Odisha Congress MLA Mangu Khila and 36 others narrowly escaped a tragedy after the rear tyre of the bus they were travelling on caught fire during its journey from Bhubaneswar to Nabarangpur, police said.. Police said no injuries were reported, with the driver’s quick response and the alertness of passengers playing a key role in ensuring everyone got out safely. (Representative Image/Raju Shinde/Hindustan Times). The incident occurred near Ramabhadrapuram in Andhra Pradesh, according to PTI news agency.. All passengers and crew members were safely evacuated before the vehicle was completely gutted in the blaze, Khila was quoted as saying while speaking to reporters.. Police said no injuries were reported, with the driver’s quick response and the alertness of passengers playing a key role in ensuring everyone got out safely.. Fire services personnel and local authorities reached the spot and brought the fire under control, though the bus could not be saved.. Also Read | ‘Not the same’: Delhi’s Uttam Nagar residents bring in Eid with bated breath amid heightened security. MLA evacuated. Khila, the MLA from the Chitrakonda assembly segment in Malkangiri district, said, “The bus caught fire when all the passengers, including me, were in deep sleep.. The driver’s presence of mind saved all. He stopped the bus, opened all the windows and awakened all the passengers.”. “A major tragedy was averted. I had boarded the bus at Rasulgarh bus stand in Bhubaneswar and was going to Malkangiri,” he said, adding that another bus later picked up the passengers to continue the journey.. Police have launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.. Also Read | 6 killed, 9 injured as sleeper bus rams trailer on Rajasthan highway. Bus accident in Rajasthan kills 2 minors. At least six people, including two minors, were killed and nine others injured on Friday afternoon after a sleeper bus collided with a trailer near Sarwardi village on a national highway in Rajasthan’s Balotra district, police said.. Balotra Superintendent of Police Ramesh said six people died on the spot, while the critically injured have been referred to an advanced treatment centre.. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Ashok Kumar said the accident occurred around 4 pm when the bus, travelling from Jodhpur to Sanchore, collided with a trailer approaching from the opposite direction towards Jodhpur. The crash took place as the bus driver attempted to overtake two vehicles ahead and struck the trailer on the driver’s side, he added. 

 The Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026—expected to be tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday—fixes the number of IPS officers on deputation across various levels in the CAPF and introduces a unified law with a single framework for all five CAPFs. The government notes in the bill that IPS officers are essential for effective functioning and coordination between the Centre and States. (CISF | Official X account). This development occurs despite protests from CAPF associations, which have opposed the long-standing practice of deputing IPS officers to senior positions. The associations had petitioned the Supreme Court, which on May 23, 2025, directed the government to “progressively reduce” the deployment of IPS officers up to the rank of inspector generals in CAPFs. However, the government argued in the bill that IPS officers are essential for smooth operations and coordination between the Centre and States. “Central Armed Police Forces carry out national security duties in close collaboration with State authorities; to preserve Centre-State relations and ensure tight coordination between the Union and the States, Indian Police Service officers are vital for the effective performance of these forces,” stated the bill’s statement of objects and reasons. Also Read: Centre to deploy 480 CAPF companies for West Bengal assembly elections. The draft bill, which formalizes the deputation of IPS officers, requires that 67% of Additional Director General (ADG) posts be filled by IPS officers on deputation, 50% at the Inspector General (IG) level, and 100% at the Special Director General (SDG) and Director General (DG) ranks. “In case of any inconsistency between any rule made under this Act with any other rule or Order, whether made or issued before or after the commencement of this Act, the rules made under this Act shall prevail,” the draft bill states. On Friday, members of the Alliance of All Ex Paramilitary Forces Welfare Association held a press conference, calling for the draft bill to be referred to the Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs for consultation. HR Singh, a former CRPF Additional Director General (ADG) who was a cadre officer and alliance member, said, “If the government has decided to introduce a bill to circumvent the Supreme Court judgment, that bill should at least be sent to the Parliamentary Committee.” Input from all stakeholders should be gathered. Retired CAPF officers contend that career stagnation and the induction of external IPS officers result in very few non-IPS officers attaining the Additional Director General (ADG) rank in CAPFs. For instance, all four ADG positions in BSF that are sanctioned are occupied by IPS officers from the 1995-97 batches. The most senior BSF cadre officer, from the 1987 batch, remains an IG. In the ITBP, none of the three ADG positions are occupied by CAPF cadre officers. 

 India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) released a strong “fake news alert” in response to a widely shared social media claim alleging that the US had requested India’s approval to use its land for military strikes on Iran. The clarification was issued through the MEA’s official fact-check account on the social media platform X. India’s Ministry of External Affairs refuted a viral claim that the US had requested permission to conduct military operations against Iran from Indian soil. (Representative image. Photo by WAKIL KOHSAR / AFP). The viral claim stemmed from a journalist who claimed that the US was considering using western India under the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) framework to support a military asset. The post also speculated on a potential offshore deployment close to the Konkan coast, connecting it to the current Iran-US conflict. ALSO READ | Indian Israeli drone manufacturing centre in Delhi attacked? Fact-check performed on viral claim. The MEA rejected the claims, stating that no such development has occurred. Waarschuwing: nepnieuws! 

 The atmosphere in the narrow lanes of Hastsal village in Uttam Nagar feels heavy ahead of Eid on Saturday, lacking the area’s typical festive buzz. Only weeks after a Holi clash that resulted in the murder of 26-year-old Tarun Kumar, residents described an uneasy calm in the area, maintained by a strong police presence. Amid heavy policing and muted festivities, people in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar voiced sorrow over the changed mood during Eid. (PTI) Vaishali Kumar, 18, was standing outside her house selling sevvaiyyan, the thin vermicelli associated with Eid-ul-Fitr. “It’s very unfortunate what happened.” Each year, my parents sell sevvaiyyan worth ₹10,000 daily in the lead-up to Eid. This year, our daily sales have been approximately ₹3,500. “People from surrounding areas are avoiding this market due to fear,” she said. For 103-year-old Rabia Khanam, Eid has always meant the scent of sevvaiyyan drifting through the streets, lively markets with mehendiwallahs, and the hectic bustle of shoppers rushing for new clothes. ALSO READ | Eid Mubarak 2026: 300+ Chand Mubarak wishes, images, WhatsApp status, GIFs, greetings to share on Eid ul-Fitr. “There’s so much excitement usually… But this year, it’s just not the same,” she said, sitting inside her home in a neighborhood where tension has persisted since the March 4 clash that killed Kumar. The incident sparking the tension occurred on March 4, when an 11-year-old girl threw a water balloon from her terrace, striking a Muslim woman. This sparked a clash between the two families that escalated into a brawl, injuring at least eight people. Taran Kumar, 26, died from his injuries a few days later. 

 New Delhi: An Indian national was killed in missile and drone attacks on the Saudi Arabian capital, the external affairs ministry said on Friday, with the total number of Indian deaths in the West Asia conflict rising to six even as missions continue to take steps to ensure the security of 10 million citizens living across the region.. The Indian government is actively working to ensure the safety of its citizens in the region, amid ongoing missile and drone attacks. (Photo by RAJ K RAJ / Hindustan Times) (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO). The Indian national died in Riyadh on Wednesday, the first Indian fatality reported in Saudi Arabia. Two Indians were killed in an attack on an industrial area in Oman on February 13, and three seafarers died in attacks on merchant vessels in the days of the conflict, while one more citizen was reported missing.. “Late [on Thursday] night, we received information regarding the tragic demise of an Indian national during an attack in Riyadh on March 18. We express our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased,” Aseem Mahajan, secretary (Gulf) in the external affairs ministry, told a media briefing.. ALSO READ | First Indian fatality in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh as West Asia death toll hits 6. The Indian embassy in Riyadh is in touch with his family and is coordinating with local authorities for the early return of the body, Mahajan said. Further details were not available and people familiar with the matter said the Indian was killed during Iran’s missile and drone strikes on Riyadh.. Dozens of Indians, including workers and seafarers, have been injured in attacks in several Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and Iraq.. The Indian government has focused on the safety and security of 10 million Indian nationals living in West Asian countries during its outreach to the leadership of these states in recent days.. ALSO READ | 1 more Indian killed amid US-Iran war, Riyadh death takes toll to 6. Mahajan said 15 Indian crew members of the US-owned oil tanker Safesea Vishnu, which was recently attacked near Basra, Iraq, were set to return to the country via Saudi Arabia. An Indian seafarer of the same vessel was killed, and Mahajan said steps are being taken to transport his body to the country. A total of 300,000 people have returned to India from West Asia since the start of the conflict on February 28.. Airlines in the UAE operated 90 flights to India on Friday, and there were also flights from Oman and Saudi Arabia. With Qatar’s airspace partially open, Qatar Airways operated 10 non-scheduled commercial flights, while Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways operated its first special non-scheduled commercial flight to India from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Qaisumah international airport on Friday.. Indian officials have helped Indians in Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq, where the airspace remains closed, to cross over to Saudi Arabia to take flights.. ALSO READ | Embassy in Riyadh, air base in Bahrain: