NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||24th APRIL2026

 

NEWS & VIEWS|||SARASIJ|||24^th APRIL2026

FRIDAY| VOL—V/2026/APRIL

OPINIONATED, FOR FREE CIRCULATION.

ॐ कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतं समाः ।

एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे ॥

YAJURVED—40/2

This SHLOKAM provides a blueprint for "Karma Yoga"—Guidance of living actively without being bound by the consequences of one's deeds.

INDIA: (GOI, SWARAJYA, VISHWAMITRA, HINDU POST, INDIA TODAY).

Bengal Election: Some percentage increase was expected as an effect of SIR corrections. But, very high percentage of VOTING indicates more Hindu Bengalees this time came to exercise their rights because of enhanced security, and anti-incumbency, amongst other issues. I will discuss in details in my BLOG on 30/04 as ‘EXIT POLL’. On first phase—Mr. Adhikary claimed it is  advantage++ to BJP in Bengal; though,sitting CM claimed her party is on the way to win.

Murmur from  Tamil Nadu is also similar. Assam will remain with Mr. Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Campaigning for the second and final phase of assembly elections will be  in full swing in West Bengal from today.

A one-day special session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly will be held today. The Assembly’s In-charge Secretary, Poonam Sinha, has issued the agenda for the session. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary will move a motion of confidence in the House. The trust vote will determine whether the government enjoys the required majority support.

*Iran Seized India-Bound Ship Amid US Ceasefire Extension*:  Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has released visuals showing the interception and seizure of two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the India-bound Epaminondas and the MSC Francesca. The footage depicts speedboats flying Iranian flags approaching the ships, followed by soldiers wearing face masks and carrying rifles climbing aboard.

In Manipur, the State-level Khongjom Day was observed yesterday at the Khongjom War Memorial Khebaching, Khongjom, in the Thoubal district, paying rich tributes to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the motherland, Manipur, during the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891.

India has reinforced its border security with a four-layer integrated air defense system following last year’s Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. The  upgraded shield combines advanced systems such as Barak-8, S-400, and indigenous interceptors under the Sudarshan program to counter drones, missiles, and aircraft.

India has officially emerged as the world’s third-largest renewable energy market, according to IRENA’s 2026 statistics covering data up to December 2025.This milestone sees India surpass Brazil and now trail only China and the United States in total installed renewable energy capacity.

France grants visa free transit for Indian nationals through French airports; India Welcomes the move.

IRAN WAR:(Tehran Times, Israel Times, Washington Post, Al-Jazeera)

HORMUZ: Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz as it tightened its grip on the strategic waterway. The US and Iran are operating in “an awkward space, where the law doesn’t give them  a clean yes-or-no answer for their actions”.  “One thing is clear: that if the naval blockade is in place, Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” a specialist added. “And secondly, Tehran will try to break the naval blockade, if necessary, by force.”

The United States military has intercepted at least three Iranian‑flagged oil tankers in Asian waters, according to shipping and security sources. These vessels were redirected away from positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka as part of Washington’s ongoing blockade against Iranian maritime trade.

QATAR: EMIR extended brotherly hands to IRAN, or so it is reported. What will happen to American war assets planted there?

IRAN: Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister, as well as Iran’s ambassador stated, “the continuation of the naval blockade by USA has  negative effect to move forward with any kind of negotiation and talks”.

There is also a message from Araghchi calling the blockade on Iran an act of war and an act of piracy.

Iran’s military commander says it would immediately strike at “pre-designated targets” if the US launches any new attack.

ISRAEL—LEBANON TALKS: Yechiel Leiter, Israel's Ambassador to the United States, was quoted telling the Lebanese people: "We want to live with you in peace and harmony, we have no interest in your land, only in our security". He also expressed hope that next year their country would join the Abraham Accords.

For Israel, “peace and normalization” depend on the threat of Hezbollah, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said. A senior member of Hezbollah’s political council told the Associated Press the group would not abide by agreements reached in the Israel-Lebanon talks.

Lebanon remains divided over the best way to end the conflict with Israel, with some backing Hezbollah’s armed response.

TRUMP’s Dilemma: Trump’s dilemma is : “How to translate the degradation of Iran’s military assets into political concessions. Small strikes will not change Tehran’s calculations, while a massive bombing campaign risks a broader and longer war that Trump is trying to avoid.” 

WORLD: (REUTER, AP, AFP, BLOOMBERG, CNN, WP)

King Charles is heading to the US next week, on a mission to shore up the future of the two allies' "special relationship" which the Iran war has plunged to NADIR over 70 years.

A veteran leader of Russia's Communist Party has warned parliament that the country's faltering economy risks stoking a revolution and that the government needs to take urgent measures to correct ‌its course.

Demand for rooftop solar systems across Europe has surged since the start of the Iran war, as households rush to shield themselves from soaring power prices triggered by the worst global energy disruption in history.

Germany released its first national security strategy since World War II yesterday. In it, the country pledged to take more responsibility for Europe’s defense and called Russia the “greatest immediate threat for freedom and security” in Germany and the Euro-Atlantic region.

Despite the repairs, Russia will block the flow of oil from Kazakhstan in a portion of the Druzhba pipeline that supplies a major German refinery serving Berlin and the surrounding area, the German government said yesterday.

Prices for the most commonly used shipping lanes in the Panama canal have reached record highs as companies look for alternatives to Middle East shipping routes.

 A U.S. official told Eritrean officials the United States plans to lift sanctions on the country as part of a rapprochement in relations, unnamed current and former U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal. Eritrea’s Red Sea coastline offers strategic access to a different Middle East oil shipping route than the Strait of Hormuz.

 OUR HERITAGE:

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has started the important conservation operation at the Konark Sun Temple which is the UNESCO World Heritage Site. This project involves the drilling of the controlled passage into the temple’s Jagamohan which is known as the assembly hall to remove the sand which was filled by the Britishers over a century ago.

MISHAPS:

In Uttarakhand’s Tehri district, a tragic accident occurred yesterday in the Chamba police station area on the Chamba-Koti Nail road when a vehicle fell into a deep gorge, resulting in the death of eight people on board. Three individuals were rescued alive from the accident site and are sent to the District hospital for treatment.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY:

Noida-based Indian Robotics Solution has achieved a significant milestone by delivering more than 150 indigenously developed Chetak Kamikaze FPV drones to the Indian Army. This delivery underscores the growing role of Indian start-ups in strengthening the country’s defence ecosystem through innovation and indigenous technology.

CLIMATE:

India Meteorological Department has forecast a yellow alert for heat wave conditions in parts over Delhi, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha. Places over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Sub Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim are likely to experience heavy rainfall today.

CRIME & PUNISHMENT:

The International Criminal Court (ICC) said today that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will stand trial for alleged crimes against humanity committed between 2011 and 2019.

GAMES & SPORTS: -

India’s young shooters won one gold and one bronze medal yesterday in the ISSF Junior Shooting World Cup at Cairo in Egypt. In the Women’s 50 metre rifle three positions event, Prachi Gaikwad clinched the gold medal. Meanwhile, in the Men’s category, Naren Pranav Vanita Suresh bagged the bronze medal in the 10 metre rifle event. India is leading the medal tally with two gold, four silver, and three bronze medals.

JOY HO!

DAS KAPITAL:

Indian Share Market: -

*BSE SENSEX* 77,664.00 −852.49 (1.09%)🔻

*NIFTY* 24,173.05 −205.05 (0.84%)🔻

BULLIONS:

*GOLD* : ₹ 15,600/ 01gm (24 krt)

*SILVER* : ₹ 2,65,000/KG

Currency Exchange Rates:

*Euro* : ₹107/-*USD*  ₹ 92/-  *China¥* : ₹ 13/-

WHAT IS NEXT:

Today, EU leaders begin an informal meeting in Cyprus.

Today, Pope Leo concludes a tour of Africa in Equatorial Guinea.

Tomorrow, French President Emmanuel Macron begins a trip to Greece.

INVESTMENT  GUIDE 2026-27:

BUY SILVER ETF NOW—I HAVE BOUGHT. Reason for fall—Gulf War.

BUY SHARES OF HDFC BANK. At 780+,  It has reached a support, and probably bottomed out, I consider it is a good buy now. I have bought. Reason for fall- Benign Corporate Problem.

I have bought also Floating Rate RBI BOND—@8.04%+. I have an account with RBI. The interest is Taxable—but much better than Bank FD, and secure. It has a lock in period up to 2033. Interest is paid twice in a Year. More that 15% of my estate is invested with RBI.

 

THE END.