China on Friday announced it will send two giant pandas to Zoo Atlanta in the U.S., in Beijing’s latest efforts of panda diplomacy despite tensions with Washington, and less than a month before a much-anticipated visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing.

The China Wildlife Conservation Association said in a statement that male panda Ping Ping and female panda Fu Shuang, from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, will kick off a decade-long conservation cooperation under an agreement it signed with the zoo last year.

The association did not specify their departure date but said the U.S. side was actively carrying out facility upgrades, among other preparation work, to create a more comfortable and safer environment for the pair. In the meantime, Chinese experts were providing technical guidance on the upgrades, it said.

Noida International Airport (NIA) has appointed Nitu Sarma as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on an interim basis, until the Board of Directors conclude a formal selection process.

This change in leadership follows directions issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) that the Chief Executive Officer of an airport in India is required to be an Indian national.

BCAS recently rejected the security approval of Christoph Schenellmann, CEO of NIA, as he is a foreign national. Schnellmann, who has led the airport as CEO since August 2020, will join the airport’s Board of Directors as Executive Vice Chairman.

The Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) has secured the 4th Gender Equality Mobilisation (GEM) Award, presented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) at the International Day of Women in Industry 2026 celebrations in Vienna on Wednesday (April 22, 2026).

Municipal Commissioner K. Mayur Ashok said the award was received on behalf of GMC by Sustainable Cities Project Manager and Industrial Development Officer Olga Rataj. Former Finnish President Tarja Halonen and senior UNIDO officials were among those at the event.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Bishkek on April 27–28 to attend the Defence Ministers’ meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), where regional security challenges and evolving geopolitical dynamics are expected to dominate discussions.

A senior defence official confirmed that Mr. Singh will lead the Indian delegation at the high-level meeting, which will bring together defence ministers from SCO member states. Key issues on the agenda include terrorism, extremism, and regional security concerns amid shifting global alignments.

Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi has been inducted into the International Hall of Fame of the US Army War College today. Mr Dwivedi became the third person to receive this honour after General V K Singh and General Bikram Singh.

During his visit to the college, General Dwivedi addressed faculty and international student officers on leadership, professional military education, and evolving security dynamics. He also toured key facilities and participated in academic engagements, including panel discussions and reviewing advanced study projects under the Scholars Program. General Upendra Dwivedi is also an alumnus of the US Army War College.

Shiv Ratan Agarwal, chairman and whole-time director of Bikaji Foods International, is no more, according to the company’s stock exchange filing.

“A visionary entrepreneur and founder, Shri Shiv Ratan Agarwal was instrumental in shaping the company’s journey from its origins in Bikaner into a globally recognised packaged food enterprise. With over five decades of experience in the ethnic snacks and sweets industry, he built a strong foundation rooted in innovation, quality, and deep consumer understanding,” the company said in a statement.

The release also added that under Agarwal’s leadership, the ethnic snacks major evolved into one of India’s leading fast-moving consumer goods brands with a growing international footprint and a portfolio of products.

Pakistan national football has officially withdrawn from the 2026 SAFF Women's Championship amid worsening relations between the two nations, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) said on Thursday. The decision, rooted in persistent political tensions between India and Pakistan, leaves the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) to move forward with a reduced six-team lineup for the tournament, scheduled to take place at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa, from May 25 to June 6. This will mark the second time India will host the SAFF Women's Championship, after the 2016 edition in Siliguri, West Bengal, where India won their fourth title. It will also be the second time that Goa will stage a SAFF tournament. The men's championship of 1999 was also held at the PJN Stadium, where India won the title, defeating Bangladesh in the final.

The Maharashtra Cabinet has approved the Maharashtra State Compressed Biogas (CBG) Policy 2026, marking a significant push toward sustainable energy and scientific waste management. Chaired by Devendra Fadnavis, the decision aims to convert organic waste into clean fuel while advancing India’s circular economy and climate goals.

The policy earmarks ₹500 crore for FY 2026–27 to support project developers through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). This funding is intended to reduce investment risks and accelerate the rollout of large-scale CBG plants across Maharashtra.

President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Annalena Baerbock will visit India next week and hold several bilateral meetings with government officials. Her spokesperson, La Neice Collins, said that the President of the 80th session of the UNGA, Baerbock, will undertake official travel to New Delhi and Beijing next week. Collins said Baerbock is travelling at the invitation of the governments of India and China.

During her visit to India, Baerbock will hold multiple bilateral meetings with various government officials and also meet the UN country team in India led by UN Resident Coordinator Stefan Priesner. This will be Baerbock’s first visit to India in her capacity as President of the UNGA. She had previously travelled to the country when she served as Germany’s foreign minister. In February, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited India to attend the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

She will then travel to China, where she will hold bilateral meetings with government officials and meet the UN country team led by Resident Coordinator Stephen Jackson.

Rocklink India has opened a lithium-ion battery recycling facility in India as part of its efforts to build a domestic ecosystem for recycling of critical and rare earth minerals, said Leonard Ansorge, Director, Rocklink India Private Ltd.

Commenting on the key development for the company in India, Ansorge told ANI, “(Today is) the opening of our facility as well as the opening of our first lithium-ion battery recycling plant here in India,” on the sidelines of the launch of the facility at Sikandrabad industrial area in Bulandshahar district of Uttar Pradesh, nearly 60 km from the national capital New Delhi.