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April 18, 2026e-Paper
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April 18, 2026e-Paper
Published – April 16, 2026 06:22 pm IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in Lok Sabha during the Budget Session (2026-27) of Parliament in New Delhi on April 16, 2026. | Photo Credit: Sansad TV via ANI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (April 16, 2026) asserted that no State — big or small, north or south, east or west — will be discriminated against in the delimitation of constituencies linked with the implementation of women quota law and warned that those who oppose this reform will not be forgiven by the women of the country. PM Modi also stressed that the proportion of Lok Sabha seats in any State will not come down as a result of the delimitation exercise. The Bills were introduced after a fiery 40-minute debate, during which the Opposition pressed for a division of votes to introduce the Constitutional (131st Amendment) Bill.
U.S. forces in West Asia are postured to restart combat operations if Iran doesn’t agree to a peace deal, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Pentagon briefing on Thursday (April 16, 2026). "You, Iran, can choose a prosperous future, a golden bridge, and we hope that you do for the people of Iran,” he said. “But if Iran chooses poorly, then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy.” Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun thanked U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for Washington’s efforts to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah have been at war for weeks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (April 16, 2026) called for the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine. “Today, the entire world is passing through a very serious and tense situation,” PM Modi said, adding that the impact of this tense situation is being felt by all of us. The Prime Minister said India and Austria are in agreement that military conflict cannot resolve problems. “We support stable, sustainable, and lasting peace in Ukraine and West Asia,” he said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday (April 16, 2026) said voters cannot be punished or “arrested” for choosing not to go to the polling booth on election day. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, heading a Bench, said voters are expected to exercise their right of their own accord. The decision whether to vote or not lay with the elector. The court was hearing a petition filed by Ajay Goel seeking penal consequences or sanctions against voters who ignore the power of the ballot on election day. The Bench disposed of the petition, asking the petitioner to approach the authorities or stakeholders concerned.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin took an oath as a Rajya Sabha MP along with other newly elected members on Thursday (April 16, 2026). The newly elected MPs represent Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and Maharashtra. Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan congratulated Mr. Nabin and the other MPs who took the oath.
The Opposition will boycott the election of the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha as a mark of protest against the Modi government not appointing a deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha for seven years, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday (April 16, 2026). The government had not had any meaningful consultations on the matter either, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said in a post on X. He added that the Opposition hopes “Harivansh 3.0” will be more accommodative of and receptive to its requests.
The Supreme Court on Thursday (April 16, 2026) asked the Uttar Pradesh Government to consider a plea that the sale of liquor in tetra packs risks the ‘intrusion’ of alcohol into educational institutions in the State. A Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, directed the State Government to accept a representation made by petitioner Meenakshi Shree Tiwari, represented by advocate Ashok Pande, challenging the administrative decision made in February last year under the State excise policy, which allowed the manufacture, packaging, and sale of liquor in small tetra packs. Mr. Pande said the step could facilitate the smuggling of liquor into educational campuses, where it could be sold to young students, affecting their health and future.
The Supreme Court on Thursday (April 16, 2026) found no ground to interfere with a Bombay High Court verdict of February 23, 2026 which opened the door wide for fraud classification proceedings to continue against Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group founder Anil Ambani. A Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, did not intervene against the Division Bench decision to set aside a Single Judge order of December last year, which had stalled the proceedings. The top court, however, said observations made by the Division Bench would not affect the merits of the civil suit filed by Mr. Ambani challenging the qualifications of the forensic auditor, an entity called BDO India LLP, and its Forensic Audit Report (FAR) of October 2020. The businessman has argued that the signatory to the FAR was not a qualified Chartered Accountant.
The Punjab Police on Thursday (April 16, 2026) claimed to have busted a terror module backed by Pakistan’s ISI with the arrest of one person and recovery of four hand grenades. “In a joint operation of the State Special Operations cells of Amritsar and Mohali, the Counter Intelligence Wing of the Punjab Police also recovered two foreign-made pistols along with ammunition,” Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has asked Iran to ensure freedom and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a first such call issued by Beijing ever since Tehran started to put a squeeze on the critical waterway in the midst of its war with the U.S. Mr. Wang has sought guarantees of freedom and safety of international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in a phone call with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.
Columns of fire engulfed a crucial Australian oil refinery after a chain of explosions, authorities said on Thursday (April 16, 2026) as they warned of disruptions to domestic fuel supply. Flames as tall as 60 metres erupted late on Wednesday (April 15, 2026) after a gas leak caught fire at the Viva fuel plant in Victoria State, firefighters said, making it one of only two working oil refineries in Australia. “The major impact at this point appears to be on petrol production,” Energy Minister Chris Bowen said.
Russia hammered civilian areas of Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight, killing at least 16 people and injuring more than 80 others in its biggest aerial barrage in almost two weeks, officials said on Thursday (April 16, 2026). Russia launched nearly 700 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles, primarily targeting civilians, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X. “Such attacks cannot be normalised. These are war crimes that must be stopped and their perpetrators held to account,” Mr. Sybiha said on X.
Published – April 16, 2026 06:22 pm IST
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