Ahead of the second phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal announced that a section of citizens who had lost their voting rights will be able to vote again. He told the BBC that a second supplementary voter list has been released, including those whose names were removed during the Special Intensive Revision but later validated by the Appellate Tribunal.

Under a Supreme Court directive, 19 Appellate Tribunals led by former judges were established in West Bengal to review appeals from excluded voters. Applications resolved between April 21 and April 27, and deemed valid by the tribunals, will allow those voters to participate in the election. The Election Commission published the first supplementary list on April 22, restoring voting rights to 139 individuals while excluding 8 others. By that date, 657 appeals had been resolved.

Following the revision process, about 9.1 million names were removed from the rolls, sparking controversy, particularly in Muslim-majority areas. The second phase of polling is scheduled for April 29 across 142 constituencies, with over 32.1 million registered voters.

A Swiss International Airlines flight bound for Zurich was forced to abort takeoff at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after an engine malfunction early on April 26, 2026. The airline said the LX147 flight encountered an engine issue during takeoff, prompting the pilot to cancel the departure and initiate an emergency evacuation. Four passengers and one crew member were injured while exiting the aircraft.

According to local media reports cited in the source, the engine caught fire as the aircraft accelerated on the runway, leading to the emergency evacuation. The flight carried 228 passengers, including four children and 13 crew members. The injured were taken to hospital, and the crew member reportedly suffered an ankle sprain. Initially, six passengers were reported injured, but the number was later revised to five.

Following the incident, an emergency was declared at the airport, though operations later returned to normal. Swiss International Airlines has formed a special task force to investigate the cause of the malfunction.

Renowned Indian photographer Raghu Rai has passed away at the age of 83. He died on Sunday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in New Delhi. Rai was widely regarded as a pioneer of Indian photojournalism and earned international recognition for his work documenting major historical events.

During Bangladesh’s Liberation War, Raghu Rai was among the leading foreign photographers to cover the conflict. At that time, he served as the chief photojournalist for India’s prominent newspaper The Statesman. His photographs vividly portrayed the suffering of Bangladeshi refugees in Indian camps and captured key moments of the war, including scenes from the frontlines and the surrender of Pakistani forces.

His death marks the end of an era in South Asian photojournalism, leaving behind a legacy of powerful visual storytelling that chronicled both human struggle and resilience.

Indian politician Raghav Chadha lost around one million social media followers within 24 hours of joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As of Friday, April 24, his Instagram following dropped from 14.6 million to 13.3 million, according to the report. The decline followed his formal entry into the BJP, marking a sharp reaction from his online audience.

According to Hindustan Times, Chadha had been highly popular among India’s youth, with many from Generation Z reportedly dissatisfied with his sudden party switch. Social media users circulated calls to unfollow him after the announcement, which appeared to gain traction among younger audiences.

Chadha’s popularity had been largely built through viral videos of his speeches in the Rajya Sabha and his public image, which resonated with younger voters. His marriage to Bollywood actor and singer Parineeti Chopra also contributed to his public profile.

India’s opposition Congress party has sharply criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for remaining silent on Israel’s continued killings in Gaza and large-scale attacks in Lebanon. The party accused Modi of showing unprecedented solidarity with what it called the “murderous Israeli government” and described his stance as cowardly. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Modi administration had betrayed India’s traditional policies and humanitarian values.

Ramesh wrote on social media platform X that the prime minister’s silence over Israel’s actions in Gaza, Lebanon, and the occupied West Bank revealed his “moral cowardice.” He alleged that Modi had ignored the seizure of Palestinian property and the displacement of millions. Congress reiterated that no other Indian government had shown such support for Israel.

In March, Congress had claimed that Israel was pursuing its “Greater Israel” ambition under the cover of war in the Middle East, undermining hopes for a Palestinian state. The party had also previously criticized Modi for not speaking out against Israeli actions in the West Bank.

India is planning to transfer its stake in Iran’s Chabahar Port to an Iranian company, according to a report by Business Standard. The move comes as the U.S. sanctions waiver allowing India’s investment and use of the port is set to expire on April 26, 2026. To avoid potential sanctions risks, India is taking strategic steps before the waiver period ends.

The report adds that India is considering an interim arrangement under which an Iranian operator will manage the port during the sanctions period. Once sanctions are eased or lifted, India may resume its operations at the facility. This approach is based on a mutual understanding between the two sides.

India Ports Global Chabahar Free Zone, a subsidiary of India Ports Global Limited, had been managing the port since December 24, 2018. The current plan reflects India’s effort to maintain its long-term strategic interests while navigating international restrictions.

Police in India's northeastern state of Manipur reported that three people were killed in gunfire between rival ethnic groups in Mullam village of Ukhrul district late Friday night. Authorities said security forces have been reinforced in the area to prevent further escalation, and operations remain ongoing.

Manipur has faced nearly three years of conflict between the majority Hindu Meitei community and the predominantly Christian Kuki community. The violence, rooted in disputes over land and government jobs, has claimed more than 250 lives so far. Human rights activists have accused local political leaders of aggravating the divisions for political gain.

Although the situation had calmed somewhat, renewed clashes earlier this month left four people dead, including two children, after a Kuki group attack triggered a retaliatory assault by Meitei members on a paramilitary camp.

The Indian government has strongly condemned former U.S. President Donald Trump for sharing a social media post that described India as a 'hellhole'. The Ministry of External Affairs called the remark 'inappropriate' and 'distasteful'. Trump had reposted a statement from conservative host Michael Savage on his Truth Social account criticizing birthright citizenship in the U.S. The post falsely claimed that Indian immigrants in the tech sector discriminate against white Americans and mocked their English proficiency.

Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the comments were baseless and did not reflect the true nature of India-U.S. relations, which are built on mutual respect and shared interests. India’s opposition Congress Party also labeled the post as 'deeply insulting and anti-India'. In the U.S., the Hindu American Foundation called it 'racist and hateful', while Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera described it as offensive and ignorant.

The controversy comes just weeks before U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s planned visit to India, raising concerns about renewed strain in bilateral ties already affected by disputes over oil imports from Russia and trade tariffs.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited West Bengal and took a boat trip on the Ganges River during his tour. After he shared photos of the visit on social media, political criticism followed. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mocked the prime minister, suggesting he should also take a dip in the Yamuna River.

According to Indian media reports, Banerjee made the remarks at a public rally in Howrah, saying Modi chose the Ganges because it is clean, unlike the polluted Yamuna in Delhi. She contrasted the two rivers, arguing that while the Ganges in Bengal is suitable for travel, the Yamuna remains heavily polluted under Modi’s government.

The Yamuna’s pollution has been a long-standing issue in Delhi, with little visible progress in controlling it despite repeated political discussions. Analysts view Modi’s Ganga trip as politically significant ahead of the West Bengal elections, especially after the recent budget announcement of a corridor to improve connectivity between Varanasi and Kolkata.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released its April 2026 World Economic Outlook, showing that India has dropped from the top five to sixth place among the world’s largest economies. The United States remains the largest economy with over 32.4 trillion dollars in GDP, followed by China at 20.8 trillion, Germany at 5.4 trillion, Japan at 4.4 trillion, and the United Kingdom at 4.3 trillion. India’s nominal GDP is estimated at 4.15 trillion dollars, slightly below the UK and Japan.

According to the IMF, India’s shift in ranking is mainly due to changes in currency exchange rates and the adoption of a new GDP base year. The Indian government updated its methodology using 2022–23 as the new base year, revising earlier figures downward by about 3–4 percent. The rupee’s depreciation of roughly 10 percent against the US dollar over the past year also contributed to the decline.

The IMF projects that India will regain its position by 2027, overtaking the UK and Japan, and could surpass Germany by 2031 to become the world’s third-largest economy.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah made a strong political statement after the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections. Speaking at a rally in Balagarh, Hooghly, on April 23, he claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to win at least 110 of the 152 seats contested in the first phase. Shah expressed confidence that after the second phase of voting on April 29, the BJP would secure an absolute majority to form the next state government.

Shah announced that if the BJP comes to power, the party will appoint a Bengali who studied in a Bengali-medium school as the state’s chief minister. He also accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of corruption worth 3,000 crore rupees and promised to release a white paper detailing the alleged irregularities. Shah further warned against voter intimidation and vowed strict action against illegal immigration, claiming it harms local employment and ration systems.

His remarks, including sharp criticism of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and warnings to political opponents, have intensified the state’s already heated election atmosphere ahead of the second phase of polling.

Tamil Nadu set a new record in India's electoral history with an unprecedented voter turnout of 84.69 percent in the 2026 state assembly election held on April 23. According to preliminary data from the Election Commission, polling took place across 234 constituencies from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with more than 48.5 million voters casting their ballots to form the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar welcomed the remarkable participation, noting that both Tamil Nadu and West Bengal recorded their highest voter turnouts this year. He expressed appreciation to every voter in both states for their engagement in the democratic process.

Analysts cited in the report said the high turnout reflects strong public confidence and enthusiasm for democratic practice in the state. They suggested that such widespread participation could play a significant role in shaping the formation of the next government and Tamil Nadu’s political future.

The Trinamool Congress has expressed strong confidence in its victory following the completion of the first phase of voting in West Bengal. Party leaders said that after polling in 152 constituencies, they are close to forming the government. According to their estimates, the party could win at least 125 seats, possibly rising to 135. Senior leaders Kunal Ghosh and minister Bratya Basu stated that the voting pattern matched their forecasts, while Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told a rally in Kolkata that public sentiment indicated her party was already ahead.

Trinamool leaders attributed the high voter turnout to public anger over alleged irregularities in the voter list, claiming that many legitimate voters had been excluded. They said this led to a protest vote, particularly among women, which they believe benefited the party. Bratya Basu rejected the notion that high turnout signals anti-incumbency, citing Bihar as an example where the ruling party retained power despite heavy voting.

The party’s top leadership maintained that both its vote share and seat count would rise, with similar confidence voiced by national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

The Indian Embassy in Tehran has issued a new advisory urging all Indian citizens currently in Iran to leave the country as soon as possible. The directive, released on Thursday, also strongly advises against any travel to Iran by air or land. The embassy cited ongoing regional tensions and uncertainty as the main reasons for the warning.

According to the embassy statement, restrictions and uncertainty in the airspace due to regional instability continue to affect international flight operations to and from Iran. The advisory comes amid a volatile security situation in West Asia, where geopolitical tensions and air travel disruptions have persisted.

The embassy further instructed that Indian citizens in Iran must depart only through officially coordinated land routes. It has also provided helpline numbers and an email address to assist citizens seeking to leave the country safely.

India’s Home Ministry has reportedly proposed releasing crocodiles and snakes in riverine areas along the Bangladesh-India border that remain unfenced. The proposal, reported by The Telegraph India, aims to strengthen border security in regions where surveillance is difficult. However, the plan has triggered internal disagreement within the Border Security Force (BSF).

Former BSF Director General and Padma Shri recipient Prakash Singh criticized the idea as foolish, warning that it could endanger civilians living near the border. He questioned how animals could distinguish between Indian and Bangladeshi nationals. According to a senior BSF source, the ministry has asked the force to assess the feasibility of the proposal, but many officers oppose it due to potential risks, especially during floods.

A follow-up meeting is scheduled next week to continue discussions. The India-Bangladesh border stretches about 4,096 kilometers, with roughly 175 kilometers consisting of rivers and difficult terrain that complicate monitoring, according to the Home Ministry.