U.S. Marines Fire Live Munitions As Anti-ICE Protests Erupt In LA Again
In a bombshell interview with Al Jazeera, former Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claimed that Pakistan has no idea where UN-designated terrorist and Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar is suggesting he may be in Afghanistan. Bhutto challenged India to share concrete intelligence if Azhar is on Pakistani soil. He also claimed that Pakistan cannot capture Azhar if even NATO failed to do so in Afghanistan. The startling statement has reignited global scrutiny of Pakistan's counterterrorism stance, given Azhar's role in major terror attacks in India. Bhutto also defended Pakistan's handling of Hafiz Saeed, saying he is in custody, contrary to reports. As Pakistan deflects responsibility, India demands accountability. Is Pakistan sheltering terror masterminds? Or is it simply powerless? Watch the full report.#masoodazhar #bilawalbhutto #pakistanterror #jaishmohammad #hafizsaeed #terrorism #pakistan #operationsindoor #terroristan #pakafghanborder #unbannedterrorists #indiapakconflict #counterterrorismfail #toi #toibharat #bharat #trending #breakingnews #indianews
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Hans India
39 minutes ago
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BBMP, 9 other municipal staff to go on mass leave
Bengaluru: Employees of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) along with staff from nine other municipal corporations across Karnataka have announced that they will go on mass leave on Tuesday, July 8, to press for the fulfilment of various long-pending demands. The employees have decided to gather at Freedom Park in Bengaluru to stage a massive protest. The protesting staff allege that more than 6,000 posts of officers and other employees across various departments in BBMP alone are lying vacant. Due to this, the existing staff are forced to work under tremendous pressure, often managing additional workloads without adequate manpower. In addition, employees have complained that many staff members have been suspended without any prior notice. Several appeals to withdraw such suspensions have gone unanswered, pushing the staff unions to resort to collective action. The protestors have put forth a charter of demands, including the immediate withdrawal of the Logsafe attendance system, which they claim is impractical for non-executive staff like officers, clerks, gardeners, and gangmen. They want BBMP to scrap this system and revert to a simpler attendance process. One of the main demands is the immediate filling up of more than 6,000 vacant posts across BBMP's 225 wards to ease the workload on current have also asked the civic body to stop what they allege are illegal departmental inquiries against BBMP's school principals and headmasters for minor issues under the guise of dereliction of duty. Another demand is that the post of Special Commissioner (Administration) should remain independent and not be attached to any other zone. They want the Special Commissioner (Administration) and Deputy Commissioners (Administration) to strictly follow the powers delegated to them and not dilute the responsibilities of the Chief Commissioner. The employees are also demanding immediate promotions for Assistant Executive Engineers to the post of Executive Engineers and for Executive Engineers to be promoted to Superintending Engineers without delay. Further, they have urged the BBMP to continue its revenue services—such as khata transfers, registrations, bifurcations, and amalgamations—under the e-Aasthi system according to existing norms, without unnecessary changes. The unions want all officers and staff deputed illegally on loan service to be sent back to their parent departments immediately. They have demanded timely promotions for all eligible staff across cadres and extension of state government health schemes and medical benefits to BBMP employees as well. Additionally, the service seniority list of all officers and employees must be finalized and published without delay. The protestors have also raised the issue of health supervisors in BBMP's health department. These 'B' group officers should be given necessary user ID and password access for licensing duties, they say. They have also demanded the immediate scrapping of the posts of marshals appointed illegally within BBMP limits. Apart from BBMP staff in Bengaluru, employees of Hubballi-Dharwad, Tumakuru, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Davanagere, Mysuru and Belagavi municipal corporations have also extended their support and will join the mass leave and protest. Employee unions have warned that if their demands are not met, they will intensify the agitation in the coming days, potentially affecting civic administration in multiple cities across the state.
Indian Express
42 minutes ago
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Kin of Punjab farmer who crossed over to Pakistan seeks MEA's intervention
The family of a 23-year-old Ferozepur farmer, who inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan a fortnight ago, urged the Union External Affairs ministry Saturday to ensure his safe return to India at the earliest. Amritpal Singh, from Khaire ke Uttar village in Punjab's Ferozepur district, went missing along the India-Pakistan border on June 21. He had gone to tend his farmland located across the barbed fencing near Border Outpost (BOP) Rana under Border Security Force supervision. He failed to return before the gate was scheduled to close around 5 pm. The Border Security Force (BSF) personnel later found human footprints heading towards the Pakistani side, raising the possibility of an unintentional border crossing. The BSF held three to four flag meetings with Pakistani Rangers, who initially denied any sightings of an unknown person. On June 27, the Pakistani Rangers confirmed to the BSF authorities that Amritpal Singh was in the custody of local police. Sub-divisional magistrate (Guru Har Sahai) Udaydeep Singh Sidhu along with other officials on Saturday visited Amritpal's residence in Ferozepur. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is cognizant of the situation and the state government is in touch with the Union External Affairs Ministry to bring him back from Pakistan, they told the family. Amritpal's father Jugraj Singh urged the district officials that the state government should discuss the matter with the Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to ensure his son's return. Amritpal is married and has a three-month-old daughter. He owns around 8.5 acres of farmland located beyond the border fencing on the Indian side. He had left on his bike that afternoon but did not return in the evening. The BSF even reopened the frisking gate before dusk in search of him, but he could not be found, his father said. During summer months, farmers are allowed to access land between the barbed-wire fence and the international border under strict BSF monitoring between 8 am and 5 pm. Several farmers from border districts including Fazilka, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar and Tarn Taran have agricultural land in this area, known as the 'zero line.'
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Can BRICS Be Compromised As The SCO Was?
Last Updated: BRICS is not the SCO, and Rio is not Qingdao. With Xi absent and Putin constrained, Modi arrives as the undisputed senior-most leader from the founding members On July 6, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will represent India at the BRICS Summit in Rio. At the summit, India will be joined by nine other participating nations, along with the host nation, Brazil, and observer countries. At the summit, India's major objective is to push through its counter-terrorism agenda in light of the Pahalgam attack and the aftermath of it, which led to a conflict with the Pakistani state, and name and shame the terror-breeding nation. However, it's not the first time India has been pushing this agenda with a similar group of nations in attendance. Last month, at the SCO defence ministers' meeting in Qingdao, India tried to raise the issue of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, only to be rebutted. Pakistan, with the help of China, forced down a counter-terror joint statement that failed to mention Pahalgam but conveniently included the struggle for independence in Balochistan, a pain point for the Pakistani state nonetheless, and conveniently labelled it terrorism. India refused to sign it. Nine of the 10 participating nations that did sign the joint statement included Iran, Russia, and China. Three of those nations will also be present at the BRICS summit; therefore, the question arises whether they'd still try to rebut India's genuine counterterror agenda. Will Russia ally with China and Iran? Will China once again be allowed to steamroll through the summit? Quite plainly, the answer is no. For the first time in 12 years of the BRICS summit, the Chinese President has chosen to skip the forum altogether. The decision is even more surprising given that almost all member countries are facing imminent and costly tariff wars with the United States. Does Beijing no longer have leadership ambitions? Or is it now aware that, outside of inconsequential multilateral summits such as the SCO, its flat-track bullying and bulldozing diplomacy will not work? Or it's the fact that Xi knew that he would be upstaged by Modi, who is the guest of honour in Brazil, and chose to spare his blushes. Whatever the reason, Xi's absence is telling. With a constrained Vladimir Putin appearing via video, PM Modi will be the most senior and most formidable leader present among the founding members. The centre of gravity at BRICS has decisively shifted. Unlike the SCO, this is a genuinely multipolar grouping where countries like Brazil and South Africa have robust, independent partnerships with India that act as a natural counterbalance to any Chinese overreach. SCO: A Stage for China's Games The charade at Qingdao was predictable. The SCO has long been China's diplomatic playground, a place where its writ runs large and inconvenient truths are swept under the carpet. The joint statement was a masterclass in Chinese manipulation designed not to combat terror but to protect its all-weather ally, Pakistan. What's even more appalling is that the very attack the SCO refused to condemn was enabled by Chinese technology. According to a detailed report by the ORF, militants in Kashmir are increasingly using sophisticated, military-grade Chinese hardware, such as Huawei satellite phones, encrypted communication systems, and GPS devices. China's diplomatic cover for Pakistan at the SCO is, in reality, a cover for its own strategic footprint in the region's terror ecosystem. It's easy to be a bully when you own the playground. It's why the SCO fails to get a serious mention in geopolitical circles. Everyone knows it's a rigged forum where China's strategic interests trump any genuine commitment to collective security. But Beijing's ability to dominate such a forum is a measure of the SCO's weakness, not China's strength. In the real world, among platforms of consequence, this kind of behaviour doesn't fly. India's Shining Moment BRICS is not the SCO, and Rio is not Qingdao. With Xi absent and Putin constrained, Modi arrives as the undisputed senior-most leader from the founding members. The spotlight will be on India, and for good reason. India's economy, projected by Morgan Stanley to be the world's fastest-growing in 2025-26, gives it the clout to match its ambitions. Most importantly, unlike at the SCO, India is confident that the BRICS declaration will not only condemn the Pahalgam attack but will do so in language that is 'to India's satisfaction", backed by a consensus of partners who understand the threat of state-sponsored terror. Key partners have already offered their solidarity. India's position is further fortified by its robust bilateral ties that serve as a powerful counterbalance to Chinese influence. The India-Brazil partnership, marked by talks of major defence pacts, including the sale of Indian Akash air defence systems, along with India's strong relationships with South Africa and the UAE, creates a web of influence that China cannot simply bulldoze. At BRICS, India has the partners, the power, and the platform to ensure its voice is heard and its security interests are upheld. But it's not just that because India has favourable conditions, its concerns will be heard or met with interest. At the G7 summit this year in Canada, despite the geopolitical 'khichdi", which seems to be the theme wherever US President Donald Trump goes, India raised the issue, stood its ground, gathered the support needed, and pushed through with its agenda. Modi also rebuffed Trump's claims that he was the one who made the ceasefire possible after pressing India and Pakistan on trade. And he did it directly to him on a call, after the US President couldn't be bothered to stay for the entire summit. The point of it is that India is not going to be bullied into signing or accepting narratives. India will carve its agenda, it will rise for itself and the Global South, and it will make itself heard on the world's stage, and it will do so at a forum that keeps the West on the edge of their seats, unlike the SCO, which does not even get a whisper. About the Author Sohil Sinha Sohil Sinha is a Sub Editor at News18. He writes on foreign affairs, geopolitics along with domestic policy and infrastructure projects. First Published:
