Biggest Story In India Headlines 8th April 2025
Microsoft’s golden anniversary celebration on March 4 was hijacked when Vaniya Agrawal, an Indian-American software engineer from the firm’s AI team, launched a scathing protest against former CEOs Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, and present chief Satya Nadella. The Redmond-headquartered technology behemoth’s 50th anniversary celebration, intended to be a throwback milestone, was shaken by Agrawal’s brazen outburst amidst a tide of pro-Palestinian protests. Raising her voice during a panel discussion with the three, she exclaimed, “Shame on you all. You’re all hypocrites,” her words piercing the celebratory atmosphere.
As a fellow worker escorted her out amidst boos from some of the attendees, Agrawal did not give up, shouting, “Fifty thousand Palestinians in Gaza have been killed with Microsoft technology. How dare you. Shame on all of you for rejoicing on their blood. Sever ties with Israel.” The shocked executives remained speechless until she was escorted out, continuing their meeting without comment on the interruption.
Video recordings of the incident went viral online, and The Verge reported that Agrawal followed up with an email to staff, revealing she was leaving Microsoft effective April 11. In it, she stated, “You may have seen me call out Satya earlier today,” saying her resignation was due to Microsoft’s claimed involvement in Israeli activities in Gaza, citing a $133 million deal with Israel’s Ministry of Defense and Azure’s role in surveillance and bombings, as reported in an AP report.
The central government sent a financial bombshell on Monday by increasing the excise duty on petrol and diesel by ₹2 per litre, which comes into force from April 8, 2025. As per the Department of Revenue’s notification, petrol duty now is ₹13 per litre, while that of diesel is ₹10.
But the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas soon put people at ease through X that pump rates won’t move, with PSU petrol companies bearing the burden. “No hike in retail price of Petrol and Diesel,” the ministry tweeted, allaying fears of wallet squeeze.
The increase, implemented under the Finance Act, 2002, and Central Excise Act, 1944, was presented as a public interest measure, although information on the reason is slim.
The Congress party jumped in, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge criticizing the move on X: “Wow Modi Ji Wow!! Oil prices have plummeted 41% from May 2014, but your thieving government increases excise duty by ₹2 per piece, salting people’s wounds. The dig at the government is aimed at the political storm brewing as the country sees the ripple effect.
Envision a howl reverberating through the wilderness of the northern United States, a voice that had gone silent for more than 12,000 years—until recently. Colossal Biosciences has achieved a scientific miracle, bringing back to life the iconic dire wolf, an Ice Age hunter, with advanced de-extinction. Three pups—Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi—born at the end of 2024, represent a historic milestone, their howls recorded in a viral X post: “SOUND ON.”. You’ve waited over 10,000 years to hear a dire wolf howl.”
Housed in Zone Alpha, a 2,000-acre sanctuary cloaked in secrecy, these wolves thrive under drone surveillance, high fences, and a dedicated team, feasting on dry food, beef, deer, and horse meat, soon to tackle whole prey. With the Idaho and Ohio fossils—an ear bone 73,000 years old and a 12,000-year-old molar—Colossal assembled a woeful wolf genome 500 times more precise than previous attempts. With CRISPR, they fine-tuned 14 genes in 20 spots, modeling muscle, coat, body shape, and skull after the ancient creature, combining it with DNA from grey wolves.
Steering clear of dangerous traits such as blindness-associated white fur, they chose more conservative genetic modifications. Outside of the spectacle, Colossal hopes to change conservation attitudes, referring to it as “a step forward for science, conservation, and humankind,” challenging us to consider the howl’s greater significance.
A dirty custody fight between Rippling co-founder Prasanna Sankar and his wife Dhivya Sashidhar has spilled over into the public arena, with Sashidhar finally speaking out about her husband’s viral infidelity claims. Last month, Sankar, a $1.3 billion tech billionaire according to Forbes, shocked X with tweets alleging a six-month affair between Sashidhar and Anoop Kuttysankaran, supported by screenshots purporting to be from Anoop’s wife.
One of the messages revealed “Dhivya Prakruthi” reserving hotels and asking for “XL size condoms,” supporting Sankar’s account of a ten-year marriage shattered by infidelity over their nine-year-old son. The tweets mobilized online support for Sankar’s custody battle, but Sashidhar’s interview with The San Francisco Standard turned the tables. She claimed Sankar pushed her into sex soon after giving birth and threatened adultery if denied, sketching a grim picture of their troubled marriage. What started as a personal feud has become a public drama, with their son’s destiny precarious in the balance.
A relief breath was given to Indian investors on Tuesday, April 8, as the stock market leapt back to action, wiping out some of Monday’s horrific losses—the worst single-day decline in 10 months—triggered by Trump’s tariff shockwave. At 9:15 a.m., the BSE Sensex jumped 1,141.14 points, a 1.56% surge to 74,279.04, while the NSE Nifty jumped 401.10 points, rising 1.81% to 22,562.70.
Taking the lead, Tata Steel jumped 4.98% to ₹136.05, Titan Company gained 4.71% to ₹3,166.05, and Tata Motors rose 3.48% to ₹600 among Sensex stocks, while Sun Pharma alone fell 0.34% to ₹1,662.75. Sectorally, Nifty Consumer Durables led the charts with a 3.25% surge to 35,112.40, followed by Nifty Metal at 2.99% to 8,080.90, and Nifty Realty at 2.42% to 795. After the tariff-fueled sell-off left markets shaken, this green opening is a glimmer of resilience, even if the way forward is unsure.
Panic struck Jalandhar, Punjab, in the dead of night when a huge explosion shook the home of BJP veteran Manoranjan Kalia, a former state president and cabinet minister. Kalia heard the sound as thunder while sleeping at about 1 a.m., only to discover that it was an explosion. I sent my shooter to the police station,” he recalled, as forensic teams descended on the scene and police sifted through CCTV footage to find the perpetrator.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur also remained tight-lipped, observing only that samples were taken, avoiding speculation of a hand-grenade attack. BJP state president Sunil Jakhar took advantage of the moment to criticize the AAP-government’s handling of law and order, going tongue-in-cheek as he sarcastically referred to the police assertion that it was just a firecracker. With recent explosions targeting police checkpoints in Amritsar and Gurdaspur, and a temple blast last month, the explosion stokes rising tensions in the state.
U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, April 7, voicing a rare hope for peace in Gaza. “I’d like to see the war stop,” Trump said, predicting an end “not in the too-distant future.” The conflict, ignited by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 and took 251 hostages, has claimed over 50,000 Palestinian lives per Gaza’s health authorities.
Trump gestured to continued hostage negotiations—”a long process”—as Netanyahu promised to release all hostages and destroy Hamas, thanking diplomat Steve Witkoff for negotiating 25 releases during the January truce. That ceasefire broke down on March 18, leaving 58 hostages, 34 potentially dead. Trump doubled down on a polarizing suggestion: U.S. management of Gaza after the war, with relocation for Palestinians—a plan criticized worldwide as ethnic cleansing. Netanyahu referred to it as part of Trump’s “bold vision,” provoking new controversy amidst rising casualties.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a key telephonic conversation on Monday, addressing the aftereffects of Trump’s new tariffs—a 10% floor on all U.S. imports, India being hit with 26%—that shook global markets. The U.S. State Department indicated the two leaders committed to building “a fair and balanced trade relationship,” hoping for a Bilateral Trade Agreement in autumn 2025.
Jaishankar went to X to emphasize urgency, as India waits to retaliate, relying on diplomacy. Apart from tariffs, they exchanged opinions regarding Indo-Pacific security, turbulence in West Asia, challenges to Europe, and humanitarian intervention in the Caribbean and subcontinent, reaffirming an alliance strained by trade but underpinned by common interests.
A grim story unfolded in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, with Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, an impersonator passing off as British cardiologist “John Camm,” arrested in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Working at a Christian missionary hospital since January, Yadav is said to have killed a minimum of seven patients through mismanaged heart operations in six weeks.
Shrut Kirti Somavanshi, Damoh police superintendent, confirmed his arrest to ANI, with FIRs booked under cheating, forgery, and negligence. Local child welfare official Advocate Deepak Tiwari reported the scam after relatives of patients uncovered Yadav’s absence of qualifications, indicating an increased death count. The National Human Rights Commission, headed by Priyank Kanoongo, arrived in Damoh on April 7 to investigate, accompanying the district collector in an attempt to unravel this medical charade gone fatal.
Mumbai Indians (MI) fell agonizingly short in a high-octane IPL 2025 clash at Wankhede Stadium, losing by 12 runs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) despite a valiant chase of 222. RCB’s 221/5, fueled by Virat Kohli’s 67 off 42 and Rajat Patidar’s 64 off 32, set a daunting target. MI’s reply stumbled early—Rohit Sharma (17 off 9) and Ryan Rickelton (17 off 10) fell quickly—but Suryakumar Yadav (28 off 26) and Will Jacks (22 off 18) steadied the ship. Tilak Varma’s 56 off 29 and Hardik Pandya’s blazing 42 off 15 reignited hope, only for Krunal Pandya to steal the show.
Tasked with defending 19 in the final over, he struck thrice, dismissing Naman Dhir and Mitchell Santner to seal RCB’s triumph at 209/9. Jasprit Bumrah’s tight 0/29 offered little consolation as MI rued a spirited fight that slipped away.
Trent Boult comes into the attack but Krunal Pandya bowls a wide. The tail-ender then gives the strike to Naman Dhir, who gets a leading edge and it runs away for a boundary behind the wickets. But Pandya has the last laugh as he takes his third wicket in the over. Naman Dhir sweeps only to be caught by Yash Dayal at fine leg. He goes for 11(6).
Mumbai Indians succeed in collecting 209/9 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 221/5 and lose the match by 12 runs.
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