India News Updates: Police say Raj Kushwaha is the mastermind in Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, Sonam played along

The Meghalaya Police, probing the murder of newlywed Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in the state, have revealed that Raj Kushwaha was the key orchestrator of the crime, with Raja’s wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, playing an active role in the conspiracy.

Maharashtra reports 112 Covid-19 cases; tally since Jan 1 touches 1812

Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the injured, including one injured person who appears to be the lone survivor of the ill-fated flight AI171 that crashed earlier today.

BJP MP Sambit Patra tweets, "The news of the tragic demise of former Chief Minister of Gujarat and senior member of the BJP family, Vijay Rupani ji, in the unfortunate plane crash in Ahmedabad is extremely painful and heart-wrenching. His departure is an irreparable loss not only for Gujarat but for the entire Indian politics."

Hyderabad: A fire broke out at a private hospital in Narayanaguda earlier today. No casualties reported.

District Fire Officer T. Venkanna said, "We received a call about the fire at 12:40 PM, and the Musheerabad fire engine reached the location immediately. A firefighting vehicle, fire robot, and SDRF team were also deployed to the scene without delay.The building houses a hospital on the first and second floors, while the remaining three floors are residential. The fire was brought under control quickly, and there were no injuries or loss of life.”

Several people took to X to send prayers for the affected people after an Air India plane crashed in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, minutes after takeoff.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that India’s economy is poised to grow eightfold by 2047, driven by strong leadership, rising demand, and growing investor confidence.

Speaking during his official visit to Sweden, Goyal highlighted that Swedish companies increasingly view India as a key future market.

“The opportunities, the skills, the potential, the demand, the decisive leadership that India has—seeing all this, even Swedish companies believe that the future lies in India,” he said.

India has dropped two spots to 131st out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025, highlighting persistent inequalities in political representation and economic opportunity despite marginal gains in other areas.

With a gender parity score of 64.1%, India ranks among the lowest in South Asia, trailing behind Bhutan (119), Sri Lanka (130), and Nepal (125), while Bangladesh emerged as the region’s top performer, climbing 75 spots to rank 24th globally.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded India’s rapid strides in digital innovation, saying the country is moving swiftly towards becoming a global technology powerhouse, driven by its youth and commitment to self-reliance.

In a post on X, PM Modi highlighted the government’s efforts over the past 11 years to transform India into a digital-first nation.

“Powered by the youth of India, we are making remarkable progress in innovation and application of technology. It is also strengthening our efforts to become self-reliant and a global tech powerhouse,” he said.

Thane police have booked eight individuals linked to an investment firm for allegedly cheating 78 investors out of Rs 3.7 crore, officials said on Thursday.

Operating from Dombivli, the firm lured people between 2021 and 2022 with promises of high returns on investment schemes. Investors were given certificates acknowledging their deposits and guaranteed attractive interest rates.

“The accused failed to deliver returns and also didn’t return the principal amount,” said a police official.

The case was registered after one of the victims filed a complaint on behalf of the defrauded group. The accused include the firm’s partners and employees.

Investigation is underway.

Residents of Peshawar felt mild tremors early Wednesday as a 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region, Geo News reported, citing the Seismological Centre.

The quake’s epicentre was located in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountains at a depth of 211 kilometres. No casualties or damage were reported.

This follows a 5.3-magnitude quake last month that rattled Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Swat, Mardan, and North Waziristan—also originating from the Hindu Kush region. Pakistan has experienced several tremors in recent months, keeping seismic concerns high.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported the detection of 10 Chinese military aircraft and 7 naval vessels operating near its waters as of 6 a.m. local time on Wednesday. Of the aircraft, eight entered Taiwan’s northern and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

This follows an even more intense incursion on Tuesday, when 43 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels were spotted, with 25 aircraft breaching the ADIZ in northern, central, and southwestern sectors.

In a shocking crime that has surfaced from Sangli district of Maharashtra, a 27-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly murdering her 53-year-old husband, just 15 days after their marriage.

The incident took place around 12:30 am on Wednesday in Kupwad tehsil, police said. The accused, Radhika, reportedly attacked her husband, Anil Lokhande, with an axe while he was asleep, following a heated argument over his repeated insistence on consummating the marriage.

Lokhande, a widower whose first wife died of cancer, had recently remarried. However, police said tensions had been rising between the newlyweds.

“She was irked by his persistence, and in a fit of rage, killed him while he was asleep,” an official from Kupwad MIDC Police Station said.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday confirmed that American military personnel are being moved out of parts of the Middle East, citing rising tensions with Iran and the risk of regional instability.

“They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place… We have given notice to move out,” Trump said, while attending a performance of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center.

His comments come a day after the US State Department and Pentagon authorised the reduction of non-essential diplomatic and military personnel from several Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq, Bahrain, and Kuwait, amid faltering nuclear talks with Iran.

“They can’t have a nuclear weapon. Very simple,” Trump reiterated. “We’re not going to allow that.”

Tensions have flared amid reports that US-Iran nuclear negotiations have stalled, raising fears of military escalation. Iran continues to insist it is not seeking nuclear weapons, while warning against what it terms "US militarism."

Alongside Iraq, the US has authorised the voluntary departure of non-essential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait, according to officials cited by The Times of Israel.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has given the green light for the voluntary departure of military dependents from several Middle Eastern bases. The option is especially relevant for families stationed in Bahrain, where most dependents are located.

The US State Department has confirmed that it is reducing its diplomatic footprint in Iraq, removing personnel not deemed essential to ongoing operations. The move is part of a broader regional reassessment in response to rising instability.

Months after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor, Mukkamala said his own experience as a patient renewed his resolve to fix systemic gaps in American healthcare.

"Our health system needs leaders who speak with one firm and commanding voice," Mukkamala said at his inauguration in Chicago.

In a proud moment for the Indian diaspora, Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, an otolaryngologist, has been elected President of the AMA, the largest body of physicians in the US.

North interior Karnataka may see wind speeds touching 60 kmph, with very heavy rain likely in Belagavi, Dharwad, and Gadag districts.

Coastal Karnataka is expected to receive extremely heavy rainfall with wind speeds up to 40 kmph at a few places.

The southwest monsoon has revived in Karnataka, with widespread rain forecast until June 17. Hubballi in Dharwad district witnessed severe waterlogging Thursday morning due to torrential rain.

On June 10, IMD issued orange alerts in Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh, while Bikaner, Churu, Alwar, and Dholpur are under yellow warnings.

IMD official Radheshyam Sharma said Eastern Rajasthan may get thunderstorm relief between June 15-16, with temperature drops expected by June 18-20.

Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar was the hottest place in India on Wednesday, with temperatures soaring to 48.0°C, followed by Churu and Phalodi at 45.8°C. Severe heatwave conditions were also reported in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal, and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

After days of intense heat, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts a gradual dip in temperature across Northwest and Central India starting June 14. No major change is expected in the next three days, but a 2–4°C drop could offer some respite.