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India’s travel industry braces for hit from Modi’s appeal to avoid foreign trips

May 13, 2026

Finance

CHENNAI/BENGALURU, India, May 13 (Reuters) – India’s travel industry fears that an appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to avoid unnecessary foreign travel will squeeze ‌new bookings after inflationary pressure knocked down summer overseas inquiries by as much as 15%, industry and analysts say. The pullback is set to hit the peak season for outbound tourism, when affluent families seek cooler locations in Europe and Australia, during school holidays that run from April to June. “The prime minister has a great following, and people sometimes take his advice very seriously … they may postpone it to next year,” said Ravi

TVK warns of ‘stringent action’ against cadres if they cause public nuisance

May 12, 2026

Politics

Chennai, May 12 (PTI) The ruling TVK on Tuesday explicitly banned the placement of party banners and placards in public spaces that cause inconvenience to the people or obstruct traffic. It issued the strict directive to its cadres, warning of “stringent action” against anyone found causing public nuisance. The directive comes as part of the move to reinforce the party’s stated goal of prioritising public welfare. In a statement issued on X by the party’s General Secretary and Minister N Anand, the TVK leadership warned of “stringent action” against any member found violating these instructions, noting that the order has

CM Vijay visits rebel AIADMK MLAs leader Shanmugam, who backs his government

May 12, 2026

Politics

Chennai, May 12 (PTI) In a surprise political manoeuvre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay visited AIADMK MLA C Ve Shanmugam at his residence here on Tuesday evening following the support extended by his faction to the TVK-led government. Vijay was greeted by party veterans S P Velumani, C Vijayabaskar, Natham Viswanthan, K P Anbalagan, and others with bouquets. The recent poll debacle has led to a split within the AIADMK, with one faction headed by party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswamy and another by senior party leaders S P Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam. Claiming the backing of

India’s Hindu RSS lobbies groups abroad to counter minority rights criticism

May 12, 2026

Politics

NEW DELHI, May 12 (Reuters) – A powerful Hindu group from which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party emerged said on Tuesday it had organised foreign visits, including ‌to the U.S., to counter perceptions it is a paramilitary outfit involved in attacks on minority communities. The outreach by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or National Volunteer Organisation, came after the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said in a report in November that it “has been involved in acts of extreme violence and intolerance against members of minority groups for decades”. The commission is a bipartisan body of the U.S.