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At IndiaVerve, we go beyond the noise to bring you meaningful stories of change, resilience and progress—from India to the world stage. Our mission is to bring readers credible, wide-ranging coverage across politics, business, sports, culture, society and more.
At IndiaVerve, we go beyond the noise to bring you meaningful stories of change, resilience and progress—from India to the world stage. Our mission is to bring readers credible, wide-ranging coverage across politics, business, sports, culture, society and more.

Day: April 11, 2026

Asha Bhosle hospitalised in Mumbai due to exhaustion, infection

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Mumbai: Legendary singer Asha Bhosle, 92, has been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai following health complications, according to family sources.

Her granddaughter, singer Zanai Bhosle, shared an update stating that the veteran artist is undergoing treatment for “extreme exhaustion and a chest infection.” She requested privacy for the family, adding, “Treatment is ongoing and hopefully everything will be well and we shall update you positively.”

Asha Bhosle, one of India’s most celebrated playback singers, has had a career spanning over eight decades. She began her journey in 1943 with the Marathi film Majha Bal and went on to become a defining voice in Indian cinema.

Known for iconic songs such as Piya Tu Ab To Aaja, Jaiye Aap Kahan Jayenge, Rangeela Re and Sharara Sharara, she also earned acclaim for her versatility across genres, including ghazals like Dil Cheez Kya Hai and classical compositions.

Even in recent years, Bhosle has remained active, performing live concerts and engaging with audiences through social media. She will turn 93 on September 8 this year.

A recipient of multiple honours, Asha Bhosle has won two National Film Awards and was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000. She was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2008 for her contribution to Indian music.

Odisha projects win top honours at 17th Vishwakarma Awards in New Delhi

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Bhubaneswar: Projects from Odisha have received major recognition at the 17th Vishwakarma Awards organised by the Construction Industry Development Council at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.

A total of 17 projects were honoured across categories, including 10 entries submitted by the government of Odisha. Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari attended the event as the chief guest and highlighted the importance of innovation in the construction sector. He stressed the need for improved efficiency in preparing DPRs, especially in road and building infrastructure.

From the state’s Works Department, three projects – Lokayukta Bhawan, the Maternal and Child Hospital in Jajpur, and the Cancer Hospital in Balangir – received awards. Chief Engineer Manoj Mahanand accepted the honours.

The Water Resources Department secured awards for five projects, including the Gangadhar Meher Project, Purunagad Mega Lift Project, Bhanjanagar Dam, Mahabarida Anicut and Lower Suktel Project. Engineer-in-Chief Lingaraj Goud received the awards on behalf of the department.

In the Sports Department category, Dhirendra Kumar Pattnaik was honoured for two facilities at Kalinga Stadium – the Shuttle Hall and the Aquatic Building.

Officials from the State Police Housing Corporation, including Chief Engineer Narmada Behera and Chief Construction Engineer Srikant Samal, received recognition for the modern hostel building at Gopabandhu Administrative Academy.

Other award-winning projects included the IIM Sambalpur campus, the AIIMS Bhubaneswar facility, the Reserve Bank of India’s new data centre in Bhubaneswar, and a national highway project in Koraput.

During the event, a book on lean construction techniques authored by former Engineer-in-Chief Manoranjan Mishra was unveiled. Renowned engineer Ashok Basa and architect Taraprasad Dhal were also honoured for their contributions to the construction sector.

Award-winning projects from Odisha were showcased at the venue and drew appreciation from attendees.

Ayush Shetty enters Badminton Asia Championships 2026 final

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New Delhi: India’s Ayush Shetty continued his impressive run at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 by reaching the men’s singles final with a hard-fought victory over world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Indian, ranked 25th in the world, defeated the defending champion 10-21, 21-19, 21-17 to become only the second Indian men’s singles player to reach the final of the continental tournament.

With the win, Shetty also became the third Indian overall to make the final at the championships. Dinesh Khanna won the men’s singles title in 1965, while the duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty clinched the men’s doubles crown in 2023, according to olympics.com.

Shetty had already secured a podium finish after entering the semi-finals, becoming the first Indian men’s singles player since HS Prannoy in 2018 to achieve the feat.

In the semi-final, Shetty dropped the opening game but responded strongly in the second. He built an early lead and held his nerve despite a late fightback from Vitidsarn to level the match. In the deciding game, the Indian again took control early and maintained his advantage to close out a memorable victory.

Officials noted that the win marked Shetty’s first victory over Vitidsarn in two meetings and added to his series of impressive performances during the tournament.

Shetty’s campaign began with a major upset over world No. 7 Li Shi Feng of China. He then defeated Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei before overcoming world No. 4 Jonatan Christie in the quarter-finals.

The 2025 US Open champion will now face the winner of the semi-final between Shi Yuqi of China and Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei in the final.

Hormuz tensions persist as Iran-US talks set to begin in Islamabad

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New Delhi: As high-stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran are set to begin in Islamabad on Saturday, a powerful symbolic gesture by Iran’s parliamentary speaker has underscored the emotional and political weight surrounding the talks.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, en route to Pakistan for the negotiations, shared an image from inside his aircraft showing empty seats marked with photographs and belongings of victims from the Minab school strike.

Referring to the victims, he wrote on X, “my companions on this flight, Minab168,” invoking the memory of children and staff killed in the February 28 attack. The visual message has emerged as a stark reminder of the human cost of the conflict, setting the tone for the fragile diplomatic engagement.

The talks are being held in Islamabad over the weekend after both Iran and the US accepted an invitation from Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. According to an Al Jazeera report, discussions are set to begin on Saturday morning (Pakistan time). The Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad late on Friday night, while a US aircraft carrying its negotiation team reportedly landed in the Pakistani capital on Saturday morning.

The negotiations come amid continuing uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy corridor that remains effectively disrupted despite a two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.

US President Donald Trump said the waterway would reopen “fairly soon” with or without Iran’s cooperation. Speaking to reporters after departing Washington for a domestic visit, he said, “It won’t be easy… We will have that open fairly soon.”

Trump also warned that Washington would not accept any attempt by Iran to impose transit fees on vessels. “If they are doing that, we’re not going to let that happen,” he said.

Emphasising US priorities, Trump added, “No nuclear weapons, that’s 99 percent of it,” asserting that the strait would reopen “automatically” once an agreement is reached.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies pass, has seen shipping disruptions since the conflict escalated, triggering concerns over global energy stability.

The US delegation includes Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while the Iranian team is led by Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Speaking ahead of the talks, Vance expressed cautious optimism but warned against strategic deception. “If they’re going to try to play us, then they’re going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive,” he said.

On arrival, Ghalibaf struck a guarded tone, saying Iran enters the dialogue with “good intentions but no trust.” He added, “Our experience in negotiating with the Americans has always been met with failure and broken promises,” he was quoted as saying by the Tasnim News Agency.

Iran has maintained that talks would proceed only if its conditions are addressed, including a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of frozen assets. However, Israel and the United States have both clarified that the current ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon, where hostilities continue.

Lebanese authorities report that the ongoing conflict has claimed over 1,950 lives, with more than 350 deaths recorded on the first full day after the ceasefire announcement.

The juxtaposition of diplomatic engagement and continued military tensions highlights the fragility of the current moment, where symbolic gestures, strategic mistrust and geopolitical interests continue to shape the trajectory of the West Asia conflict.

India finishes strong at Asian Boxing Championships 2026 with 16 medals

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New Delhi: India capped off a successful campaign at the Asian Boxing Championships 2026 with a total of 16 medals, including five gold, three silver, and eight bronze in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, finishing as one of the top-performing nations at the continental meet.

In the men’s competition, Vishvanath Suresh secured India’s only gold medal after defeating Daichi Iwai of Japan by a unanimous 5-0 verdict in the 50kg final on Friday. Suresh had earlier delivered a standout performance in the quarter-finals, where he overcame reigning world champion Sanzhar Tashkenbay.

India added a silver medal in the men’s 60kg category through Sachin. Four other Indian boxers – Harsh Choudhary (90kg), Akash (75kg), Lokesh (85kg), and Narender (+90kg) – claimed bronze medals, according to olympics.com.

With six medals in the men’s section, India finished second behind Kazakhstan, which topped the standings with one more gold medal.

The women’s team led India’s overall performance by topping the medal table in their category with 10 medals. The haul included four gold, two silver, and four bronze medals.

Gold medals came from Minakshi Hooda (48kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Priya Ghanghas (60kg), and Arundhati Choudhary (70kg).

Among other notable results, Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) and Alfiyan Pathan (80+kg) secured silver medals, while Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) and two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) finished with bronze medals.

India’s overall tally of 16 medals was the highest across both men’s and women’s categories at the championships, underlining a strong all-round showing at the event.

Artemis II crew returns after historic lunar mission

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New Delhi: Four astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission safely returned to Earth on Saturday, marking the first human journey to the Moon in more than 50 years.

Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego at 5:07 p.m. PDT, completing a nearly 10-day mission that took them as far as 252,756 miles from Earth, according to a NASA release.

Officials said the mission set a new record for the farthest distance travelled by humans in space, surpassing the benchmark set during the Apollo 13 mission in 1970. In total, the crew covered 694,481 miles during the journey.

Following splashdown, recovery teams from NASA and the US military assisted the astronauts out of the Orion spacecraft and transported them to the USS John P. Murtha for initial medical evaluations. The crew is scheduled to return to Johnson Space Center.

The mission lifted off on April 1 from Kennedy Space Center aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. During the flight, the crew tested critical systems on Orion, including life support, navigation, and manual control capabilities.

On the second day of the mission, Orion executed a key engine burn that placed the spacecraft on a trajectory toward the Moon. The crew later conducted a lunar flyby, passing within 4,067 miles of the surface.

NASA leadership said the mission demonstrated the performance of the rocket and spacecraft and validated systems required for future deep space missions. The agency noted that the mission’s success will support preparations for Artemis III, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface.

Throughout the mission, the astronauts carried out a series of tests and scientific studies. These included evaluations of life support systems, emergency procedures, and spacesuit performance. The crew also supported experiments on how the human body responds to microgravity and deep space radiation.

During the lunar flyby on April 6, the astronauts captured more than 7,000 images of the Moon and space. The visuals included views of craters, lava plains, and a solar eclipse observed from Orion, along with images of Earthrise and Earthset.

NASA officials said the mission represents a major step forward in human space exploration and strengthens international collaboration for future missions to the Moon and beyond.

India, US Air Force chiefs hold talks to boost defence cooperation

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New Delhi: US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach has hosted Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh for a high-level visit aimed at strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries.

The visit began with a full honours reception at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, followed by meetings at the Pentagon. During the engagements, Singh held discussions with Troy Meink, Secretary of the Air Force, and Wilsbach, according to the US Air Force Public Affairs department.

Senior US Air Force leadership highlighted the importance of the defence partnership with India, describing it as central to maintaining stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region. Wilsbach noted India’s active role in multilateral exercises and stressed the need to expand such cooperation to strengthen regional deterrence.

He also acknowledged India’s decision to procure MQ-9B Sky Guardian aircraft and said the US Air Force remains committed to supporting the effective integration of the aircraft into Indian service. The discussions also focused on advancing Indian Air Force modernisation through closer defence industrial collaboration.

Wilsbach stated that the visit provided an opportunity to discuss modernisation priorities, future training initiatives, and shared goals for a stable Indo-Pacific.

The official talks were followed by detailed staff-level discussions covering areas such as the State Partnership Program of the National Guard Bureau, training initiatives at the Air National Guard, and operational aspects of MQ-9 platforms.

As part of his itinerary, Singh also visited Peterson Space Force Base, where he was briefed on the mission of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, including aerospace and maritime warning systems.

He later travelled to Nellis Air Force Base, where he attended briefings at the US Air Force Warfare Center and undertook a familiarisation flight in an F-15EX Eagle II fighter aircraft.

Singh said such engagements play a key role in improving interoperability and further strengthening strategic ties between the two air forces.

GSI expands mineral exploration under field season 2025-26, boosts critical resource security

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New Delhi: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has significantly expanded its exploration activities during Field Season 2025-26, reinforcing India’s push towards mineral self-reliance and long-term resource security.

The agency carried out 458 exploration projects during the period, with nearly half focused on critical and strategic minerals, officials said. This includes 92 projects targeting rare earth elements, aimed at reducing import dependence and strengthening domestic supply chains.

A major focus has also been on preparing auction-ready mineral blocks to accelerate commercial development. In the past year, GSI delivered 80 geological reports, including 39 reports on critical minerals, along with four coal blocks.

To encourage private participation, the agency offered seven Regional Mineral Targeting blocks and 16 G3-stage blocks in Siwana, Rajasthan to the National Mineral Exploration Development Trust for exploration through private agencies.

The season also saw several notable discoveries across the country. These include vanadium and titanium deposits in Chhattisgarh’s Sabag region, rare earth elements and niobium in Ambadungar, Gujarat, graphite and titanium in Jharkhand, and copper in Odisha’s Madanasahi block.

A significant breakthrough was the identification of natural hydrogen in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, which officials described as a promising development for India’s clean energy transition.

In a post on X, GSI said: “GSI’s work in FS 2025-26 reflects a clear strategic direction, from expanding exploration to delivering actionable, auction-ready mineral resources that support a self-reliant and Atmanirbhar Bharat. GSI continues to work relentlessly, driving geoscientific excellence to support the country’s growth and mineral security.”

Boat capsizes in Yamuna river near Vrindavan; 10 dead, several missing

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New Delhi: A tragic boat accident in the Yamuna River near Vrindavan has claimed at least 10 lives, while several passengers remain unaccounted for, officials said.

The incident took place close to Kesi Ghat when a tourist boat carrying more than two dozen people, mostly visitors from Punjab, reportedly drifted into deeper waters on Friday and struck floating pontoon debris in the river.

Authorities said a pontoon bridge in the area had recently been removed due to rising water levels, leaving behind structural drums in the river. One of these submerged or floating components is suspected to have been hit by the vessel, leading to the capsizing, according to media reports.

District officials confirmed that the death toll initially stood at six before rescue teams recovered four additional bodies, taking the total fatalities to 10. Medical staff at the Vrindavan Joint Hospital stated that the deceased included six men and four women.

Rescue operations are continuing with teams from the State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force, supported by around 50 local divers. Officials said 16 to 17 people have been rescued so far, while efforts are underway to trace those still missing.

District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh earlier confirmed the fatalities and said all passengers on board were tourists from Punjab. Emergency teams remain deployed at the site as search operations continue.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy.

Modi expressed his deep condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic accident. In a post on X, he said he is praying for the speedy recovery of those injured in the mishap.

He also noted that the local administration is actively providing all possible assistance to those affected and is working on relief and support measures for the victims and their families.

Modi also announced that an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000.