During his Mann Ki Baat broadcast on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the Sachet app, an innovative alert system developed by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Rolled out across India, Sachet harnesses geo-intelligence to provide near-instantaneous disaster warnings through diverse channels like SMS, web browser notifications, and RSS feeds.

The app’s website advises users to stay alert for SMS alerts marked with the “XX-NDMAEW” header. Beyond disaster alerts, Sachet offers weather updates and allows users to track multiple locations, delivering notifications directly to desktops or laptops. Subscribed entities, such as news outlets, can access alerts via RSS feeds to amplify public warnings.

The app has gained significant traction, with roughly 5.4 crore downloads in Uttar Pradesh, 4.6 crore in Delhi, and 1.1 crore in Maharashtra, underscoring its vital role in bolstering disaster readiness.

Modi praised Sachet as a testament to India’s use of technology to empower citizens, ensuring timely information to mitigate risks during emergencies.

The Prime Minister also addressed the tragic Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, which claimed 26 lives, predominantly tourists, in the tranquil Baisaran valley.

The investigation has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), with the Ministry of Home Affairs urging a swift probe into one of the region’s most lethal civilian attacks in nearly two decades.

The NIA, in a press release, outlined its approach: “Under the supervision of senior officers, including an Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General, and Superintendent of Police, our teams are meticulously interviewing eyewitnesses to piece together the chilling sequence of events.”

The agency is delving into granular details to identify the culprits, linked to The Resistance Front, an affiliate of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. As the NIA intensifies its efforts, the focus remains on securing justice and fortifying security, especially with the Amarnath Yatra scheduled to commence on July 3, a time when Kashmir expects a surge in visitors.

A horrific incident unfolded at the Lapu Lapu ’25 Block Party in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday, April 26, when a black SUV plowed into a crowd, leaving multiple people dead and several others injured, according to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD). The attack occurred just after 8 p.m. local time at the intersection of East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, where hundreds had gathered to celebrate Filipino culture and honor Datu Lapu-Lapu, the Philippines’ first national hero, who famously defeated Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the 1521 Battle of Mactan.

The VPD confirmed the driver, a 30-year-old Vancouver man, was taken into custody at the scene, though the exact number of casualties remains undisclosed as emergency services continue to respond. “A number of people have been killed and multiple others are injured,” the VPD stated on X, adding, “We will provide more information as the investigation unfolds.” Social media footage captured the chaotic aftermath, showing a black SUV with a crumpled hood and deployed airbags, surrounded by motionless victims and frantic bystanders. Some videos depicted first responders and civilians tending to the injured, while others showed bloodied individuals lying on the street, underscoring the scale of the tragedy.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim expressed profound grief, calling the incident “horrific.” “We are shocked and saddened by what happened at the Lapu Lapu Day event. Police have confirmed multiple fatalities and injuries, and our thoughts are with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this devastating time,” Sim said in a statement. New Democratic Party MP Don Davies, describing the event as a “horrendous attack,” took to X to offer prayers for the victims and their families, reflecting the community’s anguish.

The Lapu Lapu Day Block Party, in its second year, is a vibrant celebration of Filipino heritage, recognized by British Columbia since 2023 as a day to honor Lapu-Lapu’s legacy of resistance against colonial oppression. The festival, featuring food trucks, performers, and cultural displays, drew a large crowd to Vancouver’s Sunset neighborhood, making the sudden violence all the more shocking.

As the investigation continues, authorities have not disclosed a motive or confirmed whether the act was intentional. The VPD’s major crime unit is leading the probe, and police are urging witnesses to come forward with information. The incident has cast a pall over Vancouver, prompting an outpouring of condolences from leaders like Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Columbia Premier David Eby, who vowed support for the affected community. For now, the Filipino community and the city at large mourn, grappling with the senseless loss at what was meant to be a joyous celebration.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has assumed control of the investigation into the devastating Pahalgam terror attack, taking over from the Jammu and Kashmir Police to probe the April 22, 2025, assault that killed 26 tourists, including one Nepali citizen, and injured over three dozen others.

The agency registered a fresh First Information Report (FIR) late Saturday, April 26, following directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation (CTCR) division, prompted by the attack’s severity and the involvement of The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which claimed responsibility.

Five days after the attack and four days after an NIA team, led by a Deputy Inspector General, visited the Baisaran meadow attack site near Pahalgam, the agency formally launched its probe. The team had initially supported local police in investigating what is considered the deadliest civilian attack in Jammu and Kashmir in nearly two decades.

The NIA is now tasked with conducting a comprehensive assessment, collecting forensic evidence, and identifying the perpetrators of the 2 p.m. massacre, which shattered the tranquility of a popular tourist destination. Helicopters were deployed to evacuate the wounded, underscoring the scale of the tragedy.

The attack coincides with a surge in tourist arrivals to Kashmir, raising concerns ahead of the 38-day Amarnath Yatra, set to begin on July 3. Against this backdrop, intelligence agencies have compiled a list of 14 local terrorists, aged 20 to 40, actively supporting Pakistan-based operatives with logistics and ground operations.

These individuals, affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen, LeT, and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), include Adil Rehman Dentoo (LeT’s Sopore commander since 2021), Asif Ahmed Sheikh (JeM’s Awantipora commander since 2022), Ahsan Ahmed Sheikh (LeT, Pulwama, since 2023), Haris Nazir (LeT, Pulwama, since 2023), Aamir Nazir Wani (JeM, Pulwama, since 2024), Yawar Ahmed Bhat (JeM, Pulwama, since 2024), Asif Ahmed Khanday (Hizbul Mujahideen, Shopian, since 2015), Naseer Ahmed Wani (LeT, Shopian, since 2019), Shahid Ahmed Kutay (LeT/TRF, Shopian, since 2023), Aamir Ahmed Dar (LeT, Shopian, since 2023), Adnan Safi Dar (LeT/TRF, Shopian, since 2024), Zubair Ahmed Wani (Hizbul Mujahideen’s Anantnag commander since 2018), Haroon Rashid Ganai (Hizbul Mujahideen, Anantnag, trained in PoK in 2018), and Zakir Ahmed Ganie (LeT, Kulgam).

Security forces have intensified operations in South Kashmir, particularly Anantnag and Pulwama, targeting these operatives to disrupt terror networks. The NIA is also exploring links between these 14 individuals and five terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack, including three Pakistani nationals—Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah, and Abu Talha—whose sketches were released earlier, and two local operatives, Adil Guri and Ahsan, with a ₹20 lakh bounty on each.