The dispute between PepsiCo and Gujarat farmer groups over growing a specific variety of potato has escalated nationally with farmer unions urging the central government to intervene in the matter. The US-multinational had sued nine-farmers for alleged "rights infringement" by "illegally" dealing with its registered potato variety used in its Lays chips, and a commercial court in Ahmedabad will hear the case on Friday.

The Supreme Court Friday stayed the proceedings of an inquiry commission set up to probe the death of then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai in 2016. The AIADMK-led state government had set up the inquiry commission to look into circumstances leading to the death of Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016 at Apollo Hospital.

Mohomed Hashim Madaniya, sister of the suspected mastermind behind the deadly serial blasts that rocked Sri Lanka, killing more than 390 people, said that her entire family has been missing since the day of the attacks. "I went and gave food to my parents and my sisters family on April 18, and haven't heard from them since," the 25-year-old woman was quoted as saying.