India’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, has helped delay the execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen through religious intervention. Scheduled for July 16, Nimisha’s execution was postponed after Sheikh Ahmad appealed to Yemeni scholars under Islamic law, seeking a pardon through diyāh (blood money). Nimisha was convicted of murder in 2018. The Grand Mufti worked with respected Yemeni cleric Habib Umar bin Hafiz to persuade the victim’s family. Talks continue as India hopes for full clemency. Sheikh Ahmad urged prayers for Nimisha’s release, saying Islam promotes mercy and forgiveness. The victim’s family is considering a $1 million settlement. (PC: The Hindu)

Nimisha Priya, a Kerala nurse on death row in Houthi‑controlled Yemen since 2018, was set to be executed on July 16 for the 2017 murder of her business partner. However, late jogs by India’s government and spiritual leaders postponed the sentence . Grand Mufti Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musaliyar and Sufi scholar Sheikh Habib Umar mediated with Yemeni tribal leaders, opening dialogue with the victim’s family over blood‑money compensation (“diya”) . India has informed the Supreme Court that the only path to clemency lies in this Sharia‑mandated financial settlement . The deferment offers a narrow window to finalize discussions and seek a pardon. (PC: HT Photo)

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has expressed “profound regret” over the ongoing demolition of Satyajit Ray’s grandfather Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury’s ancestral house in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, urging authorities to reconsider and preserve it as a “museum of literature” symbolizing shared Bangla heritage . The century-old property, once converted into the Mymensingh Shishu Academy in 1989, has been deemed unsafe and abandoned for a decade . West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and MP Abhishek Banerjee have also appealed for its conservation . India has offered technical and financial assistance to rebuild the site into a cultural museum, though Bangladeshi officials now plan a semi-concrete replacement under safety grounds. (PC: The Indian Express)

Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya’s execution in Yemen, scheduled for July 16, has been postponed after last-minute talks. Nimisha was sentenced to death for murdering Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2017. Despite the delay, Mahdi’s family told BBC they would accept “nothing else” but her death, citing Yemen’s Qisas law. The Grand Mufti of India and Yemeni clerics intervened to secure a postponement. Nimisha’s lawyer confirmed negotiations continue, seeking forgiveness or clemency. Nimisha, jailed in Sanaa, claims Mahdi exploited her and she accidentally caused his death while trying to recover her passport. (PC : HT)

A 40‑year‑old Russian woman, identified as Nina Kutina, was found living in a cave in Karnataka’s Ramatirtha Hills with her two daughters, aged six and four. She claims the cave life was peaceful, artistic, and self‑reliant—they painted, swam, meditated, and cooked, feeling “very happy” in nature . Post-rescue, she now resides in an ashram and alleges the intervention was intrusive, saying her belongings— including her late son’s ashes—were taken . Authorities note her visa expired in 2017 and have begun deportation proceedings, also in contact with the children’s father, an Israeli national. (PC: India Today)  

Punjab police have arrested 30‑year‑old NRI Amritpal Singh Dhillon from Canada in connection with the hit‑and‑run death of 114‑year‑old marathon icon Fauja Singh on July 14 in Jalandhar’s Beas Pind. The suspect’s white Toyota Fortuner (PB‑20C‑7100), suspected in the fatal collision, has been seized. CCTV footage helped trace the vehicle, which had changed ownership before the purchase by Dhillon about eight days prior. Singh, fondly known as the “Turbaned Tornado,” was crossing the highway en route to his son’s dhaba when struck, suffering fatal head injuries. Charges include rash driving and culpable homicide. (PC: AFP)    

At the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Tianjin on July 15, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar invoked the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, highlighting its intent to “sabotage Jammu & Kashmir’s tourism economy and sow religious divide” . He stressed that SCO was founded to combat the “three evils”—terrorism, separatism, extremism—and must remain resolute . Praising India’s action via Operation Sindoor, he called on fellow member states to translate rhetoric into results, emphasizing the importance of regional stability, economic cooperation, and transit infrastructure such as the INSTC. (PC: ANI)

India has urged Bangladesh to reconsider demolishing Satyajit Ray’s ancestral home in Dhaka’s Mymensingh, saying it “can help with repair.” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the demolition “heartbreaking” and said, “The Ray family is one of the foremost bearers of Bengali culture.” India’s foreign ministry stated, “It would be preferable to reconsider the demolition and examine options for repair and reconstruction.” The home, owned by Ray’s grandfather Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury, was reportedly neglected. Bangladesh cited safety concerns. India suggested restoring it as a museum to celebrate the shared cultural ties between India and Bangladesh. (PC: NDTV)

Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus has sent 1,000 kg of Haribhanga mangoes to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, and Tripura CM Manik Saha in a diplomatic gesture. This "mango diplomacy" follows strained ties between India and Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina’s government fell last year. The consignment arrives Monday in New Delhi. PM Modi met Yunus in April during the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok. Bangladesh’s move comes amid efforts to balance relations with India while courting China and Pakistan. The mango gift seeks to revive goodwill through cultural diplomacy despite regional tensions. (PC: NDTV)

The execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, sentenced to death in Yemen for the 2017 murder of her business partner, has been deferred. The temporary reprieve came not through a blood money settlement but after Yemen’s president intervened following talks with regional leaders. Airline consultant Samuel Jerome Baskaran, involved in efforts to save Priya, confirmed the postponement. India has told the Supreme Court it is doing all it can to help. Nimisha remains jailed in Sana’a as negotiations continue. A reported $1 million offer for clemency remains unanswered. The new date for her execution has not been announced yet. (PC: News18)