Sunny Joseph

New Delhi: The Congress initiated organisational changes in its Kerala unit by appointing Sunny Joseph as the chief in place of K Sudhakaran and naming three new working presidents on Thursday.

Joseph, a legislator in the Kerala Assembly, will lead the state unit of the grand old party in next year’s assembly polls. He will supported by newly appointed working presidents P C Vishnunadh and A P Anil Kumar and Shafi Parambil.

While Vishnunadh and Kumar are MLAs, Parambil is an MP.

Besides the four, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge also appointed Adoor Prakash, a party MP, as the convener of the United Democratic Front alliance in the state.

The appointments have been made with an eye on the 2026 state polls with the tenure of the current assembly ending on May 23, next year.

“The Congress president has appointed the president and working presidents of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), and also approved the proposal of the appointment of the convenor of the UDF, with immediate effect.

“The new president of KPCC will be Sunny Joseph, MLA, and the convenor of the UDF will be Adoor Prakash, MP. The new working presidents of the KPCC are P C Vishnunadh, MLA, A P Anil Kumar, MLA and Shafi Parambil, MP,” a statement from AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said.

In the statement, the party appreciated the contributions of the outgoing Kerala unit chief K. Sudhakaran, MP and that of the UDF convenor M M Hassan.

“The party also conveys its appreciation for the contributions of the outgoing working presidents of the KPCC, Kodikkunnil Suresh, MP, T N Prathapan, and T. Siddique, MLA,” he also said in the statement.

P C Vishnunadh, MLA, is being relieved of his current responsibilities as AICC Secretary, the party also said in its statement.

In another statement, Venugopal said the Congress president has appointed K Sudhakaran, and Akhilesh Prasad Singh, both MPs, as permanent invitees to the Congress Working Committee with immediate effect.

Akhilesh Prasad Singh was recently replaced as Bihar Congress chief.

Wreckage of a helicopter which crashed near Gangnani while carrying six people to Gangotri Dham

Uttarkashi (U’khand): A helicopter on its way to the Gangotri temple crashed near Gangnani in Uttarkashi district on Thursday, killing six people, including the pilot, and leaving a man seriously injured, officials said.

Barring the pilot, who hailed from Gujarat’s Vadodara, the five other deceased were women.

The lone survivor of the crash was Maktur Bhaskar (51), a resident of Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh, Uttarkashi’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Sarita Dobhal said.

Bhaskar, who sustained serious injuries, was brought in an air ambulance from the crash site to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh for treatment. His wife, Vedanti (48), was also among the dead.

The helicopter of a private company, with seven people on board, crashed over the Rishikesh-Gangotri national highway at around 8:45 am and fell into a gorge about 200-250 metres deep, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said.

The helicopter had left the Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun for the Kharsali helipad. It was on its way to Gangotri from there when it crashed, an official said.

District Magistrate Meharban Singh Bisht said six people died on the spot. One of the passengers on the helicopter — M Bhaskar (51) from Andhra Pradesh — was seriously injured in the crash and was airlifted to the AIIMS, Rishikesh, the DM added.

Three on board the helicopter were from Mumbai, two from Andhra Pradesh and one each was from Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

Those killed were identified as Kala Chandrakant Soni (61), Vijaya Lakshmi Reddy (57), Ruchi Agrawal (56), Radha Agrawal (79), Vedanti (48) and Captain Robin Singh (60), the pilot.

The SP said it took hours to extract the bodies from the remains of the helicopter, pull those out of the gorge and up to the road. The bodies were sent to the Uttarkashi district hospital for post mortem.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident.

The administration has been instructed to provide all possible help to the injured and investigate the accident, he said, adding that he is constantly in touch with officials and monitoring the situation.

Officials said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will probe the crash.

A Bell helicopter of AeroTrans Services Private Limited was involved in the crash.

According to information available on aviation regulator DGCA’s website, AeroTrans Services has two Bell helicopters and one Cessna aircraft.

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force has carried out fresh strikes on Pakistan’s Lahore military base, hours after its air defence systems were reportedly crippled in an earlier counteroffensive. The operation was undertaken in response to a series of coordinated drone and missile attacks launched by Pakistan on Indian military installations in Jammu, Pathankot, and Jaisalmer.

As per an India Today report, sources within the Indian security establishment confirmed that the retaliation was strategically executed, capitalising on the weakened state of Pakistan’s air defence. Earlier in the day, India’s S-400 “Sudarshan Chakra” air defence system intercepted and neutralised several incoming drones and missiles.

As per an India Today report, Pakistan’s Chinese-origin HQ-9 missile defence systems stationed in Lahore were initially targeted by Israeli-manufactured HARPY kamikaze drones, severely impairing their operational capacity. Despite these damages, Pakistan proceeded to launch further attacks on Indian bases in Jammu, Pathankot, and Udhampur.

In response, India struck the already-damaged Lahore base and reportedly shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet, two JF-17 aircraft, and an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft within Pakistan’s Punjab province.

The Pakistani offensive extended to military targets in Awantipora, Srinagar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Bhuj. Indian defence systems successfully intercepted several projectiles, including two kamikaze drones in Poonch.

India has not yet issued an official statement.

New Delhi: Airlines have asked passengers to reach airports at least three hours before departure after the Centre increased security measures in response to Pakistan’s ongoing attack, reported India Today.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, all passengers will now face a Secondary Ladder Point Check (SLPC) before boarding. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has directed all airports and airlines to step up security.

Air India said, “Passengers are advised to arrive at least three hours prior to departure. Check-in closes 75 minutes before departure.” Akasa Air and IndiGo issued similar advisories, asking passengers to allow more time for security checks.

All passengers must carry valid photo ID and will undergo secondary checks before boarding. Visitor entry to terminals has been banned, and Air Marshals will be deployed as required.

The moves come as India’s defence systems shot down Pakistani missiles and drones in Jammu, Punjab, and Rajasthan. At least 21 airports are shut till May 10, and several flights are cancelled. Civilian aircraft are avoiding airspace over Pakistan and India’s western corridor, data from Flightradar24 shows.

Barcelona: Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica said that restoring power to large parts of the country after a massive and unprecedented outage Monday that also hit Portugal could take 6-10 hours.

The company declined to speculate on the causes of the blackout. The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center issued a statement saying there was no sign the outage was due to a cyberattack.

Eduardo Prieto, head of operations at Red Electrica, told journalists it was unprecedented, calling the event “exceptional and extraordinary.”

The outage hit across Spain and Portugal, including their capitals, knocking out subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights and ATM machines.

Authorities said the cause was not immediately known, though one Portuguese official said the problem appeared to be with the electricity distribution network in Spain.

The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the prime minister’s residence, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited power distributor Red Eléctrica to follow efforts at restoring grid operations.

The countries have a combined population of over 50 million people. It was not immediately clear how many were affected. It is rare to have such a widespread outage across the Iberian Peninsula.

A couple of hours later, Spain’s electricity network operator said it was recovering power in the north and south of the peninsula, which would help to progressively restore the electricity supply nationwide.

Portugal’s government said the outage appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa.

“It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It’s still being ascertained,” Cabinet Minister Leitão Amaro was quoted as saying.

Portuguese distributor E-Redes said the outage was due to “a problem with the European electricity system,” according to Portuguese newspaper Expresso. The company said it was compelled to cut power in specific areas to stabilise the network, according to Expresso.

Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE said a major power outage hit several regions of the country just after midday local time, leaving its newsroom, Spain’s parliament in Madrid and subway stations across the country in the dark.

A graph on Spain’s electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop around 12.15 pm from 27,500MW to near 15,000MW.

Video aired on Spanish television showed people evacuating metro stations in Madrid and empty stations with trains stopped in Barcelona.

Play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended. Three matches were underway when power went down.

Spain’s traffic department asked citizens to avoid using their cars as much as possible due to the power outage, which has affected traffic lights and electrical road signage.

In Terrassa, an industrial town 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Barcelona, stores selling generators were out of stock after people lined up to buy them.

Portugal’s E-Redes said parts of France also were affected.

In a country of some 10.6 million people, the outage hit the capital, Lisbon, and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts. Portuguese police placed more officers on duty to direct traffic and cope with increased requests for help, including from people trapped in elevators.

Portuguese hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators. Gas stations stopped working and trains stopped running.

Portugal’s National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection said backup power systems were operating.

Several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, reports said. Also in Portugal, courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected. Traffic lights in Lisbon stopped working.

It was not possible to make calls on mobile phone networks, though some apps were working.

Palestinians look at the damage after an Israeli army airstrike in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip

Deir Al-Balah: Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight into Monday killed at least 27 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

Israel has carried out daily strikes on Gaza since ending its ceasefire with Hamas last month. It has cut off the territory’s two million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, since the beginning of March in what it says is an attempt to pressure the fighter group to release hostages.

The daily bombardment and widespread hunger is taking a heavy toll on Gaza’s most vulnerable residents, including pregnant women and children.

An airstrike hit a home in Beit Lahiya, killing 10 people, including a Palestinian prisoner, Abdel-Fattah Abu Mahadi, who had been released as part of the ceasefire. His wife, two of their children and a grandchild were also killed, according to the Indonesian Hospital, which received the bodies.

Another strike hit a home in Gaza City, killing seven people, including two women, according to the Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service. Two other people were wounded.

Late Sunday, a strike hit a home in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least 10 people, including five siblings as young as four-years-old, according to the Health Ministry. Two other children were killed along with their parents, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel says it makes every effort to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because the fighter group operate in densely populated areas.

The war began when Hamas-led group attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians. Israel’s bombardment and ground operations have destroyed vast areas of Gaza and left most of its population homeless.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is either destroyed or agrees to disarm and leave the territory. He says Israel will then implement US President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle much of Gaza’s population in other countries through what the Israeli leader refers to as “voluntary emigration.”

Palestinians say the plan would amount to forcible expulsion from their homeland after Israel’s offensive left much of Gaza uninhabitable. Human rights experts say it would likely violate international law.

Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as called for in the ceasefire that Israel ended.

Maharajganj (UP): At least six labourers were injured when an under-construction bridge collapsed on the Sonauli-Gorakhpur National Highway near Mohanapur Dhala here, a police official said on Tuesday.

The accident occurred on Monday night during ongoing road construction work.

“During the highway construction activity, a portion of the under-construction bridge suddenly gave way, trapping several workers under the debris,” Dharmendra Singh, Station House Officer of the local Purandarpur police station, said.

Police teams rushed to the scene immediately after the incident. The injured labourers were rescued from the rubble and transported to Pharenda Community Health Centre (CHC), he said.

“All the injured workers have been admitted to the hospital, and their condition is stable,” Singh added.

The debris was cleared using JCB machines, and the site has been secured. Further investigation into the cause of the collapse is underway.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to convene a special session of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack and demonstrate a collective resolve.

Several opposition MPs have made a similar demand to the government in the wake of the dastardly attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed last week, leaving the nation grief-stricken and outraged.

India has cited “cross-border linkages” to the horrific incident and promised severe punishment to those involved in the strike.

In the letter to the prime minister, Kharge said, “At this moment, when unity and solidarity is essential, the opposition believes that it is important to convene a special session of both Houses of Parliament at the earliest.

“This will be a powerful demonstration of our collective resolve and willpower to deal with the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam on innocent citizens on April 22. It is our fond hope that the session will be accordingly convened,” the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha added.

Rahul Gandhi too wrote a letter to Modi with the same request and said the Pahalgam tragedy has outraged every Indian.

“At this critical time, India must show that we will always stand together against terrorism. The Opposition believes that a special session of both Houses of Parliament should be convened, where the representatives of the people can show their unity and determination.”

“We request that such a special session be convened at the earliest,” he added.

Sharing his letter to the prime minister on X, Gandhi said, “At this critical time, India must show that we always stand together against terrorism.”

Mandsaur: A speeding van plunged into a water-filled well after hitting a bike in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district on Sunday, leaving 11 persons, including a biker and a rescuer, dead, police said.

The incident occurred in the Narayangarh police station area.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the accident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000.

“Saddened by the loss of lives in an accident in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon,” Modi stated on X.

Ratlam range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Manoj Singh said 13 persons were travelling in the van.

“Four of them were rescued while nine others died. A villager, identified as Manohar, who descended into the well for rescue, also died,” he said, adding that the body of a victim of the accident is yet to be pulled out of the well.

Prima facie, the van driver lost control of the wheel after the vehicle hit a bike and fell into the well. The bike rider was also killed, he said.

A rescue operation, involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and personnel of other units, is underway.

Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda, who rushed to the site, said the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer off the road and land into a well.