LIVE | Israel strikes Lebanon, Hezbollah retaliates as ceasefire wavers

Israeli strikes, Hezbollah fire strain fragile ceasefire

Israeli fighter jets launched strikes on at least two towns in Lebanon, adding strain to a ceasefire already under pressure amid wider tensions involving the United States and Iran. The bombardment came after a short pause, which followed an appeal from Donald Trump urging Benjamin Netanyahu to “scale back” operations in Lebanon.

Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned force based in Lebanon, said it had responded by firing rockets into northern Israel. The group accused Israel of breaching the US-Iran ceasefire arrangement and said it targeted Kiryat Shmona, close to the border, as well as Misgav Am in the Upper Galilee on Friday.

“This response will continue until the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people ceases,” the group said in a statement, reported NDTV.

Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces shot down Shahed drones in Middle Eastern countries during Iran war

Ukrainian military personnel have shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the Iran war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing the operations as part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy made his first public acknowledgement of the operations on Wednesday in remarks to reporters that were embargoed until Friday. He said Ukrainian forces took part in active operations abroad using domestically produced interceptor drones proven in countering Iranian-designed Shahed drones used by Russia in Ukraine.

“This was not about a training mission or exercises, but about support in building a modern air defence system that can actually work,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine took part in the defensive operations before the tentative ceasefire in the Middle East was reached among Iran, the United States and Israel this week.

Zelenskyy did not identify the countries involved but said Ukrainian personnel operated across several nations, helping strengthen their air defence systems. He previously said that 228 Ukrainian experts were deployed in the region.

BJP brought people from outside for Assam polls as it was not confident of win: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday claimed that the BJP brought people from outside for the Assam elections as it was not confident of victory with the votes of the northeastern state's residents.

Addressing an election rally at Tentulia in North 24 Parganas district, she alleged that no agency in the country was neutral under the BJP government at the Centre as "the saffron party has bought them all".

"A trainload of 50,000 people was brought to Assam from Uttar Pradesh," she claimed.

"Even a snake can be trusted, but not the BJP," she added, as acrimony between the TMC and the BJP gained temperature ahead of the two-phase assembly polls in West Bengal.

Banerjee said 90 lakh names have been deleted from the electoral rolls during the SIR exercise in West Bengal.

The TMC chief said that as per a newspaper report, out of 90 lakh names deleted, 60 lakh are that of Hindus and 30 lakh of Muslims.

The TMC chief said that the BJP should never be trusted, claiming that in the NRC exercise in Assam, out of 19 lakh names delisted, 13 lakh were Hindus and 6 lakh were Muslims.

Elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly were held in a single phase on Thursday.

'Vande Mataram' row: BJP says Cong puts vote bank politics over nation's dignity

The BJP on Friday attacked the Congress for allegedly insulting the national song, "Vande Mataram", and claimed that the opposition INDIA bloc prioritises vote bank politics over the nation's dignity.

The BJP's attack came after two Congress councillors in Indore reportedly refused to sing "Vande Mataram" during a discussion on the city municipal corporation's budget on April 8, saying that Islam did not permit it.

Hitting out at the INDIA bloc, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla termed the opposition alliance "anti-India" and accused it of placing religious considerations above the Constitution.

"Congress councillors Fauzia Sheikh Alim and Rubina Iqbal declined to participate in Vande Mataram singing during proceedings. This is not the 'INDI' alliance, it is an anti-India alliance," the BJP spokesperson said in a post on X.

"They keep Sharia above the Constitution. Congress councillors from Indore refused to sing Vande Mataram during the proceedings. But they are not alone," he added in a video message on X.

Poonawalla alleged that the Congress, from India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, has disrespected "Vande Mataram".

BJP's Bengal manifesto promises crackdown on infiltration, Rs 3,000 aid for women, unemployed youth

The BJP on Friday promised a hardline stand on infiltration, Rs 3,000 monthly assistance for every woman and unemployed youth and setting up the Seventh Pay Commission for state employees within 45 days of assuming power in West Bengal following the Assembly polls.

Unveiling its 'Sankalp Patra' for the West Bengal assembly poll, Union Home Minister Amit Shah described the document as a roadmap for creating a 'Sonar Bangla'.

He launched a blistering attack on the incumbent Mamata Banerjee government, alleging that the last 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule had been a "nightmare" for the people of the state.

"The BJP Sankalp Patra will guide farmers, youth and women, giving them a new direction. It will offer renewed hope to every citizen who takes pride in Bengal's culture and will serve as a roadmap for the creation of Sonar Bangla," Shah said.

Seeking to make infiltration and border security a central election issue, Shah said a BJP government in the state would adopt a policy of "detect, delete and deport" against infiltrators.

"Our BJP government in Bengal will move with zero tolerance towards infiltration in the state," he said.

"In Bengal, one law will be ensured for all citizens," Shah said, adding the BJP would also bring a law to ensure that everyone can practise their religion freely.

The BJP also sought to sharpen its campaign around the border issue, promising to secure the state's frontiers and put an end to cattle smuggling.

The manifesto made a strong pitch to women voters, promising a monthly transfer of Rs 3,000 to women in the state. The BJP also promised 33 per cent reservation for women in all government jobs, including in the police force.

In another major welfare promise, Shah said unemployed youth would receive a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000. He also said that the Seventh Pay Commission for government employees will be set up within 45 days of the BJP coming to power in the state.

RBI to conduct Rs 2 lakh cr 7-day VRRR auction on Friday

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will conduct Rs 2 lakh crore Variable Rate Reverse Repo (VRRR) seven days later on Friday.

"In view of the surplus transient liquidity conditions prevailing now, it has been decided to conduct a VRRR auction on Friday," the central bank said in a release.

The auction will take place between 2 pm and 2:30 pm, and the reversal of these funds will take place on April 17.

The liquidity in the banking system turned huge surplus on the back of maturity of government securities (G-Secs).

G-Secs worth Rs 31,329 crore have matured on April 8. Further, maturities scheduled on April 12 and April 17, are worth Rs 86,403 crore and Rs 34,791 crore, respectively.

Currently, the liquidity in the banking system is expected to be in surplus of around Rs 4.55 lakh crore as on April 9, RBI data showed.

"Going ahead, we will continue to be proactive and pre-emptive in liquidity management and ensure sufficient liquidity in the banking system to meet the productive requirements of the economy," RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said after the monetary policy review earlier this week.

Harivansh nominated for third term in Rajya Sabha, takes oath

Rajya Sabha's outgoing deputy chairman Harivansh on Friday took oath as a member of the Upper House after President Droupadi Murmu nominated him following a vacancy created by the retirement of former chief justice of India Ranjan Gogoi Harivansh's second term as a member of the Upper House ended on April 9.

He took the oath in Hindi in the chamber of Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhkrishnan, who administered the oath to him.

Leader of the house in Rajya Sabha J P Nadda, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur were also present during the oath-taking.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (a) of clause (1) of article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, the President is pleased to nominate Shri Harivansh to the Council of States to fill the vacancy caused due to retirement of one of the nominated member," an official notification of the government said.

Harivansh, 69, has completed his two terms as a member of Rajya Sabha representing Bihar. He has also served as deputy chairman of the Upper House.

Will let my work talk: Raghav Chadha in Instagram post amid rift with AAP

Sidelined AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Friday shared on Instagram a video titled "Voice Raised Price Paid", a compilation of clips of him raising various issues in Parliament, amid his ongoing rift with his party.

"With due respect, to those who are questioning my parliamentary performance, I will let my work do the talking," he said in the post.

The AAP on April 2 removed Chadha as its deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha and has accused him of shying away from raising his voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in "soft PR".

A combative Chadha has dismissed the party's allegations as "lies" and said that he went to Parliament to raise people's issues and not to create ruckus.

Since his removal as the AAP's deputy leader in the Upper House, Chadha has shared several videos and posts on social media, making it clear that he will not take his demotion lying down.

Asian stocks mostly higher; oil gains ahead of planned US-Iran peace talks

Asian stocks were mostly up Friday tracking Wall Street gains while oil prices also rose on the fragile Iran war ceasefire and ahead of Iran-US peace talks in Pakistan.

South Korea's Kospi jumped 1.8 per cent to 5,879.71. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was up 1.6 per cent to 56,789.58. Shares of Fast Retailing, parent of Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo, surged more than 10 per cent after the group raised profit expectations for the year.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.7 per cent to 25,919.12, while the Shanghai Composite index was 0.6 per cent higher at 3,991.14. China on Friday reported that its consumer price index – a main inflation gauge – was up 1 per cent in March compared with a year ago, lower than what analysts had expected and down from the 1.3 per cent increase in February.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.4 per cent. Taiwan's Taiex rose 1.3 per cent, while India's Sensex gained 0.7 per cent.

Talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan's capital Islamabad for a possible permanent ceasefire agreement in the Iran war are expected to take place starting Saturday, with US Vice President JD Vance leading the delegation for the United States.

But ahead of the talks, deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday raised questions whether the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war is still intact, while the Islamic Republic maintained control over the Strait of Hormuz, which is largely closed despite demands from the US to reopen the waterway critical for global oil and gas transport.

US MQ-4C surveillance drone disappears over Strait of Hormuz after emergency alert

A US Navy surveillance drone, MQ-4C, disappeared over the Strait of Hormuz on Friday shortly after declaring an in-flight emergency alert.

According to reports, the drone had completed roughly a three-hour surveillance of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and appeared to be returning to its base at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy. It took a slight turn towards Iran when it sent code 7700 (for general emergency) and started descending. The uncrewed aircraft was tracked rapidly losing altitude before it disappeared.

It is not clear whether the drone crashed or was shot down. The disappearance of the drone comes two days after the US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire, with Iran agreeing to reopen Hormuz for shipping traffic.

The MQ-4C Triton is US' most expensive aircraft, worth over $200 million. Unlike traditional aircraft, the Triton provides long-hour strategic surveillance over chokepoints. It is engineered for persistent, large-scale maritime surveillance, frequently serving as the high-altitude eyes for P-8A Poseidon patrol planes. The drones have been positioned for the US Central Command area over the Gulf region.