Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat arrived in Gonda for the National Open Ranking Tournament despite receiving a show-cause notice from the Wrestling Federation of India over alleged anti-doping and disciplinary violations. The tournament is being held in the home district of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Vinesh, returning to competition after nearly 20 months and following the birth of her son, had registered before the deadline. However, winners of the event will not qualify for Asian Games selection trials under WFI policy. She is awaiting clearance from the federation to compete in the women’s freestyle category.

Opposition parties criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he urged citizens to adopt austerity measures amid the escalating Middle East crisis and rising oil prices. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called the appeal “proof of failure”, while leaders from Congress, Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) accused the Centre of poor economic planning. Modi had asked people to reduce fuel use, avoid unnecessary foreign travel, postpone gold purchases and revive work-from-home practices to help ease pressure on India’s economy. Meanwhile, an Informal Group of Ministers meeting will review the crisis impact on fuel supplies, inflation and shipping routes. (PC: NDTV)

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to deliver a major speech as pressure grows within the Labour Party following heavy election losses across Britain. Labour lost seats in Scottish and Welsh elections and nearly 1,500 councillors in England’s local polls, triggering calls for stronger leadership. Starmer is expected to promise bold reforms and closer ties with the European Union. Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner warned Labour may face its “last chance” if changes are not made quickly. Labour MP Catherine West has also hinted at launching a leadership challenge if dissatisfied with Starmer’s response. (PC: BBC)

Three suspects, including alleged criminal Vishal Srivastava, were detained from Bihar’s Buxar district in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Officials said the West Bengal STF carried out raids in Buxar and took the suspects to Bengal for questioning. Vishal reportedly faces over 22 criminal cases, including murder and robbery. Police tracked the accused through a UPI payment made at a toll booth near Kolkata. Rath was shot dead at point-blank range near his Madhyamgram home on May 6, while his driver suffered critical injuries in the attack. (PC: HT)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indian families to avoid buying gold for weddings for one year as rising crude oil prices and heavy gold imports increase pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves and weaken the rupee. India imports most of its oil and large quantities of gold using US dollars. With crude prices surging due to the West Asia conflict and tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, India’s import bill has risen sharply. The government fears that high gold demand during the crisis could further widen the current account deficit, fuel inflation, and put additional strain on the economy and rupee stability. (PC: India Today)

Chiranjeevi Kolla, a 37-year-old Indian tech professional based in California, died on May 5 after battling Valley fever, a fungal infection caused by airborne Coccidioides spores found in soil. According to a GoFundMe page started by his cousin Rama Koteswara Rao, Kolla initially developed flu-like symptoms in April before doctors diagnosed him with Valley fever after his condition worsened. The infection severely damaged his lungs, leading to intubation and ventilator support during a month-long hospitalisation. He is survived by his wife Pavani Marella and their five-year-old son Vihan. The fundraiser described him as the family’s emotional and financial backbone while highlighting mounting ICU bills, funeral expenses and financial hardship after his death. (PC: X)

Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir renewed threats against India on the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, warning that any future “misadventure” against Pakistan would result in “extremely widespread, dangerous, far-reaching and painful” consequences. Speaking at Pakistan Army headquarters in Rawalpindi alongside top military officials, Munir described the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict as a battle between “two ideologies” and claimed Pakistan had successfully defended its sovereignty. He accused India of pursuing political and military objectives through “false flag operations” dating back to 2001. Munir also reiterated earlier warnings about targeting Indian infrastructure and invoked Pakistan’s nuclear capability. Operation Sindoor followed the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s precision strikes on terror camps.

Rising concerns over a possible El Niño-driven weak monsoon are pushing Indian farmers towards drought-resistant crops and hyperlocal weather forecasting strategies. Farmers across Karnataka and other regions fear lower rainfall after poor pre-monsoon showers damaged crops, including mango yields. The India Meteorological Department has forecast monsoon rainfall at 92 per cent of the long-period average, categorised as “below normal”. Agronomists say farmers may increasingly shift towards short-duration and less water-intensive crops such as finger millet, while adopting green-manuring practices to improve soil moisture retention. Researchers and climate experts are also promoting hyperlocal crop-weather forecasting systems to help farmers manage irrigation, sowing and harvesting decisions as climate variability and rainfall uncertainty intensify across India. (PC: The Telegraph)

Two Indian crew members aboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, linked to a deadly Andes strain hantavirus outbreak, were confirmed healthy and asymptomatic after the ship reached Spain’s Canary Islands. The vessel carrying nearly 150 passengers and crew arrived at Tenerife from Cape Verde after three infected passengers were earlier evacuated to Europe. According to the World Health Organisation, eight people fell ill, including three deaths involving a Dutch couple and a German national. Following WHO and Spanish health protocols, passengers disembarked wearing protective suits and were transferred under strict supervision for repatriation. The two Indian nationals were evacuated to the Netherlands for quarantine, while multiple countries organised emergency evacuation and monitoring operations for citizens.

US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s response to Washington’s peace proposal aimed at ending the West Asia war, calling it “totally unacceptable” without disclosing specific objections. Iran’s proposal, reportedly submitted through Pakistan, demanded an end to conflict across all fronts, including Lebanon, removal of US sanctions, lifting restrictions on Iranian oil sales and an end to the naval blockade. Trump accused Tehran of “playing games” with the United States for decades and warned that Iran would soon stop “laughing” at America. Reports also suggested Iran proposed diluting part of its highly enriched uranium stockpile and transferring remaining material to a third country.