New Delhi, May 8 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 10.40 pm: NATION DEL145 INDIA-STRIKE-JAMMU ****Sounds of blast trigger panic in Jammu, area plunges into darkness Jammu: Sounds resembling blasts caused panic in Jammu city late on Thursday evening as security forces detected Pakistani drones near the heavily-guarded airport here, officials said.**** DEL138 INDIA-STRIKE-LDALL PAKISTAN ****India foils Pak attempts to strike military sites in 15 cities, targets air defence systems in Pakistan New Delhi: India on Thursday thwarted Pakistan’s attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles at 15 places in northern and western regions of the country and targeted Pakistani air defence systems with one in Lahore being “neutralised”, as tensions soared between the two countries amid fears of a wider conflict.**** DEL169 3RDLDALL INDIA-STRIKE-STATES-ALERT ****Leave cancelled, schools shut: Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan among states on high alert Chandigarh/Jaipur: Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, many states have announced the closure of schools, blackouts in border districts, and cancellation of leave of police personnel and administration officials.**** DEL160 PB-BLACKOUT-LD PATHANKOT ****Punjab: Blackout in Pathankot, Amritsar, Chandigarh Chandigarh: A blackout was enforced in several districts including Pathankot, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Mohali in Punjab and Union Territory Chandigarh on Thursday evening, officials said.**** DEL154 INDIA-PAK-STRIKE-LD JAISHANKAR ****Any military attack on India will be met with very firm response: Jaishankar New Delhi: In a tough message to Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said India has no intention to escalate tensions with the neighbouring nation but any military attacks on its soil will be met with a “very” firm response.**** DEL146 INDIA-STRIKE-4THLD ALLPARTY ****At least 100 terrorists, associates killed in strikes, Op Sindoor on: Rajnath at all-party meeting New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told an all-party meeting on Thursday that at least 100 hardcore terrorists and their associates were killed in Indian strikes on terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) under the ongoing Operation Sindoor, sources said.**** DEL152 JK-LOC-SHELLING ****Pak troops shell J-K’s Kupwara, Baramulla from across LoC Srinagar: Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked shelling along the Line of Control in Kupwara and Baramulla districts of Jammu and Kashmir late on Thursday evening with the Indian armed forces retaliating effectively, officials said.**** DEL147 UKD-3RDLD CRASH ****6 killed as helicopter on way to Gangotri temple crashes Uttarkashi (U’khand): A helicopter on its way to the Gangotri temple crashed near Gangnani in Uttarkashi district on Thursday, killing six people, including the pilot, and leaving a man seriously injured, officials said.**** SPD30 SPO-CRI-IPL-PBKS-DC-CALLED OFF ****IPL match between PBKS and DC called off amid blackout in Dharamsala Dharamsala: The IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals here on Thursday was called off due to security reasons following air raid alerts in nearby areas, which forced a blackout in the hill town.**** LEGAL LGD40 SC-DUBEY-LD ORDER ****’Not as fragile as flowers’: SC raps BJP Nishikant Dubey for ‘scandalous’ remarks on judiciary, CJI New Delhi: The Supreme Court has rapped BJP MP Nishikant Dubey for his remarks against it and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, saying they tend to “scandalise” and lower the authority of apex court.**** LGD33 CJI- LD JUSTICE VARMA ****Cash row: CJI recommends impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma, say sources New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna is learnt to have recommended to the Centre impeachment of Allahabad High Court judge Yashwant Varma following his indictment in the cash discovery row by a Supreme Court-appointed committee.**** FOREIGN FGN89 US-RUBIO-INDOPAK ****US Secretary of State Rubio urges de-escalation in talks with India, Pak; presses Islamabad to curb terror support New York: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday spoke separately with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, emphasising the need for de-escalation and reiterated his calls for Pakistan to take concrete steps to end any support for terrorist groups. By Yoshita Singh**** FGN81 NEPAL-INDIA ****Nepal says it will not allow its soil to be used against neighbours by ‘inimical’ forces Kathmandu: Nepal on Thursday said it was “deeply concerned” about the rising tensions in the region and asserted that the Himalayan nation will not allow its soil to be used against neighbours by “inimical” forces. By Shirish B Pradhan**** FGN77 PAK-LDALL ARMY **** Pak army says 3 people killed, 4 soldiers among 8 injured in drone attacks, claims it hit several UAVs launched by India Islamabad/Lahore: The Pakistan Army on Thursday said three people were killed and eight others, including four soldiers, were injured in drone attacks and claimed that armed forces shot down several UAVs launched by India, as tension continued between the neighbours. **** FGN71 CHINA-INDOPAK **** China urges India, Pak to exercise restraint, refrain from taking actions that may ‘further complicate’ situation Beijing: China on Thursday urged India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may “further complicate” the situation, as it asked the two neighbours to act in the “larger interests of peace and stability”. **** PTI HIG HIG