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A decision on India’s bid for the 2036 Olympics is set to take longer than expected as the IOC President on Thursday announced a “pause” on the entire process.

A decision on India’s bid for the 2036 Olympics is set to take longer than expected as the International Olympic Committee’s new President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday announced a “pause” on the entire process and set up a working group to figure out the “appropriate time” to identify a future host. In an online press conference after taking over as the first woman and the first African President of the IOC, the former Olympic champion swimmer said the consensus among the members was to reassess the process. Earlier, a decision on the bid was expected next year.

“There was an overwhelming support from the IOC members for a pause to be done and a review of the future host election process and we will be setting up a working group to look into this,” the 41-year-old Zimbabwean said after chairing her maiden executive board meeting in Lausanne.

“(This is) for two main reasons. Firstly, members want to be engaged more in the process and secondly there was a very big discussion on when should the next host be awarded,” he added in her opening remarks after the two-day meeting.

Coventry said the executive board members felt that the experience of already decided future hosts — Los Angles (2028 Summer Games), Brisbane (2032 Summer Games), French Alps (2030 Winter Games) — need to be studied before proceeding on future proposals.

“So there was a lot of discussion on when is the appropriate time to elect a future host. And also how we should be selecting a future host,” she added referring to the relatively shorter “lead-up time” that French Alps got due to awarding of the rights only last year.

India submitted a Letter of Intent to host the 2036 Games in October last year. A delegation, comprising high-ranking officials led by Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao, is scheduled to be in Lausanne for informal talks on the issue next month.

Coventry said that visit will proceed as scheduled.

“We want all interested parties to be a part of this pause and reflect and of this review. I am aware of the delegation coming next weekend that will continue. They might be the first interested party for us to ask a couple of questions and to better understand from them.

“There is not going to be a specific pause on that but just on the entire process,” she said.

“We need to ensure that we have more membership engagement and also look at the timing. When is the most appropriate time, when is the best time, when is the most effective time (to decide an Olympic host).

“What is the most effective way we are not going to overburden any of the stakeholders,” she explained.

She, however, acknowledged that the global south (comprising Africa, the subcontinent and parts of Latin America) has been under-represented in the Olympic host movement.

“I think the Global South, in terms of host cities, is not really represented at all. But my job is to ensure that policies are in place to allow anyone who has the ability to host the Games,” she said.

NIA teams launched searches at 18 locations in the three northern states in the morning

idhu is also an accused in the NIA case related to the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Vikas Prabhakar in Nangal, Punjab, in April 2024.

The searches were conducted as part of the NIA’s ongoing investigation into the recent BKI-linked grenade attack at the residence of former Punjab Minister Manoranjan Kalia.

“The terror attack on the Punjab ex-minister’s house in Jalandhar was committed on the night of 7th April 2025 by accused Saidul Ameen, who was arrested by the state police on 12th April,” the statement said.

This was one of the series of grenade attacks carried out by BKI operatives in Punjab, on the directions of foreign-based handlers of the proscribed terrorist organisation, it added.

While in Punjab, searches were carried out in Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran and Mansa districts, in Haryana, the NIA teams cracked down in the districts of Kurukshetra, Yamuna Nagar, Karnal and Ambala.

Extensive searches were also conducted in the Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh, the anti-terror agency said.

NIA, which took over the probe from the state police on April 12, 2025, is continuing with its investigation in the case, it added.

NIA teams launched searches at 18 locations in the three northern states in the morning.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted a series of searches across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to probe Khalistani terror network, officials said.

NIA teams launched searches at 18 locations in the three northern states in the morning. They seized various incriminating materials, including mobiles, digital devices and documents, officials said.

The searches were conducted at the premises of suspects linked with banned outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative Kulbir Sidhu, US-based gangster Manish alias Kaka Rana, and their nodes based in India and various other countries, according to a statement issued by the probe agency.

Sidhu, originally from Yamunanagar in Haryana, is currently in Germany and is a key aide of designated terrorist and BKI chief Wadhawa Singh Babbar, who is based in Pakistan, it said.

Zohran Mamdani is a Muslim of Gujarati ancestry and far-right social media politicians and users have been sharing Islamophobic posts against him. Marjorie Taylor Greene, US representative for Georgia’s 14th congressional district since 2021, was one of them.Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Democratic socialist just won New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, and MAGA supporters are not chuffed. New York governor Andrew Cuomo, conceded defeat overnight, and if elected, Mamdani would be the first Indian-American and Muslim mayor in the history of New York City.

However, because he is a Muslim of Gujarati ancestry, far-right social media politicians and users have been sharing Islamophobic posts against him. Marjorie Taylor Greene, US representative for Georgia’s 14th congressional district since 2021, was one of them.The post shows a digitally altered picture of the Statue of Liberty covered in a black burqa. Another MAGA supporter, Don Keith shared the picture with the caption, “Congratulations New York”. Nancy Mace, the US representative for South Carolina’s 1st congressional district since 2021, shared a photo of Mamdani in a kurta pajama, and captioned it as, “After 9/11 we said “Never Forget.” I think we sadly have forgotten.”Apart from Republican politicians, users rushed to comment on the scenario, with one user writing, NYC in 2001: We will never forget! NYC in 2025: Elects Muslim jihadist! NYC in 2040: Obey Sharia Law or leave! NYC in 2060: Convert to Islam or die!”, and another saying, “The stupidity of NYC voting for their own demise! While the Jihadist might have won the primary as the Democrat candidate, it doesn’t mean he’s going to be mayor! But if he in fact does win, DOOM on those who blindly opted to vote for their own city’s downfall!”

During his remarks, Trump dismissed Mamdani as “not very smart,” while also mocking his looks and voice.

It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor. We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous. He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he’s not very smart, he’s got AOC+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him. Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!In another post, he said, presumably jesting, that Democrats should nominate “Low IQ Candidate, Jasmine Crockett, for President” to get back in play. He also said that democrats should put “AOC+3” – his term for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive Squad members – in Cabinet positions.

Mamdani– an Indian origin Muslim, who is the son of acclaimed Indian American filmmaker Mira Nair and an Indian-born Ugandan Marxist scholar Mahmood Mamdani– won the democratic race after former New York governor Andrew Cuomo conceded New York City’s mayoral primary election. Mamdani won 43.5 per cent of the vote, and 90 per cent of the ballots counted.

Top Indian shooter Sift Kaur Samra tackled a strong field with aplomb to claim the bronze medal in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions event at the ISSF World Cup on Thursday. The 23-year-old Samra, who holds the current world record in women’s 50 metre rifle three positions event which she had set while winning the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games, shot 453.1 in the eight-player final. Norway’s Jeanette Hegg Duestad won the gold medal with 466.9, while Emely Jaeggi of Switzerland bagged silver with 464.8.In the men’s 10m air rifle competition, Ankush Jadhav narrowly missed out on the finals and settled for the 11th place in the qualifications with a total of 631.7 across six series.

Umamahesh Maddineni ended seventh with 632.3 but was not eligible to enter the final as he was shooting for ranking points only (RPO). Arjun Babuta was placed 43rd with 629.1, while Sandeep Singh was 53rd with 628.3.

Earlier in the day, Emely was placed ninth in the qualifications of the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions event with 590, but made the final as two markswomen among the top eight were shooting for ranking points.

Samra, who is from Faridkot, Punjab, was second in the qualifications with a total of 592 across the three stages of kneeling, prone and standing.

She won a gold medal at the World Cup in Buenos Aires earlier this  this year, starting the season on a rousing note after a disappointing campaign at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

France’s Agathe Cecile Camille Girard, who also shot 592, topped the qualifications on the account of having more inner 10 (Xs), while Switzerland’s Audrey Gogniat was placed third heading into the finals.

The other Indians in the competition, Ashi Chouksey finished 11th with 589, while Anjum Moudgil ended 27th with 586. Shriyanka Sadangi was 53rd with 582, and Nischal was further down at 60th position.

The Summer I Turned Pretty final season OTT release date has been officially revealed. The story is centred around friendship, love and family bonds, and navigates the life-changing summer of the teenage girl as she tries to learn the complexities of growing up. With this third and final season, the storyline is going to be more intriguing. There are emotional reunions and promises to the fans of Jeremiah and Conrad as Belly explores her path to adulthood.

When and Where to Watch

The third season of “Summer I Turned Pretty” is streaming on the platform, Amazon Prime Video, on June 17, 2025, and this is the final season.

Trailer and Plot

The official trailer provides a glimpse into two years after Belly and Jeremiah get engaged, they go back to Cousins Beach, to find out that Conrad has been back in her life. Belly says in the trailer, when I am with J, everything is easier, but everywhere I reach, it reminds me of Conrad, and the song of Taylor Swift pushes the emotions.Then Belly’s mother says that they are too young and immature for marriage. Further, Conrad, at Stanford, fulfills her mother’s wish, and seeks advice from Taylor and hunches to reconnect with Belly. The story revolves around them with emotional exploration and not losing hope in each other. This is a heartfelt drama that connected with the audience well in the first two seasons.

Cast and Crew

This season has Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Jackie Chung, Sean Kaufman, Rain Spencer, Lily Donoghue, Sofia Bryant, Zoé de Grand’Maison, Tanner Zagarino and Emma Ishta. Jenny Han is the director and creator of the series, under the banner of Amazon MGM Studios.

Reception

The summer I Turned Pretty has garnered positive reviews from audiences and has been praised for casting, emotional storytelling and its authenticity. The series gained an 8.2 rating out of 10. The fans are awaiting the closure now with season three.

A glitch on the International Space Station, where astronauts of the Axiom-4 mission would spend 14 days, has postponed the lift-off to space. Earlier, four postponements on the Axiom 4 mission were reported due to weather and technical problems on the Falcon 9 rocket. 

The glitch at the International Space Station, where NASA says “A pressure signature” on the Russian module has been noticed, is the next cause of the delay.

What NASA Said

“NASA and Axiom Space are postponing the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station. As part of an ongoing investigation, NASA is working with Roscosmos to understand a new pressure signature, after the recent post-repair effort in the aft most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module,” NASA said in a statement.Cosmonauts aboard the space station recently performed inspections of the pressurized module’s interior surfaces, sealed some additional areas of interest, and measured the current leak rate. Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure. The postponement of Axiom Mission 4 provides additional time for NASA and Roscosmos to evaluate the situation and determine whether any additional troubleshooting is necessary. NASA defers to Roscosmos to answer specific questions about the Zvezda module,” they said.

“A new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission will be provided once available.”

“Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.”The crew will lift off aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida,” NASA said.

Yesterday, the mission was deferred for the fourth time, due to a technical glitch in its Falcon 9 rocket that is being used for the launch. 

Fuel Leak Issue And ISRO 

It is unclear whether SpaceX resolved the fuel leak issue on the rocket or is still working to repair it. A leak of liquid oxygen (LoX) was detected, and SpaceX was working to fix it.ISRO had objected to the ‘band-aid’ like solution being offered by SpaceX. Indian space agency played a big role in making sure the launch is postponed till the oxygen leak is fixed on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to ISRO’s full satisfaction.

ISRO chairman Dr V Narayanan told NDTV, “He was happy with the decision to postpone flight on June 11, 2025, as human crew were involved and safety was paramount.” 

The ISS has a contingent of seven global crew members onboard, with a Japanese astronaut as the commander of the station. The ISS is a football field-sized orbiting laboratory inhabited by humans continuously for the last 25 yearsThe Axiom-4 mission is a commercial space flight being spearheaded by a Houston-based private company, Axiom Space. India has purchased a seat on the Axiom-4 mission at the cost Rs 550 crores and so, India has a full stake in ensuring the safety of its own astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and the other crew members from US, Hungary, and Poland he is piloting on a 14-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

There are many opportunities till June 30 this year, when the Axiom-4 mission can still lift off, and further, there could be opportunities in the middle of July. Subsequently, the traffic to the International Space Station would be high.

Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Komi Vyas, a doctor who worked in a hospital in Udaipur, had quit her job and was moving to join her husband, Dr Prateek Joshi, in London with their three children.Buried somewhere in the wreckage left behind by the horrific plane crash in Ahmedabad is a phone belonging to a family from Rajasthan. The phone may never end up being found or could have even burned up in the fireball, but a selfie it was used for will live on as a reminder of the tragedy that befell the 242 people who were aboard the aircraft.

The photo marked a new beginning for the family – Komi Vyas, a doctor who worked in a hospital in Udaipur, had quit her job and was moving to join her husband, Dr Prateek Joshi, in London with their three children – and the joy on their faces was palpable. 

The selfie, taken by Dr Joshi on the ill-fated aircraft, shows him and his wife seated on one side, smiling, and their young twin boys and elder daughter sitting across the aisle. The boys try their hardest to smile for the camera, while their elder sister beams.People close to the family said both Dr Komi Vyas and Dr Prateek Joshi used to work at the Pacific Hospital in Udaipur. Dr Joshi had moved to London some time ago and had returned to Banswara in Rajasthan earlier this week to take the family with him. The couple’s twin boys – Nakul and Pradyut – are five years old and their daughter, Miraya, is eight. People close to the family said both Dr Komi Vyas and Dr Prateek Joshi used to work at the Pacific Hospital in Udaipur. Dr Joshi had moved to London some time ago and had returned to Banswara in Rajasthan earlier this week to take the family with him. The couple’s twin boys – Nakul and Pradyut – are five years old and their daughter, Miraya, is eight. Neighbours said Dr Prateek’s father is a renowned radiologist in the city, while Komi’s father was an officer in the Public Works Department. “They left for Ahmedabad yesterday to take the flight to London. Prateek had come here just two days ago to take his wife and children with him. Several other members of both families went to see them off,” said Dr Joshi’s cousin, Nayan. 

Dr Komi Vyas’ brother, Prabuddha, said she had married Dr Prateek Joshi ten years ago. Dr Joshi also has a sister, who is an engineer. 

Losing Lift

Air India 171, the flight to London that the couple and their children were on, took off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday and was in the air for just 32 seconds before it started descending and exploded in a fireball at 1.38 pm. There were 242 people – 230 passengers, 10 crew members and two pilots – aboard the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.Videos show that the aircraft was struggling to gain lift and, experts said, it appears that the engine was not being able to generate enough thrust. 

“The take-off was perfect and just, I believe, short of taking the gear up, the aircraft started descending, which can happen only in case the engine loses power or the aircraft stops developing lift. Obviously, the investigation will reveal the exact reason.” Captain Saurabh Bhatnagar, a former senior pilot, told NDTV.

As of Thursday evening, only one survivor from the plane had emerged – 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian who was returning to the UK after a visit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he is “stunned” by the tragedy and is in touch with ministers and authorities.

The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.

In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, the tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir has taken a hit, leaving hotels and houseboats empty. Its repercussions are also felt in the neighbouring places in the region, especially in the adjoining union territory of Ladakh. Highlighting the same, Rattan Dhillon, a frequent visitor to Ladakh, shared a video showing traditionally bustling streets in Leh empty. “Hard to believe this is Ladakh in June, right in the middle of peak season,” he wrote. 

“I’ve been visiting Leh for the past 10 years and have never seen the town this quiet and deserted, with so few tourists around. Looks like the Pahalgam incident has had a huge impact! Hoping things bounce back here soon!” Mr Dhillon added. Mr Dhillon’s observation resonated with many. Reacting to his post, one user wrote, “Sad to see this… this town lives on income from tourists.” 

“Totally unexpected for peak season! Hoping things bounce back soon.. leh’s magic deserves to be alive again!” commented another. “I had visited in May right after the incident. Hardly any tourists around. Local tourism is badly affected by this,” said a third user. 

“It’s been on decline. According to me, multiple factors—super expensive taxis and flights, distance, bad roads, altitude and health issues, coupled with bad health care support. But people like me have explored every corner of this beautiful landscape,” commented another. Yes I was in srinagar from 16th to 20 th May last month…ran into a ladakhi Hotelier…asked him what he was doing here  its peak season..he told me   unfortunately…for most Tourist they think entire Entire old JK state is disturbed..so no shows!!” one user said. 

Notably, the Pahalgam attack led to mass cancellations of bookings. Following the attack, tourists left the valley in droves, leaving trips midway, while confirmed bookings were also cancelled, and there was a lack of interest in visiting Kashmir.

Especially, in summer, the area sees lakhs of tourists a day, who visit the nearby valleys and other scenic spots on horseback. But after the attack, bookings in the area have practically been wiped out.