Live | Iran weakened, its missile stockpile dropped by 90 pc, says US

Two KCP militants held in Manipur's Thoubal, arms seized

Two militants were arrested in Manipur's Thoubal district, police said on Friday.

The duo belonged to the proscribed KCP (Taibangnganba), they said.

The arrests were made from the Thoubal Wangma Taba area of the district on Thursday, they added.

A 9 mm gun, along with 140 rounds, was seized from them, police said.

Opposition pushes for MEA, commerce ministry debate in Rajya Sabha

Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha have sought a discussion on the working of either the Ministry of External Affairs or the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, raising the issue at a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting. They noted that neither ministry has been debated in the House since 2010.

Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan announced that the BAC has recommended the government and opposition finalise which ministries will be discussed at the earliest. He warned that if no agreement is reached, he may identify the ministries himself.

During the Budget session, the Rajya Sabha typically scrutinises ministry workings, while the Lok Sabha exercises financial oversight through voting on Demands for Grants. Opposition MPs had previously raised the same demand at a BAC meeting at the end of the first half of the Budget session.

Iran war fears rattle markets as oil hovers near $100

Asian markets fell Friday, tracking Wall Street losses driven by ongoing anxiety over the Iran war. Tokyo's Nikkei slipped 1.1%, South Korea's Kospi fell 1.3%, and Taiwan's Taiex dropped 0.7%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng dipped 0.1%, while Shanghai edged up slightly. Australia's ASX 200 bucked the trend with a modest 0.1% gain.

Oil prices remained elevated, with Brent crude up 0.6% to $97.22 per barrel after topping $100 on Thursday and surging near $120 earlier in the week, its highest since 2022. Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to continue fighting and use the Strait of Hormuz as leverage, stoking fears over supply disruptions. Roughly 20% of global oil flows through the strait, which has seen significant shipping disruptions.

Wall Street posted broad losses Thursday, with the S&P 500 down 1.5%, the Dow falling 1.6%, and the Nasdaq dropping 1.8%. Fuel-dependent companies were hit hardest, Carnival tumbled 7.9% and United Airlines sank 4.6%. U.S. futures gained 0.4% early Friday, offering a slim sign of stabilization.

Economists warned that surging oil prices will worsen global inflation and squeeze consumers worldwide, with some analysts flagging potential ripple effects on AI and chip production costs. While the IEA announced a record release of 400 million barrels from emergency reserves, many economists believe the move will do little to calm markets. The U.S. dollar edged up to 159.35 Japanese yen, while the euro held steady at $1.1511.

Trump discourages Iranian football team from participating World Cup, citing safety concerns

US President Donald Trump said he did not think it would be “appropriate” for the Iranian soccer team to attend this year's World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, and cited safety concerns as a reason on Thursday, while the countries are embroiled in a war.

“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup,” Trump wrote on his social media site, “but I really don't believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.” Iranian leaders said earlier this week that it's “not possible” for the country to participate in the World Cup.

Trump's message appears to depart somewhat from what the Republican president relayed Tuesday at the White House to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who later publicly said that Trump assured him the Iranian players and coaches would be welcome.

A White House official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations, had confirmed Trump's message to Infantino about Iran's participation.

Trump administration denounces CNN for airing messages from Iranian leaders

The Trump administration denounced CNN on Thursday for airing a portion of the new Iranian supreme leader's public statement, the second time in three days that he's targeted the network for reporting on how the regime is responding to the American attacks.

The attack illustrated the care news outlets must take in reporting during wartime, and the responsibilities of American journalists to report the perspective of countries its government views as enemies. It also exposed inconsistencies.

The message of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during his first public statement since he succeeded his father, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike, was widely available elsewhere.

The White House said on social media that “fake news CNN just aired four straight minutes of uninterrupted Iranian state TV, run by the same psychotic and murderous regime that prided itself on brutally slaughtering Americans for 47 years.”

A 5.5 quake jolts central Turkiye, sending residents into the cold streets

A moderately strong earthquake struck central Turkiye on Friday, Turkiye's emergency response said. The tremor sent some residents rushing into the streets but no damage has been reported.

The magnitude 5.5 quake was centred in the town of Niksar in Tokat province, at a depth of 6.4 kilometers (4 miles), according to the Disaster and Emergency Management agency, AFAD.

It occurred at 3:35 am and was felt in several provinces, AFAD said, adding that “no adverse developments” were reported.

Still, many residents were seen waiting in cars or in the streets despite the cold, afraid to return to homes, Haberturk news channel reported.

Turkiye sits on top of major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent.

In 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed more than 53,000 people in Turkiye and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and southeastern provinces. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighbouring Syria. AP

At present, nearly 9,000 Indian nationals in Iran: Govt to Parliament

There are nearly 9,000 Indian nationals including students, business persons, factory workers, pilgrims, seafarers, and fishermen in Iran at present, the government informed Parliament on Thursday.

In a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita also said the Indian Embassy has advised Indian nationals in Iran to exercise utmost caution, maintain situational awareness, monitor local media for any developments and stay in contact with the embassy.

The Ministry of External Affairs was asked the details of Indian citizens who are still in Iran, and the details of measures taken for their safety, including emergency helplines activated by the embassy, deployment of consular teams and any arrangements with Iranian authorities for protection.

"The Ministry and the Embassy of India in Iran have issued periodic advisories (5 January, 14 January, 23 February, 28 February and 3 March 2026) to Indian nationals, urging avoidance of non-essential travel to Iran and advising those wishing to leave to do so by the means available," Margherita said.

Also, for those Indians wishing to return to India, the embassy is also facilitating their crossing the international border. It is also making appropriate arrangements for any distressed or stranded Indians in the country, the minister said.

"In view of the current situation in Iran and the region, the Ministry has activated a Special Control Room in New Delhi. The Indian Embassy in Tehran is also operating emergency helplines and email for assisting Indian nationals in Iran," Margherita said.

The West Asia conflict began after the US and Israel launched a major military attack on Iran on February 28, killing its 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Netanyahu says Israeli strikes have killed top nuclear scientists

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israeli attacks have killed top Iranian nuclear scientists.

Speaking Thursday night at a news conference, Netanyahu denounced Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, as a “puppet of the Revolutionary Guards” who cannot appear in public. And he addressed the Iranian people, saying the moment for a “new path of freedom” was approaching and that Israel stands with them.

“But at the end of the day, it depends on you. It is in your hands,” he said.

US military refuelling plane crashes in Iraq, rescue is underway

An American military refuelling plane taking part in the operation against Iran crashed in Iraq and rescue efforts were underway, US Central Command said Thursday.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. A US official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the developing situation, said the KC-135 aircraft that crashed had at least five crew members aboard.

The crash was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire, the military said in a statement, which described the plane as “a loss.” US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said that two aircraft were involved and that one landed safely and the other went down in western Iraq.

A second US official, who similarly spoke on condition of anonymity, said the other plane involved also was a KC-135 tanker.

“More information will be made available as the situation develops,” Central Command said. “We ask for continued patience to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members.” The tanker is the fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft to crash as part of the US military's operations against Iran. Last week, three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire.

All six crew members safely ejected from the F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition after being recovered, the US said.

Trump administration takes steps to ease sanction on Russian oil

The US Treasury Department announced Thursday it was taking steps to further ease sanctions on Russian oil as crude prices surge during the Iran war.

The agency said that it was granting a license that authorises the delivery and sale of some sanctioned Russia crude oil and petroleum products for the next month.

Trump signalled earlier this week that he would take further action to ease restrictions on sanctioned oil to help make for the loss of oil flowing on the market because of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The move follows the Trump administration granting temporary permission for India to buy Russian oil.