THE HEADLINES::

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share his thoughts in Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani at 11 AM today.
2. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says, Indian Navy forced Pakistan Navy to remain confined to its ports during Operation Sindoor.
3. Myanmar’s President U Min Aung Hlaing arrives in New Delhi on a five-day visit to India; Offers prayers at Mahabodhi Temple in Gaya.
4. Centre notifies levies on exports of petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel for fortnight beginning tomorrow.
5. IMD forecasts heavy rainfall over Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal till Wednesday.
6. In Cricket, Gujarat Titans to take on defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad this evening.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people of the country and abroad in the Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani at 11 AM today. It will be the 134th episode of the monthly radio programme.

The programme will be broadcast across entire Akashvani and Doordarshan network, the AIR News website, and the Newsonair mobile app. It will also be live-streamed on the YouTube channels of AIR News, DD News, the PMO, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Akashvani will broadcast the programme in regional languages immediately after the Hindi broadcast.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the Indian Navy forced the entire Pakistan Navy to remain confined to its ports during Operation Sindoor. Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the ‘Nausena Shaurya Vatika’, an open-air naval museum in Lucknow, he said, the Navy played a significant role in maintaining pressure on Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Defence Minister said, Indian Navy was deployed in the Arabian Sea with full preparedness and strength, maintaining constant pressure on the adversary. He said, as a result, Pakistan’s entire Navy remained confined to its ports.

Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi also said that Indian Navy’s immediate deployment of a Carrier Battle Group and its forward operational posture in the Northern Arabian Sea forced the Pakistan Navy to remain confined to harbour or close to the Makran coast.  

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President of Myanmar U Min Aung Hlaing arrived in New Delhi last evening. Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh received him at the airport. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also called on Mr Hlaing. Dr Jaishankar appreciated Myanmar President’s positive sentiment towards deepening the longstanding bilateral cooperation. Earlier, President of Myanmar began his 5-day visit to India yesterday by arriving at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he prayed at the Mahabodhi temple.

The visiting dignitary will hold discussions with Prime Minister Modi tomorrow on further strengthening the historical and civilisational ties between the two countries.

The Myanmar President will then travel to Mumbai on Tuesday for business and industry interactions and site visits. Mr Hlaing is accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising several Cabinet Ministers, senior officials and business leaders. This is the first visit of Mr Hlaing to India in his current capacity.

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Centre has revised the export levies on petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel for the fortnight beginning tomorrow. The move is aimed at ensuring adequate domestic availability of petroleum products amid continuing uncertainties arising from the West Asia crisis. More from our Correspondent:

“According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Finance, exports of petrol will attract a duty of 1.5 rupees per litre, while diesel exports will be subject to a duty of 13.5 rupees per litre. The export duty on aviation turbine fuel has been fixed at 9.5 rupees per litre. The Finance Ministry noted that the export levies, comprising Special Additional Excise Duty and Road and Infrastructure Cess, were introduced on March 27 this year, and are reviewed every fortnight based on average international prices of crude oil, petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel. However, the Government has clarified that there is no change in the existing excise duty rates on petrol and diesel meant for domestic consumption. The revised duties will come into effect from tomorrow and remain in force for the next fortnight. This is Vishnu P S, for Akashvani News, Delhi.”

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The Government has temporarily exempted customs duties on cotton imports from the first of next month to 31^st of October this year. The Ministry of Textiles in a notification said that the decision has been taken keeping the interests of cotton farmers and the entire cotton value chain at the forefront. It added that the measure, implemented during the cotton off-season, will ensure adequate availability of cotton for the textile industry, support MSMEs, moderate input costs, and strengthen the competitiveness of Indian textiles.

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Election Commission has convened a National Conference of Election Commission of India counsels 2026 in New Delhi to further strengthen its legal framework. Inaugurating the conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, said that fair rolls lead to fair polls. He also hailed Booth level officers and Booth level agents as the foot soldiers of electoral roll management. He also highlighted the high level of contestation during the recent Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

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Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu has hailed the launching of Sky Cast system at IGI Airport in New Delhi. The Minister said that advanced weather monitoring systems like Sky Cast can significantly improve flight operations during fog and turbulence. He added that as this technology expands to more airports across the country it will strengthen safety and enhance the travel experience for passengers.

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In Maharashtra, death toll in the Pune spurious liquor tragedy has risen to 21. The victims include seven people from Pune city and 14 from the Pimpri-Chinchwad and Uruli Kanchan areas. So far, ten persons have been arrested in connection with the case. The investigation has been handed over to the Crime Investigation Department (CID). In a major administrative action, 22 officials have been suspended for alleged negligence in the discharge of their duties. Those suspended include nine police personnel and 13 officials from the State Excise Department.

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Jammu and Kashmir Minister Sakeena Itoo has announced summer vacations for all Government and Private Colleges falling under the Summer Zone of Jammu Division from 1st of June to 15th of July. The Minister said, the decision has been taken in view of the onset of the summer season and to ensure the well-being of students, teaching faculty and college staff. The Minister further informed that regular academic activities in all colleges will resume after the conclusion of the vacation period on 15th of July.

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall over Keralam, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal till Wednesday. In Keralam, yellow alert has been sounded in six districts for today. More from our Correspondent:

“Six of the 14 districts in Keralam are under  yellow alert today, indicating the possibility of isolated heavy rainfall. Isolated heavy rainfall and winds of up to 40 km/h are forecast across the state over the next four days. The onset of the monsoon has not yet been officially declared in Keralam.

No heavy rainfall was recorded in the northern parts of Keralam this morning, while the southern districts have received up to 5 mm of rain since 7 a.m. today. Smithy M Palluruthy Akashvani News, Thiruvananthapuram.”

Moreover, heavy rainfall is also expected over Odisha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and the northeastern parts of the country till tomorrow. IMD said, thunderstorms accompanied by hailstorm are very likely at isolated places over East Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Vidarbha today. While thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds are expected at isolated places over Delhi, Haryana, and Chandigarh till tomorrow.

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World No Tobacco Day is being observed today to raise awareness against the dangers of using tobacco. The day is a global initiative by the World Health Organization (WHO) to end the use of tobacco. The theme for this year is “Unmasking the appeal – Countering nicotine and tobacco addiction.” We have a report:

“As part of the observance in India, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava on Friday launched the pilot version of the Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions Application in New Delhi. The application aims to strengthen implementation and monitoring of tobacco-free norms across schools and colleges in the country. It will also facilitate self-assessment and reporting by educational institutions, monitor compliance with tobacco-free guidelines, ensure implementation of tobacco control signage, and help prohibit the sale of tobacco products within one hundred yards of educational institutions.

Addressing the gathering, Ms Srivastava said that more than two thousand Tobacco Cessation Centres have been established across the country in hospitals, medical colleges, AYUSH institutions and other healthcare facilities. WITH VISHNU’S REPORT, CHIRAG JHA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”

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In Cricket, Gujarat Titans will be up against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final of IPL 2026 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad today. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM. More from our Sports Desk:

“With the trophy within touching distance, Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will look to make the most of their strengths in the final. Gujarat Titans have beaten RCB at this venue earlier this season, but Bengaluru will draw confidence from having won their maiden IPL title at the same ground last year. RCB have enjoyed an impressive campaign and enter the final after a three-day break. Their batting has been one of the strongest in the tournament, with Virat Kohli leading the charge. In the bowling department, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood have been among their key performers with the new ball. Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, secured a top-two finish in the league stage and bounced back from a Qualifier 1 defeat to book their place in the final. The team will once again rely on key batters Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler, while all-rounder Jason Holder has strengthened their bowling attack with important wickets in the second half of the season. Both teams are aiming for their second IPL title. Gujarat won their maiden crown in 2022, while RCB are looking to successfully defend the trophy they won last season. With Manik Sharma’s report JIGYASA PANDEY, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”

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In Badminton, India’s men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will take on the Indonesian duo of Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Fajar Alfian in the final of the Singapore Open today. The Indian pair is yet to win a title since clinching the Thailand Open in May 2024.

Earlier, Satwiksairaj and Chirag defeated the world No. 1 South Korean pair of Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho 21-19, 21-18 in the semi-finals yesterday.

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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS,

1. Political developments in Karnataka, CUET retest and TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee mobbed during visit to South 24 Parganas are the front page stories in most dailies.
2. The Statesman informs, ”Amit Shah, on a visit to West Bengal, seeks close watch on radicalisation centres on border”.
3. Newspapers report, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth describes India as a ‘Critical anchor’ in Indo- Pacific region. Financial Express  headlines, ”India helps maintain balance of power,” while The Sunday Express says, ”No China hegemony, Hegseth flags co-production of Javelin anti – tank missile with India”.
4. The Tribune informs,”Vinesh fails to make Asian Games cut, promises to return to the mat.”
5. Economic Times says, “EV Sales in Fast lane but Motor Town treads the middle path.” Less than half of new launches likely to be electric as carmakers, unsure of transition, best with multi-powertrain portfolio.
6. Times of India cites, ”Google fined for misdirecting searches to rivals’ products.”
7. Finally, Times of India, in a photo caption, “Dhoolandhar’ sweeps Rajasthan,” reports on the massive dust storm that barrelled through several parts of Rajasthan, plunging several towns into darkness around 2 PM.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share his thoughts in Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani at 11 AM today.
2. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says, Indian Navy forced Pakistan Navy to remain confined to its ports during Operation Sindoor.
3. Myanmar’s President U Min Aung Hlaing arrives in New Delhi on a five-day visit to India; Offers prayers at Mahabodhi Temple in Gaya.
4. Centre notifies levies on exports of petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel for fortnight beginning tomorrow.
5. IMD forecasts heavy rainfall over Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal till Wednesday.
6. In Cricket, Gujarat Titans to take on defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026 final in Ahmedabad this evening.

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For details of these stories and more, log on to our website www.newsonair.gov.in and News On Air App.

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