A chemical tanker carrying methanol overturned and burst into flames on Wednesday near Maukhampura town on the Jaipur-Ajmer National Highway, resulting in the death of the driver and causing widespread chaos on the busy stretch.

According to Maukhampura Police, the deceased has been identified as Rajendra Zinda, the tanker driver, who died on the spot due to severe burns.

The intense fire engulfed the vehicle rapidly, and thick smoke was seen from over 300 metres away, prompting nearby drivers to stop and run for safety.

In a state of panic, many commuters left their vehicles on the highway and ran into nearby fields, fearing a possible explosion due to the chemical spill.

Eyewitnesses, heading towards Jaipur, said, "The tanker suddenly overturned and turned into a ball of fire. Everyone panicked. We stopped our car and ran back to save ourselves. Thankfully, no other lives were lost."

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai has predicted light to moderate rainfall in isolated parts of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, with eight districts expected to receive showers.

The forecast also includes possible thunder, lightning, and strong winds in some areas due to a change in the westerly wind pattern.

According to RMC officials, the districts likely to witness rainfall include the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Theni, Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Dindigul. These areas, particularly those located in the Western Ghats and the southern tip of the state, are more susceptible to moisture-laden winds during the southwest monsoon season.

A statement from the weather office noted that "light to moderate rain accompanied by thunder, lightning, and gusty winds is likely to occur at one or two places over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal on Wednesday."

At least five motorcyclists were killed in two separate road accidents across Jharkhand within a span of 12 hours.

In the first incident on Tuesday afternoon, a speeding bike rammed into a stationary truck on the Sariya-Bagodar road in Giridih district.

The rider, Gaurav Kumar Rajak alias Tinku, and his father-in-law, Sahdev Mandal, sustained severe injuries in the crash. Local residents rushed them to the trauma centre in Bagodar, but doctors declared both dead on arrival.

Gaurav, a resident of Kalali Road under Sariya police station limits, was reportedly on his way to Bagodar with his father-in-law for some urgent work.

A case of vigilantism has come to light in the Hata police station area of Damoh district in Madhya Pradesh, where two farmers transporting bulls for agricultural use were allegedly assaulted by self-styled cow protectors (Gau Rakshaks).

The assailants, suspecting that the farmers were smuggling cattle, intercepted them late on Monday night and forcibly took them, along with the animals, to the local police station.

A video of the farmers alleging assault later surfaced on social media.

The victims, identified as Puran and Bharat Yadav from Kalakot village under the Kumhari police station area, were transporting four bulls purchased from Bakswaha in Chhatarpur district.

Despite presenting valid purchase receipts, the farmers were reportedly beaten by the group of vigilantes before being handed over to the police.

Hata police station incharge and Investigating Officer Dharmendra Upadhyay confirmed that the bulls had been legally acquired and were being transported for farming purposes.

The Gujarat High Court received a bomb threat via email early on Tuesday morning. A bomb squad and a police team launched a full-scale search operation in and around the High Court complex. While no suspicious object was found, the building remains under heightened security.

At 7:55 A.M. on Tuesday, the chilling message, sent from an ID identified as renee_joshilda@hotmail.com, claimed that three RDX-based IEDs had been planted inside the court complex and warned that a VIP would be targeted.

The email further alleged that similar explosives had been placed in court premises across the state. Immediately after the threat was received by officials at the CPC and Registrar General’s office, security protocols were activated.

In a tragic road accident near Beda Canal in Bihar’s Rohtas district on Tuesday, two persons lost their lives on the spot when a speeding dumper collided head-on with an auto-rickshaw.

The deceased have been identified as Santosh Kumar (17), son of forest worker Indradev Singh, and Bhola Paswan (45), a farmer from Morsarai village.

Two other passengers sustained serious injuries and are currently undergoing treatment at Sasaram Sadar Hospital.

According to eyewitnesses, the auto-rickshaw was en route to Sasaram when a dumper, speeding from the opposite direction, rammed into it around 5 a.m. The impact was so intense that the auto was completely mangled, leading to the instant deaths of Santosh and Bhola.

After the horrific fatal accident, the errant driver fled from the scene before local villagers assembled there.

The sudden closure of airspace over parts of the Middle East from late Monday evening triggered widespread chaos at Kerala’s four major international airports on Tuesday, with hundreds of passengers stranded due to numerous flight cancellations.

Display boards at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur airports showed long lists of cancelled and delayed flights, leaving travellers in a state of uncertainty.

However, with reports emerging that the situation is beginning to normalise after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran was announced, many have heaved a sigh of relief as airlines began rescheduling affected journeys.

Home to over a quarter-million Keralites, various Middle Eastern countries rely heavily on air connectivity with Kerala.

Three members of a family were killed after they allegedly consumed a poisonous substance in Dhobgatta village in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district.

According to police sources, the deceased include 50-year-old Radheshyam, his wife Rangu Bai (48), and their elder daughter Asha Bai (23).

The couple's younger daughter, Rekha Bai (15), was also affected and is currently under intensive medical care at Indore's private hospital.

Her condition remains grave, and she is under constant observation.

When contacted, senior police officers said "the matter is under investigation".

The tragic chain of events began at approximately 10.30 p.m. on June 21, when all four family members reportedly consumed a poisonous substance, suspected to be pesticide.

Continuous torrential rains have severely affected normal life across several districts of Jharkhand.

Urban areas such as Ranchi, Ramgarh, Latehar, Jamshedpur, Hazaribagh, Bokaro, and Giridih are facing the brunt due to waterlogging, with floodwaters entering homes in low-lying areas.

The relentless rainfall has led to multiple incidents of house collapses and people drowning in rivers, reservoirs, and waterfalls.

In Hazaribagh’s Rasoi Dhamna Baratola village under the Barhi police station area, the roof of a dilapidated house collapsed amid heavy rain late Sunday night.

A couple -- Habib Ansari and his wife Jumera Khatoon, both around 50 years old -- died after being buried under the debris. Their bodies were recovered by villagers on Monday morning.

An Air India Express flight from Delhi to Srinagar via Jammu on Monday returned to the national capital before landing in the latter city due to a technical issue.

According to officials, the flight IX-2564 was expected to land in Jammu around noon, but instead, it hovered over the airport for some time before the pilot chose to fly back to Delhi.

The aircraft had already completed several loops in the Jammu airspace before heading back.

An Air India Express spokesperson said: "An alternative aircraft was arranged to operate our Delhi–Jammu flight after the original aircraft returned to Delhi due to a technical issue. We regret the inconvenience caused."