In a tragic incident, two persons died and three others sustained injuries in an explosion at a private firecracker manufacturing unit in Vadakarai, near Kariapatti in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district, on Wednesday.

The explosion occurred at Yuvaraj Fireworks, a licensed unit owned by Raja Chandrasekar, when a group of workers was reportedly engaged in chemical-related operations. The blast, which sent shockwaves through the locality, triggered a fire that rapidly engulfed parts of the unit.

The Ministry of Railways announced on Wednesday that with effect from July 1, Tatkal tickets booked through IRCTC’s official website and mobile app will be available only to users authenticated with Aadhaar.

Further, Aadhaar-based OTP authentication will become mandatory for Tatkal bookings made online starting July 15.

Tatkal tickets booked at computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters and through authorised agents will require OTP authentication sent to the mobile number provided by the user at the time of booking. This provision will also come into effect from July 15.

In a disturbing trend of murders in the city in the last three days, two persons were critically injured in a late-night firing in the Mainpura locality of Patna on Tuesday night, officials confirmed. One of them, Raja Kumar, succumbed to his gunshot wounds during treatment on Wednesday morning.

The incident occurred at around 11:45 PM on Tuesday, prompting an immediate response from local residents who alerted the Patliputra police station. Sources have said that two persons executed the crime.

SDPO (Law & Order), Patna, Nitish Chandra Dharia, confirmed the details of the incident and the police response.

Investors in the Gensol Engineering Limited (GEL) have suffered a massive loss to the tune of nearly Rs 4,000 crore as the stock of the fraud-hit company sank by more than 95 per cent.

Gensol Engineering's stock closed 2 per cent down at Rs 51.42 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday. The stock has slipped 95.42 per cent from its all-time high.

In April, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) took strict action against Gensol’s top promoters, Anmol Singh Jaggi and Puneet Singh Jaggi. The capital markets regulator barred both from accessing the securities market and from holding key management roles.

DAV College, Sector-10, Chandigarh proudly unveiled its Prospectus for the academic session 2025–26. The occasion was marked by the esteemed presence of Sh. Shiv Raman Gaur, Director, Higher Education, DAV College Managing Committee,who officially released the prospectus. Dr. Mona Narang, Principal of DAV College and Dr Ghanshyam Dev, Registrar, DAV College Chandigarh  also graced the occasion with their presence.
Sh. Shiv Raman Gaur highlighted the college’s rich legacy, illustrious alumni, and innovative teaching practices that have made it one of the premier institutions in North India. He expressed confidence that the newly released prospectus would guide aspiring students towards making informed educational choices.

Before returning to Srinagar on the Vande Bharat train on Wednesday, former Chief Minister and ruling National Conference (NC) President, Dr Farooq Abdullah paid obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Reasi district.

Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Dr Farooq said, “I had a great 'darshan' and I am hopeful that all our prayers for peace, progress and brotherhood at the shrine will be answered so that we can move forward and our country also marches ahead and we become part of its development trajectory.”

On Tuesday, the 87-year-old NC President took his maiden ride from Srinagar to Katra town on the Vande Bharat train, which connects Kashmir to the rest of the country.

Dr Farooq stayed at the sanctum sanctorum of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine overnight and took part in special prayers there.

He was accompanied by his grandsons, Zamir and Zahid.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief, Lalu Prasad Yadav turned 78 on Wednesday, and the celebration was nothing short of grand.

In a symbolic gesture of strength and festivity, Lalu Yadav cut a 78-pound cake with a sword, surrounded by his entire family, including elder daughter Misa Bharti and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav.

A massive crowd of RJD supporters gathered at his residence in Patna, with tremendous enthusiasm and fanfare marking the day.

The event wasn't just a birthday party — it became a political and social message.

The RJD has declared June 11 as 'Social Justice and Goodwill Day', transforming the occasion into a statewide celebration of Lalu Yadav’s ideological legacy.

In line with Lalu Yadav’s long-standing advocacy for the marginalised, RJD workers across all districts of Bihar and in other parts of the country organised activities such as food distribution, distribution of reading material to children, tree plantation drives, community outreach among Dalits, Mahadalits, deprived and minority groups.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) was conducting raids at locations linked to four Congress leaders and others in connection with the Maharshi Valmiki Tribal Welfare Board Scam in Ballary district and Bengaluru on Wednesday.

A team of 60 officers attached to the ED has been conducting simultaneous raids in eight locations, five in Ballary and three in Bengaluru city, since early this morning, sources stated.

According to ED sources, raids are currently underway at the residences and offices of Congress Ballary MP E. Tukaram and Congress MLAs Na. Ra. Bharath Reddy, J.N. Ganesh aka Kampli Ganesh and N. T. Srinivas.

Sources further stated that raids are also being conducted at the Bengaluru office of former Minister and Congress MLA Nagendra.

With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning that daytime temperatures in Delhi may soar to 45 degrees Celsius, the Health Ministry on Wednesday urged people to stay indoors during peak hours, and to drink safe fluids.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for the national capital on Wednesday.

The IMD has warned that daytime temperatures in Delhi could reach as high as 45 degrees Celsius, with night-time lows hovering around 29 degrees Celsius. The ongoing weather conditions are part of a prolonged heatwave affecting large parts of northwestern India.

"Extreme heat can be risky. Stay indoors during peak hours, eat lower-calorie food, drink safe fluids, and never leave kids or pets in parked cars,” the Health Ministry, said in a post on social media platform X.

The makers of “Panchayat” have unveiled the trailer of the fourth season of the show, which was earlier scheduled to drop on July 2, and also announced that it will now launch on June 24 on Prime Video.

The trailer for the latest season offers a glimpse into the war brewing between two spirited frontrunners Manju Devi and Kranti Devi.

Neena Gupta, who plays Manju Devi, said: "Portraying Manju Devi has been deeply fulfilling, especially as she’s grown into one of the most loved and relatable characters on screen today. Across seasons, it’s been exciting to watch her journey from a hesitant pradhan to a confident voice in Phulera’s affairs.

As both camps race to outshine and out-scheme the other, Phulera transforms into a carnival of chaos. And while the smiles are wide and slogans louder, behind the scenes it's all about planting whispers, questioning each other’s “values,” and throwing just enough shade to keep things spicy.