Nepal Flash Floods: Death Toll Crosses 1,000, India Sends 5th Aircraft & Sonu Sood Joins Relief

A BJP protest in Karnataka's Kalaburagi turned chaotic after former MLA Rajkumar Patil Telkur allegedly smashed a biker's helmet on the ground. The incident occurred in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office during an agitation demanding drought relief and inclusion of Sedam taluk in the drought-hit regions list. BJP workers engaged in a heated argument with the commuter who attempted to pass through the protest, and deflated the tyres of the two-wheeler. Police personnel intervened to control the situation and dispersed the crowd.

Indian benchmark indices witnessed selling pressure as escalating US-Iran tensions and surging crude oil prices rattled global and domestic investor sentiment. Brent crude surged past 96 dollars a barrel, stoking concerns over fuel costs, rising inflation, and widening import bills. The Nifty slipped amid losses in IT and automobile stocks, while Coal India bucked the market trend on the back of strong demand and Mahanadi Coalfields' proposed IPO. Market expert G. Chokalingam analyzed key factors constraining secondary market liquidity, including FII and retail funds shifting to the primary IPO market and monsoon deficits. The report also covered auto industry challenges, including cybersecurity risks and export logistics issues discussed by Maruti Suzuki MD Hisashi Takeuchi, alongside global updates on India-Russia LNG talks, proposed US visa policy changes under the Trump administration, and LIC CEO R. Doraiswami's insights on Gen Z investment trends.

The Ram Mandir Trust has initiated a major restructuring with the appointment of three new members to fill vacant trustee positions. The development follows key meetings held at Maniram Das Chavni in Ayodhya. Alongside the induction of the new members, deliberations are underway regarding the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer and a Public Relations Officer. The overhaul marks a significant administrative reshuffle for the trust, with formal announcements expected following a scheduled press conference.

India Today visited Betrawati town in Nepal’s Nuwakot district, one of the areas worst affected by the flash floods that swept across the Himalayan nation last week. In the aftermath, families who lost loved ones have been forced to perform the last rites without their mortal remains, as many victims remain untraceable. Betrawati has been reduced to a landscape of muck and rubble. Bodies were recovered from the rooftops of buildings, while one of the town’s bridges was washed away by the catastrophic floods. Several locals managed to survive by taking shelter on higher ground as floodwaters engulfed the area.