Watch: PM Modi meets all-party delegation, Congress decides to redo caste survey in Karnataka, Austria declares national mourning after deadly shooting & more
Here are the top headlines of the day.
PM Modi meets members of all-party delegations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted members of the various delegations who travelled to various countries to highlight India's stand against Pakistan-linked terrorism following Operation Sindoor today.
The delegation members talked about their meetings in different nations. Four delegations were led by MPs of the ruling alliance, while three were led by opposition MPs. BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad and Baijyant Panda, Congress' Shashi Tharoor, JD(U)'s Sanjay Jha, Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde, DMK's Kanimozhi, and NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule led respective delegations to different parts of the world.
The government sent these multi-party delegations to portray a message of national unity in the fight against terrorism, with the likes of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi joining the ruling alliance members in championing the Indian cause abroad.
Congress decides to re-enumerate caste data in Karnataka to address concerns
The Congress top brass has decided to hold re-enumeration of caste data in Karnataka to address concerns of some communities who complained of being left out of the survey that was conducted 10 years ago.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting of the party's leaders. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar were among those present at the meeting.
Further scientific studies needed to validate Keeladi excavation findings: Union Culture Minister
Commenting on a recent controversy in which the ASI asked an archaeologist to resubmit his report on the Keezhadi excavation site, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said that the reports are not technically well supported. Further scientific studies are required to validate the findings, he said. The Minister also said, 'Let archaeologists, historians, and technical experts discuss this, instead of politicians.'
The report was submitted to the ASI by archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna, who headed two phases of excavations and unearthed an ancient civilisation in Keeladi in Sivaganga. The ASI asked Ramakrishna to resubmit his report after making corrections to make it 'more authentic' and for taking further action.
Authorities issue oil spill advisory as fire continue to rock Singapore-flagged ship
Authorities issued an oil spill advisory as a fire on a Singapore-flagged vessel off the Kerala coast continued unabated. So far, 18 crew members were recovered from MV Wan Hai 503 and brought to Mangaluru late on Monday, and four are unaccounted for.
The vessel caught fire on Monday, and more than 24 hours later, flames were reported from the mid-ship area and container bay just ahead of the accommodation block, Indian Coast Guard officials said. The Indian Coast Guard is carrying out firefighting and boundary cooling operations at sea to prevent the flames from spreading further.
Meanwhile, former Shipping Secretary K. Mohandas, told the main challenge involved in salvaging the ship and the dangerous cargo onboard was the report of the ship listing around 10-15 degrees on one side. A senior Union Shipping Ministry source told The Hindu that the future of the ship would be known only after dousing the fire. As per the cargo manifest released by the Kerala government, 157 containers carry highly dangerous goods.
A former student opens fire at an Austrian school, killing 9 before taking his own life
A former student opened fire at a school in Graz, Austria's second-biggest city, killing nine people and wounding at least 12 others before taking his own life, authorities said. There was no immediate information on the motive of the 21-year-old man, who had no previous police record. He used two weapons, which he was believed to have owned legally, police said. Police believe he acted alone. His name wasn't released.
'Today is a dark day in the history of our country,' Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker told reporters in Graz, a city of about 3,00,000 people in southeastern Austria. He called it 'a national tragedy that shocks us deeply' and said there would be three days of national mourning. A national minute of silence is to be held on Wednesday morning in memory of the victims.
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Manhattan's progressive man
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BJP bringing up Katchatheevu issue to divert attention from Centre's failure to secure T.N. fishermen's rights: TNCC chief
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