British MP Bob Blackman has condemned the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. The Conservative MP also extended support to India’s action against Pakistan under Operation Sindoor and urged the Prime Minister Kair Starmer government in the United Kingdom to take stern action against terrorist camps operating in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

“Following the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam, India launched Operation Sindoor: precision air-strikes on 9 terrorist bases. As peace talks continue, I asked what steps the Foreign Secretary is taking to ensure the terrorist bases are removed from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” he said while speaking at the House of Commons. Blackman shared the video of his speech on X.

His remarks clearly pointed towards Pakistan’s involvement in harbouring terrorist organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba, whose one of the offshoots, The Resistance Front, claimed responsibility for the attack earlier.

Following the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam, India launched Operation Sindoor: precision air-strikes on 9 terrorist bases.

As peace talks continue, I asked what steps the Foreign Secretary is taking to ensure the terrorist bases are removed from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir? pic.twitter.com/qvtnwe5g03

— Bob Blackman (@BobBlackman) May 14, 2025

Responding to his question, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the Pahalgam terror attack “horrific” and assured that the British government was working with both India and Pakistan to fight terrorism.

“Well, let me be clear that the horrendous terrorism that we saw, where 26 nationals were stripped and shot, was horrific. And we condemn it, and we will continue to work with close partners to deal with these terrorist threats,” Lammy said.

The British Foreign Secretary noted that both countries need support to ensure lasting peace, which will, in the end, “maintain an enduring peace.”

Blackman had condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam earlier as well, and called on his government to fully support India in its steps to eliminate terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. In his speech at the UK Parliament on April 29, he noted the attack in Kashmir was “well organised and coordinated” and systematically targeted “either Hindu or Christian” men. 

A US judge ordered the release from custody on Wednesday of an Indian researcher at a top American university who is facing possible deportation for alleged Hamas ties.

Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University in the US capital, was arrested by federal agents two months ago at his home in Virginia and has been held in Texas.

District Judge Patricia Giles ordered Suri’s immediate release on Wednesday and that he be allowed to return from Texas to his wife and three children in Virginia on his personal recognizance.

“Hearing the judge’s words brought tears to my eyes,” Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, said in a statement released by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), which is among the groups representing her husband in court.

“Speaking out about what’s happening in Palestine is not a crime,” Saleh said. “Let’s show the world that this country is still a place where people can and do express their beliefs without fear.”

Giles, in ordering Suri’s release, said his detention violated his First Amendment rights to free speech.

“The court’s order today should send a clear message to the Trump administration that it cannot arrest someone, rip them away from their family, and incarcerate them just for standing in solidarity with Palestinians and against the genocide in Gaza,” said Astha Sharma Pokharel, an attorney at the CCR.

Suri’s release comes several days after another judge ordered the release from custody of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish Ph.D student at Tufts University in Massachusetts, who was detained in another high-profile case.

The arrests of Suri, Ozturk and others have sparked fears in the academic world that freedom of research and speech is being challenged under Republican President Donald Trump.

Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman, said on X at the time of Suri’s arrest that he was “actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting anti-Semitism on social media.”

McLaughlin also accused him of having “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas.”

According to The New York Times, Saleh, Suri’s wife, is the daughter of Ahmed Yousef, a former adviser to assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

McLaughlin said Suri was subject to deportation under a provision of immigration law that allows for expulsion if the visa holder’s presence in the United States is determined to threaten US foreign policy.

Hamas is a US-designated terror organization.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A 40-year-old woman in Bihar’s Aurangabad district on Wednesday allegedly poisoned her four children, before attempting suicide, leading to the death of her three daughters, officials said.

The woman and her six-year-old son are in a critical condition.

The deceased have been identified as Suryamani Kumari (five), Radha Kumari (three) and Shivani Kumari (one).

The woman, identified as Sonia Devi, and her son Ritesh Kumar (six) are battling for their lives at a government hospital in Aurangabad.

The incident took place at Rafiganj railway station in Aurangabad.

Speaking to reporters, RPF inspector Ram Sumer said, “In the morning, we received information that a woman and her children were lying unconscious at the Rafiganj railway station.” “Railway police, along with local police and officials reached the spot, and found the woman and her four children in a critical condition. They were taken to the nearest hospital, where three of the children were declared dead. The woman and her six-year-old son were shifted to Sadar hospital for better treatment and their condition is stated to be critical,” he added.

Rafiganj police station SHO Shambhu Kumar said some dispute between the woman and her husband was suspected to be the reason behind her taking the extreme step.

Her family members claimed she consumed some poisonous substance and also gave it to her children, the officer said, adding that the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination and further investigation is underway.

“The exact cause of the deaths can only be known after the post-mortem examination. Statements of the victims’ family members are also being recorded,” the SHO added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)