Source: THE HINDU

PM inaugurates seventh Khelo India Youth Games being held in Bihar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (May 4, 2025) addressed the inaugural ceremony of the seventh edition of the Khelo India Youth Games via videoconferencing and officially announced the launch of the event. The Khelo India Youth Games is being held in Bihar for the first time from May 4 to May 15. Five districts will host the event, including Patna, Nalanda (Rajgir), Gaya, Bhagalpur, and Begusarai.

Iran FM Araghchi to visit Pakistan, India this week, days after offering to mediate to reduce tensions

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will arrive in Islamabad on Monday (May 5, 2025), ahead of a visit to Delhi later this week, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced in Tehran on Sunday. The visit by Mr. Araghchi to India had been planned several weeks ago. Now, coupled with the visit to Pakistan, it takes on an added mission, after he offered to mediate between the two “brotherly neighbours of Iran”.

Pahalgam terror attack: Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh meets PM Modi

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh on Sunday (May 4, 2025) met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is understood to have discussed the security situation arising out of the rising tensions between India and Pakistan over the deadly Pahalgam terror attack. The meeting came less than 24 hours after Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi apprised the Prime Minister on the overall situation in the critical sea lanes in the Arabian Sea. Citing “cross-border linkages” to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, India has promised severe punishment to those involved in the strike.

Missile attack by Houthi rebels at Israel’s airport sparks panic

A missile launched by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen on Sunday (May 4, 2025) briefly halted flights and commuter traffic at Israel’s main international airport after an impact left a plume of smoke and caused panic among passengers. The Houthi rebels have been striking Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians. The attack on Ben-Gurion International Airport came hours before top Israeli Cabinet ministers were set to vote on whether to intensify the country’s military operations in the Gaza Strip. The army meanwhile began calling up thousands of reserves in anticipation of a wider operation in Gaza, officials said.

Tel Aviv airport attack: Air India’s Delhi-Tel Aviv flight diverted to Abu Dhabi

An Air India flight from New Delhi to Tel Aviv was diverted to Abu Dhabi on Sunday (May 4, 2025) as there was a missile attack near the airport in the Israeli city, according to sources. The airline has also suspended the Tel Aviv flights till May 6. The attack happened less than an hour before the Air India flight AI139, operated with a Boeing 787 aircraft, was to land at Tel Aviv, the sources said. The airline said its operations to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended with immediate effect till May 6 to ensure the safety of its customers and staff.

Army vehicle plunges into gorge in J&K’s Ramban, three soldiers killed

Three Army personnel were killed when their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a 700-feet deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district on Sunday (May 4, 2025), officials said. The army truck was part of a convoy moving from Jammu to Srinagar along National Highway 44 when the accident occurred near Battery Chashma at around 11.30 a.m., the officials said. They said a joint rescue operation was launched immediately by the army, police, SDRF and local volunteers and three soldiers, travelling in the vehicle, were found dead on-the-spot.

Supreme Court reconstitutes three-judge bench to hear pleas against 2022 verdict upholding ED powers

The Supreme Court has reconstituted a three-judge bench to decide if its 2022 verdict upholding the Enforcement Directorate’s powers to arrest and attach property under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act needs reconsideration. The reconstituted Bench of Justice Surya Kant, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh will take up a batch of petitions seeking a review of the 2022 verdict. The matter is listed for hearing on May 7.

T.N. Chief Minister to announce nationalisation of books of five Tamil scholars today

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is set to take part in the valedictory of ‘Tamil Week’, which is being observed to mark the birth anniversary of late Tamil poet Pavendhar Bharathidasan. He is also scheduled to present prizes to the winners of various competitions at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai on Monday (May 5, 2025). During the event, the Chief Minister is also set to announce the nationalisation of the literary works of five Tamil scholars and hand over royalty to their families. The books of Tamil Scholars are being nationalised by the Tamil Nadu government so as to take the treasures of ideas of Tamil scholars to the masses.

Israel’s Netanyahu vows multi-phase response against Yemen’s Houthis

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (May 4, 2025) promised a multi-phased repsonse to Yemen’s Houthis after the Iran-backed rebels struck the area of Israel’s main airport with a missile. “We have acted against them in the past and we will act in the future, but I cannot go into detail (...) it will not happen in one bang, but there will be many bangs,” Mr. Netanyahu said in a video on published on the Telegram messaging platform.

Goa stampede: Fact-finding committee begins probe into incident; Governor meets victims’ kin

Goa Governor P.S. Sreedharan Pillai on Sunday (May 4, 2025) visited the families of those who died in a stampede in north Goa’s Shirgao village in Bicholim taluk, where tens of thousands of devotees had thronged to participate in the annual ‘Lairai Jatra’ at the Shree Lairai Devi temple.

Election Commission to develop new digital interface for voters, other stakeholders

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday (May 4, 2025) announced that it was developing a new, user-friendly digital interface for voters and other stakeholders such as election officials, political parties and the civil society.

Conversation on new forces shaping subcontinental geopolitics at The Hindu Huddle

A session at The Hindu Huddle, to be held on May 9 and 10, will discuss all the changes in the world and within the region to understand their impact with two of the region’s most experienced thinkers: former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Indian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, T.S. Tirumurti, who has served as a diplomat in the neighbourhood.

NCERT new textbooks for Class 7 introduce games, activities rooted in Indian culture

Class 7 students will now learn traditional games and activities rooted in Indian culture from the new textbooks introduced by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
 

China’s Xi Jinping to pay official visit to Russia, alongside Victory Day celebrations

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia from May 7-10 to attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow and hold “strategic communication” with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on a series of major international and regional issues, it was announced on Sunday (May 4, 2025). This will be Mr. Xi’s first visit to Moscow after U.S. President Donald Trump took charge of the U.S. Presidency. President Xi will pay a State Visit to Russia from May 7 to 10 and attend the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement in Beijing on Sunday (May 4, 2025).

Putin says he hopes there will be no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in comments broadcast Sunday (May 4, 2025) that the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine had not arisen and that he hopes it will not. In a preview of an upcoming interview with Russian State television, published on Telegram, Mr. Putin said Russia has the strength and the means to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a “logical conclusion.” Responding to a question about Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, Mr. Putin said: “There has been no need to use those (nuclear) weapons ... and I hope they will not be required.”

Sudan’s RSF conducts first drone attack on Port Sudan: Army spokesperson

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out a drone attack on a military air base and other facilities in the vicinity of Port Sudan Airport, a Sudanese army spokesperson said on Sunday (May 4, 2025), in the first RSF attack to reach the eastern port city. No casualties were reported from the attacks, the spokesperson said. The RSF has targeted power stations in Army-controlled locations in central and northern Sudan for the past several months but the strikes had not inflicted heavy casualties.