Top News of the Day: BJP begins search for next Vice-President, insider likely pick; India and U.K. sign the Free Trade Agreement, and more

Dhankhar resignation: BJP begins search for next Vice-President, party insider could make the cut

The initial shock over the resignation of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar appears to be giving way to concerns within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over his possible successor. Senior coalition leaders indicated that the next nominee may be a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close circle, with the political acumen required to manage proceedings in the Rajya Sabha.

India and U.K. sign the Free Trade Agreement

Union Minister Piyush Goyal and his British counterpart Jonathan Reynolds sign the Free Trade agreement in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Keir Starmer, at Chequers on Thursday (July 24, 2025). The FTA was signed at Chequers, the British Prime Minister’s official country residence. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, U.K. Chancellor Reeves also present at the signing ceremony.

Four showcause notices to Air India for 29 violations on crew rest and under-deployment

The DGCA has served four show cause notices to Air India for 29 violations pertaining to rest norms of pilots, deployment of less than mandatory cabin crew on ultra long haul international flights as well as lapses in training for crew and raised concerns about “safety management” at the airline and unresolved “systemic issues”, despite previous interventions.

Russian plane carrying nearly 50 crashes in country’s far eastern Amur region

A passenger plane carrying nearly 50 people crashed in a remote spot in Russia’s far eastern region of Amur on Thursday (July 24, 2025), with no immediate signs of survivors, authorities said. The aircraft, a twin-propeller Antonov-24 operated by Angara Airlines, was headed to the town of Tynda from the city of Blagoveshchensk when it disappeared from radar at around 1 p.m. local time (0400 GMT).

Supreme Court stays operation of Mumbai blasts case verdict as judicial precedent; says convicts need not surrender

The Supreme Court on Thursday (July 24, 2025) stayed the operation of a Bombay High Court judgment, which acquitted all 12 convicts in the 7/11 Mumbai train blasts in 2006, as judicial precedent in any pending trials under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

Harshvardhan Jain: the fake ‘Diplomat’ who ran ‘embassy’ in Ghaziabad and his controversial past

Harshvardhan Jain, the accused arrested on July 23 for operating a fake embassy out of a plush, two-storey bungalow in Ghaziabad, hails from a wealthy business family and studied abroad. He was part of an illegal arms trade network and committed financial frauds in the garb of overseas firms, according to the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force. He was previously arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police in 2012 for illegally possessing a satellite phone.

100% proof of ECI allowing cheating, will not allow poll body to get away with it: Rahul Gandhi

The Congress has “concrete 100% proof” that the Election Commission allowed cheating in a constituency in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday (July 24, 2025) and warned the poll panel that it will not get away with this “because we are going to come for you”.

Enforcement Directorate searches multiple locations in a case allegedly involving Anil Ambani group companies

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday (July 24, 2025) conducted searches at over 35 premises, 50 companies and more than 25 persons in connection with a case against Reliance Anil Ambani Group companies, according to agency sources.

India calls for ceasefire in Gaza, says intermittent pauses ‘not enough’

Voicing concern over the persisting humanitarian crisis in Gaza, India asserted that a ceasefire must be put in place, emphasising that “intermittent pauses in hostilities” are “not enough” to address the scale of challenges facing the region’s people.

IND vs ENG Test series: Rishabh Pant advised six weeks’ rest, ruled out of series against England

Rishabh Pant has been advised six weeks’ rest because of a toe fracture, which essentially means he could be ruled out of the remainder of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. On Wednesday (July 23, 2025), Pant was hit on the foot while trying to reverse sweep a Chris Woakes’ yorker. The ball took an inside edge and ricocheted onto his front boot.