Combat zone: India at war with terrorists, says US envoy
New York/London: India has ramped up diplomatic offensive against Pakistan following the military conflict, with its Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra saying that the country is at war with the terrorists and will bring justice to victims of the Pahalgam terror attack by holding the “lowlifes, subhuman monsters” accountable. Separately, Indian envoy to the UK Vikram Doraiswami said India’s response to Pakistan’s original conflict escalation with the terrorist attacks in Pahalgam was “precise, targeted” and focussed solely on terror infrastructure but Islamabad has chosen to continue to escalate the matter instead of taking an “off-ramp” to end the crisis. PTI
Pakistan ministry’s X account hacked
Islamabad/New Delhi: Pakistan on Friday said that the X account of its ministry of economic affairs was hacked and an appeal was posted on it for more international loans to meet the “heavy losses” caused by the current tensions with India. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a ‘FAKE TWEET ALERT’, saying the account was “hacked”. An official also confirmed that the X account has been hacked, and “work was going to switch off the account”. “Govt of Pakistan appeals to International Partners for more loans after heavy losses ‘inflected’ by enemy. Amid escalating war and stocks crash, we urge international partners to help de-escalate. Nation urged to remain steadfast,” the post on the account said. PTI
Bomb-like object recovered in Jaisalmer
Jaipur: A bomb-like object was found in the Kishanghat area of Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district on Friday morning, prompting swift action by the police and Indian Air Force. According to the police, the object was found near a nursery in the colony of Jogis, located in front of Kishanghat under the Kotwali police station area. Kotwali SHO Prem Daan said it seems to be a bomb-like object. “Experts from the Army are on their way to defuse it,” he said. PTI
Booking platforms halt offerings to Turkey
New Delhi: Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, various online booking platforms on Friday announced suspension of new travel offerings to countries, including Turkey, and Azerbaijan for their “support” to Pakistan and advised customers to avoid “non-essential” travel to these destinations, while urging Indians to exercise “utmost caution” before planning trips to sensitive regions.
UK Foreign Secy Lammy speaks to Jaishankar
New Delhi: As the conflict between India and Pakistan spirals, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday held a phone conversation with his British counterpart David Lammy and conveyed to him that there must be “zero-tolerance” to terrorism. The Jaishankar-Lammy conversation came against the backdrop of efforts by India’s strategic partners to reduce tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad. “Our discussions centered around countering terrorism, for which there must be zero-tolerance,” the External Affairs Minister said in a social media post.
138 domestic, international flights cancelled
New Delhi: As many as 138 flights to and from the Delhi airport were cancelled by various airlines on Friday. In the wake of rising tensions between India and Pakistan, security measures have also been enhanced at airports. Around 27 airports in various parts of the country are closed in the wake of Operation Sindoor. A total of 66 domestic departures and 63 arrivals, as well as 5 international departures and 4 arrivals, were cancelled between 5 am and 2 pm on Friday, a source said.
Quick commerce platforms see little impact
New Delhi: Quick commerce platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Flipkart Minutes remained largely unaffected and continue to deliver in regions affected by cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. A quick check for several locations in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat, and Rajasthan showed that services remain unaffected. The platforms are seeing heavy demand for certain items in the states bordering Pakistan. The apps are notifying users about the timelines until which deliveries will be available.
Basmati prices up on demand, not tensions
New Delhi: All-India Rice Exporters Association President (AIREA) Satish Goel on Friday ruled out any impact on Basmati trade, stressing that the recent increase in prices of the commodity is owing to higher demand and not due to the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions. The export price of Basmati rice varieties — 1509 and 1718 — have inched up slightly since March due to rise in demand and not due to supply disruptions caused due to ongoing military escalations between the two nations, he said. “Not due to ongoing India-Pakistan tensions, the Basmati prices have gone up recently. Prices rose slightly because of higher demand from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq,” Goel said.
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