New Delhi: Three Indian Army officers had a narrow escape when their helicopter crashed in the mountainous Tangste near Leh in Ladakh.A Major General, a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major survived the crash but sustained injuries when the Cheetah helicopter fell down. “The helicopter crashed on May 20. All three officers are safe. An inquiry has been ordered,” officials familiar with the matter told TOI.An officer’s selfie after the May 20 accident has now gone viral. All three came out of the debris on their own. The single-engine HAL Cheetah helicopter was piloted by a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major, while Major General Sachin Mehta, who commands the 3 Infantry Division, was on board as a passenger.The accident occurred while flying in the high altitude area of ​​Ladakh. The specific cause of the incident is still under investigation.Cheetah helicopters, inducted into service in 1976, have been a vital asset for the Indian Army, especially in high altitude and forward areas such as the Siachen Glacier. The Cheetah, which is vital for the armed forces for high-altitude logistics and reconnaissance missions, has been the subject of ongoing technical scrutiny due to its aging fleet.Over the past decade or so, more than 15 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters have been involved in accidents, resulting in the loss of many pilots’ lives.Due to these security issues, the Army plans to phase out the old Cheetah and Chetak helicopters within the next 1 to 2 years, to be gradually replaced by new generation Light Utility Helicopters (LUHs) over a period of 8 to 10 years.Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is playing a key role in this transformation. The Army has already placed orders for six limited-series-production LUHs, which are designed to reach a top speed of 220 kmph, a service range of 6.5 km and an operational range of 350 km.

Ludhiana: Riot police were deployed on a major national highway on Saturday after furious residents blocked traffic for two hours to protest against prolonged municipal water and power failure that has left thousands without drinking water during the scorching heat.growing standoff PunjabThe largest industrial hub highlights how crumbling civic infrastructure and a lack of inter-agency coordination are fueling public unrest as temperatures rise across the region.Dozens of women, many of them carrying children in their arms, sat across the highway near Tibba Road to block vehicular movement, forcing the police to divert traffic. An emergency fire brigade vehicle became temporarily stuck in the standoff before officers could find their way through the crowd.Residents of Jai Shakti Nagar said there was acute water shortage in their neighborhood for two weeks and it has become worse in the last seven days. Families reported being forced to buy bottled water to survive, with some even struggling to cook food.“Drinking water is not even reaching our homes,” resident Rohit Arora said. “Children, elderly and women are in bad shape in this extreme heat.”The protesters expressed anger that local officials, including the MLA and the mayor, live nearby, yet they have ignored their repeated complaints. A previous demonstration outside the local municipal office earlier this week failed to yield any results, forcing residents to extend their protest to the national highway.Municipal Corporation Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Amritpal Singh Acknowledged the crisis but held the power utility solely responsible for it. He said that unscheduled power cuts are constantly clashing with the scheduled hours of water pumping.To resolve the impasse, senior municipal corporation officials are now formally requesting that the State Electricity Corporation exempt water-pumping stations from power cuts during delivery windows.The blockade attracted political personalities including former MLA Sanjay Talwar, who joined the protest and accused the current administration of failing to provide basic public necessities.The protest ended after municipal engineers reached the spot and formally assured residents that water services would be restored immediately. However, community leaders warned the authorities that they would launch an intense agitation if the supplies failed again.

New Delhi: After a rocky last 12 months, the US and India are trying to stabilize ties, with visiting Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and inviting President Donald Trump to visit the US “in the near future”. As the two sides discussed the situation in West Asia, according to the US readout, Rubio stressed that the US will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage and affirmed that US energy products have the potential to diversify India’s energy supply. Speaking at a US Embassy event later, Rubio, who will attend the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting on Tuesday, also said the India-US relationship “is the cornerstone of our vision for the Indo-Pacific”. The announcement about the invitation was made by US Ambassador Sergio Gore, who accompanied Rubio on what he described as a “productive” discussion with Modi on ways to deepen US-India cooperation in security, trade and critical technologies – areas that “strengthen both our countries and advance a free and open Indo-Pacific”. Although India is open to the idea of ​​Modi visiting the US, it is learned that the government will wait to get more information from Washington about the possible schedule of the visit. Modi may in any case travel to Florida for the G20 summit, which will be hosted by the US in December this year. Officials are tight-lipped on what the invitation could mean for the Quad summit, for which Trump’s presence in India has been long awaited. The Indian readout or Modi himself did not mention the invitation. “India is an important partner of the United States,” Gore said in a post on Twitter after the meeting. Rubio said he also discussed efforts to secure energy and supply chains with Modi. According to an Indian readout, Rubio also briefed Modi on the US perspective on regional and global issues, including the situation in West Asia. It said Modi reiterated India’s continued support for peace efforts and called for peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. Rubio’s visit comes amid hectic efforts to secure a US-Iran peace deal, and the threat of imminent US military action if these efforts fail. “Delighted to welcome US Secretary of State Mr. Marco Rubio. We discussed the continued progress in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and issues related to regional and global peace and security. India and the United States will continue to work together for global good,” Modi said in a post on Twitter. The Indian readout also said Rubio briefed Modi on “continued progress in bilateral cooperation” across a range of areas, including defence, strategic technologies, trade and investment, energy security, connectivity, education and people-to-people ties. Rubio began his visit to India in the morning from Kolkata, before reaching Delhi for a scheduled meeting with Modi in the afternoon. His bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to be held on Sunday. At the US Embassy event, she recalled that her first assignment as Secretary of State was the meeting of Quad Foreign Ministers. “And we were going to renew it. We wanted to do it here, not only because of our commitment to that structure of work, but as a concrete signal of how important a role India plays in the United States and in our approach, and our approach to the Indo-Pacific,” Rubio said, adding that this commitment was implicit in the relationship between Modi and Trump. Rubio said, “The relationship between the leaders is incredibly important. These are two very serious leaders who are focused not just on the short-term, but the long-term. And so, I think that’s important to note, because it’s an important part of the foundation of the relationship between our countries.”

Mullanpur: Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer, left, with head coach Ricky Ponting (PTI photo)

Punjab Kings head coach ricky ponting praised the captain a lot Shreyas Iyer The PBKS captain scored a sensational unbeaten century to keep the franchise alive in the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs. Punjab ended their six-match losing streak with an impressive seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday, chasing 197 in just 18 overs. Shreyas played a brilliant inning of 101 not out in 51 balls and scored his first IPL century, while Prabhsimran Singh scored 69 runs in 39 balls to form a match-winning partnership of 140 runs for the third wicket. Reflecting on the win, Ponting acknowledged that Punjab have faced a tough road in recent weeks, but credited the team for responding under pressure. “We’ve done it the hard way, let’s put it this way. We’ve done what we needed to do today. Carelessness again in the field, they gave away 20 more runs than they should have got. “Very clinical chase, especially being in trouble early on,” Ponting said after the match. The former Australia captain had special praise for Shreyas, revealing why Punjab invested heavily in him in the auction and lauded both his leadership and temperament. “Captain, he has done this all season. This is his first IPL century tonight. We will celebrate it and then sit back tomorrow and wait for the results,” he said. “That’s why I spent as much money in the auction as I did a few years ago (on Iyer). He’s a talented guy, a very mature player now, a very mature leader. Often he keeps his emotions under control on the field. The respect he gets from his players is second to none.” Ponting also highlighted Shreyas’s influence inside the dressing room and said that the PBKS players fully accept their captain’s leadership. Ponting said, “The moment he stands in front of the group and speaks, no one bats an eye at a single word he says. He’s been a pleasure to work with. I’m really happy with his season last season.” The PBKS coach also backed Shreyas for a bigger role in India’s white-ball setup in the future. “It’s great to see him back in the Indian ODI team. I really think he has a big and bright future in the Indian T20 team as well,” he said. Punjab’s win moves them to fourth place with 15 points from 14 matches, although their playoff hopes still depend on results elsewhere. Rajasthan Royals face Mumbai Indians on Sunday, and PBKS needs a defeat for Rajasthan to stay in the top four. Ponting admitted that Punjab’s dramatic drop in form after a strong performance in the first half of the season had hurt their campaign. “The level of cricket we played in the first half was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. And then we made some crucial mistakes at different times in the last six games,” he said. The Australian great also praised Prabhsimran Singh for continuing his impressive season and credited the young opener’s growing confidence. Ponting said, “Fantastic player. It’s probably only in the last few years that he’s realized how good he is. He and Priyansh have been excellent for us over the last few seasons. It will be great for him to see him play a mature innings in a good run chase tonight.” Punjab’s fate now hinges on Sunday’s results, with Ponting revealing that the team will be keeping a close eye on the remaining playoff-deciding fixtures. He concluded, “We will try to get the boys together and watch it (RR-MI game).”

Pune: Prime Minister Narendra ModiAn appeal to ban foreign travel for a year can boost domestic tourism, provided the government emphasizes on it.Tour operators highlighted two constraints in the Indian tourism industry. First, exorbitant domestic airfares. Second, high hotel rents during holidays. He demanded some kind of limit to be imposed to encourage inland travel.Nilesh Bhansali, president of the Travel Agents Association of Pune, said domestic tourism should be made more affordable if people are expected to avoid foreign travel. “Sometimes, a flight from Mumbai to Leh costs more than a trip to Dubai. Hotel charges in destinations like Goa often double or triple during long weekends, making domestic travel unaffordable for many,” he said.Prime Minister Modi earlier this week appealed to Indians for frugality amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia and disruption in global energy supplies due to rising fuel prices. He encouraged people to use public transport, avoid unnecessary gold purchases, revive the practice of working from home and reduce non-essential foreign travel to conserve resources.Travel industry representatives said the advisory could further hurt the struggling international travel segment, but would boost domestic tourism. “International travel is suffering due to high aviation turbine fuel (ATF) price. It has made every aspect of holidays costlier. Such appeals will have an impact on the travel industry, which has been facing tough times since the beginning of this year,” said a travel company official on condition of anonymity.Mehboob Shaikh, president of the Central and South Maharashtra chapter of the Travel Agents Association of India, said travel agents would be affected if there is a further decline in international travel. “We make most of our profits from international packages, flights, visas and foreign exchange. Domestic travel may increase, but it cannot compensate for international business. International travelers spend a lot more per trip. Naturally, revenue per customer will decline with the decline in foreign travel,” he said.Sheikh said the expensive ATF has also pushed up domestic airfares, limiting the scope for the expected shift towards domestic tourism. “Nonetheless, this is a good opportunity to strengthen the domestic travel market,” he said.Santosh Gupta, owner of Shri Vinayak Holidays, believes that the Prime Minister’s appeal will not have any immediate impact on travel behavior. “Nothing can stop people from travelling. Post-Covid, travel has resumed in a big way. People are adjusting their budgets and continuing to travel despite the high price of ATF. Summer holidays remain the favorite travel period for most Indians,” Gupta said. times of IndiaHaving said that, visible impacts may emerge during the winter travel window.Makarand Angal, owner of Go Holidays, said some travelers are reconsidering foreign holidays. “Two of my clients were planning to travel to Hong Kong and Macau, but at the last moment they went to Kashmir,” he said.Sujit Palikar, an IT professional from Kharadi, is planning to travel to Australia with his family next month. He said Modi’s appeal surprised him. “This has raised doubts. We are reviewing our plans,” he said.According to Angle, domestic tourism provides better customer satisfaction. “Domestic travel is easier to manage and strong competition keeps prices relatively under control,” he said.Another travel company representative said, “Travel today is not just a luxury. People travel for business, education, family needs, mental well-being and experience. If airfares and hotel tariffs within India become more reasonable, we will strongly promote domestic tourism.”

New Delhi: The central government has ordered Delhi Gymkhana Club (DGC), one of the oldest clubs in India, located next to the PM’s residence in Lutyens’ Delhi, to hand over the premises by June 5 for “strengthening and security of defense infrastructure and other critical public safety purposes”.The government had given 27.3 acres of land on permanent lease to DGC in 1928. The Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said it has ordered “re-entry” of the property with “immediate effect” – meaning premature termination of the lease and repossession.It added that on such “re-entry”, the entire plot of land, with all its buildings, structures, lawns and fittings, would “fully vest” in L&DO. The order directed the DGC to “hand over peaceful possession of the premises”; In case of non-compliance, possession will be “taken away in accordance with law”.The club has been operating from 2, Safdarjung Road since 1913, when it was called the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club. After independence its name was changed to Delhi Gymkhana Club. The current buildings were constructed in the 1930s. For over a century, entry into the DGC has been less about money and more about fitting into Delhi’s ‘elite class’, as it is a symbol of power and privilege.The move to take back the land parcel comes at a time when L&DO has issued similar instructions to those living on other government lands along Lok Kalyan Marg. While the exact purpose of the move is not yet known, people aware of the development have not ruled out the possibility of this land parcel, along with other lands vacated around the area, being used for redevelopment, including the construction of highly secure residences and establishments for top government officials.L&DO said in its notice that the club is located in a very sensitive and strategic area of ​​Delhi. “The land is necessary to meet immediate institutional needs, governance infrastructure and public-interest projects, integrated with the restoration of surrounding government lands,” it says.In a message sent to members, DGC Secretary General said the General Committee (GC) held an urgent meeting on Saturday and decided to send an “urgent response” to L&DO requesting clarity on the issues in the interest of members and employees. He said the committee members would demand an immediate meeting with ministry officials. “The immediate priority of the GC is to ensure that the operations of the Club continue without any disruption,” it said.Recently, the Center had defended in the Delhi High Court its move seeking eviction of the Indian Polo Association, which runs the Jaipur Polo Ground opposite the PM’s residence. The government, citing the sensitive situation of the area and national security concerns, had argued that it was also taking steps to acquire other such land parcels in the area for larger public purposes.A senior DGC member said, “A strong case will be made against L&DO’s order to seek relief from the court. But let’s see how much we can oppose the government’s claim of taking back the land for defense and security purposes. Moreover, the order comes near the expiry of the current lease.”

Foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes in Canada can now delay deportation proceedings under revised Immigration Tribunal guidelines that come into effect next month.The updated policy takes effect June 1 and broadens the criteria for postponing admissibility hearings. These hearings determine whether a foreign national can remain in Canada or whether he or she must be deported after a criminal conviction.Under the new guidance, tribunal members will be allowed to consider ongoing criminal appeals when deciding whether to delay proceedings. Previously, such requests were to be granted only in “exceptional circumstances”, and pending appeals were “not generally sufficient reason” to postpone hearings.The revised rules direct decision makers to assess a number of factors before granting a delay, including “whether the appeal has been filed and the likelihood that it will be completed in a timely manner.”Members are also expected to consider whether “the outcome of the appeal may render the case.” [Immigration Division] leading to unnecessary proceedings”, as well as “prejudice to the parties” and whether adjourning the hearing would “unreasonably delay the proceedings”.There has been political backlash over these changes, with the Conservatives warning that they could make it easier for convicted foreign nationals to remain in Canada long-term.Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner criticized the policy, saying it risks creating weaker outcomes for serious criminal offenders.“Instead of changing IRB guidance that could open the door to more delays that would allow non-citizens convicted of serious crimes to stay here in Canada, the Liberals should support one law for all and deport when the law requires them to do so,” he wrote in an email.He also urged Immigration Minister Lina Metlez Diab to intervene, saying that the minister should “clearly direct the IRB to enforce the consequences already set out in law for deporting non-citizens convicted of serious crimes in Canada.”Under Canadian law, foreign nationals convicted of serious criminal offences, including organized crime activity or crimes punishable by at least 10 years in prison, may be declared inadmissible and deported.According to Canada Border Services Agency data, 934 foreign nationals were deported in 2025 after being deemed inadmissible due to criminality. Another 260 were laid off in the first quarter of this year. Authorities deported 132 people last year for cross-border criminality and 98 for organized crime ties.Before deportation can occur, the Immigration Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board must first hold a formal admissibility hearing.James Joseph, a former IRB adjudicator and former director of policy at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, warned that the revised guidance could encourage offenders to appeal against convictions merely to delay removal proceedings.He said, “Canadian law states that if a foreign national or permanent resident is convicted of a sufficiently serious crime, they must leave Canada. That is the will of Parliament, as expressed in the laws of Canada.”He added: “Who does the IRB think is going to undermine Canadian law by imposing a policy that would suspend inadmissibility hearings which are a necessary step in the deportation of serious criminals from Canada?”The IRB defended the policy, saying the updated guidelines were intended to improve consistency, fairness, and transparency in the way requests for deferrals are handled. The board also noted that if officers believe a person is a danger to the public, the Canada Border Services Agency has the power to arrest and detain them while proceedings continue.