Fraud applications: Indian students face ban / restrictions from 5 Australian universities

Gaza Strip: In what is being described as one of the deadliest escalations yet, the Israeli military has launched a massive ground and air campaign under the name "Gideon's Chariots" — a biblical-sounding operation aimed at “conquering” Gaza and placing it under full Israeli control.

The operation, approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet on May 5, marks the first official declaration of Israel’s intent to seize and retain the entire Palestinian territory of Gaza — a move that is being widely condemned as open occupation.

In the past 24 hours, the Israeli army claimed to have made the “first moves” of this campaign, launching extensive bombardments and deploying ground forces to seize what it calls “strategic areas” of Gaza.

According to the Israeli statement, Operation Gideon’s Chariots is intended to fulfill all of Israel's war goals — including the release of hostages and the defeat of Hamas. But the brutality on the ground tells a different story.

In just three days, over 370 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. On Friday alone, at least 74 Palestinians, most of them women and children, were confirmed dead. The Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia reported receiving 30 bodies and dozens more injured, as Israeli bombs rained down on densely populated neighborhoods.

In one of the most harrowing nights, Israel reportedly dropped over 40 U.S.-made bunker buster bombs near the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, claiming to target underground resistance tunnels.

Eyewitnesses describe scenes of horror — bloodied children, overwhelmed hospitals, and entire families buried under rubble. Gaza’s northern regions have become apocalyptic wastelands, while the Israeli military openly speaks of pushing civilians southward, raising fears of a full-scale ethnic cleansing.

The latest wave of bloodshed comes amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the region, drawing sharp criticism over Washington’s continued support for Israel’s military campaign.

Since the October 7, 2023 outbreak of war, over 53,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. While a brief ceasefire deal was brokered in January, it was quickly shattered, and Israel resumed its attacks on March 18, ignoring calls for a renewed truce.

Now, with “Gideon’s Chariots” in motion, the question looms large: Is this the final phase of Gaza’s destruction — or a turning point that will awaken the world’s conscience?

New Delhi: India’s defense budget is set to receive an unprecedented mid-year boost of ₹50,000 crore in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, according to senior government officials cited by multiple media outlets. The increase, expected to be formalized through a supplementary budget during the Winter Session of Parliament, will push the overall military allocation for 2025–26 beyond ₹7 lakh crore — a record in the nation's history.

This boost comes on top of the ₹6.81 lakh crore already earmarked for defense in the Union Budget presented on February 1, which itself marked a sharp 9.2% rise from the previous year’s ₹6.22 lakh crore. At nearly 13% of the total Union Budget, defense continues to be the single-largest expenditure of the central government.

Sources quoted in reports by The Hindu, India Today, and Business Standard say that the additional allocation will primarily fund weapons procurement, strategic research and development, and expansion of indigenous defense systems.

Taxpayer Money & Military Spending
The ballooning defense allocation raises important questions about fiscal priorities, as the central government continues to invest heavily in its military apparatus. While national security is undoubtedly critical, some experts warn that such massive spending — funded by taxpayer money — should be subject to greater public debate and transparency.

The trend began in 2014, the first year of the Modi administration, when the defense allocation stood at ₹2.29 lakh crore. Since then, the budget has more than tripled in a decade, signaling a clear policy shift toward military modernization and assertive defense posturing.

The dramatic budget escalation follows Operation Sindoor, India's military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. In that incident, 26 civilians were killed in an assault attributed to the Pakistan-backed terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

India retaliated with precision air strikes on nine alleged terror hubs located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In a display of military preparedness, Indian forces showcased sophisticated coordination between their air and ground defense systems — notably the domestically developed Akash missile system and the Russian-origin S-400.

Strategic Signals

In his post-operation speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a stern warning to terror networks and their state sponsors. He stated that India’s approach to cross-border terrorism had irreversibly changed, and no talks would be entertained unless they pertain to dismantling terror infrastructure and restoring Indian sovereignty over Pak-occupied Kashmir.

Following the military engagement, Pakistan launched retaliatory drone and missile attacks, targeting both military and civilian locations. Most were intercepted or neutralized by India’s air defense systems, reinforcing confidence in the nation's growing technological capabilities.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has reiterated the government's commitment to indigenous production, stating in a recent press briefing that relying on foreign suppliers for national defense is “not a viable long-term solution.”

As India steers into an increasingly volatile regional climate, the government's substantial financial commitment to defense has invited both praise and concern. While some see it as a necessary step in safeguarding the nation, others caution that such steep investments, ultimately borne by taxpayers, demand more rigorous public scrutiny.

A Haryana-based woman travel blogger was arrested for allegedly spying and passing sensitive information to Pakistani operatives, marking the third arrest from Haryana this week after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire.

Travel blogger Jyoti Malhotra, a resident of Hisar, was arrested after she confessed to sharing sensitive information with Pakistani operatives. She was booked under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act. She has been placed under five-day police remand.

Confirming her arrest, Hisar police spokesman Vikas Kumar said that Jyoti Malhotra was taken into custody and officials are questioning her to gather more details.

An FIR was registered at Hisar Civil Lines police station based on a complaint lodged by sub-inspector Sanjay. According to the FIR, the blogger visited the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi in 2023, where she came into contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, alias Danish, a staffer at the Pakistan High Commission (PHC) in New Delhi.

“The woman revealed that she remained in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish and during her Pakistan visit in 2023 , she met Ali Ehwan, who ensured my staying and travelling in Pakistan. Ehwan introduced her to Pakistani security and intelligence officials, where she also met with Shakir and Rana Shahbaz,” the FIR reads. 

"The blogger had saved Shakir’s name with ‘ Jatt Randhawa’ so that no one could create doubt on her. After returning from Pakistan in 2023, she remained in touch with all the operatives on encrypted platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat,” the police FIR added. 

The woman blogger had visited Pakistan twice in 2023. Jyoti Malhotra ran the YouTube channel “Travel with Jo.” She is part of a network that spanned across Haryana and Punjab, with key operatives acting as agents, financial conduits, and informants.

Danish, who has since been declared persona non grata by the Indian government and expelled on May 13, 2025, allegedly introduced Jyoti to multiple Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).

She allegedly shared sensitive information concerning Indian locations and was actively used to project a positive image of Pakistan on social media. 

Investigators say she also entered into an intimate relationship with a PIO and even travelled to Bali, Indonesia with him. During Danish’s stay in Delhi, she continued coordinating with him, further raising suspicions.