Prateek Yadav, the younger son of late Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, passed away in Lucknow at the age of 38 on Wednesday. He was reportedly brought dead to the Civil Hospital after his health suddenly deteriorated. Prateek, husband of BJP leader Aparna Yadav and half-brother of Akhilesh Yadav, had been suffering from lung-related issues and was undergoing treatment for a blood clot in his lungs. A post-mortem examination has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death. Political leaders across party lines expressed grief over his sudden demise. (PC: NDTV)

At least nine people were killed and 28 injured in fresh Russian drone attacks across Ukraine after a three-day US-brokered ceasefire expired. Ukrainian officials said the worst-hit area was the central Dnipropetrovsk region, where eight people died, including residents in Kryvyi Rih and Synelnykove district. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 100 Russian drones were in Ukrainian airspace on Wednesday, warning of continued strikes. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 139 drones in 24 hours. Russia, meanwhile, claimed Ukrainian drones damaged industrial facilities and a gas processing plant inside Russian territory. (PC: BBC)

The Congress on Wednesday accused the Rajasthan BJP government of delaying the investigation into the NEET-UG paper leak because a leader linked to the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) was allegedly involved. According to the Congress, the Jaipur Dehat BJYM leader and his brother bought the leaked NEET question paper from Gurgaon for lakhs of rupees and sold it to students in Sikar for profit. Rajasthan Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully questioned why the state government allegedly waited nine days to register an FIR. The allegations come amid widening investigations into the NEET-UG leak across multiple states. (PC: The Indian Express)

Air India has suspended and reduced several international flights from June as rising jet fuel prices and Pakistani airspace restrictions sharply increase operating costs. The Tata-owned airline has reportedly suspended services from Delhi to Chicago, Newark, Singapore and Shanghai, while reducing frequencies to San Francisco, Paris and Toronto.   The airline is facing mounting pressure after global jet fuel prices surged amid the West Asia conflict and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Longer flight routes due to Pakistani airspace closure have also increased fuel use, crew expenses and travel time. Air India has warned that more international routes could be cut if costs remain elevated and profitability continues to decline. (PC: India Today)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired a Union Cabinet meeting to review India’s economic preparedness amid the escalating West Asia crisis and rising global oil prices. The government is considering stricter austerity measures to protect foreign exchange reserves and control fuel import costs.   In recent speeches, Modi urged citizens to reduce fuel consumption, avoid foreign travel, postpone gold purchases and prefer Indian-made products. The Centre has already raised gold import duties and cut official convoy usage. Reports suggest the government may expand work-from-home practices, restrict non-essential spending and review fuel pricing as Brent crude crosses $105 per barrel amid tensions involving Iran, Israel and the US. (PC: X)

The Central Board of Secondary Education on Wednesday declared the Class 12 board examination results for 2026, with the overall pass percentage falling to 85.20%, down from 88.39% last year. Out of 17.8 lakh registered students, over 15 lakh cleared the exams.   Girls outperformed boys by 6.73 percentage points, continuing the trend seen in previous years. Trivandrum emerged as the best-performing region with a 95.62% pass rate, while Prayagraj recorded the lowest at 72.43%.   Students can access their marksheets through official websites, DigiLocker, UMANG app and SMS services using their roll number, school number and admit card ID. CBSE has again decided not to release a merit list to avoid unhealthy competition among students. (PC: HT)

The Indian rupee slipped to a fresh all-time low of 95.8 against the US dollar on Wednesday as soaring crude oil prices and rising import costs intensified pressure on the economy. The currency weakened amid fears of prolonged disruption in global oil supplies, with Brent crude trading above $107 per barrel.   The Centre also raised import duty on gold and silver from 6 per cent to 15 per cent to curb foreign exchange outflow and protect reserves. Despite volatile trading, benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended marginally higher. Analysts warned that sustained high oil prices and foreign fund outflows could keep the rupee under pressure in the coming weeks. (PC: ai)

  High-resolution satellite imagery reviewed by India Today’s OSINT team suggests multiple Iran-linked aircraft were present at Pakistan’s Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi during recent diplomatic visits. The images reportedly show a camouflaged C130-type aircraft and two planes resembling Iranian Meraj Air aircraft parked at the sensitive military facility.   Analysts said the camouflage pattern closely matches Iranian Air Force aircraft. The airbase is also undergoing major reconstruction nearly a year after India’s Operation Sindoor strikes. Satellite images show newly built hangars and a reconstructed command facility, indicating efforts to shield key military assets from satellite surveillance and aerial monitoring.  (PC: India Today)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned countries to stay alert for more hantavirus cases following an outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius. The vessel was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde when several suspected infections were reported.   Health officials are closely monitoring the situation because the Andes strain of hantavirus, unlike most forms of the virus, can spread through close human contact. Hantavirus is usually transmitted through infected wild rodents and can cause severe respiratory illness.   The WHO has asked countries to strengthen surveillance and preparedness measures as concerns grow over the possible spread of infections in the coming weeks.

The NEET UG 2026 paper leak probe has reached Maharashtra’s Nashik, where the CBI detained a 30-year-old BAMS student accused of buying and selling the leaked question paper for profit. Investigators alleged that Shubham Khairnar purchased the paper from a Pune-based suspect for Rs 10 lakh and later sold it in Haryana for Rs 15 lakh through encrypted messaging platforms.   Officials said he changed his appearance by cutting his hair to avoid arrest, but was tracked using surveillance inputs and old photographs. The leak allegedly spread across multiple states through Telegram groups, scanners and shadow servers, forcing the cancellation of the NEET UG exam for over 22 lakh students. (PC: X)