Politics
Uganda closes border with DRC in an effort to contain Ebola outbreak
Uganda closes border with DRC in an effort to contain Ebola outbreak
Uganda has closed its border with neighbouring DR Congo for four weeks in an effort to contain an Ebola outbreak. Authorities say at least seven cases, including one death, have been confirmed, while hundreds are being monitored.
Published On 28 May 2026
Politics
Indias delayed trainer aircraft gets critical engine boost
US firm Honeywell has overcome supply chain bottlenecks and delivered the first batch of engines for the overdue indigenous basic trainer aircraft—critical for the Indian Air Force—to Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.
Honeywell has delivered three TPE331-12B turboprop engines for the HTT-40 (Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40) aircraft being built at HAL, and assured the state-run firm of timely supplies, the officials said, asking not to be named.
HAL aims to fast-track aircraft deliveries as engine supplies stabilise, one of the officials said. The platform will serve as a stepping stone for pilots to develop critical flying skills.
The air force ordered 70 basic trainers for ₹6,838 crore three years ago to train its rookie pilots. Under the contract, HAL was supposed to supply 12 aircraft to the IAF in fiscal 2025-26, but it has not delivered a single plane yet because engines were unavailable.
Under a $100-million contract signed almost four years ago for supplying and manufacturing 88 TPE331-12B engines/kits, Honeywell was supposed to deliver the first engine in September 2025. The US firm will supply 16 units and HAL will build the rest through technology transfer.
The remaining engines are expected at the rate of two per month, said another official. Two series production HTT-40s are already flying with ‘Category B’ (used) TPE331-12B engines that powered the prototype aircraft.
A new manufacturing facility for the HTT-40s will help accelerate deliveries. Last October, defence minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated production lines for the LCA Mk-1 and the HTT-40 basic trainer in Nashik to meet the air force’s growing needs. HAL is now cable of producing 20 HTT-40s a year at its factories in Bengaluru and Nashik.
The tandem-seat HTT-40 has an air-conditioned cockpit, modern avionics, hot refueling cability (refuelling with the engine running on the ground), and zero-zero ejection seats (for safe ejection at low speeds and low heights). The HTT-40 currently has 56% local content, which will progressively increase to over 60% through further indigenisation of major components and subsystems.
Currently, ab initio (Stage-I) flying training for all rookie pilots is carried out on Swiss-origin Pilatus PC-7 MkII basic trainers. Stage-I training is common for all pilots after which trifurcation into fighter, transport and helicopter streams takes place.
Those selected for the fighter stream proceed to Stage-II training on PC-7 MkII and Kiran Mk-1A jet trainers and then Stage-III on the British-origin Hawk advanced jet trainers before they can fly supersonic fighter planes. Pilots from the other two streams carry out their Stage II and III training on different types of transport aircraft and helicopters.
Plans to buy more Pilatus PC-7 MkII trainers were hit in July 2019 after the defence ministry suspended business dealings with Pilatus Aircraft Limited for one year for violating a pre-contract integrity pact in a ₹2,900-crore deal for 75 basic trainers, and also factoring in Indian investigations against the firm for alleged corruption and irregularities. The contract with Pilatus included a clause for follow-on purchase of 38 more planes.
Politics
UFC fighting cage rises on White House lawn for US and Trump celebrations
The UFC bout at the White House marks the 250th anniversary of the US and President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
Published On 27 May 2026
Yet another White House construction project is under way in the United States, though this one is meant to be only temporary.
Crews are erecting an octagon-shed cage on the South Lawn that will host next month’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bout, marking the nation’s 250th anniversary and President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
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Online renderings depict what the completed, wire-mesh-fence-ringed fight space is expected to look like before the June 14 event. It will be ringed by a red, white and blue stage under a towering arch featuring stars-and-stripes patterns and two large screens showing the action live.
The cage and stage will themselves be surrounded by thousands of temporary seats, including ringside space for a full marching band that can set the entire scene to blaring music.
The project is part of a series of events celebrating the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence’s signing on July 4, 1776. Other planned functions include an IndyCar race that will pass by the White House and the Great American State Fair taking place on the National Mall.
Trump has said the finished UFC project will feature a 5,000-seat arena right outside the front door of the White House.
Additional large screens broadcasting the fights will be set up in a park at the nearby Ellipse, and the UFC has said it plans to issue as many as 85,000 free tickets to accommodate spectators at both locations.
I have never seen anybody want anything so much as people want those tickets, Trump said recently of demand to attend the UFC fight, adding, That’s gonna be something.
The card has been panned by fans online as underwhelming, featuring just two championship fights. Brazil’s Alex Pereira will meet France’s Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title. Then, Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria takes on interim champ Justin Gaethje, one of just two Americans who currently hold even a share of the UFC’s 11 championship belts.
The octagon and surrounding structures are the latest project in the White House building boom Trump is leading.
The president also wants to repaint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building beside the White House and build a 250-foot (76-metre) arch at the nearby Lincoln Memorial – the same monument where weigh-ins for the upcoming UFC fight are scheduled to take place, bout organisers say.
Politics
A serious country cant keep changing leaders – Tony Blair
Politics
Congress encouraged ED: Big CPI(M) claim after Vijayans home raided; Tharoor has a counter
CPI(M) MP John Brittas on Wednesday strongly condemned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid at the residence of former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and alleged that the ruling Congress in the state was “part and parcel of this game”.
In response, senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthuram MP Shashi Tharoor replied to Brittas on X, rejecting the claim and saying that Vijayan was given a “place of honour” during the swearing-in ceremony of the new chief minister, VD Satheesan.
The ED searched around 10 locations across Kerala under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Among them was Vijayan’s rented residence in Thiruvananthuram, officials told news agency PTI.
CPI(M)’s big charge at Congress over ED raids
Brittas alleged that the Congress government in Kerala had encouraged the ED to act against Vijayan.
Com Pinarayi n CPIM not be cowed down by these undemocratic tactics. CPIM fight back resolutely with the support of the people to defend democracy. It is clear that the Congress leadership actively encouraged the ED to target him, just as they did in the case of Arvind Kejriwal, he wrote in a post on X.
Speaking on the issue, Brittas said the party was not surprised by the developments. He compared the recent incident with the earlier ones in which central agencies had allegedly targeted the veteran leader and accused political rivals of coming together to weaken Vijayan through what he described as false cases.
Brittas told ANI, “We are not surprised. This is a clear demonstration of political vendetta. Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan has been haunted many times by central agencies. During the Emergency, he was thrashed, and there was an attempt to physically eliminate him.
Numerous cases have been falsely imposed on him. We must also underscore the fact that in this unfolding drama, the BJP is not alone; the Congress party is part and parcel of this game.
Shashi Tharoor has a counter
Replying directly to Brittas on X, Tharoor said there was “absolutely no evidence” to support the allegation against Congress.
He wrote, John, there is absolutely no evidence in support of your last sentence. @INCKerala has begun its governance in a spirit of conciliation, with the outgoing CM given a place of honour at the swearing-in. The new CM visited @pinarayivijayan’s home and paid his personal respects.
“Do you think he would connive at something like this? And from what you have seen of the Union government, do you really think they take their lead from any opposition party, in or out of the state government?
The action against Vijayan came a day after the Kerala high court dismissed a writ petition filed by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) seeking to cancel the ED proceedings in the case, allowing the agency to continue its investigation.
According to the ED’s case, registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in 2024, CMRL allegedly made an illegal payment of ₹1.72 crore to Vijayan’s daughter T Veena’s company, Exalogic Solutions, between 2017 and 2020, despite the IT firm allegedly not providing any services to the company.
With inputs from agencies
Politics
UN chief deeply concerned by Moscow plan for Kyiv strikes
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply concerned after Russia announced plans to strike Ukrainian defence sites and decision-making centres in Kyiv, one day after one of its heaviest bombardments of the city since the Russia-Ukraine war began.
Published On 27 May 2026
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