THE HEADLINES::

1. US and Iran fail to reach agreement after historic peace talks in Islamabad, says JD Vance.
2. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discusses measures to enhance mutual co-operation with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
3. Government increases export duty on diesel and Aviation Fuel to curb exports and ensure domestic supply.
4. Campaigning gains momentum for assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, with top leaders addressing back to back rallies.
5. At least 13 killed in a road accident in Katihar district of Bihar.
6. And in Asian Wrestling Championships, Sujeet Kalkal and Abhimanyou Mandwal clinch gold in freestyle category in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

<><><> 

Talks between the United States and Iran have ended without an agreement after nearly 21 hours of negotiations in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. The US Vice President JD Vance said the discussions were substantive but failed to produce a deal.

The US Vice President said the core of the disagreement is Washington’s demand for a clear and long-term commitment from Tehran not to pursue nuclear weapons or capabilities that could enable rapid weaponisation. He said the US side described its approach as flexible and in good faith, but Iran did not accept the proposed terms. He added that a final and best offer has now been placed before Iran, with Washington awaiting Tehran’s response. 

In an earlier statement shared by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on X, Tehran indicated that the dialogue would continue even as some disagreements remain unresolved.

The meeting marks the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in decades. The talks were seen as a key diplomatic effort to reduce tensions and explore possibilities of a structured understanding between the United States and Iran. Key issues included efforts toward a ceasefire in West Asia, the release of Iranian assets held by the US, and discussions on the Strait of Hormuz.

Amid talks, US President Donald Trump said it made no difference whether a deal was reached with Iran. Speaking to reporters, President Trump added that operations in the Strait of Hormuz were ongoing and asserted that the United States had already won.

The US delegation was led by Vice President JD Vance, along with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, supported by senior advisers. Iranian Parliament Speaker and delegation head Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Deputy head of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Bagheri-Kani participated in the talks.

Meanwhile, in a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the campaign against Iran is not yet over but claimed Israel has achieved historic gains and foiled Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He said Israel launched the campaign because Iran was close to acquiring nuclear weapons and had the capability to produce hundreds of missiles per day.

<><><> 

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar began his two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, holding high-level talks in Abu Dhabi amid ongoing tensions in West Asia and concerns over the welfare of Indian nationals in the region.

During the visit, Dr Jaishankar met UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan yesterday, where discussions focused on the evolving regional situation and its implications. The External affairs minister conveyed appreciation for the UAE government’s support in ensuring the safety and well-being of the Indian community, while both sides reviewed cooperation and ways to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

<><><> 

The government has increased the export duty on diesel from 21.5 rupees per litre to 55.5 rupees per litre. The Ministry of Finance informed that the duty on Aviation Turbine Fuel has also been increased from 29.5 rupees per litre to 42 rupees per litre to curb exports and ensure domestic supply. Meanwhile, the export duty on petrol will continue to remain nil.

<><><> 

The government has said that the overall gas allocation to fertiliser plants is being further increased by 5 percent, taking it to approximately 95 percent of their six-month average consumption. In a statement, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry said that since March, around 4.15 lakh PNG connections have been gasified, while about 4.55 lakh additional customers have registered for new connections. So far, more than 26,000 PNG consumers have surrendered their LPG connections through the MYPNGD.in website. The government also informed that enforcement actions are continuing across the country to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG.

<><><> 

Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said that all user fee payments at National Highway fee plazas across the country are being processed exclusively through digital modes of FASTag or Unified Payments Interface (UPI) from 10^th of this month. The Ministry added that however, this transition has not been implemented in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and West Bengal, as well as the Union Territory of Puducherry, in view of the Model Code of Conduct currently in force due to the ongoing electoral process.

<><><> 

Campaigning for West Bengal Assembly elections is picking up with only 11days remaining for the first phase of polling. Top political leaders from all major political parties addressing rallies across the districts. From the Bharatiya Janata Party-Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public meeting at Kawakhali in Siliguri around eleven o’clock. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is also on the trail, with rallies lined up in Sonamukhi in Bankura, and later in Nanda Kumar and Kanthi Dokkhin in East Medinipur.

On the Trinamool Congress side, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to speak at several rallies across East Bardhaman, West Bardhaman, and Bankura districts. Meanwhile, preparations are in full swing in Hooghly, where TMC’s All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee will address supporters at the Dunlop factory ground. That rally is being held in support of candidates from the Chinsurah and Saptagram constituencies.

<><><> 

In Tamil Nadu, it is a four-cornered contest with AIADMK-led NDA, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam led by actor politician Vijay, and NTK led by actor politician Seeman. Vridhachalam is an assembly constituency in Cuddalore district.

“Vriddhachalam Assembly constituency is situated in the Coastal Cuddalore District and is a river town. The district has nine Assembly constituencies, namely Thittakudi, Neyveli, Panruti, Cuddalore, Kurinjipadi, Bhuvanagiri, Chidambaram, and Kattumannarkoil. It has a total of two lakh 46 thousand 818 electors. The district is prone to natural disasters and has suffered massive damage during the Tsunami, Cyclone Nisha, and Cyclone Thane, which caused heavy damage worth billions of dollars. The old town was subject to the Dutch, Portuguese, French, and British for over two centuries. The district also has the Veeranam lake, which supplies drinking water to Chennai. Vriddachalam is an important constituency in Cuddalore and gains importance as Premalatha Vijayakant, the President of the DMDK, founded by actor Vijayakant, is a contestant this time. This is the first time that the DMDK has allied with the Secular Progressive Alliance led by the DMK. Vridhachalam is known for its Ceramic Industrial Estate and is also known as the sugar bowl of the Country. The regional research station for cashews is located in the town. The Constituency has existed since 1952, in which Congress has won five times, DMK, AIADMK, and DMDK have won twice each. The town has a literacy rate of 78 percent. The incumbent M.R.R.Radha krishnan is from Congress. Joy, Akashvani News, Chennai.“

<><><> 

In Bihar, 13 people have been killed and many others injured in a tragic road accident in Katihar district.

The accident occurred at around 6 PM last evening near Basgadha Chowk in Kodha block on National Highway 31, when a bus collided head-on with a pickup vehicle. All the injured have been admitted to Kodha Primary Health Centre and Purnea Medical College for treatment.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan have expressed grief over the loss of lives.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar announced that an ex-gratia of 2 lakh rupees each will be provided from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the next of kin of the deceased. The injured will be given financial assistance of 50,000 rupees.

<><><> 

Five people were killed and one person was injured after being run over by a truck on a highway in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district early today. The incident occurred around 1 am on the Jabalpur-Amarkantak National Highway

<><><> 

In the Asian Wrestling Championships, India’s Sujeet Kalkal and Abhimanyou Mandwal won gold medals in the men’s 65kg and 70kg freestyle categories, respectively in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan today.

Sujeet dominated Uzbekistan’s Umidjon Jalolov 8-1 in the 65kg final, becoming the first Indian since Bajrang Punia in 2019 to win gold in this category. This is also his third consecutive gold this year.

<><><> 

In chess, Indian Grandmaster R. Vaishali maintained her sole lead in the Women’s Candidates tournament by scoring a crucial win over Aleksandra Goryachkina in the 11th round at Pegeia, Cyprus, last night. The victory took her tally to seven points, with just three rounds remaining.

<><><> 

TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,

• Addressing the 9th Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius, External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar expressed deep concern over developments in West Asia, saying that India firmly opposes the targetting of civilians, of infrastructure and of commercial shipping, writes The Statesman.
• A consignment of medical supplies donated by the people of India has been dispatched to Iran, reports The Indian Express. The Paper quotes Mohammad Fathali, Tehran’s ambassador to Delhi as saying that the initiative reflected India’s “sympathy and solidarity” with Iran.
• Ladakh residents will now have ‘Ladakh’ listed as their State in Aadhaar records, replacing the earlier ‘Jammu and Kashmir’ entry, reports The Pioneer.
• In its editorial piece titled “Regulating Speech” The Statesman argues that India’s proposed extension of content regulation from formal news organisations to individual commentators could fundamentally alter the nature of free speech in the digital age. It warns that by blurring the line between institutional media and ordinary citizens, the state risks creating an opaque enforcement regime that encourages platforms to over-comply and individuals to self-censor.  The editorial cautions that India must not normalise a climate where citizens speak under the shadow of prior restraint.
• Hindustan Times carries a photograph of the Artemis II crew splashing down in the Pacific Ocean yesterday, with the caption reading, “To the moon and back.”
• According to a study conducted amongst schoolchildren in 112 Indian cities, only one in three children meets fitness levels and just 34 percent of them have adequate stamina, reports The Times of India.
• And finally, an Indian-born female cheetah aged 25 months, gave birth to four cubs in the wild at Kuno National Park in Sheopur, taking the number of cheetahs in India to 57, reports The Tribune.

<><><> 

THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN,

1. US and Iran fail to reach agreement after historic peace talks in Islamabad, says JD Vance.
2. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discusses measures to enhance mutual co-operation with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
3. Government increases export duty on diesel and Aviation Fuel to curb exports and ensure domestic supply.
4. Campaigning gains momentum for assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, with top leaders addressing back to back rallies.
5. At least 13 killed in a road accident in Katihar district of Bihar.
6. And in Asian Wrestling Championships, Sujeet Kalkal and Abhimanyou Mandwal clinch gold in freestyle category in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

<><><>