SOURCE: UNI

Pakistan is grappling with a severe water crisis, particularly in Punjab province, as water levels in the Indus River system have dropped significantly. The crisis comes at a critical time, coinciding with the Kharif sowing season and an ongoing heatwave. According to the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), water availability as of June 2 has decreased by over 10% compared to the same time last year, with key reservoirs like Tarbela and Mangla dams nearing critical levels. The delayed arrival of the Southwest Monsoon, expected only by the end of June, is compounding irrigation challenges for farmers already under stress.

The situation has worsened following a sudden reduction in the Chenab River’s inflow, attributed to India’s suspension of water sharing under the Indus Waters Treaty. Islamabad claims this move follows the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which India linked to cross-border militancy. The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960, allocates 80% of water from the Indus system to Pakistan, while India retains 20%. With the treaty now in abeyance, India has also stopped sharing vital flood data, raising fears of unanticipated monsoon flooding in low-lying Pakistani regions.

SOURCE: PTI

Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, the flagship company of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group, is targeting ?3,000 crore from the export of 155 mm ammunition and aggregates by the end of financial year 2027, sources said.

In the current year itself, the company is estimated to export ?1,500 crore of large calibre ammunition. Reliance Infrastructure has already clocked exports of up to ?100 crore of artillery ammunition and aggregates and is aiming to be among the top three exporters of defence equipment in India, sources aware of the matter said.

SOURCE: ISRO

ISRO commenced a series of performance evaluation tests in March 2025 of the Semicryogenic engine Power Head Test Article (PHTA) that comprises all the engine systems except the thrust chamber. These tests were planned to validate the design of the propellant feed system, including the low-pressure and high-pressure turbo-pumps, the pre-burner, start system and control components. On May 28, 2025, the Power Head Test Article (PHTA) underwent a third hot test at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, that was aimed at validating the engine’s ignition and start-up sequence and to derive optimum sequence for the integrated engine.

During the test, the engine was successfully ignited and operated up to 60% of its rated power level, demonstrating stable and controlled performance throughout the firing. The PHTA has earlier undergone two hot tests.

SOURCE: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers on Wednesday, the first after India’s punitive military action against Pakistan under Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

According to PTI, the ministers are likely to be given details of the operation, which is also expected to figure in the ruling BJP’s programmes starting next week to mark the first anniversary of the Modi government in its third term.

SOURCE: IANS

Sixteen Maoists, including two hardcore insurgents, have surrendered in Sukma, Chhattisgarh, marking a significant setback for the Maoist movement in the region. Among them, a woman and a man carried individual bounties of Rs 8 lakh, while others had varying rewards, bringing the total to Rs 25 lakh. The surrender took place on Monday before senior police and CRPF officers in Sukma district.

Superintendent of Police Kiran G Chavan said that the Maoists were influenced by the Chhattisgarh government’s ‘Niyad Nellnar’ initiative, which aims to promote development in remote villages.

SOURCE: IANS

 Errol Musk, father of the world’s richest man and American billionaire Elon Musk, on Monday called for an end to the miseries of Kashmiris living under the spectre of terrorism, saying ‘if it is Pakistan causing the trouble, something needs to be done about it’.

In an interaction with IANS, the 79-year-old South African patriarch of the Musk family sympathised with Kashmiris living in a hostile environment and said, “You cannot make ordinary people suffer like this… you’ve got to make a plan and put an end to it.”

SOURCE: PTI

Basic military training will be imparted to students from Class 1 in Maharashtra in a move to instil a sense of patriotism, discipline and promote a habit of regular physical exercise among them, state School Education Minister Dada Bhuse said.

Retired soldiers will be roped in for training the students, he informed. “A decision has been taken to give basic-level military training to students from Class 1. This will help inculcate love for the country, encourage habits like doing physical exercise regularly and discipline that will benefit the students,” Bhuse said.

SOURCE: PTI

The tourism sector in Kashmir has started the long journey to normalcy as tourists, though in smaller numbers, are returning to the valley after the Pahalgam terror attack dealt a big blow to the industry. Groups of tourists, especially from states like Maharashtra and Gujarat, are reaching the famous tourist resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam, infusing hopes of a gradual turnaround in the sector.

Though in marginal numbers, tourist arrivals have led to some sort of activity in the sector, which was considered almost dead in the days following the April 22 attack in Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam in which 25 tourists and a local were killed.