Kerala landslide kills 2; US indicts crime boss & more
Landslides in Kerala's Wayanad district have left at least two dead and several others trapped, while drivers nationwide are raising concerns over new biofuel blends in petrol. Internationally, US authorities have indicted an Indian crime leader in a high-profile assassination plot, and the founder of the Mahadev betting app has been detained in Oman.
Residents in Kerala's Wayanad district are facing life-threatening conditions as rescue operations continue for at least 10 people trapped under a landslide. The disaster has already killed two people and injured seven. Heavy rains have made the area unstable, and locals are advised to follow emergency evacuation orders as teams work to clear debris and reach isolated families.
Drivers may face higher maintenance costs or engine issues as India increases the amount of biofuel mixed into petrol. While the government is using these organic additives to reduce emissions, many motorists are reporting dissatisfaction, fearing the sugarcane-based blend could damage older engines or lower fuel efficiency. Biofuels are now being distributed at more pumps across the country.
India’s international relations are under the spotlight after US prosecutors indicted an Indian crime leader for an assassination plot against a Sikh activist. The indictment links the plot to associates of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. In a related development, Canadian police stated that their investigation into the separate murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar—a Sikh separatist—has found no evidence linking the Indian government to the act.
In legal news, Saurabh Chandrakar, the founder of the Mahadev betting app, has been detained in Oman and may be returned to India to face money-laundering charges. Additionally, in West Bengal, police killed a man in an "encounter"—a fatal shootout—who was a key suspect in the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in Kolkata.
Visit the app's News section for more details on these stories. You can also find updates on the new T20I cricket squad for the Zimbabwe tour and a study showing that snakebite deaths in India are lower than previously thought.