The police have discovered 145 kg of illegal drugs in the northern region of Afghanistan and took into custody 10 alleged drug smugglers, a statement of the Ministry for Interior Affairs said on 8 September.
In the drive against illicit drugs, counter-narcotics police arrested three persons and discovered 106 kg of opium poppy and 32 kg of hashish in Kunduz province on 7 September. Another man with 4 kg of hashish was arrested in the neighboring Baghlan and six persons with 3 kg of illegal drugs were detained in Balkh province, the statement of the ministry posted on X said. The police won’t allow anyone to produce or smuggle illegal drugs in the country, the statement further said, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Previously, police discovered 78 kg of opium poppy and arrested one person in the northern Takhar province on Thursday. Earlier on September 4, provincial police spokesman Nizamudin Omir said that police discovered 78 kg of opium poppy type in the northern Afghanistan Takhar province and took into custody an individual on charge of attempting to smuggle the contraband. The alleged drug smuggler placed 78 kg of opium poppy in the cavities of a car and wanted to take it from Takhar to an unknown location, but police, during a routine search, recovered the contraband and arrested its owner, the official said. This is the second discovery of an illegal drug in the northern region of Afghanistan over the past three days.
Earlier, police discovered 18 kg of opium poppy and detained two smugglers in the northern Baghlan province on September 2. Earlier in August, Afghan police set on fire 29.8 tonnes of illegal drugs seized during a series of operations in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, according to a statement issued by the office of the Deputy Minister of Interior for Counter-Narcotics. The confiscated substances included 1,442 kg of methamphetamine (ICE), 588 kg of heroin, 15,714 kg of hashish, 460 kg of opium poppy, and other narcotics, along with materials used in drug production, said the statement issued on 25 August.
The contraband was uncovered during counter-narcotics operations in Jalalabad city and various districts of the province, it said. Without furnishing details on whether the narcotics had been discovered, the statement noted that 2,586 individuals were arrested for smuggling, purchasing, and selling the illicit drugs, and their dossiers were referred to the judiciary for further investigation. Additionally, police have rounded up 5,786 drug users in the province and shifted them to rehabilitation centres for treatment, it said. The Afghan interim government, which banned poppy cultivation, drug processing, and trafficking in April 2022, has vowed to fight the menace until the country becomes a drug-free nation.
-IANS
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For decades, Pakistan’s military establishment has fostered and harboured jihadist groups as tools of regional strategy to silence Baloch voices of resistance against Islamabad’s atrocities, a report said on 8 September.
The Islamic State Pakistan Province (ISPP), an offshoot of the terrorist organisation ISIS-Khorasan Province (ISKP), which claimed responsibility for the September 2 suicide attack on the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) rally in Quetta, exposed the alarming and serious security vacuum Pakistan has allowed to deepen in Balochistan, according to a report published in The Balochistan Post.
It further stated that the attack, which claimed at least 14 people and injured more than 30, is not an isolated incident but the result of years of Pakistan’s policies aimed at destabilising Balochistan and creating a breeding ground for global terrorist outfits.
“These same forces have now turned inward, directly targeting ethnic nationalists, progressives, and critics of the state. ISKP’s propaganda, particularly the booklet Qaumiyat Ka Fareb (The Deception of Nationalism), makes clear that Baloch, Pashtun, and progressive voices are seen as threats equal to, if not greater than, foreign powers,” the report read.
The report further stated that the “overlap between the ISKP’s declared enemies, which align with Pakistan’s own adversaries — BNP-M, BYC, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) — raises the uncomfortable question: who benefits when these groups are silenced?” Calling the Quetta bombing the latest incident in the pattern, adopted by Islamabad to weaken Balochistan’s fight, the report noted, “From the March 2025 attempt on BNP-M leaders in Mastung, to ISKP’s explicit threats against the BLA, BLF, and BYC, the militant agenda appears increasingly aligned with Pakistan’s long-standing campaign to weaken Baloch resistance.”
The report cited documents recovered in Kabul during an operation against ISKP by Afghanistan’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) last year, and said that these mentioned the terror outfit’s “hitlist” of prominent critics of Islamabad, including Akhtar Mengal and Dr. Mahrang Baloch. “It is difficult to ignore that these very individuals are also the central civilian opposition to Pakistan’s military dominance in Balochistan,” the report further added.
The Balochistan Post report also mentioned that Baloch fighters destroyed an ISKP camp in Mastung, killing dozens of terrorists, which it claimed, reflects that nationalist groups are “directly opposed to rather than aligned” with international jihadism. Rather than safeguarding its citizens, the report said, Islamabad has repeatedly placed greater emphasis on targeting nationalist movements over destroying transnational terrorist infrastructure.
It said that through this selective approach, space has been created for the terror organisation ISIS to gain a foothold in Balochistan, making it into a new theatre of conflict. According to the report, the Quetta attack is not just an act of terrorism, but a part of a “broader convergence of interests between Pakistan’s establishment and ISIS affiliates in silencing dissenting, pro-independence, and democratic Baloch voices.”“Unless this nexus is broken, Balochistan risks becoming not just a battleground between nationalists and the Pakistani military, but also a staging ground for international jihadists who exploit the very chaos Pakistan has engineered,” the report noted.
-IANS
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Speaking at a Congress conference in Tirunelveli, Girish Chodankar All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Congress Committees announced that the Indian National Congress is firmly committed to contesting 125 seats in the forthcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
During his address, Chodankar emphasized that the event was not just a state-level gathering but a significant message to the nation, showcasing the party’s grassroots strength in Tamil Nadu. He highlighted that the Congress has successfully established 22,000 village-level committees across the state.
“In a conversation with Rahul Gandhi, I told him that he could meet over two lakh dedicated members from these committees anytime he visits Tamil Nadu,” Chodankar said. He also added that both Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge have expressed their intent to visit the state and personally interact with these village committees.
“We are preparing with a focus on 117 constituencies, but our clear goal is to contest 125 seats in the assembly elections,” he said, urging party workers to begin organizing and identifying seats accordingly.
He further alleged that over the past decade, there have been consistent irregularities involving electronic voting machines during elections, claiming that Rahul Gandhi had exposed what he referred to as “vote theft.”
These remarks underscored the Congress party’s electoral ambitions and its ongoing efforts to strengthen its presence in Tamil Nadu ahead of the next assembly polls.
In a case that has sent shockwaves across Odisha, a 12-year-old student of a madrasa in the state’s Nayagarh district, was allegedly subjected to months of sexual abuse by his senior peers before being strangled to death and his body dumped in a septic tank after he threatened to expose them. Police have arrested five juveniles, aged between 12 and 15, in connection with the brutal crime.
The victim, a resident of Cuttack district, had been enduring repeated sexual assault for six months within the madrasa premises. The situation turned fatal on 2 September 2025 when the boy, who had remained silent out of fear and shame, was killed after he finally gathered the courage to threaten his abusers with revealing the ordeal to his parents.
According to the police investigation, the sequence of events was particularly gruesome. On 31 August 2025, two of the accused had attempted to kill the boy by pushing him into an abandoned septic tank, believing him to be dead. However, the victim survived the fall, managed to climb out despite injuries, and returned to the madrasa. Tragically, on 2 September 2025, he was lured by two of the students under the false pretense of help. He was then sexually assaulted again, strangled, and murdered by a group of five, who subsequently disposed of his body in the same tank.
The disappearance was reported by the victim’s father on the day of the murder. While the body was recovered soon after, initial assumptions of an accidental death were overturned by forensic evidence and CCTV footage, which pointed to murder.
Nayagarh Additional Superintendent of Police, Subash Chandra Panda, stated that the prime accused is a 15-year-old student who had been coercing and manipulating the victim for months. Police stated that the victim was subjected to an unnatural sexual act and torture for the past six months and that he was fearful of reporting the abuse due to social stigma.
The five accused were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and have been remanded to a juvenile rehabilitation home in Angul. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for murder).
MADRASA MURDER SOLVED, 5 MINORS HELD
In a shocking incident in Odisha, a minor was brutally murdered by seven of his classmates at a Madrasa to prevent him from reporting their homosexual advances. pic.twitter.com/DZ31KdxntC
The madrasa, which houses around 16 students, has expelled the accused and is cooperating with the police investigation. The institution has been closed since the incident came to light.
Communal tension flared in Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur district late on 7 September night after a Ganesh idol immersion procession was reportedly targeted with stones, injuring three persons.
Police officials said that the situation was brought under control following the deployment of a heavy security force and a flag march in the area. At least three people were injured in the incident, and they have been admitted to the district hospital.
The incident occurred at Pratima village, about 20 km from the district headquarters, at around 10 p.m., when a procession was moving towards a local river for the immersion of Lord Ganesha idols. As the procession passed through Pathani Mohalla, an unidentified group of people began pelting stones, leading to a tense standoff between the two communities. Three individuals were injured and immediately shifted to the district hospital for treatment. The incident led to communal tension in the area as a large number of people from both communities gathered.
Senior administrative officials, including Additional Collector Veer Singh Chouhan and Additional Superintendent of Police Antar Singh Kanesh, rushed to the scene to bring the situation under control. A senior police official confirmed that the situation is now peaceful but that a substantial security presence remains in the area. The spot where the incident occurred has been declared a prohibited zone, and a flag march was carried out late in the night to prevent further escalation. “Although the situation is currently under control, a significant police presence has been deployed. Investigations into the incident are ongoing, and CCTV footage is being scrutinised to identify those responsible,” a senior police official told reporters on 8 September.
Burhanpur MLA Archana Chitnis visited the site, interacted with locals, and appealed to them not to engage in violence. She remained there until early Monday morning, considering the tense situation. The senior BJP leader stated that some anti-social elements attempted to disturb law and order and create communal tension. “In Burhanpur, we usually celebrate all festivals peacefully, and people have no issues with each other’s festivities. Unfortunately, yesterday a regrettable incident occurred during the immersion of Lord Ganesha’s idol, when stone pelting created a tense situation in the village,” Chitnis told IANS on 8 September.
She further said that a similar incident had taken place last year as well. “Last year, when stones were pelted during the immersion of Ganesh idols, I had demanded that those responsible be punished. That did not happen. The government must take strict action to prevent any such incidents in the future,” she said.
-IANS
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Tension gripped Puthagaram village near Walajabad in Kanchipuram district after unidentified miscreants set fire to the newly built temple chariot that belonged to the Muthu Kolaki Amman temple on Saturday (6 September 2025) night.
The chariot, measuring around 30 feet, had been constructed at a cost of several lakhs of rupees with contributions from the public and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, as the temple car festival had not been held for over four decades due to poor maintenance of the old structure.
Disputes had recently arisen in the village, with one group demanding that the new chariot procession pass through their area, while another section opposed it, citing traditional restrictions. A member of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) from Buddhagaram filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking government intervention to ensure that the chariot procession covered their locality as well. The court adjourned the matter to September 15, directing the district collector to inspect the site and submit a report.
In the meantime, the newly built chariot was kept covered with a tarpaulin. On Saturday night, miscreants set fire to the structure. While the tarpaulin was damaged, timely rainfall helped prevent the blaze from spreading further.
News of the incident triggered protests in the village, with over 100 residents staging a road blockade demanding immediate arrests. Police personnel pacified the crowd by assuring strict action against the culprits, after which the protesters dispersed.
More than 50 police personnel have since been deployed in Puthagaram to prevent further unrest. District Superintendent of Police Shanmugam visited the site and conducted an inspection.
An investigation is underway to identify those responsible for the arson.
Tensions flared outside the Tamil Nadu DGP office in Mylapore when a clash broke out between members of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Puratchi Tamilagam Katchi led by Airport Moorthy.
The incident began when PMK members, along with Salem West MLA and party state joint secretary Arul, gathered at the DGP office to submit a petition demanding action in connection with the recent attack on Aduthurai Panchayat Chairman and PMK district secretary M.K. Stalin. As they arrived, VCK members confronted Airport Moorthy, a long-time critic of VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, leading to a violent altercation.
According to eyewitnesses, VCK supporters surrounded Moorthy, verbally abused him, and physically assaulted him, with one video showing him being hit with sandals. The police personnel on duty attempted to intervene but were unable to stop the scuffle. Moorthy retaliated during the clash, and one VCK member, identified as Thileepan, was later admitted to Royapettah Government Hospital with injuries.
Following the confrontation, both groups lodged complaints at the Marina Police Station. However, while Moorthy himself was taken into custody and booked under three sections, including for alleged use of obscene language and causing grievous hurt, no arrests have yet been made against the VCK members who attacked him at the DGP office entrance.
The Puratchi Tamilagam Katchi leader has stated that he had already submitted complaints to the police citing threats to his life from VCK cadres and accused the state government of shielding Thirumavalavan’s supporters. Meanwhile, the VCK has also filed a counter-complaint demanding action against Moorthy, alleging that he used a pocketknife during the scuffle.
The arrest of Moorthy, even as those who assaulted him remain at large, has triggered criticism that law enforcement is displaying bias in handling the issue.
BJP leader K Annamalai slammed the ruling dispensation over the handling of the case. On his X handle, he wrote, “The leader of the Puratchi Tamilagam Party, elder brother Mr. Airport Moorthy, was attacked by VCK party rowdies at the entrance of the DGP office. Instead of arresting the VCK rowdies who were involved in the attack, the DMK government’s police have arrested brother Mr. Airport Moorthy, who tried to defend himself. Compared to the rule of the late DMK leader Karunanidhi during 2006-2011, his son Chief Minister Mr. @mkstalin is running an even more despicable administration.”
புரட்சித் தமிழகம் கட்சியின் தலைவர், அண்ணன் திரு. ஏர்போர்ட் மூர்த்தி அவர்கள் மீது, டிஜிபி அலுவலக வாயிலில் வைத்து, விசிக கட்சி ரவுடிகள் தாக்குதல் நடத்தினர். தாக்குதலில் ஈடுபட்ட விசிக ரவுடிகளை விட்டுவிட்டு, தன்னை தற்காத்துக்கொள்ள முயற்சித்த அண்ணன் திரு. ஏர்போர்ட் மூர்த்தி அவர்களைக்… pic.twitter.com/Vn6njF5rK6
Producer and theater association president Tirupur Subramaniam has voiced strong criticism against Dravidianist director Vetrimaaran, who recently announced the closure of his production house, Grass Root Film Company. Subramaniam questioned the hypocritic reasoning behind the decision, especially in light of Vetrimaaran’s ongoing commitments and prior financial dealings related to Vaadivasal movie, he committed.
Vetrimaaran, known for directing and producing critically acclaimed films, had launched Grass Root Film Company, through which he backed projects like Udhayam NH4 and Kaaka Muttai. His latest production, Bad Girl, hit theaters recently, and during its press meet, Vetrimaaran announced that the film would be the final release under his production banner. He cited the difficulties and financial strain involved in film production, including having to complete portions of Bad Girl through borrowed funds.
Responding to this, Subramaniam said he found it troubling that Vetrimaaran was shutting down his company while leaving other major commitments unresolved. He pointed to the long-delayed film Vaadivasal, which was to be directed by Vetrimaaran and star Suriya. The project, backed by veteran producer Kalaipuli S. Thanu (also spelled Dhanu), was announced over five years ago, with both Suriya and Vetrimaaran reportedly receiving full payments in advance. Despite this, no actual filming has begun.
“He says that as a producers he faces pressure, right? He started a film called ‘Vaadivasal’, didn’t he? He is the director, right? Why has he not completed that film for two years for Thanu? If there are directors like him, who say they are under pressure, shouldn’t he have properly finished the film he started? When we are starting a film like ‘Vaadivasal,’ as the director, a producer puts their money believing on us. We have to protect that producer. Should he have done that or not? Instead of doing that, he is now saying there’s pressure on producers in public. Is this justified in any way?” Subramaniam questioned.
He went on to say that instead of resolving the issue or compensating the producer, Vetrimaaran reportedly told Thanu that Suriya didn’t like the script, and they were stepping away from the project. “If that was the case, he should’ve returned the money or settled the issue properly. Speaking about his own struggles on stage is one thing shouldn’t Thanu also be allowed to share his emotional and financial pain publicly?” Subramaniam added.
The veteran producer didn’t stop there. He criticized the wider filmmaking approach of many modern directors, including Vetrimaaran, accusing them of drastically exceeding production schedules. Subramaniam concluded by urging Vetrimaaran to resolve the issues surrounding Vaadivasal and ensure that producers like Thanu are not left struggling due to incomplete projects and broken commitments.
Excerpts from the conversation below:
When the interviewer questioned, “What kind of problems do producers face?” at the backdrop of Vetrimaaran’s announcement.
Tirupur Subramaniam called out his hypocritic decision asking, “He says that as a producer he faces pressure, right? He started a film called “Vaadivasal,” didn’t he? He is the director, right? Why has he not completed that film for two years for Thanu? If there are directors like him, who say they are under pressure, shouldn’t he have properly finished the film he started? When we are starting a film like “Vaadivasal,” as the director, a producer puts their money believing on us. We have to protect that producer. Should he have done that or not? Instead of doing that, he is now saying there’s pressure on producers in public. Is this justified in any way? The producer of this film Thanu has come and talked to me about this several times over the last two or three months. He said, “Sir, it is very difficult. I have invested a lot of money in this film.” He (Thanu) is under more mental stress than him (Vetrimaaran). What should he (Vetrimaaran) have done? He should have said, “I am shutting down my company and my first job is to go and finish the film ‘Vaadivasal’ and rescue my producer.” If he had said that I would have been happy. But because of him (Vetrimaaran), do you know how much trouble he (Thanu) is in now? He (Vetrimaaran) says he feels the trouble and closing my company. Shouldn’t he have avoided causing trouble to others? No one else in the industry will ask these questions, but I want to ask. Because for 40 years, I’ve been in this cinema industry. I’m truly sad that a big director like him has realized the immense struggles in the production field, but he shouldn’t just say he’s closing his production company. He should have given a promise that from now on, I will finish any film I start according to the promised schedule. If he had given that assurance, I would be very happy. It is my wish that he gives that assurance.”
He added, “In general, what kind of problems do producers face? This kind of problems: when a director starts a film, they say they can finish the shoot in 60 days. But they end up shooting for 250 days. Won’t the producer feel the pressure? They have to change this. Big directors like Vetrimaaran should change this. Every film he has made is a hit. Vetrimaaran is not an ordinary director. But it’s not enough to just give a hit. The producer must also make a profit from that film. That’s the main thing. They shouldn’t be putting pressure on producers. They should finish the film on the promised date. It’s fine to have a 10-day delay, say, a 60-day schedule taking 65 or 70 days. But today, directors who promise 60 days are shooting for 250 days. This causes a lot of mental stress to many directors.”
Responding to director Vetrimaaran’s explanation for closing his production house, Tirupur Subramaniam dismissed the reasoning and held the filmmaker accountable for the challenges he now faces.
Subramaniam said If there were controversial scenes in his films, especially those that could face trouble with the censor board, they should have anticipated it. A director with his experience, who has made several acclaimed films, should be well aware of what might raise red flags. He should have avoided such scenes from the outset.
Drawing a comparison to established production houses, Subramaniam recalled, “Back in the day at AVM Studios, if a scene was likely to attract trouble, a senior member would immediately step in and say, ‘This won’t clear the censor board. Skip it.’ That’s the kind of foresight filmmakers need. Vetrimaaran could’ve saved himself from the current mental strain had he exercised that kind of caution.”
While expressing empathy for the pressures Vetrimaaran is under, Subramaniam also stressed that stepping away from production was not the right move for a successful and respected director. “It’s unfortunate that someone of his caliber is forced to shut down a production company. But he’s not alone many producers are also under immense mental stress today,” he noted.
Subramaniam urged Vetrimaaran to take responsibility for the long-delayed film Vaadivasal. He also criticized the power dynamics in the film industry, saying that unlike earlier times when producers had control, today it’s directors, actors, and technicians who are exerting pressure.
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An inscription has been discovered on a stone slab within the premises of the Vallathrakottai Government Student Hostel near Alangudi in Pudukkottai district.
According to officials, the slab measures about one foot in length and three-quarters of a foot in width. The inscription, written in five lines, reads: “Swasthi Sri Ippalli Vallanathan Perungovil Nagarathar Ainnutruvapperumpalli.”
The discovery is being examined by local historians and archaeologists for its cultural and historical significance.
Palestinian flags were prominently displayed during Eid Milad-un-Nabi processions on 5 September 2025 in several locations in Karnataka, including Kalaburagi and Bangarpet, leading to public outrage from Hindu groups and calls for police intervention.
In Kalaburagi, a few individuals were seen waving 2–3 Palestinian flags along Santrastawadi Road during the procession held on 4 September evening. The Hindu Jagruthi Sene has since demanded legal action against those involved.
In a similar incident in Bangarpet, Kolar district, some Muslim youths were observed carrying Palestinian flags near the Sait compound. Police intervened and confiscated the flags. During the Eid Milad procession in Bangarpet, Kolar, slogans in support of Palestine and Bangladesh, as well as slogans critical of Prime Minister Modi, were reportedly raised in various parts of the town.
Tensions briefly escalated in Gangammana Palya when some participants reportedly argued with police over the use of prohibited firecrackers and confetti machines. Authorities quickly deescalated the situation.
Meanwhile, in Sendhwa town, Barwani district, Madhya Pradesh, a youth was arrested for carrying a Palestinian flag during the Eid Milad-un-Nabi procession. According to Sendhwa city police station in-charge B.S. Bisen, the individual, identified as Irfan Ali a mason from Tagore Baidi was taken into custody for allegedly posing a threat to communal peace. He was presented before the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and placed in judicial custody, with a requirement to post a ₹5 lakh bond. Irfan was booked under Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
These incidents appear to be part of a broader trend. In Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada, a video circulated on social media showed participants in the Milad-un-Nabi procession waving Palestinian flags from a moving vehicle.
