zelensky] was here, we had a memorandum of understanding. We went straight to the big deal, and I think it’s an 80-page agreement and that’s what we’ll be signing,” he said.
Donald Trump also hinted at the deal during a press conference with Italian leader Giorgia Meloni.
“We have a minerals deal which I guess is going to be signed on Thursday… next Thursday. Soon. And I assume they’re going to live up to the deal. So we’ll see. But we have a deal on that,” he said.
The White House did not respond to a request for further details on the timing and contents of the agreement, Reuters news agency reports.
The move is a step towards a deal that would allow the US access to Ukraine’s critical minerals, as well as oil and gas.
Previous reports indicated that an “investment fund” would be set up for Ukraine’s reconstruction and would be managed by Kyiv and Washington on “equal terms”.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had been hoping to use the deal to secure a US security guarantee in his country in the event of a ceasefire deal with Russia.
However the plan was derailed in February by Zelensky and Trump’s heated clash at the White House.
US senator meets man mistakenly deported to El Salvador
Van Hollen (right) posted a photo of his meeting with Kilmar Ábrego García
A US senator has met a man who Trump administration officials have acknowledged was deported in error from Maryland to a mega-prison in El Salvador.
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen posted photos of his meeting with Kilmar Ábrego García, whom the administration has refused to return to the US despite an order from a federal judge.
After the meeting, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele also refused to release Mr Ábrego García and said he would remain in the country’s custody.
The White House has accused Mr Ábrego García of being a member of the transnational Salvadoran gang MS-13, a designated foreign terrorist organisation, which his lawyer denies.
Thursday’s meeting came amid an escalating showdown between the US president and the courts on immigration, a day after a judge in another case said the administration could be held in contempt of court over deportation flights.
“I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance,” the Democratic senator posted on social media.
“I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return.”
The White House called the visit “disgusting”.
“Chris Van Hollen has firmly established Democrats as the party whose top priority is the welfare of an illegal alien MS-13 terrorist,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said.
“It is truly disgusting. President Trump will continue to stand on the side of law-abiding Americans.”
Mr Ábrego García’s lawyers deny he has any gang affiliation and maintain he has never been charged with, nor convicted of any crime.
Before the meeting, the senator said he was stopped by armed guards on his way to Cecot, the maximum-security prison where Mr Ábrego García has been detained.
Van Hollen arrived in the country on Wednesday hoping to secure the release of Mr Ábrego García, who had been living in Maryland.
The senator did not offer an update on Mr Ábrego García’s status in his social media posts, but said more information would be released upon his return to the US.
Mr Ábrego García’s wife celebrated the news and said her “prayers have been answered”.
“The efforts of my family and community in fighting for justice are being heard, because I now know that my husband is alive,” Jennifer Vasquez Sura said. “God is listening, and the community is standing strong.”
She said her family still has many questions and will continue fighting for his release.
During his trip, Van Hollen said he also met with the country’s vice-president and asked that they open the doors so Mr Ábrego García could leave the prison, a request he says was rejected.
On X, El Salvador’s president reposted photos of the senator meeting Mr Ábrego García and appeared to poke fun at social media speculation that the inmate had died in custody.
President Bukele commented that Mr Ábrego García had “miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture’” in the “tropical paradise of El Salvador”.
“Now that he’s been confirmed healthy, he gets the honor of staying in El Salvador’s custody,” the president added.
Mr Ábrego García was living in Maryland, before he was deported on 15 March with scores of Salvadorans and Venezuelans to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (Cecot) in El Salvador.
Maryland Judge Paula Xinis ruled that Mr Ábrego García’s removal from the country breached a 2019 court order that had granted him legal protection from deportation.
The US Supreme Court last week partially upheld the lower court ruling, finding that the Trump administration must “facilitate” Mr Ábrego García’s release.
The administration was ordered to give daily updates on these efforts.
Trump administration officials have conceded the deportation was an “administrative error”, although the White House insists there was no mistake.
The Republican president’s allies have argued the deportation is making good on his campaign promise to keep Americans safe.
They have cited a restraining order filed by Mr Ábrego García’s wife on 5 May 2021, in which she alleged four instances of domestic violence against her by him.
Ms Vasquez Sura told Newsweek on Wednesday that she and her husband had worked through their difficulties, including by counselling.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday: “He [Mr Ábrego García] will never live in the United States of America.”
She was joined by the mother of a Maryland woman, Rachel Morin, who was murdered in August 2023 by an alleged fugitive from El Salvador, in a separate case.
US President Donald Trump has suggested Buckingham Palace is “setting a date for September” for his second state visit to the UK.
The president told reporters in the White House on Thursday evening: “I was invited by the King and the country – great country.”
It comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer handed Trump an invitation letter from King Charles in February during his visit to Washington. Buckingham Palace is yet to confirm a date for the state visit.
Trump was hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II during his previous three-day state visit in 2019, which took place during his first term in office.
Traditionally second-term US presidents are not offered a state visit and have instead been invited for tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle.
King Charles’ letter proposed a meeting to discuss details of the state visit at either Dumfries House or Balmoral, both in Scotland, a country to which Trump has connections.
Trump’s mother was born and brought up on the Hebridean island of Lewis. This year he is planning to open a new golf course in Aberdeenshire, to be named after his mother.
Speaking on Thursday, Trump said: “They’re going to do a second, as you know, a second fest… that’s what it is: a fest, and it’s beautiful, and it’s the first time it’s ever happened to one person.
“And the reason is we have two separate terms, and it’s an honour… I’m a friend of Charles, I have great respect for King Charles and the family, William, we have really just a great respect for the family.
“And I think they’re setting a date for September.”
There has been no official confirmation from Downing Street, but if confirmed, the visit will be seen as an important way to strengthen relations with Washington, amid its ongoing trade war.
Starmer – who is looking to complete a trade deal with the US and remove recently imposed tariffs on the UK – previously said the invite for the second visit was “truly historic” and “unprecedented”.
During the UK prime minister’s visit to the White House in February, Trump showed cameras the contents of the King’s letter.
It read: “Quite apart from this presenting an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest, it would also offer a valuable chance to plan a historic second state visit to the United Kingdom.
“As you will know this is unprecedented by a US president. That is why I would find it helpful for us to be able to discuss, together, a range of options for location and programme content.
“In so doing, working together, I know we will further enhance the special relationship between our two countries of which we are both so proud.”
BJP MLA and former Madhya Pradesh minister Usha Thakur has slammed those voting on the basis of money, liquor and gifts and asserted that such persons who sell democracy will be reborn as camels, sheep, goats, dogs and cats.
A video of her purported remarks, made at a meeting on Wednesday in Hasalpur village in her Mhow assembly constituency, went viral on social media, prompting the opposition Congress to slam the MLA for her “conservative thinking”.
“Thousands of rupees come into the accounts of every beneficiary through so many schemes of the BJP government, like Ladli Behna Yojana and Kisan Samman Nidhi. Even after that, if votes are sold for 1,000-500 (rupees), then it is a matter of shame for humans,” she said while urging people to protect democracy.
Referring to the secrecy of one’s ballot, Thakur said God was watching, adding that “do not lose your integrity while casting your vote”.
“Those who became neutral after taking money, saree, glass, and liquor, write it down in your diary that they are definitely going to become camels, sheep, goats, dogs and cats in the next birth. Those who will sell democracy are going to become these only. Write this down. I have a direct conversation with God, believe me,” she said.
Thakur, who has been in the news earlier for such statements, asserted that one must only vote for the BJP, which serves the nation, religion and culture.
Asked about these remarks, Thakur told PTI she was trying to spread awareness among rural voters.
“Democracy is our life. The government runs many schemes to improve the lives of people as per the provisions of the Constitution. It serves the public all 12 months of the year. In such a situation, if a person sells his vote for money, liquor or other material in any situation during elections, then it is an unpardonable crime,” the MLA opined.
“We get the next life on the basis of our deeds. If our deeds are bad, then we will not be reborn as humans,” she said defending her remarks.
MP Congress spokesperson Mrinal Pant said Thakur’s statement not only shows her “conservative thinking” but also points towards the internal tussle among BJP leaders in Mhow.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested a terrorist involved in attacks in Punjab, Harpreet Singh, in the U.S. on Friday (April 18, 2025). The FBI said that Harpreet Singh is linked to two international terrorist groups and entered the U.S. illegally.
According to the FBI, he used burner phones to evade capture. In a post shared on X, FBI Sacramento stated, “Today, Harpreet Singh, an alleged terrorist responsible for terror attacks in Punjab, India, was arrested by the FBI and ERO in Sacramento. Linked to two international terrorist groups, he entered the U.S. illegally and used burner phones to evade capture.”
Babbar Khalsa International | Tentacles of Khalistan
On March 23, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheeted four terror operatives of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist organisation in the 2024 Chandigarh grenade attack case. The chargesheeted accused include Pakistan-based Designated Individual Terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, and US-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia.
The two terrorists were the primary handlers and conspirators behind the attack. They had provided logistical support, terror funds, weapons, and ammunition to India based on-ground operatives in Chandigarh for executing the grenade attack. The September 2024 attack was intended to target a retired officer of Punjab Police, who the assailants believed to be the occupant of the house.
Investigations revealed that Rinda, along with Happy Passia, had orchestrated the conspiracy to strike terror among law enforcement officials and general public through the grenade attack, as part of the broader aim to promote BKI’s terrorist agenda. They had recruited local operatives, namely Rohan Masih and Vishal Masih, who were tasked with carrying out the attack under their direct instructions. Rinda and Happy directed the other accused, Rohan Masih and Vishal Masih, to conduct reconnaissance on the target twice before hurling the grenade, investigations revealed.
Chandigarh police nab man for hurling grenade at house, say BKI and ISI are involved
In the chargesheeted filed before the Special NIA Court, Chandigarh in the case RC15/2024/NIA/DLI, all four accused persons have been charged under multiple sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosive Substances Act, and other related provisions, for their roles in planning and supporting the attack.
Investigations in the case are continuing and NIA is trying to track down other members of the BKI terror group and dismantle its network in India. Earlier in December last year, the Punjab Police has dismantled a Pakistan-ISI-backed terror module being operated by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), being operated by Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia and Shamsher alias Honey with the arrest of its five members including mastermind Abhijot Singh involved in lobbying hand-grenade at two police establishments in Batala and Gurdaspur.
The U.S. has informed the global trade body WTO that the decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium, was based on national security grounds and should not be considered as safeguard measures, according to a communication.
The U.S. shared this response with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after India requested consultations under the WTO’s Safeguards Agreement on April 11 with America.
U.S. remains India’s largest trading partner for fourth consecutive year in 2024 -25: Government data
India has said that notwithstanding the USA’s characterisation of these measures as security measures, they are in essence safeguard measures.
It has also stated that America has failed to notify the WTO Committee on Safeguards under a provision of the Agreement on Safeguards (AoS) on taking a decision to apply safeguard measures.
“The U.S. notes that the premise for India’s request for consultations under Article 12.3 of the Agreement on Safeguards is that the tariffs are safeguard measures…. The (U.S.) President imposed the tariffs on steel and aluminium pursuant to Section 232, under which the President determined that tariffs are necessary to adjust imports of steel and aluminium articles that threaten to impair the national security of the U.S.,” America has said in a communication, dated April 17, to the trade body.
The U.S. also said that Section 232 is a national security statute, and the tariffs are being kept in place under the security exception allowed under a provision of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994.
It added that the tariffs were not imposed under a provision of the Trade Act of 1974, which is the law under which the U.S. imposes safeguard measures.
“The United States is not maintaining these actions pursuant to the safeguards / emergency action provision…These actions are not safeguard measures and, therefore, there is no basis to conduct consultations under the Agreement on Safeguards with respect to these measures,” the U.S. added.
“Accordingly, India’s request for consultations…has no basis in the Agreement on Safeguards,” it said adding “nonetheless, we are open to discuss this or any other issue with India”.
WTO slashes 2025 trade growth forecast, warns of deeper slump
On March 8, 2018, the U.S. promulgated safeguard measures on certain steel and aluminium articles by imposing 25% and 10% ad valorem tariffs respectively. It came into effect from March 23, 2018.
On February 10 this year, the U.S. revised the safeguard measures on imports of steel and aluminium articles, effective from March 12, 2025, and with an unlimited duration, the communication said.
A federal grand jury has indicted Luigi Mangione, who is accused of murdering a UnitedHealth Group executive in New York last year, allowing prosecutors to seek the death penalty in his case, according to court filings on Thursday.
Mangione, 26, is already facing state murder and weapons charges in New York, which does not have the death penalty. The federal indictment does not include new charges but raises the stakes for Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to the state charges.
Also Read | Prosecutors charge suspect with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO as an act of terrorism
Mangione’s lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan declined to comment.
The indictment means that a grand jury found probable cause to charge Mangione with murder, stalking and firearms offenses. A hearing in the federal case is scheduled for Friday in Manhattan federal court.
Mangione has asked a judge to prevent federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty. His lawyers in a filing last week said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s April 1 announcement that prosecutors would seek the death penalty was “unapologetically political” and breached government protocols for death penalty decisions.
If that bid fails and Mangione is convicted in the federal case, the jury would determine in a separate phase of the trial whether to recommend the death penalty. Any such recommendation must be unanimous, and the judge would be required to impose it.
Brian Thompson, the deceased CEO of UnitedHealth’s insurance division, was shot dead on December 4 outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where the company was gathering for an investor conference.
The brazen killing of Thompson and ensuing five-day manhunt captivated Americans.
While public officials condemned the killing, some Americans have cheered Mangione, saying he drew attention to steep U.S. healthcare costs and the power of health insurers to refuse payment for some treatments. Mangione is currently being held in federal lockup in Brooklyn.
A powerful and rare spring snowstorm struck the Alps on Thursday, dumping over a metre of snow in just a few hours and causing widespread disruption across France, Italy, and Switzerland. Authorities in all three countries responded by closing roads, cancelling trains, and urging residents to stay indoors. At least one death has been reported. In Italy’s Piedmont region, firefighters found the body of a 92-year-old man inside his flooded home. In the French resort of Val Thorens, a woman went into cardiac arrest after being caught in an avalanche. In France, resorts such as Tignes and Val Thorens were temporarily closed due to high avalanche risk. In Tignes, more than 1.1 metres of snow fell overnight, prompting officials to order a lockdown. “All cars are covered up to the roof,” said Mathis, a hotel employee. “Just walking outside is worrying.”
Alps Are Freezing ! ❄️ Homes & Cars Buried Under Mountains of Snow | France, Switzerland, Italy
Similar scenes were reported in Sion, Switzerland, where all 36,000 residents were told to stay home. Roads in several regions were shut due to fallen trees and avalanche dangers. The Mont Blanc tunnel, a key route between France and Italy, was closed to heavy trucks, causing traffic jams and leaving dozens of lorries stuck on the A43 highway. Trains were also cancelled, and around 3,300 homes in France’s Savoy region lost power. In Milan, parks were shut due to flooding and strong winds. While snow in April is not unusual, the volume and intensity of this storm took many by surprise. Retired ski instructor Yann Geaudry told news agency AFP that once the sun returns, melting snow could quickly trigger flooding in lower areas.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday said that eliminating trade barriers within the country would deliver greater economic benefits than anything US President Donald Trump could undermine through his ongoing war, as he made his case for re-election in the final debate before the April 28 vote. He also termed Trump as a “biggest risk” to Canada, which came in the backdrop of his aggressive tariff policies and continuous assertion to add Canada as “51st state” of US. Carney, who assumed office last month after Justin Trudeau’s resignation, has set a July 1 target to establish free trade among Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories. He said the country’s long-standing internal trade barriers have stifled economic potential for decades and that a breakthrough agreement is already in place. “We can give ourselves far more than Donald Trump can ever take away,” Carney said during the debate. “We can have one economy. This is within our grasp.” Framing the US president as a threat to Canada’s sovereignty and prosperity, Carney said the country is facing “the greatest crisis of our lifetimes” and described Trump’s economic tactics as endangering the very existence of Canada. He defended his government’s retaliatory tariffs against US goods, saying they are impacting Americans “where it hurts,” and signalled readiness to negotiate a new bilateral trade agreement with Trump’s administration immediately following the election. “The biggest risk we have to face is Donald Trump. We’ve got to get that right,” Carney said. “I jumped into politics now because I believe I’m best placed to address what I called the Trump crisis in this perilous moment.” Carney’s rise to leadership came swiftly after Trudeau stepped down amid declining approval ratings, rising living costs, and mounting public pressure. Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Carney won the Liberal leadership and became prime minister within weeks. Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre sought to redirect voter frustration toward the Liberal government’s record, arguing that a fourth term would mean more economic hardship for Canadians. “We can’t afford a fourth Liberal term of rising housing costs,” Poilievre said, accusing the governing party of hostility toward the energy sector. He pledged to roll back what he called “anti-energy laws, red tape and high taxes.” But Carney used Trudeau’s absence to distance himself from the previous government. “It may be difficult, Mr Poilievre, you spent years running against Justin Trudeau and the carbon tax and they are both gone,” he said. “I am a very different person than Justin Trudeau.” Carney’s leadership and combative stance against Trump appear to have resonated with voters. In January, a Nanos poll had the Conservatives leading the Liberals by 27 percentage points. The latest poll released Thursday shows the Liberals ahead by five points, a dramatic reversal in just three months. The January survey had a margin of error of 3.1 points; the latest poll’s margin is 2.7. Trump’s trade measures and inflammatory remarks, including a veiled threat to turn Canada into the “51st state”, have stirred a wave of Canadian nationalism that has boosted Liberal support heading into the election.
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