Evening News -

THE HEADLINES:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Cyprus; To hold High-Stakes talks with President Christodoulides on Trade, Security and Strategic Partnership.
A bridge over Indrayani River collapses in Pune, Maharashtra; Four dead, many feared missing.
Ministry of Civil Aviation orders strict safety protocols for helicopter operations in Uttarakhand after tragic crash.
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh unveils series of groundbreaking policy reforms to enhance “Ease of Innovation” and “Ease of Research”.
Iran offers ceasefire in exchange for halt in Israeli military campaign; US President Trump warns Tehran against attacking U.S. assets.
And, IMD issues red alert for rainfall on west coast; Northwest India and Gujarat to experience thunderstorms with gusty wind for next 2 days.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Cyprus on the first leg of his three-nation tour. He was warmly received at Larnaka International Airport by Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides – marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in over two decades.

“Shortly after his arrival, the Prime Minister travelled to Lemesos, where he received a rousing welcome from the Indian community.

Prime Minister Modi and President Christodoulides are scheduled to participate in a business roundtable shortly bringing together key Indian and Cypriot entrepreneurs to explore new avenues of cooperation in trade, investment, and innovation.

Tomorrow, the two leaders will hold formal bilateral talks in Nicosia, covering a wide range of areas including education, digital partnerships, and regional security. Discussions will also touch on global developments such as the India-EU partnership and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.

The Prime Minister’s visit will conclude with an official lunch hosted in his honour at the Presidential Palace, before his departure to Canada for the G7 Summit. Rajadurai /AKASHVANI NEWS/Cyprus.””

In the second leg of his visit, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Kananaskis tomorrow to participate in the G-7 Summit at the invitation of his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney. Mr Modi will also hold several bilateral meetings on the side-lines of the Summit.

In the final leg of his tour, Prime Minister Modi will reach Croatia on the 18th of this month.

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In the wake of a tragic helicopter crash near Gaurikund in Uttarakhand, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to enforce strict safety protocols for helicopter operations in sensitive areas like Kedarnath Valley. The ministry stressed that passenger safety is non-negotiable and warned operators against flying in unsafe weather or violating operational rules.

To ensure further safety, all helicopter services in the region will be halted for two days. The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) has been instructed to conduct a thorough review of all helicopter operators and pilots before flights resume. Additionally, a Command-and-Control Room is to be set up to monitor real-time flight operations and alert authorities in case of any risks.

An investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is underway.

Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami held an emergency meeting with officials from various agencies. As a result, Aryan Aviation’s Char Dham Yatra operations have been suspended. The licenses of two pilots from TransBharat Aviation, who were found flying under similar hazardous conditions, have been suspended for six months.

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In Maharashtra, an old bridge over the Indrayani River collapsed in Maval taluka near Pune today.

According to preliminary reports, several tourists are feared to have drowned in the incident. Four deaths have been confirmed so far. Six people are reported to be seriously injured, while 38 individuals have been rescued. Our correspondent reports, a compensation of five lakh rupees each has been announced by the state government for the families of the deceased.

“Being a Sunday many tourists had gathered at Kundmala today. The iron bridge at the site of the incident was quite old, and it is suspected that the bridge collapsed due to the excessive number of people on it. Rescue teams from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad police, PMRDA fire department, and NDRF rushed to the spot. Rescue operations are currently underway. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is also the Guardian Minister of Pune district, and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy. Mr Ajit Pawar said that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the cause of the incident and strict action will be taken against those found responsible. AKASHVANI NEWS /MADHAVI KULKARNI/PUNE.

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In the Ahmedabad plane crash in Gujarat, the process from DNA sampling to matching is going on continuously for 24 hours at Gandhinagar Forensic Science Laboratory. A total of 250 blood samples have been taken from the relatives of the passengers and local residents so far. Out of these, 62 DNA samples have been matched and 35 bodies have been handed over to the families of the deceased. Now only samples of the relatives of three passengers are yet to be taken. These relatives are currently living in the United Kingdom and the samples will be given in the next two to three days.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Principal Secretary P.K. Mishra today visited the plane crash site to take stock of the situation. He also visited the hostel mess.

A day of state mourning has been declared in Gujarat tomorrow as a tribute to former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The last rites of late Vijay Rupani will be performed tomorrow evening with full state honours.

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Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh today unveiled a series of groundbreaking policy reforms aimed at enhancing the “Ease of Innovation” and “Ease of Research” in India. Speaking at a Press Conference, Dr. Singh revealed measures designed to streamline research processes and provide relief to innovators, scientists, and academic institutions across the country.

The Key reforms include the delegation of procurement powers to heads of institutions, enabling Directors and Vice Chancellors to bypass Government e-Marketplace (GeM) for specialized research equipment. This change addresses delays often caused by the unavailability of necessary items on GeM. Additionally, financial ceilings for procurement have been significantly raised. Heads of institutions can now approve Global Tender Enquiries (GTEs) up to ₹00 crore rupees, a power previously reserved for central authorities.

The new policies also increase the limits for direct purchases and departmental committee approvals.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reiterated that India will be completely free from Naxalism by March 31, 2026. Addressing the UP Police appointment letter distribution ceremony of newly recruited 60,244 constables in Lucknow, Mr Shah said that Naxalism, once spread across 11 states, is now confined to just three districts.

Union Home Minister said that modernisation of country’s police force began under PM Modi’s leadership. Mr. Shah said, earlier, recruitments in the Police force were being done on the basis of caste. But today, all candidates have been appointed with full transparency through technology.

CM Yogi Adityanath also addressed the candidates.

Out of the total 60,244 constables, 12,048 are women. This is the first time a large number of women got appointment letters in any security force.

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Embassy of India in Iran has issued an advisory today saying all Indian nationals and Persons of Indian Origin in Iran are required to remain in touch with the Embassy and avoid all unnecessary movements. The advisory was issued in view of the current situation in Iran. All Indian nationals and Persons of Indian Origin have been asked to follow Embassy social media pages for updates.

The Emergency contact numbers are +98 9128109115 and +98 9128109109.

The Embassy has also requested everyone in Iran to join the a Telegram Link to receive updates on the situation from the Embassy.

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Iran announced today that its attacks on Israel will cease if Israel halts its military campaign against the Islamic Republic. Tehran’s actions, described as self-defense, followed deadly missile barrages on Israel overnight on Saturday and today, which killed at least 10 people, including children, and injured around 200.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, stated that Tehran does not seek to escalate the conflict to neighboring countries unless forced.

Meanwhiel the Iran-Israel conflict entered its third day of devastating exchanges today, with both nations launching fresh waves of missile strikes and airstrikes that have killed at least 13 people in Israel and 80 in Iran. Our West Asia Correspondent reports that humanitarian crisis is deepening on both sides as civilian casualties are mounting:

“The injury toll in Israel has reached 200 people with various degrees of injuries, while 35 people remain missing and presumed trapped under debris. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned of even heavier and more extensive retaliation if Israeli attacks persist, signaling the violence could intensify further.

Israeli forces have conducted over 150 strikes on Iranian targets in the past 40 hours, hitting the Defense Ministry headquarters, oil depots including the Shahran facility, and sites linked to Iran’s nuclear program. The attacks have partially halted production at Iran’s South Pars gas field, the world’s largest, causing a spike in global oil prices and raising fears of broader economic disruption. Vinod Kumar/AKASHVANI NEWS/Dubai.”

Meanwhile, Israel maintains its military operations aim to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and dismantling its missile capabilities.

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The US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran against striking United States. He said that if it tries to attack the US then full strength and might of the American Armed Forces will come down on Iran at levels which was never seen before. In a social media post he underlined that Israeli attack on Iran did not have any involvement of the US and therefore any Iranian attack on US will be consequential. He also claimed that he can easily get a deal finalised between Iran and Israel.

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The much-awaited Axiom-4 mission of SpaceX carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) has been rescheduled for the 19th of this month. This announcement came after the successful resolution of technical issues that had delayed the mission. This mission holds tremendous historical significance for India. If successful, Shubhanshu Shukla will become the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS and the second Indian in orbit, after cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma, who flew to space in 1984.

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red color warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall on the west coast of the country. An orange alert has also been issued for several districts. In Maharashtra, administration has instructed NDRF and SDRF teams to remain on alert for any emergency situations.

Talking to Akashvani news, IMD senior scientist Dr. R. K. Jenamani said, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Gujarat are expected to experience thunderstorms with gusty wind and lightning in the next 2 days.

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In Table Tennis, India’s Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah lost to second seeded South Korean pair of Lim Jonghoon and Oh Junsung in the final of men’s doubles of WTT Contender Skopje 2025 at North Macedonia today.

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On the occasion of International Yoga Day, a yoga marathon was organized at Brahmasarovar in Kurukshetra today. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini flagged off the yoga marathon. The Chief Minister said that according to the theme of this year’s International Yoga Day, a pledge has been taken to keep the youth of Haryana away from drugs by connecting them with yoga.

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In our bilingual live phone-in programme “Public Speak” tomorrow at 09.30 PM, we will bring a discussion on Cyber Scams: How to Stay Safe Online. Director, Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, Lt. Col. Badal Kaushik and Cyber Security Expert Gulshan Rai will be in studios with us to answer the queries of listeners.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Cyprus; To hold High-Stakes talks with President Christodoulides on Trade, Security and Strategic Partnership.
A bridge over Indrayani River collapses in Pune, Maharashtra; Four dead, many feared missing.
Ministry of Civil Aviation orders strict safety protocols for helicopter operations in Uttarakhand after tragic crash.
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh unveils series of groundbreaking policy reforms to enhance “Ease of Innovation” and “Ease of Research”.
Iran offers ceasefire in exchange for halt in Israeli military campaign; US President Trump warns Tehran against attacking U.S. assets.
And, IMD issues red alert for rainfall on west coast; Northwest India and Gujarat to experience thunderstorms with gusty wind for next 2 days.