A day after Air India announced a temporary reduction in its international services on widebody aircraft by 15 per cent till mid-July, the national carrier has given the complete list of the 16 routes that will be affected owing to the decision. The airline said it has taken the decision to restore operational stability, enhance efficiency, and minimise any inconvenience to passengers amidst a “challenging period”. In a press release issued on Wednesday night, the airline said that amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, night curfews in the airspaces of several countries in Europe and East Asia, and the required safety checks on its aircraft fleet, Air India has experienced operational disruptions over the past six days, resulting in 83 flight cancellations. In another statement issued on Thursday, the airline has announced temporary reductions and suspensions across several international routes as it undertakes enhanced safety checks and adjusts flight paths in response to airspace closures in the Middle East. The changes, affecting services operated by Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft, will come into effect from June and remain in place until at least July 15, the airline said. The move aims to restore schedule stability and reduce last-minute inconvenience to passengers. Three routes have been suspended entirely Delhi–Nairobi (AI961/962) – Four flights a week (suspended until 30 June) Amritsar–London Gatwick (AI169/170) – Three flights a week Goa (Mopa)–London Gatwick (AI145/146) – Three flights a week In addition, several routes will operate at reduced frequencies for the duration of the disruption. These include: North America Delhi–Toronto: Reduced from 13 to 7 flights per week Delhi–Vancouver: Reduced from seven to five flights per week Delhi–San Francisco: Reduced from 10 to 7 flights per week Delhi–Chicago: Reduced from seven to three flights per week Delhi–Washington Dulles: Reduced from five to three flights per week Europe Delhi–London Heathrow: Reduced from 24 to 22 flights per week Bengaluru–London Heathrow: Reduced from seven to six flights per week Amritsar/Delhi–Birmingham: Reduced from three to two flights per week Delhi–Paris: Reduced from 14 to 12 flights per week Delhi–Milan: Reduced from seven to four flights per week Delhi–Copenhagen: Reduced from five to three flights per week Delhi–Vienna: Reduced from four to three flights per week Delhi–Amsterdam: Reduced from seven to five flights per week Australia Delhi–Melbourne and Delhi–Sydney: Each reduced from seven to five flights per week Far East Delhi–Tokyo (Haneda): Reduced from seven to six flights per week Delhi–Seoul (Incheon): Service to operate thrice weekly from June 21 to July 5, and four times a week thereafter until 15 July Air India has apologised to passengers and said it is proactively reaching out to those affected. Options include rebooking on alternate flights, complimentary rescheduling or full refunds. The airline added that the revised schedule is being progressively updated on its website, mobile app and contact centres. “We remain committed to restoring our full schedule as soon as practicable, while at all times prioritising the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft,” the statement said. Passengers seeking further assistance can contact Air India’s regional offices or visit www.airindia.com.
19 June,2025 10:43 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFive hydrogen fuel cell-based buses will soon begin to commercially operate in Leh district of the Union Territory of Ladakh, home to some of the world's highest motorable roads. The buses were formally handed over by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited to the State Industrial Development Corporation in a ceremony held at the green hydrogen mobility station in Palam, Leh, on Thursday. This initiative marks the first-ever commercial deployment of hydrogen-powered buses in India. Officials noted that deploying these clean energy buses on the world's highest motorable roads makes it a globally significant milestone towards green mobility. Following the formal flag-off of the hydrogen buses, Transport Department Administrative Secretary Bhupesh Chaudhary conducted a detailed inspection of NTPC's green hydrogen plant, including its production, storage, and dispensing systems. He appreciated NTPC's efforts in implementing such a technologically advanced project in Ladakh's high-altitude terrain and noted its significance in furthering the administration's vision of a carbon-neutral Ladakh. Chief Secretary Pawan Kotwal lauded NTPC's pioneering efforts and observed that the successful operationalisation of hydrogen buses in such extreme conditions could usher in a new era of hydrogen fuel cell mobility in India. He also directed the NTPC team to document the entire experiment and operational learnings, so that it may serve as a benchmark for similar initiatives in other regions of the country. Officials stated that this initiative, developed through the collaborative efforts of the Ladakh administration and NTPC, stands as a testament to India's growing leadership in renewable energy innovation. It represents a major leap toward sustainable public transport in ecologically sensitive and strategically vital regions. 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
19 June,2025 10:08 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIThe last rites for flight attendant Roshni Songhare, 27, who died in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, were conducted in her hometown of Dombivli on Thursday morning. A heartbroken Rajendra Songhare, her father, performed the final rituals at a local crematorium, news agency PTI reported. After her identity was confirmed through DNA testing, Roshni's remains were handed over to her family late Wednesday night. A special Air India flight transported her body to Mumbai, from where it was then taken to Dombivli. A steady stream of mourners visited her residence to pay their final respects. The London-bound Air India flight AI-171, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, crashed soon after take-off in Ahmedabad on June 12. All but one person on board tragically died, along with 29 individuals on the ground, when the aircraft smashed into a medical hostel complex. Roshni had served with SpiceJet before joining Air India two years ago. Tributes poured in on her Instagram account, which has over 54,000 followers, PTI reported. She was set to marry a Merchant Navy officer from Thane in March next year. "She had just begun to settle in life. We had dreams... they are now shattered," a family member shared. Meanwhile, hundreds of people, including inconsolable family members and friends, also gave an emotional farewell to First Officer Clive Kunder, the co-pilot of the Air India plane that crashed last week, as his last rites were also held on Thursday. Kunder's last rites took place at Sewri Christian Cemetery in Mumbai in the afternoon. Songhare, who was also on board the ill-fated aircraft, was cremated in the adjoining Thane district. Both funerals were held hours after their mortal remains were brought from Ahmedabad, a week after the tragedy. Many people with moist eyes were seen holding Kunder's pictures as they bid their final goodbye to him, a week after his death in the crash. Several friends and relatives of Kunder, as well as local residents, gathered at his residence to pay homage and later participated in his funeral. Kunder lived with his elderly parents and a younger sister in Mumbai. (With inputs from PTI)
19 June,2025 09:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAt least 20 passengers sustained injuries when a state transport bus hit a roadside tree after its driver tried to dodge an approaching private bus in Maharashtra's Satara district on Thursday morning, police said, reported the PTI. The accident occurred near Janugadewadi village on the Dhebewadi-Patan Road in Satara district, an official said. A bus belonging to the Patan depot of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) was on its way to Dhebewadi when it met with the accident around 8 am, he said. "A private bus was coming from the opposite side. To steer clear of the other bus, the driver of the ST bus swerved to the left but lost control of his vehicle. The ST bus then crashed into a roadside tree," the official said, according to the PTI. A total of 20 passengers suffered injuries. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, he added. A district official said that nobody was seriously injured in the accident. Most of the victims were discharged after first aid, he added. Eight killed, four injured in accident in Pune Meanwhile, in an another incident in Maharashtra, a road accident on Tuesday evening on the Jejuri-Morgaon Road in Pune district claimed the lives of eight people, and left four others injured, including two children, the Pune Rural Police stated, according to the ANI. The accident occurred in front of Shriram Dhaba, near the Kirloskar Company at around 6:45 PM, within the jurisdiction of Jejuri Police Station. The police said, the owner of a dhaba was unloading a refrigerator from a delivery pickup vehicle when a car rammed into them from behind at high speed. The impact was severe, resulting in eight fatalities on the spot, including seven men and a woman. Deceased were identified as Somnath Ramchandra Wayse , Ramu Sanjeevani Yadav , Ajay Kumar Chavan Ajit Ashok Jadhav ,Kiran Bharat Raut Resident of Pawarwadi, Ashwini Santosh ,Akshay Raut and one unidentified male. According to the police, all the dead bodies have been taken to Jejuri Rural Hospital for post-mortem. The injured, including one man, one woman, and two children, have been admitted to Shantai Hospital, Jejuri, where they are currently undergoing treatment. Jejuri Police are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. (with PTI inputs)
19 June,2025 07:07 PM IST | Satara | mid-day online correspondent"We saw missiles in the sky and heard bombs in our neighbourhood... We were petrified," said MBBS student Mir Khalif, his voice still trembling with fear, as he stepped out of Delhi airport. He was evacuated from war-hit Iran under Inda's Operation Sindhu, news agency PTI reported. Khalif arrived in the national capital early on Thursday on the first evacuation flight, which brought 110 Indian students back as part of a special operation launched by the Indian government in response to the escalating Iran-Israel war. The students, including 90 from Jammu and Kashmir, had been moved from Tehran to Armenia earlier in the week as explosions and aerial attacks rocked Iranian cities. The Indian Embassy coordinated their rescue. Khalif described his experience in Iran as a nightmare and thanked the Indian government for first evacuating them to Armenia and then bringing them back home to India. "We saw missiles and heard bombings. It was a war zone. Our building shook during the attacks. I hope no student has to face what we did," he said, according to PTI. "There are still students stuck in Iran. They are being relocated to safer places. We hope they will also be airlifted to India soon," he added.Varta, a student from Kashmir, recalled the fear she had lived through. "We were the first ones to be evacuated from Iran. The situation was quite critical. We were terrified. We thank the Indian government and the Indian Embassy, which worked very quickly and efficiently to bring us here," PTI reported. "Our neighbourhood was attacked. When the Indian government came to our doorstep, it felt like home," she told PTI Videos.Ali Akbar, another student from Delhi, said the destruction was visible everywhere. "We saw a missile and a drone fall from the sky while travelling on a bus. Tehran is in ruins. The images on the news are real; the situation is very bad," he said. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh met the students at Delhi airport. Later, in a post on X, he stated, "Warmly welcomed home the first group of 110 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu, reaffirming India's steadfast commitment to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad." Singh also shared photographs of the Indian nationals arriving at the airport. Meanwhile, Singh confirmed that evacuation efforts under Operation Sindhu are ongoing, with more flights scheduled. "We have planes ready. We will be sending another plane today. We are evacuating some more people from Turkmenistan. Our missions have opened 24-hour helplines for any evacuation request. As the situation evolves, we will be sending more planes to evacuate Indian nationals," he explained. Following the safe return of the Indian students, the Union minister thanked the governments in Turkmenistan and Armenia for their support.Officials on Wednesday had said that the first evacuation flight of Indian nationals being moved out of Iran was due to arrive in India from the Armenian capital of Yerevan in the early hours of June 19. At Delhi airport, several parents anxiously waited to reunite with their children. Haider Ali, father of MBBS student Maaz Haider, said, "We are happy and grateful, but our hearts are still heavy knowing that many students are still stuck in Tehran. We urge the government to bring them back too," according to the PTI. Parvez Alam from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, whose son studied in Urmia, said, "We were under constant stress. The students were shifted to Armenia and looked after well. We thank the government for this." The Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for the evacuation. "We remain hopeful that all remaining students will be evacuated soon," the association said in a statement. (With inputs from PTI)
19 June,2025 06:42 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Karnataka, announced on Thursday that it will focus on AI-led transformation, sunrise sectors, and MSME capacity building to enhance the state's competitiveness on the global stage. "Our focus is to create a resilient and agile ecosystem that empowers industries to lead in strategic areas like semiconductors, design-led manufacturing, AI-powered production, and clean energy," said Rabindra Srikantan, Chairman of CII Karnataka and Founder and Managing Director, ASM Technologies Ltd. He was addressing a press briefing organised to discuss CII's roadmap to the future. "A key pillar of this journey is the expansion of Global Capability Centres (GCCs), which are rapidly evolving from support hubs to strategic innovation engines across sectors," he added. According to him, CII Karnataka is working closely with government, academia, start-ups, and global partners to catalyse investment, foster deep-tech capabilities, and fast-track industrial transformation. Guruprasad Mudlapur, Vice Chairman of CII and President, Bosch Group in India & Managing Director Bosch Limited, said CII is working to expand competitiveness across regions – Beyond Bengaluru – and deepen collaboration between government, industry, and academia. "CII Karnataka is committed to accelerating inclusive and future-ready growth by strengthening competitiveness, ease of doing business, building trust, and enabling MSMEs across the state. We will be focusing on infrastructure, policy simplification, and technology adoption to drive industrial resilience," he added. The plan, he added, is to equip businesses, especially MSMEs in Tier 2 and 3 cities, through structured mentoring, sustainability initiatives, and skilling platforms. 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
19 June,2025 05:15 PM IST | Bengaluru | PTIA 31-year-old woman allegedly jumped along with her 6-year-old son to death from the terrace of their multi-storey building in Pune city and left behind a note blaming harassment by her sister-in-law for her suicide, police said on Thursday. The incident took place in the Ambegaon Budruk area on Wednesday evening and the woman was identified as Mayuri Shashikant Deshmukh (31), they said. A senior officer of the Ambegaon Police Station said, "The incident took place at Kalpak Housing Society at around 6.30 pm. We rushed to the spot and found that a woman along with her kid had jumped off their society's terrace and died." "At her home, we found a suicide note kept in a notebook where the deceased alleged she is taking the extreme step as she was being harassed by her sister-in-law. We are investigating the case," the official 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.
19 June,2025 05:13 PM IST | Pune | PTIA Coast Guard helicopter on a routine coastal patrol made a precautionary landing at a college ground in Kerala on Thursday after encountering rough weather, a Defence release said. The Chetak helicopter was returning from patrol when it faced turbulent weather conditions. As a safety measure, the crew carried out a precautionary landing at the football field of St Gregorios Dental College in Chelad, near Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district, the release said. After the weather cleared, the helicopter resumed its journey and landed safely at the Coast Guard Air Enclave in Nedumbassery, it added. 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
19 June,2025 03:56 PM IST | Kochi | PTIGujarat Police arrested social media influencer Kirti Patel, with a following of more than one million followers on Instagram, who had been absconding for over 10 months after allegedly honeytrapping a builder. Alok Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Zone-1, Surat, stated that an FIR had been registered for honey-trapping against Kirti Patel and five other accused, out of which four had been arrested. He further stated that the accused influencer had been arrested based on the warrant produced before the court, and added that Patel had demanded a ransom of Rs 2 crore from a builder. "In June 2024, an FIR was registered for honey-trapping, and 5 accused were there, 4 were arrested while Kirti Patel was on the run for the last 10 months. We had arrested her based on the warrant issued by the court and produced her before the court. She has demanded a ransom of 2 crores from a builder," Kumar told ANI. The investigation is ongoing and further details are awaited. 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.
19 June,2025 03:23 PM IST | Surat | ANIGujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi announced on Thursday that state police have apprehended 200 undocumented Bangladeshi nationals over the past few days, and legal proceedings are now underway. In a post on X, Sanghavi said that the Gujarat police are working on their deportation further. "Action Against Infiltrators! Gujarat Police Crackdown on Illegal Bangladeshis! In a major operation, over 200 illegal Bangladeshis have been caught by Gujarat Police in the last 100 hours! Further legal action for deportation is underway," the Gujarat Home Minister said. "Kudos to Gujarat Police for taking strict action against infiltrators and ensuring national security," he added. Action Against Infiltrators! Gujarat Police Crackdown on Illegal Bangladeshis! In a major operation, over 200 illegal Bangladeshis have been caught by Gujarat Police in the last 100 hours! Further legal action for deportation is underway. Kudos to Gujarat Police for taking… pic.twitter.com/jguArdVuke — Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) June 19, 2025 DGP Gujarat also said in a post on X, "In the last 100 hours, more than 200 illegal Bangladeshis have been caught by Gujarat Police. Further legal action for deportation is in progress." On June 14, In a successful joint operation, the Southern Command Military Intelligence Unit and Kondhwa Police Station of Pune City Police apprehended four illegal immigrants from Bangladesh residing in a labour camp near Punyadham Ashram Road, Notting Hill Society, Pune, reported ANI. The operation was conducted on June 13, following specific intelligence received by Military Intelligence about the presence of undocumented foreign nationals at a labour site in the Kondhwa area. Based on the input, a team was quickly formed with local police and a surprise raid was carried out at the identified location. During the verification process at the construction site, four individuals attempted to flee but were swiftly caught by the joint team. Upon interrogation and document checking, their identity as Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in India was established. The apprehended individuals have been identified as Swapan Mandal (39), Mithun Kumar Santal (35), Ranodhir Mandal (29), and Dilip Mondal (38). All four individuals hail from Satkhira district in Bangladesh, which shares a porous border with India and has been flagged in the past for illegal cross-border movements, reported ANI. Officials confirmed that further joint questioning of the arrested individuals will be carried out to determine their entry routes, duration of stay, and possible involvement in any labour rackets or larger infiltration networks, reported ANI. The Pune City Police have registered a case under section 14 of The Foreigners Act, 1946; sections 3 and 6 of the Passport Act; and The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1950 at the Kondhwa Police station. Further investigation is underway in the case. (With inputs from ANI)
19 June,2025 03:18 PM IST | Gandhinagar | mid-day online correspondentJammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday confirmed the arrival of 94 Indian students from Jammu and Kashmir who had been evacuated from Iran had safely reached Delhi. In a post on social media X, the CM wrote that the Government had been making transport arrangements to ensure the smooth journey of the students back to Jammu and Kashmir. 94 of our students evacuated from Iran have safely reached Delhi. The Government is making transport arrangements to ensure their smooth journey home, which will be in place within the next few hours. — Office of Chief Minister, J&K (@CM_JnK) June 19, 2025 "94 of our students evacuated from Iran have safely reached Delhi. The Government is making transport arrangements to ensure their smooth journey home, which will be in place within the next few hours," the CM's post read. Earlier in the day, a total of 110 Indian nationals were evacuated and flown down to Delhi under Operation Sindhu. The students evacuated from Urmia, Iran, thanked the Government of India. An evacuated student said that the Indian authorities did a good job and all students are being evacuated. He added that the situation in Iran, especially in Tehran, is worsening day by day. "The situation over there is worsening day by day... The situation is particularly very bad in Tehran. Indian students are all being evacuated from there. We are from Urmia University. Indian authorities are doing a good job. All students are being evacuated and taken to a safe place," the student told reporters. "We were evacuated from our University and taken to Armenia, after which we were taken to Qatar. From Qatar, we reached India," he added, reported ANI. Ghazal, a student evacuated from Iran, told ANI, "We are all very happy that we returned home and the Indian Embassy evacuated us properly. We are very thankful to them... The situation in Urmia, where we lived, was much better than in Tehran." Recalling the horrors of the conflict, Yasir Gaffar, an India evacuated from Iran, said that they saw the missiles passing by and the loud sounds at night. "We saw the missiles passing by and the loud sounds at night... I am happy to reach India... I haven't given up on my dreams... When the situation improves, we will return to Iran..." he said. A student evacuated said, "I am happy that I am back in our country. We didn't see any such thing in Urmia, but in other places across Iran, the situation was bad... The Government of India helped a lot, which is why we are back home,' reported ANI. Mariam Roz, a student evacuated, said that the Indian Embassy prepared for everything, and they did not face any issues, reported ANI. "The Indian Embassy had already prepared everything for us. We did not face any issues. We are travelling for three days, so we are tired... The situation was not so bad in Urmia when we left. We would see missiles from the windows of our dorm," Mariam told ANI. Another student said, "I am a final year MBBS student at Urmia University... We saw drones and missiles. We were scared... We are happy to return to India and are very thankful to the Government of India, especially the Ministry of External Affairs... Our parents were also worried, but now they are happy." (With inputs from ANI)
19 June,2025 03:07 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
