Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s pioneering astronaut, is set to make history by becoming the first Indian on the ISS in 41 years since Rakesh Sharma. His father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, tells NDTV how Shubhanshu has always been unwaveringly determined joining the NDA at 16, excelling academically, and later becoming a decorated IAF test‑pilot. “When he decides to do something, he puts in all his hard work and dedication,” his father says. His mother recalls his studious childhood, noting he rarely played outdoors. Born in Lucknow in October 1985, Shukla earned his BSc in Computer Science in 2004, was commissioned into the IAF in 2006, and was selected for Gaganyaan in 2020. The US-based Axiom Space is set to launch its Mission-4, carrying Mr Shukla, along with three others, from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on June 10 at 5:52 pm IST. The mission was deferred three times before. According to NASA, the delay was to "account for weather during vehicle transportation and completing final processing of the vehicle ahead of launch". (PC: India Today & The New Indian Express)

Newlyweds Raja (29) and Sonam Raghuvanshi (25) disappeared from Meghalaya’s Sohra on May 23 during their honeymoon. Search teams including NDRF drones found Raja’s decomposed body on June 2 in a gorge beneath Wei Sawdong Falls, with a blood-stained dao nearby. Sonam emerged June 9 at a roadside dhaba in Ghazipur, claiming she’d been abducted and left unconscious. Meghalaya Police allege she hired four contract killers three now arrested and one fugitive to murder her husband. A rejected local guide’s tip alerted authorities to Sonam’s involvement. Her family insists she’s a victim and demands a CBI probe. (PC: Hindustan & Business Today)

A Singapore-flagged container vessel, MV Wan Hai 503, experienced an under-deck explosion and subsequent fire around 10:30 AM on Monday, June 9, approximately 70 nautical miles off Beypore, Kozhikode en route from Colombo to Nhava Sheva. The 270 m ship, carrying 22 crew and containerised cargo, has gone adrift amid ongoing blaze. Eighteen crew evacuated into life rafts, four remain missing, and five sustained injuries. The Indian Navy diverted INS Surat, while Coast Guard assets including three vessels and Dornier aircraft spearhead firefighting and rescue operations. Kerala’s leadership has mobilised district hospitals to prepare for crew treatment upon landing, as the crisis continues to unfold.

Israel diverted the flotilla yacht Madleen, carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists aboard a Gaza-bound humanitarian mission organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, to the port of Ashdod on June 8 , 2025. Israeli authorities released footage showing passengers safe and unharmed, stating aid from the crew would be transferred to Gaza via official channels. The coalition decried the interception as an unlawful boarding and “kidnap,” accusing Israel of seizing charitable supplies such as baby formula, medical kits, and diapers. The operation followed a drone attack on a prior flotilla vessel in May and comes amid a contentious naval blockade initiated October 2023. (PC: The Times)

A police officer was killed and several others injured in an IED blast in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district early Monday. Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Rao Giripunje, posted at Konta division, was patrolling the Konta-Aerobora road near Dronda when he stepped on a pressure IED allegedly planted by Maoists. The patrol was conducted in anticipation of a June 10 nationwide bandh called by the banned CPI (Maoist). Giripunje succumbed to his injuries at Konta hospital. Fellow personnel are under treatment and reported to be stable. This raises the number of security personnel killed in Maoist-related incidents this year to 18, while 209 Maoists have been killed, including 192 in Bastar. (PC: The Indian Express)

Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla will pilot Axiom Mission 4 (Ax‑4), launching aboard a SpaceX Dragon from NASA’s Kennedy LC‑39A on 10 June 2025, 8:22 am EDT, reaching ISS on 11 June (~10 pm IST). Over a 14‑day mission, Shukla and crew Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański‑Wiśniewski, and Tibor Kapu will conduct 60 experiments—including seven ISRO-led studies, five NASA human research projects involving Shukla, plus five NASA‑coordinated investigations. This marks the first government-backed human spaceflight in 40+ years for India, Poland, and Hungary. Expressing excitement, Shukla plans to document space experiences to share with India’s 1.4 billion people through photos and video, calling it ”the journey of 1.4 billion people.” (PC: Millennium Post & India Today)

On June 9, 2025, a local train running between Diva and Mumbra stations in Thane district became overcrowded during peak hours. Tragic overcrowding led to 5 passengers falling to their deaths, while several others were injured after hanging near open doors and losing their grip. Emergency responders and Central Railway officials quickly reached the scene, transporting the injured to nearby hospitals and restoring disrupted services. In response, authorities initiated an investigation focused on overcrowding causes. Railways announced safety upgrades: all new Mumbai suburban rakes will include automatic door closers, and existing rakes will be retrofitted accordingly. (PC: The Indian Express & Mint)

Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla—nicknamed “Shux”—has completed a full dress rehearsal for the Axiom-4 mission at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, including suit-up procedures, assembly building exit, spacecraft boarding, and a successful Falcon 9 static fire test . The launch is scheduled for 10 June 2025 at 5:52 pm IST, marking India's return to human spaceflight after 41 years since Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 Soyuz mission . Shukla, an IAF pilot and ISRO astronaut, described the journey as “amazing” and says he feels “extremely fortunate” to be part of something “much larger than yourself” . The crew—led by veteran Peggy Whitson—will spend 14 days aboard the ISS conducting over 60 scientific experiments. (PC: India Today)

US President Trump federalized approximately 2,000 California National Guard troops under Title 10 to Los Angeles in response to escalating protests over federal immigration raids, marking the first deployment without state approval since 1965. Protests entered a third night, with demonstrators blocking the 101 Freeway, setting Waymo cars ablaze, and clashing with police through concrete, bottles, tear‑gas, and flash‑bangs. California Governor Gavin Newsom, joined by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and national Democrats, decried the move as “inflammatory” and unlawful, warning it erodes state sovereignty. Defense Secretary Hegseth, citing threats to federal assets, threatened to activate active‑duty Marines if unrest persists. (PC: AP & Reuters)

An Indian student in the US was duped out of $5,000 by scammers posing as immigration officers. The victim received a call from someone claiming to be from US Immigration, who said his passport was linked to a crime. He was pressured to stay on a video call, warned not to share the incident, and forced to transfer money through gift cards and Bitcoin. The fraudsters even sent forged documents to increase credibility. The Indian Consulate in Chicago later intervened and confirmed it was a scam. Officials urge students to remain cautious, verify identities, and report such incidents to both US authorities and Indian missions immediately. (PC: NDTV)