If the results of the local body elections held a few months ago are any indication, a subtle but significant shift in minority votes, particularly among Muslims in Malabar, appears to favour the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the April 9 Kerala Assembly elections. While election observers do not anticipate a sweeping mandate, the political...

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 2, 2026 10:46 AM IST Soon after United States President Donald Trump claimed to have curtailed Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones, Iran promptly stepped up to mock the US. Sharing a video on X that showed a missile launch, Iran said air raid sirens were blaring across Israel....

‘Yashoda and Krishna’, an oil painting by pioneering artist Raja Ravi Varma, has set a new benchmark for Indian art at auction when it sold for Rs 167.2 crore (about $18 million). After an intense bidding war at Saffronart’s Spring Live Auction in Mumbai on Wednesday, the work was acquired by billionaire Cyrus Poonawalla, industrialist...

Luxury in interiors has taken a quieter direction in recent years. Homes in 2026 favour calm surfaces, refined colours as well as materials that stay dependable through everyday life. Designers across India are paying closer attention to what lies beneath the surface of a space. The conversation has gradually moved toward materials that combine subtle...

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav. | Photo Credit: PTI Samajwadi Party (SP) on Wednesday (April 1, 2026) criticised the Uttar Pradesh Government over the resignation of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Rinku Singh Rahi, alleging that ‘efficient officials have no importance in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’. The only ones who are respected are...

Forty-five-year-old Gulabi Devi squatted on the ground next to her empty gas cylinder, the fingers of one hand wrapped around its top as she used the other hand to fan herself with the pallu of her sari. Several beads of sweat trickled down her face. Gulabi was one of the 300-odd people outside an agency...

Police have arrested a woman thief for stealing a pair of tops from a jewellery shop in Faridabad, officials said on Wednesday. The accused woman, Kajal (30), is married and a habitual offender. She was released on bail from Faridabad District’s Neemka Jail around three months ago and committed the crime again. Kajal was produced...

JAMMU: A fast-track court in J&K’s Ramban has sentenced a man to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping and impregnating a deaf and mute woman in 2020.Judge Pardeep K Sandhu also fined the convict, Abdul Qayoom, Rs 10,000 on Tuesday.Qayoom raped the woman several times and threatened to kill her if she revealed the...

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi. File| Photo: Defence PRO via PTI Photo The Indian Navy was minutes away from striking Pakistan from the sea during Operation Sindoor, when Islamabad requested stoppage of kinetic actions, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi said on Wednesday (April 1, 2026). The Navy Chief was speaking...

3 min readMumbaiApr 2, 2026 01:51 AM IST The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed authorised dealer (AD) banks to discontinue offering non-deliverable derivative contracts involving the Indian rupee to both resident and non-resident users, with immediate effect. The move is aimed at strengthening oversight in the foreign exchange derivatives market. According to the...