Punjab Police have busted a cross-border illegal arms module linked to Pakistan-based smugglers with the arrest of two operatives and recovered six sophisticated pistols from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi (22), and Surjit Singh (35). The latter has a criminal history with several cases, including those registered under the NDPS Act, against him.

In its second major operation in quick succession, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Rajasthan has arrested Raju Ram alias Raju Pilwa, the principal leader of the notorious ‘007 gang’ operating in Jodhpur district, officials said on Wednesday.

A hardcore criminal and history-sheeter of Lohawat police station, Pilwa was carrying a Rs 25,000 reward and had been absconding for a long time. The arrest marks a significant breakthrough against organized crime in western Rajasthan.

Authorities recovered a second body from the Bhadra Canal on Wednesday, the fourth day of the search operation at Arabilichi camp in Bhadravathi taluk of Shivamogga district.

The incident involves four members of the same family, including two women, who drowned in the canal on Sunday. The first body was recovered on Tuesday.

Personnel from the local police, fire and emergency services, and expert diving teams began the search operation soon after the incident.

Security forces in Manipur have arrested seven hardcore militants belonging to different outfits, including a cadre of the NSCN (IM), and busted an inter-state vehicle theft racket during the past 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday.

A senior police official said that seven of the arrested militants belonged to the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), and the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM).

Barely 9 days left for the 40-day-long ‘Chillai Kalan’ to end, people in Kashmir are waiting with bated breath for the weatherman’s forecast of moderate to heavy snowfall beginning Thursday afternoon.

Srinagar city and other plain areas of the Valley are yet to receive this season’s first snowfall. The 40-day-long period of harsh winter cold, known as the ‘Chillai Kalan’, which brings heavy snowfall to sustain various water bodies during the hot summer months, will end on January 30.

Air pollution levels across Delhi-NCR continued to remain alarming on Wednesday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 380 at 8:00 a.m., placing the region firmly in the ‘very poor’ category, according to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Most parts of the national Capital recorded ‘very poor’ air quality, while a few locations slipped into the ‘poor’ category, offering little relief to residents grappling with prolonged pollution.

Forest and Environment officials in Tamil Nadu have described the recent surge in bird activity near Thoothukudi Harbour as a rare and ecologically significant development triggered by this year's heavy rainfall.

According to officials from the Forest Department, the unusually heavy rain has led to large-scale water accumulation in suburban salt pans around Thoothukudi. These salt pans, normally used exclusively for salt production, have temporarily transformed into shallow wetlands, creating ideal habitats for water birds to feed and rest.

AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu on Tuesday said that Punjab Police has formally launched the ‘Gangsters te Vaar’ campaign, marking the beginning of a decisive and large-scale war against organised crime in the state. Addressing a press conference at the party office, Pannu said this campaign reflects the strong political will of the Mann government to completely uproot gangsterism from Punjab.

Reiterating the Aam Aadmi Party government’s resolve to make Punjab crime-free, MLA Kulwant Singh Sidhu said that about 325 days ago, a decisive ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign was launched, under which the police carried out historic action by registering FIRs against 32,000 drug smugglers and putting thousands of criminals behind bars.

As the anger and outrage over the tragic death of a Noida techie continues to build up, the police on Tuesday intensified their action and arrested a builder cum developer for alleged criminal negligence.

The arrest was made by the Knowledge Park police station officials, who were on the hunt for a builder named in an FIR lodged after the demise of a Noida-based software engineer, who died after his car plunged into a pit, dug for the construction of a basement in Sector 150, Noida.

Security forces, in separate operations across Assam, Manipur and Mizoram, have seized heroin worth Rs 4.65 crore and arrested four drug peddlers during the past 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday.

 While the capital city of Jaipur witnessed light drizzle on Tuesday, weather conditions across the rest of Rajasthan remained largely dry. However, moderate to dense fog was recorded at several places in the state, affecting visibility during the early morning hours and indicating changing winter conditions.

According to data from the Meteorological Centre, Jaipur, temperatures showed wide variation across the state. The highest maximum temperature in the last 24 hours was recorded at 30.4 degrees Celsius at Jawai Dam in Pali district, while the lowest minimum temperature stood at 4.6 degrees Celsius in Pali (AWS), showing the continued influence of cold nights despite daytime warmth in some regions.

The minimum temperature dropped to minus 5.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir’s ski resort of Gulmarg as the Meteorological (MeT) Department forecast moderate to heavy rain/snow from January 22 evening.

Srinagar city had a minimum temperature of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam minus 4.4 and Gulmarg minus 5.5.

Delhi-NCR experienced a slight improvement in air quality compared to the previous two days as the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 397, which is categorised as "very poor," according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The AQI decreased from 418 on Monday to 439 on Sunday.

A thin layer of smog still blanketed the National Capital Region, slightly reducing the visibility.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday announced the formal withdrawal of the Northeast Monsoon from Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, and adjoining parts of South India, marking the end of the primary rainy season for the region.

According to an official statement issued by the India Meteorological Department, dry weather conditions are likely to prevail across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal from Monday until January 21.

In yet another hit-and-run incident highlighting road safety concerns in Madhya Pradesh, a rashly driven speeding car struck four pedestrians and a motorbike rider near Yashraj Colony under Dhargaon police station area in Maheshwar tehsil, Khargone, claiming one life and leaving others seriously injured.

Deepak Yadav, investigation officer, said the accident occurred around 9 a.m. on Monday when bike rider A.K. Chand alias Munna Karma (55) was heading to purchase chillies. Suddenly, a car coming from the opposite direction at high speed collided with him and another person, Kailash (52), a resident of Karondiya village.

An earthquake, measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, occurred on Monday with the epicentre in the Leh area of the Ladakh region and the shocks were felt in Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir with varying intensity.

Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the local MET Department, told IANS, "An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale occurred at 11.51 am today with the epicentre in the Leh area of the Ladakh region. “The coordinates of the earthquake were latitude 36.71 north and longitude 74.32 east. It occurred 171 Kms inside the Earth's crust."

The tremors of the earthquake were felt in varying degrees in Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

 A mild earthquake measuring 2.8 on the Richter scale struck New Delhi on Monday morning, causing brief tremors across parts of the national capital.

According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake occurred at around 8:44 a.m., with its epicentre located in North Delhi at a shallow depth of 5 kilometres.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or property damage, and the tremors were described as mild in nature. However, the incident once again highlighted Delhi’s vulnerability to seismic activity due to its geological setting.

Air pollution levels in the National Capital Region (NCR) have shattered previous records over the past few days, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) across the entire NCR, including Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad, slipping into the "severe" category.

The deteriorating air quality has raised serious health concerns as pollution levels continue to remain dangerously high.

While higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir received light snowfall, the plains of the Valley missed the season's first snowfall on Saturday.

Weather officials have forecast moderate to heavy snowfall in the Valley between January 22 and 24.

According to Meteorological Department officials, light to moderate snowfall occurred in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir during the last 12 hours, while the plains did not record any, much to the disappointment of residents waiting for this season's first snowfall.

Delhi Police on Saturday busted an illegal mixing unit of high-end branded liquor and arrested one accused, recovering a huge quantity of illicit liquor along with fake labels and stickers.

According to the West District Police, 14 cartons containing 173 bottles of high-end branded illicit liquor, each with a capacity of 750 ml, were seized. The recovered brands included Gold Label, Glenfiddich, and Glenlivet. In addition, 50 bottle caps, 20 fake labels, and brand stickers of imported liquor were also seized from the spot.

Four people were killed in a horrific road accident in Bihar's Madhepura district on Saturday.

The incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. on the National Highway-106, between BN Mandal University and the power grid area, when a speeding truck collided head-on with a car.

According to the police, the car was damaged in the accident. All four occupants of the car lost their lives due to grievous injuries.

 Just days ahead of the anniversary of the devastating 7.6-magnitude 2001 Gujarat earthquake, a 4.1 magnitude tremor struck Khawda in Gujarat's Kutch district early on Saturday, triggering panic among residents in several areas

According to officials, the epicentre of the earthquake was located around 55 km from Khawda, and the tremor was recorded at 1:22 a.m. on Saturday.

While there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property, the sudden shaking forced people to rush out of their homes in some localities.

Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) woke up to another harsh winter morning on Saturday, with icy temperatures, dense fog and hazardous air quality combining to intensify discomfort across North India.

The cold wave continued unabated for the sixth consecutive day, while pollution levels breached the “severe” category, prompting authorities to reimpose stringent restrictions under Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

A 14-year-old girl was found murdered in Kerala's Malappuram on Friday, sparking widespread shock in the local community.

The body of the Class 9 student was discovered in a bushy area adjoining the railway track between Vaniyambalam and Thodiyapulath.

She had left home for school the previous day but did not return.

With the arrest of one more person by the security forces, the total number of accused apprehended in connection with the bomb explosion at a petrol pump in Manipur’s Bishnupur district has risen to two, officials said on Friday.

A police official said that security forces arrested Pukhrambam Bimol Meitei alias Inaobi (41) from the Lamphel Sana Keithel area under Imphal West district.

Pukhrambam Bimol Meitei, a resident of Kakching district, is an accomplice allegedly involved in causing the explosion at a fuel station at Moirang Thana Leikai in Bishnupur district on January 8.

A 21-year-old man was stabbed to death on Sindhu Farm Road in the Jaitpur police station area of southeast Delhi, said police on Friday.

The deceased has been identified as Krishna Sahu, a resident of Shukra Bazar Road, Hari Nagar Extension.

Officers and staff of Jaitpur Police Station have apprehended two individuals, including one juvenile, in connection with the violent stabbing incident that occurred late on Thursday night (January 15), resulting in the death of one person and injuries to two others.

The minimum temperature showed improvement across Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, attributed to a night of continuous cloud cover. The Meteorological (MeT) office indicated that three consecutive Western Disturbances are expected to bring rain and snow to the union territory.

Sonam Lotus, Director of Ladakh MeT Department, told, “Three Western Disturbances are likely to become active over J&K from January 16 to January 24. The first one is a feeble Western Disturbance and is presently active over J&K and Ladakh. This is likely to bring some rain/snow in the higher reaches, with less chance of rain/snow in the plains."

The air quality deteriorated sharply on Friday morning in Delhi-NCR, with several areas recording Air Quality Index (AQI) levels in the “very poor” category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The worsening pollution coincided with cold wave conditions and dense fog across the city, adding to health and travel concerns.

On the sacred occasion of Maghi, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann visited Sri Muktsar Sahib, where he paid obeisance at Gurdwara Sri Tuti Gandi Sahib and addressed a large public gathering, reiterating the Punjab Government’s position on the tracing of 169 missing saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. On a day deeply rooted in Sikh history and sacrifice, the Chief Minister said the tracing of the saroops was a matter of duty rather than achievement.

Walking barefoot while reciting prayers, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday bowed before Sri Akal Takht Sahib as humble Sikh, devoting the entire day to the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs. Appearing before the Jathedar Sahib at the Akal Takht Secretariat, the Chief Minister offered a detailed clarification on his earlier statements, reiterating that he stands as a humble Sikh with complete faith in the authority of the Sri Akal Takht Sahib, accepts every decision taken by it, and has no question whatsoever of challenging or undermining its supremacy.

Continuing its decisive push towards modern, citizen-first governance, the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government has taken another major step to transform public transport by approving the procurement of Digital Electronic Ticketing Machines across state-run bus services. The initiative reflects the government’s clear focus on leveraging technology to make everyday public services more efficient, transparent and convenient for citizens.

A major incident has come to light from Muzaffarpur district, where a woman and her three minor children were found dead under mysterious circumstances near Chandwara Bridge on the banks of the Gandak River on Thursday.

The area falls under the jurisdiction of the Ahiyapur police station and the victims have been identified as Mamta Kumari, wife of Krishmohan Kumar, and her three minor children — Aditya Kumar (6), Ankush Kumar (4), and Kriti Kumari (2).

Six members of a family were burnt alive at their residence in a devastating fire that broke out early Thursday at Talagna village in Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh, said police.

One family member survived the incident that occurred at around 2 a.m. at the residence of Mohan Singh.

The blaze spread speedily, allowing the trapped people little time to move out to safety.

The Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) continues to grapple with an intense winter spell, as bone-chilling cold wave conditions persist, worsening both weather and air quality across the region. The situation in the national capital remains extremely concerning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing the 350 mark in several areas, placing air quality in the 'very poor' to 'severe' categories.