HIGHLIGHTS

CAL45 WB-BJP-2ND LD SUVENDU 7.00 PM Will fulfil all promises made in BJP manifesto, says Bengal CM-elect Suvendu Adhikari Kolkata Declaring that an era of fear in West Bengal has ended, chief minister-designate Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said the first BJP government in the state would work on the principle of collective leadership, fulfil every promise made in the partys poll manifesto and function in close coordination with the Centre to realise the aspirations of the people.

Following are the top stories at 9.25 pm: NATION DEL77 HR-LDALL RAHUL (9.04 PM) **** BJP has established system to 'steal' elections but time will come when it will face public anger: Rahul Gurugram: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a scathing attack on the BJP, alleging it has established a system to ''steal'' elections but said people have understood this and it will have to face public anger. **** CAL58 WB-SUVENDU-LD GOVT (8.43 PM) ***** CM-elect Adhikari stakes claim to form Bengal's first BJP govt Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister-elect Suvendu Adhikari on Friday evening met Governor RN Ravi and staked a claim to form the first BJP-led government in the state. **** CAL42 WB-LD SHAH (6.43 PM) **** Infiltration, cattle smuggling will become impossible in Bengal under BJP: Shah Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said infiltration and cattle smuggling would become ''impossible'' in West Bengal under the BJP government, as he formally announced Suvendu Adhikari as the leader of the BJP legislature party and the party's chief ministerial face. **** MDS40 TN-TVK-VIJAY-2ND LD GUV (8.04 PM) **** Vijay calls on TN Guv for govt formation Chennai: TVK chief Vijay, buoyed by the support from the Left parties, on Friday called on Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Lok Bhavan here in connection with securing an invite from him to form the government. **** MDS37 TN-GUV-STALIN (7.29 PM) **** Ensure new govt as per Constitution, outgoing CM Stalin urges TN Guv Chennai: Outgoing Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin on Friday urged Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to immediately take necessary steps to ensure a new government is formed as per the Constitution. **** DEL74 POL-INDIA BLOC FUTURE (8.19 PM) **** From architect to adversary: DMK rupture pushes INDIA bloc into another crisis New Delhi: The INDIA bloc may have been formally launched on a sweltering Patna afternoon in June 2023, but its political origins can be traced back to Chennai where, three months before its official unveiling, the idea first took shape with DMK chief M K Stalin pitching for a united Opposition front led by the Congress. By Sourav Roy Barman **** DEL66 BJP-CONG-ALLIANCE (6.58 PM) **** BJP slams Cong as 'historical backstabber' after DMK seeks separate seating for LS MPs New Delhi: The BJP on Friday attacked the Congress calling it a ''dhokhebaz'' party and a ''historical backstabber'', and claiming that no INDIA bloc ally trusted it anymore. **** DEL55 HEALTH-MINISTRY-HANTAVRIUS (6.08 PM) **** 2 Indians aboard cruise ship with hantavirus cases asymptomatic; Centre monitoring situation closely New Delhi: Two Indian nationals currently onboard the cruise vessel MV Hondius, where multiple probable cases of hantavirus infection have been reported, are asymptomatic and under observation as per international health protocols, Union health ministry sources said on Friday. **** CAL45 WB-BJP-2ND LD SUVENDU (7.00 PM) *** Will fulfil all promises made in BJP manifesto, says Bengal CM-elect Suvendu Adhikari Kolkata: Declaring that an ''era of fear'' in West Bengal has ended, chief minister-designate Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said the first BJP government in the state would work on the principle of collective leadership, fulfil every promise made in the party's poll manifesto and function in close coordination with the Centre to realise the aspirations of the people. ***** CAL47 WB-SUVENDU AIDE-MURDER-LD PROBE (7.07 PM) **** Suvendu aide killing: WB Police recover second two-wheeler used in crime, SIT visits UP Kolkata: Investigators on Friday recovered the second motorcycle allegedly used in the murder of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, even as the West Bengal Police intensified search for a car suspected to have been used in the crime, a senior officer said. **** DEL73 MEA-INDIA-SINGAPORE-TERROR (8.15 PM) **** India, Singapore resolve to jointly target terror financing, radicalisation New Delhi: India and Singapore have vowed to jointly work to combat the challenge of terrorism including cross-border movement of terrorists, radicalisation, and financing of terrorism. **** CAL57 BH-DEATHS-WEATHER (8.37 PM) **** Five killed in Bihar due to lightning, falling trees amid heavy rain Patna: At least five persons were killed in Bihar either due to lightning strikes or after being crushed under falling trees following torrential rain and gusty winds, officials said on Friday. **** DEL68 DEF-RAJNATH-LD COMMANDERS (7.37 PM) **** Rajnath to top commanders: Outmaneuver adversaries with strategic surprise Jaipur/New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday directed the top military commanders of the three services to integrate an ''element of surprise'' into modern warfare to outmaneuver India's adversaries and bolster strategic posture. **** DEL51 EC-THIRD GENDER-CANDIDATES (7.12 PM) **** Only two third-gender candidates contested 2026 assembly polls, none elected: EC New Delhi: Third-gender candidates drew a blank in the recently concluded five assembly elections, with only two contesting, one each in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, according to Election Commission data. **** DEL64 HR-RAHUL-LD YATRA (6.56 PM) **** Rahul Gandhi joins Haryana Congress leader's 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram Gurugram: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the 'Sadbhav Yatra' of Haryana Congress leader Brijendra Singh here. **** DEL61 AVI-LD AIR INDIA (6.28 PM) **** Cost-saving steps amid 'tough times'; layoffs not anticipated, Air India tells staff New Delhi: Air India on Friday urged staff to suspend discretionary spending and defer non-critical expenditures while annual increments will be deferred by at least one quarter in these ''tough times'' and assured them that layoffs are not anticipated, according to sources. **** DEL60 IIT MADRAS-AI-TEACHERS (6.26 PM) **** India launches AI literacy programme to train 10 lakh teachers by 2027 New Delhi: The Centre has launched a literacy programme aimed at training over 10 lakh teachers in Artificial Intelligence for everyday classroom teaching by 2027. **** DEL56 NCW-PAROLE-BAN (6.15 PM) **** NCW to seek ban on parole for convicts in rape, POCSO cases: Chairperson New Delhi: The National Commission for Women (NCW) will soon submit recommendations to the Centre seeking a complete ban on parole for convicts in rape, aggravated sexual assault, and other serious offences against women and children, commission chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said on Friday. **** DEL53 AIYAR-CONG-2NDLD TVK (5.57 PM) **** Politics of expediency: Mani Shankar Aiyar slams Cong's TVK tie-up decision New Delhi: Terming his party's decision to ally with the TVK in Tamil Nadu ''dreadful'', veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Friday said it was ''politics of expediency'' and an ''unforgivable violation'' of Mahatma Gandhi's 1925 maxim that 'Swaraj should be a government based on morality'. **** DEL50 MHA-HEAT-FLOOD (5.44 PM) **** Amit Shah to review flood, heatwave preparedness at high-level meeting New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will do a comprehensive review of country's preparedness for dealing with possible floods and heatwave conditions on Sunday. **** DEL45 ED-GAMESKRAFT-LD ARRESTS (5.26 PM) **** ED arrests 3 Gameskraft founders in PMLA case New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested three founders of online gaming platform, Gameskraft, in an alleged fraud-linked money laundering case, officials said. **** CAL54 AS-GOVT-BJP (8.11 PM) **** BJP Legislature Party to elect next Assam CM on May 10 Guwahati: The BJP Legislature Party will meet on May 10 to elect its new leader of the Assam Legislative Assembly, outgoing Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday. **** MDS41 PD-GUV-RANGASAMY (8.08 PM) **** Puducherry: Rangasamy meets Lt Guv, stakes claim to form govt Puducherry: AINRC chief N Rangasamy on Friday met Lieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan and staked a claim to form a government in Puducherry. **** CAL52 WB-BRIGADE-LD POLITICS (7.39 PM) **** From Left showground to saffron coronation: Brigade braces for new turn in Bengal's political wheel Kolkata: Long before television studios began decoding electoral optics and social media turned politics into a perpetual spectacle, Bengal measured political strength through human tides surging into the Brigade Parade Ground. **** CAL40 MN-CONG (6.14 PM) **** Centre, state responsible for total breakdown of law and order in Manipur: Congress Imphal: The BJP-led governments at both the Centre and the state are responsible for the ''total breakdown'' of law and order in Manipur, the Congress claimed on Friday, a day after armed militants attacked and burnt several houses in Naga near the India-Myanmar border. **** BOM14 MH-COURT-LD TCS CASE (7.12 PM) **** TCS sexual harassment-religious coercion case: Accused Nida Khan sent to police custody till May 11 Nashik: A Nashik court on Friday remanded Nida Khan, an accused in the sexual harassment and religious coercion case at the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) unit here, in police custody till May 11. **** BOM11 GJ-PLANE CRASH-NAIDU (5.16 PM) **** Ahmedabad Air India crash probe in final stage, report expected in one month: Naidu Gandhinagar: The investigation into the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives last year, is in the last stages and the report is expected within a month, Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu said on Friday. **** MDS43 TL-SIR-BJP-CM (8.48 PM) **** BJP 'trying' to win polls through SIR, should be prevented from gaining power in Telangana: CM Hyderabad, May 8 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday accused the BJP of ''trying'' to win elections through SIR of electoral rolls and said that the saffron party should be prevented from gaining power in the state. **** BUSINESS DEL67 BIZ-TATA TRUST-LD BOARD MEET (7.16 PM) **** Much expected board meeting of Sir Ratan Tata Trust postponed to May 16 New Delhi: A board meeting of Sir Ratan Tata Trust scheduled for Friday to reconsider nominations to the board of Tata Sons has been postponed to May 16, with no reasons specified for the change, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. **** LEGAL LGD37 PB-HC-PATHAK (8.50 PM) **** Won't take coercive action against MP Sandeep Pathak till Monday, Punjab govt tells HC Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court was assured by the state government on Friday that no coercive action will be taken against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak without prior permission till next Monday. **** LGD35 SC-TN-LD TVK (8.16 PM) **** TVK member moves SC seeking direction to governor to invite it to form govt in Tamil Nadu New Delhi, May 8 (PTI) A member of actor-turned-politician Vijay-led TVK on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to invite his single largest political party to form the government in the state. **** FOREIGN FGN64 SURINAME-JAISHANKAR (8.53 PM) **** Partnerships critical for progress in 'tough world': EAM Jaishankar Paramaribo: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stressed the critical role of partnerships in achieving progress in a ''tough world'', and underlined India's role as a ''trusted'' partner in the global context. **** FGN61 CHINA-PAK-LD INDIA (8.08 PM) **** China confirms its support to Pakistan during four-day conflict with India Beijing: China, for the first time, has confirmed that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during the four-day conflict with India last year, official media reports here said. **** FGN62 UK-HANTAVIRUS (8.19 PM) **** UK health chiefs track all cruise passengers exposed to hantavirus London: The UK health authorities on Friday continue to trace all British nationals who were exposed to the dangerous rat-borne hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, with a third suspected case being logged. By Aditi Khanna **** FGN50 NEPAL-INDIA (6.23P PM) **** Nepal ready to resolve border issue with India through diplomatic channels: Foreign Ministry Kathmandu: Nepal on Friday said it is committed to resolving the border issue with India through diplomatic channels. By Shirish B Pradhan **** PTI PRK