National

PM Modi Engages in Bilateral Talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

Published

1 year ago

February 28, 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, for a bilateral discussion on Friday. This meeting is part of von der Leyen’s two-day visit to India, during which she is accompanied by various members of the European College of Commissioners. This marks her third trip to India, having previously visited for an official meeting in April 2022 and to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in September 2023.

Prime Minister Modi also engaged in delegation-level talks with her at Hyderabad House.

Discussions between India and the EU encompassed several key topics, including connectivity, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), green and clean energy initiatives, mobility and talent exchange, security concerns, Mediterranean issues, and the expansion of the European Union. Present at the meeting were External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, as well as several EU Commissioners, including Jozef Sikela, Marta Kos, Magnus Brunner, and Dubravka Suica.

Following the meeting, Dr. Jaishankar shared on X, stating, “Pleased to participate in the India-EU bilateral cluster meeting this morning alongside Commissioners @JozefSikela, @dubravkasuica, @MartaKosEU, @magnusbrunner of @EU_Commission and my colleagues @KVSinghMPGonda & @nityanandraibjp.” He highlighted that the discussion centered around connectivity and IMEC, green energy, mobility and talent, security, Mediterranean affairs, and EU expansion.

Notably, the European Commission commissioners arrived at Hyderabad House on a bus powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology, developed in collaboration with Tata Motors and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).

National

Pickup Vehicle Crashes Into Divider, Two Killed Including Child

Published

1 hour ago

March 5, 2026

Namma Kudla

Uttar Pradesh: A tragic road accident took place in Uttar Pradesh when a pickup vehicle lost control and crashed into a road divider.

The driver and a three-year-old girl died on the spot due to the impact of the crash. Nine passengers who were travelling in the vehicle sustained injuries. They were rushed to the district hospital for treatment.

Reports said the victims were travelling to their native village to celebrate the Holi festival. A video showing the horrifying scene of the accident has gone viral on social media.

Preliminary reports suggest that overspeeding may have led to the accident. Police have started an investigation into the incident.

National

Five from Karnataka Killed in Car–Container Collision in Andhra Pradesh

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Namma Kudla

Andhra Pradesh: Five people from Karnataka were killed on the spot after the car they were travelling in rammed into a container truck from behind in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district on Tuesday.

The accident occurred near Gangavaram in Palamaneru while the victims were on their way to Tirupati temple from Bengaluru. According to police, the car crashed into the rear of a container vehicle with great force, leaving the vehicle completely mangled.

The deceased have been identified as Mohandas (71), Nagaraj (61), Kusuma (61), Jayanti (59), and Pooja (33). All of them were residents of Rajajinagar in Bengaluru.

Preliminary reports suggest that the impact of the collision was so severe that all five occupants died at the scene. Police have registered a case at the Palamaneru police station and further investigation is underway.

More details are awaited.

National

Woman Kills Ex-Lover Over Blackmail in Ballia

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

Namma Kudla

Uttar Pradesh: A married woman allegedly killed her former lover in Ballia after he blackmailed her with private videos, police said.

According to police, the victim was identified as Pankaj Gupta, a resident of Azamgarh. He was reportedly in a relationship with the woman from a nearby village.

Police said the woman wanted to end the relationship. However, Gupta allegedly began blackmailing her using obscene videos and harassed her repeatedly.

Unable to bear the threats, the woman informed her brother and sister-in-law. The trio allegedly planned the murder during a wedding function on February 5.

On February 7, they allegedly called Gupta to the village on a pretext. He was strangled to death, police said. The accused then poured acid on his face to hide his identity and tried to destroy evidence.

An unidentified body with a disfigured face was found on February 10. The crime was later solved during the investigation.

Police have arrested three accused, including the woman, and sent them to judicial custody. Efforts are on to arrest other suspects involved in the case.