A pre-school principal and her two associates were arrested for allegedly extorting money from the father of a five-year-old student with whom she had an affair, police said on Wednesday.

The rupee consolidated in a narrow range and settled for the day 2 paise lower at 85.52 (provisional) against the US dollar on Wednesday, as the support from positive domestic markets was negated by uncertainty over trade tariffs.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday said the INDIA bloc will oppose the proposed changes to the Waqf law and called the bill an attack on the basic structure of the Constitution with an aim to dilute its provisions, defame minorities, disenfranchise them and divide the Indian society.

The Gaza Strip is facing an escalating food crisis as the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) shuts down all its bakeries due to dwindling supplies, following nearly a month of import restrictions imposed by Israel. The closure of these bakeries comes as markets remain largely empty, and aid agencies warn that food reserves built up during the recent ceasefire are rapidly running out. With the war having destroyed much of Gaza’s food production infrastructure, the territory remains almost entirely dependent on humanitarian aid.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale has reiterated the organisation’s opposition to the mass reclamation of mosques allegedly built on demolished temples. In an interview with Kannada weekly Vikrama, Hosabale questioned the feasibility and consequences of reclaiming thousands of such sites, warning against societal hostility and urging focus on pressing social issues.

In a dramatic incident reported here, a senior police officer who had been selected for the Chief Minister's Gold Medal, Inspector Kumar of Annapoorneshwari Nagar Police Station is reported to be absconding allegedly for fear of an arrest by Lokayukta Police.

A case of burglary was reported from Permude situated under the jurisdiction limits of Bajpe Police Station, with the thieves breaking into a house of a family currently residing in Muscat.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said in the Lok Sabha that the Waqf Amendment Bill is aimed at polarisation and will send a wrong message to the world denting the country's secular image.