New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) On the occasion of World Environment Day 2026 on Friday, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri launched E85 fuel at an IndianOil retail outlet in New Delhi, formally beginning the nationwide rollout of the high-ethanol blended fuel for flex-fuel vehicles.The launch marks the first phase of the programme, with E85 fuel now available at 48 retail outlets operated by public sector oil marketing companies.The government plans to expand availability …

Colombo, June 5 (IANS) The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka on Friday inaugurated and handed over 24 new houses at Pathinigama Model Village in Kurunegala District, which were built with India’s grant assistance. “Building homes for a secure future! Delighted to inaugurate and hand over 24 new houses at Pathinigama Model Village in Kurunegala District, together with Hon. Dr. Sushil Ranasinghe, Minister of Housing, Construction & Water Supply,” Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of I…

Moscow, June 5 (IANS) Repair work has begun on a key external power line serving the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the plant’s operator said Friday.Specialists are restoring the 750-kilovolt Dniprovska transmission line, which has been disconnected since March 24. The operator said the work was made possible by a ceasefire aimed at protecting personnel working on energy infrastructure.The Dniprovska line is a critical part of the plant’s external power supply system. Its restoration i…

Surat, June 5 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a sharp political attack on the Congress party, alleging that it had spent the past 12 years seeking to create political opportunities through uncertainty and disorder, even as voters increasingly rejected such politics. Speaking at a public gathering in Surat, PM Modi said recent election results across several states demonstrated public dissatisfaction with Congress-led governments and their style of governance.“For the las…

Daman, June 5 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated NAMO Hospital for the nation in Daman, marking a major addition to the Union Territory’s healthcare infrastructure and the wider region. The hospital was inaugurated during the Prime Minister’s visit to Daman, during which he will launch multiple development projects across the healthcare, connectivity, tourism, and public infrastructure sectors.NAMO Hospital is intended to strengthen access to specialised medical care for…

New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Friday planted indigenous saplings on World Environment Day, describing environmental protection as an existential necessity for urban landscapes. “True governance is not just about passing laws for the present, but planting roots for our future generations; a green capital begins with a single sapling,” said Gupta while leading a mega plantation drive within the historic Delhi Vidhan Sabha premises.The Speaker urged citizens to t…

New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) On the occasion of World Environment Day, India organised a special event titled “Showcase of India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme and Standardisation in Renewable Energy” during the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade and Environment Week 2026 in Geneva, according to a Commerce Ministry statement issued on Friday. The event highlighted India’s efforts towards sustainable development, clean energy transition and achievement of its Nationally Determined Contributions (ND…

Kolkata, June 5 (IANS) Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — the Trinamool Congress supremo — on Friday announced her decision to retain her nephew and the party Lok Sabha member, Abhishek Banerjee, as the party’s general secretary.However, she also appointed the party’s Rajya Sabha members, Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen as deputy general secretaries, which according to political observers, means that Abhishek Banerjee would no more be able to unanimously adopt organisational decisi…

Mumbai, June 5 (IANS) Days after pro-Maratha reservation activists Manoj Jarange-Patil withdrew his fast, the Maharashtra government on Friday issued a government resolution (GR) to extend all educational concessions and welfare schemes to students from the Maratha community, on par with those available to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. As per the GR, Maratha students will now be eligible for all educational concessions and facilities across all eligible courses. The benefits of thes…

Daman, June 5 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the new terminal building of NAMO Airport in Daman, a project aimed at strengthening air connectivity for the Union Territory and supporting its growing tourism and economic sectors. The inauguration formed part of the Prime Minister’s visit to Daman, during which he will launch and lay the foundation stone for a series of development projects worth around Rs 2,970 crore across sectors, including healthcare, tourism, infra…