A "Mayday" distress call was issued by Air India's AI 171 flight, minutes before it crashed after taking off from Gujarat's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday.

The London-bound aircraft, however, did not respond to calls from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) thereafter, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.

A "Mayday" call is an emergency procedure used internationally as a distress signal through radio communications; it signals a life-threatening emergency.

There was no immediate information on the casualties caused by the crash.

According to DGCA, the flight, a Boeing 787, took off from the airport's runway 23 at 1.39pm for London Gatwick Airport. It had 242 people on board - two pilots, 10 cabin crew members and 230 passengers.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) received bids Rs 53,031 crore against the notified amount of Rs 26,000 crore at the second buyback auction of this fiscal year. At the auction held on Thursday, the central bank accepted 99% of the notified amount.

At the first buyback held last week, the RBI received bids worth Rs 27,256 crore, of which the central bank accepted Rs 23,856 crore or 95% of the notified amount, data showed.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare today organised the National Conference on ‘Agri Stack: Turning Data into Delivery’ in New Delhi. The conference served as a strategic platform for senior officials from the Centre and States’ key stakeholders to deliberate on the progress, challenges, and future roadmap for the implementation of Agri Stack under the Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM).

In the conference, Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry, Devesh Chaturvedi, reiterated the government’s commitment to leveraging technology for transparent, farmer-centric governance. He highlighted the urgent need for States to dynamically link their Farmer Registries with updated Records of Rights and actively utilise the digital datasets for scheme delivery and personalised agricultural services.

Celebrated every year on June 14, World Blood Donor day recognises the collective selflessness and compassion of millions of people globally who donate blood voluntarily and on an unpaid basis. The day also acts as a platform to highlight the need for safe blood and blood products.

The theme for World Blood Donor Day 2025 is ‘Give blood, give hope: together we save lives’. It is centered around the crucial need for blood and plasma donations and the importance they hold for the lives of countless patients. This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) aims to encourage regular blood donation by both new and existing donors.

The theme is also aimed at consolidating support from governments and other stakeholders for investment in efforts for sustained national blood programs that, in turn, ensure universal safe blood transfusion globally.

A recent Salmonella outbreak linked to eggs has sickened at least 79 people across seven US states, with 21 of them hospitalized. The majority of cases, 63, were reported in California, prompting a major recall of 1.7 million brown cage-free and organic eggs by California-based August Egg Company. On June 6, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a public health warning after investigating cases reported between February and May 2025. According to the CDC and FDA, most affected individuals had eaten eggs or egg-based dishes before falling ill. Salmonella is a common cause of food poisoning that affects the intestinal tract, leading to symptoms like stomach cramps, diarrhea, and fever. Know its symptoms, causes and safety tips to prevent it.

As part of the ongoing efforts to explore the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) native in telecommunication network, the third meeting of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG-AINN) was inaugurated in New Delhi today. This ITU event is being organized by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), technical arm of Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

Addressing at the inaugural session of the three-day event, Mr. Sanjeev Bidwai, Member (T), DCC, emphasized that AI-Native Networks (AI-NN) represent a fundamental shift in telecom design. He noted the growing role of AI in Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards, enabling intelligent orchestration across domains. Mr. Bidwai highlighted India’s ongoing efforts in this space, including national initiatives like ‘Bharat Gen’-India's first indigenously developed, government-funded, AI-based Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) for Indian languages, as well as other projects led by IITs and CDOT in AI-based network automation and digital twins. He also emphasized the importance of deploying AI in an ethical, inclusive, and secure manner, highlighting the need for explainability, digital sovereignty, and the evolution of regulatory frameworks.

The Commission of Railway Safety (CRS) has authorised operations on the railway line from Hortoki to Sairang in Mizoram, the final clearance for a key stretch that will connect state capital Aizawl by rail for the first time.

The Hortoki-Sairang line is the last leg of the larger 51.38-km Bairabi-Sairang rail project.

Sairang is a satellite town of Aizawl, around 20 km from the city. Bairabi in Kolasib district, near the border with Assam, has so far been the only railhead in Mizoram.

The inspection by the CRS, a railway safety audit body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is the final step before train operations commence.

The Indian Army contingent arrived in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Wednesday (June 11, 2025) to participate in the multinational military exercise Khaan Quest, scheduled to be conducted from June 14 to 28.

The annual exercise brings together military forces from across the globe to collaborate and enhance their peacekeeping capabilities. The previous edition of Khaan Quest was held in Mongolia from July 27 to August 9, 2024.

The exercise, which began as a bilateral initiative between the United States and the Mongolian Armed Forces in 2003, evolved into a multinational peacekeeping endeavour from 2006 onwards. The current edition marks the 22nd iteration of the exercise, the Ministry of Defence said.

The strategically important Shipki La Pass on the India-China border in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district would be opened to tourists and adventure enthusiasts from June 10, Himachal Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said on Monday.

“The move will boost tourism in the remote tribal belt and reaffirm India’s presence in the sensitive border region,” he said.

Shipki La, a high-altitude mountain pass located at an elevation of over 4,000 metres, has so far remained largely inaccessible to civilians due to its sensitive location and harsh winter conditions.

Known as the City of Nawabs, Lucknow has been the undisputed king of mouth-watering Awadhi cuisine. From kebab and korma to flavourful biryani and delightful sweets, one can’t ignore Lucknow’s indulgent recipes and hearty flavours. Now, the city is gearing up to add a feather in its cap, as its rich culinary heritage has been nominated for the title of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN) under the gastronomy category.

As per the Divisional Commissioner of Lucknow, Roshan Jacob, the Indian government has put forward the city’s name for this renowned and prestigious tag, reported Hindustan Times.

“We have to provide some more data by the end of June, following which UNESCO authorities may visit to verify our claims. The state capital is famous for a wide range of Awadhi delicacies, and food buffs both from India and abroad have been talking about it for a long time now. The city’s food scene is an endless treasure of delicious dishes that will tantalise your taste buds," he added.