08042026-TTB-01.qxd 4/8/2026 12:04 AM Page 1 c m y b WILL UNMASK 37 TAINTED LEADERS: NAVJOT PUNJAB /thetribunechd 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 96 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HARYANA TEJAS TO RETURN TO SKIES FROM TODAY BACK PAGE wednesday | 8 april 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Whole civilisation will die, Trump warns Tehran ahead of deadline Defiant Iran rejects threat | US again hits Kharg island Amid W Asia war, Misri on 3-day US visittodiscussties Ajay Banerjee & Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 7 The West Asia crisis spiralled towards a dangerous inflection point on Tuesday, with US President Donald Trump issuing an extraordinary threat against Iran, warning that an entire civilisation could be wiped out, even as Tehran responded with defiance, its military signalled a widening conflict. Amid the mounting tensions, India urged its nationals in Iran to remain indoors and avoid any movement. The sharply escalating rhetoric came despite ongoing diplomatic efforts by intermediaries to broker a ceasefire. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump declared, “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.” He described the moment as “one of the most important” in world history, asserting that decades of what he called “extortion, corruption, and death” would finally end. The statement was issued hours ahead of a self-imposed US deadline for Iran to open the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global oil shipments, failing which Washington has warned of severe consequences. The deadline is set to Tribune News Service People stand amidst the rubble of a building of the Sharif University of Technology that was damaged in a strike in Tehran. REUTERS STAY PUT FOR 48 HOURS: GOVT TO INDIANS IN IRAN As the West Asia crisis reaches a critical flashpoint, India on Tuesday advised its nationals in Iran to stay wherever they are for the next 48 hours. In an urgent advisory, the Indian Embassy in Iran urged Indians to remain indoors and strictly avoid military installations, power infrastructure and the upper floors of multi-storey buildings. AIRFARES SET TO RISE AS AI HIKES FUEL SURCHARGE Air India has announced a revised fuel surcharge for both domestic and international flights. For domestic travel, the airline will introduce a distance-based surcharge from April 8, with passengers paying between ~ 299 and ~ 899 per sector depending on the route. Meanwhile, the DGCA has provided temporary relaxation in pilot duty norms to address crew shortages caused by longer flight durations. BACK PAGE expire late Tuesday in the US, corresponding to early Wednesday morning in India. Even as he struck a combative tone, Trump left a narrow window for diplomacy open, saying “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen,” indicating that backchannel talks may still be underway. continued on page 8 New Delhi, April 7 Amid escalating tensions in West Asia, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will visit Washington DC from April 8 to 10 to review and advance the full spectrum of India-US relations, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Tuesday. According to an official, the visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to take stock of the ongoing cooperation and explore ways to further strengthen engagement across key sectors. During his stay, Misri is scheduled to hold discussions with senior officials of the US government on a wide range of issues, including trade, defence, science and technology, as well as regional and global developments of mutual interest. The visit assumes significance in the backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions in West Asia, with India and the US closely coordinating on issues impacting regional stability and global energy security. Officials said the trip followed the visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Washington in February and was part of regular high-level exchanges between the two continued on page 8 c m y b Women block a road in protest after two children were killed and their mother was injured in a bomb attack in Bishnupur district of Manipur. PTI Manipur erupts, 2 kids among 4 killed Animesh Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 7 Fresh violence flared up in Manipur after a suspected militant attack left two children dead and their mother injured at Tronglaobi village in Bishnupur district in the early hours of Tuesday. According to sources, an CRPF camp targeted; curfew imposed in 5 dists explosive struck a house directly, triggering a powerful blast that killed two young siblings on the spot and left their mother seriously injured. The victims have been identified as a five-year-old boy and his five-month-old sister. The attack involved a projectile, a likely rocket, which was used by the attackers to cause maximum damage, the sources said. They said suspected Kuki militants were learnt to have been behind the attack, even as many tribal groups condemned the incident and sought an NIA probe into it. Hours after the incident, protests broke out near a CRPF camp. Two protesters were killed while several others were injured after security personnel reportedly opened fire to disperse the continued on page 8 Centre defends Sabarimala Judicial scrutiny over; 89L entry curbs on women in SC voters dropped in Bengal Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 7 Asserting that religious faith was beyond the purview of judicial review, the Centre on Tuesday backed the age-old restriction on entry of women aged between 10-50 years into the famous Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala hilltop in Kerala. Can’t treat them as untouchables: Judge Opening arguments on behalf of the Centre before a nine-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said if there was something unscientific in a continued on page 8 Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 7 An astounding 89 lakh voters are learnt to have been deleted from the electoral rolls in poll-bound West Bengal, with the maximum deletions having been recorded from Muslim-majority districts bordering Bangladesh. Murshidabad topped the list with over four lakh of the 11 lakh names under judicial scrutiny having been removed from the voters’ list. While 61.78 lakh voters’ names had been deleted after the completion of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state on February 28, of the 60 lakh voters who had been continued on page 8