The signing of a proposed trade agreement between India and the United States has been postponed for now, according to India’s commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal. Agrawal said the agreement will move forward only after the United States fully implements its new tariff policy. He said the timeline for finalizing the deal is tied to the outcome of tariff changes currently under consideration by U.S. authorities. According to Agrawal, previously imposed global tariffs that were struck down by a U.S. court must be replaced with new global tariff measures before the trade agreement can be finalize

Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Friday accused Pakistan’s military of targeting civilian homes during overnight airstrikes in Kabul and the southern province of Kandahar, as cross-border fighting between the two countries entered its third week. Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement posted on X that women and children were among those killed in the strikes. The claim could not be independently verified. According to Mujahid, Pakistani aircraft also struck fuel depots belonging to the private airline Kam Air near Kandahar’s airport. Pakistan’s military

A United States military refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq during ongoing U.S. military operations linked to tensions with Iran, leaving four crew members dead and two others missing, according to the U.S. military. The aircraft was identified as a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker used for aerial refuelling. U.S. officials said the aircraft was carrying a crew of six at the time of the crash. The U.S. military confirmed that the bodies of four crew members have been recovered, while search operations are continuing for the remaining two. Officials did not immediately release the names of the crew

The International Energy Agency says it will release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves to help offset supply disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. According to the agency, the move is intended to stabilize global oil markets and reduce pressure from rising crude prices as the war affects supply routes and production in the region. The IEA said the decision represents the largest coordinated release of emergency oil stocks in the agency’s history. The organization has not yet confirmed when the oil will begin entering global markets or how quickly the

An explosive-laden drone struck a secondary school and a health care centre in southern Sudan on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people, most of them schoolgirls, according to a hospital official and a medical group. Dr. Musa al-Majeri, director of Douiem Hospital, said the attack occurred in a village served by the facility, which is the nearest major hospital in the area. He said at least 10 other people were wounded and were being treated after the strike. The drone strike has been blamed on Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which have been fighting the Sudanese military since civ

Spain’s government has decided to halt the appointment of a new ambassador to Israel as tensions rise following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. According to a Spanish cabinet decision on March 10, the government accepted a recommendation from the foreign minister to suspend the appointment of Ana María Salomón Pérez as Spain’s ambassador to Israel. The decision came after a meeting of Spain’s council of ministers. Spanish officials said the country’s embassy in Tel Aviv will now be led by a chargé d’affaires instead of a full ambassador. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez

Tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate following reported military actions involving the United States and Israel targeting Iran. Bahrain’s armed forces say the country’s air defence systems have intercepted and destroyed 105 missiles and 176 drones since Iran began what officials described as retaliatory attacks. According to a statement from Bahrain’s military, defence systems have been responding continuously to incoming aerial threats. Authorities said the interceptions took place as regional forces remain on heightened alert amid fears of a wider escalation across the Gulf

The United States says it will allow India to continue purchasing Russian oil for 30 days as global energy markets face pressure during the ongoing conflict involving Iran. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the temporary waiver is intended to help maintain stability in global oil supply while shipments already in transit are completed. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday the decision was made to prevent disruptions in the international oil market. Bessent said the measure applies only to oil cargoes that are already moving through maritime routes and would other

Sri Lanka’s navy says it has recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 people after a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean off the island nation’s southern coast. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament that authorities received information the vessel, identified as IRIS Dena, was in distress with about 180 people on board. He said Sri Lanka dispatched naval ships and air force aircraft to carry out a search-and-rescue operation. According to Sri Lanka Navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath, there was no sign of the ship when rescue teams arrived.