A major fire broke out in Noida’s Sector 36 on Monday due to a sudden blast in an air conditioner. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far. Fire tenders rushed to the scene immediately, and with the help of two fire engines, officials were able to bring the blaze under control. The quick response prevented the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. Residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure. The exact cause of the AC blast is yet to be determined. Further investigation is underway, and more details are expected to emerge soon. 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
18 June,2025 11:42 AM IST | Noida | ANIAfter a few days after the horrifying Ahmedabad plane crash, which killed over 270 people and injured more than 50, the mortal remains of the deceased were given back to their kin by matching their DNA samples. Addressing the situation, the Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi on 18 June, 2025, announced that 184 DNA samples have been matched so far after the tragic London-bound Air India plane crash. Air India crash update: As of 8 am, 184 DNA have been matched. — Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) June 18, 2025 While posting on social media platform X, Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi wrote, "Air India crash update: As of 8 am, 184 DNA have been matched." With the chaotic situation in Ahmedabad after the plane crash incident, the DNA testing is being conducted by forensic teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU). As reported by ANI, earlier on Tuesday, 17 June 2025, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Superintendent Rakesh Joshi reported that a total of 163 DNA samples have been matched. During a press conference, hospital superintendent Joshi provided a detailed account of the count, noting that out of the remaining 39 of the 163 matched victims, the mortal remains of 21 deceased will be handed over to their families by Wednesday morning, and remains of two deceased are in the process of being handed over. He also said that more than 12 families were waiting for the results. While stating about the matter, he also told the media that the handing over of four dead bodies is on hold due to some legal issues. Considering the situation of utmost priority, Home Minister Harsh Joshi said, "Till 5.45 pm today, 163 DNA samples have matched. Following which, the mortal remains of 124 deceased have been handed over to their families... Out of the remaining 39, the mortal remains of 21 deceased will be handed over to their families by morning. Mortal remains of two deceased are in the process of being handed over. 12 families are waiting for the results... The handing over of four dead bodies is on hold due to some legal issues." He further stated that "on the day of the crash, 71 injured individuals were admitted to the Civil Hospital, with 42 subsequently discharged, and currently, nine patients remain admitted. At the same time, two succumbed to their injuries after admission." On the day of the crash, 71 injured people were admitted to the Civil Hospital. Out of them, 42 have been discharged. As of now, nine patients have been admitted. Two people had passed away after they were admitted." The Ahmedabad plane crash happened on June 12, when a London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a hostel complex of BJ Medical College in the Meghani Nagar area of Gujarat's Ahmedabad. The plane crashed on the MBBS Hostel in Meghani Nagar just after taking off from the Sardar Vallabh Bhai International Airport. The plane crash tragedy claimed 241 lives out of 242 onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. (With ANI Inputs)
18 June,2025 11:22 AM IST | Gandhinagar | mid-day online correspondentWelcome to Mid-Day's Top News at this hour! We bring you a curated selection of the most significant and compelling news from around the globe. Stay informed with the latest developments in the nation, Mumbai, entertainment, sports, and more. Let's dive into the headlines shaping our world today. Markets rally in initial trade on foreign fund inflows, buying in Reliance, ICICI Bank Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty bounced back after falling in opening trade on Wednesday amid fresh foreign fund inflows and buying in blue-chip stocks Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank. Despite a weak beginning to the trade, the 30-share BSE Sensex later rebounded and went up by 93.05 points to 81,676.35. The 50-share NSE Nifty edged higher by 42.80 points to 24,896.20. Later, the BSE benchmark traded 228.13 points higher at 81,812.04, and the Nifty climbed 82.25 points to 24,937.70. Mumbai: Bandra station to celebrate 165th year with a fest The Western Railway is set to launch the heritage-themed Bandra station mahotsav on the occasion of the station’s 165th anniversary this July. The celebrations promise a rich lineup of events from a light and sound show to art competitions, a vlog race, the release of a commemorative stamp, and cultural programmes featuring local talent. Read more. Mumbai: Beach clean-up leads to drug bust in Vasai A Hungarian environmentalist stumbled upon a suspicious packet weighing about 1 kg during a Sunday clean-up drive at Bena Beach in Vasai. Wrapped in multiple layers of plastic, the packet emitted a telltale odour when opened, prompting the beach cleaner to suspect it was charas, a banned narcotic. Read more. ‘Shubman is constantly looking to evolve,’ says Abhishek Nayar Former Team India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has hailed young Test captain Shubman Gill for his work ethic and character and believes this will help him in the upcoming England series. Nayar, who was part of the coaching set-up under head coach Gautam Gambhir when Rohit Sharma led India to the Champions Trophy title in UAE in March 2025, was previously associated with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as assistant coach from 2018. Gill was also with the KKR outfit from 2018 to 2021. Read more. Sajid Nadiadwala's son Subhaan's debut film to be titled Aisi Deewangi Dekhi Nahin Kahin In February, mid-day reported that producer Sajid Nadiadwala is readying to launch his son Subhan Nadiadwala’s acting career (Beta, chalo Bollywood, Feb 28). Now, the chatter in the industry is that the star kid’s debut film may borrow its title from Deewana’s (1992) hit track. It has been heard that the movie has been tentatively titled Aisi Deewangi Dekhi Nahin Kahin, after the popular song that featured Shah Rukh Khan and late Divya Bharti. Read more.
18 June,2025 10:50 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPrime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. Reportedly Donald Trump has left the G7 Summit in Canada, citing that he has more important work to do. The conversation between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump lasted over half an hour. PM Modi briefed the US President about India's Operation Sindoor. While briefing about India’s fight against terrorism, he firmly conveyed the message to the US President that India has and never will accept and will never accept mediation on the issues with Pakistan. This information was shared by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on 18 June, 2025. Foreign Secretary of India, Vikram Misri, said, "Prime Minister Modi made it clear to President Trump that during this entire episode, at no time, at any level, were issues such as the India-US trade deal or mediation by the US between India and Pakistan discussed.The halt to military action was discussed directly between India and Pakistan, through existing channels of the two armies, and was at the request of Pakistan."He further added that "Prime Minister Modi stressed that India has never accepted mediation, does not accept it, and will never accept it." There is complete political unanimity in India on this issue," reported by ANI. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that Prime Minister @narendramodi had a telephonic conversation with US President #DonaldTrump, which lasted approximately 35 minutes. During the discussion, PM Modi briefed President Trump about Operation Sindoor. PM Modi clarified that… pic.twitter.com/1RuPVc778V — DD News (@DDNewslive) June 18, 2025 The bold remarks from the Indian counterpart came after the US president had claimed that he had used trade as a means for the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan. Vikram Misri also informed that US President Trump understood the points made in detail by the Prime Minister. He further said that Trump also expressed support for India's fight against terrorism.During the call, the US president also invited PM Modi to stop over in the US. However, due to prior engagements, PM Modi had to decline the offer. Addressing more about the situation, the Foreign Secretary Misri said, "The meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump was scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the G7 summit. President Trump had to return to the US early, due to which this meeting could not take place. After this, at the request of President Trump, the two leaders spoke on the phone today. After the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, President Trump had expressed condolences to Prime Minister Modi over the phone and expressed support against terrorism. Since then, this was the first conversation between the two leaders." "Prime Minister Modi talked to President Trump in detail about Operation Sindoor. Prime Minister Modi clearly told President Trump that after April 22, India had told the whole world about its determination to take action against terrorism. Prime Minister Modi said that on the night of May 6–7, India had targeted only terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India's actions were very measured, precise, and non-escalatory," Misri said in his remarks. As reported by ANI, During the telephonic conversation, PM Modi also reiterated the statement "Goli ka jawab gole se" to the US President. Vikram Misri said, "On the night of May 9, Vice President Vance called Prime Minister Modi. Vice President Vance had said that Pakistan could launch a major attack on India. Prime Minister Modi had told him in clear words that if this happens, India will give an even bigger response to Pakistan. India gave a very strong response to Pakistan's attack on the night of 9-10 May and caused a lot of damage to Pakistan's army. Its military airbases were made inoperable. India's strong response forced Pakistan to urge India to halt military action." Addressing the issue of India’s fight against terrorism on a very serious note, PM Modi told the US President that India no longer views terrorism as a proxy war, and India's Operation Sindoor is still ongoing, and India will not hold back in giving a befitting reply to any act of terror from the neighbouring countries. The US president, Donald Trump, claimed to have played a pivotal role as mediator and proclaimed the "full and immediate ceasefire" before India could formally announce an agreement to end hostilities with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. However, India denied Trump's assertions and reiterated its stance that Pakistan and India should resolve disputes over Jammu and Kashmir on a bilateral basis. (With ANI Inputs)
18 June,2025 10:45 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentVolcanic eruption near Bali Airport in Indonesia forced Air India to divert mid-way the Delhi-Bali flight back to the National Capital on Wednesday, the airline said in a statement.The flight safely landed back in Delhi and all passengers have been disembarked, Air India said in the statement. "Air India flight AI2145 on June 18 from Delhi to Bali was advised to air return to Delhi due to reports of volcanic eruption near destination airport Bali, in the interest of safety," it said.Passengers have been provided with hotel accomodation, Air India said, adding that full refunds on cancellation or complimentary rescheduling has also been offered to the passengers. 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.
18 June,2025 10:36 AM IST | Mumbai | PTIIndian stock markets opened under pressure on Wednesday as geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran entered the sixth day, with the possibility of direct U.S. involvement adding to investor worries. The Nifty 50 opened at 24,797.15, down by 65.05 points or 0.26 per cent, while the BSE Sensex fell 269 points to start the day at 81,313.9, a decline of 0.33 per cent. Geopolitical tensions escalated further after U.S. President Donald Trump called for an "unconditional surrender" by the Iranian regime, something Iran has ruled out. Israel, which has reportedly achieved many of its military objectives quickly, is said to control the skies over Iran. However, Iran's missile arsenal continues to pose a threat, and the conflict is now being seen as a test of endurance. Despite the loss of key military and nuclear leaders, Iran's nuclear facilities remain largely intact, and the country is expected to continue resisting. Market expert Ajay Bagga told ANI that the key question now is whether the U.S. will step into the conflict. "The big question facing markets and friends and foes of both side alike is, "Will the US enter the war and bring its bunker buster armaments to bear on Iranian nuclear sites?" That escalation will impact markets but if it happens, it will also lead to greater regional stability in the medium term", he said. Apart from the geopolitical risks, investors are also keeping an eye on the U.S. Federal Reserve's meeting on Wednesday. Weak consumer retail sales numbers for May have lowered expectations of a rate cut, although a more dovish tone from the Fed is still possible. While Israel and Iran together contribute less than 1 per cent to global GDP, the real concern for markets is the potential impact on oil supplies. This makes the conflict significant for financial markets in the short term. Broader market indices on NSE also reflected the weak sentiment. The Nifty 100 was down by 0.21 per cent in early trade. Nifty Midcap dropped 0.25 per cent and Nifty Smallcap slipped 0.10 per cent, highlighting weakness across the board. On the sectoral front, all major Nifty indices opened in red, except Nifty Media and Nifty Realty. Nifty IT dropped 0.34 per cent, Metal was down 0.10 per cent, and Auto slipped 0.08 per cent. Asian markets showed a mixed trend on Wednesday. While indices in Singapore and Hong Kong were down at the time of reporting, Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.62 per cent, Taiwan's Weighted Index gained 0.60 per cent, and South Korea's KOSPI climbed 0.54 per cent. 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.
18 June,2025 09:54 AM IST | Mumbai | ANIIndia has successfully demonstrated an experimental advancement in the quantum communication domain that paves the way for real-time applications in quantum cyber security, according to the defence ministry. “The free-space quantum secure communication using quantum entanglement over a distance of more than one km was achieved via a free-space optical link established on the IIT-Delhi campus,” it said in a statement on Monday. With this, India has entered a “new quantum era”, officials said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO and IIT-Delhi for this landmark achievement, stating that India entered a new quantum era of secure communication which will be a “game-changer” in future warfare. The experiment attained a secure key rate of nearly 240 bits per second with a quantum bit error rate of less than 7 per cent, the ministry said. These efforts align with India’s broader objectives to advance quantum technologies for national development. Under the project ‘Design and development of photonic technologies for free space QKD’, the demonstration was given by Prof Bhaskar Kanseri’s research group in the presence of several senior officials of the DRDO, Dean (R&D) IIT-Delhi, Director (DIA-CoE), and laboratory scientists from DRDO. Quantum communication provides fundamentally unbreakable encryption, making it a dual-use technology with applications in securing data in strategic sectors such as defence, finance, and telecommunications, as well as in protecting national security-related communications. 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
18 June,2025 08:50 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesKarnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday slammed the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for staging a protest seeking his resignation for the stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, where 11 people died. The chief minister asked the BJP leaders to seek the resignation of those responsible for the Ahmedabad plane crash, collapse of a pedestrian suspension bridge in Morbi in Gujarat, and stampede during the Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP staged a protest at the Freedom Park demanding the immediate resignation of Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Home Minister G Parameshwara in connection with the stampede. Reacting to the BJP’s protest, Siddaramaiah sought to know who was responsible for the stampede during the Kumbh Mela and the Boeing plane crash and who resigned for it. “I am not trying to use it as a defence or an excuse. But my point is what moral rights they (BJP) have to demand my resignation,” the CM said. Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of staging the protest for political reasons. 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
18 June,2025 08:47 AM IST | Bengaluru | AgenciesNearly all of the nine nuclear-armed states, including India and Pakistan, continued intensive nuclear modernisation programmes in 2024, upgrading existing weapons and adding newer versions, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report. India is believed to have once again “slightly expanded” its nuclear arsenal in 2024 and continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems, it said. Pakistan also continued to develop new delivery systems and “accumulate fissile material” in 2024, suggesting that its nuclear arsenal might expand over the coming decade, it said. 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
18 June,2025 08:45 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesNationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) Member of Parliament (MP) Supriya Sule on Monday slammed Air India for the prolonged delay of AI2971 Delhi-Pune flight, and also accused the national carrier of poor service, lack of communication, and rising instances of passenger inconvenience on the airline. In a post on social media platform X, Sule posted: “Travelling from Delhi to Pune on @airindia flight AI 2971. The flight is delayed by over 3 hours — no clear communication, no updates, no assistance and very bad service. Such delays and mismanagement are becoming a norm with @airindia. Passengers are left stranded and helpless. This apathy is unacceptable. Urging @RamMNK, @MoCA_GoI to intervene and hold the airline accountable. Travellers deserve better.” Travelling from Delhi to Pune on @airindia flight AI 2971. The flight is delayed by over 3 hours — no clear communication, no updates, no assistance and very bad service. Such delays and mismanagement are becoming a norm with @airindia. Passengers are left stranded and helpless.… — Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) June 17, 2025 The flight was delayed by more than three hours, with passengers at the airport accusing the airline of lack of information and assistance from the ground staff. Responding to her tweet, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu assured swift action. “@supriya_sule ji, I’ve spoken to the airline and airport authorities. They’ve been asked to urgently address the concerns of all affected passengers,” he wrote. The incident comes amid a string of recent complaints regarding Air India’s operational efficiency, including delays, technical issues, and service concerns. The airline also responded to her tweet and wrote, "Dear Ma'am, due to adverse weather conditions in Delhi, flight operations have been significantly impacted. This includes diversions and airborne holding for several flights. Please be assured that our teams are fully engaged in assisting all affected customers. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused." In a separate post on flight diversions, Air India wrote in a post on its official handle, “Due to inclement weather conditions in Delhi, our flight operations are getting impacted with some diversions.” As many as 12 flights were diverted from the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi on Tuesday afternoon amid adverse weather conditions, an airport official said. “Between 3 pm and 4 pm, a total of 12 flights were diverted owing to the inclement weather in the Delhi region,” the official said. The IGI Airport, operated by Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), is the busiest in the country and currently has three operational runways. One of them remains closed for upgradation work, which has further constrained airside capacity. Meanwhile, the airline cancelled seven international flights amid regulatory scrutiny and technical issues on Tuesday— marking what is being seen as the carrier’s most serious crisis since its acquisition by the Tata Group three-and-a-half years ago. While Air India cancelled six international flights owing to aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) subjecting its Dreamliner fleet to enhanced checks, the Ahmedabad-London Gatwick one was cancelled due to unavailability of aircraft, the airline said. (With PTI inputs)
17 June,2025 09:48 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentDays after the body of a Haryana-based model was found in a canal in Sonipat, police on Tuesday announced the arrest of the man she was allegedly in a relationship with. The victim, identified as 24-year-old Sheetal (also known as Simmi), was discovered on Sunday with her throat slit and other injuries. A car was also recovered from the canal nearby. Sunil, the suspect, has been arrested, confirmed Panipat Deputy Superintendent of Police Satish Kumar. Sunil allegedly pushed the car into the canal and later got himself admitted to a hospital. He reportedly told police he had managed to swim to safety, attempting to portray the incident as an accident. According to DSP Kumar, Sheetal and Sunil allegedly had an altercation before her death. Sheetal had been missing since Saturday. Sheetal, who worked as a model making music videos, had gone to Ahar village in Panipat for a shoot on Saturday. There, Sunil allegedly met her, and she later got into his car. The two then argued, reportedly because Sheetal was upset that Sunil had hidden the fact that he was married—an issue that had led to past disputes, the DSP said. Police also revealed that Sheetal had called her sister, with whom she lived in Panipat, telling her that Sunil was "beating" her. Her family later lost contact when her phone was switched off and subsequently filed a missing persons complaint. Anil Kumar, a police officer from Panipat, stated on Monday that both Sheetal and Sunil were married, with Sheetal living separately from her husband. 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
17 June,2025 09:33 PM IST | Chandigarh | PTIADVERTISEMENT
