Live: Britain to lead Strait of Hormuz talks, says Starmer

Indian national injured by drone debris in UAE

An Indian national was hurt after debris fell during a drone interception in an industrial area of Umm Al Quwain, authorities said on Wednesday.

The emirate’s media office described the episode as occurring “near a facility in the Umm Al Thuoob Industrial Area, resulting from falling shrapnel following the successful interception of a drone by air defence systems”.

“The incident led to the injury of one Indian national,” the statement shared on the official news agency WAM said.

Japan, France step up coordination on Hormuz, Iran conflict

Japan and France moved to tighten coordination on efforts to halt the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran and restore safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for energy shipments, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Wednesday.

Speaking in Tokyo after meeting Emmanuel Macron, Takaichi pointed to the strain in the global security climate and framed the talks as part of a broader attempt to keep channels aligned between the two countries.

“Because the international situation is so challenging, ‌I believe there is great significance in the leaders of Japan and France ‌deepening their personal ties and making ‌our ⁠cooperation even stronger,” Ms. Takaichi said after talks ⁠with French President Emmanuel Macron in Tokyo on security ties and industrial cooperation, reported AFP.

The discussions also touched on industrial coordination alongside security concerns, reflecting shared unease over the widening conflict and its knock-on effects on energy flows.

Japan, which relies on the Middle East for roughly 90% of its oil imports, has already started tapping into its strategic reserves to soften the economic impact of the disruption.

Britain set to host 35 countries for Hormuz talks

Britain will host talks with 35 nations to find ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil and gas shipping lane currently blocked by Iran. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will lead the discussions, part of a joint UK-French effort to secure the waterway.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the meeting would focus on "all viable diplomatic and political measures" to restore free navigation, ensure the safety of trapped ships and crew, and resume the flow of vital commodities, as per a report in The Guardian.

The talks come as Donald Trump warned that securing the strait would fall to other nations if the US halts its strikes on Tehran, pointedly criticising European countries for their limited support of his military campaign.

Owaisi tears into TMC, other Bengal parties saying they used Muslims for votes

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other parties used Muslims for votes in the state, but did not do anything for the community’s development.

Owaisi, addressing a poll rally at Naowda in the state's Muslim-dominated Murshidabad district in support of candidates of Humayun Kabir-led Aam Janata Unnayan Party, also claimed that over the past 50 years, members of the Muslim community had voted for the Congress, Left Front and the TMC, but got nothing in return.

"For the sake of Muslims in West Bengal getting greater representation in political decision making, and for their true development, we have joined hands with Kabir. Together, we will give a jolt to Mamata Banerjee and her party," he asserted.

“The time has come to elect leaders from the Muslim community, who can ensure your economic development," Owaisi said.

Kerala has most cases under narcotics Act, govt tells Rajya Sabha

The government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that Kerala registered the highest number of cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in 2023 at 30,697. Among the Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir topped with 2,232 cases.

The data was shared by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, in a written reply to a question. 

As per the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) data, a total of 1,20,010 cases were registered across the country under the NDPS Act in 2023.

Among the states, Kerala saw a sharp rise in cases over the years, followed by Maharashtra with 15,610 cases and Punjab with 11,589 cases in 2023.

Tamil Nadu (10,126) and Uttar Pradesh (9,387) have also reported high numbers. 

UAE may ally with US and send in troops: Report

The United Arab Emirates is readying itself to partner with the United States and allied nations in securing the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, as anxieties mount over a broader escalation in the Middle Eastern conflict, multiple reports say.

Should the UAE enter the fighting, it would mark a historic first: a Gulf state taking up arms against Iran. A Wall Street Journal report said the Arab nation is pushing for a UN Security Council resolution that would provide legal backing for such an operation. Emirati officials, as quoted in the report, have called on the United States along with military powers across Europe and Asia to assemble a coalition capable of reopening the Strait by force if necessary.

Nishikant Dubey apologises for remarks on Biju Patnaik and Nehru

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday issued an unconditional apology after claiming that former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik acted as a link between Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the CIA during the 1960s China war, a remark that drew criticism from within the party and beyond.

Posting on X, he wrote, “Last week, while speaking to the media, an incorrect interpretation was drawn from my remarks regarding the Nehru-Gandhi family's exploits, specifically in reference to the honourable Shri Biju Patnaik ji, a former Chief Minister and one of India's leading leaders”.

Calling it a personal view, he added, "My thoughts on Nehru ji were misconstrued as being about Biju Babu. Biju Babu has always been and will remain a towering statesman for us. If my statement has hurt anyone's sentiments, I unconditionally apologise,” Dubey said. He also extended greetings on Utkal Dibasa.

(With agency inputs)

Iran hits tanker off coast of Qatar, Kuwait airport and Israel kills 5 in Beirut attack

Iran hit a tanker off the coast of Qatar and Kuwait International Airport early Wednesday as Tehran remained unrelenting in its attacks on its Gulf Arab neighbours, while acknowledging for the first time that Washington had been in direct contact about a possible ceasefire.

Israel sounded warnings of incoming fire from both Yemen and Iran, while launching its own attacks in Lebanon that killed at least five people.

Airstrike on Iran's capital appears to hit former US Embassy compound

 An airstrike in Iran's capital, Tehran, on Wednesday morning appears to have struck inside the former US Embassy compound.

The embassy has been controlled by Iran's Revolutionary Guard since the 1979 hostage crisis. Its all-volunteer Basij force operates the compound, running an anti-American museum inside the embassy and other in new buildings on its grounds.

Witnesses saw blown-out windows surrounding the massive compound on Tehran's Taleghani Street. However, there was no missile strike visible around the compound, with witnesses saying they believe the strike happened inside the compound.

The 444-day hostage crisis saw American diplomats held until President Ronald Reagan took office from President Jimmy Carter in 1981.