Breaking News Live Updates, May 25: Brazil President Lula diagnosed with early stage skin cancer, his office says

Ebola scare: DGCA asks airlines make in-flight announcements, take other measures

In the wake of the Ebola outbreak in certain parts of Africa, aviation watchdog DGCA has asked airlines to implement various measures, including making in-flight announcements and mandatory filing of self-declaration forms from passengers originating or transiting through the affected countries.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for public health preparedness and response to Ebola disease.

Airlines having (direct or indirect) connectivity with Uganda and Congo are required to make mandatory filing and collection of Self Declaration Forms prior to de-boarding of passengers.

Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Emirates, Air France, Etihad Airways, and Egyptair are among the 13 carriers in the list of entities carrying passengers from Congo mentioned by DGCA.

The list of 17 airlines carrying passengers from Uganda referred to by the regulator includes Air India, IndiGo and KLM.

The airlines are also required to make an in-flight announcement that, in view of the current threat of Ebola disease, any traveller who has fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, bleeding, should report immediately to the crew and at the immigration/medical unit on arrival.

In the in-flight announcements, the carriers should also mention "all travellers (passengers and crew), irrespective of nationality, will be required to fill a Self Declaration Form and hand it over at the immigration/designated counter", as per the DGCA advisory dated May 22.

In-flight as well as arrival protocols for suspected cases have also been specified by the DGCA, including that in such instances, the aircraft should be parked in a separate, designated bay.

For suspected cases onboard an aircraft, DGCA said that among other measures, the passenger should relocated to the rear end of the aircraft and if possible, three rows in front and side rows of the passenger concerned should be kept vacant.

Airlines have also been told to ensure there is an adequate reserve stock of triple-layer masks, disposable hand gloves, PPE kits, hand sanitisers and bio-hazard disposal bags.

"These are to be utilised for any passenger reporting symptoms and for passengers likely to have had contact," DGCA said.

UP: Fire breaks out at Ghaziabad's Bulandshahr industrial area

A massive fire broke out at a factory in the Bulandshahr industrial area of Uttar Pradesh, a fire official said on Monday.

Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Rahul Kumar said that there were no casuaties or reports of injuries in the incident.

The CFO said, "Firefighting efforts are also underway from inside the premises. There are no reports of anyone being trapped; everyone managed to exit safely. Efforts to extinguish the fire are ongoing."

The cause of the fire is being ascertained and investigation has been ordered

Another fire officer told ANI, "Firefighting operations are actively underway. An investigation into the incident is currently in progress; at this moment, the exact cause remains undetermined. We have fully cordoned off the factory area and are maintaining a comprehensive presence around the entire perimeter."

Further details are awaited in this case

'Take immediate action': WHO to Congo's neighbours countries amid Ebola outbreak

The countries neighbouring the Democratic Republic of Congo are at high risk from Ebola and should act immediately to counter the virus, the head of the World Health Organisation said on Monday.

"Countries bordering DRC are at especially high risk and should take immediate action," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that he would travel on Tuesday to the DRC, the epicentre of the current outbreak of the deadly disease.

17 killed, five injured as minibus rams into parked bus in Pakistan

A speeding minibus rammed into a bus parked along a motorway in northwest Pakistan on Monday, killing 17 people and injuring five others, police and rescue officials said.

The crash occurred near Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when the minibus slammed into the parked bus, according to Shah Fahad, director-general of Rescue 1122 emergency services. He said preliminary findings suggested driver negligence caused the accident.

The bus was carrying passengers to the scenic Swat Valley.

Rescue workers and police shifted the dead and injured to a hospital, Fahad said.

Road accidents are common in Pakistan because of poor infrastructure, reckless driving and weak enforcement of traffic safety regulations.

Brazil's Lula diagnosed with early stage skin cancer

Brazil's Lula diagnosed with early stage skin cancer, will undergo 15 radiotherapy sessions, his office says.

Russia urges foreign citizens and diplomats to leave Kyiv ahead of fresh strikes

Russia on Monday warned foreign citizens and diplomats to leave Kyiv, saying it planned to launch more strikes against the Ukrainian capital, including on its "decision-making centres."

"The strikes will target both decision-making centres and command posts... We are warning foreign citizens, including personnel of diplomatic missions and international organisations, to leave the city as soon as possible," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Cambodia pardons opposition leader convicted and jailed for 'treason'

Cambodia's acting head of state, former prime minister Hun Sen, pardoned opposition leader Kem Sokha on Monday from a sentence of almost three decades for treason.

Kem Sokha, who was convicted of trying to topple the former long-ruling leader's government and sentenced to 27 years, "is pardoned", Hun Sen posted on social media alongside a royal decree signed by him.

Hun Sen, who ruled Cambodia for nearly four decades, stepped down as prime minister in 2023 and handed power to his eldest son, Hun Manet.

But Hun Sen is still president of the Senate, remains an influential figure in national politics, and is acting head of state while King Norodom Sihamoni receives medical treatment abroad.

Kem Sokha, 72, was arrested on treason charges in 2017 and sentenced six years later, but was ordered to serve his time under house arrest in the capital, Phnom Penh.

The co-founder of the dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), Kem Sokha has repeatedly denied the charge.

Dharmendra Pradhan writes to states and UTs, urges cooperation for 'smooth and fair' re-NEET

Union education minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has written to all Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors, and Administrators across the country, seeking their cooperation for the smooth, fair, and successful conduct of the NEET (UG) re-examination scheduled for June 21, 2026. In view of the prevailing severe heatwave conditions, the Union minister has also specifically urged them to ensure the availability of all essential basic facilities at examination centres for the convenience and well-being of aspirants: Ministry of Education

NEET paper leak: 'Kingpin' PV Kulkarni's police remand extended by two days

A Delhi court on Monday extended the police custody of the alleged kingpin in the NEET paper leak case, Prahlad Vithalrao Kulkarni, by two days and remanded another accused, Manisha Sanjay Waghmare, to 14-day judicial custody.

Special CBI judge Ajay Gupta extended their custody after they were produced before the court at the end of their 10-day remand granted by the court on May 16.

According to the CBI, Kulkarni, a chemistry lecturer in Pune, was involved in the NEET process on behalf of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and had access to the question papers.

The agency had said earlier that during the last week of April, Kulkarni had mobilised students, with the help of Waghmare, and conducted special coaching classes for them at his residence in Pune.

Health minister JP Nadda holds meet to review India's preparedness amid Ebola outbreak in Africa

Union health minister Jagat Prakash Nadda reviews the preparedness and response measures for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in view of the recent outbreaks reported in parts of Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), while the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has declared it a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS).

No case of Ebola has been reported in the country.

Ex-UGC chairperson Mamidala Jagadeesh Kumar receives Padma Shri

Former UGC chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar receives Padma Shri award in the field of Literature and Education.

Women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur receives her Padma Shri

President Droupadi Murmu confers Padma Shri on India women's cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur for her contributions in the field of Sports.

Veteran actor Dharmendra's posthumous Padma Vibhushana accepted by wife and BJP MP Hema Malini

Padma Vibhushan awarded to legendary veteran actor late Dharmendra by President Droupadi Murmu

BJP MP Hema Malini received the honour awarded to her late husband and legendary actor for his contribution in the field of Arts. Read full story

Search operation launched in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri

A search operation by security forces is underway in the general areas of Gambir Mughlan and Dorimal in the Manjakote sector of Rajouri District, following specific intelligence inputs about the presence and movement of suspected terrorists in the region. Joint teams of the Indian Army, J&K Police and CRPF have launched combing operations in the forest belt and adjoining areas. Additional troops have also been deployed to strengthen the cordon and search operation.

Uganda files two new Ebola patients, cases rise to seven

Ugandan health authorities on Monday reported two new Ebola cases, bringing the number of infections to seven.

All the cases are linked to the outbreak in neighbouring Congo, which appears to have started several days or weeks before Congolese authorities declared it on May 15.

A 59-year-old Congolese man was admitted to a hospital in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, on May 11, and died three days later, before it was known he was suffering from the Ebola virus. Two other Congolese nationals who sought medical care in Uganda later tested positive for Ebola.

“Both patients have been admitted to the designated treatment unit and are now receiving care,” Dr. Charles Olaro, the national director of health services, said in a statement.

In Congo, suspected Ebola cases have topped 900, mainly in eastern Ituri province where the ongoing outbreak is centered, authorities said Sunday.

At least 28 workers killed in Angola mine collapse

A small artisanal gold mine collapsed in northern Angola at the weekend, claiming the lives of at least 28 miners, nearly half from one family, reports and officials said.

Angola's rich deposits of diamonds and other minerals, including gold, reportedly draw thousands of men, including from neighbouring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, to illegal and uncontrolled mines.

Authorities recovered the bodies of 28 people aged between 18 and 45 years following the collapse early on Saturday at the mine in Bengo province, northeast of the capital, Luanda, a police official told national broadcaster TPA.

"These young people were extracting strategic minerals, namely gold, in this area and at a certain point the mine collapsed," he said on Sunday, adding that authorities were searching for other bodies.

A rescue department official gave the same death toll to local media and said that 13 of the dead were from the same family.

Bengo officials estimated there were around 7,000 illegal miners involved in gold extraction in the province, the Angola Press Agency reported.

Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions likely to continue in northwest and central India for 4-5 days: IMD

Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are likely to continue over central and northwest India during the next 4-5 days; and over east & adjoining peninsular India during the next 3-4 days: IMD

UK set to record its hottest May day

Britain was set to break its record for the hottest day in May on Monday, the national weather agency predicted, as the country sweltered in an "unprecedented" heatwave.

"Today will be the hottest day in May in the UK in our temperature records, with highs of 35 degrees Celsius expected," the Met Office said on social media.

The current record for the hottest May day is 32.8C, set in 1922 and seen again in 1944.

"Records are usually only broken by tenths of a degree -- making this heatwave unprecedented for the time of year," added the Met Office statement.

Monday is also expected to be the hottest bank holiday ever, as heatwave conditions spread to parts of southeast England and London by Sunday night.

Six held in Karnataka for ‘digital arrest’ scam that duped 74-year-old woman of Rs 24 crore

The Karnataka State Cyber Command has busted a major “digital arrest” fraud racket and arrested six persons accused of impersonating senior officials of the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to cheat a 74-year-old woman of Rs 24 crore, police said on Monday. The accused allegedly intimidated and coerced the victim into transferring money through a series of transactions between February 10 and April 24 this year.

Police identified the accused as N Sivagnanam from Tamil Nadu’s Erode, Akkach Mallick from Mumbai, Palak Bhai Patel and Amit Narendra Patel from Ahmedabad, Om Prakash Rajput from New Delhi and Gaurav Kumar from Bihar. According to investigators, the elderly woman transferred Rs 24 crore through 26 transactions into 23 mule bank accounts spread across 10 banks across the country.

The fraud came to light on April 24 after a bank alerted the Cyber Command Unit about suspicious transaction attempts. Police said officers immediately intervened, counselled the victim and prevented further transfers, saving nearly Rs 3 crore. During the investigation, authorities froze several mule accounts linked to the laundering network through the NCRP portal, recovered around Rs 1.5 crore through court orders and secured over Rs 4 crore from being siphoned off further. Six mobile phones allegedly used in the crime were also seized.

“Digital arrest” scams have emerged as a growing cybercrime trend in India, where fraudsters pose as law enforcement or government officials over audio and video calls to intimidate victims into transferring money under the threat of arrest or legal action.

NIA raids banned institution, former Jamaat chief’s residence in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday carried out raids at two locations in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district, including Darul Uloom Sirajul Uloom, an institution declared an illegal entity last month, officials said.

NIA teams conducted searches at the seminary in the Imam Sahib area during the early hours of the day. The institute provides both religious and formal education to hundreds of students.

In a parallel operation, another NIA team searched the residence of former Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shahzada Aurangzeb in Molu Chitragam area of Shopian. Officials said the searches were part of an ongoing investigation, though no further details were immediately available.

Eight killed after SUV plunges into gorge in Maharashtra’s Raigad

At least eight people were killed after a sports utility vehicle (SUV) plunged into a gorge in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, police said. The accident occurred in the hilly region of the district, following which rescue teams rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies.

Police said further details about the victims and the cause of the accident are being ascertained. An investigation into the incident is underway.

US blames Iran after UN nuclear treaty conference ends without consensus

The United States expressed “deep regret” after countries participating in the 2026 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) failed to agree on a final document, with Washington sharply criticising Iran’s nuclear activities.

According to Al Jazeera, the US specifically pointed to the “inability of some NPT States Parties to take Iran's threat to global nonproliferation seriously” as a key concern behind the collapse of consensus at the conference.

The review conference, which opened at the United Nations headquarters in New York on April 27, concluded without agreement amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear programme.

The US State Department criticised “Iran's continued noncompliance with its NPT-required safeguards agreement with the IAEA” as well as its “escalating nuclear activities for which there is no credible civilian justification”, Al Jazeera reported.

Washington argued that the NPT review process cannot remain credible if countries “turn a blind eye to Iran's noncompliance” and warned that violators should not be allowed to “undermine the enforcement and accountability mechanisms at the core of the NPT”.

Taiwan detects Chinese military aircraft and vessels near island amid rising tensions

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) said it detected nine sorties of Chinese military aircraft, seven naval vessels and one official ship operating around the island as of 6 am local time on Monday.

According to the ministry, eight of the nine aircraft entered Taiwan’s southwestern and eastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

“9 sorties of PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today, 8 out of 9 sorties entered Taiwan’s southwestern and eastern part ADIZ,” the MND said in a post on X.

Taiwan said its armed forces monitored the situation and responded accordingly.

The latest activity comes amid continued military pressure from China around Taiwan and heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

A youth was injured after gunfire broke out during a party in the Jain Nagar area of Rohini

UP's Etah: Fire tenders reach the spot after a fire breaks out at a gift collection warehouse in Babu Ganj old vegetable market area.

Police recovers child's body, arrested her father on charges of murder in the Mukundpur area

The police have recovered a child's body and have arrested her father on charges of murder in the Mukundpur area. The accused has been identified as Deepak. The accused already had a daughter, and upon the birth of another daughter, he committed the murder. The police are currently investigating the case, said Delhi Police.