THE HEADLINES::
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs Union Cabinet meeting in New Delhi.
- Seven people killed in wall collapse tragedy in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam; President and Prime Minister express grief over the incident.
- CISCE declares board exam results for Classes 10th and 12th; Girls outshine boys again.
- Char Dham Yatra begins in Uttarakhand with opening of portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri Shrines on auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya.
- And, in IPL T20 Cricket, hosts Chennai Super Kings to lock horns with Punjab Kings at MA Chidambaram stadium this evening.
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Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held in Delhi today. This was the first Union Cabinet meeting since the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. A press briefing on the Cabinet decisions will take place in the afternoon. The meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security is also likely to be held today.
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The Indian Army effectively responded to firing by Pakistan military along Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir last night. Defence sources said, Pakistan Army posts fired unprovoked across the Line of Control in areas opposite Naushera, Sunderbani and Akhnoor sector. Pakistan Army posts also fired in Baramulla and Kupwara districts as well as across the international border in the Pargwal sector. The Indian troops responded swiftly and effectively.
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Law and Justice Minister and BJP leader Arjun Ram Meghwal has said, the government has received a letter by the Opposition demanding a special session of Parliament over the Pahalgam terror attack. Responding to a media query on the issue in New Delhi, the Minister said, Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs will have a discussion on this.
Meanwhile, BJP today hit out at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for allegedly insulting Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar by altering an image. Mr Meghwal accused the Samajwadi Party Chief of attempting to garner votes of the people belonging to Dalit community through such imagery.
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The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi Police has registered a case against senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders and former Ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, in connection with an alleged 2,000-crore rupees classroom construction scam. As per the complaint, the scam is related to the construction of more than 12 thousand classrooms and buildings during the tenure of the AAP government. In a statement, head of ACB Madhur Verma said the contracts were awarded to 34 firms, and most of them were found to be associated with the AAP.
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Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar inaugurated a two-day capacity-building training programme for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in New Delhi today. EROs and BLOs from Bihar, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh are participating in the two day programme. The training programme is part of the EC's ongoing preparations for the upcoming Elections to the Legislative Assemblies. A total of 369 grassroots election officials are taking part in the mixed-batch training programme.
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In Andhra Pradesh, seven people lost their lives and about 15 were injured after the collapse of a wall at the Simhachalam Temple near Visakhapatnam. Our correspondent has the details:
"Seven devotees who were waiting in the queue line at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Simhachalam lost their lives and fifteen others were injured when a section of the queue line wall collapsed early this morning following heavy midnight rains. These devotees along with many others had gathered for the darshan of the deity’s original form today on the auspicious occasion of Chandanotsavam. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep sorrow and directed officials to provide emergency medical treatment to the injured. He announced an ex gratia of 25 lakh rupees to each of the families of the deceased and financial assistance of 3 lakh rupees for each of the injured. Sri Sai for Akashvani News from Visakhapatnam"
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. President Murmu hoped for the speedy recovery of those injured. In a social media post, the PMO India announced an ex-gratia of 2 lakh rupees from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased and 50 thousand rupees to the injured.
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In West Bengal, at least 15 people were killed in a fire that broke out in a hotel near Falpatti Machhua in central Kolkata last night. Police said, several people have also been rescued. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma said a special team has been formed to investigate the incident.
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed grief at the loss of lives in the accident. In her message, President Murmu expressed condolences to members of the bereaved family and prayed for speedy recovery of the injured.
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The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) announced results for Class 10th and 12th today. Over 2 lakh 50 thousand candidates appeared for the ICSE exams for Class 10th and 99 thousand 551 candidates sat for the ISC exams for Class 12th. In ICSE, girls have done better than boys with a pass percentage of 99.37 percent. Boys have achieved a pass percentage of 98.84 percent. In ISC as well, girls have outshone boys with a pass percentage of 99.45. Boys have achieved a pass percentage of 98.64.Students can check the results on the council's websites - cisce.org and results.cisce.org.
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Now news from the first World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, set to begin in Mumbai tomorrow.
The Waves Summit will provide a global platform for discussions on the future of the audio-visual and entertainment industry. The four-day event will feature global media dialogues, buyer-seller meets, pitch sessions for emerging creators and showcases of new-age storytelling formats.
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The sacred Char Dham Yatra began in Uttarakhand today with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines for devotees in the Uttarkashi district on the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya. The six-month pilgrimage marks the beginning of a spiritually significant journey through the four revered Himalayan shrines. The portals were opened amid chanting of Vedic hymns and other religious rituals.
A large number of devotees from different parts of the country offered prayers at the two shrines on the occasion. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited Gangotri Dham and offered prayers. Talking to reporters, Mr Dhami said, state government has made eleborate arrangements for the convenience of pilgrims.
The portals of Kedarnath Dham will open on Friday, while the gates of Badrinath Dham will open on Sunday. We have a report:
"With the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham, the Char Dham Yatra has commenced in Uttarakhand. According to the Uttarkashi district administration, top priority has been given to the convenience of pilgrims visiting these shrines. Infrastructure such as toilets, parking areas and traffic management systems along the route have been strengthened. This year, smart toilet complexes have been developed at eight locations as well as parking facilities at many places. In view of the possibility of increasing number of passengers and increasing pressure of vehicles, efforts have been made to make the major routes smooth and safe. Basic amenities like electricity, water and sanitation facilities have also been provided along the pilgrimage routes. Santosh Thapliyal, Akashvani News, Dehradun"
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Devotees took holy dip in the sacred rivers across the country on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. The day is also traditionally marked by a high number of weddings. In view of this, District Administration of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra has taken strong measures to prevent child marriages.Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings on the occasion.
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Basava Jayanthi is being observed today. The day marks the birth anniversary of a 12th-century Kannada poet, philosopher, and social reformer, Jagadguru Basaveshwara.
Remembering the profound wisdom of Jagadguru Basaveshwara, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video message on social media, said his tireless efforts to uplift the marginalised continue to guide people.
Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Kiren Rijiju, Pralhad Joshi, Shobha Karandlaje and BJP MP Tejasvi Surya among others paid floral tribute to Guru Basaveshwara at the Parliament house complex.
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Former national shooting coach and Dronacharya awardee Prof. Sunny Thomas, who played a pivotal role in transforming the country into a shooting powerhouse, passed away in Kottayam district this morning. He was 83.
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In IPL T20 Cricket, Hosts Chennai Super Kings will lock horns with Punjab Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium this evening. The match will begin at 7.30 pm. Last night, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Hosts Delhi Capitals by 14 runs.
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The Benchmark domestic equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, were trading flat in the forenoon trade today amid mixed global cues. The 30-share BSE Sensex slipped marginally by seven points to 80,281 and the NSE Nifty50 fell slightly by four points to 24,332, when reports last came in.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs Union Cabinet meeting in New Delhi.
- Seven people killed in wall collapse tragedy in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam; President and Prime Minister express grief over the incident.
- CISCE declares board exam results for Classes 10th and 12th; Girls outshine boys again.
- Char Dham Yatra begins in Uttarakhand with opening of portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri Shrines on auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya.
- And, in IPL T20 Cricket, hosts Chennai Super Kings to lock horns with Punjab Kings at MA Chidambaram stadium this evening.
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