NATIONAL NEWS

EC orders repoll in 15 booths of two Assembly constituencies in West Bengal on May 2

Kolkata: The Election Commission on Friday ordered repoll in 15 polling stations of two Assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, to be held on May 2, following reports of electoral malpractices.

Rapid transformation in Ladakh since 2019, UT remains PM Modi's focus: Shah

Leh/Jammu: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said Ladakh was a model of rapid transformation since the 2019 bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and listed sweeping political, social and economic changes in the Union territory.

Ladakh a living land of dharma for centuries: Amit Shah

Leh/Jammu: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday described the return of sacred relics of Lord Buddha to Ladakh after 75 years as a "historic reunion" and said that the Union Territory has remained a "living land of dharma" that preserved and nurtured Buddhist knowledge for centuries.

'Election Bill': Rahul slams govt on commercial LPG price hike

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday attacked the Modi government over the hike in price of commercial LPG cylinder, with Rahul Gandhi saying this is an "election bill" and the next "strike" will be on petrol and diesel.

SC grants anticipatory bail to Pawan Khera

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case related to making allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife, saying the matter appears to have stemmed from political rivalry.

AAP govt's Confidence Motion passes in Punjab Assembly

Chandigarh: The Confidence Motion moved by the Bhagwant Mann government was unanimously passed in the Punjab Assembly on Friday, and AAP MLAs reaffirmed that they stand like loyal soldiers of the party. This comes days after seven Rajya Sabha MPs of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party defected to the BJP.

Cong slams Modi govt as 'anti-worker', calls for review of new Labour code

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of being "anti-worker" and demanded that the new labour code be reviewed, MGNREGA be revived as well as a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day be established.

No scope for wrongdoing at counting centres: Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal

Kolkata: A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spent hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency alleging possibilities of malpractices, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal on Friday asserted there is no scope for wrongdoing at the counting centres.

MP govt orders probe into Bargi dam tragedy; bans cruise boat operations

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday ordered a probe into the cruise boat accident at Bargi Dam, which claimed nine lives in Jabalpur district, and banned the operation of such vessels in the state.

MP cruise boat tragedy: Death toll rises to nine; 28 rescued, search ops continue at Bargi Dam

Jabalpur: The death toll in the Bargi Dam cruise boat tragedy rose to nine on Friday as rescuers recovered five more bodies from the submerged vessel, while the search continues for six others still missing in the reservoir in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district, officials said.

Indigenous stealth frigate 'Mahendragiri' endowed with potent weapon system delivered to Navy

New Delhi: Indigenous stealth frigate Mahendragiri, endowed with potent weapon system and cutting-edge sensor suite, has been delivered to the Indian Navy, officials said on Friday.

Modi empowered ED to cleanse cancer of financial crimes; not to target anyone: MoS Chaudhary

New Delhi: Union Minister Pankaj Chaudhary said on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "strengthened" and gave more powers to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to cure the "cancer" of money laundering, corporate fraud and corruption, not to target any entity as alleged by a certain "ecosystem" in the country.

TN polls: Stalin meets senior DMK leaders to discuss victory prospects

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday met DMK senior leaders at the party headquarters here and discussed victory prospects in the just concluded Assembly elections.

Post-poll violence reported in 3 Bengal districts; police begin probe

Kolkata: At least three incidents of alleged post-poll violence were reported from West Bengal's Murshidabad, Malda and North 24 Parganas districts, police said on Friday.

NDA govt failed to check migration of workers from Bihar: Tejashwi

Patna: Senior RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday alleged that the NDA government has failed to check migration of workers, and sarcastically remarked that the BJP, which is "adept in changing names of entities", should rename Bihar as 'Labour State.'

Omar warns if SIR changes political future in West Bengal polls, it could set a dangerous trend

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday warned of a "dangerous trend" in the electoral process, saying that if the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls affects the outcome of the West Bengal assembly elections, it would set a treacherous precedent against which the political parties need to safeguard themselves.

Chouhan launches PMGSY projects worth Rs 1,698 crore in Odisha's Rayagada district

Bhubaneswar: Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)-IV in Odisha's Rayagada district in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

India maintained stable energy supplies amid crisis, shielded people from global price shocks: Puri

Surat: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday said India has managed to maintain stable energy supplies and shield consumers from global price shocks despite a severe disruption triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Domestic ATF steady; commercial LPG, 5-kg cylinders see steepest-ever hike

New Delhi: Aviation fuel prices for domestic airlines were left unchanged on Friday, providing stability for local carriers and sparing flyers any immediate cost increase, while commercial LPG and 5-kg cylinders recorded their steepest-ever rate hike, in line with a surge in international energy costs.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

China plans to expand its space station as NASA phases out ISS

Beijing: China plans to expand its low-earth orbiting space station, potentially more than doubling in size, as the rival International Space Station (ISS) is set to be phased out by 2031.

Bangladesh's foreign ministry summons India's acting envoy

Dhaka: Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry has summoned India's acting High Commissioner Pawan Badhe and lodged a formal protest over certain comments made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, according to a media report.

13 terrorists killed in Pak's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along Afghanistan border

Peshawar: At least 13 terrorists have been killed by Pakistani security forces along the Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military's media wing said on Friday.

Nepal's top leadership stresses unity, peace on Buddha Purnima

Kathmandu: National unity can be strengthened by following Lord Buddha's guiding principles of tolerance and mutual goodwill, Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel said on Friday, on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.