Houthis release video of close-range clash with Saudi-backed forces in desert

A political controversy has erupted over the transfer of a five-year-old elephant named Durga from Manas in Assam to the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Durga is among five captive elephants slated for relocation to temples across Tamil Nadu, including Tiruvannamalai, Nagapattinam, and Kanchipuram. Wildlife activists and netizens have raised serious concerns over the welfare of young elephants, alleging that mandatory scrutiny was bypassed. The issue has taken a political turn with Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi questioning the Assam government over permissions, ownership details, and age verification, warning against what he called a silent exodus of the state's elephants. The incident revives past disputes between the two states, including the contentious case of the elephant Joymala.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann chaired a review meeting with senior officials from the civil and police administrations regarding the ongoing war against drugs in the state. Emphasising a zero-tolerance policy, Mann directed authorities to take stricter action against drug peddlers, accelerate the confiscation of smugglers' properties, and granted the police force full operational freedom to break supply chains at the grassroots level. The review comes amid renewed focus on drug abuse following the Sangrur incident, with instructions issued to top police brass to intensify measures to safeguard Punjab's youth.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought a status report from the Punjab Police regarding the ongoing investigation into the suicide of Gulzar Singh. The direction came during the hearing of a public interest litigation seeking the transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Gulzar Singh, a resident of Tur Banjara village in the Dirba constituency, had died by suicide after raising concerns over drug abuse affecting his family and questioning Punjab Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. While a Special Investigation Team was earlier constituted by the state police to probe the matter, opposition parties have mounted sharp criticism against the Bhagwant Mann-led administration over the exclusion of the minister from the initial First Information Report. The High Court observed the need to ensure a proper investigation while seeking clarity on the progress made so far.

The US military has released newly declassified footage showing the dramatic rescue of Air Force weapons-systems officer DUDE 44 Bravo, whose F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down by an Iranian missile near Isfahan on April 2.