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Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday said that even the graduates from the Indian Institute of Technology are not getting jobs under the BJP-led Centre. Addressing a public meeting in Haridwar, Priyanka Gandhi said, " There is rising unemployment in the country. PM Modi has only given unemployment to this nation. Even IIT graduates are not getting jobs under the Modi government. The Centre's scheme and policies are not employment-oriented. The government is handing over PSUs, Railways, and ports to their business friends. So basically all these jobs are going away to the corporates," Priyanka Gandhi said. Congress General Secretary further said that small-level businesses in the country are suffering due to the poor economic policies of the BJP.

Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said if his party is voted to power at the Centre, it will immediately conduct a caste census in the country. Addressing an election rally at Bastar village Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, he described the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as a fight between two ideologies involving those seeking to protect the Constitution and those out to destroy it. He also attacked the Narendra Modi-led government and said President Droupadi Murmu was prevented from attending the consecration of Ram temple in Ayodhya as she is a tribal, and it reflects the Bharatiya Janata Party's mentality. The rally was held in support of Congress' candidate from Scheduled Tribe-reserved Bastar Lok Sabha seat Kawasi Lakhma.

Shah on Saturday accused the DMK of 'hurting' the sentiments of the people by insulting 'Sanatan Dharma' and called upon the people to reject the Dravidian party in the April 19 Lok Sabha election. He said the DMK passed unsavoury remarks on the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. «The DMK party has hurt the sentiments of people by making insulting remarks on Sanatan Dharma. But on the other hand, the BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi respected everyone and believed in unity,» Shah said at the roadshow in Kanyakumari Lok Sabha constituency in support of the party candidate Pon Radhakrishnan.

India and Russia on Saturday celebrated the 77th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The nearly eight decades of partnership has been marked by achievements contributing to special and privileged strategic partnership. Throughout decades, this partnership encompassed several areas from defence to space to trade and investments, hydrocarbon energy and nuclear power, security and space, science and fin-tech, digitalization, infrastructure and smart-cities, education and culture. Russia remains a largest contributor to India’s energy security and its defence capabilities. Currently there are efforts to a greater connectivity in the Eurasian space and are working towards an early conclusion of the FTA between the Eurasian Economic Union and India, efficient promotion of the North-South Transport Corridor and relaunching of the Vladivostok – Chennai Eastern Maritime Corridor, strengthening of the independent financial and payment mechanisms, synchronization of customs regimes, multiplication of joint ventures, expansion of tourism and humanitarian linkages.

Also read: How Nothing CEO Carl Pei is breaking barriers Started in 1924 by brothers Parameshwara Maiya and Ganappayya Maiya as a restaurant called Brahmin Coffee Club, and renamed Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR) in 1951, MTR is a household name for Kannadigas everywhere. While the original restaurant on Lalbagh Road in Bengaluru continues to be a major draw for food enthusiasts of all stripes, the brand is also a multi-million dollar company in the packaged food business. Its basket of 140 products includes ready-to-eat meals, breakfast mixes, traditional spices and masalas and sweets, among others.

China has not liked Tesla CEO Elon Musk planning to open an electric car factory in India. Musk is set to travel to India later this month and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with plans for a Tesla factory expected to be announced. Musk has negotiated with the Indian government for long. He preferred to import cars into India at a lower duty while India wanted him to manufacture cars locally. He is likely to announce Tesla's India entry after the government announced its new EV policy last month which is likely to suit him. The government will allow the import of completely built-up electric cars that have a minimum cost, insurance and freight value of $35,000 (Rs. 29.2 lakh) at 15% import duty five years in exchange for a minimum investment of $500 million to start local manufacturing. India levies import duty of up to 100% on completely built-up cars. Read| Musk coming to India this month, may announce Tesla's India plan during meeting with PM Modi

mine workers, construction workers and brick kiln workers across the country. In a letter dated April 12, labour secretary Sumita Dawar said the seasonal outlook issued by the Indian Meteorological Department on temperature for hot weather season during the current year indicates above normal maximum temperatures most likely over most parts of the country. “Therefore, effective steps need to be taken for management and mitigation of adverse effects of extreme hot weather through a multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional administrative approach,” Dawra said.

Purnea Lok Sabha seat, former MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav asserted that he still considers himself «a soldier of the Congress» and will remain with the party till his last breath. According to a seat-sharing arrangement agreed upon by the opposition INDIA bloc constituents in the state, the RJD nominated JD(U) turncoat Bima Bharti from Purnea, denying the seat to the Congress. Yadav, who recently joined the grand old party, blamed RJD president Lalu Prasad for the apparent cracks in the opposition bloc in Purnea. «I am a soldier of the Congress and its leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. I will remain (ideologically) with the party till my last breath. The ideology of the Congress is in my blood. I had never wanted a situation to emerge in Purnea where the INDIA bloc's constituents could be seen fighting each other, like in West Bengal and Kerala,» Yadav said in an interview with PTI.

Narendra Modi engaged in a lively interaction today with some of India's leading gamers, delving into the realm of gaming and its future prospects. During the discussion, PM Modi made a playful reference to the opposition, employing the term 'noob,' commonly used in gaming circles to describe someone new or inexperienced. «If I use this word (noob) during elections, people will wonder who am I referring to… If I say it, you will think of a particular person,» PM Modi said. In the conversation, the Prime Minister also explored avenues for government support to bolster the gaming industry's growth trajectory. He sought insights into the challenges faced by gamers in India, particularly distinguishing between skill-based games and those promising quick financial gains. The gamers raised concerns about the need for clarity on different game categories and highlighted issues related to video game addiction.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma «would have been nowhere» without the grand old party which had given him «identity and position» during its rule in the state. The Congress general secretary, in an interview with PTI here, claimed that Sarma was among the first to quit the grand old party when it lost power and join the «washing machine of BJP». «The Congress gave him identity and position, along with authority and responsibility, during the tenure of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi but he chose to betray the party when it was not in power. It is a matter of great sorrow that those given a responsible position turn out to be opportunists. But that has not shattered our self-confidence,» he said. «Opportunists» leaving the Congress actually work in the party's favour, making way for ideologically committed youngsters, the Rajya Sabha MP said.

importing pulses from Myanmar has been eased and simplified. The importers have been asked to utilize Rupee/ Kyat direct payment system using Special Rupee Vostro Account (SRVA) through Punjab National Bank, the consumer affairs ministry said in a statement. India depends on imports of pulses to meet the domestic shortage. The country imports tur and urad dals from Myanmar. Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare discussed with Indian Mission in Yangon issues relating to pulses imports from Myanmar such as import prices in the wake of revised exchange rates and stocks held by importers in Myanmar, it said.

New Zealand has planned to mark the centenary of the 1926 tour of an Indian Army hockey team, which included a young Dhyan Chand, to that country as part of its vision to celebrate the «breadth of our sporting relationship», its envoy had said. Outgoing New Zealand's High Commissioner to India David Pine said 2026 will be a «special year of our relationship». He was speaking during an interaction hosted by think-tank Ananta Aspen Centre here on Friday. Asked about his nation's plan to mark the centenary of the historic tour, the envoy said, «Yes, we want to use it as a trigger to celebrate the breadth of our sporting relationship.»

‘Uri is our reply’: Jaishankar affirms India's stand on cross-border terrorism "Narendra Modi came (to be Prime Minister) only in 2014, but this problem did not begin in 2014. It started in 1947, not even after the Mumbai terrorist attacks (of 26/11). This started in 1947.

Philippines, the United States and Japan will change the dynamic in the South China Sea and the region, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Friday, while seeking to assure China it was not a target. «I think the trilateral agreement is extremely important,» Marcos told a press conference in Washington a day after meeting President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the nations' first trilateral summit. «It is going to change the dynamic, the dynamic that we see in the region, in ASEAN in Asia, around the South China Sea,» Marcos said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Trump turned to one of his favorite themes on Friday — the specter of immigrants improperly voting in federal elections. House Speaker Mike Johnson came to the former president's Florida compound to announce that he would introduce a bill to stop those who are not citizens from voting in elections. Trump has made baseless claims about this subject before, like in 2016, when he blamed his loss of the popular vote on voting by immigrants, and then appointed a commission to investigate the issue. It disbanded without identifying a single case of a noncitizen casting a vote. He and other Republicans have recently revved up their conspiratorial claims about the issue with the influx of migrants across the southern border under Biden, contending Democrats are letting them in to add them to the voter rolls.

Congress has fielded against Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Gujarat's Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, said she was not at all hesitant to fight the upcoming election against the senior BJP leader. The 62-year-old leader, who is All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and the party co-incharge of Mumbai and western Maharashtra, claimed that anti-incumbency prevails as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has failed to fulfil the aspirations of people. She also accused the ruling party of intimidating Congress workers in her constituency and sought a «level-playing field» in fighting elections. In an interview to PTI, Patel said, «I had not asked for a ticket from the party as I was busy with Congress's affairs in Maharashtra, where I am co-incharge of Mumbai and Western Maharashtra. But the party fielded me from Gandhinagar and I accepted it.»

Narendra Modi paid tribute to the people killed in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919 and shared a video defining the incident and showcasing the unparalleled courage and sacrifice of the victims. In a post on X PM said, «On behalf of my family members across the country, I pay my heartfelt tribute to all the brave martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.» President Droupadi Murmu also remembered the victims of massacre and said, «My heartfelt tribute to all the freedom fighters who sacrificed everything for the motherland in Jallianwala Bagh! The countrymen will always be indebted to all those great souls who sacrificed their lives for Swaraj. I am sure that the spirit of patriotism of those martyrs will always inspire the coming generations.»

Canada has made the decision to reduce the number of its staffers stationed in its consulates across India, a move that could potentially impact visa application processes for individuals planning to travel to Canada. According to a spokesperson from the Canadian High Commission, the staff reductions were deemed necessary due to a decrease in the number of Canadian personnel available to effectively manage operations within the country. Think you check all the immigration boxes? Find out Despite the staff reductions, the spokesperson assured that Canada's visa application centers in India are functioning normally, alleviating concerns regarding any immediate disruption to visa processing procedures.

Cocoa and coffee futures reached new highs on mounting concerns of extreme weather, while aging trees in Africa cocoa crops and Vietnam coffee areas added to concerns. “Speculators are drawing parallels between cocoa and coffee, which is a bit surprising,” Rabobank analyst Carlos Mera said, adding that trees getting older in Vietnam is one of the reasons coffee production in the country is not expanding. New York cocoa futures rose to the highest in data going back to the 1960s, extending a rally driven by declining production in top-growers Ivory Coast and Ghana. Gains for most-active contract accelerated after prices broke the $10,000 mark, a level that hasn’t been seen since almost two weeks ago.

coffee industry is witnessing a windfall as robusta coffee bean prices skyrocketed to an unprecedented Rs 10,080 per 50 kg bag as of Friday. This surge marks a historic high since the establishment of coffee estates in the Western Ghats region during the 1860s by the British. Unlike the relatively stable pricing of Arabica coffee, known for its creamy layer in a shot, robusta prices have typically ranged between Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,500 per 50 kg bag for nearly 15 years. The surge in robusta coffee prices has brought relief and joy to coffee growers, especially those with smaller holdings who primarily cultivate robusta due to its lower input costs compared to Arabica. These growers have faced challenges such as erratic rainfall, crop damage by wild animals, and rising input and labor costs over the past decade.

markets retreated despite a tech-fueled rebound on Wall Street the day before. Oil prices were higher. The future for the S&P 500 slipped 0.1% while that for Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% higher.