Heathrow affected by Iran war: Passenger traffic fell 5% in April, Middle East traffic fell more than 50%
‘Your utility has been met’: Opposition warns of hike in petrol, diesel prices after PM Modi’s appeal to cut fuel use amid West Asia crisis | india news
New Delhi: Opposition parties on Monday launched a front against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for urging citizens to reduce fuel and edible oil consumption amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia, claiming that fuel prices are certain to rise now that the assembly elections are over.This comes after PM Modi urged people to reduce the use of edible oil, adopt public transport, car-pooling and electric vehicles and move towards natural farming practices to reduce dependence on imports and save foreign exchange.Calling it a form of “economic self-defense”, PM Modi said patriotism today means responsible living and conscious consumption in the face of rising fuel prices due to global supply chain disruptions and conflicts in West Asia.who said whatRahul GandhiIn a social media post on Twitter, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said PM Modi’s appeal has exposed the limitations of his decade-long tenure.Rahul Gandhi said, “Yesterday, Modi ji asked the public to make sacrifices – don’t buy gold, don’t go abroad, use less petrol, cut down on fertilizers and cooking oil, take the metro, work from home. These are not sermons – these are testimonials to failure.”Also read: PM Modi emphasizes on reduction in fuel usage and gold purchase, supports WFHHe said, “In 12 years, he has taken the country to such a position that now the public has to be told what to buy, what not to buy, where to go and where not to go. Every time, he shifts the responsibility to the people so that they themselves can escape accountability. Running the country is no longer the purview of a compromised PM.”‘Modi ji will bear your burden till the elections’Responding to PM Modi’s remarks, AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleged that common people are being asked to bear the burden in the name of patriotism.”Dear countrymen, Modi ji bore your burden till the elections, your usefulness ends as soon as the elections are over. Now stand in line in the name of patriotism. Gas becomes expensive; Now petrol and diesel will also become expensive. In the name of patriotism you will have to stop using petrol, diesel and gas; Don’t buy gold; Don’t even use cooking oil,” Singh said.He further alleged double standards in the government’s approach and criticized the Prime Minister’s public events and foreign visits.“But Modi ji will bring lakhs of people to his rallies, go on foreign trips, burn a lot of fuel; his people will not just buy gold – they will grab the wealth of the entire country – but you will keep being fooled. And yes, if you are not able to digest Modi ji’s inflation, then the blind devotee and broker media will declare you a Pakistani,” the AAP leader said.Akhilesh YadavMeanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP government has failed to handle both the economy and foreign policy, calling his appeal an “admission of failure”.In a post on X, Akhilesh said, “As soon as the elections were over, the government suddenly remembered the ‘crisis’. Actually, there is only one crisis for the country and its name is BJP.The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister questioned how the country would achieve its goal of becoming a “five trillion dollar economy” if the government was forced to impose multiple restrictions.“With so many restrictions being imposed, how will the much-touted ‘five trillion dollar economy’ become a reality? It appears that the BJP government has completely lost control,” he said.Claiming that the rupee is rapidly weakening against the dollar, Yadav alleged that the economic management of the BJP government has collapsed.“The dollar is skyrocketing while the Indian rupee is falling further,” he said.He also blamed the Centre’s foreign policy for the current economic situation and alleged that the BJP government has moved away from India’s traditional non-aligned approach.“The real reason behind these situations is the BJP government abandoning the country’s traditional policy of non-alignment and associating with certain groups due to specific pressures and interests,” he said.BJP hit backBJP hit back at Rahul Gandhi and claimed that Congress’s politics is limited to power and not nation building.In a post on Twitter, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said Modi had not asked people to make sacrifices but urged them to make conscious choices in the national interest such as energy conservation, promoting indigenous products, conserving foreign exchange and strengthening self-reliance.He said, “But this is actually the problem of the Congress. Any call for public participation in the national interest seems like ‘preaching’ to them, because their politics has been limited to power, not nation-building.”Referring to the impact of the West Asia conflict, Malviya said that every global crisis affects the entire world and cited India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for countering Gandhi’s attack.“If appealing to the public to fulfill their responsibility is considered ‘failure’, then was your dear Nehru also a ‘compromising PM’?” he asked.“Nehru himself had said that when wars break out in other countries, its impact is felt in India in the form of inflation. Was that also an ‘excuse’ then, or was it considered responsible leadership at that time?” Malviya said.He also shared an old purported video of Nehru in which the former Prime Minister can be heard saying that when there are wars in countries like Korea or America, the country is affected.He said that responsible leadership tells the truth to the people and appeals for collective participation in facing the challenges.
IPL 2026: Time for Mumbai Indians to keep Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Verma on the bench; Rest Jasprit Bumrah cricket news
New Delhi: Mumbai Indians Became the second team to be eliminated from the Indian Premier League After losing to Royal Challengers Bangalore in a last over thriller on Sunday. The result means the powerful MI unit will go without silverware for the sixth consecutive season – the longest trophy drought in their history – and miss the playoffs for the fourth time since 2022.It has been a massive decline for the franchise after winning back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020. Now is the time for them to get their home in order before they begin the much-needed reset. As reported by TimesofIndia.com earlier this month MI’s dressing room is far from idealAnd inconsistent performances from star players haven’t helped the team’s cause.
Some individual performances – Ryan Rickelton’s firepower at the top, Rohit’s early brilliance, Tilak VermaCorbin Bosh showed promise with two innings and the ball, but inconsistency has continued to drag the team down. Hardik Pandya has not been able to perform at his best with bat or ball.And he is often seen checking out every now and then. With the season effectively over, MI will have to make the most of their remaining fixtures against Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.Suryakumar YadavMI, who have been under pressure due to poor performance with the bat for a long time, need to make room for a young player in the playing eleven, the right-handed batsman has scored only 195 runs in 11 innings. Tilak Verma scored a fighting half-century against RCB, but the left-handed batsman’s returns have been erratic, which is reflected in his tally of 261 runs in 11 matches in the tournament. Of these, 158 runs were scored in only two innings, while only 103 runs were scored in the remaining nine innings.Whereas Jasprit Bumrah Having faced a lot of criticism for his low number of wickets, the veteran fast bowler has bowled his heart out without much support from the other end. With the campaign now almost over, Mumbai Indians should do Bumrah a favor and allow him to rest for the unimportant final three matches.
Jasprit Bumrah of Mumbai Indians bowling during the Indian Premier League 2026 match. (ANI)
Additionally, is it time to test the players on the bench and rest underperforming senior players? head coach Mahela Jayawardene It seems that he is not ready for this and continues to support the “core group”.“They’re trying to do their best, too. If I’d known it had anything to do with it, I would have talked to them. But the commitment and effort they’re putting in is incredible. So I was pretty firm with Roe. [Rohit Sharma] Getting injured and then the way he came back to bat, tells it all. I mean, the core group is very valuable to us. You can’t just keep changing.“We went in with confidence and trust in them. And then it is what it is.” Like I said, it’s hard for me to go beyond that. They had a really good World Cup, they won it and everything else. So I think it’s just that, as a unit, we are not good enough,” Jayawardene said after MI’s exit.MI are not accustomed to finding themselves in that position this season, and the real challenge now will be to avoid another tenth-place finish. If they don’t bring about some much-needed changes, the chances of a third wooden-spoon finish in the last five seasons are very high.
Hantavirus: US passenger evacuated from Hantavirus-hit cruise tests positive but asymptomatic | world News
WATCH: The sky above Somnath comes alive as Indian Air Force’s Suryakiran aerobatic team performs spectacular manoeuvres. india news
The Surya Kiran aerobatic team of the Indian Air Force performed aerial maneuvers during the Somnath Amrit Mahotsav at Somnath Temple on Monday.As part of the celebrations, Narendra Modi participated in the special Mahapuja, followed by the Kumbhabhishek and flag hoisting ceremonies, which included the consecration ritual and unfurling of the temple flag.PM Modi on Monday offered prayers at the Somnath temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, as part of the Somnath Amrit Mahotsav organized to commemorate 75 years of the inauguration of the renovated temple by India’s first President Rajendra Prasad.Before entering the temple complex, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel during the road show in Somnath.Earlier in the day, PM Modi held a road show on the way to the temple, drawing large crowds of supporters amid tight security arrangements in key areas of the city.Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Shanghvi had said on May 9 that PM Modi is on a visit to Gujarat to participate in the Somnath Amrit Mahotsav and inaugurate the Sardar Dham in Vadodara.PM Modi on Friday shared an op-ed ahead of his proposed visit to the Somnath temple on May 11, highlighting the civilizational importance of the temple and paying tribute to the people who have preserved and restored it over the centuries.In a post on Twitter, Modi said, “Wrote an oped about his upcoming Somnath Yatra on May 11 and explained why this day will always be important with regard to the greatness of Somnath and our civilization. Also paid tribute to every person who faced all kinds of challenges, yet always protected Somnath and restored its glory.”In the op-ed, the Prime Minister said the visit will mark 75 years of the inauguration of the renovated Somnath temple by India’s first President Rajendra Prasad. PM Modi also referred to the Somnath Swabhiman Parv organized earlier this year to commemorate 1,000 years of the first attack on the temple and described the history of Somnath as a journey “from ruin to renewal” or “from scholars to creation”.
Gilda Radnor: Martin Short recalls meeting his former girlfriend and actress Gilda Radnor: ‘She was instantly funny’
martin short‘Three Amigos!’ Iconic actor known for his roles in! and ‘Only Murders in the Building,’ recalled meeting his hilarious and warm ex-girlfriend, Gilda Radner. Reliving the memories, the actor-comedian shared that every girl wanted to be his best friend and every boy wanted to date him because of his infectious personality.
Martin Short recalls meeting Gilda Radner
Reminiscing about his days when he was still out of school, Short remembered meeting Radner in a 1972 production. “‘Godspell’ had opened on Broadway and become a big hit, so they were moving the production to Toronto,” Short said in ‘Netflix Is a Joke Presents: This Better Be Funny with David Letterman.’ Reflecting on his trip, Short noted that the callback was chaos among hundreds of people.
Martin Short remembers ‘funny’ Gilda Radner and Nancy Dolman
Highlighting Radner, who died of ovarian cancer in 1989, the late ‘Saturday Night Live’ star claimed she was funny, vivacious and warm. “At the first rehearsal, she came up and said, ‘Hi, I’m Gilda. I’m really excited to meet you.’ She was absolutely funny,” he said. Meanwhile, he also met his then-future wife, Nancy Dolman, who was Radner’s pupil. “She was an incredible singer,” the ‘Father of the Bride’ star said. Tremendous talent.”
Martin Short talks about his daughter’s passing
Meanwhile, taking a closer look at the actor’s life, Martin Short recently spoke about his family and the horrific incident. Mentioning deep grief, the 76-year-old shared that the death of his daughter Kathryn Short due to suicide has been a nightmare. “And my daughter struggled with extreme mental health, borderline personality disorder and other things for a long time, and she did her best until she couldn’t,” he said about Katherine during his appearance on CBS’s Sunday Mornings.
North Korea prepared nuclear dead man switch
North Korea has amended its constitution to require the military to launch a retaliatory nuclear strike if leader Kim Jong-un is assassinated or incapacitated by a foreign adversary.The constitutional change comes after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several of his close advisers were reportedly killed in strikes during the initial phase of the joint US-Israeli attacks on Tehran.The amendment was adopted during the first session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly, which began in Pyongyang on March 22. The changes were revealed on Thursday during a briefing by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) for senior government officials, The Telegraph reports.According to the NIS briefing, Kim retains command over North Korea’s nuclear forces, but a constitutional amendment formally defines procedures for retaliation if killed or rendered incapable of leading.The amended Article 3 of the Nuclear Policy Law states: “If the command-and-control system over the nuclear forces of a State is endangered by attacks by hostile forces… a nuclear strike shall be automatically and immediately initiated.”Professor Andrei Lankov, a Russian-born professor of history and international relations at Kookmin University in Seoul, said the change reflected growing concerns in Pyongyang following recent developments in Iran.“This may have been the policy earlier, but now it has been included in the Constitution and emphasized,” he said.“Iran was a wake-up call. North Korea saw the remarkable efficiency of US-Israeli decapitation attacks, which instantly eliminated large portions of the Iranian leadership, and they should now be horrified.”Experts believe that carrying out a similar operation in North Korea would be much more difficult than in Iran due to the country’s isolation and tight security controls. North Korea’s borders are largely sealed and foreign diplomats, aid workers and businessmen visiting the country are closely monitored, limiting opportunities for intelligence gathering.Reports have suggested that Israeli intelligence tracked Iranian leaders through hacked traffic cameras in Tehran, but such a strategy would be difficult in Pyongyang due to the limited CCTV network and tightly controlled intranet system.Kim Jong-un is also known for maintaining tight personal security. He is constantly accompanied by bodyguards, avoids air travel and usually travels by heavily armored train.Prof Lankov said Pyongyang’s main concern was likely to be satellite surveillance technology.He said, “Their biggest fear is the information they can get from satellite technology. And, overall, their concerns are not unfounded because removing the leadership at the beginning of any conflict is likely to be decisive.”He said North Korea’s military is loyal to its leadership and would likely retaliate in the event of an attack.“I don’t see any possibility of an attack from South Korea, so any retaliation would be aimed at the United States,” Prof Lankov said.Meanwhile, North Korea is also preparing to deploy a new type of artillery system near its border with South Korea, according to state media reports released on Friday.The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim recently visited a munitions factory to inspect the production of a ‘new type of 155-millimeter self-propelled gun-howitzer’.The KCNA said the artillery system has a range of more than 37 miles and will be deployed to long-range artillery units deployed along the border with South Korea this year.The new weapon could put central Seoul, about 35 miles from the border, within striking distance of much of Gyeonggi province, South Korea’s most populous region and a major industrial hub.
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The howitzer will provide significant changes and benefits to our military’s ground operations, KCNA quoted Kim as saying.Despite recent peace efforts by the South Korean government, North Korea continues to describe Seoul as its main rival and recently removed long-standing references to Korean unification from its constitution.North and South Korea are technically at war because the 1950–1953 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.
’34 lakh appeals, hearing on a few hundred’: Shashi Tharoor questions whether Bengal election decision was ‘completely fair’ india news
New Delhi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor Questioning the outcome of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, it has been suggested that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists may have played a decisive role in the BJP’s victory in the state.Referring to the SIR exercise, Tharoor alleged that large-scale deletions from electoral rolls and delays in deciding appeals would have prevented millions of legitimate voters from casting their votes.“In the case of SIR, what I have said is a legitimate question to be answered. Look at the case of Bengal. 91 lakh names were removed from the list. 34 lakh of them are living human beings who have appealed that they are around and they are legitimately entitled to vote. The rules require each case to be decided individually, so only a few hundred cases were decided before voting,” he said at the ‘India, That’s Bharat’ roundtable on the sidelines of the Stanford India Conference in the US.“As of today, there are approximately 31,32 lakh people who could be found to be valid voters in the remaining years while the decision is on, but have missed the chance to vote,” he said.Tharoor further pointed to the BJP’s victory margin in Bengal, saying the numbers closely reflected unresolved appeals.He said, “And BJP won in Bengal by a margin of 30 lakh votes. Now you tell me is it completely fair and democratic? That’s the question I ask. To be honest, I have no problem in removing fake, removed, absentee, transferred voters.”The Congress MP also claimed that the voter list revision could have a distinct political impact in Kerala, where he suggested that removing duplicate entries could work against the CPM.“And especially in Kerala, I suspect the Congress benefited from deletions because the CPM had long been adept at double nominations, triple nominations, quadruple nominations – same people in four different booths, etc. This used to happen. And so they were eliminated by SIR, and as you said, in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, there were very few appeals. But in Bengal, there was no doubt that there were 34 lakh appeals. And this is 34 lakh forms filled by 34 lakh persons. And of those, only a few hundred have been heard from,” Tharoor said.The BJP registered a historic victory in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, winning 207 seats and ending the 15-year rule of the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress in the state. TMC won 80 seats. Following the victory, the BJP formed its first government in West Bengal, with Suvendu Adhikari sworn in as the Chief Minister.

