I ndian Railways has claimed that a recent string of fire incidents aboard several trains is the result of deliberate sabotage, with initial investigations pointing to the involvement of "anti-social elements." In an official statement released Wednesday, the Ministry of Railways detailed four separate cases-occurring in Amarpura, Kota, Sasaram, and Howrah-where evidence suggested malicious intent. The latest scare involved the Mithila Express, stationed at Howrah, where a fire broke out in one of the coaches. Railway officials said an investigation uncovered a half-burnt piece of cloth soaked in petrol inside the coach. "Railway staff demonstrated promptness and brought the situation under immediate control, thereby averting a major disaster," the ministry said. In other incidents, bedding material was allegedly set ablaze in Amarpura, flames were spotted emerging from a washroom area of a Rajdhani Express in Kota, and an unidentified person reportedly hurled a burning object into an unoccupied coach in Sasaram. "The preliminary circumstances suggest that certain anti-social elements are attempting to jeopardise passenger safety and sow fear and disorder within the railway system," the statement added. The Railway Protection Force (RPF), along with other agencies, is conducting detailed investigations into each case. Ministry of Railway says - "Today, following a report of a fire in a coach of the Mithila Express while it was stationed at Howrah, an investigation was conducted which led to the recovery of a half-burnt piece of cloth soaked in petrol...Railway staff demonstrated promptness and… https://t.co/JREChtOqEK pic.twitter.com/sZGVjNTRZV — ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2026 The announcement comes just days after a major fire broke out in an air-conditioned coach of a Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam district. That incident, which occurred around 5:15 a.m. between Vikramgarh Alot and Luni Richha stations, involved the B-1 coach carrying 68 passengers. No injuries were reported, but thick black smoke rose high into the air, and trees near the tracks also caught fire. The blaze disrupted rail traffic, affecting nearly 18 train schedules and forcing several trains to halt at various stations. Passengers have been urged to remain alert and report any suspicious activity immediately to the Railway Helpline at 139. "We take these incidents very seriously," the ministry reiterated. Desk Oneindia iframe{min-width: 0px !important;box-sizing: border-box;}

T hiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], May 20 (ANI): Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Wednesday announced that the state Cabinet has decided to fully denotify the SilverLine semi-high-speed rail project, effectively putting an end to the controversial initiative launched by the previous LDF government. Addressing the press conference after the Cabinet meeting, Satheesan said the government would also recommend the withdrawal of all cases related to protests against the project and the removal of land acquisition-related demarcation markers. "In today's Cabinet, we have decided to denotify the SilverLine project. The acquisition process will be denotified. We will recommend that the concerned authorities withdraw all cases connected with the SilverLine agitation. We have asked the Revenue Department to remove all boundary signals for acquiring this land," the Chief Minister said. Reiterating the government's stance, Satheesan said the administration was not opposed to the high-speed rail project but rejected the SilverLine proposal on grounds of feasibility and environmental impact. "We are not against the high-speed rail project. We oppose the SilverLine project because it was an environmental disaster. It was not economically viable. There wasn't even a detailed project report," he added. Following the Cabinet decision, S Rajeevan, general convener of K-Rail SilverLine Virudha Janakeeya Samiti, welcomed the move and said the decision marked the culmination of a seven-year struggle. "We are extremely happy because we have been fighting against this project for the last seven years. In Kerala's history, there has never been another issue where police were deployed from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, and people were dealt with in such a harsh manner. This is a resounding victory for the agitation we carried out against it," Rajeevan told ANI. He added that the agitation committee had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister a day earlier, listing four key demands -- cancellation of the 2020 project decision, withdrawal of the 2021 land acquisition notification, withdrawal of all pending police cases, and removal of yellow survey stones placed in various locations. "We salute this government because the demands we submitted to the Chief Minister yesterday have been accepted. In the memorandum. We had sought four major decisions -- first, cancellation of the 2020 decision related to the project; second, withdrawal of the 2021 land acquisition notification; third, withdrawal of all pending police cases connected to the protests; and fourth, removal of the remaining yellow survey stones placed in various locations. It is a matter of great happiness that the Cabinet itself accepted these demands," Rajeevan said. "It is a matter of great happiness for the agitation committee that the Cabinet itself took a decision on these demands today after receiving the memorandum yesterday. We are conveying our gratitude and happiness to the government," he added. The 530-km SilverLine corridor, planned to connect Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod, was mooted in 2019 by the previous LDF government as a semi-high-speed rail network. However, the project faced sustained public protests, political opposition and legal hurdles over land acquisition and displacement concerns. The alignment required the acquisition of over 1,200 hectares of land and was projected to displace around 10,000 families, triggering widespread resistance across the state. The project, estimated to cost over Rs 63,000 crore, also faced questions over financial viability and dependence on international loans, along with delays in securing central approvals. (ANI)

S eoul [South Korea], May 20 : In a significant move to bolster bilateral security ties, India and the Republic of Korea (ROK) signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday, targeting enhanced cooperation in the critical domains of defence, cyber and defence information. The agreement was signed during Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's official visit to Seoul, in the presence of his South Korean counterpart, Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-Back. The MoU marks a deepening strategic alignment between New Delhi and Seoul, specifically focusing on modern warfare and intelligence challenges. The primary areas of cooperation outlined in the agreement include collaboration on countering evolving cyber threats, protecting critical military infrastructure, and sharing best practices in digital defence and enhancing institutional mechanisms for information sharing to boost situational awareness and regional security. Before the signing ceremony, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the Seoul National Cemetery to pay tribute to South Korean servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives for the nation, particularly during the Korean War. Singh laid floral tributes and observed a moment of silence at the national memorial site, underscoring the deep historical and emotional ties between the two nations. The stop in South Korea marks the second leg of a high-profile, two-nation tour undertaken by the Indian Defence Minister from May 18 to May 21. Leg 1 from May 18-19, Official visit to Vietnam to strengthen Southeast Asian security dynamics. Leg 2 from May 19-21, South Korea visit, kicked off on Tuesday upon his arrival in Seoul, where he was received by the Ambassador of India to the ROK, Gourangalal Das, and senior officials. Detailing the broader vision behind the diplomatic push, Rajnath Singh shared on X. "I will focus on deepening strategic military cooperation, strengthening defence industrial partnerships, and boosting maritime collaboration, promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region." The newly signed MoU is expected to pave the way for more robust military-to-military engagement and a stronger defence industrial partnership between India and South Korea in the Indo-Pacific era. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor