Earthquake Tremors Felt In Delhi, Second Time This Week

NEW DELHI, July 11: Tremors were felt in Delhi after an earthquake of magnitude 3.7 struck Haryana Friday evening. The epicentre of the earthquake was at Jhajjar. This was the second earthquake to hit Haryana in two days, sending tremors across Delhi and its neighbouring areas.

The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km at 7.49 pm, the National Centre for Seismology said. Tremors were also felt in Haryana's Rohtak and Bahadurgarh districts.

Last morning, a 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck near Jhajjar, sending tremors across the Delhi-NCR region.

The national capital is prone to earthquakes as it is located in the Seismic Zone IV. According to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, this zone has a fairly high seismicity where earthquakes generally occur in the range of 5-6 magnitude, and even 7-8 occasionally. The zoning, however, is a continuous process that keeps changing.

Seismicity in North India, including the Himalayas, is due to the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate. These colliding plates flex and store energy like a spring, and when the plate's margin finally slips to release energy, an earthquake results.

Bihar Survey To Continue, Top Court Suggests These 3 IDs Must Be Considered

NEW DELHI, July 10: Aadhaar, ration cards, and an identity card issued by the Election Commission itself should be considered as valid documents to re-verify voters' identities - a process that has been allowed to continue - ahead of the Bihar election this year, the Supreme Court observed Thursday.

"In our opinion it will be in the interest of justice if these three are included," the court said.

The observation came after a high-stakes hearing over a 'special intensive revision' of the state's electoral roll, an exercise criticised as "arbitrary" and "discriminatory" in forcing only voters registered after 2003 to to re-verify themselves and to do so without using common government IDs like the Aadhaar or even the poll panel's own Electoral Photo Identity Card.

Approached by a clutch of petitioners - including the Association for Democratic Reforms and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, who said she feared a similar exercise before the election in Bengal next year - the court also asked three important questions of the poll panel.

These included asking the EC to explain which section of the law - the Representation of Peoples Act - allowed it to conduct this exercise. "There is either 'summary revision' or 'intensive revision'. Where is 'special intensive revision'?" the poll panel was asked.

Explain the panel's authority to conduct a 'special intensive revision',
Explain the validity of the review procedure, and
Explain the timing of the exercise, i.e., just before an election.

The EC was also asked why it had linked this exercise to the 2025 Bihar election, another red flag by petitioners who said a voter list revision could not take place months before polling.

These questions will hopefully be answered when the court re-convenes July 28.

Earlier today the court indicated the problem was not with a revision of the voter list but the timing, and said it had "serious doubts" over the EC's ability to complete the task - without excluding genuine voters and allowing individuals the right to appeal - in time for the election.

"Your exercise is not the problem... it is the timing. We have serious doubts if you can manage this exercise. With such a big population (an estimated eight crore people) being subject to this 'intensive review', is it possible to link this to the forthcoming election?" the court asked.

"... a person will be disenfranchised ahead of the election and s/he won't have the time to defend the exclusion before voting," Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia noted.

"There is nothing wrong in this intensive process so non-citizen do not remain on rolls... but it should be de hors (i.e., conducted separately from) this election," Justice Joymala Bagchi said.

During the hearing the petitioners and the court questioned the decision to disallow government IDs like Aadhaar, PAN (Permanent Account Number) and the poll panel's own card.

The court pointed out the EC's enumeration (exercise) is tied to the identity of an individual, i.e., whether s/he is, in fact, a citizen of India and resident of Bihar and, therefore, should be allowed to vote. "... the entire exercise is primarily about identity only. We feel Aadhaar should have been there (on the list of approved government-issued IDs)," the Supreme Court had observed.

Responding to the arguments, the EC pointed out the Aadhar is not, technically, proof of citizenship because certain foreign nationals can also be issued the ID. "It is not a proof of certain things... it is only a proof of identity. Each document has a purpose and for this purpose the Aadhaar is not usable."

Dwivedi rejected the court saying other governemnt IDs, such as a caste certificate, are "based on Aadhaar". So how can caste certificate be accepted and Aadhaar rejected, the court asked.

"Issue of a caste certificate is not based only on Aadhaar... Aadhar is not proof of citizenship or domicile. If someone objects that a person is not who s/he claims to be, then Aadhar can be used."

On the overall need for a 'special intensive revision', Dwivedi said, "Some petitions say around 1.1 crore persons have died and another 70 lakh have migrated. That itself makes a case for intensive revision."

The EC also insisted, in response to the court asking questions about appeals against disenfranchisement, that all those whose names had been removed would get a chance to explain.

The Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal - key members of the opposition Mahagathbandhan bloc - have been vocal in their critique of the voter list revision, arguing it seeks to exclude sone voters and favour the ruling alliance.

That point was mentioned today by senior advocate Vrinda Grover, who said, "This is not an ordinary exercise... it is designed to exclude the poor, the migrant labourer, and vulnerable sections of society.

Delhi Tremors As 4.4 Earthquake Hits Haryana

NEW DELHI, July 10: Strong tremors were felt in Delhi and other parts of the National Capital Region (NCR) as an earthquake struck in Haryana's Jhajjar district. The estimated magnitude of the quake was around 4.4 on the Richter scale, which measures the magnitude of earthquakes. According to the National Institute of Seismology, the earthquake's depth was 10 km.

In several areas of Delhi, residents left their homes after fans and other household items swayed after the quake struck at 9.04 am. The tremors were also felt in office areas in Noida and Gurugram, as computer systems shook and some professionals stepped out of their offices.

In Haryana, tremors were felt in Gurugram, Rohtak, Dadri and Bahadurgarh. Tremors were also felt as far as Meerut and Shamli in western Uttar Pradesh, about 200 km from the epicentre in Jhajjar.

People took to social media to post about the earthquake and how they responded to it, many of them underlined how long it felt.

As soon as the earthquake struck, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) put out an advisory. It asked people not to panic, run outside and take the stairs while doing so. NDRF also had a piece of advice for those driving when the quake hits: pull over at an open space.

Earthquakes are not unusual in Delhi due to its geographic location. According to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, seismicity in north India, including the Himalayas, is due to the collision between the Indian tectonic plate with the Eurasian plate. "These colliding plates flex, storing energy like a spring, and when the plate's margins finally slip to release energy, an earthquake results," the DDMA explains.

Delhi is located in Seismic Zone 4, which has a higher risk of earthquakes. The national capital is located near several active fault lines, including Delhi-Haridwar Ridge, the Sohna Fault, the Delhi-Moradabad Fault, and the Mahendragarh-Dehradun Fault.

Since 1720, the city has been rocked by at least five earthquakes above 5.5 magnitude on the Richter scale, according to reports.

11 killed, several hurt in Gujarat bridge collapse

AHMEDABAD, July 9: 11 people have been killed and several hurt in the Gambhira bridge collapse in Gujarat. "Most passengers in the vehicles could not be saved. Two trucks, a car, a pick-up van and some bikes fell into the river as the bridge collapsed," said a fisherman, who was close to the bridge.

Out of the people confirmed dead so far, six have been identified -- Vaidik Padiyar (45), Naitik Padiyar (45), Hasmukh Parmar (32), Ramesh Padiyar (32), Wakhasingh Jadhav (26) and Praveen Jadhav (26).

The Gambhira bridge collapse is another example of administrative apathy claiming lives. This bridge has been in operation since 1985 -- 40 years ago -- and was a disaster waiting to happen.

Following a recommendation from local BJP MLA Chaitanyasinh Zala, the state government approved the construction of a new bridge. A survey was conducted and plans to build the new bridge were afoot. The Gambhira bridge was repaired and kept open to traffic. Local residents have said the bridge shook dangerously when vehicles crossed it.

Targeting the state government over the incident, Opposition Congress said it reflects the "corruption and decay behind the Gujarat Model". "In this accident, several vehicles fell into the river, resulting in tragic deaths and injuries. The Congress family expresses deep condolences and prays for the speedy recovery of the injured," the Congress said in a social media post. The party also alleged "rampant corruption" in the state's infrastructure projects.

Senior Congress MLA Amit Chavda said the Opposition had repeatedly raised the condition of the bridge with the state government. "No steps were taken. The responsibility of today's incident and the deaths lies with the state government. Gujarat has several old, damaged bridges, but the state government is not taking any concrete steps," he said.

Elon Musk's X says ‘deeply concerned’ about ‘press censorship’ in India after Reuters accounts blocked

NEW DELHI, July 8: Elon Musk-owned social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday expressed deep concern about “ongoing press censorship” in India, days after global news agency Reuters' account was 'withheld' in the country.

X's Global Government Affairs account has claimed that last week, on July 3, Indian government ordered the social media platform to block 2,355 accounts in the country, including that of Reuters “under Section 69A of the IT Act.” It added that non-compliance to the order “risked criminal liability”.

Elon Musk's X also claimed that India's IT ministry demanded that social media platform to adhere to the order “within an hour” and did not provide any “justification” for the move.

“The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology demanded immediate action- within one hour- without providing justification, and required the accounts to remain blocked until further notice,” the post read.

The Indian government requested to unblock the accounts of Reuters and Reuters World after “public outcry”, it added.

X expressed deep concern over the move and said that it is exploring all legal options possible.

“We are deeply concerned about ongoing press censorship in India due to these blocking orders. X is exploring all legal options available. Unlike users located in India, X is restricted by Indian law in its ability to bring legal challenges against these executive orders. We urge affected users to pursue legal remedies through the courts," it said.

Day after Reuters' accounts were withheld in India, an official spokesperson of the IT ministry had said that there is no requirement from the government to withhold Reuters’ handle, and that they were “continuously working with X to resolve the problem.”

Some people within the ministry, who were aware of the matter, said that it seemed the accounts were withheld due to some “technical issue”.

Apart from Reuters, accounts of other international news agencies such as Turkey’s TRT World and China’s Global Times News were also not visible in India since Saturday evening. However, all the accounts were restored within 24 hours.

The Indian government has denied issuing any fresh orders for blocking X accounts of Reuters on July 3 and added that as soon as the accounts were withheld in India, the government wrote to X ‘immediately’ to unblock them.

“The Government has not issued any fresh blocking order on 3rd July, 2025 and has no intention to block any prominent international News Channels including Reuters and ReutersWorld. The moment Reuters and ReutersWorld were blocked on X platform in India, immediately the government wrote to ‘X’ to unblock them. The Government continuously engaged and vigorously pursued with ‘X’ from the late night of 5th July 2025,” said an official spokesperson of the government.

It also added that X did not unblock the URLs and “un-necessarily exploited technicalities around the process”.

“However, after lot of follow up on hourly basis, X has finally unblocked Reuters and other URLs after 9 pm on 6th July 2025. They took more than 21 hours to unblock Reuters,” the statement added.

Khalistani Terrorist Behind 16 Punjab Blasts Being Brought To India From US

NEW DELHI, July 7: US-based Khalistani terrorist Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, who was arrested in April and sent to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, is now being brought to India, according to sources.

Singh is wanted in connection with at least 16 terror attacks across Punjab and is alleged to have collaborated with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

Singh, who has also carried out hand grenade attacks on police stations, faces more than 30 criminal cases.

A resident of Amritsar, Punjab, Singh was arrested in the US on April 17 by teams of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the ICE.

India's anti-terror agency, National Investigation Agency (NIA), had announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on Singh.

'India's Interest More Important, Not Deadline': Piyush Goyal On US Trade Talks

NEW DELHI, July 4: India is in no hurry to finalise any major trade deal on the basis of a deadline, but will agree on a decision if it is a win-win for both parties, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said today. His comments come as India and the US are likely at the final stages of an interim trade deal.

The Union Minister highlighted India's approach to international trade negotiations remains firm and principled.

While India is seeking greater market access for its labour-intensive goods, the US wants duty concessions for its agricultural products. These talks are important as the suspension of US reciprocal tariffs is ending on July 9. The two sides are looking at finalising the talks before that.

"It should be a win-win agreement, and only when India's interests are safeguarded - national interest will always be supreme - and keeping that in mind, if a good deal is formed, India is always ready to engage with developed countries," he said on the sidelines of the 16th Toy Biz B2B expo in Delhi.

"Discussions are ongoing with various countries -- be it the European Union, New Zealand, Oman, the US, Chile, or Peru. Talks about agreements are underway with many nations," he said.

"A free-trade agreement is only possible when there is mutual benefit. India never enters into trade deals based on deadlines or time pressure. A deal is accepted only when it is fully matured, well-negotiated, and in the national interest," Goyal added.

Goyal's sentiment has parallels to what External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar once said about buying Russian oil amid threat of sanctions by the West over the war in Ukraine, that India will buy from anyone who sells oil for the best possible price or a better deal for the country in the interest of its citizens.

Other experts have also said that the India-US interim trade deal is intended to be a true win-win negotiation and an agreement that will endure and one that will be built on in a broader mega deal.

The interim trade deal is expected to be announced anytime and will have to navigate sensitive issues linked to agriculture, no matter what the deal may look like.

Kolkata Student Given Inhaler So She Could Be Raped: Lawyer In Court

KOLKATA, July 1: The Kolkata rape survivor was not given an inhaler when she suffered a panic attack out of concern for her, but so she could recover and be brutalised, the public prosecutor has informed a court in the city.

The 24-year-old law student was allegedly raped at the South Calcutta Law College in Kolkata's Kasba area on June 25 by Monojit Mishra, a 31-year-old former student of the college. Two students, identified as 19-year-old Zaib Ahmed and 20-year-old Pramit Mukhopadhyay, and a security guard are the other accused, and all four have been arrested.

In her complaint, the student had said she suffered a panic attack before the assault on her and Mishra, asked one of the other accused to get an inhaler for her. She used the inhaler, felt better and tried to escape, but she was dragged to the security guard's room and allegedly raped by Mishra as Ahmed and Mukhopadhyay recorded the act.

During a hearing in a Kolkata court seeking 10-day police custody of the accused, the public prosecutor said the survivor's allegations are being confirmed through medical and electronic evidence.

"First, the survivor was brutally assaulted. When her health deteriorated, she was given an inhaler. The inhaler was not given so that she could recover, but so that she could be brutalised again as soon as she recovered," the prosecutor said.

Making his case for 10-day custody, the prosecutor said the investigation is still incomplete and many other aspects are being probed.

The defence lawyer, appearing for Mishra and the two students, however, argued that his clients were cooperating fully. Asking whether the survivor's phone had been seized and call detail records had been collected, the lawyer called the case a conspiracy against his clients.

The court granted the Kolkata Police custody of Mishra and the two students till July 8, and of the security guard till Friday.

After photos were shared of Mishra with senior members of the party, including Abhishek Banerjee, who is an MP and nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, the Trinamool Congress had admitted that he was linked to its student wing, but stressed that this would not come in the way of him getting the strictest possible punishment.

A former student of the South Calcutta Law College also said on Tuesday that everyone was afraid of Mishra and that he had been involved in several other crimes as well. Mishra had graduated from the college, but returned as a contractual employee.

"In 2019, he sexually harassed a woman in college and tore her clothes. In 2024, he beat up a security guard and vandalised college property. He was also involved in some kind of theft. There have been several complaints against him, but nobody took any action because of his political influence," the former student said.

"I don't think there is any girl in college who wasn't harassed by him. There were many complaints. Even his parents disowned him," she added.

Telangana pharma plant blast toll rises to 36

PASHAMYLARAM (Sangareddy dist), July 1: The death toll from Monday's devastating explosion at Sigachi Industries' dryer unit in Sangareddy, Telangana has risen to 36, making it one of the worst industrial disasters in recent memory. Seventeen people remain missing, and the dealth toll is expected to rise further.

The explosion occurred shortly after the morning shift began on Monday, when approximately 143 workers were present in the factory. The blast claimed the life of Vice President EL Elangovan, who was responsible for attendance and had just entered the building when the explosion occurred. His death initially created confusion about the exact number of people present during the tragedy.
Of the 143 workers on site, 57 have been located and confirmed safe, while 34 injured workers are receiving treatment at various hospitals. Several remain in critical condition.

Of the 36 confirmed deaths, only six victims have been identified so far. Authorities are struggling to establish the identities of the remaining victims and have resorted to DNA profiling for identification. The factory employed 189 people, with a majority hailing from other states.

Official sources indicated that the missing persons may have been either burned beyond recognition or trapped under debris.