Evening news wrap: Russian President Putin dials PM Modi, shares insights on Alaska meet; heavy showers flood roads, railway tracks in Mumbai; and more

Today's top news include updates on national, international and business news. Russian President Vladimir Putin dialed PM Modi and shared his insights on Alaska meet with Donald Trump. The US president urged Ukraine to drop its bid to join Nato and give up on reclaiming Crimea, framing it as the price for peace with Russia. Meanwhile, Mumbai was lashed by heavy rainfall, with several areas recording over 100 mm of rain in just six hours. Kerala's SCERT corrected textbook error on Netaji 'fled fearing British' claim and launched inquiry.

Russian President Putin dials PM Modi; shares insights on Alaska meet with Donald Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin dialed PM Modi, focusing their discussion on Putin’s recent meeting in Alaska with US President Donald Trump, which revolved around efforts to broker a peace deal.


"Thank my friend, President Putin, for his phone call and for sharing insights on his recent meeting with President Trump in Alaska. India has consistently called for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and supports all efforts in this regard. I look forward to our continued exchanges in the days to come," he said in a post on X. Read full story

'Abandon Nato hopes and Crimea before peace talks,' Trump tells Zelenskyy ahead of peace talks

Trump urged Ukraine to drop its bid to join Nato and give up on reclaiming Crimea, framing it as the price for peace with Russia. His remarks came ahead of planned talks in Washington with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, part of Trump’s push to broker a settlement in the conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions since 2022.

The comments followed Trump’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where Moscow outlined its own conditions for ending the war. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Zelenskyy could “end the war with Russia almost immediately” if he agreed to these terms, insisting there would be “no getting back” Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014 during Barack Obama’s presidency, and “no going into Nato” for Ukraine. Read full story

Heavy showers flood roads, railway tracks, bring city to standstill in Mumbai

Mumbai was lashed by heavy rainfall, with several areas recording over 100 mm of rain in just six hours. Chembur topped the chart with 117 mm, followed by Vikhroli at 103 mm, while Juhu, Santacruz, and Sion also reported intense showers. The downpour quickly inundated low-lying areas, triggering severe waterlogging across the city.

The heavy rain disrupted daily life, with traffic thrown out of gear on key arterial routes. Streets in Bandra and Wadala were left flooded, the Andheri subway was shut due to water accumulation, and commuters faced long delays on the Central and Harbour railway lines. A massive traffic jam on the Western Express Highway further compounded the chaos, leaving thousands stranded. Read full story

INDIA bloc steps up attack on EC, says poll body 'must first affirm voter list is clean, then we'll comply'

The INDIA bloc escalated its criticism of the Election Commission, accusing it of mishandling recent polls and raising objections to the decision to carry out a special intensive revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar right before the state elections.

"EC silent on voter additions in Maharashtra, discrepancies in rolls in Mahadevapura, video data deletion," Gogoi said. He further added, "EC in hands of officers who are taking sides, not probing any charges made by Opposition." Read full story

Kerala's SCERT corrects textbook error on Netaji 'fled fearing British' claim; launches inquiry
Kerala’s State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has corrected a factual error in a Class 4 teachers’ handbook that inaccurately claimed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose “fled to Germany, fearing the British” before forming the Indian National Army (INA). The mistake, flagged by teachers shortly after the handbook’s release, was swiftly acknowledged and rectified by SCERT to ensure Bose’s role in the freedom struggle was not misrepresented.

The handbook, meant to guide educators in teaching the state syllabus, included details of Bose’s political career such as his Congress presidency and the founding of the Forward Bloc. However, following teacher feedback, the misleading phrase suggesting fear-driven flight was removed, with officials confirming the revision to local media. Read full story