THE HEADLINES:
- President of Angola Joao Lourenco says, India is a key trade partner of Angola and the two countries are committed to further advancing bilateral ties.
- DRDO successfully conducts maiden flight-trials of Stratospheric Airship Platform; System to enhance India’s earth observation and surveillance capabilities.
- Punjab police arrest two persons in Amritsar for allegedly spying for Pakistan.
- Election Commission of India to soon launch single-point app ECINET for all electoral-related activities.
- First World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 to conclude in Mumbai today.
- Khelo India Youth Games 2025 to kick off at Patna in Bihar this evening with grand opening ceremony.
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President of Angola Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco has said India and Angola are committed to further advancing bilateral ties. Speaking at the India Angola Business Forum in New Delhi today, he said India is a key partner which has expertise in generic medicines.
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that India Angola bilateral ties are underpinned by a vibrant energy partnership.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh at his residence in New Delhi. The meeting came amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.
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In a significant development, following the recent Pahalgam terror attack, the Punjab Police have arrested two individuals in Amritsar for allegedly spying for Pakistan. The accused, identified as Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih, were allegedly involved in leaking sensitive information and photographs of military installations, including Army cantonments and air bases in Amritsar. According to senior police sources, preliminary investigations point to their links with Pakistani intelligence operatives. Authorities believe the arrests could lead to crucial revelations as the probe continues.
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The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out maiden flight-trials of its Stratospheric Airship Platform from Sheopur Trial site in Madhya Pradesh yesterday. Developed by Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment at Agra in Uttar Pradesh, the airship was launched carrying an instrumental payload to an altitude of around 17 kilometers.
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has congratulated the DRDO for the successful maiden flight-trial of the system. He stated that this system will uniquely enhance India’s earth observation and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities. The Minister added that this airship will also make the country one of the few countries in the world having such indigenous capabilities.
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The United States has approved the sale of HawkEye 360 technology to India to boost the country’s surveillance capabilities. The move will enhance India’s maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific region. In a statement, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency said the 131 million dollar deal will improve India’s capabilities to meet the current and future threats by bolstering its maritime domain awareness, analytical abilities and strategic posture.
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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today stated that the Arctic region has a global significance in itself and India has a growing involvement with the Arctic. The Minister was speaking at Arctic Circle India Forum 2025 in New Delhi.
Replying to a question on Europe, Dr Jaishankar stressed that India is looking for partners, and not preachers who do not practice at home what they preach abroad.
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Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar today ruled out any possibility of holding talks with Maoists, stating that dialogue cannot happen with those who wield guns and kill innocent people. Speaking in Telangana’s Karimnagar district, the Minister stressed that talks can only be considered if the Maoists lay down their arms.
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The Election Commission will soon launch a single-point mobile Application, ECINET to provide a unified digital platform to stakeholders for all electoral-related activities. The Commission said in a statement, the new one-stop platform, ECINET, will integrate and reorient over 40 of existing mobile and web applications of the poll body. The new user-friendly digital interface is being developed for the electors and its other stakeholders such as the election officials, political parties and the civil society.
ECINET will have an aesthetic User Interface and a simplified User Experience. The move is also designed to alleviate the burden on the users for downloading and navigating multiple Apps and remembering different logins.
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The National Testing Agency (NTA) is conducting the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test- NEET (UG) 2025 today across over five thousand centres in the country and 13 cities abroad. Over 22.7 lakh candidates have registered for the examination. The NTA in a statement said that all preparations and logistical arrangements for organising a safe and secure examination have been made.
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Ongoing WAVES Summit 2025 in Mumbai
The first World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 will conclude today. Master Classes on Film making and Cultural events are the main attraction on the last day of the four-day event. The event which began on Thursday was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Meanwhile, WavesX, a startup accelerator program at WAVES is expected to attract funding for around 15 startups. Chief Growth Officer of IAMAI Sandeep Jhingran has said, a total of one thousand applications were submitted by various startups for Waves X, out of which around 30 have pitched their ideas before investors in Waves. He added that, in addition to this around 110 startups are presenting their ideas in Startup pavillion of Waves.
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Padma Shri recipient and famous yoga practitioner Swami Sivananda Baba passed away in Varanasi yesterday. He was 128 years old. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have expressed grief at the demise of Shivanand Baba. In his message, Mr Modi said his life dedicated to yoga and spiritual practice will continue to inspire every generation in the country.
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The sacred portals of Badrinath Dham opened with traditional rituals in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand this morning. With this, all four revered shrines of Uttarakhand – Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, and Badrinath are now accessible to pilgrims for darshan. The event was highlighted by the harmonious sounds of a military band, as the temple complex echoed with the chanting of “Jai Badri Vishal.”
A large number of devotees offered prayers on the occasion. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also offered prayers at the Badrinath Dham. Later, speaking to media, Mr Dhami said, extensive arrangements have been made to ensure the comfort, safety, and convenience of the devotees.
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The first batch of Haj pilgrims from the Union Territory of Ladakh was flagged off today for Saudi Arabia. The batch, comprising 43 pilgrims from Leh district, was seen off from the Tourist Facilitation Centre in Kargil towards Srinagar International Airport. Special arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth and safe journey of the pilgrims.
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Singapore’s long-ruling People’s Action Party led by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has secured another landslide victory in the general elections, extending its 66-year rule. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended wishes to Lawrence Wong on his election as the Prime Minister of Singapore.
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People in Romania are voting today in a crucial Presidential election, following a political crisis last year when the top court annulled the previous vote over fraud and scandal. The polls will close at 11:30 PM Indian Time.
Today’s election features nationalist George Simion of the AUR party against three main centrist candidates: Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan, liberal candidate Crin Antonescu, and independent contestant Elena Lasconi. Besides, seven others are also on the ballot. If no one gets over 50 per cent of the vote, a runoff will be held on the 18th of May.
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Khelo India Youth Games 2025 will begin this evening with a colourful and grand opening ceremony at Patliputra Sports Complex at Patna in Bihar. Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will inaugurate the event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the participants through a video message. Over 8500 young sporting talents will fight for medals in different categories. The mega sporting event will continue till the 15th of this month. More from our correspondent:
“Several events in different sporting categories started today. In the boy’s category of Volleyball, the first match was won by the West Bengal team which defeated Rajasthan in a close fight. Jammu and Kashmir also excelled in volleyball events defeating Uttarakhand at a game played in Patna. Events of Judo, Kabaddi, Mallakhamb, and archery are also being held in Patna, Rajgir, Gaya and Bhagalpur. From the host side, Bihar a jumbo squad of around 700 players are also taking part in different sporting events. Dharmendra Kumar Rai Akashvani News Patna.”
Akashvani will bring a live commentary of the Opening Ceremony of the Games. The programme will begin at 5:55 pm and continue till 7:30 pm or till the end of the ceremony. It will be available on NewsOnair app, PrasarBharati Sports YouTube Channel and DTH. Doordarshan Sports will broadcast all the events of Khelo India.
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In IPL T20 Cricket, Hosts Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens at 3.30 PM. In another match today, Punjab Kings will face Lucknow Super Giants at Dharamshala at 7.30 PM.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- President of Angola Joao Lourenco says, India is a key trade partner of Angola and the two countries are committed to further advancing bilateral ties.
- DRDO successfully conducts maiden flight-trials of Stratospheric Airship Platform; System to enhance India’s earth observation and surveillance capabilities.
- Punjab police arrest two persons in Amritsar for allegedly spying for Pakistan.
- Election Commission of India to soon launch single-point app ECINET for all electoral-related activities.
- First World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 to conclude in Mumbai today.
- Khelo India Youth Games 2025 to kick off at Patna in Bihar this evening with grand opening ceremony.
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