Srinagar, Apr 24 (NVI): A 20-year-old girl was injured after a 12-bore gun accidentally went off at her residence in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Friday.
The incident left the woman with injuries in both legs. She was initially taken to District Hospital Poonch and later referred to SMHS Hospital Srinagar for advanced treatment.
The injured has been a resident of Gagari area of Poonch.
Her condition is being monitored, officials said.
Further details are awaited.(NVI)
Srinagar, Apr 24 (NVI): Six tourists were injured after a lift collapsed at a hotel in the Hyderpora area of Srinagar on Friday, officials said.
All the injured were shifted to Bone and Joint Hospital, Barzulla for treatment, where their condition is stated to be stable.
The injured have been identified as:
Vinkatesh (65), son of Muni Thimmaiah, resident of Bengaluru — injury to right leg
D. Mangula (54), wife of R.L. Murthy — injury to right thigh
Kushalla (18), daughter of Jayaram — injury to left knee
Pankaja (16), son of Munjamath — back injury
Venkalashamma (60), wife of Chinnya — injury to left foot
Sowbhagya (60), wife of Vinkatesh — injury to left leg
All of them were staying at a hotel in Hyderpora at the time of the incident.
Further investigation into the cause of the lift collapse is underway.(NVI)
New Delhi, Apr 23: Hours after US President Donald Trump’s “hellhole” comments about Indians, the Government of India said the remarks are “inappropriate and in poor taste”.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, who earlier in day refrained from commenting on Trump’s demeaning comments, issued a statement tonight but still did not directly refer to the remarks of the US President.
Jaiswal, in the statement, said he was responding to “further questions on a social media post that had referred, among other things, to Indians.”
He said: “We have seen the comments, as also the subsequent statement issued by the US Embassy in response.
“The remarks are obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste. They certainly do not reflect the reality of the India-US relationship, which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests.”
Earlier in the day, while responding to a question on Trump’s comment, told reporters: “We have seen the comment. We will leave it at it.”
What Triggered the Controversy
The issue arose after Donald Trump reshared content from a podcast titled Savage Nation, hosted by conservative commentator Michael Savage.
In the podcast, Savage used highly critical language about immigration to the United States, referring to countries including India and China in derogatory terms. The remarks included claims opposing birthright citizenship and strong criticism of immigrant communities.
Trump shared both the video and transcript of the podcast, aligning with its stance on immigration policy and questioning the US Supreme Court’s position on birthright citizenship.
Political Reactions in India
The remarks triggered political reactions in India, with opposition parties demanding a formal response from the government.
The Indian National Congress alleged that repeated critical comments from Trump reflected negatively on India-US relations and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up the matter diplomatically. The party described the remarks as offensive and called for stronger engagement with US authorities.
Srinagar, Apr 23 (NVI): The Meteorological department Srinagar has forecast no significant weather activity across Jammu and Kashmir till the end of April, except for brief spells of rain and thundershowers on select dates.
The forecast, issued by MET Srinagar, the weather on April 23 is expected to remain partly cloudy with a possibility of light rain, thunder, and gusty winds at a few places towards the late afternoon.
On April 24 and 25, the weather is likely to remain partly to generally cloudy, with one or two spells of light rain or thundershowers at scattered to many places, accompanied by gusty winds during afternoon and evening hours.
The MeT has predicted generally dry weather on April 26 and 27, with a brief spell of light rain at isolated locations. On April 28, the region may witness generally cloudy conditions with light rain or thunder at a few places.
For April 29 and 30, the weather is expected to remain generally cloudy with brief spells of light rain at isolated places towards late afternoon hours, while similar conditions are likely to persist on May 1 and 2 with light rain or thundershowers at a few places.
In its advisory, the MeT has advised farmers to suspend farm operations on April 24 and 25 in view of the expected weather conditions. (NVI)
New Delhi: The 22-year-old daughter of an IRS officer, who was raped and murdered in South Delhi, was an IIT Graduate and was preparing for UPSC examinations slated for next month.
She was, in fact, studying when a demon in the shape of a teenaged boy attacked her early morning at her residence yesterday. He hit her in the head, due to which she fell unconscious. He then raped her and subsequently strangulated her to death, using the wire of a phone charger.
Thus, a promising life of a girl, an All-India topper in her class 12 examinations and a dancer with a number of awards, was cut short in a gruesome manner.
Rahul Meena, the 19-year-old accused, had worked at her home till about two months back, before he was fired because of his ill-habits, like taking loans from neighbours.
Yesterday morning, he returned from his native place of Alwar in Rajasthan to commit the ghastly crime.
Before coming to Delhi, Meena allegedly raped the wife of a friend in Alwar the previous night. Then he sold a mobile phone for Rs 10,000 and hired a cab to Delhi for Rs 6,000. He then walked to his former employer, a senior IRS officer’s house, in South Delhi’s Amar Colony.
Rahul, having worked at the house for eight months, was familiar with the family’s daily routine.
He knew the victim’s parents would be out for their daily gym session, leaving their daughter home alone while keeping the house key in a shoe rack for a maid to get in during their absence.
As recorded in a CCTV camera, Rahul entered the colony at around 6:30 am and went straight to the woman’s study room, a separate one-room structure built on the terrace.
When he stepped into her room, the surprised victim questioned his presence. “Aunty ne bulaya tha kaam se (Aunty called me for some work),” Rahul told her.
Rahul then demanded money. Her refusal led to a heated argument between the two, which soon turned violent.
He hit her with a lamp, resulting in injuries across her face and body.
She fell unconscious and taking advantage of this, Rahul allegedly raped her and then strangulated her with a mobile charging cable.
Rahul had the ill habits of borrowing money from people in the neighbourhood because of his online gaming addiction.
He has claimed that he come to the house with the intention of theft. However, the locker in the house could only be opened using a thumb impression. He then dragged the victim out of the study room, pulled her down the stairs, and into the room where the locker was kept.
He pressed the woman’s blood-stained finger against a biometric scanner, but it did not open, probably because she had died by then and that is why the biometric scanner did not recognise her thumb impression.
Rahul then abandoned her body and opened the locker using a screwdriver. He took out cash and jewellery and packed them in a bag kept nearby.
Before fleeing the house, he was alert enough to remove his blood-stained clothes and change into the woman’s brother’s trousers. He replaced his shoes with a pair of slippers lying around and fled.
While walking towards the Palam railway station, the accused pretended to be on a call to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
Meena was arrested from a hotel in Delhi’s Dwarka area, where he had been hiding. He is being charged with rape, murder and robbery, police said.
The initial investigation has revealed that Rahul was addicted to the online game “Teen Patti” through which he lost and earned money. He would use the money to solicit women to fulfill his sexual desires.
He was also into gambling and would often borrow money from peers.
“He would borrow money from other servants in the vicinity, or from domestic staff working in nearby households, without ever repaying them. This is why he was fired,” Joint Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar said.
According to police sources, during the initial interrogation, Meena claimed that his sole motive was robbery. To avoid suspicion and prevent being traced, he sold three mobile phones – own and those elonging to his family members – before coming to Delhi. A part of the money was used for online betting.
He had also stolen a phone from Alwar victim’s house. The plan was to carry out a robbery in Delhi and bring the money back home to Alwar.
The investigating officers, however, believe that it is possible Meena had come with the intention to rape, considering he had raped another woman less than 24 hours ago.
“Since he had been dismissed from a job here in Delhi, a sense of grudge could also be a contributing factor,” Kumar added.
New Delhi, Apr 23: Envoys of four countries — Lao PDR, Congo, Namibia and Guinea Bissau — today presented their credentials to President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Two of the Envoys are women.
Those who presented their credentials were:
1. Mrs Vithaya Xayavong, Ambassador of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
2. Mrs Emilie Ayaza Mushobekwa, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
3. Wing Commander Alex Lunyazo Tukuhupwele (Retd.), High Commissioner of the Republic of Namibia
4. Mr Antonio Serifo Embalo, Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.
Presentation of Credentials marks the formal start of the Ambassadorial work of an Envoy. (NVI)
New Delhi, Apr 23: Notwithstanding widespread criticism, the Government of India today refrained from responding to the highly controversial remarks of US President Donald Trump, referring to India as a “hell-hole.”
At a media briefing here, Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal was asked to comment on Trump’s remarks which have caused a lot of hurt to Indians.
“We have seen some reports. That’s where I will leave it,” he replied.
The issue arose after Donald Trump reshared content from a podcast titled Savage Nation, hosted by conservative commentator Michael Savage.
In the podcast, Savage used highly critical language about immigration to the United States, referring to countries including India and China in derogatory terms. The remarks included claims opposing birthright citizenship and strong criticism of immigrant communities.
Trump reportedly shared both the video and transcript of the podcast, aligning with its stance on immigration policy and questioning the US Supreme Court’s position on birthright citizenship.
The remarks triggered political reactions in India, with opposition parties demanding a formal response from the government.
The Indian National Congress alleged that repeated critical comments from Trump reflected negatively on India-US relations and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up the matter diplomatically. The party described the remarks as offensive and called for stronger engagement with US authorities.
The controversy is linked to ongoing political debates in the United States over immigration and birthright citizenship, a constitutional provision that grants citizenship to individuals born on US soil.
Such debates often involve polarising rhetoric, particularly in election cycles or political commentary platforms, and have historically triggered international reactions when they involve foreign nations.
Despite the strong political reactions domestically, the MEA has opted for a restrained stance, avoiding escalation or direct confrontation.
This approach aligns with India’s broader diplomatic practice of addressing sensitive international remarks through formal channels rather than public exchanges.
The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) has officially declared the Class 10 (High School) and Class 12 (Intermediate) exam results today, April 23, 2026. The results were announced at 4:00 PM IST. Students can now access their digital scorecards through official channels and DigiLocker.
Students can check their marks by visiting the following official websites:
upmsp.edu.in
upresults.nic.in
Steps to Download Marksheet:
Visit the official UPMSP result portal.
Select the link for either “U.P. Board High School (Class X) Examination – 2026 Results” or “U.P. Board Intermediate (Class XII) Examination – 2026 Results”.
Enter your Roll Number and the School Code (as mentioned on your admit card).
Submit to view and download your marks memo.
The UP Board conducted the 2026 examinations across nearly 8,000 centres state-wide. While official pass percentages for 2026 are currently being updated from the press conference, here is the benchmark set by the previous year (2025):
| Category | 2025 Pass Percentage (Class 12) | 2025 Pass Percentage (Class 10) |
| Overall | 81.15% | 89.55% (approx) |
| Girls | 86.37% | 93.34% |
| Boys | 76.60% | 86.05% |
The Uttar Pradesh state government has traditionally offered significant incentives to top-performing students:
Cash Prizes: State-level toppers may receive up to Rs 1 lakh, while district-level toppers receive between Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000.
Digital Tools: Laptops or tablets are frequently distributed to support higher education.
Honors: Medals, certificates of excellence, and public felicitation ceremonies with senior officials.
Original Marksheets: The online result is for immediate information only. Original marksheets with the Board’s seal will be sent to respective schools within a few days for collection.
DigiLocker: Students can also fetch their digital certificates via the DigiLocker app using their Aadhaar and Roll Number.
Revaluation: Students unsatisfied with their scores can apply for scrutiny/revaluation through the official UPMSP website shortly.
In addition to UPMSP, the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) also declared its Class 10th results today, marking a major day for board exam outcomes across Northern and Eastern India.
India’s artisanal dairy sector has achieved a notable breakthrough on the international stage, securing four medals at the Mundial do Queijo do Brasil 2026 held in Sao Paulo. The competition featured entries from over 30 countries and is widely regarded as one of the most respected global platforms for cheese producers.
In its first participation, India delivered an impressive performance, winning one Super Gold, two Gold, and one Silver medal, highlighting the country’s growing presence in the global gourmet cheese industry.
The highest honour of the event, Super Gold, was awarded to Eleftheria Gulmarg, a Brie-style cheese inspired by the classic French Brie.
Produced from cow’s milk, the cheese impressed judges with its smooth, creamy texture and refined flavour balance. Its buttery richness, subtle earthy undertones, and consistent ripening process were highlighted as key strengths, reflecting advanced technical precision in production.
One of the Gold medals went to Yak Churpi-Soft, crafted in Ladakh using milk from the indigenous yak.
This cheese represents a modern gourmet reinterpretation of traditional Himalayan dairy practices. Unlike the region’s well-known hard churpi, the soft variant offers a dense yet slightly yielding texture. It carries a rustic, tangy flavour shaped by high-altitude conditions and reflects the strong cultural identity of Ladakh’s dairy heritage.
The second Gold was awarded to Eleftheria Brunost, inspired by Norway’s traditional Brunost.
Produced by slowly heating whey until it caramelises, the cheese develops a dense, fudge-like texture with rich caramel and butterscotch notes. Judges noted the high level of precision required in temperature control to achieve balanced sweetness without bitterness.
The Silver medal went to Eleftheria Kaali Miri, a semi-hard cheese inspired by alpine varieties such as Belper Knolle.
Finished with a coating of black pepper, the cheese combines a creamy base with a slightly crumbly texture and sharp spice notes. The contrast between richness and heat was praised for its balance, creativity, and well-executed flavour layering.
India’s performance at this global competition reflects the rapid growth of its artisanal cheese industry, which is increasingly blending traditional knowledge with modern international techniques.
From Himalayan yak milk to European-inspired methods, Indian cheesemakers are creating products that are gaining recognition in premium global markets. This achievement is expected to boost export opportunities, culinary tourism, and the expansion of niche dairy entrepreneurship in the country.
