Trump announces 50% tariffs on nations supplying Iran with weaponsU.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) warned against supplying weapons to Iran, threatening immediate 50% U.S. tariffs on any country that does so. “A country supplying Military Weapons to Iran will be immediately tariffed, on any and all goods sold to the United States of America, at 50%, effective immediately. There will be no exclusions or exemptions,” Mr. Trump said on his Truth Social platform. He also said in a separate post that his administration is “talking Tariff and Sanctions relief with Iran,” several hours after he announced a temporary ceasefire with Tehran.ECI-TMC meet ends on bitter note; TMC alleges CEC asked delegation to ‘get lost’, MP accused of ‘shouting’The meeting between a Trinamool Congress delegation and the full bench of the Election Commission on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) culminated on an acrimonious note, with the TMC saying the panel’s chief asked them to “get lost” at the end of the seven-minute meeting, while the ECI accused them of “shouting”. After the meeting, TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien told mediapersons that they handed over letters from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and also apprised him of specific instances of poll officials having links with the BJP. “Then he said, ‘Get lost’. We have done eight to nine meetings with the Election Commission. Apart from the CEC, none of the other election commissioners spoke,” Mr. O’Brien said.Can non-devotees of Lord Ayyappa challenge customs of Sabarimala temple: Supreme Court to CentreThe Supreme Court on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) asked the Centre how persons who are not devotees of Lord Ayyappa could challenge the customs of the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The remark was made by a nine-judge Constitution bench hearing petitions related to discrimination against women at religious places, including the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, and to the ambit and scope of religious freedom practised by multiple faiths. The top court has framed seven questions on the scope of religious freedom. One of the questions was whether a person not belonging to a religious denomination or religious group can question a practice of that “religious denomination or religious group” by filing a public interest litigation. As the bench was about to rise for the day, Justice Nagarathna sought to know from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta as to who were the petitioners in the Sabarimala case.India welcomes Iran-U.S. ceasefire, stresses dialogue and diplomacyThe Indian government on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) welcomed the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan close to the deadline, calling for an early end to the conflict and for “unimpeded” trade flow through the Strait of Hormuz. In a carefully worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs did not refer directly to any of the parties in the conflict by name. Unlike other foreign ministries in other capitals, the MEA did not “thank” Pakistan for its role in mediating between both sides and for offering to host the next round of talks expected this week. “We welcome the ceasefire reached and hope that it will lead to a lasting peace in West Asia,” the MEA statement said, adding that “de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy” are essential to bring an early end to the ongoing conflict.RBI MPC keeps repo rate unchanged at 5.25%The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), after a detailed assessment of the evolving macroeconomic and financial developments and the outlook, voted unanimously to keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 5.25%. Consequently, the standing deposit facility (SDF) rate remains at 5% and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate remain at 5.50%. The MPC also decided to continue with the neutral stance. Announcing the MPC decision, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra said the outbreak of the conflict in West Asia has led to severe disruption of global supply chains. Kerala Assembly polls: ECI seeks removal of political advertisements on channels, online platformsThe Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) noted that political advertisements were appearing on channels and online platforms on the eve of the April 9 Kerala Assembly polls and sought that they be removed immediately. The instruction was circulated by the ECI’s Kerala office in an official WhatsApp group comprising media groups and journalists. “Advertisements are appearing on channels and online platforms. This is not permitted during the silence period. It is requested that these be withdrawn immediately,” the message said.Government extends bulk commercial LPG allocation to more sectorsSpurring further the availability and supply of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) to industrial sectors, the Petroleum Ministry, in a communication to States, sought that industrial units in the sectors of pharma, agriculture, uranium, metal, ceramic, foundry and aerosol, among others, also receive 70% of bulk non-domestic LPG based on their consumption assessed pre-March this year. “It is now conveyed that industrial units in the sectors of pharma, food, polymer, agriculture, packaging, paint, uranium, heavy water, steel, seed, metal, ceramic, foundry, forging, glass and aerosol, etc., shall also receive 70% of the units’ pre-March 2026 bulk non-domestic LPG consumption level subject to an overall sectoral limit of 0.2 TMT/day,” the communication read.Mamata Banerjee files nomination from Bhabanipur, sets stage for high-stakes contestWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee filed her nomination for the high-stakes Bhabanipur constituency on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) morning. The Trinamool Congress chairperson is seeking a fourth term against a formidable challenge from the Opposition. She has won from the Bhabanipur seat for the past three consecutive terms, starting in 2011 when her party had a historic win, which ended the 34-year-old Left rule in West Bengal. With outpouring party workers on both sides of the roads, Ms. Banerjee walked to the Alipur Survey building from her house in Kolkata. She was accompanied by the Kolkata Corporation Mayor and her close confidant Firhad Hakim. Tweets by journalist Rana Ayyub derogatory and communal: Delhi High CourtThe Delhi High Court on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) termed certain tweets by journalist Rana Ayyub “highly derogatory, inflammatory and communal” as it sought her stand on a petition seeking removal of the allegedly objectionable content from social media. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who was hearing a lawyer’s petition alleging that Ms. Ayyub’s tweets insulted Hindu Deities and “revered historical figures”, observed that even an FIR was also directed to be registered against her in relation to the tweets and called upon the Centre, Delhi Police and X to “work in tandem” and “do the needful in 24 hours”.Goa nightclub fire: Luthra brothers granted bail, set to walk out of jailA Goa court on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) granted bail to Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra, owners of fire-ravaged nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane, in a forgery case, paving the way for their release from jail. The brothers had earlier secured bail in a case related to the devastating blaze of last December that left 25 dead. Advocate Parag Rao, representing the Luthras, told reporters that Judicial Magistrate First Class (Mapusa) Jude Sequeira granted regular bail to the accused in the forgery case. With this verdict, Mr. Rao said, the brothers will be released from jail.Russia says it welcomes Iran ceasefire, hopes U.S. will now resume Ukraine talksThe Kremlin on Wednesday (April 8, 206) welcomed a two-week ​ceasefire agreed between the United States and ‌Iran and said Russia hopes ​that the U.S. will ⁠now have the time and scope to resume three-way peace talks on Ukraine. In a ‌call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “We received the ‌news of a truce with ‌satisfaction. ⁠We welcome the decision not ⁠to proceed further down the path of armed escalation.” Asked about whether the Iran ceasefire may ​facilitate fresh talks on ‌Ukraine, Mr. Peskov said, “We hope that, in the foreseeable future, the U.S. will have more time and greater opportunity to ‌meet in a trilateral format,” ​referring to talks held between Russia, Ukraine and the U.S.Thailand confirms three deaths from vessel attacked in Strait of HormuzThe three ​crewmen on ⁠the Thai-flagged vessel that was attacked in the Strait ‌of Hormuz last month have died, Foreign ‌Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said ‌at ⁠a press conference ⁠on Wednesday (April 8, 2026). Thailand said 20 crew members were rescued by ​the Omani ‌navy after the attack, which caused an explosion in the stern ‌of the ship and a ​fire in the engine room. Mr. Sihasak said ⁠he would travel to Oman in mid-April ‌to seek assistance in coordinating with Iran to secure safe passage for nine Thai ships that are still ‌stranded in the Strait ​of Hormuz.China’s Foreign Minister to visit North Korea between April 9 and 10China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit North Korea over April 9-10, his Ministry said on Wednesday (April 8, 2026), ‌signalling efforts by the East Asian neighbours to revitalise ties that chilled after ⁠the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Wang’s last publicly known visit to North Korea as China’s Foreign Minister was in late 2019, following reciprocal visits by the two countries’ top ‌leaders earlier that year. “China is willing ‌to ⁠strengthen strategic communication with North Korea and ⁠enhance exchanges and cooperation,” a Chinese ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said during a regular press conference.