HEADLINES:
- 27 persons killed in six Northeastern states since yesterday due to landslides and house collapses following heavy rains; IMD forcasts heavy rainfall in the region for next seven days.
- Seven all party parliamentary delegations visiting different countries continue to engage in high level discussions to expose Pakistan’s role in cross-border terriorsm.
- Prices of commercial LPG cylinders reduced by 24 rupees from today.
- India and Mongolia begin 17th edition of joint military exercises in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
- In IPL cricket, five-time champion Mumbai Indians to take on Punjab Kings in 2nd Qualifier in Ahmedabad this evening.
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Six northeastern states have been hit hard by moderate to heavy rain disrupting normal life. Officials have confirmed that heavy rain-induced landslides, house collapse and drowning claimed 27 lives since yesterday. A depression in the Bay of Bengal triggered the heavy rains.
Out of 27 victims, nine died in Arunachal Pradesh, six in Meghalaya, five each in Assam and Mizoram, and one each in Tripura and Nagaland. Due to the rains and landslides, road communications were severely affected in many districts of the the region.
An advisory from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that the deep depression over the northwest Bay of Bengal off West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts moved nearly northwards and crossed West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts, causing heavy rains in most northeastern states.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rainfall over Northeast India during the next 7 days. In Sikkim, road connectivity has been disrupted at many places in Mangan district due to landslides. Official sources said that nearly 1500 tourists have been stranded at Lachen and Lachung at Mangan district. The Teesta river is also in spate at places in Mangan district due to rains.
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In Mizoram, several landslides have taken place in Aizawl, Lunglei, Champhai, Kolasib, Serchhip, Lawngtlai, Mamit, Saitual, Khawzawl and Hnahthial districts in last 24 hours causing damage to several houses, roads, leaving people affected. More from our Correspondent:
Mizoram has traditionally been receiving heavy rainfall in the Monsoon season over the years. This year too, the state has received heavy rainfall for the past 3 days causing multiple landslides across the state. Due to unpleasant topography of high mountains and difficult terrains, landslides have been a major concern during rainy seasons. Schools in Mizoram have been closed for the last 2 days and the state is on high alert to meet any crisis due to monsoon rains. With Gin Gangte, this is Isaac, Akashvani News Aizawl.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also predicted heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, gusty winds and lightning in Southern Peninsular India over Kerala, Mahe and Karnataka till Wednesday. Similar conditions are predicted over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi till Wednesday. In Northwest India, heavy rainfall is predicted over Konkan and Goa till Tuesday.
The IMD also predicted dust storm conditions over West Rajasthan for next three days.
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the Central government is prioritising a forensic evidence-based approach in the criminal justice system. Inaugurating the new Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) building at Rajarhat in Kolkata, Mr. Shah pointed out that the revamping of forensic infrastructure is a key part of this effort. The Home Minister said, the Government is committed to strengthening forensic capabilities across the country as scientific evidence is essential for fair and accurate verdicts.
Built at a cost of 88 crore rupees, the state-of-the-art facility will benefit not only the people of West Bengal, but also the neighbouring states including Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Sikkim, Assam and other northeastern region. The Home Minister arrived in Kolkata last night on a two-day visit to West Bengal.
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As part of India’s continued efforts under Operation Sindoor and in line with India’s principled and resolute stance against terrorism, seven all-party delegations comprising Members of Parliament are in different countries with their outreach programme. The delegations are conveying India’s strong message of zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The Shashi Tharoor led delegation reached Brasilia today for an official visit to Brazil. Mr Tharoor said they are looking forward to having solid constructive discussions in Brazil.
The all-party delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde is in Liberia. Talking to media, Mr Shinde said India and Liberia have good bilateral relationship and expressed confidence that Liberia will appreciate the message of India on zero tolerance against terrorism.
The all-party delegation led by JDU MP, Sanjay Kumar Jha reached Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia today after concluding a successful visit to Indonesia.
In Algeria, the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda briefed the Algerian media, members of think tanks, a cross- section of Indian diaspora, and friends of India in Algeria on the global menace of terrorism.
The delegation of MPs led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad has reached London. The delegation is on a visit to the UK till 3rd of this month, with a mission to convey India’s unequivocal commitment to defeat terrorism.
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The price of 19 KG commercial LPG cylinders has been reduced by 24 rupees by oil companies from today. The revised retail price for these cylinders is now 1723.50 rupees in Delhi. The charges for domestic LPG cylinders will remain the same. Earlier this year in April, the price of domestic LPG cylinders was reduced by 41 rupees.
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The 17th edition of the India-Mongolia joint military exercise – Nomadic Elephant is underway at the Special Forces training centre at Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. This edition of the exercise, which is scheduled to run from 31st May to 13th June, is set to include an expanded range of activities that reflect the growing defence cooperation between India and Mongolia.
The joint drills will involve counter-terrorism operations in semi mountainous terrain, a critical area of operational focus given the contemporary security landscape.
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As we celebrate the success of Operation Sindoor, the Nation salutes the valour of the Indian soldiers. As a tribute to the Armed Forces, Akashvani News is presenting a special series. Today we remember Param Vir Chakra awardee Lance Naik Karam Singh, who displayed incredible bravery during the India-Pakistan war of 1947-48.
Born in 1915 in Punjab, Lance Naik Karam Singh was enrolled in 1 Sikh regiment in 1941. During the long battle of Tithwal in India-Pakistan War of 1948, Lance Naik Karam Singh played a pivotal role in holding the Indian lines. On the night of October 13th, Lance Naik Karam Singh’s outpost came under a massive enemy assault supported by heavy shelling. Despite being vastly out numbered and short on ammunition, he repelled eight attacks, moving from trench to trench under fire to encourage his men to continue the fight and beat back the enemy with grenades. He was wounded twice but refused evacuation and continued to hold on to the first line trenches. During the fifth assault, two enemy soldiers came very close to his position. To avoid the dangers of friendly fire, Karam Singh leapt from his trench and killed both enemy soldiers with a bayonet. His fearless action demoralised the attackers, who ultimately failed to break the Indian defences. Three more attacks were repulsed by Karam Singh and his men. Lance Naik Karam Singh was an inspiration for his comrades and terror to the enemy. For his extraordinary bravery and leadership, Lance Naik Karam Singh was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, becoming a symbol of courage and resilience in the battle of Tithwal. Saklen Akhtar, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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The government has invited young minds to participate in a bilingual essay contest on ‘Operation Sindoor – Redefining India’s Policy against Terrorism’. The top three winners will win a cash prize of ten thousand rupees each and get an exclusive chance to attend the 78th Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort in New Delhi. Interested participants can visit the website of My Gov to participate in the contest. The competition is open from today till the 30th of this month.
The government has also invited all the budding social media influencers to make videos and reels of their walk to any of the monuments and sites of Indian Independence. Interested participants will have to post the reels and videos on their social media pages with the hashtags NewIndia EmpoweredIndia and independenceday2025.
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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today met his counterpart from Eritrea, Osman Saleh in New Delhi. In a social media post, Dr Jaishankar appreciated his strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Both Ministers discussed deepening of bilateral cooperation especially in health, education and capacity development. They also exchanged views on regional developments.
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The Valley of Flowers National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the high Himalayan valleys of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, has been opened to tourists and nature lovers from today. We have a report:
On the opening day of the Valley of Flowers, 49 tourists visited this breathtaking destination. Entry permits are now available both offline and online. Visitors can make advance bookings through the official website of the Valley of Flowers National Park. Declared a World Natural Heritage site by UNESCO, the valley is renowned for its Himalayan biodiversity, rare alpine flowers, and valuable medicinal herbs. Each year, thousands of tourists come to witness the vibrant display of multi-colored flowers in full bloom. The valley was discovered by British mountaineer and botanist Frank Smythe. Sakshi Singh, Akashvani News, Dehradun.
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US President Donald Trump has withdrawn the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, citing a thorough review of Isaacman’s prior associations. However, the nature of these associations remains unclear, and the White House has yet to provide clarification.
Isaacman is a longtime collaborator of Elon Musk and known for his private spaceflight ventures with SpaceX, was initially nominated during Mr Trump’s presidential transition in December.
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In the IPL T20, Punjab Kings will face Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad this evening. Punjab, who lost the first qualifier to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets, have earned another chance to reach the final due to their top-two finish in the points table.
On the other hand, five-time champions Mumbai Indians, who finished fourth in the league stage, advanced to the qualifier after defeating Gujarat Titans by 20 runs in the Eliminator on Friday.
The winner of tonight’s match will meet Bengaluru in the final on Tuesday at the same venue.
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In Tennis, Novak Djokovic and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner stormed into the fourth round of the French Open with commanding straight-sets victories last night.
Djokovic, chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title, dispatched Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in just over two hours on Court Philippe Chatrier.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- 27 persons killed in six Northeastern states since yesterday due to landslides and house collapses following heavy rains; IMD forcasts heavy rainfall in the region for next seven days.
- Seven all party parliamentary delegations visiting different countries continue to engage in high level discussions to expose Pakistan’s role in cross-border terriorsm.
- Prices of commercial LPG cylinders reduced by 24 rupees from today.
- India and Mongolia begin 17th edition of joint military exercises in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
- In IPL cricket, five-time champion Mumbai Indians to take on Punjab Kings in 2nd Qualifier in Ahmedabad this evening.
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