The Delhi government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire tragedy at a neonatal hospital in Vivek Vihar that claimed the lives of seven newborns. 

 

In an order issued on Sunday, Divisional Commissioner Ashwani Kumar directed the district magistrate of the Shahdara district to inquire into the fire tragedy that occurred on Saturday night. 

"And whereas it is essential to cause a magisterial inquiry into the aforesaid incident. Now therefore, District Magistrate (Shahadra)/Chairman, District Disaster Management Authority is hereby directed to inquire into the said fire tragedy so as: To ascertain the circumstances that led to the fire tragedy. 

"To fix the responsibility on the persons responsible for the said incident. To suggest the measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future," it said. 

The order directed that the inquiry report be submitted "as expeditiously as possible". -- PTI

Fintech unicorns BharatPe Group and PhonePe Group have amicably settled all long-standing legal disputes pertaining to the use of the trademark with the suffix 'Pe', both companies said in a joint statement.

   

BharatPe and PhonePe had been involved in long-drawn legal disputes across multiple courts, over the course of the last five years. The settlement will put an end to all open judicial proceedings, the statement said.

"BharatPe and PhonePe amicably settled all long-standing trademark disputes," the statement said.

As a next step, parties have already taken steps to withdraw all opposition against each other in the trademark registry, which will help them to proceed with the registration of their respective trademarks, the statement said.

"This is a positive development for the industry. I appreciate the maturity and professionalism shown by the Management of both sides, working closely to resolve all outstanding legal issues and moving ahead to focus their energy and resources in building robust digital payment ecosystems," BharatPe, Chairman of the Board, Rajnish Kumar said.

Both organizations will undertake to take other necessary steps to comply with the obligations under the settlement agreement in respect of all cases before Delhi High Court and Bombay high court.

"I am glad that we have reached an amicable resolution in this matter. This outcome will benefit both companies to move forward and focus our collective energy on growing the Indian fintech industry as a whole," PhonePe, Founder and CEO, Sameer Nigam said. -- PTI 

The impending landfall of severe cyclone Remal has led to significant disruptions in air, rail, and road transportation in Kolkata and other parts of South Bengal on Sunday, with concerns expected to continue into Monday.

As a precaution, Kolkata airport authorities have suspended flight operations for 21 hours from Sunday noon. Additionally, the Eastern and South Eastern railways cancelled several trains.

Intermittent showers and gusty winds affected South Bengal districts from Sunday morning, leading to a noticeable absence of buses, taxis, and three-wheelers on the roads in Kolkata and district towns.

Disruptions in road and rail transport are anticipated on Monday, due to the effects of the cyclone's landfall, expected by midnight on Sunday.

A total of 394 flights -- both international and domestic -- will not operate during the flight suspension period, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said. This precautionary measure was taken after a meeting with stakeholders of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport, the official added.

"In view of Cyclone Remal's impact on the coastal region of West Bengal, including Kolkata, a meeting was held with stakeholders, and it was decided to suspend flight operations from noon on May 26 to 9 am on May 27 due to predicted heavy winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kolkata," NSCBI airport director C Pattabhi said in a statement on Saturday.

The cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall by midnight on Sunday along the adjoining coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh, with wind speeds of 110-120 km per hour, gusting up to 135 kmph. The Met Office has warned of extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal on May 26-27.

The Eastern and South Eastern railways canceled some trains on routes to and from the coastal South and North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts as a precautionary measure, officials said.

The Eastern Railway suspended train services in the Sealdah South section and Barasat-Hasnabad section of Sealdah division from 11 pm on Sunday to 6 am on Monday, cancelling several EMU local trains, an official said.

While five suburban trains were cancelled on Sunday, eight local trains will not operate on Monday morning, the Eastern Railway official said. 

The South Eastern Railway cancelled the Howrah-Digha-Howrah Kandari Express on Sunday and some MEMU and EMU services to and from the seaside tourist town of Digha on Sunday and Monday, a zonal railway official said. -- PTI 

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his mujra' remark against opposition leaders and said that the latter "insulted Bihar" by making this comment.

Addressing an election rally in favour of Congress leader and Mahagathbandhan nominee Manoj Kumar from Sasaram Lok Sabha constituency, Kharge said, "PM used mujra words for opposition leaders in an election rally in Bihar on FridayModi ji insulted Bihar by using this wordit means mujra happens here. This is an insult to Bihar and its electorates."

"PM Modi considers himself as 'Tismarkhan'He is under the wrong impression. It is the people who are real Tismarkhan. He (PM) is a dictatorIf becomes PM for the third term, people will not be allowed to say anything at all", said the Congress president.

He said, "This election is basically people vs Modi not Rahul vs Modi."

The Congress president said he respects Narendra Modi as he is Prime Minister, but Modi does not respect Congress leaders.

Kharge alleged that PM Modi hugs rich people and not poor people.

Voting will take place in Sasaram, Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Karakat and Jehanabad Lok Sabha constituencies on June 1. -- PTI

Police arrested the owner of the east Delhi children's hospital where a fire killed seven newborns, officials said on Sunday.

   

Dr Naveen Kichi had been on the run since the fire outbreak late on Saturday, they said.

Delhi Fire Services officials said a blaze erupted at the Baby Care New Born Hospital in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar area around 11:30 pm on Saturday and spread to two adjacent buildings.

Twelve newborns were rescued from the facility but seven of them died. Five babies are undergoing treatment at another hospital, they said.

Delhi Police has booked him under sections 336 (act endangering life of personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC at Vivek Vihar police station. -- PTI

The government on Sunday extended the tenure of Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande for a period of one month.

   

Gen Pande was to retire from service on May 31.

"The Appointments Committee of Cabinet on May 26 approved the extension in service of Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj C Pande for a period of one month, beyond his normal age of superannuation (May 31), i.e. up to June 30, under Rule 16 A (4) of the Army Rules 1954," the defence ministry said in a statement.

Gen Pande was commissioned in December 1982 in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers).

He held the post of Vice Chief of the Army Staff before taking over the reins of the 1.2 million-strong force in April 2022. -- PTI 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi "openly announced" during his rallies that he would topple the Himachal Pradesh government through "corruption and use of money", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed on Sunday.

 

He was referring to Modi's Friday speech in Mandi during which he claimed that the state's Congress government would not last.

Gandhi also accused Modi of increasing unemployment by helping "people like Adani", finishing small and medium businesses, through demonetisation and implementation of the GST.

Seeking support for the Congress' Hamirpur Lok Sabha candidate Satpal Raizada in Una, a heartland in the state for army jawans, Gandhi said the country does not want two kinds of soldiers and scrapping the Agnipath scheme will be the Congress' first priority once it comes to power. -- PTI 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed that "jihadis" across the border are supporting the Samajwadi Party and the Congress who are appealing for "vote jihad" in Deoria.

 

Addressing an election rally hear in support of BJP candidates in Bansgaon and Deoria Lok Sabha seats, the prime minister alleged that the INDIA bloc does not want to take the country forward, but back by several decades.

"Their agenda is not the development of India," Modi said.

"In Pakistan, 'duas' (prayers) are being made for the INDI alliance of Samajwadi Party and Congress. Jihadis across the border are supporting them. The SP and Congress are making an appeal for 'vote jihad' here," said the prime minister in an apparent reference to a remark by an INDIA bloc candidate.

Hitting out at the opposition, Modi claimed the "INDI jamaat" has been abusing him for his opposition to reservation on the basis of religion.

He also alleged that the Congress "created roadblocks for countries that wanted to purchase BrahMos missiles".

The Bansgaon parliamentary constituency comprises assembly segments that fall under Deoria as well as Gorakhpur districts while Deoria Lok Sabha constituency includes parts of Kushinagar and Deoria districts. -- PTI 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party will get a bigger win in opposition-ruled states due to a "positive mandate" for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha polls, as he slammed the opposition's criticism of the Election Commission as a ploy to cover up for its impending loss.

In an interview with PTI, Shah claimed that his party has not resorted to any religion-based campaign but insisted that if canvassing against reservation for Muslims, and reaching out to voters on the abolition of Article 370 and implementing a Uniform Civil Code is religion-based campaign, then the BJP has done it and will continue doing so.

He dismissed the opposition's criticism of the Election Commission for its handling of poll data and the issue of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), saying that similar protocols and practices have been followed in previous assembly polls, including Telangana, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh where the BJP lost.

"If those elections were fair, then this election is also fair. When you see defeat, you start crying in advance and try to find excuses to go abroad. This can't go on and on. They want to go on vacation on June 6. So, they are telling something or the other," he said.

The Congress's questions about the polling process is aimed at covering up Rahul Gandhi's failure, he said.

Shah said the opposition party had not offered any such suggestion at the customary all-party meeting called by the poll watchdog before the elections. "Whenever the opposition loses an election, they raise some questions. There is zero possibility of rigging in EVMs and they want an election which can be rigged."

With six phases of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls over, the BJP's key strategist said the party's assertion that its alliance will cross the 400-seat mark when the poll results are out on June 4 is not merely a poll slogan but a well thought-out goal.

He said, "We will surely cross 400 seats. We will also form governments in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh." Assembly polls in the three states have been held alongside the Lok Sabha elections.

"If we get 399 seats and you say we have not crossed 400, then it is your wisdom. But the '400 paar' slogan is based on calculation and considered opinion," Shah said in his characteristic combative and sure-footed manner.

Asked if the party was overly dependent on Modi and if a relatively weak opposition was benefitting from its alliance, he said it was not a negative but a positive vote which the ruling alliance is receiving. 

A 30-year-old man, the sole breadwinner of his family, has lost both his legs after falling from a moving local train in Maharashtra's Thane district adjoining Mumbai, a Government Railway Police (GRP) official said on Sunday.

The incident took place on May 22 in Kalwa area when the man, identified as Jagan Laxman Jangle, was standing on the footboard of a coach of the crowded local train while travelling from Dadar (in Mumbai) to Kalyan (in Thane), he said.

The man, resident of Kalyan who worked at a book depot in Dadar, recently got married and was the only earning member of his family, the police said.

He lost his balance, fell on the tracks after the train crossed Thane station and came under the wheels of the moving local train, the police said quoting information based on the statements of the man's brother, doctors and eyewitnesses.

After receiving information that a man was lying injured near the Thane creek, GRP personnel reached the spot and rushed Jangle to the nearby Chhatrapati Shivaji Hospital in Kalwa, the official said.

Till now, it has not been established in the probe that someone had hit the man to rob his phone due to which he fell from the train, he said. 

"We are conducting further probe," the official said. -- PTI

A Mumbai court on Sunday extended till May 29 the police custody of Bhavesh Bhinde, director of the advertising firm which had installed a hoarding that collapsed in Ghatkopar area in Mumbai and claimed 17 lives.

M/S Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the advertising firm of Bhinde, managed the giant hoarding that collapsed on a petrol pump during a dust storm and rains on May 13.

As Bhinde absconded after the incident, police registered a case against him on the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under section 304 of the Indian Penal Code.

He was arrested in Udaipur, Rajasthan, on May 16 and brought to the city.

        

Bhinde was subsequently remanded in police custody till May 26.

On Sunday, the crime branch, which is probing the case, produced Bhinde before the metropolitan magistrate court at the end of his previous custody.

It sought his further remand on the ground that it is also inquiring into other hoardings installed by the firm across the city.

Also, the financial aspect concerning the installation of billboards was also under investigation, the police said.

Advocate Rizwan Merchant, appearing for the accused, opposed it saying the FIR is only concerning the collapsed hoarding.

After hearing both the sides, the court extended Bhinde's police custody till May 29.

As per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, it had not granted permission for the hoarding. -- PTI 

Talat Hussain, one of Pakistan's most accomplished and celebrated actors, died on Sunday at a private hospital here following a prolonged illness. 

He was 83.

 

A radio, TV, theatre, and cinema veteran, Hussain was known for serials such as Bandish, Karwaan, Hawain and Parchaiyan as well as movies Chiragh Jalta Raha, Gumnaam, Actor in Law and Indian film Sauten Ki Beti.

Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) Karachi President Ahmed Shah confirmed the news of Hussain's death, adding that the actor had long been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Karachi.

"An acclaimed actor like Talat Hussain is born after centuries," he said.

Delhi-born Hussain was famous for his baritone voice and unique acting style, which also won him the Pride of Performance award, the highest national literary award of Pakistan confers upon its citizens, in 1982 and Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the third-highest honour and civilian award in the country, in 2021.

Tributes and condolences poured in from President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, provincial chief ministers and other notable personalities who said a legend of Pakistan's entertainment industry had passed away.

"His services to the Pakistani television, theatre, film and radio will always be remembered. The vacuum left by his death can never be fulfilled," said premier Sharif.

Actor Adnan Siddiqui said Hussain's passing feels like a personal loss. 

"He was there not as a co-actor but guiding force when I did my first ever play, Khwabon Ki Zanjir. Another of the greats gone (sic)" Siddiqui wrote on X.

"Pakistan's legendary Actor Talat Hussain has passed away in #Karachi. Inna lilllahe wa inna ilaehe rajioon. He was an actor par excellence and an institution. You will be missed Talat sb (sic)" said filmmaker Furqan T. Siddiqui on the microblogging site.

Hussain, who began working in 1960 on the state-owned PTV channel, studied at the famed London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He also worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London for some time.

In 2006, he received the Amanda Award, also known as the Scandinavian Oscar, for Norwegian film Import-Eksport and Nigar Award in 1986 for best supporting actor in film Miss Bangkok. 

According to Pakistani media, Hussain is survived by his wife, two daughters, and a son. -- PTI

Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis worked for Nitin Gadkari's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

 

Raut alleged that Fadnavis had unwillingly campaigned for Gadkari, who contested from the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat, when he realised the Union minister couldn't be defeated.

Nagpur is the hometown of both BJP leaders.

"Modi, Shah and Fadnavis worked for Gadkari's defeat in Nagpur. Fadnavis unwillingly joined the campaign for Gadkari when he realised he couldn't be defeated. The RSS people in Nagpur are openly saying Fadnavis helped the opposition to get Gadkari defeated," he wrote in an article in his party's mouthpiece "Saamna". 

 

The Sena-UBT leader alleged that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had distributed Rs 25-30 crore in every constituency, and his machinery worked to defeat candidates of the NCP led by Ajit Pawar. 

Taking a potshot at Yogi Adityanath, he said the Uttar Pradesh chief minister will be replaced if the Modi-Shah government returns to power after the Lok Sabha elections.

Elections to the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra were held in five phases from April 19 to May 20.  

Reacting sharply to the claims, state BJP chief Chandrasekhar Bawankule said Raut had become "delusional". 

 

"The BJP is not a party but a family. People who have always played politics of factionalism will never understand family bonds. Modi, Shah, Yogi Adityanath, Gadkari and Fadnavis are part of the BJP's family. We always work on the principle of nation first, then party and last self," he said. -- PTI

Cyclone 'Remal' has strengthened into a severe cyclonic storm and is expected to hit the coasts of Bangladesh and West Bengal by Sunday midnight, with winds of 110-120 kmph and gusting up to 135 kmph, according to the Meteorological Department.

The cyclone is anticipated to bring extremely heavy rainfall to the coastal districts of West Bengal and heavy to very heavy rain in Kolkata and nearby areas.

Remal, moving northward, is likely to intensify further before crossing the coasts between Sagar Island (West Bengal) and Khepupara (Bangladesh), near the southwest of Mongla port, around midnight on Sunday, the weather office reported.

In response to the approaching cyclone, the Eastern and South Eastern Railways have cancelled several train services in the coastal districts of South and North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur district as a precaution.

Kolkata Airport authorities have decided to suspend flight operations for 21 hours from noon on Sunday due to the anticipated impact of cyclone Remal.

This will affect 394 flights, both domestic and international. Precautionary measures include lowering high mast lights, securing equipment, and mooring smaller aircraft.

The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata will also suspend cargo and container handling operations for 12 hours from Sunday evening in response to the cyclone forecast.

As of 8:30 am on Sunday, the cyclone was located in the northern Bay of Bengal, 240 km south-southeast of Sagar Islands, with sustained winds of 90-100 kmph and gusting up to 110 kmph.

The Meteorological Department has warned of extremely heavy rain in the coastal districts of West Bengal and heavy to very heavy rain in northern Odisha on May 26-27. Assam and Meghalaya are also expected to receive extremely heavy rain, with heavy to very heavy rain forecast for Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura on May 27-28.

A storm surge of up to one metre above the astronomical tide is expected to inundate low-lying areas of coastal West Bengal and Bangladesh during landfall. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the northern Bay of Bengal until the morning of May 27.

Heavy to very heavy rain is predicted for North and South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly districts, with extremely heavy rain in North and South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts, prompting a red alert for these areas. Nadia and Murshidabad districts are also likely to experience heavy to very heavy rain on May 27-28. -- PTI

A Leh-bound SpiceJet aircraft suffered a bird hit on Sunday morning and returned to the national capital, according to the airline.

The plane landed back safely and the passengers were deplaned normally.

 A source said the Boeing 737 plane had around 135 people onboard.

In a statement, SpiceJet said the aircraft operating SG 123 from Delhi to Leh returned back to the national capital after suffering a bird hit on engine 2.

"The aircraft landed back safely in Delhi and passengers were deplaned normally," it said.

The airline also said the aircraft made a normal landing and not an emergency landing.

Earlier, the source said that a full emergency was declared at the airport and the aircraft, which took off at around 1030 hours, landed safely at about 11 am. The plane returned due to engine vibrations, the source added. -- PTI 

A BJP candidate was arrested in Odisha's Khurda district for allegedly vandalising an EVM as he had to wait in queue for a long to cast his vote because the machine malfunctioned, officials said on Sunday.

Prashant Jagdev, the BJP MLA of Chilika, has been fielded this time from the Khurda assembly segment. The incident happened on Saturday at booth 114 in Bolagad block's Kaunripatna in the Begunia assembly segment where he is registered as a voter.

Jagdev went to the booth along with his wife, but as the EVM malfunctioned, he had to wait for some time to cast his vote. Soon, a war of words broke out between him and the presiding officer, amid which he allegedly pulled the EVM from the table, as a result of which it fell and broke, officials said.

Superintendent of Police Avinash Kumar said the MLA was arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by the presiding officer.

A court later sent him to judicial custody, and at present, he is lodged at the Khurda jail, officials said.

Besides the Representation of People's Act, Jagdev was booked under different sections of the IPC, the SP said.

In his complaint, the presiding officer alleged that the MLA created a disturbance at the booth, obstructed the voting process and abused the polling personnel, Kumar said.

"We have requested the District Election Officer (DEO) to check the CCTV footage of the incident," he said, adding that an investigation was underway. -- PTI

A special bench of the Gujarat High Court on Sunday took suo motu cognizance of the fire incident at a game zone in Rajkot which left 27 persons dead and said it was prima facie a "man-made disaster".

 

Such gaming zones and recreational facilities have come up without the necessary approvals from competent authorities, the bench of Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai observed.

The bench directed advocates of the Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot municipal corporations to appear before it on Monday with instructions as to under what provisions of law the authorities led these units to be set up or continue to operate under their jurisdiction.

Four children under the age of 12 were among the 27 persons killed and three others injured in the massive fire that swept through the game zone in Rajkot teeming with people enjoying a summer vacation outing on Saturday evening, as per the officials.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the incident site at Nana-Mava road on Sunday morning and a hospital where the injured persons were admitted.

       

"We are shocked to read newspaper reports which indicate that the gaming zone at Rajkot appears to have taken advantage of the loopholes in the Gujarat Comprehensive General Development Control Regulations (GDCR). These entertainment zones, as newspapers suggest, have come up without the necessary approvals from the competent authorities," the court observed.

 

The HC also wanted to know from the state government and the municipal corporations "whether such licenses, including the licenses to its use and compliance of fire safety regulations" were given to these respective (entertainment) zones that are in territorial jurisdiction of these corporations. 

 

These entertainment zones, as newspapers suggest, have come up without the necessary approvals from the competent authorities, the court noted.

Quoting newspaper reports, the high court said temporary structures were created at the TRP game zone in Rajkot in order to overcome the hurdles caused in taking necessary permissions, no-objection certificates, including the fire NOC and construction permission. -- PTI

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday said the east Delhi children hospital fire which left seven newborns dead is heart-rending and warned that those responsible for negligence will not be spared.

Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also said strictest punishment will be given to those found negligent or involved in any wrongdoing. 

In a post on X, Kejriwal said the government stood with those who lost their children in the fire incident in Vivek Vihar, and added the administration was ensuring proper treatment to the injured.

He said the reasons behind the fire were being probed and those found negligent will not be spared.

The officials of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said the blaze broke out at the  Baby Care New Born Hospital in Shahdara on Saturday night.

Twelve newborns were rescued from the medical facility but seven of them died, DFS chief Atul Garg said. Five babies are undergoing treatment at another hospital, he said. -- PTI 

Six people including a child were killed in a road accident near Karnataka's Hassan this morning, police said on Sunday.

 

The incident occurred when the car in which they were travelling, allegedly collided with a truck on National Highway 75.

 

The deceased include two women, three men and a child, police sources said.

 

All of them other than the driver, were said to be from the same family hailing from Chikkaballapura, they said, adding they were reportedly returning from Mangaluru.

 

The bodies have been shifted to hospital for further procedures.

 

Police have registered a case  and further investigations are on, they said. -- PTI 

The accident took place at around 11.30 pm on Saturday at the Verna Industrial Estate when the labourers, engaged in road construction work, were sleeping in the shanties, they said.

The bus driver has been arrested, the police said.

A labourer claimed the bus driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time and threatened the other labourers to kill them if they complained to anyone about the incident.

The bus carrying staff of a private company hit two shanties where labourers were sleeping, a police official said.

"Four labourers died on the spot while five were critically injured and admitted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital," he said.

The labourers were employed by a contractor, the police said. -- PTI

'Nisarganubhav-2024' was organised on May 23 and 24 on the occasion of Buddha Purnima (when there is enough light at night due to a full moon), the TATR said in a release on Saturday. 

Besides the forest department staff, 160 nature-lovers participated in the exercise. 

As many as 55 tigers, 17 leopards, 86 wild dogs, 65 sloth bears, 1,458 spotted deer, 488 sambhar and 559 Indian gaur were recorded in the core and buffer zones. 

At least 26 tigers and eight leopards were sighted in buffer areas, while 29 tigers and nine leopards were sighted in core areas, the release said. -- PTI

The agency's PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission consists of two shoebox-size cube satellites, or CubeSats, that will measure the amount of heat Earth radiates into space from two of the coldest, most remote regions on the planet. 

Data from the PREFIRE mission will help researchers better predict how Earth's ice, seas, and weather will change in a warming world.  

"NASA's innovative PREFIRE mission will fill a gap in our understanding of the Earth system -- providing our scientists a detailed picture of how Earth's polar regions influence how much energy our planet absorbs and releases," said Karen St Germain, director of NASA's Earth Science Division in Washington.  

"This will improve prediction of sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea level rise, creating a better understanding of how our planet's system will change in the coming years -- crucial information to farmers tracking changes in weather and water, fishing fleets working in changing seas, and coastal communities building resilience," he added.  

Ground controllers successfully established communications with the CubeSat at 8:48 EDT. 

The second PREFIRE CubeSat will set off on its own Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in the coming days. -- ANI

"I pray for the speedy recovery of other children injured in this incident," she said. At least seven newborns died due to a massive fire at a children's hospital in east Delhi's Vivek Vihar. 

"The news of death of many children due to fire in a hospital in Vivek Vihar, Delhi is heart-rending. May God give strength to the bereaved parents and relatives to bear this shock. I pray for the speedy recovery of other children injured in this incident," the president said in a post on X in Hindi. -- PTI

In view of the heatwave conditions likely in Akola, Collector Ajit Kumbhar on Saturday imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code till May 31, prohibiting public gathering. 

The collector in an order asked establishments to made adequate arrangements of drinking water and fans for workers and to change the timings of private coaching classes, saying they should not be held during the afternoon. 

Akola city, located in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, recorded the maximum temperature of 45.8 degrees Celsius on Friday and 45.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the season's highest temperature in the city this month, according to the IMD data. 

Mercury has been on the rise in many parts of the Vidarbha region since the past few days. 

The maximum temperature in Akola over the last few days ranged from more than 44 degrees Celsius to 45.8 degrees Celsius, as per the district administration. -- PTI

According to the police the incident happened under Khutar police station in Shahjahanpur district when a truck loaded with ballast stones hit the parked bus at a roadside dhaba and overturned on it, crushing the devotees to death.  

All the devotees traveling in the bus were residents of Jetha village located in Kamlapur police station area of Sitapur district.  

Ashok Kumar Meena, SP, Shahjahanpur said, "Around 11 pm, we got the information that in the Khutar PS area, a bus was parked, devotees who were going to Purnagiri were sitting inside the bus and some devotees were having food at a Dhaba. A truck lost control and turned turtle on top of the bus...total 11 people died and 10 were injured. All injured have been admitted to hospitals...". -- ANI                       

Visuals from the spot showed the chief minister and the home minister taking stock of the area along with their team.  

Security personnel have also been deployed at the Civil Hospital in Rajkot where those who were injured in yesterday's fire incident have been admitted.  -- ANI

"We received a call of fire at 2.35 am from Krishna Nagar. The fire was doused at 7.20 am. Total five fire tenders were rushed to the spot," Delhi Fire Services chief Atul Garg said. 

"A total of 13 people were rescued but three were declared dead," he said. -- PTI

He said that it is on priority to find the missing person.  

A total of 27 people lost their lives including children following the massive fire at the game zone in Rajkot on Saturday at around 4.30 pm.  

"Our first priority is that...as per the information we have, one person is still missing and it is our responsibility to look for the person. We are deploying maximum teams for that...," Sanghvi told reporters.  

Sanghvi also informed that all officials have been instructed to be present at the collector's office by 3 am and he will also be sitting in the collector's office.  

"A very sad incident took place at Rajkot, many family members lost their loved ones and many children have also died in the incident...SIT has been instructed to start the investigation by 3 am... all officials of those depts under which the responsibility of game zone construction lies, have been instructed to be present at the collector's office by 3 am today (Sunday). All types of investigations will begin today itself and soon action will be taken to serve justice. After doing the inspection here I will be sitting in Collector's office," Harsh Sanghvi said. -- ANI 

Delhi had recorded 60.52 percent voting in the 2019 general election when the BJP had swept all the seats, routing both AAP and Congress -- which have now joined hands to end the saffron party's dominance. 

"Despite the intense heat, 58.70 per cent (tentative) voter turnout was recorded," the office of the chief electoral officer said in a statement on Saturday night. 

According to the EC voter turnout app at 11.30 pm, the highest polling percentage of 62.87 percent was recorded in North East Delhi where sitting BJP MP Manoj Tiwari is pitted against Kanhaiya Kumar of Congress. 

The lowest turnout of 52.93 per cent was recorded in the New Delhi seat from where BJP's Bansuri Swaraj was contesting against INDIA bloc constituent AAP's Somnath Bharti. Chandni Chowk seat recorded 58.06 percent polling, East Delhi 57.83 percent, West Delhi 58.28 percent, North West Delhi 56.75 percent and South Delhi 55.15 percent. -- PTI

The turnout in the fifth phase was marginally higher at 62.20 percent. 

The Election Commission said the figures were approximate and would get updated. In the sixth phase, 58 seats in eight states and Union Territories went to polls on Saturday. 

In the 2019 general elections, the turnout in the corresponding phase (59 seats across seven states went to polls) was 64.4 percent. 

According to the EC, the voter turnout in the fifth phase held on May 20 was recorded at 62.2 percent. 

The turnout in the fourth phase stood at 69.16 percent, 3.65 percentage points higher than the corresponding phase in the 2019 parliamentary election. -- PTI

According to the Delhi fire department, a total of 12 children were rescued, out of which six have died, one is on the ventilator and five are admitted to the hospital.  

The rescued newborns have been shifted to East Delhi Advance NICU hospital.  

On information, police officials and firefighters reached the spot and doused the fire.  

Fire officer Rajesh, said, "At 11:32 pm, Fire Service Control Room received information that fire broke out at a hospital...total 16 fire tenders reached the spot and fire has been extinguished completely. 2 buildings were affected by the fire, one is the hospital building and 2 floors of a residential building on the right side also caught fire...11-12 people were rescued and they were taken to hospital. Further details will be shared later".  -- ANI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday chastised former Pakistan minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain after he called for the defeat of 'forces of hate and extremism' in the Lok Sabha elections, saying the polls are India's internal matter and it will not tolerate interference by the 'biggest sponsors of terrorism'.

In the sixth of the seven-phase elections, 58 parliamentary constituencies, including seven in Delhi, went to polls on Saturday.

After casting his vote, Kejriwal, who is the Aam Aadmi Party's national convenor, shared a picture on X of his family members showing fingers marked in ink and said he voted against 'dictatorship, inflation and unemployment'.

Sharing Kejriwal's post on X with the hashtags 'MorePower' and 'IndiaElection2024', Hussain said, 'May peace and harmony defeat forces of hate and extremism.'

Minutes after Hussain's post, Kejriwal hit back at him, saying his post was unnecessary.

'Chaudhry Sahib, the people of my country and I are fully capable of handling our issues. Your comment is not needed. The situation in Pakistan is very bad right now. You take care of your country,' Kejriwal said on X.

In another post, the chief minister said the elections are India's internal matter and the country will 'not tolerate interference by the biggest sponsors of terrorism'.

Responding to Kejriwal's posts, Hussain said, 'CM sb! Indeed electioneering is your own issue but hope you will appreciate extremism be it in Pakistan or India is a borderless phenomenon and dangerous for everyone be it BD (Bangladesh), India or Pak so everyone with some conscience must be concerned... (sic).'

'The situation in Pakistan is very far from ideal but individuals must strive for a better society wherever they are,' he said.

Hitting out at Kejriwal, the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that Pakistan has also jumped in support of the AAP leader's politics of corruption.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said his party has been saying that 'Kejriwal is hand in glove with the country's enemies'.

"Chaudhry Fawad Hussain is speaking now. He had also written a social media post on Kejriwal's release. Five phases of elections have already been conducted but no remarks were made, when polls are now being held in Delhi, the statement from Pakistan has come. This shows Kejriwal has the backing of Pakistan," Sachdeva told reporters.

On May 1,  Chaudhry -- infamous for boasting about Pakistan's hand in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack -- had posted on X excerpts from a speech by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with the caption 'Rahul on fire'.

This drew sharp criticism from BJP leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also slammed Gandhi and the Congress, saying Pakistan is desperate to make Gandhi the next prime minister.  -- PTI