THE HEADLINES::
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, India stands tall on global stage amid challenges and uncertainties.
- Twenty-five people killed in nightclub fire in North Goa’s Arpora following cylinder blast; President and Prime Minister express grief at loss of lives.
- DGCA issues a show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers seeking explanation for the massive flight disruptions; Government directs IndiGo to immediately clear all pending passenger refunds.
- Railways operate 89 Special Train Services to ease additional rush due to Indigo crisis.
- India and US call for more UN sanctions against terror groups and their financiers.
- And in sports, FIFA releases match schedule for 2026 World Cup to be held in US, Canada and Mexico.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that in a world plagued by challenges and uncertainties, the nation stands tall in a league of its own.Talking about India’s role on the global stage the Prime Minister that India currently stands as the model of high growth and low inflation for the world. Addressing an event in New Delhi Yesterday, Mr Modi highlighted that the 8 percent GDP growth rate during the 2nd Quarter of the current financial year is a reflection of the country’s rising progress. He added that at a time when people are talking about economic slowdown, India is etching its growth story.
Mr Modi further said that for transforming tomorrow, change is firmly rooted in the strong foundation being built today. He mentioned that India’s potential has long been untapped but conventionally underdeveloped sectors like the North-east, villages, tier-2 and 3 cities, women and youth, blue economy and space sector are now realizing their full potential.
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In Goa, at least 25 people, mostly staff members of a nightclub in Arpora, died after a massive fire late last night. The blaze was suspected to be triggered by a cylinder blast. Fire and Emergency Services and police teams rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who visited the site, said most victims died due to suffocation, and the club had been operating without mandatory fire safety compliance. He warned of strict action against those responsible, including officials who cleared permissions without proper checks.
Goa DGP Alok Kumar said, Police teams, fire brigade and ambulances were rushed to the spot. He said, the fire is now under control, and all the bodies have been recovered. The DGP said, police will investigate the cause of this incident, and take action based on the findings.
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President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed grief at the loss of lives in North Goa. In a social media post, President Murmu conveyed her condolences and hoped that the bereaved families find strength during this difficult time. The President also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the mishap deeply saddening. In a social media post, the Prime Minister said that his thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. Mr Modi also hoped that those injured recover at the earliest.The Prime Minister also spoke to Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant about the situation and said, the State Government is providing all possible assistance to those affected.
The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of 2 lakh rupees will be given to the next of kin of deceased from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Prime Minister added that the injured would be given 50 thousand rupees.
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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued show-cause notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras seeking explanations within 24 hours on the massive flight disruptions that caused severe inconvenience and distress to passengers. The regulator attributed the chaos to the airline’s failure to make adequate arrangements for the revised requirements under the approved Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms. The notice said, large-scale operational failures indicated significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu along with senior civil aviation ministry officials held a meeting with Elbers to review the situation and address the issues.
Earlier government directed IndiGo to clear all pending passenger refunds for cancelled or disrupted flights without delay. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has mandated that refunds for all such flights be completed by 8 PM today. The Directive has been issued following a large number of flight cancellations by Indigo that caused disruption and inconvenience to passengers across the country. A report:
“The government has asked IndiGo to set up dedicated help and refund cells for passengers. These units will proactively reach out to affected passengers and process refunds and make alternative travel arrangements without the need for repeated follow-ups. The government has directed IndiGo to activate an automatic refund system. All baggage separated from passengers due to cancellations or delays must be traced and delivered within 24 hours. The airline is also asked to maintain clear communication on tracking and delivery, and provide compensation as per passenger rights.
Meanwhile, IndiGo said in a statement, it will operate more than 1,500 flights today and over 95 per cent of network connectivity has been re-established. Tripti Sirvastava, With Rishu Jaiswal, Akashvani News, Delhi”.
Meanwhile, the Railways has begun the operation of 89 Special Train Services across multiple zones since yesterday. The special trains have been announced in the wake of widespread flight cancellation and additional rush during the winter season. The move is aimed at supporting smooth travel and ensuring adequate connectivity amid rising demand for rail travel. In Central Railway, 14 special trains services have been announced on various routes including Pune to Bengaluru, Pune to Delhi, and Mumbai to Delhi. In Western Railway, seven special trains have been announced on several routes.
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India and the United States have strongly condemned terrorism in all forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. Both countries renewed their commitment to work together against terrorism at the global level, including in the UN, the Quad, and the Financial Action Task Force during two key meetings on 3rd of this month. These were the 21st India-US Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism and the 7th Designations Dialogue. Both the countries strongly condemned recent terror attacks in India and stressed that the perpetrators must be held accountable. Both sides called for more UN sanctions against groups linked to ISIS, al-Qaida, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, and Jaish-e-Mohammad. They also pushed for strict action against their supporters, financiers, and backers.
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Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for various development works worth over 1500 crore rupees of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation today. These projects are related to housing, infrastructure and public amenity. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will also be present during the day-long series of events. A Report:
“The Union Home and Cooperation Minister will dedicate a total of fifty-eight development works which include the inauguration of eight hundred eighty-one EWS houses, Key urban infrastructure projects including Lakes and garden. The Minister will also perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mini Sports Complex in Gota. The Minister will also hand over appointment letters to nearly one hundred newly appointed assistant firemen of the A M C. Mr. Shah will also attend the launch of the Gujarati edition of the book Chunautiya mujhe pasand hai, which is based on the life of UP Governor Anandiben Patel. Aparna Khunt, Akashvani News, Ahmedabad”.
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The Border Security Force in Punjab has shot down three Pakistani drones in a series of quick and well-planned operations along the border. the BSF Punjab Frontier said in a press release that it recovered two packets of heroin during these actions. In one operation yesterday, on intelligence input about a possible drop, troops searched farmland near Sankatra village in Ferozepur and seized one packet of heroin weighing 1.173 kilograms. They later seized a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone near Pachharian village. In another operation, BSF teams recovered a DJI Mavic 3 Pro drone from a field near Roranwala Kalan village in Amritsar. The BSF believes this drone came down due to technical countermeasures used along the border.
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International Federation of Association Football, FIFA has released the complete match schedule for the 2026 World Cup, a day after finalising the groups for the expanded 48-team tournament to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The 104-game tournament will start on June 11 with Mexico vs South Africa clash in Mexico City. Defending champions Argentina will begin their title defence against Algeria on June 16.
Leaders gathered amid snow fall in Wahington’s Kennedy Center for a special ceremony organised for the draws. The final is set for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. A total of 78 matches will be hosted in the United States, with 13 each in Canada and Mexico.
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In Men’s Cricket, India defeated South Africa by nine wickets in the third and final ODI of the three-match series in Visakhapatnam last night. The men in blue achieved the target of 271 runs in just 39.5 overs.
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India Meteorological Department, IMD has forecast cold wave conditions over Punjab, Haryana, West Madhya Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha today. Dense fog conditions will prevail in Himachal Pradesh and Northeastern states for the day. The Met Department has also forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal. Meanwhile, the air quality in Delhi-NCR has been registered in the Very Poor category.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE
- The top headline in The Tribune reads, “Show-cause notice to IndiGo as crisis deepens; airfares capped”.
- The Times of India writes that the chaos created by IndiGo flight disruptions has caused a mad rush for private jets, with corporates and wedding hosts being major clients.
- A team of negotiators from the US will visit India next week to discuss tariffs for bilateral trade agreement, reports The Hindu.
- Hindustan Times quotes the Chief Justice of India as saying that a predictable timeline for deciding cases and a unified national policy for disposing pending matters will be his first priority.
- Five ancient handicrafts of Madhya Pradesh, including stone crafts of Khajuraho, have secured GI tags, writes The Asian Age.
- And finally, 3-year old Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha from Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh has achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the world’s youngest FIDE-rated chess player, reports The Statesman.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, India stands tall on global stage amid challenges and uncertainties.
- Twenty-five people killed in nightclub fire in North Goa’s Arpora following cylinder blast; President and Prime Minister express grief at loss of lives.
- DGCA issues a show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers seeking explanation for the massive flight disruptions; Government directs IndiGo to immediately clear all pending passenger refunds.
- Railways operate 89 Special Train Services to ease additional rush due to Indigo crisis.
- India and US call for more UN sanctions against terror groups and their financiers.
- And in sports, FIFA releases match schedule for 2026 World Cup to be held in US, Canada and Mexico.
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