US President Donald Trump has stated that he does not believe Mojtaba Khamenei is dead. Mojtaba Khamenei became Iran's Supreme Leader following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The elder Khamenei was killed in joint US-Israeli military strikes carried out on February 28. Trump's remarks come amid uncertainty surrounding the status of Iran's current Supreme Leader.
India has been pushing for a review of its trade agreement with Japan for several years, but progress was stalled due to resistance from the Japanese side. A significant step forward was made last month when the prime ministers of both nations agreed to revisit and modernize the pact. The two leaders acknowledged the need to make the agreement more relevant to current trade realities. Bilateral trade between India and Japan currently stands at $27.5 billion, with Indian exports accounting for approximately $6 billion of that figure.
Deadly floods and landslides have struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, causing significant casualties. The exact cause of the disaster has not yet been confirmed by authorities or scientists. Experts note that the extreme topography of the Himalayan region significantly increases the risk of such events. The steep terrain and complex geography of the Himalayas make the area particularly vulnerable to flash floods and landslides.
A parliamentary committee on health and family welfare has highlighted a critical shortage of kidney transplant infrastructure in India, with over 61,000 patients currently on waiting lists. The panel has recommended that transplant facilities be established in at least three government medical colleges in larger states and one each in smaller states and union territories. The committee also called for time-bound targets to increase the number of organ retrieval centres nationwide. Special emphasis was placed on improving transplant infrastructure in underserved and hilly regions that currently lack adequate medical facilities.
A growing wave of economic nationalism is sweeping Canada amid an intensifying trade dispute with the United States. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is actively encouraging citizens to avoid purchasing American goods. The movement reflects broader public sentiment in response to tariff threats from the US. Canadians are increasingly choosing domestic products over American alternatives as a form of protest and patriotic expression.
The Congress party has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing disapproval of the methodology being used for the caste enumeration in the upcoming Census. The party described the current approach as misleading and called for the existing questionnaire to be cancelled. Congress urged the government to develop a revised questionnaire through broader consultations involving political parties, domain experts, and members of the public. The party stressed that any caste census must be precise, relevant, and genuinely beneficial to all communities.
A website called 'Jhooth Ki Goonj' has emerged online to fact-check claims made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his student interaction events. The site gained traction on social media as Gandhi continues his outreach campaign across Indian cities, targeting younger voters. The BJP, whose messaging the website appears to complement, has denied any formal association with it. The people behind the site remain unidentified, with some social media users attributing it to self-described 'nationalist researchers' and Gen Z individuals. The website itself carries no information disclosing its creators or funding.
A faction of dissident leaders within the Punjab Congress, including senior figures Charanjit Channi and Sukhjinder Randhawa, has been demanding the removal of state party chief Amarinder Raja Warring. Their discontent intensified after the AICC retained Warring at the helm while announcing poll-related panels roughly two months ago. The dissidents have now gone a step further by proposing the appointment of a Hindu Pradeh Congress Committee chief as his replacement. The move is seen as an attempt to resolve the ongoing internal crisis within the Punjab Congress unit.
The Bhote Koshi valley in Nepal, recently struck by floods, served as a vital trade corridor between Nepal and Tibet for centuries. Mule caravans once transported rice and grain northward to Gyirong, returning with Tibetan salt and wool highly prized in Nepal's middle hills. Trade goods continued further south toward India, while Newar merchant communities established settlements in Tibetan trading towns. The route also held military significance, as Nepalese troops used it during invasions of Tibet in 1788 and 1791, prompting a Chinese and Tibetan counter-offensive in 1792.
A video circulating on social media shows municipal employees using a fire tender to wash the private car of MLA Ramniwas Shah in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh. The incident took place at a municipal housing premises and drew public criticism after the footage went viral. Shah denied any prior knowledge of the car being washed with the fire tender. He claimed the fire tender was present at the location to fill the water tank at the mayor's residence, not for his vehicle. The MLA maintained that the fire tender was not specifically summoned for washing his car.
Devastating floods and landslides in Nepal have killed at least 160 people, with Nepal Police confirming 157 deaths and Chinese authorities reporting three more fatalities in Tibet's Gyirong county. A total of 844 people remain missing, including at least 133 Indian nationals and 37 non-resident Indians among 466 foreigners from 28 countries. Nepal Police also report 113 Nepali citizens are still unaccounted for. The scale of destruction is underscored by 33 bodies recovered as far as 150 kilometres downstream in Chitwan district, illustrating the ferocity of the floodwaters. Authorities across the region continue search and rescue operations as the death toll is expected to rise.
A 21-year-old woman was fatally stabbed inside her residence in Delhi, according to local police. The accused and the victim were reportedly acquainted with each other prior to the incident. After carrying out the attack, the suspect fled the scene and remains at large. Delhi Police have launched a search to track down the absconding accused.
A devastating fire broke out at a hospital in Pakistan, killing at least 14 infants in the maternity ward. Witnesses described scenes of chaos, with thick black smoke filling the building and broken glass obstructing escape routes. Emergency services were reportedly slow to respond to the crisis, worsening the situation for those trapped inside. Security guards were also accused of preventing people from evacuating the building during the blaze.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination released a report highlighting increased law enforcement operations targeting Rohingya, Bengali-speaking Muslims, migrants, and asylum-seekers in India. The report linked this trend to the 2017 home affairs order and the April 2025 Pahalgam attack in Kashmir. India's Ministry of External Affairs strongly dismissed the findings, calling them politically motivated and malicious. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India rejects such references with the contempt they deserve. The sharp rebuttal signals growing friction between India and certain UN human rights mechanisms.
The Indian government has permitted duty-free import of 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar to address domestic supply concerns. It has also allowed processors to divert refined sugar, originally earmarked for export, into the local market. Officials and industry insiders estimate that at least 3 lakh tonnes of processed sugar could reach the market quickly. The incoming raw sugar imports are expected to further ease any supply shortfall. Meanwhile, ex-mill sugar prices have already fallen by around 20% over the past ten days.
