Kerala High Court initiates suo motu contempt action over hartal by Dalit, Adivasi groupsThe Kerala High Court has initiated a suo motu contempt of court action on Tuesday (April 28, 2026) hartal called by Dalit and Adivasi organisations in connection with the death of BDS student Nithin and directed the DGP (Law and Order) to submit a report by the same day evening on the alleged violent incidents and traffic hold-ups in different districts. The court has also issued notice to those who gave a call for the hartal. The court had, in multiple judgments, earlier held that loss or damage to members of the public and to the government during hartals and strikes would be deemed as illegal and unconstitutional and would invite contempt action.U.S. says examining latest Iran proposal on Strait of HormuzThe White House said it was examining Iran’s latest proposal to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran insisted on Tuesday that Washington was no longer in a position to “dictate” policy to others. Iran has blockaded the waterway — a vital conduit for oil and gas shipments — since the start of the U.S.-Israeli offensive two months ago, sending shockwaves through the global economy. Earlier, Iran said on Tuesday (April 28, 2026) that the United States was no longer able to “dictate” what other countries do, as Washington weighed a new proposal from Tehran on ending the West Asia warGujarat local polls: BJP bags nine municipal corporations; counting underway in six othersThe BJP has won nine out of 15 municipal corporations so far in the local body elections in Gujarat, as the counting of votes continued amid tight security in the state on Tuesday (April 29, 2026), officials said. As per the latest data shared by the State Election Commission (SEC), the ruling party has won over half of the total seats in the municipal corporations of Surendranagar, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Karamsad-Anand, Nadiad, Navsari, Vapi, Surat and Morbi. In the Morbi Municipal Corporation, the BJP has bagged all 52 seats.UAE leaves OPEC and OPEC+ in huge blow to global oil producers’ groupThe United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday (April 28, 2026) it quit Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and OPEC+, dealing a ​heavy blow to the oil exporting groups and their de ‌facto leader, Saudi Arabia, at a time when ​the Iran war has caused a ⁠historic energy shock and unsettled the global economy. The stunning loss of the UAE, a longstanding OPEC member, could create disarray and ‌weaken the group, which has usually sought to show a united front despite internal ‌disagreements over a range of issues from geopolitics to ‌production ⁠quotas.9,400 accounts banned after dedicated probe found links to digital arrests, WhatsApp document in Supreme Court saysDocuments placed on record in the Supreme Court showed WhatsApp asserting to the Home Ministry that it detected and banned up to 9,400 accounts linked to ‘digital arrests’ and ‘law enforcement impersonations’ after independent investigations. The platform said rather than focus on and shut down the seed, it had focused on bringing down the entire network of scamsters, mostly active in Cambodia. Warning signals sent from probe agencies and the Union government are not treated as isolated or one-off reports, but as a “seed” to map and disrupt the entire criminal network, the platform said.Rajnath Singh calls for unified SCO action against terrorism, warns against double standardsTerrorism remains the most serious threat to global peace and the emerging world order, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said while addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in Bishkek. Emphasising zero tolerance, he called for a unified and consistent approach to eliminate terrorism, extremism, and radicalism in all forms. Mr. Singh underscored that terrorism cannot be justified under any circumstances, asserting that it has no nationality and no theology. He stressed that no grievance, real or perceived, can excuse violence against innocent people.ED attaches assets worth ₹3,034.90 crore in RCom caseThe Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth about ₹3,034.90 crore in the Reliance Communications Limited (RCom) “bank fraud” case. The value of total attachment in the Reliance Anil Ambani Group cases is now over 1₹9,344 crore. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted on the Supreme Court’s directions is probing the cases of alleged diversion and laundering of funds. “Investigation was initiated based on multiple CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) FIRs registered on the complaints of State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Life Insurance Corporation of India, against RCom, Anil D. Ambani, and others,” said the ED.No proposal since April 1 to increase price of petrol: Petroleum Ministry officialResponding to queries regarding a possible increase in petrol prices once State elections conclude, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary at the Petroleum Ministry, stated that there has been no proposal to increase prices since April 1. “After April 1, I must inform that there is no proposal for an increase in petrol prices,” Ms. Sharma told reporters at an inter-ministerial press conference on the West Asia situation. For context, the government had last increased the price of a certain premium variant of petrol, namely, XP95, Power95, and Speed, on the mentioned date. It had stated that they accounted for 2% of the sales in terms of volume and 5% of the total volume.Delhi High Court grants one-week interim bail to Engineer Rashid to visit ailing fatherThe Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted one-week interim bail to jailed Lok Sabha member from Jammu and Kashmir, Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid, to enable him to visit his ailing father. A Bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Madhu Jain, however, clarified that during this period, Mr. Rashid, who is undergoing jail term in a terror funding case, could either visit the hospital where his father is being treated or remain at home. During the one-week period, there shall not be any “undue visitors” except immediate family members, it added.Ukraine says it shot down 33,000 Russian drones in March, monthly recordUkraine used interceptor systems to shoot down more than 33,000 Russian drones of various types in March, a record monthly figure since Moscow launched its all-out invasion more than four years ago, Ukraine’s defence minister claimed. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s domestically developed long-range attack drones struck a Russian oil refinery and terminal on the Black Sea for the third time in less than two weeks, prompting the evacuation of local people as a precautionary measure. Ukraine has developed cutting-edge and battle-tested drone technology that has proved essential in holding back Russia’s bigger army and has drawn military interest from around the world.Congress reiterates demand for all-party meet on women’s quota implementationThe Congress on Tuesday (April 28, 2026) sharpened its attack on the Centre over the implementation of the women’s reservation law, with party general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh urging the Prime Minister to convene an all-party meeting to evolve a consensus roadmap. In a post on X, Mr. Ramesh said that with the election campaign now over, the Prime Minister should act on the Opposition’s demand — raised consistently since mid-March — for consultations on operationalising the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023.Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan treated for eye ailment then sent back to prisonPakistan’s incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan was treated at a local hospital for his right eye ailment and then shifted back to prison on Tuesday (April 28, 2026). Khan, 74, was diagnosed with right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in late January and brought to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where he was given an anti-VEGF injection, a treatment being repeated every month. He was last treated on March 23. According to the Pims spokesperson, Khan was brought to the hospital on April 28 for follow-up eye treatment, during which he received a fourth intravitreal injection.