India’s northeastern states continue to reel from severe flooding following heavy rainfall. At least 36 people have lost their lives, and more than 5.5 lakh have been affected, according to the latest updates. Assam has been the worst hit, while Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura have also suffered significant damage. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with the Governors and Chief Ministers of the affected states and has offered all possible assistance.
The COVID update
The number of active cases in India has now surged past 4,000. As of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, the figure stands at 4,026. In the last 24 hours, Gujarat recorded the sharpest increase with 59 new active cases, while Delhi saw the largest decline of 90.
Kannada comment row
Actor and politician Kamal Haasan has said his comments on Tamil and Kannada were “misunderstood” and “taken out of context.” Haasan has faced backlash for claiming that Kannada originated from Tamil. He has now clarified that his intention was to emphasise that Kannada and Tamil belong to the same family. Meanwhile, in a related matter, the Karnataka High Court observed that freedom of expression cannot be stretched to the point of hurting sentiments.
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Demand for Op Sindoor session
Leaders of 16 opposition parties have demanded a special session of Parliament on Operation Sindoor. The opposition parties from the INDIA bloc made this demand in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Modi following a meeting in Delhi. The meeting was attended by leaders from parties including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, RJD, Samajwadi Party, and Shiv Sena (UBT).
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TCS, Virgin extend partnership
India’s largest IT services company, TCS, has announced a seven-year extension of its partnership with Virgin Atlantic. Under the deal, TCS will modernise the airline’s core systems using AI-led solutions. The companies did not disclose financial details of the agreement, which expands a two-decade-long strategic partnership between them.
Indian equities slip
Indian equities continued to trade in the red on Tuesday. The Sensex slipped below 81,000 after some sharp losses, while the Nifty dropped to around 24,500.
