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[ad_1] ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s decision to boost defence spending by 18% to over Rs 2.5 lakh crore in the 2025-26 budget has ignited fresh debate over the cash-strapped nation’s fiscal priorities as economic woes deepen and inflation hits more than 38%.Economists warned the latest defence allocation framed as a response to escalating tensions with India following the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26, mostly tourists, risks derailing economic reforms and squeezing social spending.Cross-border firing along LoC intensified in 2025. In response, Islamabad has vowed to ramp up military preparedness while simultaneously pushing forward with costly hydropower projects.Planning and development minister Ahsan Iqbal identified water security as a strategic imperative, accusing India of “water aggression” through upstream dam projects on rivers shared under Indus Waters Treaty. “We will not allow India to exploit our water resources,” Iqbal said, pledging accelerated work […]

[ad_1] KOLKATA: Pension is not "an act of charity" but a legal right of employees, Calcutta high court said while reprimanding Hooghly Chinsurah municipality for blaming technological lapses for a delay in releasing the pension of 148 people who retired as Group D workers.The court said the employees earned the right by putting in years of service.Justice Gaurang Kanth said, "Pension and other retiral benefits, once earned by an employee after rendering long and continuous service ought not be delayed even by a single day. Delay in such cases causes undue hardship to the retired employees who depend on these dues for their sustenance."He made the observation while hearing a petitioner's case who, along with 147 others, was employed in 1991-92.HC: Any delay in pension against principles of equity & justiceThe posts — coolie, dome, methor, trailorman and jharuyali — […]

[ad_1] JAMMU: Pakistan is on notice and any misadventure by it in future will lead Indian armed forces to destroy “the terrorist state”, J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha warned on Sunday.Addressing a function organised by All J&K Jat Sabha in Jammu, Sinha highlighted the valour of Indian armed forces during “Operation Sindoor” in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. Sinha reaffirmed govt’s resolve to completely rid J&K of terrorism.“I assure people there will be no discrimination between armed terrorists and their supporters and sympathisers. Their actions will be met with similar punishment,” the LG said.Sinha underscored the need to recognise elements trying to divide society. “We must celebrate our diversity and foster unity to defeat the adversary’s nefarious designs. Our brave armed forces have scripted a new saga of valor with Operation Sindoor. […]

[ad_1] SRINAGAR: J&K’s National Conference (NC) has no plans to nominate another representative for the all-party delegations briefing foreign nations and UN members about India’s anti-terrorism position and Operation Sindoor after party MP Mian Altaf Ahmad declined to join the team currently visiting key countries. NC will not have political representation in any of the seven delegations.Centre had nominated the Anantnag–Rajouri MP for the delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi in his capacity as NC’s parliamentary head, party sources said Sunday. The team includes Rajiv Rai (SP), Capt Brijesh Chowta (BJP), Prem Chand Gupta (RJD), and ambassador Jawed Ashraf. It was in Russia Saturday.Three politicians from J&K — Ghulam Nabi Azad (Democratic Progressive Azad Party), Mian Altaf (NC), and Ghulam Ali Khatana (BJP) — had been named for these outreach efforts.Altaf opted out as he is engaged with the annual […]

[ad_1] JAMMU: With the arrest of three persons, including the victim’s wife, Jammu & Kashmir police on Sunday claimed to have cracked the “blind murder” that took place under the jurisdiction of Police Station Chenani of Udhampur district on May 22.A police spokesperson said: “On May 22, information was received at PS Chenani regarding a suspicious bag lying in a stony area at Laddha village, which was emitting a foul smell. A police team, on reaching the spot, found a decomposed body inside the bag”.Investigations revealed that the deceased was Ravi Kumar, son of Parkash Chand, a resident of Chulna, Panchari, of Udhampur district.The police led by SDPO Chenani rounded up several suspects. After sustained interrogation and forensic analysis, Nisha Devi, wife of the deceased; Kanta Devi, wife of Bittu Ram; and Joginder, son of Bittu Ram, were taken into […]

[ad_1] LUCKNOW: A 38-year-old woman was mauled to death by a leopard on Sunday while trying to save her teenage daughter in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich.The attack occurred around 2 am in Ayodhyapurwa village under the Sujauli Range of the Katarniaghat Wildlife Division.According to family members, Zarina Bano was sleeping on the roof of her house with her 17-year-old daughter, Nagma, when a leopard climbed up. Hearing a sound, Zarina woke up to find the big cat about to pounce on her daughter. She bravely intervened, trying to scare it away, but the leopard attacked her instead. It sank its jaws into her neck and leapt off the roof, dragging her to a nearby sugarcane field. By the time her screams drew the attention of her husband Zakir, younger daughter Nagina, and other villagers, Zarina had succumbed to her injuries. Her […]

[ad_1] Vikings ignore Rodgers rumors as J J McCarthy takes spotlight (Image Source: Getty Images) Recent news indicates Aaron Rodgers might still fantasize about joining the Minnesota Vikings. This came as a shock to most fans, but the team appears to have already come to a decision.The Vikings are completely committed to their young quarterback, J.J. McCarthy. Although Rodgers is one of the more popular names in football, the Vikings are more concerned about the future. And the future is McCarthy's. The team has filled him with talent around him, and they feel he can deliver.J.J. McCarthy's comeback is big story of this season J.J. McCarthy did not play last year due to a preseason knee injury. That meant he did not experience a true rookie year and was able to demonstrate what he could do. While he was recuperating, […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Indian astronaut-designate Shubhanshu Shukla and three other crew members are headed into quarantine as launch preparations begin for the Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4), which is scheduled to be launched on June 8 for the journey to the International Space Station.A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Axiom-4 mission crew aboard a Dragon spacecraft to the ISS from the Kennedy Space Center in the US.The critical phase of quarantine ensures the four astronauts remain in optimal health, free from any infections that could jeopardise the mission.Before heading into isolation, Axiom Space employees gathered to celebrate the crew’s send-off, Shukla, who will pilot the Axiom-4 mission to the ISS, was oozing with confidence. While thanking Axiom-4 ground staff and technical team, astronaut-designate Shukla said, “Thank you so much for your contribution, I may not know you personally but I […]

[ad_1] NEW DELHI: Pakistan considers India an "existential threat" and will continue to pursue efforts to modernise its military and develop its battlefield or tactical nuclear weapons to offset New Delhi's conventional military advantage, the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) has said.In its 'World Threat Assessment' report, which notes India's Operation Sindoor to strike terror hubs in Pakistan and the subsequent escalation in hostilities, the DIA says PM Modi's defence priorities will "probably focus" on demonstrating global leadership, countering China, and enhancing India's military power. "India views China as primary adversary and Pakistan more as an ancillary security problem to be managed, despite cross-border attacks in mid-May by both militaries," the report said.China has played a big role in facilitating a proliferation nexus to help Pakistan and North Korea to steadily boost their nuclear and ballistic missile arsenals over the […]

[ad_1] Southwest monsoon arrived in Goa Sunday, two weeks ahead of its usual onset date of June 5, report Nida Sayed & Newton Sequeira. "This is the earliest monsoon onset in past 20 years in Goa.We can look forward to an increase in rainfall activity in the coming weeks," IMD director Nahush Kulkarni told TOI. In 2006, the monsoon had arrived in Goa on May 28. As of Saturday, IMD recorded 436.1mm rainfall since March 1 - third highest in 64 years. The highest pre-monsoon total was 662.2mm in the summer of 1961, followed by 591.9mm in 2006.M R Ramesh Kumar, meteorologist and retired chief scientist of National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, attributed this year's early monsoon to both large-scale and local ocean-atmosphere parameters.IMD has issued an orange alert from May 26 to 29, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall […]