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Days after Rubio’s complaint, UN Climate Change official comments on extreme heat in India

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell

New Delhi, May 28: Days after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio complained of hot weather in Delhi during his visit, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell today said the extreme heat in India is a “reminder of the potential of homegrown clean energy and energy efficiency measures which could help provide cooling”.

In a statement, Stiell said the “main culprit” is the “worsening climate,largely driven by the world burning colossal amounts of coal, oil and gas”.

“Large parts of India are already experiencing a punishing summer of extreme heat, with severe human and economic impacts, and the main culprit is worsening climate change, largely driven by the world burning colossal amounts of coal, oil and gas,” the top UN official said.

“These are testing times for those living in homes without cooling or working long hours outdoors. These extremes drive home the importance of measures to adapt to climate impacts, globally,” he said.

Stiell said India has also seen record-breaking peak electricity demand in recent days and solar and other renewable energy sources have helped in meeting day-time peaks.

“India’s strong steps to ramp up solar power have been a benefit. Even so, we are likely to see an increase in heat extremes over India and around the world in the future, as the impacts of the climate crisis get worse,” he added.

“The heat extremes over India are a reminder of the potential of homegrown clean energy and energy efficiency measures which could help provide cooling to the most vulnerable, and more secure and affordable electricity to help power homes, businesses, vital health services and electric transport,” he said.

His suo motu statement came days after Rubio, during a visit to New Delhi last week, complained that “it is too hot” in the Indian national capital.

Rubio was here to attend the QUAD Foreign Ministerial meeting, comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia. (NVI)

Escalation in West Asia: US launches new attacks, Iran hits its base in Kuwait

Explosions
Explosions (File pic)

New Delhi, May 28: The US again escalated tensions in the West Asian region as it carried out fresh attacks on Iran which retaliated by hitting American military assets in the neighbouring Kuwait.

Earlier this morning, the US carried out, what it called, ‘defensive strikes’, hitting an alleged drone-launch facility of Iran in Bandar Abbas.

The US forces also claimed to have shot down four Iranian drones in the Strait of Hormuz.

Soon after, Iranian military said it attacked US military base in Kuwait and warned that “aggression would not go unpunished”.

The US strikes came hours after President Donald Trump said Iran is “negotiating on fumes”.

He also insisted that the midterm elections in the US in November won’t make him rush into a deal to end the nearly three-month-old conflict that’s caused immense economic problems around the world, particularly due to the energy flow disruptions.

Trump has been desperately seeking reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, over which Iran has put a stronghold after the US and Israel launched the war on February 28.

The Strait is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about a fifth of the global oil and natural gas transits.

On the ongoing indirect negotiations with Iran to end the war, Trump acknowledged there’s still work to do.

“They (Iran) want very much to make a deal.. So far, they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be — either that or we’ll have to just finish the job,” the US president said.

Supreme Court gives relief to Amazon, sets aside penalty of Rs 202 crore

New Delhi, May 27: In a major legal victory for Amazon, the Supreme Court of India has set aside the imposition of penalty of ₹202 crore on it by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in connection with its investment in Future Coupons Private Limited.

The court also directed that any amount already recovered or deposited by Amazon must be refunded within eight weeks.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta delivered the ruling while hearing Amazon’s appeal against the penalty imposed by the competition watchdog.

The case revolved around Amazon’s 2019 investment in Future Coupons, a promoter entity linked to Future Retail. The CCI had accused Amazon of allegedly suppressing material information while seeking regulatory approval for the transaction.

Background Of The Dispute

The controversy dates back to December 2021, when the CCI suspended its earlier approval granted to Amazon’s investment deal and imposed a penalty of around ₹200 crore on the company.

The regulator claimed Amazon had failed to fully disclose the strategic objectives and commercial intentions behind the transaction, particularly its broader interest in Future Retail.

Later, in June 2022, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) upheld the CCI’s decision and supported the penalty imposed on Amazon under the Competition Act, 2002.

CCI Alleged Non-Disclosure By Amazon

During the proceedings, the CCI argued that Amazon did not provide complete information regarding the actual scope and purpose of the investment.

The regulator alleged that Amazon concealed aspects of its strategic plans involving Future Retail and failed to transparently disclose all commercial objectives tied to the transaction.

The Future Group also reportedly supported the regulator’s argument, claiming that important details about the rationale behind the deal had not been fully revealed before approval was granted.

Amazon Maintained It Shared All Relevant Information

Amazon consistently denied the allegations and maintained that it had submitted all necessary documents and disclosures to the competition regulator during the approval process.

The company argued that the transaction complied with regulatory requirements and challenged both the CCI order and the NCLAT ruling before the Supreme Court.

With the latest judgment, the Supreme Court has now overturned the penalty and provided significant relief to Amazon in one of India’s most high-profile corporate legal disputes involving foreign investment and competition law.

Major Boost For Amazon Amid Long-Running Legal Battle

The ruling marks an important development in the prolonged legal and regulatory battle surrounding Amazon and the Future Group transaction, which has been closely watched by India’s corporate and retail sectors.

Legal experts believe the judgment could also influence how disclosure requirements and competition approvals are interpreted in future cross-border investment deals in India.

Operation of train using Hydrogen fuel set to start in India

Train which runs on Hydrogen fuel

New Delhi, May 27: A train, using Hydrogen as fuel, is all set to commence operations in India, marking a step towards green and sustainable transportation.

Indian Railways has approved the introduction of a 10-car Hydrogen Fuel Cell-based trainset on the dedicated Jind-Sonipat section of Northern Railway shortly.

The train is all set to start soon and will operate at a maximum speed of 75 kmph, powered by a 1200 KW hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology generates electricity through a chemical reaction using hydrogen, with water vapour as the only emission, making it a clean alternative to conventional fossil fuel-based traction systems.

Hydrogen-based rail systems are increasingly being recognised globally as a promising solution for sustainable mobility. With this initiative, India joins a select group of countries such as Germany, Japan, China and the United States that are exploring the use of hydrogen for cleaner rail transportation.

Hydrogen Fuel Technology:

As the technology is still at a nascent stage, only a limited number of countries are currently operating or testing such systems.

The Jind-Sonipat section in Haryana has been identified as the pilot route for these operations. An indigenous hydrogen storage and refuelling facility has been set up at Jind for the train-set. The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) has granted the required licence for storage and dispensing of compressed hydrogen gas at the site.

A hydrogen compression system has been provided for refuelling operations, along with necessary technical support and critical spares to ensure reliable and fail-safe functioning. Provision of a standby compressor unit is also being ensured.

Various safety sensors, including hydrogen leak detectors and flame detectors installed at the hydrogen production, storage and dispensing facility, will be regularly inspected and cleaned to prevent dust accumulation and ensure safe operation.

Operation and Maintenance:

Operation and maintenance manuals for the hydrogen train-set and hydrogen plant, duly approved by RDSO, are also being made available. Necessary safety provisions, regular audits and standard operating procedures are being ensured for the proposed maintenance facility at Shakurbasti.

The approval also mandates comprehensive safety and operational protocols, including 24×7 monitoring of the hydrogen refuelling system, deployment of trained and certified personnel for critical operations, and regular inspection and maintenance schedules. During the initial phase of operations, trained technical staff will accompany the train to ensure smooth functioning.

The project reflects Indian Railways’ broader commitment to innovation, energy efficiency and environmentally sustainable transportation and supports India’s national clean energy and net-zero carbon emission goals.

HCLTech launches platform for core finance using Google Gemini

Noida, India, May 27: — Leading global technology company HCLTech today announced the launch of an autonomous finance platform that transforms core finance and accounting operations using Gemini Enterprise.

The new platform is designed to enable finance processes to operate with a high degree of autonomy and intelligence, while integrating seamlessly with existing technology systems, the company said.

Unlike traditional automation and isolated AI use cases, the platform orchestrates end-to-end finance processes autonomously — executing, learning and continuously optimizing workflows across Invoice-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) and Record-to-Report.

This approach enables faster execution, improved control and measurable business outcomes for enterprise finance organizations.

This enterprise-grade platform brings together Google’s Gemini Enterprise AI stack and secure cloud infrastructure with HCLTech’s deep finance domain expertise, engineering capabilities and operations experience.

The Autonomous Finance platform leverages HCLTech’s Industry AI Solutions, which brings domain-trained AI solutions tailored to specific industry and enterprise functions.

The new platform is scalable, secure and designed for real-world finance operations, while accelerating time-to-value for global enterprises.

“ERP and SaaS platforms digitized finance, but they did not fundamentally change how work gets done,” said Upjit Ghuman, Executive Vice President and Global Head of BPO, HCLTech.

“Our platform introduces an Agentic AI fabric that operates on top of customers’ existing IT systems, enabling finance processes to run largely autonomously. By significantly reducing manual intervention, CFOs and finance teams can focus on judgment-driven, strategic and value-creating work,” he said.

“HCLTech’s AI strategy is about taking AI from experimentation to enterprise scale,” said Vijay Guntur, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Ecosystems at HCLTech.

“This collaboration with Agent Platform is a strong step forward in that direction — bringing together advanced AI capabilities and real-world enterprise depth to create solutions that can be deployed with confidence across core business functions.”

“Gemini Enterprise and Google’s AI stack are built to handle the complex orchestration required by the world’s largest enterprises,” said Kevin Ichhpurani, President, Global Partner Ecosystem at Google Cloud.

“Built on this foundation, HCLTech’s finance platform combines deep domain understanding with proven engineering excellence to transform core business functions into autonomous, agent-led operations.”

About HCLTech

HCLTech is a global technology company, home to more than 227,000 people across 60 countries, delivering industry-leading capabilities centered around AI, digital, engineering, cloud and software, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products.

Ends

India, Cyprus elevate defence ties; signal to Turkey

PM Narendra Modi and Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi.

New Delhi, May 27: Turkey, which helped Pakistan militarily during last year’s ‘Operation Sindoor’, must be perturbed as its arch-rival Cyprus has just elevated its strategic relations with India and would be receiving defence equipment.

President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides was in New Delhi on a visit during which he held extensive talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after which the two countries elevated their bilateral relations to Strategic Partnership.

This upgrade involves five-year defence roadmap and several pacts covering security, trade and connectivity.

The Roadmap for Bilateral Defence Cooperation (2026–2031) between the two countries provides an institutional framework for promoting defence industrial cooperation and technology partnership, while facilitating exchanges, training and capacity building.

Cyprus has expressed keen interest in India’s defence systems like BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and kamikaze drones like Nagastra-1 and Skystriker.

These systems demonstrated their prowess during the brief 5-day military conflict between India and Pakistan in May last year after Pakistani terrorists carried out ghastly terror attack in Pahalgam in Kashmir in April.

If these systems are supplied to Cyprus, it would mark the first deployment of Indian-made weapons systems in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

THE TURKEY ANGLE

These initiatives may seem to be normal but there is a clear geopolitical signal to Turkey, which helped Pakistan militarily by providing drones during the conflict with India last year.

Turkey, otherwise also, has been maintained anti-India posturing and actions for long, mainly at the behest of Pakistan.

Similar to India-Pakistan relations, Turkey and Cyprus have deep animosity towards each other.

Turkey has occupied northern Cyprus since 1974 and maintains ongoing disputes with it over maritime boundaries and energy resources.

India and Cyprus’s strategic relationship, therefore, serves as a counterweight to the developments in the Middle East.

By strengthening ties with Cyprus, a democratic EU member in the Eastern Mediterranean, New Delhi has diversified its partnerships and reinforced a network of countries wary of radical extremism and the growing influence of the Sunni Pak-Saudi-Turkey axis.

Cyprus’s alignment with Greece further integrates this new relationship into broader Mediterranean dynamics.

Greece and Cyprus already coordinate closely on defence, maritime security and energy issues.

Jammu and Kashmir: Search for terrorists in Rajouri forests continues on 5th day

security forces
Representative pic

Jammu, May 27: For the 5th straight day today, security forces continued to hunt for a group of terrorists who have been hiding in dense forests of Rajouri in Jammu region, after briefly exchanging fire on May 23.

The forces have laid an intense cordon around the suspected areas to prevent the terrorists from fleeing.

Alongside, soldiers on the ground, with the assistance of sniffer dogs, and drones in the sky have been scanning the densely-forested area.

The terrorists were intercepted briefly on Saturday last in Dorimal-Gambhir Moghla area when the security forces initiated the ‘Operation Sheruwali’ following intelligence inputs.

There was a brief exchange of fire after which the terrorists disappeared in the dense woods, according to officials.

However, the exact number of terrorists is not known.

Indian Defence Ministry issues Request for Proposal for 5th Generation fight planes

Rafale fighter plane
Fighter Plane (representative pic)

New Delhi, May 27: In a major Defence-related development, the Government of India today took a crucial step towards acquisition of indigenous 5th Generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) for the Air Force.

The Defence Ministry issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the acquiring the fighter planes to three shortlisted bidders — Larsen and Toubro-Bharat Electronics Limited, Tata Advanced Systems, and Bharat Forge-BEML.

The move is aimed at strengthening indigenous defence capabilities.

The AMCA Programme Execution Model was approved last year by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Under the plan, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will manage the programme through partnerships with the industry.

The execution model offers competitive opportunities to both private and public sector entities.

The AMCA programme has a total estimated cost of around Rs 15,000 crore, with the Core Integration & Flight Testing Centre, a division of the ADA affiliated with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), costing approximately Rs 2,000 crore.

A few days back, on May 15, Rajnath Singh along with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stones for the Core Integration & Flight Testing Centre at Puttaparthi to accelerate development of the fifth-generation AMCA and other future indigenous platforms.

“Puttaparthi is set to join the exclusive league of global destinations from which a fifth-generation aircraft will take to the skies. It will become the birthplace of an aircraft capable of annihilating the enemy in the blink of an eye,” Singh said.

Additionally, a full-scale model of India’s first 5.5-generation stealth aircraft, the AMCA, was displayed with advanced features at the India Pavilion during Aero India 2025 in February 2025.

Designed by ADA for the Indian Air Force, the AMCA incorporates artificial intelligence, which ADA says will enhance development progress and operational capabilities, establishing the aircraft among the most advanced fifth-generation fighters in service today.

J-K administration begins preparations for Kheer Bhawani Mela

Review meeting on Kheer Bhawani mela
J&K Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants) J-K, Dr Arvind Karwani with officials to review arrangements for upcoming annual Kheer Bhawani Yatra

Jammu, May 26 (NVI) : Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants) J-K, Dr Arvind Karwani, on Tuesday reviewed arrangements for the annual Kheer Bhawani Yatra scheduled to be held on June 22 on the occasion of Jyeshta Ashtami.

The meeting discussed arrangements for the smooth conduct of the mela at various shrines, including Mata Kheer Bhawani at Tulmulla in Ganderbal district, Tikker in Kupwara, Khanabari Devsar and Manzgam in Kulgam district, and Logripora in Pahalgam, officials said.

Deputy Commissioner Relief, Assistant Commissioners Relief, Chief Accounts Officer, zonal officers, camp commandants, camp incharges from the Kashmir Valley, and representatives of social and religious organisations associated with the yatra attended the meeting.

Representatives raised issues related to transportation, boarding and lodging facilities, water and electricity supply, sanitation, installation of tents, availability of essential commodities and blankets, medical facilities, deployment of fire tenders, repair of roads and lanes, cultural programmes and security arrangements, they said.

Karwani stressed the importance of the Kheer Bhawani festival, especially for the Kashmiri Pandit community, and said all necessary arrangements would be ensured in coordination with the district and divisional administrations.

He directed senior officers of the Relief Organisation to visit the yatra sites in Ganderbal, Anantnag, Kulgam and Kupwara districts to assess the ground requirements and coordinate with the concerned departments and organisations for timely arrangements, officials added.(NVI)

Woman Labourer Killed, 10 Injured After Under-Construction Culvert Collapses in Doda

REpresentational Image

Jammu, May 26 (NVI): A woman labourer was killed and 10 others were critically injured after an under-construction culvert collapsed in the Ghill Nala area of Bhalessa in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Tuesday, officials said.

The incident occurred during construction work at the site, trapping several labourers under the debris, they said.

Soon after the collapse, rescue teams and local residents launched an operation and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital. Due to the severity of their injuries, all 10 injured labourers were later referred to Government Medical College (GMC) Doda for specialised treatment, officials said.

The deceased woman and all the injured labourers are residents of Bihar, they added.

Police have taken cognisance of the incident and further investigation is underway.(NVI)

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