Live | Modi addresses nation, says Indian women will never forget who denied them their rights

US-based Hindu advocacy group wins two awards for public outreach

Two public outreach initiatives of US-based advocacy group Hindu American Foundation have won awards of excellence from an association of communication professionals working for faith-based organisations.

The Hindu American Foundation's (HAF) fundraising campaign video "Back to the (Hindu) Future" and podcast "All about Hinduism Series 2" were presented with a 2026 DeRose-Hinkhouse Award of Excellence by the Religion Communicators Council.

The "Back to the (Hindu) Future" was produced by the HAF marketing team. It was filmed and edited by Todd Lewis.

"...we're thrilled that the Religion Communicators Council has recognised the creativity and quality of this fundraising campaign, which has succeeded in both that primary goal, but also in raising awareness about the critical need for accurate, nuanced, and comprehensive educational materials in America's schools," HAF senior creative director Tejus Shah said in a statement.

The "All About Hinduism" podcast is a 23-part educational series presenting the basic tenets of Hinduism and its history, as well as answering commonly asked questions about the world's third-largest religion and addressing contentious contemporary issues faced by the Hindus.

The second series of the podcast was produced, written, narrated and edited by HAF senior director of communications Mat McDermott with assistance with script development by HAF senior director of education strategy Vijay Satnarine and HAF education research assistant Devala Gupta.

The DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards are given annually to active members of the Religion Communicators Council who demonstrate excellence in religious communications and public relations.

US extends exemption from sanctions for purchase of Russian petroleum products

The US has extended exemption from sanctions for purchase of Russian petroleum products by one month, an official order said. The exemption is valid from April 17 to May 16, 2026.

Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz, but threatens to close it again as US maintains blockade

Iran said it fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels, but questions lingered Saturday about how much freedom ships actually had to transit the waterway as Tehran maintained its grip on who got through and threatened to close it again if the US kept in place its blockade of Iranian ships and ports.

Iran's Friday announcement about the opening of the crucial body of water, through which 20 per cent of the world's oil is shipped, came as a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon appeared to hold.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that ships would use routes designated by the Islamic Republic in coordination with Iranian authorities, suggesting Iran planned to retain some level of control over the channel. It was not clear if vessels would have to pay tolls.

A data firm, Kpler, said movement through the strait remained confined to corridors requiring Iran's approval.

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said the American blockade "will remain in full force" until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear programme.

Trump initially celebrated the Iranian announcement, posting on social media that the strait was "fully open and ready for full passage." But minutes later, he issued another post saying the US Navy's blockade would continue "UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100% COMPLETE."

Iranian officials said the blockade was a violation of last week's ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US. The strait "will not remain open" if the blockade continues, Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, posted on X early Saturday.

Trump says new talks could happen soon

US President Donald Trump suggested a second round of talks with Iran could happen this weekend.

"The Iranians want to meet," he said in a brief telephone interview with the news outlet Axios. "They want to make a deal. I think a meeting will probably take place over the weekend."

Oil prices fell Friday on hopes the US and Iran were drawing closer to an agreement. The head of the International Energy Agency had warned that the energy crisis could get worse if the strait did not reopen.