Month: April 2026

The Supreme Court on Saturday notified the setting up of a nine-judge bench to review (re-examine) the long-pending Sabarimala temple entry matter, along with a batch of connected cases that raise larger constitutional questions on the scope and ambit of religious freedom practised by multiple faiths across the country.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi, B V Nagarathna, R Mahadevan, M M Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, A G Masih, and Prasanna B Varale, is scheduled to commence hearings from April 7.

In 2018, a Constitution Bench of the apex court permitted the entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, striking down the centuries-old practice that barred women between the ages of 10 and 50.

On November 14, 2019, a five-judge Constitution Bench led by then CJI Ranjan Gogoi, by a 3:2 majority, held that the issues arising in the review petitions against the Sabarimala judgment were not confined to the temple alone, but raised broader and recurring questions of constitutional interpretation concerning the interplay between the right to equality and the right to freedom of religion.

The Court identified a set of overlapping constitutional issues that also arose in other pending matters. These included: (i) the permissibility of restricting the entry of Muslim women into mosques, particularly the challenge to practices that bar women from offering prayers in certain Islamic places of worship; (ii) the validity of the practice of Female Genital Mutilation among the Dawoodi Bohra community, examined in light of dignity and essential religious practices and (iii) the rights of Parsi women who marry outside the community to enter Parsi Fire Temples.

The majority observed that these cases raised common constitutional questions, such as: the scope and ambit of the “essential religious practices” doctrine; the extent to which courts can judicially review religious customs claimed to be integral to a faith; the balance between individual fundamental rights, particularly equality, dignity, and non-discrimination under Articles 14 and 15, and the collective rights of religious denominations under Articles 25 and 26; and the permissible limits of exclusionary practices in religious spaces.

Subsequently, a nine-judge Constitution Bench on February 10, 2020, upheld the decision of the Sabarimala Review Bench to refer to a larger Bench broad questions concerning the interplay between essential religious practices, equality, and constitutional morality across faiths.

In February 2026, the top court had, while fixing a schedule for the hearings, noted,

“A nine-judge bench shall commence hearing in these matters on April 7, 2026 (Tuesday) at 10:30 AM. The review petitioners or the parties supporting them shall be heard from April 7-9, April 2026. The original writ petitioners opposing the review petitioners shall be heard on April 14-16, 2026. The rejoinder submissions, if any, will be heard on April 21, 2026, followed by the final and concluding submissions by the learned amicus, which is expected to be over by April 22. The parties shall adhere to the above time schedule. The nodal counsels in consultation with arguing counsel of the parties shall prepare the internal arrangement so that oral submissions from both sides can be heard within the stipulated timeline.”

The Union of India (Centre), along with other parties are supporting the review petitions, effectively challenging the 2018 ruling that allowed the entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple.

The original writ petitioners (now respondents) in the review proceedings are opposing the review pleas and seeking to uphold the 2018 judgment. (ANI)

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have conducted a massive military operation targeting more than 200 infrastructure sites within Iran and an additional 140 Hezbollah assets across Lebanon.

In a detailed update shared in a post on X, the military announced that they had “STRUCK: 200+ Iranian regime infrastructure targets across Iran, and 140+ Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure throughout Lebanon”.

The precision strikes were aimed at dismantling long-range strike capabilities and defensive networks belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Expanding on the specifics of the operation within Iran, the military identified several high-value locations that were neutralised.

“Among the targets struck” in Iran were “a central Islamic IRGC site where a variety of weapons were stored”, as well as “IRGC air defence systems”.

Furthermore, the IDF confirmed hits on “sites for the production, storage, and development of ballistic missiles intended to target aircraft”.

The aerial campaign extended significantly into Lebanese territory to degrade the operational capacity of Hezbollah.

The military stated that the targets in Lebanon included a “Hezbollah terrorist training site” and several “Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and launch sites”.

The operation also specifically focused on the group’s elite military leadership and specialised units.

According to the official statement, the strikes successfully hit “Hezbollah’s Radwan Force HQs”, marking a significant blow to the organisation’s command structure amidst the ongoing regional escalation.

This wider offensive follows a specific surge on Friday, where the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced that it had carried out over 70 strikes across western and central Iran.

These operations targeted ballistic missile launch sites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

According to the IDF, these targeted strikes were part of a continuous effort to degrade Iran’s military capabilities and reduce threats to Israeli civilians.

The military further clarified in a post on X that they have completed more than 70 strikes targeting dozens of objectives, including “launch sites where ballistic missile launchers threatening the State of Israel are stored” and sites for the air defence array.

The IDF emphasised the relentless nature of the campaign, stating, “The IDF continues to strike nonstop at the fire and defence arrays of the Iranian terror regime across Iran.”

Adding political and economic weight to these military updates, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Friday that the strikes have dealt a severe blow to Iran’s industrial base.

He informed that 70 per cent of Iran’s steel production capacity has been destroyed, a move intended to deprive the IRGC of “both funding sources and the ability to produce large quantities of weapons”.

In a video message shared by the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu described the degradation of the steel sector as a “tremendous achievement”.

He also highlighted the international cooperation backing these moves, stating, “Together with our American friends, we are continuing to crush the terrorist regime in Iran. We are eliminating commanders and bombing bridges and infrastructure.”

Netanyahu further noted that in full coordination between himself, President Trump, the IDF and the US military, they would continue to “crush Iran”.

He asserted that while the Iranian regime is currently weaker than ever, Israel stands “stronger than ever”.

Shifting focus back to the northern front, the Prime Minister shared operational updates from Lebanon, noting that the IDF is “continuing to forcefully strike at Hezbollah” to protect northern communities.

He also lauded the citizens of Israel for their steadfastness and for following the instructions of the Home Front Command even during the Passover Seder night. (ANI)

Days after netizens reacted with mixed opinions to the first teaser of Ranbir Kapoor-starrer ‘Ramayana,’ actor Hrithik Roshan addressed the debate surrounding the film’s VFX and visual style.

The teaser of the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer received praise for its scale and music; however, it also drew criticism from some viewers over its visual effects. As the debate continued on social media, Hrithik addressed the conversation through a detailed note.

Reflecting on his own journey with visual storytelling and how “bad VFX” can feel, Hrithik shared how deeply cinema has influenced him since childhood and how even imperfect visuals can shape creativity.

“Yes bad VFX exists. It’s sometimes so bad it’s painful to watch. Especially for me… and especially when it’s a film I’m part of. As an 11 year old kid I saw Back to the Future on a trip to London and it changed me forever. I became obsessed. I would sit with my dad’s VHS player studying the frames pause -play pause-play until I broke the player.”

Talking about the effort and “intention” behind large-scale films, Hrithik praised filmmakers who take risks to create something new for movie buffs. “Today some special humans among us, like the makers of films like Kalki 2898 AD, Baahubali, Ramayana, (also my dad for Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish of course) are my heroes, they have the guts and vision to do what’s never been done – all for the love of cinema so that we – the audience – get to experience something never watched before. From my point of view, they risked all that money, and years and years of effort just so another 11 year old kid could feel what I felt. To me, that’s noble.”

“The intention by itself deserves applause! I am proud of my fellow Indians. What I would give to be a part of such dreams even as an assistant. But this post is not about me, it’s about us, the audience. The thing is, it takes thousands of our artistes working round the clock for multiple years to bring VFX-heavy films to life, so the least we can do is bash them with some better awareness!,” he added.

He went on to share how “different VFX styles” work, adding that every visual choice is about realism, and audiences should also consider what suits the story.

“In my little understanding from the little that I have learnt is that there are different VFX styles adopted by makers to bring their vision to life. It’s like in comics or animation – some prefer ANIME style but that’s not as realistic as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. You can like one style over the other but neither is wrong.”

Concluding his note, Hrithik said, “you can’t criticize the maker just cause he has chosen one style while you prefer another style. Thats not fair. So sometimes when you say “bad VFX.” Maybe it’s just a style you didn’t expect? So next time don’t just ask, “Is it real?” First ask, “Is it right for the story?” “Is it making me feel what the maker intended?” Debate it. But debate it with awareness.”

Soon after he shared the post on Instagram, netizens chimed in to share their reactions. A fan asked him in the comments, “Loved this perspective sir. As an audience, how can we train our eye to understand the intent behind VFX instead of just judging realism? Any simple way you’d suggest for beginners like us?” Hrithik replied, “I guess – wait till you watch the entire movie before you judge. Till then hold your opinion.”

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana also stars Yash, Sai Pallavi, and Sunny Deol. The film is set to release in October 2026, ahead of Diwali. (ANI)

The United States have reportedly found the F-15 crew member alive, who went missing after Iran downed the jet amid the West Asia conflict, former US Special Forces personnel and journalist Jack Murphy claimed.

In an X post, Murphy wrote, “Good news for once. F-15 WSO recovered alive. Was escaping and evading. Massive firefight on tgt. Iranians were actively looking for him in the area.”

However, no official confirmation has been made regarding the claim.

Al Jazeera, citing a US government official, also reported that the crew member was recovered after a “heavy firefight”.

Both the US and Iran were conducting search operations for the missing crew member. During the search operations, Iranian tribesmen reportedly opened fire on American helicopters, according to CNN.

The incident occurred in the isolated highlands of the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces, as well as the Bakhtiari region, where local groups targeted two Black Hawk helicopters on Saturday, as detailed by Iran’s Fars News Agency.

Following the confrontation, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) praised the tribal groups, describing them as “courageous, valiant and victorious guardians of the borders,” as per reports cited by CNN.

This commendation follows the release of footage on Friday allegedly depicting nomadic Bakhtiari tribesmen armed with rifles patrolling the mountainous terrain of Iran’s Khuzestan province in search of the American personnel. In the video, one of the individuals is heard saying, “God willing, he will be found.”

To further incentivise the search, Iranian authorities had reportedly announced substantial financial bounties for the successful capture of the missing individual.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump withheld details regarding the potential US response should a missing crew member, forced to eject over Iran, be harmed or captured, The Independent reported.

The President declined to specify a course of action during a brief telephone interview on Friday. When questioned by The Independent about the measures he might take if the airman is mistreated by Iranian forces, Trump stated, “Well, I can’t comment on it because we hope that’s not going to happen.”

In latest development in the situation in West Asia, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have destroyed the MQ-9 Reaper drone in the central city of Isfahan, according to the Fars news agency. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended greetings on Easter, saying the day “celebrates hope and renewal.”

He wished for peace, joy, and unity, urging that the teachings of Jesus Christ inspire kindness and strengthen social togetherness.

In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, “Greetings on Easter. This sacred day celebrates hope and renewal. May it bring peace, joy and brightness to everyone’s lives. May the teachings of Jesus Christ inspire all to be kind and strengthen the spirit of togetherness in society.”

On this occasion, Pope Leo XIV, presiding over the Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, urged the faithful to overcome fear, mistrust, and resentment.

He said these burdens “weigh heavily on the human heart” and can divide people and nations, calling on all not to be paralysed by them.

“Even today, there are tombs to be opened, and often the stones sealing them are so heavy and so closely guarded that they seem to be immovable. Some weigh heavily on the human heart, such as mistrust, fear, selfishness and resentment; others, stemming from these inner struggles, sever the bonds between us through war, injustice and the isolation of peoples and nations. Let us not allow ourselves to be paralysed by them!” Pope Leo said in a post on X.

Easter, one of the most significant festivals in Christianity, is being celebrated across the country and in different parts of the world with joy and devotion. Churches are holding special Masses and prayer services to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who was crucified and rose again on the third day.

Christians observe a 40-day Lenten period in preparation for Easter each year. This year, Lent began on February 18 with Ash Wednesday. During this period, devotees engaged in various spiritual practices such as fasting, Lenten walks, special meditations, pilgrimages, and participation in the Way of the Cross, reflecting on the sufferings and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

The final week of Lent is observed as Holy Week and holds special significance among the faithful. It began with Palm Sunday last week, followed by Maundy Thursday on April 2 and Good Friday on April 3, during which the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was commemorated.

Good Friday is followed by Easter, which marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is considered the most important festival in Christianity. (ANI)

Actor Parineeti Chopra, who was blessed with a baby boy last year, has come up with a chat show titled ‘Mom Talks’.

On Saturday, Parineeti took to Instagram and announced the show with a captivating trailer. The promo promises intimate and heartfelt conversations on parenthood, featuring a star-studded lineup including Neha Dhupia, Vikrant Massey with Sheetal Thakur, Imran Khan, Gauahar Khan with Zaid Darbar, and Disha Parmar, all joining Parineeti to share their personal experiences and insights.

The show’s announcement has left Parineeti’s family members, friends and fans excited.

Reacting to the trailer, Parineeti’s husband and politician Raghav Chadha commented, “So proud! Congratulations. Rooting for you always.”

Actor Varun Dhawan dropped a clap emoji in the comment section.

‘Mom Talks’ is available to watch on ZEE5.

On hosting the show, Parineeti in a press note said, “Kisi ki mat suno, sabki advice lo but do the parenting of your child in your style. Nothing is wrong. Everything is right for your child. You have a doubt, please ask for advice from your doctor, from your elders, from internet. But please never feel guilty for any decision you are taking for your baby because that is right for you. So I really hope that moms feel empowered after watching our new show on ZEE5, Mom Talks and they don’t feel society pressure, family pressure, internet pressure, or anything. You do you”

In October 2025 Parineeti and Raghav announced the birth of their baby boy, Neer, via a joint Instagram post.

They posted a sweet note which read, “He’s finally here! Our baby boy. And we literally can’t remember life before! Arms full, our hearts are fuller. First we had each other; now we have everything.”

The couple signed off with “With gratitude, Parineeti & Raghav”.

Parineeti married politician Raghav in September 2023 at the Leela Palace Hotel in Udaipur, Rajasthan, in the presence of their close friends and family members. (ANI)

Bollywood couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan on Saturday stepped out in the city to take their kids to the playground.

The couple cheered happily as they watched their sons play soccer. Kareena even gave fans a peek into her “soccer duties” with a playful selfie. She shared a snapshot on her Instagram Story, featuring herself and Saif at the playground.

“Soccer duties,” Kareena captioned the post.

Kareena opted for a casual red bandhani shirt paired with blue jeans, completing her look with stylish black sunglasses. Saif was also seen sporting a casual attire.

On the professional front, Kareena Kapoor Khan is set to appear in Daayra, an investigative crime thriller directed by Meghna Gulzar. The film also stars Prithviraj Sukumaran.

The actor was last seen in ‘Crew,’ a 2024 heist comedy co-starring Tabu and Kriti Sanon. She also featured in ‘The Buckingham Murders’, a crime thriller released in September 2024, where she took on a more intense role.

Meanwhile, Saif is next slated to star in ‘Haiwaan’, directed by Priyadarshan. He also has ‘Kartavya’, and ‘Hum Hindustani’ projects in his kitty. (ANI)

A day after attending the third anniversary celebrations of NMACC in Mumbai, Bollywood couple Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani on Saturday evening delighted fans by sharing stunning pictures from a photoshoot they did at home before heading to the event.

From sharing smiles to holding each other’s hands, Sidharth and Kiara looked effortlessly charming, radiating elegance as they flaunted their ethnic ensembles.

“

Kiara looked stunning in a House of Masaba pink and green saree, Sidharth looked dapper in an Anamika Khanna’s white outfit with abstract art.

However, it’s the caption that made their post more eye-catching.

“Date night,” the couple wrote.

As soon as Sidharth and Kiara posted the pictures, fans and members of the film industry flooded the comment section with adorable reactions.

“The cutesttt,” actor Tamannaah Bhatia commented.

“No nazar,” a fan wrote.

In July last year, Sidharth and Kiara became three from two as they were blessed with a baby girl. They named her Saraayah.

Announcing the birth of their daughter, the couple, via a joint post on Instagram, posted, “Our hearts are full and our world forever changed. We are blessed with a Baby Girl. KIARA & SIDHARTH.”

Sidharth and Kiara have not yet disclosed the face of their baby, Saraayah. However, the two don’t shy away from being publicly open about their love for their child.

On New Year’s Eve, Kiara shared how in 2025, her “heart expanded in ways I couldn’t imagine , a year of firsts, of learning , of becoming, of evolution and sweetest blessings.” (ANI)

A massive fire broke out at a Texwool textile company located in the Kandla Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Gujarat’s Kachchh district on Saturday evening.

The incident led to an immediate response from the fire services. The blaze erupted at a company named Tex Polymer.

According to an Official, the fire at the used-clothing facility created an atmosphere of fear among locals.

Fire brigade teams from KASEZ, the Municipal Corporation, and the DPA were rushed to the spot soon after the blaze was reported.

Firefighting operations are currently underway to bring the situation under control, the Fire Department said.

A major disaster, involving a massive conflagration and potential loss of life, was successfully averted.

The official said that four fire brigade teams brought the blaze under control by dousing it with water.

Just a short while ago, another fire had broken out at a different clothing company within the KASEZ area.

More details are awaited. (ANI)