India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was handed a five-year prison sentence on Thursday over allegations that he solicited campaign funds from ex-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during his 2007 presidential run. The court acquitted him of three additional charges, including passive corruption, illegal campaign financing and concealment of embezzled public funds, according to the Associated Press. Sarkozy, 70, appeared in court alongside his wife, singer and model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, while their three adult sons were also present to witness the verdict. The case centres on a scheme from 2005 to 2007, during which Sarkozy's aides allegedly sought funding from Libya in exchange for diplomatic favours. Prosecutors described the plan as a "corruption pact" with Gaddafi's regime. The court determined that Sarkozy allowed his inner circle to pursue financial backing from Libya for his 2007 campaign, though it could not confirm that any Libyan money was actually used. French law allows convictions for such corrupt schemes even if funds are never received. The charge of criminal association carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. Sarkozy was cleared of other major accusations. Two of his closest aides, former ministers Claude Gueant and Brice Hortefeux, were also found guilty of criminal association but acquitted of other charges. Businessman Ziad Takieddine, who had claimed to deliver cash from Tripoli for Sarkozy's campaign, died in Beirut during the trial. He later retracted prior statements implicating Sarkozy, prompting a separate investigation into potential witness tampering. The saga traces back to 2011, when Libya and Gaddafi publicly admitted to secretly funding Sarkozy's campaign. A 2012 investigative report by French news organisation Mediapart cited a Libyan intelligence memo alleging a €50 million funding deal, later deemed likely forged by the court, according to Al Jazeera. Investigators examined alleged cash deliveries, forged documents, trips to Libya by Sarkozy's aides between 2005 and 2007, offshore accounts and other financial maneuvers, The Guardian reported. Sarkozy has consistently denied all wrongdoing, calling the case politically motivated. During his presidency, he helped rehabilitate Libya on the international stage, welcoming Gaddafi to Paris in 2007 and later backing NATO's intervention during the 2011 Arab Spring uprising. This conviction adds to a string of legal challenges for Sarkozy. In 2014, he was convicted of corruption and influence peddling and served time under electronic monitoring. In 2012, he was found guilty of illegal campaign financing for exceeding spending limits during his failed reelection bid, with appeals still pending. Sarkozy also lost the Legion of Honour following a prior conviction. The Libya cash case highlights the lasting shadow of Gaddafi-era deals and the complex, decades-long financial and political web surrounding one of France's most controversial modern leaders.
A top NATO chief has urged business leaders to begin preparing for a 'wartime scenario' following rising tensions across the world. The warning comes as Germany announced it was drawing up a list of bunkers and other underground facilities that could provide shelter for civilians in the event of an attack. Speaking in Brussels yesterday, Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer (pictured) warned that NATO members needed to adjust their production and distribution lines in order to be less vulnerable to blackmail from countries such as Russia and China. The chair of NATO's military committee said: 'If we can m ...Read More >
Amritsar: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey from Jharkhand has claimed that Britain assisted India in executing the 1984 Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, stoking a new controversy.In a post on X on Monday, Dubey alleged that then PM Indira Gandhi "launched an attack on the Golden Temple in collaboration with Britain", with British Army officers present in Amritsar.He uploaded a classified British document, "Sikh Community", claiming that on Feb 23, 1984, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office mentioned in a letter that the Indian govt had sought British advice over a plan to remove Si ...Read More >
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has demanded that NATO and EU member states impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on China and India. The goal, he said, is to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Trump, who pledged to resolve the conflict "on day one" of his presidency, raised the proposal during a meeting with European Union officials last Tuesday. The measure is seen as a way to accelerate negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. The Financial Times first reported Trump's request. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had said Washington was preparing tighter ...Read More >
NEW DELHI (AP) -- The death toll following a stampede at a political rally for a popular Indian actor and politician in the southern state of Tamil Nadu has climbed to 40, the state's health minister said Sunday, as medics treated at least 124 injured in hospitals. Ma Subramanian told The Associated Press that 36 victims were dead by the time they were taken to a hospital on Saturday night and four more died later. He said the injured were largely stable. The dead included nine children, Subramanian said. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the district of Karur on Saturday to attend the ...Read More >
Katra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to inaugurate multiple rail projects, including the world's highest Chenab Rail Bridge, the Anji Khad Bridge, and the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link. These railway projects directly connect Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of the country. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link is an all-weather railway corridor designed to provide seamless connectivity to the region through the rail network. During his visit, PM Modi reviewed the Chenab bridge, world's highest ra ...Read More >
RAMPUR: Less than two months after he was released from Sitapur jail, SP leader Mohammed Azam Khan went back behind bars on Monday when a court convicted and sentenced him to seven years' imprisonment in a 2019 case related to obtaining two PAN cards using different dates of birth. The special MP-MLA court here also sentenced Azam Khan's son Abdullah Azam to seven years' imprisonment in the same case. After the sentencing, Khan was taken from the Rampur court to the district jail under heavy security. While being taken to prison, he said, "What is there to say now? It is the court's decision ...Read More >
RTP Global leads the $25 million round as Apple, JPMorgan Chase, Toyota, Deutsche Telekom, BHP and Crédit Agricole turn to Kestra to orchestrate mission-critical workflows across data, AI and infrastructure. NEW YORK, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kestra, the open-source orchestration platform unifying data, AI, infrastructure and business workflows, today announced a $25 million Series A funding round led by RTP Global, with continued participation from Alven, ISAI and Axeleo. The round bring ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 2 (ANI): The Rouse Avenue court sentenced Congress MLA Rajender Bharti to 3 years imprisonment and imposed Rs. One lakh fine. Another Convict is also sentenced to 3 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 2.5 lakh has been imposed on him. They were convicted by the court in the Gramin Vikas Bank Fraud case. However, the court has granted bail to both convicts to challenge the judgement before Delhi High Court. Bharti is a Congress MLA from Datia, Madhya Pradesh. This case was transferred to Delhi by the Supreme Court on a plea moved by Bharti. Special Judge (MP -MLA) ...Read More >
The BJP has accused Rahul Gandhi of collaborating with "anti-India international forces," citing a Mediapart report on OCCRP's funding and Gandhi's meetings with alleged Modi government critics. The party highlighted the timing of reports critical of India coinciding with parliamentary sessions, including those on farmers, Pegasus, Hindenburg, and the BBC documentary.BJP on Thursday accused Lok Sabha's Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of colluding with 'anti-India international forces'. The ruli ...Read More >
Delhi court clears H.C. Gupta and others; convicts Jas Infrastructure and director for misrepresentation in Mahuagarhi coal block allocation A Delhi court on Friday (June 6, 2025) acquitted former Coal Secretary H.C. Gupta and other officials of the Ministry of Coal in a case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the allocation of the Mahuagarhi coal block in Jharkhand. Special Judge Sanjay Bansal of the Rouse Avenue Court, however, convicted the firm M/s Jas Infrastructure Capital Pvt. Ltd. (JICPL) and its director, Manoj Kumar Jayaswal, on charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy. Th ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 5 (UNI): Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has claimed that Islamabad is not aware about the whereabouts of UN-designated terrorist Masood Azhar as Pakistan is unable to identify Jaish-e-Mohammed chief. He further asserted that the country would be "happy to" arrest him if India provides information about terrorist's presence on Pakistani soil. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Bhutto, whose party is part of the ruling coalition in the country, said Hafiz Saeed is not a free man in Pakistan and Masood Azhar may be in Afghanistan. Masood Azhar is one o ...Read More >
Lucknow, Jul 17 (PTI) To curb illegal mining and transportation, the Uttar Pradesh government is deploying advanced technologies under the Integrated Mining Surveillance System (IMSS), a release said on Thursday. Mining activities are already being monitored through drones, geo-fencing, RFID tags, and AI-powered check gates. Now, the state is set to introduce 'Weigh-In-Motion' (WIM) technology to accurately track vehicle overloading. Also Read | 'Arvind Kejriwal Used Government Funds to Buy Mobiles Costing Up to INR 1.63 Lakh', Claims Delhi Minister Ashish Sood. According to the official re ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 7 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice on an appeal filed by former Congress MLA Rajender Bharti challenging his conviction and three-year sentence in the Gramin Vikas Bank cheating case, which led to his disqualification from the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma sought a response from the State and listed the matter for April 15. Bharti has also sought a stay on his conviction and moved an application requesting the court to direct the Election Commission not to notify elections for the now-vacant seat following his di ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday announced the provisional attachment of assets worth approximately ₹131.45 crore in Spain, including a luxury yacht and immovable properties, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). These assets belong to Pavel Prozorov, a Spanish national and the alleged mastermind behind the unauthorised forex trading platform OctaFX. The attached assets comprise a commercial Italian-model luxury yacht cruising in the Western Mediterranean, a minijet boat, a luxury car, and two residential properties in Spain. The ED's probe was launched ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 7 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice on an appeal filed by former Congress MLA Rajender Bharti challenging his conviction and three-year sentence in the Gramin Vikas Bank cheating case, which led to his disqualification from the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma sought a response from the State and listed the matter for April 15. Bharti has also sought a stay on his conviction and moved an application requesting the court ...Read More >
BENGALURU: India's French connection is growing stronger. French IT services firm Capgemini, which has more than half of its 3.4 lakh employees in India, is acquiring one of the country's business process management (BPM) pioneers, WNS, for $3.3 billion. The move is seen as an attempt to bring strong technology expertise, especially AI, into BPM services to be able to offer enterprises much more comprehensive solutions.This acquisition comes a decade after Capgemini acquired Igate, another India-based IT company, for $4 billion. The WNS deal underscores India's growing importance in Capgemini' ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jul 18 (PTI) A three-storey chawl collapsed in the western suburb of Bandra here in the early hours of Friday, with at least 10 people feared trapped in the debris, civic officials said. As many as seven people have been rescued from the debris so far and admitted to the civic-run Bhabha Hospital, they said. According to preliminary information, chawl number 37 in the Bharat Nagar area of Bandra East collapsed around 5.56 am. Eight fire engines are at the spot along with teams from the Mumbai police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's local ward machinery, an official from ...Read More >
'India should look to add an extra bowler' IMAGE: Ajinkya Rahane has a piece of advice for head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill- play an extra bowler in the fourth Test at Old Trafford. Photograph: BCCI/X As India gear up for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, former captain Ajinkya Rahane has raised a tactical alarm: the team's all-rounder-heavy approach might be hurting their chances. His solution? A fourth specialist bowler -- even if it comes at the cost of batting depth. Now in England, and having witnessed India's narrow defeat at Lord's, the veteran batter has a piece of ...Read More >
HYDERABAD - As Eid al-Azha festivities approach, Dr. Akram Bajo, Head of Gastroenterology at Civil Hospital Hyderabad, has issued a health advisory urging citizens to consume meat in moderation. The doctor warned that excessive meat consumption can lead to digestive issues, diarrhea, and other health problems, particularly during the hot weather. Dr. Bajo recommended consuming sacrificial meat within three days and storing offal in cold storage for 24-48 hours to prevent infection. He also advised individuals with specific health conditions to avoid certain types of meat and to prioritize bala ...Read More >
Tura (Meghalaya), Aug 4 (PTI) An official of the Meghalaya Agriculture Department was swept away by strong currents of the Ganol River in West Garo Hills district while attempting to cross the water body during a family picnic, police said on Monday. The missing official, identified as Teseng M Sangma, was posted at Ampati in South West Garo Hills district and resided in staff quarters near Dolampong in Araimile police station area in Tura. Teseng had gone to Sella Wari near Ganol River for a picnic along with his family on Sunday, officials said. The incident took place when he tried to cr ...Read More >
New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) French major Alstom on Friday said it has been awarded 10 years contract worth 42.09 million euros by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for comprehensive annual maintenance of Bombardier-make metro trains, associated machines and plants at Badli depot. Alstom in a statement said under this contract, it will undertake comprehensive annual maintenance to ensure high performance, reliability, and safety of the fleet. The scope of work includes scheduled and corrective maintenance of trains, maintenance of depot-based machinery and plant systems, and overall houseke ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Thousands of devotees of Lord Jagannath enthusiastically participated in the Jagannath Rath Yatra organised by the ISKCON temple at Abids. Chanting slogans of 'Jai Jagannath', they joined the divine journey of the deities on their chariots on Friday. The city's famous ISKCON Temples took out grand processions from their respective temples, with the lanes beautifully decorated with traditional rangoli. The magnificent chariot carrying Lord Jagannath, along with Balarama and Subhadra, was paraded from several locations, including the Secunderabad ISKCON Temple to Clock Tower and fro ...Read More >
The car had a Maharashtra number plate. Luggage was tied to the roof of the vehicle, which made officials believe that a family had come from Maharashtra to visit Agra. A shocking and heartbreaking incident has come to light from the Taj Mahal complex in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. An elderly man was found unconscious and tied inside a locked car parked near the western gate. The incident has raised serious questions about human sensitivity and responsibility. According to Aaj Tak, the man had been locked inside the car for several hours. The extreme heat and humidity had made his condition critic ...Read More >
Pernod Ricard's consensus analyst price target has recently decreased from €106.33 to €104.33 per share. This reflects a shift in sentiment following updated research notes. This adjustment comes amid discussions about the company's valuation and evolving prospects in the face of both opportunities and challenges. Stay tuned to discover how investors can stay ahead as the narrative for Pernod Ricard stock continues to develop. What Wall Street Has Been Saying Recent analyst commentary on Pe ...Read More >
Bengaluru: India's French connection is growing stronger. French IT services firm Capgemini, which has more than half of its 3.4 lakh employees in India, is acquiring one of the country's business process management (BPM) pioneers, WNS, for $3.3 billion. The move is seen as an attempt to bring strong technology expertise, especially AI, into BPM services to be able to offer enterprises much more comprehensive solutions.This acquisition comes a decade after Capgemini acquired Igate, another India-based IT company, for $4 billion. The WNS deal underscores India's growing importance in Capgemini' ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: ASI on Monday completed the ambitious repair and restoration of Jagannath temple's Ratna Bhandar (treasury), paving the way for a much-awaited inventory of the valuables, carried out last in 1978."The extensive repair work, which began on December 17, 2024, required about 333 hours (332 hours and 47 minutes precisely) of labour, spanning 95 days. Our next step is to shift the valuables from the temporary strongrooms to the renovated Ratna Bhandar. Subsequently, inventory of the valuables will be conducted by experts, who will be selected by the govt," said Arabinda Kumar Padhee, c ...Read More >
Sawai Madhopur (Rajasthan) [India], April 7 (ANI): A CBI special court on Tuesday sentenced a former Chief Office Superintendent of the Western Central Railway (WCR), Sawai Madhopur, to five years of rigorous imprisonment in a bribery case. The CBI court in Jaipur convicted and sentenced Jalandhar Yogi, former Chief Office Superintendent (CoS) of the Office of AEN, Western Central Railways (WCR) in Gangapur City, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, to rigorous imprisonment for five years and imposed a fine of Rs. 25,000 in a bribery case, the CBI said in a statement dated April 7, 2026. Also Read | D ...Read More >
Hyderabad: North Telangana districts bore the brunt of heavy rains that disrupted normal life in many parts of the state on Wednesday. People in the northern districts were subject to harrowing times to reach their destinations due to the extensive damage to roads that was made worse by breaches across culverts and bridges on overflowing canals and water bodies. Meanwhile, flights were diverted at Shamshabad airport due to the heavy downpour in Greater Hyderabad limits. Hyderabad-bound flights were diverted to Vijayawada, Bengaluru and Tirupati in the afternoon. The IMD issued a red alert for ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: EC on Thursday revised the rules relating to counting of postal ballots, making it mandatory for all postal ballot papers to be counted before the penultimate round of EVM/VVPATs counting is taken up.The new practice will be first implemented in Bihar where assembly polls are due in Nov.This restores the arrangement prior to May 2019, when EC had changed the guidelines to allow EVM counting to proceed regardless of postal ballot counting stage. The 2019 change did not rule out chances of EVM counting being completed before postal ballot counting. INDIA bloc had, during the 2024 elec ...Read More >
New Delhi: US forces have recovered the second missing crew member from an F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over southwestern Iran, officials confirmed early Sunday, capping a high-stakes search-and-rescue operation carried out under heavy fire. The dramatic recovery, seen in shaky nighttime footage aired by Al Jazeera and widely shared on social media, came hours after the Pentagon said one crew member had already been pulled to safety. The second airman was located and extracted after intense combat operations involving US helicopters and support aircraft near the crash site, according to mult ...Read More >