PM Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8.30 pm tonight, the government has announced, but the subject of his address has not yet been disclosed Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8:30 p.m. tonight. The announcement comes a day after Opposition parties blocked the Women
To date, 22 installments of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme have been released. The 22nd installment of this scheme was deposited into farmers’ bank accounts on March 13, 2026, and farmers are now awaiting the 23rd installment, which is expected to be deposited into their bank
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that political parties opposing the women's reservation bill will face consequences. He urged Union ministers to highlight the opposition's stance as anti-women to the public. The bill did not secure the required majority in the Lok Sabha
The Iranian military on Saturday said that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz again, AFP reported. Iran’s central military command said that, in response to the naval blockade of its ports imposed by the United States, the strategic waterway was again “under strict management and control of
Meetings platform Zoom has partnered with Sam Altman's human ID verification company World to verify that the participants in meetings are actual humans and not AI-generated avatars. The new integration, dubbed World ID Deep Face, is aimed at combating the rising threat of deepfakes and AI-driven
US-returned techie says salary in India feels more like ‘pocket money’An Indian woman who spent several years working in the US, before moving back to India, has opened up about how the shift changed her perspective and priorities Updated on: Apr 19
Around seven lakh new voters have been added to West Bengal electoral rolls ahead of the assembly elections, with the Election Commission yet to disclose the age or gender break-up of this additional electorate, officials said on Saturday. Around 3
Weekly Panchang for April 19-25, 2025: Auspicious & Inauspicious MuhuratsWeekly Panchang for April 19-25, 2025, to determine the auspicious & inauspicious time for performing day-to-day tasks based on the planetary positions. Published on: Apr 19
Harry and Meghan's trip felt like a royal tour - except many Aussies weren't interested
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have finished their brisk four-day visit to the east coast of Australia.
With an itinerary of Indigenous culture, Australian sport, multiple good causes and a trip to the national war memorial, it had all the hallmarks of a traditional royal tour.
But Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, no longer working royals, were here in a private capacity.
When they last visited in 2018 - then still active members of the Royal Family - tens of thousands of people greeted them on a nine-day tour across Australia.
This time was different. Most Australians the BBC spoke to were either unaware or uninterested in the couple's visit.
There has been some backlash too, after it emerged Australian taxpayers may be saddled with some of the security costs for their public events.
"If they think it's gone well, it's because nothing has gone wrong," says Giselle Bastin, an associate professor at Flinders University with a research interest in Australia's relationship with the monarchy.
"They didn't turn up at great big advertised opportunities to see them, at least not in the form of walkabouts, so they've managed to minimise the risk of people having a negative reaction, or hecklers calling out or booing them or anything like that.
It has been very carefully controlled so that they just sort of spontaneously appear at places.
That's not to say Harry and Meghan haven't been in their element during such encounters, high-fiving fans and taking selfies with them.
We witnessed this up close time and again – including on Friday, when Harry met Michelle Haywood beneath the sails of the Sydney Opera house. Haywood is the daughter of Daphne Dunne, a servicewoman and war widow who met the Prince in 2015 during a previous visit; she was wearing her husband's Victoria Cross.
Dunne died aged 99 in 2019, but Haywood waited patiently this week to present Harry a photo of her mother alongside him, in his army fatigues.
He just said, 'Oh my gosh' and then he gave me a big hug," Haywood says. "It was beautiful. He went through each time he'd met her, and he reminded me of one of the times when it was pouring with rain. He remembered it vividly.
Meghan also showed her warmth, whether listening intently and compassionately to survivors of the Bondi Beach attack, or telling a young boy how much her children loved the Australian book Diary of a Wombat.
And if you call that a connection, then it was right on brand. The words "connection" or "connected" were mentioned 30 times across the press releases issued by the Sussexes' media team to journalists after each day of the visit.
Such missives resembled the way royal press officers would round up a day of engagements on a royal tour, except these were with language free of convention and formality.
They mentioned "community" on 21 occasions and "wellbeing" eight times. Incidentally, "royal" appears just once in the press releases - in the name of the Melbourne children's hospital the Sussexes' visited at the start of the tour.
Mental health was another theme of the couple's schedule, including meeting young people to discuss the harms of social media. It was here Meghan said she had been "the most trolled person in the world" for 10 years and shared stories of being attacked and bullied online for a decade.
But social media has also been useful to the pair - their "@sussexroyal" Instagram account has 8.7 million followers. Such a platform could prove increasingly useful with the couple now open about seeking new opportunities since their deals with Spotify and Netflix ended.
Harry and Meghan have a life to build - and pay for - away from royal duty. But when it came to the commercial side of their Australia trip, it wasn't always clear what was – and what was not – a paid gig.
The Duke spoke powerfully at a summit on mental health about life as a royal after the death of his mother, Princess Diana. Tickets for the event were sharply reduced in price, but still cost nearly A$1,000 (£520) a head.
Organisers repeatedly refused to confirm to the BBC whether Harry got a fee, saying only "all ticket proceeds" went to the Australian charity, Lifeline.
Meghan was paid to appear for a couple of hours at a glitzy "girls only" weekend retreat with VIP tickets costing A$3,199 (£1,725).
She was also unveiled as an investor in OneOff - an AI platform that gives fashion suggestions based on the styles of celebrities and influencers, with a small cut of sales going to the featured stars. The Duchess's profile on the app already features items she has worn during the Australian tour.
While the itinerary for their 2018 mega-tour was rammed with engagements (76 over 16 days in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga), this one had plenty of gaps.
Most notable was Meghan's complete absence of public-facing appearances on Wednesday. That evening, it was revealed she had been filming an episode of MasterChef Australia.
It is understood she was not paid for this, although the Duchess does have a food-centric show on Netflix, and her As Ever lifestyle brand includes a food range. Last year the trademark was registered in more than a dozen product categories in Australia, including cookware and table linen.
For the Sussexes, the only acknowledgement of the business side of the trip came at the bottom of a five-page pre-tour briefing. It said: "As with many visits of this nature, a small number of private engagements are included to support broader commercial, charitable, and community objectives."
Of course, as private citizens, the couple are not required to declare their earnings publicly, nor to account for their every move.
But Bastin, the academic, feels some of the ventures appeared "tone deaf in a cost-of-living crisis".
And one Sydney Morning Herald columnist proclaimed: "Australia was good to Harry and Meghan. Now they want to use us as an ATM."
Such a portrayal is "in part" unfair, says Michael Hartung, chief executive of Invictus Australia, which organised the 2018 Invictus Games - the sporting competition for wounded and sick military personal and veterans, founded by Harry in 2014.
"A lot of criticism is thrown their way and what we've seen this past week is they do a hell of a lot for charity and organisations like us, where their presence here in Australia has made a significant impact on our work," he tells the BBC.
Our work will advance years ahead as a result of their visit, that would have otherwise taken us a lot of hard work and effort to engage with different people and audiences. It really does make a difference.
And perhaps unsurprisingly, Harry and Meghan's fans stress how the majority of their time here has been spent on good causes, and see no issue with the commercial side of the trip.
"They're entitled to make the money how they need to," says Lisa Perry, who was visiting Sydney and got a selfie with the pair.
They've chosen their path in life and if that's their brand and they need to make a living and do it how they wish, they should be allowed to do so.
Vida Benic, who met the couple in Melbourne, insists she's "not into negativity".
They're welcome to come here any time. Our big Australian arms and hearts are fully open to them – and to their children hopefully one day.
Source: BBC
Related Posts: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle ask families to join fight against predatory social media policies Meghan and Harry join Hollywood stars for Kris Jenner’s grand 70th birthday Harry has a plan to return to Royal fold Harry Styles announces 2026 tour dates Dewald Brevis Set To Make ODI Debut As Temba Bavuma Backs Him Against Aussies Cummins slams England as Aussies booted from Lord’s to make way for India Big Blog For Aussies Thai PM cancels ASEAN trip after royal death Felt like early 2010s Sydney is a city of endings – this felt like another
There were chants of "we want our Chelsea back" during a protest march before kick-off - then the chorus spread to the stands during the second half of the defeat by Manchester United. The frustration from supporters is understandable, given Chelsea have now lost their past four Premier League
Just now
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury criticizes Mamata Banerjee's role in voter list issues. He states the Congress will contest all assembly seats alone this time. Chowdhury believes the political landscape has changed. The party aims to establish its presence in every polling booth
Just now
Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the passing of former Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Punj, remembering him as a prolific writer, thinker, and public intellectual who significantly contributed to strengthening the BJP. Punj's impactful writings and parliamentary interventions, rich in facts and theory
Just now
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused the Union government of conspiring to weaken democracy and alter the federal structure of the country by attempting to bring in a bill to amend the 2023 Women’s Reservation Act and redraw the boundaries of electoral constituencies
Just now
Delhi airport alert: Weather conditions in the National Capital have changed again, and they are negatively affecting air travel operations. IndiGo, an airline based in India and one of India’s largest airlines, has released a detailed travel advisory
Just now
The two centres of this crisis are the 24-mile Strait of Hormuz south of Iran and 7,000 miles away in the White House. This week was the unique opportunity for the rest of the world to make its economic case to US President Donald Trump's administration directly at the Spring meeting of the
Just now
HDFC Bank Q4 Results: HDFC Bank reported a steady performance for the quarter and full year ended March 31, 2026. The bank’s standalone net profit for FY26 rose to Rs 19.12 billion, marking a 10.9% increase compared to the previous year.HDFC Bank Q4 Results: HDFC Bank reported a steady
Just now
PIB fact-checks influencer CA Sarthak Ahuja's video about income tax clearance certificate for travel abroadUnder Section 230 [of the Income Tax Act, 1961], tax clearance certificates are not mandatory for everyone, says PIB Updated on: Apr 18
Just now
The sacred Char Dham Yatra has taken a step forward as offline registration officially commenced, allowing thousands of devotees to prepare for one of India’s most significant pilgrimages. With the yatra set to begin on April 19 on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya
Just now
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alleged that Opposition parties stood against the women’s reservation bill for their “selfish political interests”, and that they insulted the framers of the Constitution by doing so. Modi made the statement a day after the Union government’s bill to
Just now
Jannik Sinner faced early season setbacks but has since achieved remarkable success. He has captured three consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles and regained the world number one ranking. Sinner's improved serve and baseline game present challenges for rivals
Just now
Indian nurse in Germany gifts sister iPhone 16 with first salary: ‘My first salary was hers’An Indian woman in Germany fulfilled a promise with her first salary. Published on: Apr 19, 2026 7:56 AM IST By Mahipal Singh Chouhan Share via Copy link An Indian nurse working in Germany has struck an
Just now
Sumit Antil's complaint prompts quick action: PCI sacks Dronacharya awardee Naval Singh after Neeraj Chopra backs claimsThe Paralympic Committee of India has dismissed coach Naval Singh amid allegations of harassment by champion Sumit Antil. Published on: Apr 19
Just now
‘Conspiracy defeated’: Priyanka Gandhi calls women’s bill failure a win for ConstitutionPriyanka Gandhi hailed Opposition unity and said, “It was a victory for the Constitution, the country and the unity of the opposition." Updated on: Apr 19
Just now
Iran says it is closing the Strait of Hormuz again to commercial vessels and that any ship that approaches it will be targeted. The closure came as reports emerged of vessels in or near the strait, including a tanker, were targeted by Tehran on Saturday
Just now
A 36-year-old man in Florida died by suicide after weeks of extensive interaction with an artificial intelligence chatbot, a case that is now at the centre of a lawsuit against Google and a wider debate on AI safety. Jonathan Gavalas, described by his family as stable and without a history of
Just now
India's G20 satellite for climate and pollution study is set for a 2027 launch. ISRO is leading this initiative. The nation also aims for a human mission to the moon by 2040. This will place India alongside leading space-faring countries. ISRO is also developing a titanium vessel for the
Just now
Iran had reopened the crucial waterway on Friday after a ceasefire agreement was reached in Lebanon, but Trump said the US blockade around Iranian ports would remain. Iran’s military command on Saturday said the control of the Strait of Hormuz has “returned to its previous state” because of
Just now
Japan has unveiled a new name for days that reach 40C (104F) or above, after the country experienced its hottest summer on record last year. The term - kokushobi - has been translated as "cruelly hot", "brutally hot" or "severely hot" day by Japanese and international media
Just now
Which method do you typically choose to check the balance in your Employee Provident Fund (EPF) account? For many, the answer would be to visit the official EPFO website, where they enter their UAN, password, and Captcha to access their details. However
Just now
‘Defeated bill to defend idea of India’: Rahul Gandhi as Oppn blocks women's quota bill in Lok SabhaClaiming that the Opposition blocked the move, Gandhi said, “Every state should have a voice and be free to express its language and protect its traditions.” Updated on: Apr 19
Just now
Bajaj Chetak is a city-focused electric scooter offered in multiple variants with 2.5 kWh to 3.5 kWh battery options. It comes with 113-153 km range, practical features and funky colours. The Bajaj Chetak range is structured around multiple variants, battery options as well as feature levels
Just now
Progress had been made in negotiations with the United States to end the war, Iran's parliamentary speaker said on Saturday night, but added the sides were still far from an agreement. "We are still far from the final discussion," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also one of Iran's negotiators
Just now
On the afternoon of April 13, as factory workers staged protests across Noida, Uttar Pradesh, to demand better wages, two young professionals saw a striking sight on the street opposite the firm where they work. “It was lunch time and I was on the balcony of my firm’s office
Just now
Opposition leaders have strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent national address. They labeled it politically motivated and a breach of democratic conventions, especially given ongoing state elections. Leaders suggested the speech should be counted as a BJP campaign expense due to
Just now
April 18 Birthday Horoscope: Here's what the tarot cards have in store for youIf your birthday falls on April 18, here’s what your year ahead looks like, as per Tarot. Updated on: Apr 18, 2026 11:08 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link If you were born on April 18
1 days ago
United States President Donald Trump said that he may not extend the tentative ceasefire with Iran if negotiations fail to produce an agreement by Wednesday, CNN reported. Trump also said that Washington would obtain Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium one way or another
1 days ago
