Limousine from Putin’s official fleet catches fire in Moscow, sparks assassination peculations
Moscow: A £275,000 Aurus Senat limousine, believed to be part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official car fleet, caught fire and exploded in Moscow on March 29. The incident occurred on a street near the headquarters of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in Lubyanka, according to media reports.
Videos of the burning vehicle have gone viral, leading to speculation about a possible assassination attempt on Putin. The footage reportedly shows the fire originating in the engine before spreading inside the car, The Sun reported.
It remains unclear who was inside the vehicle at the time, as no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is also yet to be determined. Witnesses, including workers from nearby bars and restaurants, attempted to assist before emergency services arrived and brought the situation under control.
Reports suggest the incident has heightened concerns over Putin’s security. Russian special services have reportedly intensified protective measures, with Federal Protective Service (FSO) officers recently seen inspecting garbage dumps and sewer drains for potential threats near a venue where Putin was speaking.
Putin, known for using Russian-made vehicles, has also gifted similar cars, including one to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. A Kremlin-linked source indicated that security around the president has reached unprecedented levels, with both visible and covert protection measures in place.
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Andhra to be developed as knowledge, creator economy hub: CM Naidu
New Delhi/Amaravati (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the state is taking steps to transform itself into a knowledge and creator economy hub with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
He noted that Andhra Pradesh has abundant tech-driven youth and the government is formulating plans to train them in futuristic technologies with support from global technology firms.
"Our goal is to transform Andhra Pradesh into a knowledge hub by focusing on AI, quantum computing, data centres, drone cities and space cities. The youth will remain our biggest asset over the next 25 years, and we seek global partnerships to scale up the creator economy," said Naidu during his interactions at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi.
Naidu, who participated in the summit in the national capital, also held meetings with several global technology leaders and industrialists to explore collaborations in artificial intelligence, clean energy and innovation ecosystems.
He met Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Autodesk AI Head Mike Haley, Aramco India Director Abdul Rehman AiThukair, LEGO Education Vice President Tom Hall, Aadhaar Founder and CTO Srikanth Nadhamuni, Khosla Ventures Managing Partner Vinod Khosla and others at the AP Pavilion.
The chief minister also held discussions with Saudi Aramco representatives on clean energy projects, including solar initiatives, and invited the company to expand operations in Andhra Pradesh, stating that the state is highly suitable for green energy production.
He sought support from NVIDIA Vice President Callista Redmond for establishing AI Living Labs and proposed partnerships through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to promote youth innovation, including collaborations with IIT Tirupati and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati under the Andhra Pradesh Future Innovation and Research for Science and Technology (AP FIRST) initiative.
Naidu urged Autodesk leadership to support the development of Global Capability Centres in design engineering and requested the establishment of an Innovation Academy in Amaravati aligned with quantum technology, besides proposing AI and robotics learning labs in partnership with LEGO Education.
He also discussed AI-driven smart governance solutions with Quantela Inc Chairman Sridhar Gadhi, while World Bank Group Digital AI Regional Director Mahesh Uttamchandani met Naidu on the sidelines of the summit.
Following the meetings, Naidu visited various exhibition stalls at the summit, including those of NVIDIA, Tata, Intel and Microsoft, and reviewed AI applications across agriculture, healthcare and industry.
