News18 Daybreak | Sushma Swaraj Passes Away at 67 and Other Stories You Need to Watch Out For

Today's Big Stories'People's minister' Sushma Swaraj passes away at 67, cremation with full state honours today

Illustrious BJP leader and former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who brought a rare empathy and a human approach to India's diplomacy, passed away on Tuesday night suffering a massive cardiac arrest. She was 67. Just hours earlier, Swaraj had tweeted to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Centre's move to revoke special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the border state into two Union Territories secured Parliament's approval. Her sudden demise triggered a wave of shock and grief with leaders cutting across political spectrum paying glowing tributes to the astute leader. She will be laid to rest at Lodhi Road crematorium at 3 PM today.Follow the live updates here.Article 370 defanged, Jammu and Kashmir Modi-fied: special status and state become history in less than 36 hours

Seven decades after Independence, India on Tuesday ended Jammu and Kashmir’s semi-autonomy and scrapped the special status accorded to it as the Parliament on Tuesday approved amendments to Article 370 of the Constitution. Amidst confusion and disarray in the opposition ranks, the Lok Sabha also passed a bill to divide the state into two separate union territories – J&K and Ladakh - by a three-fourth majority. The government had already bagged the requisite statutory nod from the Rajya Sabha on Monday, and new laws will come into effect once the gazette notification is issued with an ascent from the President of India.In Other NewsHitting out: China has criticised India's decision to change the state of Jammu and Kashmir, accusing New Delhi of undermining its territorial sovereignty, particularly with reference to Ladakh — an area of strategic importance between Tibet and Pakistan.No end in sight: In a deepening rift between InterGlobe Aviation promoters, Rakesh Gangwal in a letter said there are "serious unresolved issues" and opposed expanding the board, just weeks ahead of the company's annual shareholders' meet.Critical condition: The Unnao rape survivor, who was critically injured in a road accident on July 28 in which two of her aunts were killed and lawyer injured, was on Monday brought here from Lucknow and admitted to the AIIMS trauma centre, on the Supreme Court's order.Strong-arming: China is "blackmailing" India into using Huawei for its 5G infrastructure, an influential US Congressman alleged Tuesday, even as Beijing hoped that New Delhi will not succumb to any pressure from America.On Our SpecialsA word of advice: Staring at a spontaneous mutiny of sorts overdramatic Jammu and Kashmir developments, the Congress needs to adopt a pragmatic approach, keep the country’s interests paramount and manage contradictions. A quick look at its own stalwarts -- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi -- would show how the three Gandhis dealt with Kashmir. Rasheed Kidwai argues that like the three former Prime Ministers, the present-day Congress needs to showcase its Kashmir policy to convince its own cadre that it is solely guided by the national interest.Little respite: As the deadline for the final draft of the National Register of Citizens nears, thousands were made to appear for re-verification hearings in Golaghat from Sontoli, Kalatoli, Hatisolapam and adjoining villages under the Goroimari circle in Assam. Many of them travelled 300-500 km to appear for the hearing. From Assam, Karishma Hasnat meets a few residents of the district for whom the NR process has cost their health and incomes.On Reel