Rush Hour: Trump pauses strikes on Iran’s power plants, Modi warns of long-term impact of war & more
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United States President Donald Trump said that he has directed the Department of War to postpone “any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure” for five days. The decision was taken following “good and productive conversations” between Washington and Tehran, he added.
However, soon after the statement, Tehran stated that there was no “direct or indirect” conversation with the US president. Trump had “backed down after hearing that our targets would be all the power plants in West Asia”, the Iranian government was quoted as stating.
Iran’s defence council stated that it would mine “all access routes and communications lines in the Persian Gulf and coastal areas”. Read on.
Interview: How the war in West Asia could change India’s energy calculus
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the impact of the conflict in West Asia will be “felt for a long time” and that India should be “prepared and remain united”. Modi’s statement to Parliament came amid energy supply disruptions caused by the conflict.
“India imports a large amount of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz,” Modi said. “The government has been trying to ensure that its impact does not affect the citizens.”
He added: “We have faced such challenges with unity during the Covid period and now we have to be prepared again.” Read on.
The Bombay High Court directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Mumbai Police to conduct a “thorough verification” of all street vendors in the city. Action should be taken against those found to be undocumented migrants, said the bench.
The actions may include “steps for repatriation by the competent authorities”, the court said, adding that officers who fail to take necessary steps will face punishment.
The direction came against the backdrop of several Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states rounding up thousands of Bengali-speaking migrant workers since May and asking them to prove that they were Indian citizens. In February, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya said he had “launched a campaign” in Mumbai for a “hawker-free city from Bangladeshi vendors”. Read on.
The Indian stock market continued its crash on Monday amid concerns surrounding the conflict in West Asia and surging energy prices. The benchmark Sensex index had fallen by more than 1,800 points or 2.4% at closing. The Nifty had sunk 2.6%, or by more than 600 points.
The Indian rupee ended at a record low of 93.9 against the United States dollar on Monday amid continued outflow of foreign funds and falling stocks. Read on.
The years between 2015 and 2025 have been the hottest since the World Meteorological Organization began recording data, said the United Nation’s weather agency. In its State of the Global Climate report, the agency added that 2025 was the second or third hottest year on record, at about 1.43 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.
According to the report, 2024 was the hottest year on record. Temperatures above 1.55 degree Celsius more than the 1850 to 1990 average were recorded that year. It also highlighted that the Earth’s climate is “more out of balance than at any point in observed history”. Read on.
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