1.Lord Jagannath devotees will get another chance to pull the chariots Saturday as none of them reached their destination Friday after Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhwaja chariot got stuck while negotiating a turn, causing delays that prevented the others from arriving at Gundicha Temple, 2.6km away from the 12th-century shrine.

2.Nearly 625 people fell ill and many had to be admitted to hospitals due to sweltering heat and overcrowding during Rath Yatra here Friday, offi cials said. According to Puri CDMO Kishore Satapathy, several people reported minor injuries, vomiting, and fainting — primarily due to overcrowded conditions.

3.External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Friday spoke to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi and discussed the overall situation that emerged following the 12-day hostilities between Iran and Israel.

4.Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told his Chinese counterpart that the two countries should seek a “permanent solution” to their decades-old border dispute, in a new push for a conclusive outcome.

5.West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday inaugurated the fi rst ‘Rath Yatra’ from the newly constructed Jagannath temple in the coastal town of Digha.

6.India Friday banned imports of certain jute products and woven fabrics from Bangladesh through all land routes amid strained relations between the two countries.

7.The Supreme Court Friday stayed an order that enhanced the compensation awarded for acquiring 537 acre of land for the establishment of a defence-related project near the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh.

8.The United Nations, a collaborative global dream built into reality out of the ashes of World War II, marks its 80th anniversary this month. Its clout on the world stage is diminished.

9.Short of commanders, deprived of much of its tunnel network and unsure of support from its ally Iran, Hamas is battling to survive in Gaza in the face of rebellious local clans and relentless Israeli military pressure.

10.The White House signaled trade progress with China Thursday, with an offi cial saying both sides have reached an understanding on issues including expediting rare earth shipments to the United States.

11. India posted a current account surplus of $13.5 billion or 1.3 per cent of GDP in March quarter 2024-25 as compared with $4.6 billion in the year-ago period mainly on account of surge in services exports and higher remittances, according to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data released Friday.

12.Post offices across India will start accepting digital payments at counters from August after completing the rollout of a new application in their IT system, offi cial sources said.

13.Israel's air force carried out intense airstrikes on mountains overlooking a southern city in Lebanon Friday, in an attack that the Israeli military said targeted underground assets of the Hezbollah militant group.

14.Multiple National Games medal-winning middle distance runner Twinkle Chaudhary has been provisionally suspended by Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after testing positive for a prohibited steroid.

15.The ICC Friday announced new playing conditions across formats including a minimum seven-day stand-down period for players diagnosed with concussion, trialling a new wide-ball rule in limited-overs cricket, besides changes with regards to boundary catches.