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Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, convicted for terror funding, was today sentenced to life in prison by a special Delhi court. The National Investigation Agency had demanded the maximum punishment, the death penalty, while the defence pleaded for life imprisonment. "Two life sentences and five punishments of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment each have been awarded. All sentences are to run concurrently. A monetary penalty of over ₹ 10 lakh has also been levied," lawyer Umesh Sharma said. Different prison sentences and fines have been awarded for different cases. Yasin Malik now has the option to appeal the sentencing in the High Court.

Malik had earlier pleaded guilty to all the charges including those under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in a terror funding case. A special NIA court in Delhi pronounced its verdict on the quantum of punishment in the case.

Setting aside their differences over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US President Joe Biden in Tokyo Tuesday that the India-US strategic partnership is truly a “partnership of trust” as the two sides launched a slew of initiatives in a range of areas: from critical and emerging technologies to vaccines and defence, from artificial intelligence to data science.

“There’s so much that our countries can and will do together, and I am committed to making the US-India partnership among the closest we have on Earth,” Biden said as the bilateral began.

The Culture Ministry is considering conducting an iconography of the Hindu and Jain idols found in the Qutub Minar complex in Delhi, a senior official said on Monday and added that there were no plans to excavate the site or stop any religious practice. The comments came days after Chairperson of the National Monument Authority Tarun Vijay wrote to the ASI requesting that two Ganesha idols found in the adjoining Quwwat-ul--Islam mosque be moved out of the complex "owing to their disrespectful placement".

The official said the ministry is discussing if some of these idols can be labelled and displayed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived in Japan on a two-day visit to attend a summit of the Quad leaders which is aimed at further bolstering cooperation among the member nations of the influential grouping and discussing developments in the Indo-Pacific region. "Landed in Tokyo. Will be taking part in various programmes during this visit including the Quad Summit, meeting fellow Quad leaders, interacting with Japanese business leaders and the vibrant Indian diaspora," PM Modi tweeted in both Japanese and English.

"Ohayo, Tokyo! PM @narendramodi arrives to a warm welcome in Tokyo on what is his fifth visit to Japan in the last 8 years," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and BJP vice President Dr Raman Singh took a target at leader Rahul Gandhi and called him a 'non-playing Captain' of Congress, who neither scores nor take wickets. The BJP leader also took a swipe at the grand old party's recently concluded 'Chintan Shivir', which aimed to strategise for the coming 2024 General elections and prepare a roadmap ahead, reported ANI. Speaking to the media after the BJP national office bearers meeting concluded in Jaipur, Singh said Rahul Gandhi neither wants to become a captain nor wants to enter the field. On Congress's Chintin Shivir, Singh said that the party has left with only two states since the last time such a brainstorming session happened.