A European Union petition is on track to trigger a formal review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Israel’s alliance with the European Union is among its most important. But it’s coming under pressure not seen before – from some of its staunchest allies, as the Iran war causes huge political difficulties.
Brussels has condemned Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank are de facto annexation. And Italian leader Giorgia Meloni has scrapped a defence cooperation pact with Israel.
Meanwhile, a petition with more than a million signatures of EU citizens will formally trigger a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a vital trade framework.
Why does this alliance seem to be on rockier ground than ever, and what are the implications?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Barry Andrews – European Parliament member
Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff – Former EU ambassador to the occupied Palestinian territories
Eve Geddie – Director of the European Institutions Office at Amnesty International
As Nepal celebrates its Navo Varsha on Tuesday, actress Manisha Koirala expressed her happiness and said that she loves ringing in New Years with people she admires.
Manisha posted a photograph on Instagram from her New Year celebrations with friends and family.
She wrote in the caption: “Love ringing in new years #2083 with people I admire and cherish.. missing few of my other loved ones..may this new year bring heaps of joy to everyone…”
The Nepali New Year is being celebrated on April 14, 2026, marking the first day of Baisakh 2083 in the Vikram Samvat calendar.
Talking about Manisha, a Nepalese actress working in Indian films, predominantly in Hindi and some Tamil films, was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, a period drama television series released in 2024. Since then, the actress has been away from the screens.
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, the show marked Bhansali’s debut on the web space. With grand and beautiful sets and costumes, the show was set in the red-light district of Heera Mandi in Lahore during the Indian independence movement.
It traced the lives of tawaifs and their intersection with political and personal struggles under British colonial rule.
The cast also includes Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmin Segal, and Taha Shah Badussha.
In films, she was last seen in Shehzada directed by Rohit Dhawan. A remake of the Telugu film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, the film also stars Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Paresh Rawal, Manisha Koirala and Ronit Roy.
The 54-year-old actress is one of the most popular and highest-paid actresses of her time. She made her acting debut with the Nepali film Pheri Bhetaula in 1989, and later debuted in Indian cinema with the Hindi drama Saudagar in 1991.
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The Lucknow Super Giants were all out for just 146 runs in their 20 overs against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The away team could not get going throughout their innings as they lost wickets constantly.
Mitch Marsh and Aiden Markram both departed early, failing to give LSG a quick start in the powerplay. Later, the visitors suffered a big setback as captain Rishabh Pant was taken off due to an injury to his elbow. The Indian star batter, who later returned to bat, was dismissed for just 1 run.
Ayush Badoni was LSG`s best batter as he scored 38 runs in 24 balls. He was well supported by Mukul Choudhary, who scored 39 runs in 28 balls. Apart from these two batters, it was a sorry scorecard for LSG, who will be disappointed by their batting performance.
For RCB, Rasikh Dar was the star with the ball as he took 4/24 in his four overs. He was well supported by Krunal Pandya, who took 2 wickets and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took 3 wickets. Josh Hazlewood was brilliant too, taking 1/20 in four overs.
RCB will be the favourites to chase the total and get another victory in the IPL 2026. The hosts are one of the in-form teams in the league and have beaten the Mumbai Indians in the last match.
Virat Kohli will open the innings as the impact player along with Phil Salt for the defending champions.
For LSG, defending this total will be a difficult task given the strong RCB batting line-up. The visitors will hope for a miracle from their bowlers and will have to take early wickets in the powerplay to stand a chance of winning the match. LSG have won just 2 matches this season.
Confirmed Playing XI for both teams:
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar
Before he became an undercover spy alongside Ranveer Singh in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar (2025) and Dhurandhar The Revenge, actor Mustafa Ahmed began his journey in the industry as a celebrity trainer. Speaking of his star clients, Mustafa says, “All of them are foodies. Right from Hrithik Roshan. He can eat! I’ve seen him eat 13-14 ghee waali chapatis and he only stopped eating because the next chapati took time to be brought to him. He’s an absolute foodie.” Talking about Vicky Kaushal, who Mustafa was going to train for Ashwatthama, the trainer reveals, “Vicky Kaushal can eat a brick and digest it. I don’t know what kind of metabolism he has. It’s so difficult to make him put on weight or put on muscle. You know, Vicky can just eat anything and just digest it.”
Hrithik Roshan, Mustafa Ahmed and Vicky Kaushal
“Yami Gautam loves her chai and ghar ka khana. I can tell you that when it comes to Nutella, Ranveer Singh can sniff it out. He will just go and find where Nutella is,” says the trainer-turned-actor. But Ranveer’s foodie side helped him gain the weight that Hamza’s character required in Dhurandhar. Mustafa shares, “It was Aditya sir’s instruction that Ranveer has to look like a beast in Dhurandhar, but he cannot be stiff. We had a very short period of time before shooting began and Ranveer was only 75-76 kgs. On the first shoot day, he was 87 kgs. We had to eat a lot!”
He further adds, “Ranveer is a treat to train. The world knows of his energy. He enjoys weight training. In Ranveer’s words, ‘Sir, loha todte hain.’ Two training sessions a day, for about four to five weeks. That’s how we got Ranveer to look like a man who can rip a person apart with his hand.”
Talking about his bond with Aditya Dhar, Mustafa shares, “I actually have been training a lot of artists in Aditya sir’s projects. I trained Manav Kaul, I trained Yami Gautam. I was initially hired to train Vicky for Ashwatthama, that got shelved. That’s how my relationship with him started. And then of course, over the years, I expressed to him that I was a very big fan of his work, Uri is one of my all-time favourite movies. And I asked him if there was ever an opportunity where I can maybe just even hold a gun and stand in a frame somewhere, I’d be very happy. I think he probably saw something, he saw that I probably can act.”
On 2 April 2026, India’s ten-year government bond yields hit 7.12%—the highest in nearly two years. The bond yields have been hardening since June 2025, when the RBI cut the repo rate by 50 basis points in its MPC meeting. With the G-Secs crossing 7%, should you invest in fixed income? In this article, we will understand why the bond yields have risen, whether it is a good time to invest in fixed income, and which fixed income products you should invest in.
Goldman Sachs had estimated the inclusion of India government bonds into the Bloomberg Global Bond Index could bring $10 to $20 billion of inflows into the Indian debt market. (AFP)
Why are the bond yields rising?
In the last two years, the yields on the 10-year government bonds have fallen and risen again. In April 2024, the yields were around 7.22%. When the RBI began cutting the repo rate, yields started falling and bottomed out at around 6.2% in June 2025. In its June 2025 MPC meeting, the RBI announced a 50 basis points cut in the repo rate. The market took that as either the end of the rate-cutting cycle or a long pause.
Post the meeting announcement, the 10-year G-sec yields started rising. Some of the reasons for the rise in G-secs yields include higher borrowing by the Central and State Governments, delay in the inclusion of Indian G-secs in Bloomberg global bond indices, selling of Indian G-secs by FPIs, an increase in yields on US treasury bonds, etc.
With the US-Iran War, oil prices have spiked. It has led to pressure on India’s balance of payments, fiscal deficit, Indian Rupee, etc. The market fears that the fiscal deficit may increase due to higher crude oil prices, costlier imports due to INR depreciation, a cut in excise duty, etc.
All the above factors have raised fears of an increase in inflation and pressure on 10-year G-secs, leading to higher yields. In early April, yields crossed the 7.00% mark, topping out at 7.12% before cooling off to some extent. India is not alone in G-secs yields going up. It is a global phenomenon, with G-secs yields going up in the US, Europe and many other countries.
Should you invest in fixed income?
Higher yields on fixed-income instruments like G-secs and corporate bonds offer investors an opportunity to benefit from them. Investors can consider adopting the accrual strategy.
With an accrual strategy, investors can consider allocating some funds to shorter tenure bonds of 1 to 3 years, hold them till maturity, and benefit from higher interest rates. The shorter tenure instruments are less sensitive to interest rate movements.
Investors can consider a combination of Government bonds, high-quality AAA-rated corporate bonds, and some exposure to AA/A rated corporate bonds. While G-secs yields are in the 6.95% to 7.05% range, AAA-rated corporate bonds are offering yields in the 7.50% to 7.75% range.
If an individual wants to invest through mutual funds, they can choose from a short-term fund, a medium-term fund, a dynamic bond fund, a corporate bond fund, or a banking and PSU debt fund, etc. It is best to consult a financial advisor who can analyse your needs and accordingly recommend a suitable fund.
For a long-term investment tenure, an individual can consider G-secs, corporate bonds with a tenure of 5 years or more. If an individual wants to invest through mutual funds, they can consider a gilt fund.
G-secs or corporate bonds with a longer tenure are sensitive to interest rate changes. When interest rates rise, the bond prices fall, and vice versa. The longer the bond tenure, the more the sensitivity to interest rates. Currently, yields are rising, and as a result, the bond prices are falling.
If you invest in G-secs, corporate bonds, gilt fund, etc., you will benefit from the higher coupon payments. But if yields continue to rise, you will face notional losses due to a fall in the bond prices. However, once yields stabilise and fall, the notional losses will be reversed, and you will make a profit.
Will the RBI hike interest rates?
Whether the RBI will hike interest rates or not depends on how inflation behaves. In the April 2026 Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, the RBI kept interest rates unchanged. In Financial Year 2026-27, the RBI expects the inflation rate to average 4.6%, with the quarterly projection as follows.
Quarter
Inflation projection
Quarter 1
4.0%
Quarter 2
4.4%
Quarter 3
5.2%
Quarter 4
4.7%
The table above shows that the RBI expects the inflation rate to accelerate from 4% in the first quarter to 5.2% in the third quarter before cooling to 4.7% in the fourth quarter. However, the inflation rate is within the RBI’s target range of 4% with a +/-2% tolerance band. So, if inflation stays within the target range, there will be no need for the RBI to hike interest rates.
The RBI mentioned that the US-Iran War and the resulting volatility in crude oil and metal prices need to be watched for their impact on inflation. The RBI also mentioned the possibility of El Nino conditions and their adverse impact on the monsoon. A below average monsoon or its uneven distribution can adversely impact food production & prices, and stoke inflation. So, the impact of crude oil prices, a depreciating currency, adverse monsoon, etc., on inflation needs to be watched. Any RBI action on interest rates will depend on how inflation behaves: whether it rises, by how much, and stays higher for how long.
What should be the fixed income strategy?
Currently, G-secs yields have risen, crossing 7%, which are attractive. To benefit from the higher yields, an investor can consider an accrual strategy and invest in short-term instruments with a tenure of up to 3 years.
Jokes by stand-up comedian Anudeep Katikala during a recent set have landed him in legal trouble after backlash on social media. Despite posting an apology video, Kakinada police picked up the comedian in Prayagraj and detained him after a worker from Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party (JSP) filed an FIR. In his set, Anudeep had also cracked jokes on Niharika Konidela, Ram Charan, and other Tollywood celebrities.
Anudeep Katikala received flak for cracking jokes on Pawan Kalyan and his family members.
Anudeep Katikala detained by AP police
The Wire reported that Anudeep was detained by the AP police around 7 PM on April 14. An FIR was registered against him at the Kakinada I Town police station at 1.15 PM on April 11. A written complaint was filed by 51-year-old Bade Venkata Krishna, who stated in the complaint that he served as a JSP worker since 2014 and was the Joint Secretary of the East Godavari District JSP since 2022.
The complaint alleges that Anudeep targeted Pawan and his family members, damaging their reputation with sarcasm and vulgar language, and spreading false information to disrupt peace and incite enmity. The report states that the police action legally constitutes a detention and not a formal arrest yet. Now, Anudeep faces charges under Sections 356(2), 353(2), 79 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), and Section 67 of the IT Act.
Who is Anudeep Katikala?
Anudeep is an IIT Bombay graduate and the founder of Hyderabad-based Silly South Comedy Club. He recently performed a set about Tollywood. The performance had referenced members of the Mega family, led by Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan’s elder brother and Ram Charan’s father.
“One thing I learnt from Pawan Kalyan is how to divorce your wife. All men should learn it,” he joked in a viral video, referencing the Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and actor’s three marriages. He suggested that Pawan’s divorced niece, Niharika Konidela, could take his advice as the actor-politician had gotten divorced twice and was ‘experienced’.
Anudeep also joked about Ram being a ‘feminist’ as his wife, Upasana Konidela, was supposedly wealthier than him. He once also used a Telugu expletive to describe men who earn less than their wives. The stand-up comedian had also cracked jokes on Balakrishna, Mahesh Babu, Jr NTR and others in his sets, apart from making fun of their fans’ behaviour.
Apology video following backlash
As clips from the set went viral, fans began demanding an apology from Anudeep for hurting sentiments. JSP leaders also began threatening legal action. Anudeep posted a video on his YouTube, in which he said, “I apologise for any feelings hurt. This was never my intention. The whole intention of the video was to question toxic fan culture, and we have seen proof of that this weekend. The way they attacked my friends mercilessly wasn’t okay, and I wasn’t there in Hyderabad. If not, I would’ve faced you guys. It was not my intention to cause anyone harm. I hope we can move past this. I apologise to the individuals mentioned in the video.”
Stand-up comedians stand in support of Anudeep
After news of Anudeep’s detention, the Silly South Comedy Club has posted numerous videos by comedians standing in his support. Vivek Muralidharan sarcastically says, “Anudeep was in Prayagraj with his family for family business, and Kakinada police went all the way to Prayagraj, and they have arrested him for making jokes about Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan. Jai Hind!” Sarat Uday Boddeda, Sravanthi Basa, Dr John Paul, and others also made videos on it.
Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel, India’s T20 World Cup-winning players have been added to the National Anti-Doping Agency’s (NADA) Registered Testing Pool (RTP) for the second quarter of the year 2026, replacing Smriti Mandhana and Shreyas Iyer in the updated list.NADA is India’s apex anti-doping body, responsible for promoting, coordinating, and monitoring the fight against doping in sports. It functions in line with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code and ensures that athletes compete in a clean and fair environment. As part of its responsibilities, NADA conducts dope testing, manages results, and enforces sanctions in cases of violations.
The RTP is a crucial component of this system. It includes elite athletes who are required to regularly submit their whereabouts, including details of their location and training schedules, so they can be tested at any time, both in and out of competition. Athletes must be available for testing during a specified one-hour window each day, and three failures to comply with these requirements can be treated as a doping violation.The latest RTP list comprises 348 athletes across disciplines. The cricket contingent remains largely unchanged, featuring prominent names such as Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Arshdeep Singh, and Tilak Varma. From the women’s team, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, and Renuka Singh Thakur continue to be included. In total, 14 cricketers feature in the pool.Athletics continues to dominate the RTP, with its representation increasing from 118 to 134 athletes. Key names include steeplechaser Avinash Sable, hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, and sprinter Animesh Kujur. Long jumpers Shaili Singh and M Sreeshankar, along with discus thrower Tajinderpal Singh Toor, are also part of the list.Other sports are well represented as well. Archery includes Deepika Kumari, Rakesh Kumar, and para-archer Sheetal Devi. Hockey players such as Manpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Hardik Singh, Salima Tete, Savita Punia, and Navneet Kaur have been listed.
Poll
Do you support the inclusion of more athletes in the NADA Registered Testing Pool?
The badminton contingent features eight players, including PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and Gayatri Gopichand. Boxing has 22 athletes, with notable names such as Nikhat Zareen, Nishant Dev, Jaismine Lamboria, and Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain. Wrestling also forms a significant chunk with 31 athletes, including Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat.The updated RTP reflects NADA’s continued focus on maintaining transparency and integrity in Indian sport by closely monitoring top athletes across disciplines.
Gulshan Grover, who is currently promoting his upcoming series Matka King, believes that cinema is witnessing a full-circle moment—with trends, characters and storytelling styles from the past making a strong comeback. The actor also shared a recent anecdote from a dinner with industry veterans, including Shatrughan Sinha, Rakesh Roshan and Shashi Ranjan. He further revealed how Sinha even imagined him in Akshaye Khanna’s Rehman Dakait’s role in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar.
Gulshan Grover, who is currently promoting his upcoming series Matka King, believes that cinema is witnessing a full-circle moment—with trends, characters and storytelling styles from the past making a strong comeback.Speaking about how older trends are resurfacing, Grover pointed out that nostalgia is shaping both fashion and films today.“We are wearing bell-bottoms these days — it’s all coming back. So many wonderful songs are coming back as remakes. Performances are coming back,” he told India Today.
Recalls Shatrughan Sinha’s Dhurandhar remark
The actor also shared a recent anecdote from a dinner with industry veterans, including Shatrughan Sinha, Rakesh Roshan and Shashi Ranjan.“Two days back, Shatrughan Sinha was there, who has played anti-hero, strong, powerful characters, Rakesh Roshan, Shashi Ranjan — we were having dinner. So, I walked in late, and he (Sinha) said, ‘I saw Dhurandhar. Gulshan Grover, that was a film in which you should have been there’,” Grover said.He further revealed how Sinha even imagined him in a key role.“He (Sinha) even said how wonderful it would have been if I had played Rehman Dakait, Akshaye Khanna’s role. So, I said, even I agree with that. The public also agrees.”
‘Those era characters are back’
Using Dhurandhar as a reference point, Grover emphasised how elements from older cinema are making a comeback.“I am giving this reference of how many of those era-looking characters are back. Even some of the settings, the drums, and all that used to be in every movie, are back. It was the time, and it was showing no progress,” the actor added.
Watch
Dhurandhar Actor Exposes On-Set Divide: Akshaye Khanna Stayed Distant While Ranveer Held Back
Dhurandhar franchise sets new box office benchmark
Directed by Aditya Dhar, the Dhurandhar franchise—fronted by Ranveer Singh—has created history at the global box office. The two films, Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge, have collectively crossed the Rs 3000 crore mark worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film franchise to date.The combined global collection now stands at over Rs 3019 crore, surpassing the previous benchmark set by S. S. Rajamouli’s Baahubali series, which earned Rs 2438 crore globally. Other major franchises like Pushpa, led by Allu Arjun, and Prashanth Neel’s KGF, starring Yash, follow behind with Rs 2221 crore and Rs 1453 crore respectively. The films also feature an ensemble cast including Arjun Rampal, R Madhavan, Rakesh Bedi, Danish Pandor and Gaurav Gera.With Dhurandhar: The Revenge still running in theatres, the franchise’s total is expected to climb further—cementing its position at the top of the Indian box office.
R Vaishali soaked in a deeply emotional moment with her family after winning the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament in Cyprus on Wednesday, April 15. Becoming the first Indian to claim the title, she not only scripted history but also earned a shot at the World Championship later this year.
Her brother R Praggnanandhaa and mother Nagalakshmi rushed to her, applauding with pride and emotion as Vaishali took it all in. Amid smiles and claps, the family shared a heartfelt celebration, one that reflected years of belief and an unforgettable triumph.
For R Praggnanandhaa, the celebrations carried a bittersweet note after a challenging campaign that saw him slip out of contention despite a promising start.
Following an opening-round win over Anish Giri, he struggled to build momentum, suffering key defeats—including one against Javokhir Sindarov—and endured an 11-game winless run, leaving him near the bottom of the standings with five points after 12 rounds.
Vaishali also revealed what her brother Praggnanandhaa told her about a key moment in the game. “I just met him briefly. He said, ‘after c4, I felt fine.’ That’s the only thing he said,” Vaishali shared.
R Vaishali’s journey to the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament title was a story of resilience and quiet consistency rather than early dominance. After five rounds of the 14-round event, she found herself near the bottom of the standings alongside Divya Deshmukh and Tan Zhongyi, far from the frontrunners.
What followed was a steady rebuild. Vaishali stitched together a series of composed performances, capitalising on others’ slip-ups while ensuring she stayed within touching distance. By the final round, the race had narrowed to a three-way contest, with Vaishali tied at the top with Bibisara Assaubayeva, while Zhu Jiner trailed closely.
The final-day equation was clear. Facing Kateryna Lagno with the white pieces, Vaishali needed to match Assaubayeva’s result. Help came from the adjacent board, where Divya held Assaubayeva to a crucial draw, keeping the title within Vaishali’s grasp.
She ensured there were no slip-ups. In a calm, controlled display, Vaishali outplayed Lagno to secure the full point and seal the title. Her campaign was defined by balance—key wins over Lagno, Aleksandra Goryachkina and Tan, along with crucial draws against experienced players like Anna Muzychuk.
Despite two losses to Zhu Jiner, Vaishali responded with composure each time. From being an early outsider to outlasting a field of seasoned contenders, her triumph stands out as a testament to patience, nerve and consistency under pressure.
