In a significant development with both strategic and political implications, India has initiated work on two major infrastructure projects linked to the Chenab river system—one involving a large inter-basin water diversion tunnel in Himachal Pradesh and the other aimed at restoring sediment management capability at the Salal Dam. Together, both projects are worth nearly Rs 2,600 crore.

The projects will be undertaken by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation and CNN-NEWS18 has exclusively accessed documents put out by NHPC for starting work on both projects. They come at a time when New Delhi has sharpened its approach toward utilisation of waters from the western rivers governed under the “in abeyance" Indus Waters Treaty.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Republic of Korea’s Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul jointly inaugurated the Indian War Memorial at Imjingak Park in Seoul on Wednesday, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Korean War and honouring the contribution of Indian troops during the conflict.

According to the Defence Ministry, the memorial has been constructed to pay tribute to the courage, sacrifice, and humanitarian service of the 60 Para Field Ambulance of the Indian Army and the Custodian Force of India (CFI), which played a significant role during and after the Korean War.

Amid the West Asia crisis and its impact on global crude oil supplies, the Odisha government has made purchasing electric vehicles (EVs) mandatory for all government departments starting next month as part of austerity and fuel-conservation measures.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed that all new two-wheelers and four-wheelers purchased by government offices must be EVs from June 1. All four-wheelers hired on rent by departments must also be EVs, while purchase of petrol- and diesel-run vehicles will be allowed only under special requirements.

The move comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing to citizens to minimise unnecessary use of petrol and diesel in view of the volatile international situation and rising concerns over energy security.

The first International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit, which was scheduled to take place in New Delhi on June 1, has been postponed to a later date. The Summit focusses on the conservation of seven Big Cat species which are Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma and their ecosystems.

The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit was being organized in conjunction with the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit as several African countries host big cats and are important partners in global efforts towards conservation, ecological sustainability and biodiversity protection. Following the decision taken in consultation with the Chairperson of the African Union and the African Union Commission to convene the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit at a later date, it was decided that, in order to ensure broad and active participation from all Range countries, including African countries, the First IBCA Summit too will be convened at a later date.

India on Friday said that the Quad Foreign ministers meeting will take place on May 26, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India for the meeting.

The Ministry of External Affairs said, “At the invitation of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, the Foreign Minister of Australia, Penny Wong; the Foreign Minister of Japan, Toshimitsu Motegi; and the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, will undertake an official visit to New Delhi to participate in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting on 26 May 2026.”

“In keeping with the Quad vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, the Ministers will build on discussions held in Washington, D.C. on 1 July 2025. They will exchange views on advancing Quad cooperation across priority areas, review progress on ongoing Quad initiatives, and reflect on recent developments in the Indo-Pacific region and other international issues of mutual concern,” it said.

The UAE is marking the International Day for Biological Diversity today – observed every year on May 22 to commemorate the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992 – under the theme “Acting Locally for Global Impact”, reaffirming its commitment to protecting natural ecosystems through coordinated national and community action.

The United Nations used the occasion to call for progress on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which sets 23 targets for 2030 and five global goals for 2050 aimed at halting and reversing environmental degradation. The UAE’s Seventh National Report on Biodiversity, approved by the Cabinet in March, highlights significant gains on that front.

The country has expanded its network of protected areas to 55 terrestrial and marine reserves, now covering just over 19 per cent of the nation’s total land and sea area. Progress has also been recorded in protecting endangered species through breeding programmes, habitat management and international cooperation. On the marine front, the National Carbon Sequestration Project has surpassed the halfway mark toward its goal of planting 100 million mangrove trees by 2030.

Pakistan has announced the issuance of a special PKR 75 commemorative coin to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations with China, as the two countries continue celebrations of their longstanding strategic partnership.

Pakistan and China established formal diplomatic relations in 1951, less than two years after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Pakistan was the first Muslim nation to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), in which India is the second-largest shareholder after China, has launched a USD 10-billion fund facility to provide support to member countries affected by the conflict in West Asia.

The Beijing-headquartered bank announced on Thursday that the Energy, Food Security and Economic Resilience Facility is open to its member countries whose development may have been affected by the conflict that has triggered energy shortages in large parts of the world.

To effectively utilise the libraries in schools and improve the reading habit and creative writing among students, Samagra Shikshana Karnataka (SSK) has decided to conduct story, poetry, essay writing competitions from the academic year 2026-27.

These competitions will be held at the school and cluster levels. In addition, a plan has been chalked out to extend skill education to 1,000 schools across the State.

A staggering climatic anomaly has placed India at the absolute epicentre of a global thermal crisis. On Friday afternoon, real-time global weather tracking metrics revealed that an unprecedented 97 of the world’s 100 hottest cities were located within India. In a bizarre inversion of global weather patterns, regional hubs across the Indo-Gangetic plains and central India are recording significantly higher temperatures than traditional desert hotspots. While iconic furnaces like Riyadh, Timbuktu, and Death Valley remain comparatively cooler, towns like Balangir in Odisha and Banda in Uttar Pradesh have repeatedly breached a terrifying 48°C, highlighting a systemic shift in the region’s climate vulnerability.