Amarnath ice melts as temperatures soar
The naturally formed ice lingam at the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir has almost completely melted due to an intense heatwave. Since the yatra began on July 3, over 1.2 lakh pilgrims have visited the shrine. However, rising temperatures-3 to 4°C above normal and peaking above 37°C-have caused the lingam to vanish unusually early. This marks the first such occurrence in recent history. A devotee confirmed its absence on July 8. Despite the melting, the yatra continues, with thousands reaching base camps daily ahead of its scheduled conclusion on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
India extradites fugitive from US
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully extradited fugitive economic offender Monika Kapoor from the United States after over 25 years. Kapoor, wanted for a 1998 export fraud involving forged documents and duty-free gold imports causing a ?1.44 crore loss to the exchequer, was apprehended in the US following an Interpol Red Notice. She is being brought to India on American Airlines flight AA 292, expected to land Wednesday night. Kapoor, owner of Monika Overseas, conspired with her brothers Rajan and Rajiv Khanna-both convicted in 2017-to illegally obtain and sell replenishment licences. Declared a proclaimed offender in 2006, Kapoor fled to the US in 1999 and overstayed her visa. Her extradition marks the CBI’s second recent success after Nehal Modi’s arrest, reinforcing India’s international crackdown on economic fugitives. Kapoor will now face trial in India. The CBI has secured the return of over 100 fugitives in recent years through global cooperation.
Sayeed’s killing in northwestern Rangpur University during a demonstration escalated a nationwide violent protest that ultimately ousted her nearly 16-year-long regime on August 5 last year, when she secretly left the country on a military aircraft.
Three days later Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, 85, flew from Paris to take charge of an interim Government as the nominee of the protesters who were waging the movement under a platform called Students against Discrimination (SAD).