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Southwest Monsoon arrives early over Kerala, Meteorological Department warns heavy rainfall, storms across India

ANI
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Southwest Monsoon arrives early over Kerala, Meteorological Department warns heavy rainfall, storms across India

The Southwest Monsoon has arrived over Kerala on Saturday, nearly a week ahead of the usual onset date of June 1, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), “heavy to very heavy rainfall likely to continue over west coast (Kerala, Karnataka, coastal Maharashtra and Goa) during next 7 days with possibility of extremely heavy rainfall over Kerala during 24th-26th; coastal Maharashtra and Goa and Madhya Maharashtra on 24th; Coastal and Ghat areas of Karnataka during 24th-27th; Ghat areas of Tamil Nadu on 25th & 26th May, 2025.”

According to the IMD, a depression is present over the East Central Arabian Sea and adjoining south Konkan coast. It is expected to move eastward and cross south coastal Maharashtra by noon on May 24.

Meanwhile, severe heatwave conditions are forecast to continue in Rajasthan until May 27 and in Punjab, Haryana, Jammu, and Kashmir until May 26.

While speaking to ANI, Manorama Mohanty, Director of IMD Bhubaneswar, said, “Southwest Monsoon has set in over Kerala today, the 24th May, 2025, against the expected date of 1st June. Thus, the southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala 8 days before the scheduled date. Heavy rainfall, thunderstorm activity with Lightning, and Gusty surface winds are very likely over the districts of Odisha from 24th to 30th May 2025. Thunderstorm with lightning with surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph and Heavy rainfall is very likely to occur in the afternoon/evening hours at one or two places over the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhargarh, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri.”

Normal and Actual progress of Southwest Monsoon

She added, “Rain is happening and one trough is extending from east central Arabian Sea where depression is there and trough is drawn from that cyclonic circulation which is associated with the depression over east central Arabian Sea to the South Chhattisgarh.”

While southern and coastal states braced for downpours, northern and northwestern India continued to battle heat waves and severe heat waves, especially in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir. IMD warned that these conditions will persist until May 27 in several regions.

The IMD stated that Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar will see scattered to fairly widespread rain with thunderstorms and gusty winds through May 30. Bihar is likely to experience thunderstorm winds reaching speeds of 70 kmph on May 25 and 26.

A low-pressure area is expected to develop over the west-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal around May 27, adding to the rainfall threat in Odisha and eastern states.

The IMD also warned that Northeast India will face daily light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning from May 24 to 30, with heavy rain expected in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.

Manorama Mohanty said, “Because of freeze and also because of the change in wind direction or state is likely to get rainfall activity at many places in the district during the next 7 days in addition to that, lightning and some activity was between 40 to 50 kilometres very lightly and also isolated heavy rainfall activities also there.”

She added, “An Orange warning has been issued and isolated heavy rainfall activity will be there… For tomorrow, on May 25th, light to moderate rain, very lightly in addition to that, isolated heavy rainfall activity, thunderstorm, lightning and gusty wind 40 to 50 kilometres per hour, very likely in the district of Mars Ganjamagiri, Sundar and some districts.”

The IMD also predicted the dust storms across West and East Rajasthan till May 27 and hailstorms in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Pakistani spy Tufail was honey trapped by โ€˜Nafisaโ€™, used to video call her to show her Kashi, ISI agentโ€™s network was spread across 4 countries

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani spy Tufail was honey trapped by โ€˜Nafisaโ€™, used to video call her to show her Kashi, ISI agentโ€™s network was spread across 4 countries

New revelations are coming to light every day in the investigation of Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) regarding ISI agent Tufail arrested from Varanasi. According to the latest information, Tufail had helped spread the terrorist network across four Islamic countries.

ATS has got many important clues through Tufail’s mobile. According to media reports, ATS has recovered about 70% of the data from Tufail’s mobile. Many things have come to light about his connection with the terrorist network. Apart from this, Tufail’s accounts on social media platforms are also being investigated.

Investigation of his social media activity revealed that Tufail is not only connected to Pakistan but also to 4 other Islamic countries. He was in constant contact with the people there. It is worth noting that Tufail was honey trapped by Nafisa, the wife of a Pakistani soldier.

Tufail had also shown Nafisa various locations in Varanasi through a video call. He had also sent clothes to Pakistan for her. To send them, Tufail chose the routes of Nepal and Punjab. In the police investigation, names of 4-5 people associated with Tufail have come to light. ATS is planning to interrogate them as well.

Foreign ‘friends’ abandoned Tufail after his cover was blown

Uttar Pradesh ATS arrested Tufail from Varanasi on Thursday (22 May 2025) on charges of spying for Pakistan. As soon as ATS tightened its grip on Tufail, his foreign friends broke all contact with him. This information was recovered from his mobile.

Tufail had also shared videos of Tehreek-e-Labbaik leader Maulana Shah Rizvi in โ€‹โ€‹a WhatsApp group. These messages included provocative messages like ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ (Islamic occupation of India), taking revenge for the demolition of Babri Masjid, and implementing Sharia law in India.

According to media reports, after his arrest, Tufail was removed from 7 out of 19 groups on WhatsApp. Further, the entire history and chats of this group have been deleted. However, ATS has managed to recover the messages.

Apart from this, ATS also came to know that Tufail had sent the link of Pakistan’s WhatsApp group to other people of Varanasi. He was seeking support from other Muslim people in the area. He had also shared pictures of Rajghat, Gyanvapi, local Railway Station, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Nizamuddin Auliya, and information related to them to people in Pakistan.

Tufail had become friends with Nafisa through Facebook. Nafisa gave her number to Tufail as he was an Indian from Varanasi and got him added to some Pakistani groups. After this, Tufail came in contact with some more people. Investigation revealed that Tufail was in contact with more than 600 Pakistani numbers.

Cannibal ‘Raja’ Kolander smiled as court granted him life term, the serial killer used to drink blood and eat brain of his victims, collect skulls

OpIndia Staff
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Cannibal ‘Raja’ Kolander smiled as court granted him life term, the serial killer used to drink blood and eat brain of his victims, collect skulls

A Lucknow court on Friday (23rd May) granted life sentence to cannibal and serial killer Raja Kolander alias Ram Niranjan Kol and his aide Bakshraj along Rs 1 lakh fine in a double murder case committed in 2000. The accused, showed no remorse, as they were convicted by ADJ Rohit Singh on Monday in connection with the murder of journalist Manoj Singh and his driver Ravi Srivastav in 2000.

Kolander, who once worked as a fourth grade employee in an ordnance factory, has over 20 murder cases filed against him. In 2012, Kolander and his brother-in-law, Bakshraj, were convicted for the first time in the case of murder of journalist Dhirendra Singh for which they were granted life sentence by the Allahabad High Court. Kolander reportedly shot dead Dhirendra Singh, mutilated his body before burying it.

The court also granted them each 7 years imprisonment and โ‚น50 thousand fine for destroying evidence, 10 years imprisonment and โ‚น50 thousand fine for abduction, 10 years imprisonment and โ‚น50 thousand fine for dacoity and possessing stolen property. All the sentences will run concurrently, along with the life sentence. Both the accused will remain in jail for their entire lives.

Raja Kolander, a resident of Shankargarh in Prayagraj, is not an ordinary criminal. Once his name used to create terror because of the brutal manner in which he slayed his victims. Kolander’s brutalities were uncovered during the investigation of the murder of journalist Dhirendra Singh whose severed head and body were found by police in different locations on December 14, 2000.

Kolander used to maintain a record of his murders

When the police searched his farmhouse and residence during the investigation of murders committed by him, they found a diary in which he had noted down the details of his crimes. Kolander had reportedly mentioned all the 14 murders in his diary. He wrote the names of his victims. He mentioned journalist Dhirendra Singh’s name in his diary as entry 14 under the codename ‘Dheere Dheere Lal Lal’. Several skulls were also recovered by the police from his farmhouse.

Ate roasted skull and drank brain soup

One of Kolander’s victims was named Kali Prasad Srivastav who used to work with him at the ordnance factory. It is said that Kulander killed him because he belonged to Kayastha caste as he believed that people belonging to this caste have a sharp brains. Kolander also wanted a sharp brain so he killed Srivastav, roasted his skull and made soup by boiling his brain and consumed it.

Named his sons ‘Adalat’ and ‘Jamanat’

Kolander believed that he was a king. He used to call his wife ‘Phoolan Devi’ and named his sons Adalat and Jamanat. Even after going to jail, he used to say that whoever was found gulity in his court, would face death. From living in a small hut, he magically progressed to owning a farmhouse. Kolander also has a documentary made on him with title “Indian Predator: The Diary of a Serial Killer” which was released on Netflix.

NHRC takes suo moto cognizance of rape, abuse, force-feeding of beef allegations against Omar Rashid, asks The Wire if it has approached the police

OpIndia Staff
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NHRC takes suo moto cognizance of rape, abuse, force-feeding of beef allegations against Omar Rashid, asks The Wire if it has approached the police

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of grave allegations against The Wire journalist Omar Rashid, following a viral Instagram post in which a woman accused him of rape, sexual abuse, physical assault, psychological torture, and extreme religious and cultural humiliation.

NHRC seeks ATR over explosive allegations leveled against Omar Rashid

In a notice issued under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the NHRC has asked the Delhi Police to file an Action Taken Report (ATR) before 5 June 2025. The Commission has invoked its powers to inquire into human rights violations after reviewing the viral testimony, calling the claims “serious” and “deeply disturbing.”

Complainant Flags Complicity of The Wire

The complainant who filed a complaint with the NHRC has also raised serious questions about the editorial ecosystem at The Wire. 

In the complaint, the complainant showed little faith on the โ€˜Management of The Wire News Portalโ€™sโ€™ internal inquiry, suspecting it to be lacking impartiality and a formality to protect the accused. It allege conflicts of interest and potential suppression to protect the organizationโ€™s image.

NHRC demands answers from The Wire in connection with serious allegations of rape, torture, forced beef-feeding by Omar Rashid

This raises troubling questions about the institutional accountability of The Wire, a portal long accused of dressing up regressive perspectives as “dissenting opinions”, which is now under scrutiny for allegedly shielding a serial predator.

In view of the gravity of the matter, the Commission has issued the following queries to the management of The Wire portal:

  1. Regarding Police Complaint:
    • Did the management of The Wire News Portal file a formal police complaint in response to the serious allegations of sexual, physical, and mental abuse made against the accused?
    • If a complaint was filed, on what date was it lodged, and at which police station?
    • What action has been taken by the concerned law enforcement authorities since the filing of the complaint?
    • Were the authorities specifically informed about the grave allegations of rape and severe physical assault, as described by the victim in her viral social media posts?
  2. Regarding PoSH Investigation:
    • Has a formal investigation been initiated by the management of The Wire News Portal under the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (PoSH Act)?
    • If so, what is the current status of the investigation?
    • Who are the members of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) constituted to handle the matter?
    • Has the complainant/victim been contacted by the ICC, and what steps have been taken to ensure her safety and dignity during the inquiry?

Instagram testimony sparks nationwide outrage

The unnamed womanโ€™s harrowing Instagram post details a prolonged period of sexual violence, manipulation, and physical abuse. She said she was trapped by Rashid using his senior status in Delhiโ€™s liberal media and charmed with conversations on progressive politics and symbolic gestures like walks in Lodhi Garden โ€” a tactic she claims he used with multiple women.

Once emotionally entangled, she alleges, the relationship turned into an ordeal of violent rapes, slapping, kicking, and humiliation, especially during moments of vulnerability.

โ€œHe raped me when I was sick, when I begged him to stop. He refused to use protection. I ended up in clinics, getting abortions, getting tested,โ€ she wrote.

Psychological abuse and religious humiliation

The survivor also recounted extremeย emotional degradationย โ€” including being forced toย beg at his feetย while Rashid reportedlyย described the imaginary sexual abuse of her mother in graphic detail.

She further alleged that Rashid force-fed her beef, fully aware of her religious and personal aversion. This was done, she says, to assert his Kashmiri Muslim identity and to humiliate her as a non-Muslim woman.

โ€œI puked it out. He made me eat it again. He knew I hated it โ€” that was the point.โ€

Elias Rodriguez, killer of 2 Israelis in USA, is linked to group that opposed PM Modiโ€™s US visit and funded by Neville Roy Singham, same China agent that funded NewsClick in India

OpIndia Staff
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Elias Rodriguez, killer of 2 Israelis in USA, is linked to group that opposed PM Modiโ€™s US visit and funded by Neville Roy Singham, same China agent that funded NewsClick in India

Investigation into Elias Rodriguez, the leftist Islamist terrorist who killed two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington DC on Wednesday (21stย May), has revealed that he is linked with radical leftist groups funded byย Chineseย propagandist Neville Singham, who also funded NewsClick in India. Notably, Rodriguez is linked with multiple China-linked communist groups funded by Neville Roy Singham.

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who were about to get engaged soon, was shot dead by Elias Rodriguez outside a Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night. Lischinsky had bought a ring and was planning to propose marriage to Milgrim next week during a planned trip to Jerusalem, Israel.ย  Rodriguez raised โ€˜free Palestineโ€™ slogan before shooting that the two Israeli embassy staff members.

Elias Rodriguez is reported to be linked to Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a Communist group in the USA. A report by New York Post states that the Party for Socialism and Liberation is funded by millionaire Neville Singham and his activist wife Jodie Evans.

Rodriguez is also the member of another leftist group ANSWER coalition, and have raised funds for the group in the past. As per the report, both PSL and ANSWER coalition are connected to Peopleโ€™s Forum โ€“ a Manhattan-based non-profit group with ties to the Chinese Communist Party through Neville Singham.

As per the NY Post report, Peopleโ€™s Forum has received over $20 million in grants from Singham, most of these through the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund. Another group that hailed the killing of the Israeli couple, Bronx Antiwar Coalition, also received funding from Singham.

As per Influencewatch, The Peopleโ€™s Forum has reportedly been primarily funded by Neville Roy Singham and his wife Jodie Evans. It also states Marxist-Leninist journalist Vijay Prashad, nephew of CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, is also associated with Peopleโ€™s Forum, and have praised the Chinese Communist Party in the past. United Community Fund, another entity funded by Neville Roy Singham, also funded The Peopleโ€™s Forum.

Notably, Neville funded NewsClick is not the only India link to Party for Socialism and Liberation member Elias Rodriguez. The leftist party has been an opponent of Modi government in India, and had objected PM Narendra Modiโ€™s US visit in 2023.

The group had accused Modi govt of the Gujarat riots, Persecution of Muslims, Mass neoliberalization, anti-labour policies, anti-farmer laws and unemployment as its six reasons to the opposition.

Party for Socialism and Liberation also strongly objected to Indian governmentโ€™s action against NewsClick for spreading Chinese propaganda. Now it is clear why, because both PSL and NewsClick are funded by same Neville Singham. PSL also had protested outside the office of News York Times for exposing the link of NewsClick and its editor Prabir Purkayastha with China.

PSL had alleged that โ€œthe Modi government has been turning to increasingly repressive methods and accusing left-wing critics of being โ€œanti-nationalโ€.โ€ They claimed that NewsClick was targeted by Indian govt for raising โ€˜their voice against the anti-China narrative.โ€™

Congress and media ecosystem mislead about drop in ‘net FDI’ to paint doomsday picture of Indian economy under Modi govt: Here is the reality

Dibakar Dutta
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Congress and media ecosystem mislead about drop in ‘net FDI’ to paint doomsday picture of Indian economy under Modi govt: Here is the reality

On Friday (23rd May), Congress party and the media ecosystem in India were up-in-arms about a ‘drastic’ drop in net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India.

In a tweet, the Kerala unit of Congress claimed, “A grim picture both of reducing foreign investor confidence in India and reducing Indian investors on India as well. Everyone gave up on us. 11 years of divisive politics and stupid policy making.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Congress Kerala handle

Seema Chisti, who works for the leftist propaganda outlet ‘The Wire’ alleged, “Indiaโ€™s Net Foreign Direct Investment or FDI Plummets by 96.5% to Reach Record Low.”

Jawhar Sircar, the former TMC MP known for peddling fake news, also made doomsday claims about the India’s economy.

“Foreign investors donโ€™t fall for propaganda like Sanghis, Bhakts and Godi Media. They study the economic and political health of a country, before investing. Their lack of faith in Modiโ€™s India is clear from the red line โ€” how Net FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) has crashed”, he brazened out.

The story about 96% drop in net FDI was covered extensively in the mainstream media with little to no explanation for common readers about its implications. Some media reports insinuated that India’s economy was spiralling downwards with little to no hopes of progress under the incumbent Modi government.

Screengrab of the news reports about fall in ‘net FDI’

Foreign Direct Investment in India

According to Investopedia, Foreign Direct Investment (or FDI) is the “substantial, long-term investment made by a company or government into a foreign project or firm.” In the Indian context, it refers to foreign investment made in Indian companies.

Since the Financial Year 2014 – 2015, India has witnessed a steady growth in FDI inflow in India. The following chart prepared by OpIndia after collecting data from RBI and PIB reports.

It shows that FDI inflow in Financial Year 2014-2015 was $45.15 billion, which has since grown to $81 billion in Financial Year 2024-2025.

When compared year-on-year basis, India has witnessed a whopping 23.05% increase in Financial Year 2015 and 2016. In Financial Year 2024-2025, the growth in FDI inflow was 13.60%.

Financial Year
Gross FDI inflow (in USD)
% change as compared to previous year
2014 – 2015$45.15 billion–
2015 – 2016$55.56 billion23.05%
2016 – 2017$60.22 billion8.38%
2017 – 2018$60.97 billion1.24%
2018 – 2019$62 billion1.68%
2019 – 2020$74.39 billion19.98%
2020 – 2021$81.97 billion10.18%
2021 – 2022$83.57 billion1.95%
2022 – 2023$71.4 billion-14.56%
2023 – 2024$71.3 billion-0.14%
2024 – 2025$81 billion13.60%

(Source: Data published by Press Information Bureau and the Reserve Bank of India – here, here and here)

The only abberation was observed in the Financial Years 2022- 2023 and 2023 – 2024. Although the gross FDI inflow was significant, the net increase was negative.

The fact that Foreign Direct Investment in India is substantial and is increasing year-on-year shows that the Indian economy is in good hands.

“In a phased manner, almost all sectors have been opened up to 100% foreign direct investment (FDI). Almost 90% of the FDI is now under the automatic route…In the recent years, we have introduced a series of liberalisation measures
to further open up the economy, particularly in key sectors such as Defence, Insurance, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Telecom, and Space,” says RBI.

The controversy surrounding ‘Net FDI’

Net Foreign Direct Investment is the difference between Gross FDI inflows and the outward direct investments made by Indian companies, disinvestments and repatriation by foreign entities.

The Reserve Bank of India has released its bulletin for the month of May 2025. It has pointed out that the net FDI for the Financial Year 2024 – 2025 stood at $0.4 billion. The net FDI for the previous Financial Year 2023 -2024 stood at $10.1 billion.

Some media publications have pointed out this difference between $0.4 billion and $10.1 billion to suggest 96.5% drop in net FDI (thereby insinuating some form of economic catastrophe).

Screengrab of the May 2025 bulletin released by RBI

As can be seen from the above graph, Gross FDI inflows for Financial Year 2024 – 2025 stood at $81 billion, which is up 13.6% from $71.3 billion in Financial Year 2023 – 2024.

It can be seen that outward FDI and disinvestments have increased during the same time period, which is a healthy sign for both the economic strength of Indian companies (making strategic investments and acquisitions abroad) and providing easy exit opportunities for foreign companies who invested in India.

In its bulletin, RBI explains, “Net FDI inflows, however, moderated during this period due to higher repatriations and outward investment, which is a sign of a mature market where foreign investors can enter and exit smoothly, reflecting positively on the Indian economy.”

Conclusion

The signifcant gross FDI inflow is a sign of investor confidence, which is coupled with the fact that India’s foreign reserves stand at a whopping $686.1 billion (enough to cover more than 11 months of import).

The Congress party, its friendly journalists and the associated media ecosystem conveniently ignored year-on-year-growth of FDI inflows in India and raked up the issue of net FDI in an isolated manner to paint a doomsday image of the Indian economy.

Despite their both subtle and brazen propaganda, the truth remains that Indian economy is stronger than ever. The country is on its way to become the 4th largest economy in the world.

Harvard punished students for protesting against China and apologised to student who assaulted the protestors: US select committee reveals pro-CCP bias of the university

ANI
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Harvard punished students for protesting against China and apologised to student who assaulted the protestors: US select committee reveals pro-CCP bias of the university

Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) revealed documents indicating that Harvard put anti-CCP demonstrators on disciplinary probation while failing to take any measures against the pro-CCP instigator who attacked them, as reported by the Select Committee on Chinese Communist Party (SCCCP).

“This is yet another example of Harvard’s appallingly unequal treatment of protestors based on the speech they support. Harvard is punishing brave students who spoke out against the CCP’s human rights abuses while not only letting the student who assaulted them off scot-free but also handing him an apology. The American higher education system needs to wake up to the Chinese Communist Party’s influence on our nation’s campuses and protect students who speak out against the CCP, not punish them for standing up to bullies,” said Chairman Moolenaar.

“Once again, Harvard has proven to be completely corrupted by adversarial foreign influence. Harvard is kowtowing to Communist China, and as a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, I will continue working to root out foreign control over our college campuses. We cannot allow American institutions of higher education to serve as tools for Communist China to carry out its transnational repression. I look forward to working with Chairman Moolenaar and Chairwoman Foxx to hold Harvard accountable and to end Communist China’s infiltration of American universities,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, SCCCP release quoted.

“I wish I could say I was surprised, but this is par for the course for Harvard. The only consistent part of the university’s disciplinary standards is that they’re always applied selectively to the benefit of favoured groups. Whether it’s pro-Hamas or pro-CCP agitators, administrators apologise to and encourage some students to keep expressing their so-called ‘meaningful discourse’ at the expense of the safety of other students. It’s unacceptable, and I appreciate Chairman Moolenaar shining a light on this major issue,” said Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, as stated by the SCCCP release.

On April 20, 2024, Xie Feng, the Chinese Ambassador, gave a speech at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. During this speech, Cosette Wu, a student at Harvard, shouted slogans to protest the human rights violations perpetrated by the Chinese government, as mentioned in a release from the SCCCP.

Furthermore, Tsering Yangchen, another student at Harvard, was also removed from the event due to her protest. According to the SCCCP, it was revealed that Harvard placed both Wu and Yangchen was on disciplinary probation because of their protest, yet no action was taken against the graduate student who assaulted the protesters. Harvard issued an apology to the graduate student for his involvement in the incident.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

What is Google AI mode, how it will change search, and what are its implications? Explained

OpIndia Staff
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What is Google AI mode, how it will change search, and what are its implications? Explained

During the 2025 Google I/O conference, the tech giant unveiled AI Mode for Google Search. It is a sweeping transformation set to redefine how users navigate the internet. The new feature is now live and available for all users from 20th May 2025. It centres around Googleโ€™s own AI model, Gemini.

Beyond summaries – What is Google AI Mode?

AI Mode is not to be confused with AI Overview, the summarising feature that was introduced by Google back in May 2025. While AI Overview is clumsy and provides condensed answers using the older PaLM 2 model, AI Mode marks a significant leap forward. Notably, the answers provided by AI Overview are often questionable and their accuracy cannot be trusted.

AI Mode is powered by the more advanced Gemini 2.5 model. It includes the revamped AI Overview, Deep Search, Search Live and Googleโ€™s latest venture into agentic AI via Project Mariner. All these tools collectively offer an integrated, context-aware, conversational interface to the web, and potentially a farewell to the tab-hopping days of traditional search.

Reservations, tickets, and tasks โ€” all in one search

While demonstrating AI Modeโ€™s agentic capabilities, Google showcased scenarios where the AI could secure event tickets and book a dinner reservation within a single query. The feature, although not shown at its full potential, was enough to stun the audience with its ability to execute long-chain instructions with impressive accuracy.

The system draws data from across the web and, if the user allows, it takes information from the userโ€™s own Google suite history, including Docs or Gmail, to provide highly tailored results. This feature will help in streamlining searches into a flowing conversational format that has the capability to recall previous interactions, evolving the process into a more human-like dialogue.

Furthermore, users can interact with the system using voice, text, or even by uploading images and videos, thanks to its multimodal functionality.

Deep Search and data visualisation – Googleโ€™s next frontier

One of the more technically ambitious features announced by Google was Deep Search, which is capable of interpreting layered, multi-instruction queries in a single go. Along with this, Google also introduced dynamic data visualisation tools, which will allow users to analyse complex datasets in real time, right from the search interface.

Google Search no longer remains a simple information retriever. With the new feature, it has become a powerful research assistant which is capable of not only fetching but also understanding and presenting information in a user-friendly format.

The silent killer of web revenue?

Google claims that AI Mode is the future of internet interactions. However, its implications for online publishers are grim. AI Overview has affected the revenue model of a lot of publishers as it pushes for a reduced number of clicks. Now, with AI Mode, content creators will face a more potent threat.

AI Mode effectively eliminates the need to visit individual websites. It packages the information sourced from dozens of potential pages into a neat chat window. Fewer clicks mean less ad revenue and lower affiliate traffic, which is the lifeblood of digital journalism and blogging.

Letโ€™s take an example which Google presented. Google showed a mock scenario of a parent searching for summer camp options. Rather than visiting multiple camp websites, the user simply interacted with AI Mode, which compiled and refined the results within Googleโ€™s interface. Every skipped site is a lost opportunity for publishers.

Another example that can be discussed here is of content creators who publish lists of โ€œtop 10sโ€ or similar formats. They basically review ten products and rate them based on their features. The same will be done by Googleโ€™s AI Mode without pushing the user to visit the website. The information is indeed provided by the reviewers but visitors will be lost because Google provided the information neatly in the chat interface.

The longer users remain in Googleโ€™s ecosystem, the more ads Google can serve. It raises questions about sustainability. If Gemini is trained on data mined from the very websites its interface now bypasses, what happens when those websites can no longer survive?

Imagine, a reader visits two websites to read about a breaking news. He will get pieces of information by reading the reports. However, if the query is given to Googleโ€™s AI Mode, it will fetch information from 10โ€“15 news portals and present them in chronological order. The need to visit the two websites is eliminated right in the search chat.

How to try Google AI Mode

AI Mode began its rollout on 20th May 2025. It is available for free to all users and can be enabled by simply opening a new Google tab and selecting the AI Mode toggle. However, in some regions, it is yet to be rolled out.

Whether itโ€™s the beginning of a smarter search era or a reckoning for the open web, one thing is certain, Google has just rewritten the rules of digital engagement.

Shubman Gill named India’s new Test captain as BCCI announces squad for England series, Rishabh Pant to be the deputy

ANI
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Shubman Gill named India’s new Test captain as BCCI announces squad for England series, Rishabh Pant to be the deputy

Right-hand batter Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new Test captain for India while wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will serve as his deputy in the longest format, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced squad for the highly anticipated five-match Test series against England on Saturday.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and the Men’s selection committee attended the meeting at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

Right-arm seamer Jasprit Bumrah was also considered a potential candidate for the Test captaincy; however, recurring injury concerns in recent times have diminished his prospects. Another name in contention was middle-order batter KL Rahul, but at 33, his age is seen as a limiting factor for a long-term leadership role.

India has added Abhimanyu Easwaran to the Test squad. He has been a domestic cricket stalwart for Bengal, with 101 first-class games, 7,674 runs at an average of 48.87, 27 centuries, and 29 fifties behind him. He had a disappointing tour to Australia last year, where he scored just 36 runs in four innings.

Following Kohli’s retirement from the longest format of the game, a couple of budding and solidified figures like Sai Sudarshan and Karun Nair have been added to the middle-order.

Sudarshan has bided his time in India’s domestic circuit and has carved out his name as a future all-format prospect, standing out as one of the prominent names to fill the everlasting void left by Virat.

The 23-year-old Tamil Nadu batter ran rampant with his sizzling batting display and mustered up 304 runs in three Ranji Trophy matches at 76.00, including a double-hundred, a century and a fifty each. When one dives deeper, Sudharsan has featured in 29 First-Class fixtures, racked up 1,957 runs, averaging nearly 40, glistened with seven centuries and five half-centuries.

Karun, who asked for a second chance with a heartfelt tweet in December 2022, made the most of the opportunity while representing Vidarbha domestically. The man who is just the second Indian to blaze his way to a triple hundred exhibited quintessential form and has pushed a case for his return to the Indian team since his last Test in 2017. He was the fourth-highest run-scorer in last season’s Ranji Trophy with a staggering tally of 863 in nine appearances at 53.93.

In the bowling department, right-arm seamer Jasprit Bumrah will be leading the unit on England soil. Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Shardul Thakur are the other fast bowlers in the squad.

Clearing the air on right-arm pacer Mohammed Shami’s inclusion in the squad, BCCI Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar said, “Unfortunately, Shami is not available right now due to fitness reasons.”

The Indian cricket team is set to tour England in 2025 for a five-match Test series, part of the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship.

The series will take place from June to August 2025, with matches at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord’s (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), and The Oval (London).

This will be India’s first bilateral series since both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket earlier this month.

India’s Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Indian Air Force helped the IndiGo flight to Srinagar that faced violent storm after Pakistan refused to allow them to use their airspace: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Indian Air Force helped the IndiGo flight to Srinagar that faced violent storm after Pakistan refused to allow them to use their airspace: Report

An IndiGo flight that encountered a violent hailstorm and turbulence on its route from Delhi to Srinagar on 21st May, was reportedly guided by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to a safe landing in Srinagar. A violent hailstorm hit the Delhi-NCR region and some other parts of northern India on Wednesday in which the IndiGo operating flight 6E 2142 got caught resulting in the flight experiencing a 8,500-feet-per-minute descent around four times.

According to NDTV, after facing the rough weather, the pilots made emergency contact with the northern command of the IAF seeking permission for a flight path deviation to avoid the storm. A path deviation would have required the flight to enter Pakistan’s air space briefly which has been shut for Indian aircrafts since 11th May amid the recent military escalations between India and Pakistan. However, Pakistani authorities refused permission for the aircraft to enter its airspace. Pak civil aviation authority’s NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) that specified that Pakistani airspace was “not available to Indian-registered aircraft and aircraft operated/owned/leased by Indian airlines/operators, including military flights”, was effective till midnight on 23rd May, which has been extended for a month.

The flight was assisted in coordinating a route diversion by contacting the Delhi ATC and passing contact frequencies for Lahore ATC for overflight weather diversion request. The pilots then contacted Lahore Air Traffic Control directly for clearance to briefly enter Pakistani airspace to avoid the storm. However, Lahore ATC denied their request.

Faced with with limited options and a thunderstorm growing violent, the pilots of the IndiGo flight first considered returning to Delhi but dropped the idea as by that time, the aircraft was in close proximity of the storm. Subsequently, the pilots moved towards Srinagar. “Once Lahore refused overflight clearance, and the aircraft proceeded towards Srinagar, the flight was subsequently professionally assisted till safe landing at Srinagar…” said an IAF source as quoted by NDTV.

After being hit by the thunderstorm, the aircraft experienced severe turbulence and malfunctions. The pilots somehow kept the aircraft stable till it was able to exit the storm. After this, the crew ticked a checklist and declared emergency and the aircraft was guided by the Srinagar ATC which assisted it to safe landing. However, the nose of the aircraft was significantly damaged in the thunderstorm.

A formal investigation is being carried out by the DGCA which has grounded the two pilots. The flight data and cockpit voice recordings are being assessed by technical teams from IndiGo.

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