Here are the day’s updates:

Work on Kartarpur corridor will continue despite fresh tension, says Pakistan

Pakistan on Thursday said work on the Kartarpur corridor will continue notwithstanding the downgrading of diplomatic ties and suspension of trade with India. Pakistan’s actions came after the Indian government’s decision to scrap special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370.

Sensex rises 636 points, Nifty closes above 11,000 after reports of tax exemptions to FPIs

Indian stock markets shot up on Thursday after a Reuters report said that the government may exempt foreign portfolio investors from an increase in taxes. The BSE Sensex closed 636.86 points up at 37,327.36 points, while the National Stock Exchange Nifty gained 176.95 points to close at 11,032.45.

‘I pray to god no one gets such a neighbour’: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh criticises Pakistan

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that he hoped no one got a neighbour like India had, a day after Pakistan decided to dilute bilateral ties as a protest against New Delhi’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. “We have our utmost apprehensions about our neighbour,” Singh said at an event for Army veterans in Delhi. “The issue is that you can change friends but it is not in your hands to choose your neighbour. And the kind of neighbour who is next to us. I pray to god that no one gets such a neighbour.”

Jammu and Kashmir special status: Pakistan suspends Samjhauta Express train service

Pakistan on Thursday suspended the Samjhauta Express train service that links the country with India, amid rising hostilities between the countries after New Delhi revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. “We have decided to shut down Samjhauta Express,” Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed was quoted as saying by Reuters. “As long as I am railways minister, Samjhauta Express can’t operate,” he added.

Steel Authority of India Chairperson Anil Kumar Chaudhary attacked in New Delhi

Four unidentified individuals allegedly attacked Steel Authority of India Chairperson Anil Kumar Chaudhary outside HUDCO Complex in New Delhi on Wednesday. The police have filed a formal complaint in the case at Hauz Khas police station.

Ayodhya dispute: Supreme Court commences third day of hearing, questions deity Ram’s lawyer

The Supreme Court on Thursday started the third day of hearings in the Ayodhya land dispute case after a mediation panel set up in March failed to resolve the dispute. Senior advocate K Parasaran, lawyer for Ram Lalla Virajman, the deity in Ayodhya, commenced arguments before the five-judge constitution bench. The bench is comprised of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer.

Maharashtra rain: Nine killed, four missing as boat rescuing residents capsizes in Sangli

At least nine were killed and four missing after a boat, rescuing people in Maharashtra’s flooded Sangli district, overturned on Thursday. The boat, which capsized near Brahmanal village in Palus tehsil, was transporting 32 people to a safer location, said Pune Divisional Commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar.

NRC re-verification: Good Samaritans give shelter, food to those who have to appear for hearings

A number of accounts of people in Sibsagar, Jorhat and Dibrugarh districts helping people from areas in Lower Assam summoned there for National Register of Citizens re-verification hearinghave come to light. Most of those summoned were Bengali-speaking Muslims from lower Assam districts, and had to travel around 400 km to attend these hearings. Many of them have never been to state capital Guwahati but now they are travelling miles and bearing hardships for the hearings.

J&K: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad stopped at Srinagar airport, being sent back, say reports

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad was stopped at Srinagar airport on Thursday and was asked to return to Delhi, PTI reported, quoting his party leaders. Azad had arrived in the city to meet Congress workers. Srinagar and the rest of Jammu and Kashmir have been under a security and information blockade since Sunday night. The following day, the Centre amended the Constitution to take away Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in the Union of India.

Article 370: India says J&K is an internal matter, urges Pakistan to review decision to dilute ties

India on Thursday said Pakistan’s decision to downgrade diplomatic relations was meant to present an “alarming picture” of the bilateral ties to the international community. The reasons given by Islamabad were not supported by “facts on the ground”, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Ajit Doval’s lunch with Kashmiris: Ghulam Nabi Azad alleges local people seen in video were bribed

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday alleged that Kashmiris seen in pictures and videos with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in Shopian district were bribed, PTI reported. The BJP asked the Congress leader to apologise, and said the statement might be used by Pakistan on global forums.

PM Narendra Modi to address the nation at 8 pm today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8 pm on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office announced in a tweet. Multiple reports had earlier in the day said that the prime minister would make a statement at 4 pm. All India Radio had also announced the broadcast in a tweet, but had deleted the post.

IMA Jewels scam: Over 300 kg fake gold bars found under swimming pool at company owner’s home

The Special Investigation Team looking into the multi-crore-rupee IMA Jewels scam on Wednesday seized 303 kg of fake gold bars hidden under the swimming pool of a building in Bengaluru belonging to the company’s owner. The officials claimed that Mansoor Khan used to entice people to invest into his company after showing the gold to them.

J&K special status: Leaders, former diplomats question Pakistan’s move to downgrade bilateral ties

Indian leaders and former diplomats on Wednesday called Pakistan’s decision to downgrade diplomatic relations with India a “short-sighted” move. In the evening, Islamabad cancelled bilateral trade and expelled the Indian envoy from the country in retaliation against the Narendra Modi government’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

Supreme Court refuses urgent hearing of plea challenging withdrawal of J&K’s special status

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to urgently hear a petition challenging the Presidential order on Article 370 of the Constitution. The plea was filed on Tuesday by advocate ML Sharma, who claimed that the Presidential order was illegal as it was passed without taking consent from the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

Unnao rape complainant was not a minor at the time of alleged assault, says accused MLA’s lawyer

The counsel for Uttar Pradesh legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar has told a court in Delhi that the woman from Unnao who has accused him of rape was not a minor at the time of the alleged incident.

Flood situation grim in Maharashtra and Karnataka, red alert issued in three Kerala districts

The flood situation in western Maharashtra and Karnataka worsened on Wednesday, with the toll in rain-related incidents climbing to 16 in the five districts of Pune region. Heavy rains and flooding forced authorities to evacuate more than 1.5 lakh people from the districts of Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara. In Karnataka, almost 26,000 people were evacuated and the toll in rain-related incidents rose to five in the past three days.

Ending J&K’s special status will ‘exacerbate human rights situation’, says UN agency

The United Nations’ human rights agency on Wednesday said India’s decision to take away Jammu and Kashmir’s special status would lead to deterioration in the alleged human rights problem in the region.

Goa Congress to seek disqualification of 10 MLAs who defected to BJP

The Goa unit of the Congress will file a petition before Legislative Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar on Thursday seeking the disqualification of 10 of its former MLAs, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in July, PTI reported. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Girish Chodankar said the petition will be filed under the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution as the legislators have violated the anti-defection law.

J&K special status: Pakistan to send back Indian envoy, suspends bilateral trade

Pakistan on Wednesday decided to downgrade diplomatic relations with India and suspend bilateral trade after New Delhi revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The government also decided to bring up the Kashmir matter at the United Nations Security Council, and to “review bilateral arrangements”.