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Angry consumers block road outside LPG agency in MP’s Raisen

Consumers blocked a road outside a gas agency in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district after failing to get LPG cylinders despite waiting in queues for hours, officials said.

Hundreds of LPG customers had been standing in a queue since around 7 am on Saturday, but when the agency located on Sagar Road did not open till 10 am, an hour after it was supposed to start business, they became restless.

A large number of women also joined the protest, alleging the agency operator had given no prior information and had made them wait for hours. Some women said they could not even prepare morning tea or food for their children, as their cooking gas had run out.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Manish Sharma, who reached the spot with police personnel, pacified the protesters and got the agency office opened. He directed the staff to begin the distribution of cylinders immediately.

Sharma told the agency operator they could face strict action, including closure, if distribution was delayed again or consumers failed to receive LPG cylinders. “I have warned the agency,” the official told PTI, adding that the distribution of cylinders began around 11 am.

Later, the agency operator said they had an adequate stock of cylinders and attributed the delay to a technical problem.

US Senate likely to take up bill seeking sweeping electoral reforms this week

The US Senate is likely to take up this week a bill that would require voters to submit a proof of citizenship to register to cast their votes in a federal election, a move described as the “number one priority” by President Donald Trump.

The SAVE America Act also requires voters to furnish a photo identity card before exercising their franchise rights and seeks to limit mail-in ballots only for those who are disabled, ill, serving in the military, or are travelling.

A fact-sheet on the White House website noted that India and Brazil have already linked voter identity cards to a biometric database, while the US relies on self-attestation for citizenship before being allowed to vote.

“The Republicans MUST DO, with PASSION, and at the expense of everything else, THE SAVE AMERICA ACT - And not the watered down version. This is a Country Defining fight for the Soul of our Nation,” Trump said in a post on social media last week.

The Brennan Centre, a think-tank with offices here and in New York, said that more than 21 million Americans lack ready access to documents such as a passport or a birth certificate.

“The SAVE Act would disenfranchise Americans of all ages and races, but younger voters and voters of colour would suffer disproportionately. Likewise, millions of women whose married names aren’t on their birth certificates or passports would face extra steps just to make their voices heard,” the Brennan Centre said.

The bill also seeks to permanently ban men from competing in women’s sports. It also seeks to ban transgender mutilation surgery for children.

Over 20 students injured as goods train hits college bus near Karur in Tamil Nadu

Over 20 students of a private engineering college were injured after the bus they were travelling in was hit by a goods train in Tamil Nadu's Karur on Saturday, police said.

DMK leader Senthil Balaji visited the injured students who are undergoing treatment at the district government hospital. Speaking to mediapersons, he said the accident occurred on Saturday evening when the bus was moving through the unmanned railway crossing between Veerarakkiyam and Palayam in the region.The goods train then rammed into the bus from behind, he added.

“Nearly 25 students were injured, and they were taken to the district government hospital. Two of the students were later taken to a private hospital, while 23 of them are undergoing treatment at the government hospital", he said.

"Among the 23, three of them are feeling better, and they went home after receiving first aid. The remaining are undergoing treatment at the district government hospital. One student received a head injury", the DMK leader said.

Turkey's Foreign Minister talks diplomacy efforts as regional war rages

Turkey's foreign minister said Saturday that there is no serious initiative to resume negotiations between the United States and Iran but that he believes Iran is open to back-channel talks.

The comments by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to The Associated Press in an exclusive interview came as Ankara is striving to stay out of the widening war in the Middle East.

Ankara, which has good relations with both Washington and Tehran, had attempted to mediate a solution between them before the US and Israel attacked Iran two weeks ago, triggering the war.

“The conditions are not very much conducive” to diplomacy now, Fidan said. The Iranians “feel betrayed” because for a second time they were attacked while in active negotiations with the US over their nuclear programme, he said, but added, “I think they are open to any sensible back-channel diplomacy.” Fidan, 57, served as Turkey's intelligence chief for more than a decade before being appointed foreign minister in 2023.

In that role, he played a key part in shaping Turkey's policy in the Middle East, particularly toward Syria, Iraq and Iran. He is considered to be one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most trusted advisers and one of the potential candidates to succeed him.

Turkey has maintained a neutral position in the war, criticising both the US and Israeli strikes against Iran and Tehran's retaliatory actions against Gulf states that host US bases. Fidan said he has been attempting to persuade the Iranians to halt those attacks.

Anti-war protests in Italy, Spain as high-stakes referendum on Italian judges looms

Thousands of people protested Saturday against wars in the Middle East and judicial reforms proposed by Italy's conservative government — linking international tensions with a growing domestic political battle before a national referendum.

The March 22–23 referendum on changes to the judicial system has become a major political test for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government, which faces an election next year. The debate over legal reforms has escalated into a broader confrontation between the prime minister and her political opponents.

In central Rome, protesters waving red trade union banners and Palestinian and Cuban flags chanted “Meloni government, resign” before the rally ended peacefully. “The United States and Israel are destroying any form of coexistence dictated by international law,” demonstrator Sandra Paganini said.

“They are dragging us towards a world war in which they are targeting completely innocent people who have done nothing wrong, intervening and destroying nations,” she said.

Meloni said that the reforms are needed to tackle chronic delays in Italy's courts and restore public confidence in the legal system. But opponents argue that the changes could weaken judicial independence and make judges subject to political influence.

The referendum has increasingly taken on the character of a political test for the prime minister. Meloni joined the campaign directly this week.

“If justice doesn't work, if it's slow, if it's inefficient, if it's unfair, then the whole machine gets stuck and everyone pays the consequences,” Meloni said at a campaign speech in Milan on Thursday.

Anti-war protests have surged since the launch on February 28 of large-scale US and Israeli air attacks on Iran targeting military sites and senior leaders, and triggering retaliatory strikes that have shaken global markets.

UAE orders expedited trial of 10 for publishing misleading, fabricated video clips

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ordered the arrest and urgent trial of 10 people of various nationalities for publishing video clips on social media platforms containing misleading and fabricated content amid regional tensions due to the war in Iran.

In a statement released by the country’s official news agency Wam, UAE Attorney-General Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the action follows the continuous monitoring of digital platforms amid regional developments. The attorney-general did not reveal the nationalities of the accused.

“Such events have been exploited to disseminate misinformation intended to deliberately mislead the public while undermining national security, order and stability,” he said.

Investigations revealed that the defendants published videos featuring real footage of air defence systems intercepting attacks. Other clips depicted projectiles on the ground or crowds observing events.

Dr Al Shamsi said the under trial circulated fabricated footage created using AI to falsely suggest explosions, strikes on prominent landmarks, or large fires with rising smoke across various areas of the UAE.

“The incidents also involved exploiting children’s emotions in videos falsely implying security threats. Other footage claimed the destruction of military facilities within the country or attributed foreign incidents to UAE locations, aiming to mislead public opinion and spread anxiety,” he added.

American flag raised at US Embassy in Venezuela for first time since 2019

The American flag was raised Saturday over the US Embassy in Venezuela for the first time since 2019, a move that highlighted the recent shift in relations between the two countries since then President Nicolás Maduro was captured by American troops in January.

Though the flag is now waving, the building is undergoing renovations and it remains unclear when it will fully reopen.

The move comes after several statements from US President Donald Trump in support of Maduro's successor, acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who has tried to keep negotiations open with the American government.

The flag was raised "exactly seven years after it was taken down,” the US Embassy team said in a statement published on its social media channels.

The American flag being raised drew immediate attention from local residents.

“It's a good thing, really, what a joy,” said Caracas resident Luz Verónica López. “Other countries must come back too because that's what we need; progress, to move forward with good relations with the rest of the world, as it should be.” Alessandro Di Benedetto, another Caracas resident, noted the positive atmosphere among those witnessing the moment.

US signals possible further strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island amid ongoing Gulf tensions

US President Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that the United States could conduct additional strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island, following Friday’s attack. In an interview with NBC News, he said that while Iran seems willing to negotiate to end the conflict, “the terms aren’t good enough yet.” Trump also claimed that the US strikes had significantly damaged Kharg Island. 

Meanwhile, explosions were reported in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, early Sunday amid continued Iranian attacks across the Gulf. Bahrain stated that it had intercepted 125 missiles and 203 drones since the beginning of the attacks, which resulted in two deaths in the country and 24 casualties in neighboring Gulf states.