THE HEADLINES:
- All-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor wraps up its US visit.
- 28 civilians and 20 Army men airlifted from landslide-hit areas of Sikkim.
- DRDO transfers 9 defence technologies to 10 Indian firms to expand defence manufacturing base.
- US President Donald Trump’s order banning citizens of 12 countries from entering United States comes into force today.
- In Tennis, Carlos Alcaraz defends crown beating Jannik Sinner in longest-ever French Open final.
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The all-party Parliamentary delegation wrapped up its visit to the US after meeting with Vice President J D Vance and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau among political and diplomatic leadership to drive home India’s strong resolve to combat terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The delegation, led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, was on the last leg of a multi-nation tour to brief key interlocutors about Operation Sindoor that India launched in retaliation of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The delegation was one of the seven multi-party delegations India had tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community to expose Pakistan’s links to terrorism. The delegation arrived in the US capital on June 3rd and over the course of three days held a wide array of meetings on Capitol Hill as well as in Washington, briefing the American government officials as well as lawmakers about the India’s stance on cross-border terrorism.
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The all party delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad reached Delhi yesterday after successfully concluding its visit to Germany. The delegation carried forward India’s strong message of zero-tolerance against terrorism. Talking to media after returning from the visit, Mr Prasad said his delegation visited France, Italy, Denmark, England, Belgium and Germany and the foreign nations condemned the Pahalgam terror attack.
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Union Minister for Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh met with Norway’s Minister of International Development, Åsmund Grøver Aukrust, at Monaco last night. During the meeting, Norway’s minister expressed solidarity with India over the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Dr Singh said in a social media post that the Norway Minister conveyed there is a strong public sentiment in Norway in favour of India, with many citizens expressing a desire to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit their country. Moreover, both the leaders exchanged notes on deepening India-Norway cooperation in Marine Planning, arctic research and a resilient Blue Economy.
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India has undergone a decade of remarkable transformation, driven by the principles of Seva, Sushasan, and Garib Kalyan. Akashvani News brings you a special feature on the Government’s efforts over the last 11 years across key sectors. Today, we focus on the development journey of Northeast India – a region once seen as distant, now standing tall as a symbol of connectivity and progress.
Over the last decade, Northeast has witnessed a remarkable shift, from isolation to integration. Under the Act East Policy and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the region has moved from neglect to priority. Signing of peace accords has led to peace and a decline in violence in the region and these efforts have paved the way for reducing AFSPA coverage in the region. Recently Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to resolve a decades‑old boundary dispute. Connectivity has improved like never before. Ten new greenfield airports, new rail links in states like Mizoram, and Ro-Ro ferry services on the Brahmaputra have transformed mobility. Iconic projects like the Bogibeel Bridge have brought once-remote regions closer. Schemes like PM-DevINE and UNNATI-2024 are unlocking new economic potential. Over 1.35 lakh crore rupees worth of externally aided projects have been supported to boost infrastructure and livelihoods. The region is on track to harness 15 thousand megawatts of clean energy through a major push in hydroelectric power development. Today, the Northeast is not just a frontier, it is a rising engine of India’s development journey.AKSHIT, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.
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At least 28 persons, stranded at Chaten in north Sikkim, and 20 Army personnel were airlifted yesterday as the road connectivity in the region had been snapped due to multiple landslides triggered by heavy rain. A chopper evacuated 28 civilians, comprising minors, tourist taxi drivers and government officials, from Chaten in the first sortie, while 20 Army personnel returned to Pakyong in another trip. The MI-17 helicopter also transported essential supplies for Army personnel stationed at Chaten.
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Sonam Raghuvanshi, wife of murdered Raja Raghuvanshi, surrendered at Nandganj Police Station in Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh last night. The Special Investigation Team of the Meghalaya police nabbed three persons in connection with the killing of Raja. Two suspects were from Indore in Madhya Pradesh and one from Lalitpur district in Uttar Pradesh. The couple from Indore had come to Meghalaya on a honeymoon trip. Later on, both went missing from 23rd May onwards. The body of Raja Raghuwanshi was discovered later, but search for his wife Sonam Raghuwanshi was going on. Top police sources confirmed the above development.
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Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE) in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, has transferred technologies of nine defence systems to 10 Indian industries. The systems include the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Recce Vehicle, Mounted Gun System, Anti-Terrorist Vehicle, and Vajra-Riot Control Vehicle, among others. The technology transfer ceremony was attended by DRDO Chairman Dr. Samir V Kamat. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kamat complimented DRDO and the industry for the exceptional performance of indigenous systems during Operation Sindoor.
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US President Donald Trump’s order banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States will come into force today. The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry of people from seven other countries including Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will be partially restricted. The Trump administration cited concerns over terrorism, poor identity verification, visa overstays, and inadequate criminal record-keeping as the reasons for the ban. The order was issued through a presidential proclamation, similar to an executive order.
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In the United States, two Indian-Americans Sanjay Singhal and Sukh Kaur have won city council runoff elections in Texas. In the Sugar Land’s District 2, Sanjay Singhal registered a decisive victory over his nearest rival Nasir Hussain. Singhal is a retired energy executive and graduate of IIT Delhi. Moreover, Carol McCutcheon has been elected as Mayor of Sugar Land, a region with large Indian-origin population.
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The prestigious Axiom-4 (AX-4) mission is scheduled to be launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre tomorrow at 5:52 pm IST. This historic mission will carry four astronauts from the US, India, Poland, and Hungary to the International Space Station (ISS) for a 14-day scientific mission in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The four astronauts on the Axiom-4 (AX-4) mission are Subhanshu Shukla from India, Sławosz Uznański from Poland, Tibor Kapu from Hungary, and Peggy Whitson from the US. Whitson, a NASA astronaut, will serve as Mission Commander, while Shukla becomes India’s second astronaut to travel to space, following Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission. Uznański and Kapu represent Poland and Hungary, marking their countries’ second human spaceflight missions in history.
They are expected to reach the space station the next day, around 10 pm IST on Wednesday. Once they get there, the astronauts will spend about two weeks on the space station, where they will conduct microgravity research, technology demonstrations, and outreach events. The astronauts will carry out around 60 scientific studies from 31 countries, including several groundbreaking research projects led by ISRO.
Peggy Whitson, Mission Commander, described the mission as a leap forward in advancing scientific knowledge and fostering global space cooperation. The AX-4 mission is set to further deepen the partnerships between NASA, ISRO, and other international space agencies, paving the way for future space exploration. NITYA FRANCO, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis flagged off the special ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train’ from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) early this morning.
The five-day heritage journey will take passengers to significant historical and cultural sites linked to the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The train will cover prominent locations including Raigad Fort, Shivneri Fort, Pratapgad Fort, Panhala Fort, Lal Mahal, Kasba Ganpati, and Shivsrushti. Designed to offer an immersive experience into the legendary Maratha king’s life and legacy, the journey promises comfort, cultural richness, and a memorable exploration of Maharashtra’s glorious past. Bhavana AakashVani news Mumbai.
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Moving on to the world of sports, in Tennis, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz pulled off a remarkable comeback to defend his French Open title, defeating World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy in the longest-ever French Open final last night. We have more from our Sports Desk:
“Down two sets and facing three championship points, reigning champion Alcaraz seemed on the brink of defeat. But the 22-year-old Spaniard roared back to claim a stunning victory in one of the most thrilling finals in Grand Slam history. With this, Alcaraz not only claims his second Roland Garros crown but also secures his fifth Grand Slam title.
In Hockey, Indian Junior Women’s Team edged past Belgium with a 3-2 victory at the Hockey Center of Excellence in Antwerp, Belgium last night. It was India’s first match of their Europe tour. In this thrilling encounter, Geeta Yadav and Sonam found the net with field goals, while Lalthantluangi converted a penalty corner to secure the win for India.
Moving ahead, Indian athletes dominated the second and final day of the Taiwan Athletics Open Championship, winning 10 medals including six gold, three silver in Taipei yesterday. Key winners of gold medals included three-time national champion Vithya Ramraj in women’s 400 meter hurdles, Rohit Yadav in men’s javelin throw, and Annu Rani in women’s javelin throw.
In Tennis, the WTT Contender Skopje 2025 will begin in Skopje, North Macedonia this morning. The tournament will last till 15th of this month. From India, World No. 48 Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah will compete in Men’s Singles, while World No. 46 Manika Batra will compete in Women’s Singles category.
In Football, India’s senior men’s team is all set to take on Hong Kong in a crucial 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier Final Round match at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong tomorrow. CHIRAG JHA, SPORTS DESK.”
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The India Meteorological Department-IMD has forecast heat wave conditions at isolated places over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh today. The weather agency predicted warm night conditions very likely at isolated places over Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- The front pages of most newspapers are replete with stories about the first anniversary of NDA’s third term. The Asian Age headline quotes PM Modi, “Women-led vikas key to India’s growth story”.
- Under the headline “Repo Ripple”, The Hindu Business Line says, banks may cut savings and deposit rates to guard margins.
- The Hindu reports that amid the row over alleged irregularities in the voter lists of West Bengal, a person who was active in the students’ protest in Bangladesh in 2024 has been found to be a registered voter in West Bengal.
- In Sports news, under the headline, “Alcaraz escapes to win Epic”, The Times of India writes, Alcaraz came from behind to defeat Jannik Sinner in the longest and possibly the greatest French Open final ever.
- And finally, The Indian Express reports that just as Shubhanshu Shukla is set to take off with 3 other astronauts on Axiom Mission 4 tomorrow, there is anxiety, excitement and a little prayer at his home in Lucknow.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN,
- All-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor wraps up its US visit.
- 28 civilians and 20 Army men airlifted from landslide-hit areas of Sikkim.
- DRDO transfers 9 defence technologies to 10 Indian firms to expand defence manufacturing base.
- US President Donald Trump’s order banning citizens of 12 countries from entering United States comes into force today.
- In Tennis, Carlos Alcaraz defends crown after beating Jannik Sinner in longest-ever French Open final.
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