R esidents of Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, were instructed to take shelter on Wednesday following an alarm regarding drone activity near the border with Belarus. This alert highlights ongoing concerns within NATO regarding potential incursions linked to Russia's conflict in Ukraine. An emergency announcement from the military urged individuals in the Vilnius area to 'immediately head to a shelter or a safe place.' The alert prompted the closure of Vilnius Airport's airspace and led to the evacuation of key political leaders, including President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene. Details of the Alert The drone alert lasted approximately one hour and marked the first significant incident prompting residents and officials in a European Union and NATO capital to seek shelter since Russia initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Lithuania shares borders with both Belarus and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, raising heightened security concerns. The military detected drone activity in Belarus; however, no drones were reported over Lithuania. This incident follows multiple instances in recent months where Ukrainian drones have crossed into NATO territories, often attributed to Russian electronic jamming efforts. Political Reactions Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys expressed concerns via social media, stating that 'Russia is deliberately redirecting Ukrainian drones into Baltic airspace while waging smear campaigns' against the Baltic states. He described this as a desperate act intended to create chaos and distract from Ukraine's successes against the Russian military. Budrys' comments followed an incident where a NATO aircraft shot down a Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia, which Ukraine later described as an 'unintended incident' without elaborating on the details. Regional Implications In the wake of this incident, the political landscape in the region remains tense. Just last week, Latvia's government collapsed amid disputes over the management of similar drone incidents believed to originate from Ukraine. The fallout led to the resignation of the defense minister and the prime minister, highlighting the fragility of governance in response to security threats. The situation underscores the escalating complexities faced by NATO members in the Baltic region, as they navigate both internal political stability and external security challenges posed by neighboring Russia. Read more news like this on www.timesnownews.com

R aebareli (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 21 (ANI): Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over rising fuel prices, India's economic situation and the Prime Minister's recent interaction with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, saying the government is trivialising serious economic concerns. Addressing party workers in Raebareli, Rahul Gandhi referred to the viral "Melodi" trend involving PM Modi and Meloni and alleged that the Centre was ignoring an impending economic crisis. "Modi-ji takes toffees for Meloni... The time to cry is coming again," Gandhi said. His remarks came amid PMModi's ongoing visit to Italy, where he met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome. During the visit, PM Modi gifted Meloni a set of "Melody" toffees, reviving the popular "Melodi" social media trend associated with the two leaders. Claiming that the country was heading towards a severe economic downturn, Gandhi linked the situation to rising global tensions and alleged economic mismanagement by the BJP-led government. "Now, an economic storm is approaching--one the likes of which India has never seen. The Strait of Hormuz has been shut down. Yet, they claim there is no shortage of petrol... The BJP members mock me," he said. "They are eating toffees with Meloni and making videos--acting as if it's all just a joke--only to return later and fold their hands," he added. The Congress leader also renewed his attack on the government over demonetisation and alleged that public wealth and institutions were being handed over to select industrialists. "PM Narendra Modi has sold off India's economic system. He has handed over the economic system of India to Ambani, Adani and America. Now an economic storm is coming, and PM Narendra Modi and the government of India will not be able to save you," Gandhi said. Targeting the RSS and BJP leadership, Gandhi accused them of attacking the Constitution and said he stood by his previous remarks against PMModi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "When these RSS workers come before you, they will speak of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, then you must say to their faces that your Prime Minister, Home Minister, and the organisation (BJP) is a traitor, you have worked to sell India. You have worked to attack the Constitution," Gandhi added. Referring to inflation and fuel price hikes, the Congress MP said, "PM Narendra Modi says don't go abroad, don't buy gold, buy electric vehicles. In the coming times, farmers won't have fertiliser. Watch where inflation goes in a few months, where the prices of petrol, diesel, oil, gas, pulses, and rice go." He also alleged that industrialists like Ambani were exporting fuel purchased from Russia and claimed the proceeds were being used to support the BJP politically. "Before the elections, it was said that there was no shortage of petrol or gas. Petrol prices will not increase. Today, when petrol prices are rising, Ambani is exporting petrol from India to abroad. Ambani buys petrol from Russia and sells it outside, and with that money, they fund PM Narendra Modi. This is the truth," Gandhi alleged. (ANI)

R ome [Italy], May 20 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep appreciation for Italian painter Giampaolo Tomassetti during his official visit to Rome, spotlighting an extraordinary artistic tribute that bridges the cultures of India and Italy. Tomassetti presented PM Modi, with a striking painting of Varanasi, an ancient and spiritually significant city also known as Kashi. Highlighting the artist's lifelong dedication to Indian heritage, PM Modi lauded Tomassetti's decades of work capturing the essence of Vedic culture and historic epics. "A glimpse of Kashi in Rome! Giampaolo Tomassetti, an Italian painter, presented his work on Varanasi," PM Modi shared in a post on X. "His passion for Indian culture goes back over four decades. In the 1980s, he started as an illustrator for books on Vedic culture. From 2008 to 2013, he worked on 23 large paintings relating to the Mahabharat." https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2056949284105596978?s=20 PM Modi met his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni over dinner shortly after arriving in Rome on Tuesday, on the last leg of his five-nation visit. They both then undertook a visit to the iconic Colosseum, where they engaged in deep conversation over a wide range of subjects In a post on X, PM Modi shared glimpses of his visit with Meloni and said, " Upon landing in Rome, had the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Meloni over dinner, followed by a visit to the iconic Colosseum. We exchanged perspectives on a wide range of subjects. Looking forward to our talks today, where we will continue the conversation on how to boost the India-Italy friendship. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2056940727742120025?s=20 Giorgia Meloni welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon his arrival in Rome. Sharing a picture with PM Modi on X, Meloni wrote, "Welcome to Rome, my friend!."Meloni shared an earlier picture of both leaders at the Colosseum in Italy. PM Modi received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora upon his arrival in Rome. He in I am very grateful to the Indian community in Italy for the warm welcome in Rome last evening. PM Modi expressed gratitude to the Indian community for warm welcome and appreciated their commitment towards strengthening India-Italy ties "I am very grateful to the Indian community in Italy for the warm welcome in Rome last evening. Their deep affection for India and commitment towards strengthening India-Italy ties are truly commendable. The Indian diaspora continues to make our nation proud across the world," he said. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2056948027521126589?s=20 PM Modi's Italy visit comes amid strong momentum in India-Italy relations, with both sides actively advancing the Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029, a broad framework for cooperation across multiple areas. These include tradewhich reached USD 16.77 billion in 2025investment, with cumulative FDI of USD 3.66 billion (April 2000-September 2025), as well as defence and security, clean energy, innovation, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges. 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