One terrorist was killed on Thursday in an ongoing gunfight between the security forces and the terrorists in J&K’s Udhampur district’s Basantgarh area.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti said that four terrorists are believed to be trapped in the ongoing encounter.

Speaking with reporters, the IGP said the contact with the terrorists was established around 8.30 a.m., but the weather is unfavourable.

The upcoming Sonakshi Sinha-starrer supernatural thriller ‘Nikita Roy’, has a new release date. The film, which was originally slated to release in cinemas on June 27, will now release on July 18, 2025.

The producers released an official statement with regards to the new release date of the film, as they shared that they have found themselves in the midst of multiple releases and a battle for screens.

The statement read, “With advice from our well-wishers in the fraternity, distributors, and exhibitors, we have collectively decided to push our release to the 18th of July, so that we can reach a wider audience. Thank you for the immense love you have shown for the film so far but you’ll have to wait a little longer, and we promise you, 18th July will be worth the wait! See you in theatres”.

Fast bowler Jofra Archer returns to the England Test set-up for the first time since February 2021 after being named in the squad for the second Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy game against India, starting at Edgbaston on July 2.

A recurrence of an elbow injury and a stress fracture in the back meant Archer was largely sidelined from playing Tests for England after February 2021. Archer turned out for Sussex in their recent County Championship game against Durham at Chester-Le-Street, marking his first red-ball appearance in four years, and returned with figures of 1-32 in 18 overs.

A thumb injury sustained while playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) in early May further delayed Archer’s return to first-class cricket and caused him to miss England’s white-ball series against the West Indies.

Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel on Thursday launched a state-level Td (Tetanus and Diphtheria) and DPT (Triple Antigen) immunisation campaign from Unjha in Mehsana district.

The campaign aims to protect children and adolescents from life-threatening diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, pneumonia, and others.

Under this public health initiative, 992 Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) teams will conduct vaccination sessions across 47,439 schools, targeting an estimated 18.2 lakh students.

In addition, around 6.1 lakh children in approximately 39,045 Anganwadis will receive the second dose of the DPT booster as per the national immunisation schedule.

The campaign is part of India’s Universal Immunisation Programme, which has, since 2019, included Td vaccines for adolescents aged 10 and 16.

Gene therapy may be a crucial tool to put HIV to sleep permanently, providing a lasting and durable treatment against the virus that causes AIDS, according to a study.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University in the US showed that a molecule within HIV can be manipulated and amplified to force the virus into long-term dormancy -- a state in which HIV does not replicate.

The new findings add to a growing body of evidence that may help researchers develop a gene therapy that boosts the production of the molecule -- an "antisense transcript," or AST, said Fabio Romerio, Associate Professor of molecular and comparative pathobiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The study builds on previous research which showed that AST is produced by HIV's genetic material and is part of a molecular pathway that essentially puts the virus to sleep -- a state known as viral latency.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha, on Thursday, appealed to devotees to congregate in large numbers for this year's Amarnath Yatra starting on July 3.

L-G Sinha, who is also the Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, addressed a media conference at the Raj Bhawan here.

He appealed to the devotees to turn up in large numbers at Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, which is scheduled to begin from July 3.

The L-G said that security grid has been strengthened, multi-layer security is in place and the Army, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police have ensured all necessary measures for a safe pilgrimage.

All necessary arrangements have been made for the pilgrims coming for the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra and for a hassle-free darshan at the holy cave.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday nominated a former Supreme Court justice as the new chief of the Constitutional Court, the presidential office said.

Former Supreme Court Justice Kim Sang-hwan was picked to replace then acting court chief Moon Hyung-bae, who retired in April.

 In a significant crackdown in Bihar on narcotics trafficking, the Kishanganj Police, in collaboration with the Special Task Force (STF), arrested two individuals near the railway station on Thursday and seized one kg heroin from their possession, an official said.

The estimated market value of the seized substance is around Rs 1 crore.

Kishanganj Superintendent of Police Sagar Kumar described the seizure and arrest a major achievement, stating that the joint team has successfully busted an inter-state drug trafficking network.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Baliram Chaurasia, a resident of Shivrampur, Ballia district (Uttar Pradesh) and Lalita Devi, a resident of Muzaffarpur district (Bihar).

According to SP Sagar Kumar, the police acted on specific intelligence input about the smuggling of banned substances through the district.

In an incident of concern, the unnatural death of a tigress and her three cubs, probably due to poisoning, came to light in the Male Mahadeshwara Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district on Thursday.

Addressing media persons in Bengaluru, Forests, Ecology, and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre announced that an investigation has been ordered into the incident and officials have been directed to submit a detailed report within three days.

The probe will be conducted by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF).

In a major nationwide crackdown on organized cybercrime, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday carried out coordinated searches at 42 locations across five states - Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh - as part of its ongoing anti-cybercrime initiative under Operation Chakra-V.

The action targeted a network of 'mule bank accounts' used by cyber fraudsters to siphon off money from unsuspecting victims.