At least 16 people have died from heatstroke in southern India as an intense heatwave continues across several regions, officials said on Sunday. The deaths occurred in Telangana state, where temperatures have soared well above 45 degrees Celsius in some cities. Telangana’s Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy has called for a state-wide alert to protect public health, describing the heatwave’s intensity as unprecedented.

The India Meteorological Department recently forecast higher-than-normal temperatures and severe heatwaves in multiple areas, including the capital New Delhi, where temperatures have remained above 40 degrees Celsius throughout the week. The extreme heat has driven electricity consumption to record levels, while high nighttime temperatures have offered little relief.

Health experts warned that excessive heat can cause dehydration and, in severe cases, organ failure. Local authorities in Telangana have advised elderly people, children, and pregnant women to avoid going outdoors during the day. Scientists have linked the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves in India to climate change, as the country remains heavily dependent on coal for power generation.

In Churulia, West Bengal, the birthplace of poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, several of his historical landmarks are disappearing due to neglect and industrial expansion. The century-old Nabakrishna High School, where the poet once stayed, is now set to be demolished for the expansion of Eastern Coalfields Limited’s colliery operations. The school houses personal items used by Nazrul, including his cup, plate, chair, and harmonium. Earlier, the original Nazrul Academy, built on the site of his ancestral home, was also demolished, with a new structure being built by the state tourism department.

Churulia holds deep connections to Nazrul’s life, including the burial site of his wife Promila Devi near the shrine of Pir Haji Palowan Sahib, where the poet once served. Many of the poet’s childhood landmarks, such as his madrasa and the old mosque, have already been replaced by modern buildings. The current demolition plans have placed not only Nabakrishna High School but also other local schools under threat as part of the mining lease area.

The developments mark a continuing erosion of Nazrul’s tangible heritage in his birthplace, raising concerns about the preservation of his cultural legacy.

The newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal has imposed a complete ban on cow slaughter and sale, joining 19 other Indian states with similar restrictions. The decision, announced just before Eid al-Adha, has sparked widespread unrest across the state. Hindu farming families have taken to the streets in protest, accusing Chief Minister Suvendu of destroying their livelihoods. Many farmers claim they can no longer sustain their families without the income from selling cattle.

According to Indian media reports and expert analyses cited in the article, the ban has triggered a severe chain reaction across India’s rural economy. Farmers, unable to sell aging cows, face mounting debts and reduced income. The dairy sector has slowed as farmers stop raising new cattle, driving milk prices beyond the reach of ordinary consumers. The meat and leather industries have also collapsed due to raw material shortages, leaving millions unemployed. Stray cattle now roam freely, damaging crops and forcing the government to spend heavily on shelters.

Experts warn that the cumulative impact of these policies has placed immense pressure on India’s national budget and worsened rural poverty, creating a broad economic downturn linked to religiously motivated governance decisions.

An Indian Army Cheetah helicopter crashed in the remote Tangtse area of Ladakh’s Leh region on May 20, 2026. The aircraft carried a lieutenant colonel, a major, and Major General Sachin Mehta, the General Officer Commanding of the 3 Infantry Division. All three officers were injured but survived the crash, which the army officially confirmed on May 23. A selfie taken by Major General Mehta after the incident, showing the officers beside the wrecked helicopter, went viral on social media.

Following the crash, authorities formed an official inquiry committee to investigate the cause. The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of the Indian Army’s aging Cheetah helicopter fleet, which has been in service since the 1970s and has been involved in several accidents over the years. These helicopters have long been used in India’s high-altitude and remote operations, including the 1984 Operation Meghdoot in Siachen.

The army is gradually replacing the Cheetah fleet with domestically built Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, featuring improved speed, altitude capacity, and range.

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the online political satire movement Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has accused the Indian government of taking down the group’s official website. Dipke, a student at Boston University, made the claim on X on Saturday, saying the government removed the “iconic” site. The CJP was launched a week ago in response to comments by India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant, who compared unemployed youth to cockroaches. Kant later clarified that his remarks targeted those with fraudulent degrees and reaffirmed his respect for India’s youth.

Dipke said both his personal and the CJP’s Instagram accounts were hacked. The CJP’s Instagram page has gained over 22 million followers in a week, surpassing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s nine million followers. The movement claims one million sign-ups and 600,000 signatures on a petition demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. The campaign coincides with nationwide protests over alleged exam paper leaks that led to the cancellation of a medical entrance test.

Dipke told Al Jazeera that the movement reflects frustration with those in power, describing India as a place where “cockroaches breed in rotten places.”

The new BJP government in West Bengal has revised the previously announced public holiday schedule for Eid-ul-Azha. A fresh notification issued on Saturday confirmed that only one day, May 28, will be observed as a public holiday for the festival. The earlier list, published under the Mamata Banerjee administration at the start of 2026, had declared two days of holidays for Eid-ul-Azha.

Since taking office, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has introduced several administrative reforms aimed at improving efficiency and reducing corruption. The government has emphasized minimizing unnecessary leave and ensuring timely public service delivery. Officials have also set fixed office attendance hours for government employees. The reduction of Eid holidays is being viewed as part of this broader effort to strengthen administrative discipline.

According to the new directive issued by Additional Chief Secretary P. K. Mishra, the adjustment aligns the state’s holiday schedule with that of the central government. Some government employees have raised questions about whether similar changes could affect the extended Durga Puja holidays in the future.

India is planning to increase its oil imports from the United States in response to the ongoing disruptions in the strategic Hormuz Strait. Sumit Ritolia, chief energy analyst at business analytics platform Kpler, told Al Jazeera that India is seeking alternative energy sources as the situation in the strait remains uncertain. Discussions are reportedly underway between India and the United States to expand oil and gas imports.

Ritolia cautioned that while the United States has the capacity to export oil and gas, it cannot fully replace the large volumes India currently imports from the Middle East. He also noted that India’s oil imports from Russia have risen, with the country continuing to buy discounted Russian crude despite Western sanctions following the Ukraine war, which has helped strengthen its energy security.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting India, where discussions are taking place on various agreements related to energy and defense cooperation, according to reports.

Hindu cattle farmers in West Bengal are facing financial hardship after the state government’s decision to restrict cow sacrifice ahead of Eid al-Adha. According to reports, Muslim buyers have stopped purchasing cows due to the new law, leaving Hindu farmers unable to sell their livestock. Many of these farmers had taken loans from NGOs to raise cattle, expecting to repay them through Eid sales.

In Bamunia village of South 24 Parganas, most cattle farmers are Hindu and have expressed frustration, urging that Muslims be allowed to perform cow sacrifices so they can sell their animals. Muslim farmers, meanwhile, said they would accept government takeover of their cattle if sacrifices remain banned. Local legislator Naushad Siddique stated that the ruling BJP government’s policy, intended to target Muslims, has instead harmed Hindus. Protests have also erupted in Bhangar, where Hindu men and women rejected the High Court’s decision supporting the ban.

BJP spokesperson Bimal Shankar Nanda commented that some groups are exploiting the situation for their own interests.

A government ban on cattle sacrifice ahead of Eid al-Adha has triggered a severe downturn in livestock markets across West Bengal. The enforcement of the 1950 West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act has left thousands of cattle traders, farmers, transport workers, and market laborers struggling. Hindu cattle traders, who traditionally rely on Muslim buyers during the Eid season, have expressed the most frustration, saying the restrictions have halted sales and caused major financial losses.

Videos circulating on social media show Hindu traders voicing anger and despair over the administration’s decision, claiming Muslim buyers now fear visiting markets. Some traders said they took large loans expecting Eid sales, while others described being unable to sell animals due to police surveillance. Religious leaders have urged restraint and suggested alternatives like goat or sheep sacrifice to prevent unrest.

Human rights activists and analysts noted that the long-standing economic ties between Hindu sellers and Muslim buyers in rural Bengal are under strain. Despite official claims that the move targets no community, the timing and strict enforcement have created uncertainty and hardship for low-income groups dependent on the Eid livestock trade.

India’s government has announced a new initiative to strengthen security along its borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan, covering nearly 6,000 kilometers. Home Minister Amit Shah said in New Delhi that the project will deploy drones, radars, and surveillance cameras across the frontier areas. The implementation is expected to begin within a year, with the Border Security Force (BSF) receiving full technical support from the government.

Shah added that fencing work along unfenced sections of the Bangladesh border will be expedited. India and Bangladesh share a 4,096-kilometer border, of which about 1,650 kilometers are already fenced, leaving 569 kilometers without fencing. The longest stretch of this border lies in West Bengal, spanning approximately 2,219 kilometers.

According to the report, the project aims to enhance monitoring and control along sensitive border zones, particularly where physical barriers are incomplete or absent.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that the centuries-old Kamal Maula Mosque in Dhar district is a temple dedicated to a Hindu goddess, following a petition claiming the site originally housed a temple. The decision, announced on Friday, has barred Muslims from praying there and allowed Hindus to install an idol under police protection. The mosque, part of the Bhojshala complex, had long been a shared site under an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) agreement permitting both Hindu and Muslim worship on different days.

Muslim leaders and legal representatives have condemned the ruling as a violation of India’s Places of Worship Act of 1991, which preserves the religious character of sites as they existed in 1947. They plan to appeal to the Supreme Court. Critics, including historian Audrey Truschke, described the ASI survey as politically motivated and part of a broader pattern of Islamophobia linked to Hindu nationalism.

The case has revived memories of the Babri Mosque demolition and is seen as part of a wider campaign by Hindu nationalist groups to reclaim sites they allege were once temples, raising concerns about religious freedom and secularism in India.

India has increased petrol and diesel prices again, marking the third hike in ten days. Starting Saturday, petrol prices rose by 87 paise per litre and diesel by 91 paise per litre. The latest adjustment follows earlier increases on May 16 and May 19, when prices were raised by 3 rupees and 90 paise per litre respectively. As a result, fuel prices have climbed by at least 5 rupees per litre in major cities over the past ten days.

The price hikes come amid a fuel supply crisis linked to conflict in West Asia. Although India’s central petroleum department previously claimed there was no shortage of petrol or diesel, it had signaled that further price increases were possible. As of Friday night, petrol in New Delhi cost 98.64 rupees per litre, which has now risen to 99.51 rupees, while diesel increased from 91.58 to 92.49 rupees per litre.

The repeated hikes suggest continued pressure on India’s fuel market, with potential implications for transportation and consumer costs if global tensions persist.

Tension has resurfaced in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh over the disputed Bhojshala complex after Muslim representatives filed an appeal in India’s Supreme Court. The petition, submitted by mosque caretaker Qazi Moinuddin, challenges the High Court’s May 15 ruling that overturned a long-standing arrangement allowing separate worship days for Hindus and Muslims at the site.

The Bhojshala complex, preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India, has historical and archaeological significance. Since 2003, Hindus were permitted to perform rituals on Tuesdays, while Muslims offered Friday prayers. The High Court recently nullified this arrangement and directed the government to consider allocating land elsewhere for a new mosque. As a result, Friday prayers will not be held at Bhojshala for the first time in 23 years, prompting heightened security measures across the city.

Hindu groups have welcomed the ruling and organized weeklong celebrations, while local authorities have convened peace meetings to prevent communal unrest. The state government has also announced plans to develop Bhojshala in the style of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, sparking renewed political and religious debate.

The Kolkata High Court has upheld a state government notification maintaining a ban on the slaughter of bulls, oxen, cows, calves, and buffaloes in West Bengal ahead of Eid al-Adha. The division bench of Chief Justice Joy Pal and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen ruled that the May 13, 2026 notification merely implemented a 2018 court directive and therefore did not warrant suspension or cancellation. The court also stated that cow sacrifice is not a mandatory religious practice in Islam.

According to the state notification, these animals cannot be slaughtered without certification declaring them unfit and may only be slaughtered in authorized abattoirs. Following the ruling, reports from India’s Aaj Tak media indicated that Hindu men and women in Bhangar, South 24 Parganas, protested the decision, rejecting the restriction on cow sacrifice and demanding permission to sell cattle.

The court’s decision reinforces earlier judicial restrictions on cattle slaughter in the state, while the protests highlight ongoing tensions surrounding religious and cultural practices linked to animal sacrifice.

The Indian central government has decided to bring back several individuals who were previously sent to Bangladesh to verify their Indian citizenship status. The decision was disclosed to the Supreme Court on Friday, following a case filed by the central government challenging a September 2025 Calcutta High Court ruling that had declared the deportation of Sonali Khatun and others to Bangladesh illegal.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had allowed Sonali Khatun and her eight-year-old child to re-enter India on humanitarian grounds after they had been sent to Bangladesh. The court also directed the West Bengal government to ensure their care and medical support. The case stems from the detention of several families in Delhi’s Rohini area in June 2025, who were suspected of being Bangladeshi nationals and subsequently deported.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant that the government would repatriate the individuals within eight to ten days and verify their citizenship before deciding on further action. The next hearing is scheduled for July.