New Delhi: Amid outrage over the latest Israeli attacks on Lebanon, India on Friday expressed deep concern over the large number of civilian casualties in air strikes following the two-week US-Iran ceasefire announced on Wednesday. According to reports from the area, more than 300 people were killed in the attacks. As a troop-contributing country to the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is invested in the peace and security of Lebanon, the turn of events is deeply troubling, the Foreign Ministry said in response to media queries. The ministry did not take the name of Israel. The ceasefire has come under strain due to confusion over whether the agreement includes Lebanon. While Israel says this is not the case, Iran has called the attacks a flagrant violation of the agreement. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “India has always given importance to the security of civilians as the highest priority. It is essential to follow international law and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.” He said the Indian Embassy in Lebanon is in close touch with the Indian community for their safety. India welcomed the temporary ceasefire and expressed hope that it would facilitate freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and bring lasting peace in the region. Pakistan seemed ready to host talks between the US and Iran on Saturday to secure a ceasefire, which remains fragile at the moment. While visiting Pakistan, US Vice President JD Vance said he was looking forward to talks which he felt would be positive. However, he warned Tehran not to “play” the US. Vance said, “As the US President said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly willing to extend an open hand. If they try to play along with us, they will find that the negotiating team is not as receptive.” Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel is ready to start talks with Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and establish peaceful relations.

New Delhi: Waterlogged hotspots around central Delhi such as ITO, Daryaganj, Kashmere Gate and surrounding areas are likely to get major relief this monsoon as the Delhi Gate drain, covered for almost 40 years, is being opened for the first time to allow deep cleaning and restore the flow capacity.There were major floods in these areas in 2023.Irrigation and flood control minister Parvesh Verma said, “We are fixing long pending bottlenecks so that places like ITO do not have to face floods this year.” He said that the work is being closely monitored.“The Delhi Gate drain, which was covered with slabs for almost 40 years, is now being opened for complete cleaning,” he said.For decades, he said, the structure had severely restricted proper silt removal, leading to frequent waterlogging of nearby areas. “For the first time in four decades, the slab is being broken to allow full access to the drain, enabling deep cleaning and restoration of its carrying capacity.”This drain, which originates in Daryaganj and runs for about 2.5 km before joining the Yamuna, is an important channel supplying the dense, flood-prone area of ​​central Delhi.For decades, about 400 meters of the drain passing through Samta Sthal Park was covered with concrete slabs, supported by pillars and beams, making proper desilting almost impossible, a senior official said. This led to the accumulation of large amounts of silt, which severely limited the carrying capacity of the drain and led to frequent waterlogging of the surrounding areas.This year, officials have started breaking the slab to access the blocked portion. Heavy machines are being installed to remove the silt that has accumulated over decades.According to the Irrigation and Flood Control (IFC) department, the desilting work from Delhi Gate drain is already more than 70% complete and more than 21,000 metric tonnes of silt has been removed. Work is also underway on the remaining stretches, including the area near Gandhi Darshan and the area under the flyover.Officials said it is important to restore the carrying capacity of this drain to prevent water logging in ITO, Feroze Shah Road, Jama Masjid, near Supreme Court and adjacent areas, which regularly face traffic disruption during heavy rains.In the July 2023 flood, the Yamuna rose to a historic high of 208.66 metres, breaching embankments and submerging large parts of the city. Areas like ITO, Supreme Court, Kashmiri Gate, Civil Lines and Mayur Vihar were most affected. More than 23,000 people were evacuated as flood waters entered homes and commercial areas.Officials said that while river flooding was the primary trigger, inadequate drainage has worsened the situation. “When major drains like Delhi Gate get clogged, storm water has no place to go, leading to severe waterlogging even in moderate rains,” an official said.The department said that along with Delhi Gate, desilting work from Barapula drain is also going on at a fast pace, of which about 78% of the work has been completed and more than 31,000 metric tonnes of silt has been cleared.Across Delhi, almost half of the 77 IFC drains identified so far have been desilted, and more than 14 lakh metric tonnes of silt has been removed against the target of 28 lakh metric tonnes.

Alex Jones (Image via Getty)

The situation became tense on April 9, 2026, when Alex Jones reacted strongly to US President Donald Trump’s latest comments. The comments came after Trump publicly called out several conservative voices, including Jones, during a post on his platform Truth Social. The reaction quickly spread online, especially after Jones shared a video on X explaining how he felt about it.In that video, Jones seemed more disappointed than angry. He told the audience that Trump “attacked me and all the original MAGA supporters today.” He also said, “I’m so sad that whatever happened to him has completely changed the man he once was.” His reaction gave a clear feeling that this was not just a political disagreement, but something more personal, especially given his past support for Trump.

Alex Jones questions Donald Trump’s recent statements and expresses concern over Melania Trump’s comments

The issue began when Donald Trump criticized Jones as well as voices like Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly and Tucker Carlson. They questioned his credibility and rejected his opinions. His post included strong words, saying, “They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it too.”Jones connected this moment to something else that had happened just hours earlier. According to him, Melania Trump had spoken publicly about the Jeffrey Epstein case and supported further investigation. Jones noted a clear difference in tone between the two.“Obviously Trump didn’t know,” Jones said in his video. “She said she supports a full investigation by Congress into the Epstein case. Trump says, ‘Epstein is a fraud.'”From there, Jones escalated his concerns. “Trump has big problems, folks, and I’m very concerned about this country and the world,” he said. He also talked about his past support, making it clear that he once believed in Trump’s leadership.He said, “I supported the old Trump and got many good works done.” But now his tone has changed. He added, “At the end of the day, I just feel sorry for him.”Jones even said that he could no longer remain silent. “I have to come out against it. It’s that simple,” he explained. He also questioned Trump’s direction on global affairs, especially tensions in the Middle East.Despite everything, Jones said he still wanted to be honest with his audience. “This is a terrible day and it’s a nightmare for America and the world, but I will tell the truth and report the facts, no matter what they are.”

The reconnaissance exercise, which began on October 27 last year, was completed after 166 days of extensive fieldwork

Agra: : The Agra district administration on Friday published the final voter list for all assembly constituencies of Agra after completing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-2026 exercise, in which over 29.6 lakh voters are listed and over six lakh names have been deleted. District Magistrate Arvind Mallappa Bangari released the final voter list in the Collectorate Auditorium in the presence of representatives of various political parties.Officials said the voter list will be available free of cost for public inspection at all polling stations from April 10 to April 17. Copies have also been made available in the offices of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant EROs and District Election Office.The district now has a total of 29.6 lakh registered voters, which includes 16.2 lakh male voters, 13.4 lakh female voters and 82 third gender voters. Sources told TOI that more than 6 lakh names were removed from the list after the revision exercise.Providing constituency-wise details, the DM said 4.2 lakh in Etmadpur (86), 3.3 lakh in Agra Cantonment (SC) (87), 2.7 lakh in Agra South (88), 3.3 lakh in Agra North (89), 3.7 lakh in Agra Rural (SC) (90), 3.3 lakh in Fatehpur Sikri (91), Kheragarh There are 3 lakh voters in (92), 3.3 lakh voters in Fatehabad. There are 2.9 lakh voters in (93) and 2.9 lakh voters in Bah (94).Additional District Magistrate (City) and Deputy District Returning Officer Yamunadhar Chauhan said booth level officers (BLOs) will be present at their respective polling stations for a week to facilitate public verification. “If any voter’s name is missing, they can apply for inclusion of name by submitting Form 6 offline or through the online portal of the Election Commission,” Chauhan said.He said that under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the first appeal can be filed with the District Electoral Officer within 15 days of the publication of the electoral roll, and the second appeal can be filed with the Chief Electoral Officer within 30 days of the decision.Bangari said the vetting exercise, which began on October 27 last year, was completed after 166 days of extensive fieldwork. “More than 3,900 BLOs, 394 observers, 288 assistant EROs and nine EROs participated in the exercise, along with over 13,000 booth-level agents from various political parties, ensuring accuracy and transparency,” he said.