In a shocking development, a bomb threat email was sent to 40 private schools across Bengaluru on Friday. Taking no chances, the police and personnel from other relevant departments rushed to the schools and launched a combing operation after evacuating the students.

The development has shocked parents and created confusion in the vicinity of the schools. The threatening email was sent to several schools, including those in RR Nagar and Kengeri.

Along with the police, the bomb disposal squad and dog squads also arrived at the schools and were carrying out checks and inspections.

Many schools in Delhi's Dwarka got bomb threats on Friday, making it yet another instance to rock the national Capital. The security establishment went into a tizzy and all investigations were started on a war footing as the authorities refused to take a chance with the safety and security of children.

According to the police the bomb threat came from one email only and five schools in the city were copied into it. The schools that got the threat were St. Thomas School near Sector 19 in Dwarka, Delhi International School Edge, Sector 18 A, Dwarka, Central Academy School, Sector 10 Dwarka, G.D. Goneka School Sector 17, Dwarka and Modern International School, Sector 19 in Dwarka.

The bomb threat sent the school administrations, students and parents into a state of panic and the schools were emptied of all people and staff and some of the schools announced that they would take classes in online mode to ensure the safety of the students.

In a remarkable success, Border Security Force (BSF) troops on Thursday recovered 8.6 kg of heroin along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab's Ferozepur sector.

The BSF Punjab Frontier said a thorough search of the suspected area by the BSF troops in the wee hours resulted in the recovery of 15 packets of suspected heroin of 8.6 kg.

The recovery was made from an agricultural field near the border village of Bhanewala in Ferozepur district.

Each narcotics packet was wrapped in yellow adhesive tape with an iron hook and illuminating device attached.

A two-and-a-half-year-old girl died after a wall of an under-construction building fell on her in the Pithampur area in Indore, police said on Thursday.

The deceased was identified as Sakshi Thakur.

Shashi's father also suffered a head injury in the incident and is admitted to a hospital.

When the man-daughter duo was asleep, the under-construction wall adjacent to their home collapsed due to heavy rain.

A huge chunk of concrete fell on her chest when Shashi was sleeping, causing her immediate death.

The tragic incident occurred in Tarpur village in the Pithampur area on Wednesday evening.

Shashi's mother Durga Thakur told police that her daughter was sleeping, and her husband, who had returned from work, was also lying down for rest.

 A government-led eviction drive in the Paikan Reserve Forest under the Krishnai Range in Assam’s Goalpara district turned violent on Thursday, leaving one person dead and another seriously injured.

The incident occurred after police allegedly opened fire on a group of residents resisting the operation.

The joint drive, carried out by the Assam Police and the Forest Department, aimed to clear over 140 hectares of encroached land within the 711-hectare Paikan Reserve Forest.

Tensions flared when residents of Bidyapara and Betbari -- two densely populated localities within the forest area -- allegedly confronted the eviction team with stones and sticks.

According to officials, the violence began when a large crowd attempted to halt the eviction process by attacking police personnel and damaging an excavator.

Indore has once again emerged as India's cleanest city, securing the top spot in the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 for the eighth consecutive year.

The results of the Central government's annual cleanliness survey were announced in New Delhi, where President Droupadi Murmu conferred the awards at a ceremony organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs at Vigyan Bhawan.

Surat and Navi Mumbai followed Indore, grabbing second and third positions, respectively, reaffirming their strong performance in urban sanitation.

In the 3–10 lakh population category, Noida secured the top spot as the cleanest city, with Chandigarh coming in second and Mysuru ranking third.

In a tragic incident, a 13-year-old boy was electrocuted while trying to retrieve his footwear from the school's rooftop in Kerala on Thursday.

Just before classes began at the state-supported Boys School, Thevelekkara, the schoolchildren were playing on the ground when the footwear of a student got stuck on top of a roof.

The electric line was passing over the roof where the footwear was lying.

Mithun, a Class 8 student, climbed onto the top of the roof but slipped and came in contact with a live electric wire.

Despite the best efforts, Mithun's life could not be saved.

In a tragic incident, a 25-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide in Uttar Pradesh's Balia District on Thursday.

Acting on the information about the suicide, a police team and a forensic team rushed to the spot and found the body of the young woman hanging with a dupatta from the ceiling.

Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Jha said the body of the woman has been sent for post-mortem examination.

The police also found a suicide note left at the spot by the deceased who has been identified as Priya Giri, daughter of Surender Giri, a resident of Narsinghpur.

The police said that the cause of the death of the woman will be confirmed after the post-mortem examination report is received.

The holiest of Sikh shrines, Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as Golden Temple here, received bomb threat for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, stepping up security and a search operation by deploying Border Security Force’s bomb squad and the state police.

An email to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) warned of blasts using RDX-filled pipes.

According to the email, explosives like RDX would be placed inside pipes to trigger blasts within the Golden Temple complex.

After the message, security agencies were put on high alert and scanned the entire complex. For the past two days police has been deployed in strength for intensive checking and surveillance being carried out.

In a swift and decisive operation, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Crime Branch, Delhi Police, has arrested a budding gangster Shivam alias Laddu, foiling a possible gangwar incident in the capital’s Jahangirpuri area.

The arrest comes amid heightened tensions between rival gangs operating in North Delhi.

According to Delhi Police, a team led by Inspector Nitesh Kumar and comprising SI Soamya Kulhar, Head Constables Vikrant, Pramod, and Gulshan, acted on a tip-off that Shivam was planning a violent strike to assert his dominance.

He was apprehended from the service road near Sadaiv Atal on July 15. A country-made pistol and two live cartridges were recovered from his possession.

Torrential rains over the past three days have severely affected life in Bihar, causing flooding in many areas and washing away infrastructure.

In Munger’s Haveli Kharagpur, the temporary diversion over the Dangri River near Kachhi Mor on the Kharagpur-Tarapur main road was washed away on Wednesday due to a strong current.

The diversion was being used while a bridge was under construction for the past five to six months.

With the diversion gone, traffic on this crucial route has come to a complete halt, affecting over one lakh people.

Two persons were killed and three others injured in a clash between two groups in Telangana's Peddapalli district on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in Suglampalli village of Sultanabad mandal during a meeting called to resolve a dispute between a man and his wife.

The elders from both sides were holding a meeting for reconciliation when a group attacked the other with knives.

Two died of stab injuries while three others were critically injured. The deceased were identified as Mallesh and Ganesh.

The husband's side alleged that relatives of the woman had brought a hired gang of killers for the meeting.

After the incident, the representatives from the woman's side fled the scene.

छत्तीसगढ़ के बीजापुर ज़िले में हिंसा की एक नई लहर के बीच, मंगलवार को पिलुर गाँव के जंगलों में एक 'शिक्षा दूत' (छत्तीसगढ़ में शिक्षा दूत का अर्थ दूरस्थ और माओवाद प्रभावित क्षेत्रों में कार्यरत शिक्षकों से है) सहित दो लोगों की हत्या कर दी गई।

पीड़ितों में से एक की पहचान स्थानीय शिक्षाकर्मी विनोद माडे के रूप में हुई है, जिसका सोमवार शाम माओवादियों ने कथित तौर पर अपहरण कर लिया था। पुलिस सूत्रों ने बताया कि उसका शव, एक अन्य अज्ञात व्यक्ति के साथ, फरसगढ़ पुलिस थाना क्षेत्र के पास मिला।

माओवादियों की तलाश में पुलिस बल गाँव पहुँच गए हैं।

स्थानीय लोगों का आरोप है कि पुलिस मुखबिरी के संदेह में हत्याएँ की गईं, हालाँकि अधिकारियों की ओर से आधिकारिक पुष्टि अभी बाकी है।

प्रत्यक्षदर्शियों और स्थानीय मीडिया रिपोर्टों के अनुसार, नक्सलियों ने शवों के पास पर्चे छोड़े हैं जिनमें पीड़ितों पर सुरक्षा बलों को सूचना लीक करने का आरोप लगाया गया है।

In a fresh wave of violence in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, two men, including a ‘Shiksha Doot’ (Shiksha Doot in Chhattisgarh refers to teachers working in remote and Maoist-affected areas), were found murdered in the forests of Pilur village on Tuesday.

One of the victims has been identified as Vinod Made, a local education worker who had reportedly been abducted by Maoists on Monday evening. His body, along with that of another unidentified individual, was discovered near the Farasgarh police station area, police sources said.

The police forces have moved to the village in search of Maoists.

Locals allege that the killings were carried out on suspicion of police informant activity, though official confirmation from authorities is still awaited.

Telangana's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested former Engineer-in-Chief of the Irrigation Department, C. Muralidhar Rao, in a disproportionate assets case.

The arrest followed searches at 10 locations in Hyderabad, Karimnagar, and Zaheerabad on Tuesday.

The anti-graft agency conducted raids on the premises of Rao, his family members and relatives.

Rao had served as Engineer-in-Chief for a decade during the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) rule. He was asked to resign in February 2024, following the Vigilance Department investigation into the sinking of piers at the Medigadda barrage, a part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.

Rao retired in 2013 in undivided Andhra Pradesh but got multiple extensions. His arrest by the ACB comes amid the ongoing investigation into the alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project.

Four people were killed and 17 others injured when a vehicle dropped into a deep gorge on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district.

Police said that a tempo traveller vehicle went out of the driver’s control in the Ponda area of the district on the Doda-Bhart road this morning.

“A rescue operation was immediately launched after getting news about the accident. Four passengers died on the spot, while 17 injured passengers were rescued and shifted to the hospital for treatment. The rescue operation has been going on, and further investigations are underway to ascertain the cause of the accident," said officials.

Authorities, including local police, SDRF teams, and volunteers, were immediately pressed into action to carry out rescue and evacuation efforts.

“The condition of some of the injured is stated to be critical, while cognisance of the incident has been taken and further investigation started,” police said.

 A Communist Party of India (CPI) leader was shot dead by unidentified persons in Hyderabad's Malakpet area on Tuesday morning.

The assailants, who came in a car, opened fire on Chandu Nayak, a leader of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and fled the scene. The 47-year-old died on the spot.

The incident occurred near a park around 7 a.m. in Shalivahana Nagar, sending panic through the area. The man was shot dead in front of his wife and son.

The victim, along with his wife and son, was out on a morning walk when the assailants opened fire on him.

Police rushed to the scene and shifted the body to the hospital.

According to police, the assailants opened fire on Chandu Nayak (47). The incident created panic among morning walkers at the park and children who were on their way to school.

As a potential crisis in the supply of essential commodities including petroleum looms large over the state due to the ongoing drivers’ strike, the Odisha Government has formed a dedicated task force to deal with the logistical challenges and ensure the smooth movement of fuel and other critical goods throughout the state.

However, most of the buses and trucks remained off the roads across the state on the third day of the strike by the Odisha Drivers’ Association on Thursday.

The decision regarding the constitution of the task force was taken during a high-level review meeting held under the chairmanship of Minister for Commerce & Transport Department, Bibhuti Bhushan Jena on Wednesday, as per an official statement released on Thursday.

Six more persons, who consumed adulterated toddy, were admitted to hospitals in Hyderabad on Thursday, taking the total number of hospitalised to 37. The condition of four of them is critical.

Six affected persons were brought to hospitals with the complaints of vomiting and diarrhoea.

The tragedy has claimed five lives since Wednesday morning. The victims were all residents of Kukatpally.

According to officials, 31 people were undergoing treatment at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS). The condition of four of them was critical. Doctors said they were on dialysis. The remaining people were stable.

Six people were killed in three separate road accidents in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Thursday.

Three members of a family were killed and six others injured when the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) they were travelling in rammed into a tractor in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.

Two people died on the spot, while a child succumbed at a hospital in the incident near Kalvabugga in Orvakallu mandal.

The flood situation in Assam showed slight improvement on Thursday, with the number of affected districts dropping from six to five.

However, a fresh fatality in Golaghat district pushed this year's flood-related death toll to 30, including six from landslides, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

The latest casualty was reported from the Morongi revenue circle in Golaghat, which remains the worst-hit district with 23,084 affected residents. Rescue operations involving multiple agencies, local administration, and volunteers are underway.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attributed the flooding to heavy rain in upstream areas and assured swift relief efforts.

"Our government is on the ground to assist people with all their needs and ensure swift rescue and rehabilitation," he posted on X.

Mild tremors were felt in several parts of Rajasthan on Thursday morning, triggering panic.

Around 9.04 a.m., the ground shook for nearly 10 seconds in various areas of the National Capital Region (NCR), Jaipur, Sikar, and Jhunjhunu.

Residents reported slight tremors.

According to the National Centre for Seismology, the epicentre of the earthquake was located in Jhajjar, Haryana.

The quake measured 4.4 on the Richter scale and originated 10 kilometres beneath the Earth's surface.

While the tremors were noticeable, the relatively low magnitude reduced the risk of damage.

The Coimbatore District (Rural) Police have launched a major crackdown on narcotics smuggling networks following the seizure of 235 kilograms of ganja

Two individuals were arrested during the operation near Sulur on Wednesday while attempting to smuggle the contraband to Kerala.

Acting on intelligence gathered during the interrogation of suspects in an earlier drug case, a special police team led by Sulur Inspector Lenin Appadurai intercepted a suspicious vehicle at Rayapuram Junction.

The car, bearing registration number TN 06 R 1959, was found to be transporting neatly packed bundles of ganja concealed inside. The arrested men have been identified as Satheesh Kumar, 36, a native of Thoothukudi, and Vedhamani, 27, from Nagapattinam.

During questioning, the duo reportedly confessed to procuring the ganja from Andhra Pradesh and were en route to Kerala to sell the substance. The seized consignment is estimated to be worth around Rs 70 lakh in the illegal market.

Strong tremors from an earthquake were felt across Delhi-NCR on Thursday, causing panic among residents in the National Capital, Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, and other nearby areas.

According to the National Centre for Seismology, the earthquake was measured to be of 4.4 magnitude on the Richter scale. The epicentre was reported to be in Jhajjar, Haryana.

The tremors were felt around 9:04 am and lasted for a minute. The strong tremors sparked panic as people rushed outside their offices and homes.

No casualties or damage have been reported so far, but authorities are closely monitoring the situation.

Following the quake, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) issued an advisory, urging people to follow the 'dos and don'ts' to ensure their and their family's safety before, during and after an earthquake.

An Indian Air Force fighter jet 'Jaguar' crashed in Bhanuda village under the Rajaldesar police station area of Rajasthan's Churu district on Wednesday, reportedly claiming two lives.

Churu SP Jai Yadav confirmed the crash and said police teams have been dispatched to the site.

"Severely mutilated body parts have been recovered near the wreckage," he said.

A massive crater has formed at the crash site, and aircraft debris is scattered across the area.

Eyewitnesses from the village said the aircraft was seen falling from the sky in flames and crashed in a field near Charanan Mohalla on Sikrali Road. Burning parts of the jet were found scattered within a 200-foot radius.

The death toll in the Vadodara bridge collapse mounted to nine, said officials here on Wednesday. Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex gratia compensation to the families of the victims.

The 43-year-old bridge over the Mahisagar River in Gujarat's Vadodara district collapsed early Wednesday morning, killing at least nine people and injuring several others.

PM Modi, expressing grief over the loss of lives, announced ex-gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

One person died and 17 others were taken ill after consuming adulterated toddy in the Kukatpally area of Hyderabad.

Sita Ram (47) died while undergoing treatment at Gandhi Hospital on Wednesday. A native of Wanaparthy district, he was residing in Hydernagar

The affected persons, including four women, were admitted to three different hospitals overnight and the condition of one of them is stated to be critical.

Officials said 15 people were shifted to Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), two to Gandhi Hospital, and one to Prathima Hospital.

These people are believed to have consumed toddy at various shops in Hydernagar in Kukatpally on Sunday and Tuesday. They developed symptoms like low blood sugar, dizziness and diarrhoea. They were initially treated at private hospitals.

The nationwide protest called by 10 central trade unions and their affiliates on Wednesday has affected pockets in West Bengal in the first few hours of the strike, with reports of road and rail blockades surfacing.

Reports also surfaced of scuffles between the police personnel and strikers, as the police resorted to force to move away the strikers trying to block the rail and road. Life in certain areas of the state capital, Kolkata, was also affected following demonstrations.

At Jadavpur in South Kolkata, the strikers burnt tyres on the road. Processions were also brought out in support of the strike in different pockets of the city, like Jadavpur and Ganguly Bagan in South Kolkata and Lake Town in North Kolkata.

Government banks across Rajasthan were closed, and around 11,000 bank employees and officers in the state joined the nationwide strike on Wednesday to press for their demands.

The protest is part of a larger movement by bank employees in support of 17 key demands.

According to Mahesh Mishra, General Secretary of the Rajasthan State Bank Employees Union, major banking associations have supported the strike.

PNB, Bank of India, Indian Bank and Union Bank of India are observing strikes, he said.

Three people were killed and several vehicles fell into the Mahisagar (Mahi) River after a section of the Gambhira-Mujpur bridge in Padra taluka of Gujarat's Vadodara collapsed on Wednesday,

The bridge, which connects the Anand and Vadodara districts, gave way during peak morning traffic hours, resulting in fatalities and injuries to three others.

According to initial reports, four vehicles, including two trucks, a Bolero SUV, and a pickup van, were crossing the bridge when it suddenly crumbled.

Eyewitnesses said a loud cracking noise was heard moments before the vehicles dropped into the river. Fire brigade teams, local police, and members of the Vadodara district administration rushed to the spot and launched immediate rescue operations.

In a major drug bust, the Airport Intelligence Unit (AIU) at Tiruchi International Airport has seized 11.8 kilograms of high-grade hydroponic cannabis.

The seizure was made late Monday night. The narcotics, valued at around Rs 12 crore in the illegal market, were found in the baggage of a passenger who had arrived from Bangkok via Kuala Lumpur.

According to airport customs officials, the interception was based on specific intelligence inputs shared by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The AIU officials acted swiftly upon the arrival of the passenger and detained him for detailed screening and baggage inspection.

During the search, officials discovered 28 neatly packed pouches of hydroponic cannabis -- an advanced, soil-free variety of marijuana grown using nutrient-rich water under controlled conditions, making it far more potent than conventional strains.

The packets were ingeniously concealed within personal belongings to evade detection.

Gujarat witnessed rainfall across 153 talukas in the last 24 hours, though only 12 talukas recorded more than one inch of precipitation. Heavier showers were concentrated in select regions, with Borsad in central Gujarat receiving the highest downpour at 99 mm, said officials on Tuesday.

Godhra followed with 95 mm, while Gandhidham and Mandvi (Kutch) recorded 58 mm and 57 mm respectively. Other talukas with significant rainfall included Khambhalia (49 mm) and Bhachau (48 mm).

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), more rain is on the horizon for parts of the state. As of July 8 morning, Gujarat has received nearly 47 per cent of the average monsoon rainfall, based on the 10-year seasonal benchmark. Gujarat has experienced a robust start to the monsoon season. The state had already received roughly 266-324 mm of rain since June 1, about 37-40 per cent of its seasonal average.

In the wake of a tragic accident involving a school van and a speeding train near Semmanguppam in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district, railway authorities have suspended the gatekeeper for alleged negligence. The officials said two girl students died in the accident.

Earlier reports said that three children died; however, the officials confirmed the death of two students.

The incident, which occurred at around 7.45 a.m., claimed the lives of two students and left several others seriously injured.

The accident took place at an unmanned level crossing near Semmanguppam, where a school van carrying children attempted to cross the tracks despite an approaching train.

Heavy downpour caused yet another tragedy at Bageshwar Dham, the ashram of famous spiritual storyteller Dhirendra Shastri in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district. One devotee died while nearly a dozen were injured after the wall of an old building they were staying in collapsed early on Tuesday.

The wall that collapsed was part of a dharamshala (rest house) in Bageshwar Dham, where the devotees get shelter for overnight stay at minimum charges.

The devotees were sleeping when the tragic incident happened; they were buried under debris.

Upon receiving information, local area police reached the spot and rescued the persons trapped under debris. Injured persons were rushed to a nearby government-run hospital in Chhatarpur.

During the treatment, one woman succumbed to her injuries, according to information.

The death toll in the blast in Sigachi Industries Ltd's manufacturing unit in Pashamylaram near Hyderabad rose to 44 with two injured succumbing on Tuesday.

According to officials, the two workers who passed away were undergoing treatment at two different hospitals in the Sangareddy district.

One of the workers Akhleshwar succumbed at Dhruva Hospital in Sangareddy while Arif breathed his last at Panacea Meridian Hospital near Beeramguda.

Eight injured workers have so far succumbed at hospitals over the last week. Sixteen workers are still undergoing treatment at various hospitals.

A major explosion occurred in the manufacturing plant of Sigachi Industries at Pashamylaram, Patancheru Mandal, Sangareddy district on June 30.

The plant manufactures Microcrystalline Cellulose powder, which is used in tablets and capsules as a binding agent.