Read n Ready

Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the IPL 2026 clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Rajat Patidar-led side had a struggling start to the match as Sai Sudharsan wreaked havoc in the middle. The youngster smashed a 57-ball century on a surface that was two-faced in the first innings. He dictated the play early on, setting the momentum for Gujarat, but there was little support for him from the other end.

An Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will reach Pakistan on Friday night to hold bilateral consultations, discuss the US-Iran ceasefire and the current developments in the region, officials and media reports said. Araghchi will lead a small delegation to Pakistan, Oman, and Russia on Friday to “hold bilateral consultations and discuss current developments in the region, as well as the latest situation” in the US-Iran war, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, who is currently enjoying the monstrous success of both his films Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge, gave a big surprise to his fans. Dutt announced the sequel to his 1993 cult classic Khalnayak. The upcoming movie has been titled Khalnayak Returns, and the film is being produced by Jio Studios’ Jyoti Deshpande, who also produced the Dhurandhar franchise.

In a major regulatory move, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the banking licence of Paytm Payments Bank. The central bank confirmed the decision in an official statement, stating that the bank will no longer be allowed to offer banking services. The action has been taken due to serious concerns related to regulatory compliance and violations of norms. The RBI also assured that necessary steps will be taken to safeguard customer interests and ensure that deposits and services are not adversely affected.

In a big jolt to the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday, three of its Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, quit the party and joined the BJP in presence of Nitin Nabin at party headquarters in Delhi.

Chenani Super Kings opener Sanju Samson once again proved his mettle in the ongoing IPL 2026. The keeper-batter smacked unbeaten 101 runs off 54 deliveries as the visitors posted 207 runs on the board at the Wankhede Stadium. With little to no support from the other end, Samson took the matter into his own hands and played some sensational cricket in the middle. He had a slow start to the match, with Ruturaj Gaikwad dictating the play early on, but once Samson entered his zone, he proved difficult to stop.

Voting for the Assembly elections concluded at 6 pm on Thursday, with West Bengal recording a significantly higher voter turnout of 92.18 per cent in Phase I polling compared to Tamil Nadu, which recorded 85 per cent turnout, according to the latest data by the Election Commission of India. The high turnout figures underline an active electoral exercise as polling drew to a close amid tight security arrangements across constituencies.

Namit Malhotra-produced Ramayana has already grabbed attention with its visually rich first glimpse, but there’s more going on beneath the surface than meets the eye. That striking opening battle sequence teased in the introduction of Lord Rama is not just there for scale or spectacle. It draws from a lesser-known but significant part of the epic that many viewers may not immediately recognise.

US President Donald Trump  on Thursday (April 23) issued a clarification over remarks that appeared to describe India as a “hellhole,” with the US Embassy in New Delhi stating putting out a message that the American leader believes India is a “great” country led by a “good friend of mine”.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday gave first reaction after record voter turnout in the first phase of polling and said it indicates the TMC is already in a position to win the election. “Voter turnout so far in first phase of Bengal polls indicates TMC already in position to win. I am not interested in any post, I only want end of BJP govt at Centre,” Mamata Banerjee said at poll rally in Kolkata.