An Indian Air Force convoy was attacked in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, resulting in the death of IAF Corporal Vikky Pahade and injuries to four others. Three terrorists have been identified as Illiyas, Abu Hamza, and Hadoon, linked to the People's Anti-Fascist Front, an affiliate of Jaish-e-Mohammed. A search operation is ongoing in Rajouri and Poonch forests to apprehend the attackers. This incident marks another deadly assault in the region by the militant group.      

A FedEx Express cargo plane made an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport on Wednesday after its front landing gear failed. The Boeing 767, flying from Paris, safely touched down on its back wheels before its nose dipped onto the runway. All crew members evacuated without injury. The runway was temporarily closed for removal of the aircraft. Transportation Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu confirmed the incident, praising the pilots for their swift action. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the landing gear failure.

A bus transporting polling officials and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) caught fire in Betul, Madhya Pradesh, after the third phase of voting. No injuries were reported. EVMs from six polling stations were damaged, possibly leading to re-polling pending Election Commission assessment. The Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh saw a provisional 66.05% voter turnout across nine seats, including Betul, with notable candidates like Jyotiraditya Scindia, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Digvijaya Singh. The incident occurred amidst a substantial 72.65% voter turnout in Betul.

In a historic move, the United Methodist Church (UMC) has condemned the persecution of Indian Christians, urging the US Department of State to designate India as a "country of particular concern" for human rights violations. The resolution was passed with an overwhelming majority at the UMC's General Conference last month. This comes amidst a surge in attacks on Christians in India, with over 720 reported incidents in 2023 alone. The UMC's stance is a significant show of support for the Indian Christian community, particularly in Manipur, where hundreds of churches were targeted and set ablaze earlier this year.

The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU) has voiced concerns to Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran regarding rising discontent among staff post the airline's acquisition by Tata Sons. In a letter, AIXEU highlighted departures from promises on job security, salaries, and seniority respect, citing layoffs contradicting assurances by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of no terminations for two years after the takeover. AIXEU emphasized the dismissal of employees with outstanding records, signaling a breach of commitments. The communication underscores growing unrest within Air India Express ranks following the transition to private ownership.

Rabindra Jayanti is a festival celebrated on May 9 to honor the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, a renowned poet and cultural icon. The day is marked with cultural programs, musical performances, and literary events that showcase Bengal's rich heritage. Tagore's works, including poems, short stories, and novels, are celebrated and read widely on this day. His birthplace in Kolkata is also visited by many to pay tribute to his legacy. The festival is a celebration of Tagore's contributions to literature and culture, and a reminder of his enduring impact on Bengali society.

A 34-year-old cameraman, AV Mukesh, working with Mathrubhumi News, was fatally attacked by a wild elephant while reporting in Kerala's Palakkad district on Wednesday. Mukesh was capturing visuals of a stray elephant herd when the tragedy occurred. Despite his colleagues escaping to safety, Mukesh was seriously injured and later succumbed to his wounds at a nearby hospital. Hailing from Malappuram district, Mukesh had been working with Mathrubhumi News for several years, including a stint in their New Delhi bureau. His death is a tragic loss to the journalism community.

Google has introduced its Wallet app in India, allowing Android users to store digital information such as tickets, rewards cards, and digital car keys. The app aims to provide a seamless transition from physical to digital storage. Initially, 20 partners, including PVR Inox and Air India, have been onboarded, with more to be added later. Notably, Google Wallet will not be used for payments in India, with Google Pay remaining the primary payment platform. The Wallet app will focus on non-payment use cases, coexisting with Google Pay.

Temperatures are set to soar this weekend, with Saturday expected to be the hottest day of the year so far. The Met Office predicts highs of up to 26C in the south of England, beating the current high of 23.4C recorded in Suffolk last Thursday. High pressure will bring dry and settled weather, making for a pleasant and warm weekend. According to Met Office meteorologist Amy Bokota, there is good confidence that the high pressure will last until the weekend, with temperatures building over the next few days and peaking on Saturday.

At a rally in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed the need for a 400-seat mandate to prevent Congress from reviving Article 370 in Kashmir and put a 'Babri-Lock' on the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He criticized RJD's Lalu Prasad for advocating quota benefits for Muslims, accusing the INDI alliance of aiming to redistribute reservations from SCs, STs, and OBCs to a "vote bank." Modi accused Congress of favoring religious-based contracts and sports selections in their manifesto, while undermining Babasaheb Ambedkar's role in framing the Constitution. He refuted claims of BJP altering the Constitution and questioned Congress's priorities regarding rumors of constitutional changes.