National News

A viral video from an Indian wedding showcases extravagant gifts given to the groom by the bride's family, including silver, a petrol pump, and land worth INR 15.65 crore. While the video garnered significant attention, it sparked debate about the prevalence of dowry, a deeply rooted social evil in India.

Amidst escalating tensions following the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan plans to increase its defence budget by 18%. India, a major military power, spends significantly more but faces resource allocation challenges. With China's support for Pakistan and its own growing military strength, India confronts a two-front challenge. Recent actions include ceasefire violations, mock drills, and nuclear modernization, highlighting the complex security landscape.

Mark Zuckerberg's fortune has surged past Jeff Bezos, making him the world's second-richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This shift occurred as Meta's shares outperformed Amazon's, with Meta reporting strong first-quarter revenue. Meanwhile, Elon Musk remains the wealthiest individual, boosted by increased Tesla shares following his commitment to reduce time spent on government duties.

Microsoft is implementing a two-year rehire ban for underperforming employees and tracking "good attrition," signaling a stricter management approach. This policy shift, revealed in internal documents, mirrors similar practices at other tech giants like Amazon and Meta. The company is also offering struggling employees a separation package as an alternative to performance improvement plans.

The Bombay High Court has expressed serious concerns about police officers routinely copy-pasting witness statements into charge sheets, even in serious criminal cases, cautioning that this "dangerous culture" could benefit the accused. The court has directed the Maharashtra government to issue guidelines for recording witness statements and appointed an amicus curiae to suggest improvements to investigation quality.

The 25-year-old victim had gone to Anand Sweets on Koramangala 60 feet road to use the washroom at around 8 pm on April 25

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had held that in all cases in which death sentence was awarded by the HC, such matters be listed before a Bench of three Judges

Delhi Capitals' promising IPL 2025 campaign faces derailment after a shocking loss to Mumbai Indians triggered a slump. Once poised for playoffs, DC now struggles, sitting fifth with 13 points. Experts Piyush Chawla and Sanjay Bangar emphasise the need for bold decisions and experienced players to step up, highlighting the team's batting order collapse.

The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index reached 58.7 in April, up from 58.5 in March, indicating a sharp and stronger expansion in service sector output

In an editorial in Deepika, official mouthpiece of Catholic Church in Kerala, the institution strongly refutes claim it sought any political favours or attempted to influence party appointments

Forty forest department personnel are involved in efforts to monitor the animal, with two thermal drones also being used to keep tabs on it.

IPL 2025 is witnessing off-field drama as singer Rahul Vaidya mocks Virat Kohli over a social media 'like' incident involving influencer Avneet Kaur. Kohli blamed Instagram's algorithm, leading to Vaidya's sarcastic response and alleged blocking. This sparked a fan backlash, with Vaidya hitting back, criticizing Kohli's fans and questioning Kohli's character, escalating the situation into a full-blown social media feud.

Three killed in lightning strikes during unseasonal rains in Marathwada, with additional cattle casualties reported in nearby districts

Moody's Ratings has revised India's GDP growth forecast for 2025 to 6.3% due to global policy uncertainty and trade limitations. Geopolitical friction with Pakistan and terror attacks present additional risks. While maintaining a 6.5% growth prediction for 2026, Moody's anticipates the RBI will implement rate cuts to bolster domestic economic growth.

The Union government maintained the case of Kerala was different from that of Tamil Nadu.

With 15 IPL 2025 league stage games remaining, RCB, GT, and PBKS are almost certain for the playoffs, while MI is a strong contender. DC has a fair chance, but LSG and KKR face slim odds. Probabilities are calculated based on 32,768 possible result combinations, assessing each team's chances of finishing in the top four and top two.

The Reserve Bank of India significantly reduced its gold repatriation in the second half of fiscal year 2025, bringing home only 1.53 tonnes compared to 102.15 tonnes in the previous six months. Despite this slowdown, total gold holdings reached 879.59 metric tonnes by March 2025.

The Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education has announced the class 12th board exam results, showcasing a pass percentage of 74.48%. Priyal Dwivedi topped the state in Science (Maths group) with 492/500. Gargi Agarwal and Divyanshu Tiwari secured the top position in Science (Biology).