West Bengal's political landscape is witnessing a significant rise in dynastic representation for the 2026 assembly elections. Across major parties like TMC, BJP, Congress, and CPI(M), candidates from established political families are increasingly being fielded. This marks a departure from Bengal's traditional grassroots politics, as parties now prioritize candidates with existing voter recognition and organizational support.

The Trinamool Congress has sharpened its attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of his visit to West Bengal, recommending local non-vegetarian delicacies. This move aligns with the TMC's campaign, which portrays the BJP as out of touch with Bengal's cultural traditions, particularly regarding food habits.

Rahul Gandhi released the Congress party's manifesto for the Assam Assembly elections. The document details commitments across eleven key sectors. This release is a significant step in the party's campaign. The Congress aims to regain power in Assam after a decade. Polling is scheduled for April 9. Vote counting will occur on May 4.

The bench arrived at the finding while answering a reference made by a division bench of the court in view of conflicting judgments of two different division benches of the HC on the issue.

Raghav Chadha has been removed as the Aam Aadmi Party's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha. Ashok Mittal has been appointed in his place. The party has also requested the Rajya Sabha secretariat not to allot speaking time to Chadha from its quota. This move comes amid reports of indiscipline and not adhering to the party line.

The 64-year-old convicted paedophile has criticised Channel 5 drama, claiming the programme's makers did not fact-check it with him.

Millions of drivers are embarking on Easter getaway trips in the UK today despite the soaring cost of fuel - while others face rail shutdowns and packed airports.

His Majesty is reported to have penned two notes raising his concerns about naming the controversial peer as the UK's top diplomat in Washington DC .

Robert Bush, 47, left at least 30 bodies to rot for as long as 11 months at his parlour in Hull after charging their relatives thousands of pounds in the belief they would be cremated.

Patricia Moule, 81, from Southampton, scooped the dream home after entering the Omaze prize draw with a £25 ticket.

Malawi’s influential faith leaders have sounded a sharp warning over what they describe as a dangerous drift toward constitutional disorder, following explosive social media claims that the country’s First Vice President was being forced to resign. In a strongly worded statement released on April 1, 2026, the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) said the unfolding situation […] The post Clergy Warn of Constitutional Breakdown as 1st VP Resignation Storm Deepens appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) and the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) have urged the government to reduce taxes and suspend levies on fuel to cushion Malawians from the recent price hike. The increase in fuel prices, which has seen petrol rise to K6,672 per liter and diesel to K6,687, has […] The post HRDC, CDEDI demand tax reduction, suspension of levies to cushion Malawians from recent hike in fuel price appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

[allAfrica] Pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences has come under mounting pressure after refusing to sell its breakthrough HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir, directly to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), despite repeated requests.

Donald Trump said he believes King Charles would have backed him in the war against Iran.

Keir Starmer unveiled a fresh effort to unwind Brexit at a Downing Street press conference yesterday, saying the Middle East crisis demonstrated the need to get closer to Europe.

The White House is trying to contain the consequences of a conflict that has sent gas prices soaring and soured feelings about the president and the economy.

Records show a staffer asked the commission to soften language about its own authority over the president’s project — and it complied.

The president doesn’t appear interested in seeking lawmakers’ approval for his $400 million project — and they’re not inclined to give it.

[allAfrica] Cape Town -- Holy Week stands as the period when the church deliberately steps into the heart of human suffering: the pain of betrayal, the sting of abandonment, the injustice of judicial murder, and the haunting silence of God. The significance of this week lies in the enormity of what it represents. In the Eastern tradition, it is called Megale Hebdomas, the Great Week, precisely because it confronts the most profound events in the Christian story.

At the same time that a phishing scam related to Canada's bread price-fixing settlement is going around, CBC News has learned people are being targeted by a similar scam involving dairy.

Radio-Canada’s Enquête program has uncovered fake maple syrup being sold on store shelves in Quebec. The lab responsible for testing maple syrup in Quebec says it’s a first. The producer in question is blaming suppliers from out of province.

Fourteen people aged between 27 and 67 are under police investigation for their alleged involvement in illegal activities in Geylang.The police said in a statement on Thursday (April 2) that the 10 men and four women were arrested during a series of enforcement operations conducted from March 1 to 7 to clamp down on the likes of illegal gambling, the sale of unregistered health products and drug-related activities.Led by Bedok Police Division, the agencies involved are: Criminal Investigation Department, Central Narcotics Bureau, Health Sciences Authority, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Singapore Customs, Land Transport Authority and Singapore Food Agency.On March 1, four men aged between 33 and 61 were arrested for alleged illegal online gambling activities. Cash amounting to $1,700 and various gambling-related items were seized.

SBS Transit has filed a police report after a man was seen allegedly abusing a bus driver verbally on Sunday evening (March 29). In a statement to AsiaOne, SBS Transit spokesperson Grace Wu said the incident occurred while service 88 bus was travelling along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. «As the bus approached a kerbside bus stop, the bus captain alerted the vehicles ahead not to stop within the designated bus stop zone to ensure passengers could board and alight safely,» said Wu. She added that this unfortunately led to a dispute, during which a lorry driver repeatedly directed verbal abuse at the bus captain. The incident lasted approximately two minutes before the bus was able to resume its journey.«We do not tolerate any form of abuse against our bus captains. A police report has since been lodged,» the spokesperson said.A video of the incident, shared on TikTok on March 30, shows a man allegedly shouting at the bus driver from the front of the bus while gesturing at him with his hands.

The Resolution Foundation said families should brace themselves for average bills to jump to £2,100 in July if the war continues to hit energy supplies.

When the reptile was born, Queen Victoria had yet to take the British throne, Charles Darwin had not visited the Galapagos, and Germany was a chaotic collection of 39 sovereign states.

Tamil Nadu's election campaign intensified as Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin filed his nomination from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni, aiming for a second consecutive win. Actor-politician Vijay also entered the fray, filing nominations from both Trichy East and Perambur constituencies, with his party manifesto emphasizing a drug-free Tamil Nadu.

[allAfrica] Mozambique Settles IMF Debt, Eyes New Funding

SINGAPORE – A DHL unit in Singapore has laid off its workers, but it remains unclear how many workers were retrenched and what roles were affected, as the company and its union declined to provide details.Online chatter on retrenchments in DHL Global Forwarding Singapore first surfaced two months ago, and on March 30, a Reddit user posted details of the company’s latest retrenchment exercise in a forum that discusses workplace culture.A spokesman for the freight transport company on March 31 confirmed the retrenchment exercise in response to queries from The Straits Times.“We are aware of the online discussions regarding retrenchment matters in Singapore. We remain committed to treating all employees with fairness and respect, in full compliance with local regulations and our internal policies,” said the spokesman in an e-mail.“Any workforce-related decisions we make are guided by current business needs and based on merit,” the spokesman said, adding that the company would not be providing further details.

SINGAPORE – A male teacher allegedly committed sexual acts on a female student multiple times in 2023 when she was a minor below 16 years old.On April 2, the man was handed nine charges – six counts of committing indecent acts on a minor and three counts of sexually penetrating her.Details about the man and the locations of his alleged offences cannot be disclosed due to a gag order to protect the girl’s identity.Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said that the man was suspended from duty in January 2024 and has since been dismissed from service.An MOE spokesperson added: “(We take) a serious view of staff misconduct and will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against those who fail to adhere to our standards of conduct and discipline.”According to court documents, the man and the girl allegedly kissed and hugged each other in public at a shopping mall on around Feb 16, 2023.He is accused of kissing her chest area in a handicapped toilet between March and June that year.

FairPrice Group (FPG) has partnered with beverages company Pokka to pilot Singapore's first autonomous vehicle (AV) route between a retailer and supplier, they announced on Thursday (April 2).The 6km round-trip route plies between FairPrice Group's distribution centre and Pokka's warehouse in Benoi, within the Jurong Industrial Estate.FairPrice said it is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen supply chain operations, which will in turn allow customers to peruse more efficiently and consistently stocked shelves in supermarkets.FPG already uses these driverless vehicles to transport goods between distribution centres, with over 100 trips made each week.Up to 1.5 tonnes of ambient produce, packaged products and other essentials are transported each trip, it added.FairPrice received approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to fully remotely operate AVs on public roads in October last year.It began trials for the route on Feb 25, 2026, and will transition to sole reliance on AVs for transportation along the route once it is approved for fully remote operations by the LTA.

The drone is capable of delivering a 3-kilogram warhead

There were no fatalities or injuries

As of 7:05 a.m. Moscow time, the Brent price was up by 6.51% at $107.75 a barrel