Tripura's Chief Minister (CM), Manik Saha, attended the World Blood Donor Day 2025 celebrations in Agartala, where he urged people to donate blood to save lives. Speaking to ANI, Chief Minister Saha said, "We celebrate World Blood Donor Day every year in Tripura. This time, I saw that organisations and NGOs are setting up blood donation camps, and they were recognised for their efforts. Our main aim is to encourage people who might be hesitant to donate blood. Blood donation is a beneficial activity because it stimulates the formation of new blood cells, can help prevent heart and blood vessel problems, and can also help in diagnosing any underlying health issues. That's why individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 are encouraged to donate blood." Appreciating the citizens, he added, "In Tripura, people readily come forward when blood is needed in blood banks. There's a history of this. So, those who don't usually donate blood should step forward. Just one unit of blood can save three lives. These days, blood cells and plasma can be separated according to what the patient needs." Saha further mentioned that a region should ideally have a blood-to-population ratio of one per cent, a target Tripura has successfully met, ANI reported. "Blood volume should typically be one per cent of the population. We have 12 government and two private blood banks, and our population is 40 lakhs. Last year, we collected 42,000 units of blood. There's a good balance. If there's an emergency, like during elections or the covid-19 pandemic, I've urged people to donate blood, and they have always responded," he told ANI. Meanwhile, on Friday, Chief Minister Manik Saha inaugurated a new Cancer Care Facility at ILS Hospital in Agartala. In a post on X, Chief Minister Saha wrote, "Today I attended the inauguration of advanced radiotherapy services for the treatment of cancer at ILS Hospital, Agartala, in collaboration with the International Oncology Care Institute (IOCI)." Earlier on Saturday, on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day 2025, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also donated blood, stating, "Blood donation is a truly noble act. Today, on World Blood Donor Day, let's recognise the importance of donating blood, raise awareness, and volunteer to save lives." (With inputs from ANI)
14 June,2025 10:00 PM IST | Agartala | mid-day online correspondentAmid growing concerns over the Covid-19 outbreak, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Ajit Pawar on Saturday said the situation in Pune district is under control and there is no need to panic. Since January, the state has conducted 18,885 Covid-19 tests. A total of 1,700 individuals have tested positive for the virus. However, 1,064 patients have recovered and the current recovery rate stands at 62.58 per cent. According to the data shared by the health department, Maharashtra reported 102 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, of which 31 were from Pune. Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and is the guardian minister of Pune district, held a meeting with officials on the Covid-19 outbreak in the district. Briefing the media on this, Pawar said, "A few patients have tested positive for the infection in the state, including Pune and Pimpri. The situation is under control, and the health minister is monitoring the situation. A meeting was held with officials regarding steps that need to be taken in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad." "People should not panic. However, senior citizens need to take care of themselves. "It is important to avoid crowded places," he added. The Deputy CM of Maharashtra also reviewed the arrangements for the 'wari' procession to Pandharpur. "Every year, the 'palkhi' of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj travels through Pune district. The state government has allocated funds for the 'wari'. This year, the number of pilgrims is expected to increase. Work is underway at Dive Ghat to ensure warkaris (pilgrims) don't face any difficulties while walking through the ghat. "Instructions have been given to remove hoardings and advertisements along the 'palkhi' route," Ajit Pawar said. The Ashadhi 'wari' pilgrimage to Pandharpur will commence in Pune on June 18. The Sant Tukaram Maharaj 'palkhi' will travel from Dehu on June 18, and the Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj 'palkhi' will depart from Alandi in the evening of June 19. Meanwhile, Pawar also inaugurated the police's 'Palanquin Tracking App (PTP)' on Saturday in Pune in a bid to enhance road safety and reduce traffic violations. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar and Additional Commissioner Manoj Patil were also present. (With PTI and ANI inputs)
14 June,2025 07:35 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentIn the ongoing salvage operations of MV WAN Hai 503, which is under massive fire, the Indian Navy augmented the efforts with the aerial insertion of a salvage team on Friday. In a daring operation, #IndianNavy successfully undertook aerial insertion of the salvage team onboard distressed vessel MV Wan Hai 503, which has been on fire since #09Jun 25.The salvage team, which embarked the Seaking helicopter at @IN_Garuda, #Kochi, was winched down the… https://t.co/rgtMmptxnq pic.twitter.com/1uXGJmSduQ — SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) June 14, 2025 In a prompt response, the salvage team members embarked onboard a Seaking helicopter at INS Garuda, Kochi. The Naval helicopter successfully inserted the team on the vessel amidst challenging weather/sea conditions and fire onboard. The salvage team was winched down, who connected up tow with the salvage Tug Offshore Warrior. After the connection of the tow, the salvage team was successfully extracted by the Naval helicopter from the vessel. The towing operations of the vessel have commenced. Presently, the Indian Navy's INS Sharda and OSV MV Triton Liberty are actively engaged in the salvage ops in coordination with the Indian Coast Guard and other maritime agencies. This swift insertion and extraction of the salvage team by the Indian Navy has significantly reinforced the rescue efforts. "INS Sharda and OSV MV Triton Liberty are actively engaged with the India Coast Guard and other maritime agencies to augment the salvage ops. This swift insertion and extraction of the salvage team by the Indian Navy has significantly augmented the ongoing salvage efforts", the Indian Navy's 'X' post further mentioned. In a breakthrough, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully enabled the towing of the fire-stricken Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503, marking a major milestone in ongoing efforts to control the blaze and protect the marine environment. The Singapore-flagged container vessel MV Wan Hai 503 has been ablaze in the Arabian Sea, approximately 42 nautical miles off the coast of Beypore, Kerala. In a post on X, the Indian Coast Guard said, "Major milestone in the ongoing operation to suppress the fire onboard MV Wah Hai 503 and protect the marine environment! India Coast Guard ships undertaking firefighting operations enabled the tow connection of the Salvage vessel in an extremely challenging and daunting operation." Major milestone in the ongoing operation to suppress the fire onboard MV #WahHai503 and protect #MarineEnvironment !@IndiaCoastGuard ships undertaking FF Op enabled tow connect up of Salvage vessel in extremely challenging and daunting operation. @indiannavy #Seaking… pic.twitter.com/KTFJl6I5fx — Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) June 13, 2025 "HQSNC tasked the Indian Navy helicopter to winch down salvors who shifted the tow from ICG ships to Salvage Tugs. The tow has now commenced, and the vessel is being pulled to keep away from our coast! ICG fire fighting operation continues," the post added. The vessel was carrying 1.2 lakh metric tonnes of fuel and hundreds of containers, including hazardous cargo, posing a serious risk to the marine environment and regional shipping routes
14 June,2025 06:07 PM IST | | mid-day online correspondentRajasthan's Mahesh Kumar has topped the medical entrance exam NEET-UG, while Madhya Pradhesh's has bagged the second rank, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on Saturday. More than 12.36 lakh candidates out of 22.09 lakh test takers qualified the exam. The number is down from last year's 13.15 lakh qualifying candidates. However, the number of test takers was also higher last year at over 23.33 lakh. Maharashtra's Krishang Joshi and Delhi's Mrinal Kishore Jha bagged the third and fourth ranks, respectively. Among females, Delhi's Avika Aggarwal emerged topper, bagging the fifth rank nationally. The maximum qualifying candidates are from Uttar Pradesh (over 1.70 lakh), followed by Maharashtra (over 1.25 lakh) and Rajasthan (over 1.19 lakh). The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) is the largest entrance exam in the country in terms of the number of candidates appearing for the test. The NTA conducts the NEET every year for admission into medical colleges. A total of 1,08,000 seats are available for the MBSS course -- approximately 56,000 in government hospitals, and about 52,000 in private colleges.Admissions to undergraduate courses in dentistry, Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha also utilise NEET results for admission. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
14 June,2025 05:03 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIThe death toll in the Ahmedabad Plane Crash tragedy has gone up to 270, doctors at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where the bodies were taken from the crash site, said on Saturday. Officials said the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Service (AFES) recovered a corpse and some human body parts in the past 24 hours from the plane crash site, causing the toll to rise from 265. Meanwhile, the Centre has formed a high-level multi-disciplinary committee, headed by the Union Home Secretary, to examine the causes that led to the Ahmedabad Plane Crash, and also to suggest comprehensive guidelines to prevent such mishaps in the future.
14 June,2025 04:08 PM IST | Mumbai | Madhulika Ram KavatturThe Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday said the black box of Air India's crashed Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has been recovered from the rooftop of the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad, PTI reported. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane from Ahmedabad to Londono Gatwick crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College soon after taking off. However, the Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that, contrary to circulating reports, a video recorder recovered at the crash site was not the DFDR, reported ANI. "Contrary to some reports, the video recorder being circulated is not the DFDR (Digital Flight Data Recorder). The black box was found on the rooftop. AAIB began work with full force immediately. Over 40 staff from the State Government joined efforts to augment MoCA teams on site. The DFDR has been recovered from the rooftop," said the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s statement. The investigation into the traffic crash is underway, and the recovered DFDR is expected to provide vital insights into the events leading up to the disaster. The AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the Ahmedabad Plane Crash, with more than 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground. The black box, a critical piece of evidence, will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic Ahmedabad Plane Crash that claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. There is only one passenger who survived the mishap. On Thursday, the AI171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, bound for London’s Gatwick, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad International Airport. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a Line Training Captain (LTC) with 8,200 hours of flying experience, and First Officer Clive Kundar, who had logged 1,100 flying hours, were flying the plane. According to Air Traffic Control (ATC), the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1.39 pm from runway 23. It made a Mayday call to ATC, but thereafter, the aircraft did not respond to further calls. Immediately after departing Runway 23, the aircraft crashed into a medical hostel outside the airport perimeter, and heavy black smoke began emanating from the accident site. There were 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national on board the crashed plane, airline authorities said. The only passenger who miraculously survived the Ahmedabad Plane Crash has been identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh. Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, was seated in row 11, at the left window seat in the flight’s economy class section, right behind an emergency exit. (With ANI and PTI inputs)
14 June,2025 03:33 PM IST | Ahmedabad | mid-day online correspondentRekha Kshtriya, an eyewitness to the AI 171 plane air crash in Ahmedabad on Saturday, recalled the chilling moments after the sheer tragedy and stated that even though her family was accustomed to loud noises, the sound of the crash felt like their eardrums would burst. Kshtriya further stated that all furniture in their house had started shaking violently. "I have been staying here for the last 13-14 years... that day, around 1:30 p.m., we had heard a loud noise. Although we are accustomed to hearing loud noises, this time the noise felt like our eardrums would burst. It seemed like an earthquake. We had just sat down to have lunch and the furniture in our house had started shaking violently. For a second, it felt like a bomb blast had happened. Then, when we went outside, we saw that a plane had crashed. We saw broken pieces of aircraft everywhere... it was difficult to understand whether it was a plane crash or a terrorist attack, or something else. The whole sky was filled with black smoke. High flames were rising everywhere," Kshtriya informed. reported ANI. Meanwhile, the government has constituted a high-level multi-disciplinary committee for examining the causes that led to the crash of the flight. "A High Level Multi-disciplinary Committee is constituted for examining the causes leading to the crash of the Air India Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport (London) on June 12, 2025. The Committee will examine the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest comprehensive guidelines for dealing with such instances in the future," an order issued by the Civil Aviation Ministry read. "The Committee will not be a substitute for other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future," the order clarified. "The committee will have access to all records, including, among others, flight data, cockpit voice recorders, aircraft maintenance records, ATC Log and witness testimonies," it stated, adding that the committee will publish its report within three months. It said that the committee would be headed by the Home Secretary and would include representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Indian Air Force, and aviation experts. The committee will assess the emergency response of the various stakeholders, including rescue operations and coordination among them. It will also suggest policy changes, operational improvements and training enhancements required to prevent such occurrences and handle post-crash incident situations. Stating the objective of constituting the committee, the order said that it was formed to ascertain the root cause of the crash. It also said that the committee will recommend necessary improvements and formulate suitable SOPs to prevent such incidents in the future. These SOPs will also include international best practices regarding preventing and handling such incidents. The order issued at around 12.40 am on Saturday said that the committee will assess the emergency response of various stakeholders (both Central and State Governments), including rescue operations, and coordination among them. "The Committee will examine existing guidelines regarding handling such incidents. and go through records of previous such aircraft crashes in the country," it read. It also stated that it will formulate a comprehensive SOP and suggest the roles of all agencies and organisations of the central and state governments to deal with post-crash incident handling and management. As per the order, the Committee will consist of Home Secretary and secretary or joint secretary of the home affairs ministry, secretary of Civil aviation, representative from the Gujarat home department, representative from the state disaster response authority, police commissioner of Ahmedabad, the Director General (DG), Inspection and Safety of the Indian Air Force, DG of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, DG of the aviation regulator- the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, special director of Intelligence Bureau (IB), Director of Directorate of Forensic Science Services. The order stated that the committee may also consist of any other member as deemed fit by the committee, including aviation experts, accident investigators and legal advisors may also be included by the committee. It will conduct site inspections, interview the crew, Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) and relevant personnel. The government said that the committee will collaborate with international agencies if foreign nationals or aircraft manufacturers are involved. The AI-171 Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aeroplane bound for London's Gatwick had crashed shortly after it took off from the Ahmedabad International Airport on Thursday. The airline said only one out of the 242 people on board the aircraft survived the crash. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 June,2025 01:30 PM IST | Ahmedabad | ANIIndia has abstained in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from a vote on a draft resolution that demanded an “immediate, unconditional and permanent” ceasefire in Gaza. The 193-member UNGA voted overwhelmingly to adopt the resolution moved by Spain that demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, to be respected by all parties and recalled its demand for the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. India was among the 19 nations that abstained, while 12 nations voted against the resolution, which got 149 votes in favour. Among the nations abstaining were Albania, Cameroon, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Malawi, Panama, South Sudan and Togo. In the explanation of vote on the resolution titled “Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations”, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said the resolution comes against the backdrop of worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. India is deeply concerned at the deepening humanitarian crisis and condemns the loss of civilian lives, he said. “Our vote today is in continuation of this in the belief that there is no other way to resolve conflicts but through dialogue and diplomacy. A joint effort should be directed towards bringing the two sides closer together. For these reasons, we would abstain on this resolution.” The resolution demanded that Israel, the “occupying power”, immediately end the blockade, open all border crossings and ensure that aid reaches the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 June,2025 10:14 AM IST | United Nations | AgenciesForeign Secretary Vikram Misri met Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in New Delhi on June 12 during the latter’s two-day visit to India, during which they reviewed developments on India-China bilateral relations and agreed to continue efforts to stabilise and rebuild ties with a focus on people-centric engagements, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The two sides agreed to expedite the steps involved in resuming direct air services between the two countries. Misri also hoped for the early conclusion of an updated Air Services Agreement. The MEA further noted that both sides agreed to take practical steps for visa facilitation and promote exchanges between media and think tanks. They also positively assessed the activities planned to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China and agreed to facilitate the same, the MEA said. In this context of strengthening bilateral ties, India on Thursday said it is in touch with the Chinese side, seeking predictability in the supply of rare earth metals, which had been put under the export controls regime by the Xi administration. “We are in touch with the Chinese side, both here in Delhi as well as in Beijing, to bring predictability in the supply chain for trade, consistent with international practices,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in the weekly briefing. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 June,2025 10:11 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesStories like these will surely make you believe that everything happens for a reason. Bhoomi Chauhan, a woman from Gujarat’s Bharuch, who moved to London two years ago on a study visa, narrowly escaped the Ahmedabad plane crash tragedy, which will go down as one of the world’s worst air disasters. Chauhan is currently in India and has been thanking God and her stars since she learnt about the Ahmedabad plane crash tragedy. Chauhan was supposed to board the same Air India flight to Gatwick London, which crashed on Thursday. But what saved her life was her delay in getting to the airport on time. #WATCH | Bhoomi Chauhan, a resident of Gujarat's Bharuch, missed yesterday's flight, AI-171, which crashed and 241 of 242 on board, including crew members, lost their lives.Bhoomi Chauhan says, "...We arrived at the check-in gate 10 minutes late, but they didn't allow me, and I… pic.twitter.com/T1AqU9SSz0 — ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2025 The Gujarat woman said she missed boarding the AI 171 flight to London because she encountered traffic on the way. The 10-minute delay caused Chauhan to miss her flight as she was not allowed to board the plane. According to PTI, she came to her hometown, Ahmedabad, for the first time after moving to the UK two years ago. While speaking to the media, Chauhan said, "I am shivering after I learnt about the crash. I left the airport at 1.30pm, as I missed the flight due to traffic. I thank God." She was in India for vacation after moving to the UK on a study visa and was scheduled to go back to London on the flight. The AI 171 flight took off at 1.39 pm and crashed into a medical college complex near the Ahmedabad airport and burst into a ball of fire less than a minute after takeoff, leaving just one survivor. "The flight was on time, and I missed it by 10 minutes, and I thank God. My prayers for all those who were on board," she said. Chauhan, who was travelling alone, said by the time she reached the airport, the boarding and check-in for the ill-fated flight had closed. "I requested [to airport authorities] that I be let in. I was the last passenger. But my request was not accepted. This is a miracle. Mataji and Ganpati Bappa protected me. I am terrified at the loss of lives. "I am totally numb," she added. Chauhan discovered the tragic Ahmedabad plane crash when she was on her way back home after missing the flight, which took 265 lives (passengers and those on ground). According to Air India, the flight's 230 passengers included 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian. The remaining 12 passengers on board were two pilots and 10 crew members. (With PTI Inputs)
13 June,2025 05:02 PM IST | Ahmedabad | mid-day online correspondentThe closure of airspace in Iran amid its ongoing tensions with Israel has forced Air India to divert its flights on another route. On Friday, Air India announced that several of its international flights have either been diverted or sent back to their origin due to the emerging situation in Iran and the closure of its airspace. #TravelAdvisoryDue to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace and in view of the safety of our passengers, the following Air India flights are either being diverted or returning to their origin:AI130 – London Heathrow-Mumbai – Diverted to Vienna… — Air India (@airindia) June 13, 2025 In a post on social media platform X, Air India stated, "Due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace and in view of the safety of our passengers, the following Air India flights are either being diverted or returning to their origin." AI130 from London Heathrow to Mumbai has been diverted to Vienna. AI102 from New York to Delhi diverted to Sharjah. AI116 from New York to Mumbai diverted to Jeddah. AI2018 from London Heathrow to Delhi was diverted to Mumbai AI129 from Mumbai to London Heathrow, returning to Mumbai AI119 from Mumbai to New York, returning to Mumbai AI103 from Delhi to Washington, returning to Delhi AI106 from Newark to Delhi diverting to Vienna AI188 from Vancouver to Delhi diverting to Jeddah AI101 from Delhi to New York, diverting to Frankfurt/Milan AI126 from Chicago to Delhi diverting to Jeddah AI132 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru diverted to Sharjah. AI2016 from London Heathrow to Delhi was diverted to Vienna. AI104 from Washington to Delhi diverted to Vienna. AI190 from Toronto to Delhi diverted to Frankfurt. AI189 from Delhi to Toronto, returning to Delhi. In a post on its X handle, Air India expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to its passengers and assured that every effort was being made to minimise the disruption. The airline further went on to say, "We regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen disruption and are making every effort to minimise it, including providing accommodation for passengers. Refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling are also being offered to guests who opt for it. Alternative arrangements are being made to fly passengers to their destinations." Air India has also appealed to passengers to verify and cross-check their flight status before departing, as tensions between the two countries rose rapidly following Israel's preemptive strike on Iran. According to The Times of Israel, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed the strike and declared a nationwide emergency in light of the unfolding developments. In a statement, Katz said, "A missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future," and said he signed "a special order, according to which a special state of emergency will be imposed in the home front throughout the entire State of Israel." The Israeli Defence Minister has also urged citizens to "obey the instructions of the Home Front Command and the authorities and remain in the protected areas," The Times of Israel reported. As sirens wailed across Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet while the IDF confirmed launching an aerial campaign against Iran's nuclear programme. In an operation known as "Nation of Lions", the Israeli Air Force hit dozens of targets in Iran related to the nuclear programme and other military facilities. (With ANI Inputs)
13 June,2025 04:52 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
