Highlights: Sharad Pawar takes back his resignation as NCP president

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday announced his country will contribute to the Amazon Fund, a major development for Brazil as the South American nation tries to garner more donors to the initiative aimed at fighting deforestation.

Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations failed to reach agreement on Friday to authorize any new vessels to carry out Black Sea grain exports, deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said.

Nine staff of Tihar jail, including Assistant Superintendent, suspended in connection with the murder of gangster Tillu Tajpuriya who was lodged here.

Russia's main mercenary group announced plans on Friday to pull out of the eastern city of Bakhmut, but Ukraine said the Wagner fighters were reinforcing positions to try to seize it before Moscow marks World War Two victory day next week.

At least 176 dead bodies have been found in and around two villages in east Democratic Republic of Congo that were flooded on Thursday, provincial governor Theo Ngwabidje Kasi said on Friday.

King Charles III greeted the crowds outside Buckingham Palace on Friday on the eve of his coronation, with royal revellers cranking up the party atmosphere with fancy dress and inflatable crowns.

Amid uncertainty over tickets booked by passengers with crisis-hit Go First, a travel agents' body on Friday urged the carrier to make the refunds from the agents' funds deposited in a credit shell with the airline.

HSBC on Friday comfortably defeated an activist proposal supported by its largest stakeholder, the Chinese insurer Ping An, that sought to split the bank in a search for better returns.

Shareholders voted overwhelmingly to reject the move, in line with the Asia-focused lender's recommendation, the group said at its annual general meeting in Birmingham, central England. (AFP)

Sharad Pawar on Friday withdrew his designation as the Nationalist Congress Party chief.

“I can't disrespect your sentiments. Due to your love, I am respecting the demand that was made to me to withdraw my resignation and the resolution that was passed by senior NCP leaders. I withdraw my decision to step down as the national president of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)”, the veteran leader said, hours after the NCP panel selected by him to pick his successor rejected his resignation. Read full story

The International Monetary Fund expects to disburse the next tranche of its $1.3 billion financing program with Zambia "soon", the managing director of the fund said.

The southern African nation, which was the major sovereign casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been in default since 2020, is seeking to overhaul its debt in a slow process and it secured the IMF funding last August, reported Reuters. 

Kenyan President William Ruto has appointed a commission of inquiry into the deaths of more than 100 people believed to have been members of a cult whose leader ordered them to starve themselves to death, Ruto's spokesman said.

Kenyan authorities say the dead were members of the Good News International Church led by Paul Mackenzie, who they say predicted the world would end on April 15 and instructed his followers to kill themselves to be the first to go to heaven, reported Reuters. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend this year's Bastille Day Parade in Paris as the guest of honour on July 14, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Friday.

An Indian armed forces' contingent will also participate in the parade along with their French counterparts, the MEA said in a statement.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, Prime Minister Modi has accepted French President Emmanuel Macron's invitation to attend this year's Bastille Day Parade as the guest of honour, it said, reported PTI. 

Mobile internet services has been suspended in J-K's Rajouri.

Two soliders were killed, and four others including an officer have been injured during an encounter that broke out between two to three terrorists and security forces on Friday morning in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has cancelled all his programmes for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka in the wake of clashes reported in parts of Manipur, sources said.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday during the the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet said: 'Menace of terrorism continues unabated, it must be stopped'.

In the wake of clashes in parts of Manipur, the Northeast Frontier Railways has cancelled all Manipur-bound trains considering the law and order situation in the Northeastern state.

Accused DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar brought to ATS office in Pune for investigation.

India has recorded 3,611 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases have dipped to 33,232 from 36,244, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

A committee of the Nationalist Congress Party will meet at 11 am today to decide on who will head the NCP next, days after party chief Sharad Pawar announced that he would be stepping down from the top position.

The committee was set up by 82-year-old Pawar to pick his successor and it includes Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, former Union leader Parful Patel and Bhujbal.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday embarked on a two days visit to London, United Kingdom to attend the Coronation ceremony of King Charles III which will take place on the morning of May 6.

Former Punjab speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal joins BJP in presence of party’s national president JP Nadda. His son Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal is contesting Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll as BJP candidate.

An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Another flight carrying Indian passengers reaches Mumbai. They have been evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan.