The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) state government in West Bengal has on Saturday written to the Indian Railways, urging the latter to make provisions to stop sending 'Shramik Special' trains to the state till May 26 in view of the recent destruction left behind by Cyclone 'Amphan'.

In the letter that West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha addressed to the Railway Board chairman VK Yadav, the former said that the state has been severely impacted by Super Cyclone Amphan on May 20-21 which caused extensive damage to the infrastructure.

All domestic flights are set to resume in India from May 25, i.e. Monday, the central government has informed as part of its graudal reboot of air travel services in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak.

According to sources, the very first domestic flight will be at 4:30 AM on Monday. It will take off from the Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. In the first phase, 28 domestic flights will take off from Delhi towards various destinations across India.

Chennai police on Saturday arrested DMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP RS Bharathi from his residence for his alleged 'derogatory remarks' against judges and people belonging to the scheduled castes (SC) community in a speech made in February this year. He was picked up by the polce2 from his residence.

The DMK leader was later in the day granted interim bail by Egmore court in Chennai.

The top intelligence agencies in the United States last week mulled over whether to conduct its first nuclear test since 1992, according to top news daily in the country.

The Washington Post revealed that a meeting took place between senior officials of national security agencies to discuss conducting a nuclear test following intelligence reports claiming that Russia and China are conducting low-yield nuclear tests.

After an official at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection a day prior, the environmental organisation's New Delhi office was sealed late last night. All staff members who came in contact with the person have been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.

At least 97 people have died while two survived after an aircraft belonging to the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crashed in a densely populated residential area near the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi yesterday.

According to Pakistani media reports, it has now been confirmed by Sindh health officials that 97 out of the 99 people on-board died in the crash, while two passengers survived. The 99 people aboard the flight PK8303, which was en route from Lahore to Karachi, included 91 passengers and eight crew members.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced interim assistance of Rs 1,500 crore for cyclone-hit West Bengal and Odisha after reviewing the situation caused by cyclone 'Amphan' that ripped through the coastal districts of two states and claimed at least 86 lives.

The cyclone that made landfall near West Bengal's Digha, ripped through the coastal districts of the two states and lay waste to standing crops in thousands of hectares, uprooted trees, blew off electric poles and communication towers.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of the economic package to deal with the COVID-19 crisis as a cruel joke on the country as 22 opposition parties accused the Central Government of unabashedly usurping powers of states and abandoning any pretence of being democratic.

Delhi on Friday recorded its highest temperature of the season as the mercury crossed 45 degrees Celsius-mark in Palam area, the India Meteorological Department said.

A heatwave swept parts of north India, including the national capital on Friday.

While the maximum temperature of 45.4℃ was recorded at Palam, the Safdarjung Observatory recorded a high of 43.8 degrees Celsius.

In good news to tipplers in Mumbai, the BMC has allowed home delivery of liquor via e-commerce platforms in the city as coronavirus-enforced lockdown guidelines have been relaxed by the municipal authorities.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued guidelines for sale of liquor in the city except in COVID-19 containment zones.

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