A parliament panel has sought details from the Centre about action taken against some social media influencers and platforms allegedly "working against the interest of the country" following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the Speaker of Hthe ouse of Representatives of Japan, Fukushiro Nukaga, in Delhi and thanked him for the "expression of solidarity and support" on the Pahalgam attack.

"Delighted to meet Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga of House of Representatives of Japan today in Delhi, along with his parliamentary colleagues and business delegation. Thank him for the expression of solidarity and support on the Pahalgam terrorist attack," he said.

India is "entitled to retaliate and try to eliminate terrorist threats" to its sovereignty and people, ex-US national security advisor John Bolton told NDTV Monday, nearly two weeks after a terror attack in J&K's Pahalgam killed 26 people.

The Centre has asked several states to conduct security mock drills on Wednesday, May 7, for "effective civil defence" amid tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, sources told NDTV.

Amid increasing tension between New Delhi and Islamabad following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, several international airlines are avoiding Pakistani airspace, according to airlines' statements and flight tracker data. Among major airlines avoiding airspace over Pakistan are Air France, British Airways, UAE's Emirates and Germany's Lufthansa.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed that Lufthansa Flight LH760 from Frankfurt to New Delhi flew nearly an hour longer on Sunday, as it took a longer route to its destination. The airline, in a statement to news agency Reuters, said, Lufthansa Group is "avoiding Pakistani airspace until further notice." The carrier added that it is monitoring developments in the region and will update its route accordingly.

Some flights of British Airways, Swiss International Air Lines and Emirates were also seen turning north towards Delhi, in order to avoid Pakistani airspace, after travelling over the Arabian Sea.

Singer Sonu Nigam recently shared an open letter on social media, expressing his love for the Kannada language. Mr Nigam has been booked by the Bengaluru police for his remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack during a concert in the city. An FIR was registered on Saturday after the comments sparked controversy.

The singer wrote, "I have given unprecedented love to the language, the culture, the music, the musicians, the state, and the people not just when I am in Karnataka but anywhere else in the world. In fact, I have revered my Kannada songs way more than my songs in other languages including Hindi. There are 100s of videos circulating on social media as a testimony. I have more than an hour of Kannada songs that I prepare for every concert when in Karnataka."

Amid rising tensions in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistani hackers are targeting Indian defence websites. According to sources in the defence establishment, the cyber attacks may have compromised sensitive information about defence personnel, including their login credentials.

A handle on X, Pakistan Cyber Force, has claimed that hackers gained access to sensitive data of the Military Engineer Services and the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis. The group, sources said, has also tried to deface the website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Defence. The sources said the website of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited has been taken offline for a thorough audit to assess the extent of any potential damage caused by the hacking attempt.

A reel posted by a senior BJP leader Ravinder Raina, in which he is seen running in the snow with security personnel, has drawn sharp responses from Opposition leaders. A member of BJP's national executive, Mr Raina is a former Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief and a former MLA.

On Sunday night, Mr Raina uploaded a short video on social media that shows him running in the snow with at least five armed security personnel following him. Mr Raina and others are seen smiling in the reel. Aarambh Hai Prachand, Piyush Mishra's intense song from the movie Gulaal, plays in the background. The caption just said, "Jai Hind".

The opposition accused Mr Raina of misusing security.

#JaiHind 🇮🇳
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/vH4XYKkrpI

— Ravinder Raina (@RavinderRaina) May 4, 2025

The diplomatic measures against Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam massacre has picked up again with New Delhi requesting the Asian Development Bank to discontinue financial support to Pakistan. Sources said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took up the matter with ADB chief Masato Kanda at a recent meeting.

Moody's Ratings on Monday said sustained escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan will not have any major economic disruption in the country, but will be a setback for Islamabad as its forex reserves could come under pressure and weigh on growth.

In its commentary titled 'Escalating Pakistan-India tensions would weigh on Pakistan's growth', Moody's said it does not expect major disruptions to India's economic activity because it has minimal economic relations with Pakistan (less than 0.5 per cent of India's total exports in 2024).

Russian President Vladimir Putin called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and strongly condemned the attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed.

"He conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives and expressed full support to India in the fight against terrorism. He emphasised that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

During the call, PM Modi also invited Mr Putin for the Annual Summit scheduled to be held in India later this year. 

President Putin @KremlinRussia_E called PM @narendramodi and strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam, India. He conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives and expressed full support to India in the fight against terrorism. He emphasised that the…

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) May 5, 2025

The Pakistan military said on Monday it has conducted a missile test with a range of 120 kilometres, the second launch in two days as tensions with India have soared over Kashmir.

New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for backing a deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam last month, sparking a fresh stand-off between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

"The launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile's advanced navigation system and enhanced accuracy," the Pakistani military said in a statement.

On Saturday, the military said it had tested a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kilometres.

Amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Japan condemned terrorism in all forms during a conversation with India. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani San in Delhi.

"It was a delight to meet Japan's Defence Minister Gen Nakatani San in New Delhi. India shares a Special, Strategic and Global partnership with Japan. During the bilateral meeting we discussed defence cooperation and regional security. Both sides condemned terrorism in all forms and emphasised the need for enhanced collaboration and joint efforts to counter cross-border threats.  Nakatani San expressed solidarity with India in the wake of Pahalgam attack and offered full support to India," he wrote on X.

It was a delight to meet Japan’s Defence Minister Gen Nakatani San in New Delhi. India shares a Special, Strategic and Global partnership with Japan. During the bilateral meeting we discussed defence cooperation and regional security. Both sides condemned terrorism in all forms… pic.twitter.com/cqd7CWyxLS

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) May 5, 2025

A week after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan - in the first round of retaliatory measures for the Pahalgam terror attack - the government has begun increasing reservoir storage capacities at two hydroelectric projects in Kashmir, sources told NDTV.

Specifically, 'reservoir flushing' - i.e., removing of sediment- was carried out at the Salal and Baglihar projects by the state-run National Hydroelectric Power Corporation last week.

The government is also expected to accelerate construction of six stalled projects in the region - a 1,856 MW project in Sawalkot, the Kirthai I and I facilities that will generate a combined 1,320 MW, and a 1,000 MW facility in Pakal Dul, as well as three others making a total of 2,224 MW.

Once these six are completed, Jammu and Kashmir could generate up to 10,000 MW of electricity, and there could be more water for irrigation and domestic consumption in the plains.

The security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have intensified their search for the terrorists behind the deadly Pahalgam attack and are now focused on 54 routes that begin from Baisaran, the valley where the terror attack left 26 people dead last month, sources told NDTV. Some of these routes go upwards towards dense forests and mountains, while others are connected to different parts of Kashmir, they said.

The Over Ground Workers (OGWs), who have been arrested for providing logistics to terrorists, have also been taken to the forests for the search operations. The terrorists are believed to be in hideouts in the forests, sources said.

The probe has so far found that three terrorists - two from Pakistan and one from Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag - had opened fire on tourists in Baisaran Valley, known as "mini Switzerland" for its rolling hills and verdant orchards, killing 25 Indian nationals and a Nepali citizen on April 22.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh is meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people on April 22, sources said.

This comes a day after Air Chief Marshal AP Singh met PM Modi.

Security forces in J&K are searching for terrorists on 54 routes that go in different directions from Pahalagam, sources said. Some of these routes go upwards towards dense forests and mountains, while others go down into the terrain.

According to sources, the terrorists are still hiding in hideouts somewhere in the forest.

Following its decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, India briefly stopped water flow through the Baglihar dam on the Chenab river. According to reports, the Centre is planning similar steps on the Kishanganga Dam on the Jhelum.

This move is temporary as the Baglihar dam has been built in line with the Indus Waters Treaty and can hold a limited volume of water after which it must release it. But coming amid bilateral tensions in the wake of the terror attack, it is clearly a warning sign for Islamabad. READ MORE HERE

The terrorists responsible for the deadly attack in Pahalgam's Baisaran Valley on April 22 had received elite military training in Pakistan, sources said. This training from the Pakistani Special Service Group led them to aid their terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir effectively.

Officials uncovered the information during the interrogation of some terrorists who are already in jail.

Hashim Musa, one of the three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack, has previously served as a para-commando in Pakistan's Special Service Group. He later joined Lashkar-e-Taiba and has been part of multiple terror attacks since.

A man who gave food and shelter to terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district drowned after he jumped into a river while escaping from the security forces.

A video taken from a higher ground shows the man, Imitiaz Ahmad Magray, 23, suddenly jumping into the rocky river after scanning the forested area briefly.

Magray was picked up by the police on Saturday, sources said. During questioning, he told the police that he gave food and logistics to terrorists hiding in the forest in Kulgam's Tangmarg, sources said.

The accused agreed to lead the security forces to the terrorists' hideout, sources said.

On Sunday morning, while leading a joint team of the police and the army to raid the hideout, Magray in a bid to flee jumped into the Veshaw River, sources said.

Security forces have busted a terror hideout in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch on Sunday evening. Officials have recovered one ID, two radio sets, and three blankets from the hideout location.

India has stanched the flow of water through a key dam on the Chenab River, days after the suspension of Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan.

India's decision to suspend the decades-old treaty follows the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, has governed the use of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960.

🔴 #BREAKING | Firing at 8 sectors across the Line of Control as Pakistan violates ceasefire for 11th consecutive night
Track all latest updates: https://t.co/DxhSCbxWBe
NDTV's @ShivAroor reports pic.twitter.com/D8Eu8sqQrN

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 5, 2025

After Instagram accounts of Pakistani artists, including actors Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir and Ali Zafar, were no longer accessible in India, Pakistani singer Abida Parveen's Instagram account has also been blocked in the country.

"Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content," read the message by Instagram on Abida Parveen's account.

India had earlier announced a ban on 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies in the backdrop of the tragic Pahalgam terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir. The action followed the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

CCTV footage from a market downhill from the picturesque meadow of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir's Baisaran valley showed tourists including children running and vehicles speeding down the road, an hour after the terror attack began.

The footage timestamp matched the time on April 22 i.e. one hour after the terrorists with cross-border linkages started shooting at tourists, sources said.

The tourists, including elderly people, who were seen running in the CCTV came to the market downhill from Baisaran's higher ground using a route that the terrorists had not blocked, sources said.

Some of the vehicles seen in the footage were carrying injured people, they said.

The terrorists killed 26 tourists and disappeared into the forest. The terror attack was seen from multiple angles in videos taken by survivors.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of incarcerated former premier Imran Khan on Sunday announced to skip the key government briefing on the current situation between Pakistan and India.

This decision was announced in a statement by the party's political committee.

"Since this is merely a government briefing and there does not appear to be any serious attempt to build a national consensus, nor is there any intention to include an important national leader like Imran Khan, we believe that the participation of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in this briefing is not necessary," the PTI said.

As emotions run high in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, a former diplomat has warned that public mood should not dictate a war with Pakistan. Ajay Bisaria, former high commissioner to Pakistan, highlighted the key aspects of such an action and said its timing should not be based on what the people feel.

"For any operation to succeed, you need three elements: speed, surprise, and secrecy. There is an issue of choosing our timing, and that should not be dictated by the public mood," said the former diplomat on an ANI podcast.

Mr Bisaria, who has headed the Indian mission in Pakistan during 2017-2020, stressed the need to be able to fight the battle on its own if the situation escalates.

"We have to fight this battle on our own. When you escalate, you have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario, which is an uncontrolled escalation where you could even be fighting a full-scale war. And have the capacity, intent, political will, and national will to be able to do that," he added.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today said it is his responsibility to work with the armed forces and give a "befitting reply" to those who cast an evil eye on India.

The comments came amid the tension with Pakistan following the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists.

India has said the terrorists have cross-border linkages.

"I want to assure you that under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, what you desire will certainly happen," the Defence Minister said, alluding to what people across the nation have been talking about the need for a response to Pakistan.

"As the defence minister, it is my responsibility to work with my soldiers and ensure the protection of the country's borders. And it is my responsibility to give a befitting reply, by working with the armed forces, to those who cast an evil eye on our country," Mr Singh said.

The United Nations Security Council will meet today to discuss the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. It will be an opportunity for both sides to express their views on the cross-border tensions before the international community. 

This comes a day after Pakistan's foreign office said it will inform the world security body about "India's aggressive actions, provocations, and provocative statements".

The UN Security Council had condemned in the strongest terms the terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed, underlining the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers and the sponsors of "this reprehensible act of terrorism" accountable and bring them to justice.

The situation remains tense between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, with Pakistan resorting to unprovoked firing across the LoC for the 11th consecutive night. 

On the adjoining night of May 4 and May 5, small arms firing was directed from posts in areas opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajauri, Mendhar, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army responded to the firing promptly.

Since the night of April 24, just hours after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistani troops have been resorting to unprovoked firing at various places along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.