Top news of the day april 18 2026

Two Indian vessels have had to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following reports of gunfire from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, a vessel-tracker said. TankerTrackers.com said the vessels include an Indian-flagged super tanker, carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil. Earlier, Iranian gunboats fired on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday (April 18, 2026), a British maritime security agency reported, after Iran’s military reversed a pledge to open the route to shipping. The tanker’s captain reported being approached 37 kilometres northeast of Oman by two gunboats of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC). Without any radio warning, the gunboats “then fired upon the tanker”, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Centre said in an online statement. “Tanker and crew are reported safe. Authorities are investigating.” Earlier, Iran swiftly reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, reimposing restrictions on the critical waterway on Saturday (April 18, 2026) after the U.S. said the move would not end its blockade.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation tonight at 8:30 p.m., a day after a bill to implement women’s reservation in legislatures was defeated in the Lok Sabha. “The Prime Minister will address the nation at 8.30 p.m. (April 18, Saturday),” an official said. PM Modi is expected to delve into the issue of the implementation of the women’s quota and the happenings in Parliament, where opposition parties on Friday (April 17, 2026) voted against the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill.