Himachal Pradesh Records 1,033 Forest Fires Since Onset of Summer: Live News Updates Today

Mumbai, May 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three election rallies in Odisha today, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi will address separate meetings. With the final phase of polling ending on May 30 evening, heavyweight campaigners of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik have stepped up their campaigns and public meetings.

On Tuesday, a high-level French government team will be reaching India on May 30 to begin negotiations on the multi-billion-dollar Rafale Marine fighter jet deal, top defence sources said. The team is expected to reach Delhi and commence negotiations with the Defence Ministry’s acquisition wing officials and Indian Navy officials, sources added. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday extended the tenure of Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar for an additional three months till August 2024. The recent increase in tenure comes after his previous six-month extension, which was set to conclude on May 31, 2024.

At least 18 people have died, and around 12 remain missing after multiple landslides across the Aizawl district on Tuesday, including 12 in a stone quarry collapse, as Mizoram experiences an impact of cyclone Remal. The stone quarry collapsed around 6 am in an area between Melthum and Hlimen on the southern outskirts of Aizawl town. As per the latest figures, around 12 people died and six were missing in Melthum, three were dead and four missing in Hlimen, one was dead and one missing in Falkawn, and two were dead and one missing in Salem.

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif admitted on Tuesday that the country had "violated" the 1999 Lahore Declaration agreement with India, which was signed by him and then-Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Indirectly referring to the Kargil misadventure by General Pervez Musharraf, he said, "It was our fault." "On May 28, 1998, Pakistan carried out five nuclear tests. After that, Vajpayee Saheb came here and made an agreement with us. But we violated that agreement; it was our fault," Sharif told a meeting of his party, Pakistan Muslim League (N).

Israel again bombarded Gaza's far-southern Rafah area on Tuesday despite a global storm of outrage over a strike that set ablaze a crowded tent city, killing 45 people, according to Palestinian officials. The strike, which Gaza medics said also left hundreds of civilians with shrapnel and burn wounds, drew condemnation from world leaders and was set to be discussed at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council from 1915 GMT.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2024 07:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).