Month: April 2026

Military adviser of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mohsen Rezaei, issued a sharp warning against any US naval blockade efforts targeting Iran, stating the military of the Islamic Republic was ready if directly threatened by US naval assets, Iranian state media Press TV reported.

According to Press TV, citing a televised interview, Rezaei said, “Pressure must increase. Our launchers are now locked on the warships, and we will sink them all.”

Referring to US efforts to impose a naval blockade on Iran, Rezaei claimed the move would fail, asserting that Iran could counter such actions.

“Just as the United States suffered a historic defeat in trying to open the Strait of Hormuz, it is also doomed to fail in the naval blockade,” he added, as quoted by Press TV.

He further stated that Iran’s armed forces would not allow any success of a US-led blockade and claimed that Tehran possessed “major untapped leverage” to respond.

This comes amid an announcement by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday that a comprehensive blockade of Iran’s ports has been successfully implemented, with US forces asserting maritime dominance across key regional waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said that within 36 hours of the operation’s launch, US forces had effectively halted all maritime trade entering and leaving Iran.

Rezaei also alleged that Washington, in coordination with Israel, had previously pursued military plans against Iran, including an alleged attempt to deploy paratroopers in Isfahan to seize uranium materials–claims that could not be independently verified, Press TV reported.

He further said that Iran believed extending any ceasefire would not serve its interests unless broader conditions were met.

“Only when all agreements and our rights are fulfilled, and a resolution is submitted to the UN Security Council, will a ceasefire be meaningful,” he said, as quoted by Press TV.

The Iranian official also cited what he described as “moral and humanitarian” considerations as a reason for Iran agreeing to a temporary ceasefire.

On the possibility of future talks with the United States, Rezaei stressed caution and precision in any negotiations.

“We must be sensitive to every single word,” he said, as quoted by Press TV. (ANI)

Opposition parties under the INDIA bloc met in the Parliament premises on Thursday to chalk out their strategy for the special session, focusing on their stand on the Women’s Reservation Bill and the proposed delimitation Bill.

Opposition parties are set to bills, including those on women’s reservation and delimitation, in both Houses of Parliament.

Three important bills are likely to be introduced in the special session of Parliament starting today, including one to reserve seats for women in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and another to redraw constituency boundaries.

The opposition is raising concerns about the reasons for changing these boundaries and increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to a maximum of 850.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, are slated to be introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, by Home Minister Amit Shah.

The government has convened a special sitting of Parliament on April 16,17,18 to pass the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

The Law Minister is also slated to move a proposal in the Lok Sabha to suspend the provisions of Rule 66 with the objective of passing the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill and the Delimitation Bill together.

The motion states that the this House “do suspend the proviso to rule 66 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha in its application to the motions for taking into consideration and passing of the Delimitation Bill, 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in as much as these are dependent upon the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, 2026”.

The government has been seeking opposition support for passing the amendment bill to implement the women’s reservation bill from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls on the basis of the 2011 census.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged opposition parties to support the amendment to ensure the women’s reservation comes into effect from the 2029 general elections.

“This is the wish of every sister and daughter of this country, and we must fulfil it with unanimity,” he said at an event in Dehradun on Tuesday. (ANI)

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday said he wore a black shirt in protest against the proposed delimitation Bill, alleging that the Union government was attempting to reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation. The Tamil Nadu Deputy CM also burned a copy of the bill to register his protest.

While campaigning in the Madurai East constituency, to support DMK candidate and Minister P Moorthy, DCM Stalin said, “Today is a very important day. I am wearing a black shirt opposing the Delimitation Bill. The Union government is trying to reduce the representation from Tamil Nadu. Using the election time in Tamil Nadu, the Union government is trying to divert us with the election and bringing this Delimitation Bill.

During his visit to Sourashtrapuram in the Vandiyur area, DCM Stalin wore a black shirt to show protest against the Union Government’s proposed Delimitation Bill.

This comes after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, earlier in the day, burned a copy of the proposed delimitation bill, whose implementation is tied to a population-based revision of constituencies based on the 2011 census.

Stalin further raised a black flag to kick off statewide anti-delimitation agitation.

Echoing similar concerns, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP T. R. Baalu also termed the proposed delimitation Bill “anti-national.”

Meanwhile, DMK candidate from the Virugambakkam Assembly constituency Prabhakar Raja carried out a door-to-door campaign in Chennai’s MGR Nagar area wearing a black shirt as a mark of protest against the proposed delimitation process.

DMK district leaders, party cadres, and members of alliance parties, including Congress, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Communist Party of India, and Communist Party of India (Marxist), accompanied him during the outreach campaign.

In Karur district, former minister and DMK candidate V. Senthil Balaji also staged a protest by hoisting a black flag in front of his residence, raising slogans of “Tamil Nadu will fight, Tamil Nadu will win” against the proposed constituency delimitation Bill.

Wearing a black shirt, Senthil Balaji raised slogans and led the protest, with several key party functionaries joining him and echoing the slogans.

The protest comes amid continued opposition from M. K. Stalin, the DMK president and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, who has been voicing strong concerns against the delimitation proposal.

In line with directions from the DMK headquarters, party cadres across Tamil Nadu have been staging similar protests by hoisting black flags in front of their residences. (ANI)

BJP National President Nitin Nabin on Thursday took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Several other newly elected members also took the oath in the Upper House on the occasion.

Nabin was welcomed by BJP MP Arun Singh upon his arrival at Parliament.

Nitin Nabin, who currently serves as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, entered electoral politics at a young age and was first elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 2006 from the Patna West Assembly constituency.

Since 2010, he has been consecutively elected from the Bankipur Assembly constituency, securing victories in 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2025, becoming a five-time continuous MLA. He also served as a minister in the Government of Bihar prior to assuming his current national role in the party.

Earlier on Wednesday, BJP leader Samrat Choudhary also took an oath as Bihar Chief Minister. Chaudhary was sworn in as the Chief Minister, succeeding Nitish Kumar, who had served as leader of the state for over a decade before deciding to go to the Rajya Sabha.

Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain administered the oath of office to Samrat Choudhary at Lok Bhavan in Patna. He becomes the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Minister of Bihar following the resignation of Nitish Kumar.

The 57-year-old faces a significant challenge as he prepares to succeed Nitish Kumar, who was sworn in as Chief Minister for a record 10th time in 2025 following the NDA’s historic victory in the assembly elections.

His elevation marks the end of an era dominated by Nitish Kumar’s “Sushasan” (good governance) and the beginning of a new chapter for the NDA in Bihar.

To balance the coalition, Senior Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav and party leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary also took oaths as the Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar. (ANI)

Congress MP Manish Tewari on Thursday said that the Women’s Reservation Bill is actually the Delimitation Bill dressed up as the former, which will marginalise the peripheral states and urged the government to propose 1/3rd reservation for women in the Parliament out of the existing 543 seats.

“This is not a Women’s Reservation Bill; this is a Delimitation Bill dressed up as a Women’s Reservation Bill. That’s the principal objection. I am the greatest supporter of women’s rights. Government should delink it from the Delimitation and bring a proposal before the House that out of the existing 543 seats in the Parliament, 1/3rd (181 seats) should be reserved for women, and it should be operationalised by 2029,” he said.

Speaking to ANI, Tewari said that when the process of Delimitation is linked to the Women’s Reservation Bill, the peripheral States which implemented development initiatives will be at a disadvantage until the one person, one vote and one value formula under Article 81(2)(A) is revisited.

“When you link the Women’s Reservation Bill with the process of Delimitation, you run into a complete minefield for the simple reason that till the time you do not revisit the enacting formula of Indian democracy, which is enshrined in Article 81(2)(A), which is one person, one vote and one value, the peripheral states and those states which have implemented developmental initiatives, especially population stabilisation since the 42nd Amendment in 1976, will be at a perpetual disadvantage. The question is not of proportion. The question is of absolute numbers,” he said.

He further underlined that it is the responsibility of the Parliamentary leaders to maintain the federal balance, even when some sort of sacrifice is required by the sovereignty of India.

“I believe in the unity and integrity of India. I believe that the sovereignty of India requires even the utmost sacrifice by some people, but I also do believe that it is our responsibility as parliamentarians to balance the equity, to see that in a federal polity, while respecting the principle of one person, one vote, one value, the federal balance also gets maintained. And that federal balance is getting skewed,” he said.

Tewari said that the utmost question is how the government is going to balance the equity of one person, one vote, one value and the federal balance into the polity.

“The peripheral States will be completely marginalised for no fault of theirs. That is the moot question. How are you going to balance the equities of one person, one vote, one value and the federal balance in our polity? That’s something the government has not put their minds to?” he asked.

The government is planning to implement the women’s reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections by bringing in an amendment to the 2023 Act and a constitutional amendment to delink the delimitation process from the 2027 census.

The government has proposed to increase the number of seats in the House to 850, with 815 seats proposed for the States and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories. The Lok Sabha has 543 seats at present.

The Centre has called a special sitting of Parliament starting today till April 18. (ANI)

Demi Moore has joined the cast of Amazon MGM Studios’ upcoming thriller ‘Tyrant’, starring alongside Charlize Theron and Julia Garner, in a major new addition to the high-profile project.

According to Deadline, the culinary thriller, written and directed by David Weil, is set to begin shooting in Los Angeles in the coming weeks, backed by a California tax credit.

While the official logline remains under wraps, ‘Tyrant’ is described as a high-stakes story unfolding within New York City’s elite fine-dining scene.

Weil adapted the screenplay from a story he developed with Cody Behan.

The film is being produced by The Picture Company’s Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona, alongside Theron and her Secret Menu partners Beth Kono and AJ Dix, as per Deadline.

Weil will also serve as a producer with his producing partner Natalie Laine Williams, while Stan Wlodkowski is attached as executive producer.

On the work front, Moore is coming off an Oscar nomination for her performance in ‘The Substance’ (2024) and currently stars in the hit Paramount+ series ‘Landman’, created by Taylor Sheridan.

The show is heading into its third season, with Moore having taken on an expanded role in its second instalment.

Moore will also appear in Boots Riley’s upcoming Neon crime comedy ‘I Love Boosters’, where she stars alongside Keke Palmer and Naomi Ackie. The film recently premiered at SXSW. (ANI)

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday called for a statewide display of black flags, urging people to unite in what he described as a collective struggle for the rights of Tamil Nadu against the proposed delimitation bill

In a post on X, Stalin said, “Let the black flag fly tomorrow in the homes, streets, and shops of Tamil Nadu! Let it stand as our symbols of resistance at the doorsteps! This is not the struggle of an individual movement; it is the struggle of Tamil Nadu!”

He called everyone to come out above party differences to raise a strong and united voice against delimitation.

“Therefore, transcending party differences, let us all raise our voices! If we refuse to raise our voices tomorrow, our voice will become worthless in Parliament!” he said.

The Tamil Nadu CM further said that he has instructed the district secretaries to ensure that the “necessary black flags” for this struggle reach everyone’s homes.

This comes as the Opposition parties have expressed their concerns about the proposed delimitation bill, alleging that it will limit the representation of the southern states in the Lok Sabha. Opposition parties have also objected to the government’s “rushing” of the bill before the general census.

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women legislators, is linked to the delimitation process in the Lok Sabha.

The government is planning to implement the women’s reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections by bringing in an amendment to the 2023 Act and a constitutional amendment to delink the delimitation process from the 2027 census.

According to sources, the government has proposed to increase the number of seats in the House to 850, with 815 seats proposed for the States and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories. The Lok Sabha has 543 seats at present.

The Centre has called a special sitting of Parliament from April 16 to 18.

While the seats in the Lok Sabha will witness a 50 per cent increase, the opposition parties have expressed concern as this increase will not be on a pro-rata basis for each state. The delimitation exercise, under Article 82 of the Constitution, is linked to the population of a constituency. (ANI)

Indian-flagged LPG vessel ‘Jag Vikram’, which crossed the Strait of Hormuz on April 11, arrived at Kandla Port on April 14 carrying 20,400 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), officials said.

The vessel docked late on Tuesday night at Oil Jetty No. 1 at Kandla Port. The unloading process is expected to begin shortly and is likely to strengthen the country’s LPG supply chain.

The vessel’s arrival comes amid continued monitoring of maritime energy supply routes in the region.

The transit marks a breakthrough for New Delhi, as it is the first Indian ship to navigate the strategic corridor after the announcement of a 14-day ceasefire between the US and Iran, aimed at cooling regional hostilities and restoring essential maritime trade routes.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Ministry of External Affairs are in coordination to bring back a total of 15 Indian-flagged vessels stranded at the Strait of Hormuz.

Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing on Monday, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Additional Secretary Mukesh Mangal said, “We, in coordination with MEA, are trying, putting our efforts to bring our vessels back. And as soon as it is possible for our vessels to sail from the Strait of Hormuz, those vessels will come back. At present, a total of 15 Indian-flagged and Indian-owned vessels are there.”

Additional Secretary Mukesh Mangal further provided a reassuring update on the status of vessels and crew members in the Gulf region, highlighting that no incident has been reported involving Indian vessels in the past 24 hours.

“We have received no report of any incident related to an Indian-flagged vessel in the last 24 hours. The Ministry has facilitated safe repatriation of more than 2177 Indian seafarers till now, including 93 seafarers in the last 24 hours,” he said.

The ministry emphasised its commitment to ensuring seafarer welfare and uninterrupted maritime operations, highlighting continuous coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions, and maritime stakeholders.

“Operations are normal at every Indian port, and there have been no reports of any congestion,” the Ministry added.

The importance of the passage of Jag Vikram is further highlighted by the fact that nearly 90 per cent of India’s liquefied petroleum gas imports are sourced from nations in the Gulf region. (ANI)

Marking a historic shift in the state’s political landscape, Samrat Choudhary was sworn in as the first-ever Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Minister of Bihar on Wednesday.

In a sweeping consolidation of power, the 57-year-old leader has retained the critical Home Ministry and assumed control over 29 departments, signalling an era of centralised leadership as he succeeds Nitish Kumar’s 21-year tenure.

By retaining the Home Ministry, Choudhary keeps a firm grip on law and order, police administration, and state security. His portfolio includes Agriculture, Health, Tourism, Art and Culture and Sports and others.

The oath of office was administered by Governor Lt Gen (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain at Lok Bhawan. Choudhary, who previously served as Deputy CM, takes the helm following Nitish Kumar’s transition to the Rajya Sabha.

To balance the coalition, JD(U) veterans Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav were sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers.

Nitish Kumar congratulated the new leader on X, promising “full cooperation and guidance” for the new administration

New Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary has been assigned 10 departments, among them Water Resources, Minority Welfare, Education, Higher Education, Transport, and Rural Development sectors central to infrastructure and human capital development.

Another Deputy Chief Minister, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, will oversee the eight portfolios, including the key Energy and Finance departments.

The rise of Samrat Choudhary represents the culmination of the BJP’s long-term strategy to lead the government in Bihar rather than playing the junior partner. A former member of the JD(U) who joined the BJP in 2017, Choudhary is credited with mobilising grassroots support and bridging caste alliances that proved vital in the 2025 State Assembly elections

Samrat Choudhary has big shoes to fill as he is set to succeed Nitish Kumar, who was sworn in as CM for a record 10th time in 2025 after the NDA registered a landmark victory in the assembly elections.

His elevation marks the end of an era dominated by Nitish Kumar’s “Sushasan” (good governance) and the beginning of a new chapter for the NDA in Bihar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the new CM after his swearing-in ceremony, expressing confidence in his leadership to fulfil the aspirations of the state.

“Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Samrat Chaudhary on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar! His energy, dedication to public service, and grassroots experience will prove extremely beneficial for the state. I am fully confident that under his capable leadership, while fulfilling the aspirations of the people, Bihar will touch new heights of all-round development,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated Samrat Choudhary and said, “I extend my best wishes for your successful tenure as the first Chief Minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, the NDA was serving the people of Bihar day and night with such a resolute spirit; I am confident that under your leadership, it will gain even greater momentum. At the same time, the NDA’s double-engine government will work with even more energy towards building a secure and developed Bihar”.

NDA ally and Union Minister Chirag Paswan said that the state will touch new heights under his leadership and will take forward the efforts of former CM and veteran leader Nitish Kumar.

Paswan said, “Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Samrat Choudhary. He will take my Bihar to the next phase. I believe that Bihar will reach new heights from here under Samrat Choudhary’s leadership. Just as Nitish Kumar pulled Bihar out of the ‘jungle raj’ era and brought it to the stable situation it is in today, undoubtedly under Samrat Choudhary’s leadership, our government will carry forward their efforts. We will certainly miss Nitish Kumar’s presence and his active role in the state. As he becomes active in central politics, I extend my best wishes to him.”

Reacting to Samrat Chaudhary becoming the new Chief Minister of Bihar, his father Shakuni Chaudhary on Wednesday said the achievement was possible due to the blessings of senior NDA leaders.

“Sometimes it is by the grace of God. We fought the entire battle but did not succeed. Today, by the grace of Amit Shah, Narendra Modi, and Nitish Kumar, this position has been attained,” he said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly took a jibe at Samrat Choudhary for succeeding Nitish Kumar as CM.

He said the state continues to lag on key development indicators even after 21 years of the rule of the NDA.

In a post on X, Yadav wrote, “Congratulations to Shri Samrat Chaudhary ji on fulfilling his pledge today to remove the Elected Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from the throne, and heartfelt best wishes on becoming the Selected Chief Minister. I hope that the new Honourable Chief Minister ji will be fully aware of this bitter, unpleasant, and harsh fact that, even after 𝟐𝟏 years of NDA rule, Bihar lags far behind and remains significantly below the national average on most NITI Aayog benchmarks, including all indicators of quality education, better healthcare systems, a collapsed law and order system, income-investment, expenditure-consumption, jobs-employment, poverty-migration, uniform progress-inclusive growth, and all indicators of human development.”

Born in 1968, Samrat Choudhary comes from a family deeply rooted in politics. His father, Shakuni Choudhary, was a six-time MLA from the Tarapur constituency. His mother, Parvati Devi, won the same seat in 1998 for the now-defunct Samta Party.

Samrat Choudhary was appointed as the BJP’s state president in 2023 and later became the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar in 2024. (ANI)

A day before the release of his film ‘Bhooth Bangla’, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar on Wednesday paid a tribute to his co-star and legendary actor Asrani.

Taking to X, Akshay shared a picture with Asrani from the sets of ‘Bhooth Bangla’ and penned a heartfelt note in his remembrance.

“Sometimes a picture isn’t just a fragment of memories… it captures an entire journey This picture is from the shoot of our Bhooth Bangla… My second-to-last film with Asrani ji. We did a total of 12 films together, and in every single one, I learned something new from him.. it was like a masterclass every single time. Comedy seemed so effortless when he did it, but in reality, it’s a difficult art. Asrani ji was its master and will always remain so. Bhooth Bangla releases tomorrow… For me, this isn’t just a film, it’s a memory… it’s a tribute… it’s a salute to that legend Asrani ji, you’ll always be remembered,” he wrote.

Govardhan Asrani passed away on October 20, 2025, at the age of 84. He began his career in the 1960s and reached his peak in the 1970s, when he became one of the most dependable character actors of the time.

Some of his most memorable roles were in films like ‘Mere Apne,’ ‘Koshish,’ ‘Bawarchi,’ ‘Parichay,’ ‘Abhimaan,’ ‘Chupke Chupke,’ ‘Chhoti Si Baat’, and ‘Rafoo Chakkar.’His other memorable films included ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa,’ ‘Dhamaal,’ ‘Bunty Aur Babli 2,’ ‘R… Rajkumar, ‘All The Best,’ and ‘Welcome’.

However, one of his most iconic performances remains his role as the eccentric jail warden in the 1975 classic ‘Sholay,’ which became a part of Indian pop culture and is still remembered today.

Asrani also ventured into writing and direction. In 1977, he wrote, directed, and acted in ‘Chala Murari Hero Banne,’ which received critical praise. He also directed films like ‘Salaam Memsaab’ (1979) and worked actively in Gujarati cinema, where he was equally popular. (ANI)