Live! Macron says military option to reopen Strait of Hormuz is 'unrealistic'

Iran says its century-old health research unit hit in strikes, warns of global health dangers

Pasteur Institute of Iran, a century-old medical research centre in Iran, has been hit in the ongoing conflict, an official in the country's health ministry has said, warning that it would pose a threat to global health security. 

Hossein Kermanpour, head of public relations at Iran's health ministry, said in a post on X, “The aggression against Pasteur Institute of Iran—a century-old pillar of global health & member of International Pasteur Network—is a direct assault on international health security." He also claimed that such strikes violated the Geneva Conventions and principles of international humanitarian law. He also shared pictures of the damaged institute. 

The Pasteur Institute is known for research in infectious diseases, vaccine development and public health.

The aggression against Pasteur Institute of Iran—a century-old pillar of global health & member of International Pasteur Network—is a direct assault on international health security. This violates Geneva Conventions & IHL principles. We call on @WHO @ICRC & global health bodies… pic.twitter.com/80mv8qgcnq

— حسین کرمانپور Hossein.Kermanpour (@HKermanpour) April 2, 2026

Anand Sharma urges India to mobilise ‘Global South’ for West Asia peace

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma has urged the Narendra Modi government to ensure that India takes a lead in mobilising the Global South and nations that are its strategic partners to work towards the restoration of peace and order in West Asia, which has been ravaged by a conflict for more than a month now. 

In a statement, the former Union minister also sought national unity and said a mature response guided by national interests is what is needed at this moment. India is facing serious challenges to its energy security and financial assets due to the war that started on February 28 after Israel and the US jointly attacked Iran. 

"The world cannot remain a mute spectator to the collapse of a rule-based multilateral order and global crisis management mechanism. India has throughout history commanded respect for its moral authority and commitment to peace. There is much at stake, especially the future of the younger generation. India must endeavour to mobilise the global south and strategic partner countries to collectively work for the restoration of peace and order," he said.

Iran war effect felt in US as small businesses struggle

The conflict in Iran is exacerbating challenges for small business proprietors across the US, as they contend with shipping issues, increased expenses, and consumers becoming more cautious with their spending.

While a shoe designer is struggling to import its shoes from Vietnam; a pistachio grower has millions of dollars worth of pistachio exports stuck in the water; a home landscaper in Kansas City is stockpiling fertiliser as prices skyrocket; and a Chicago electronics store owner is facing pain at the pump.

While the small business owners say the severe supply chain disruptions during the pandemic were worse — they fear that if the war stretches on for months, it might start to come close.

“The costs are rising, the routes are changing, and capacity is tightening. It's all happening at the same time, and that's a perfect storm for small businesses," said Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association, a trade group for US companies that move cargo through the supply chain on all modes of transport.

US embassy warns of imminent attacks in Baghdad

The US Embassy in Baghdad warned citizens on Thursday that Iran-linked militias in Iraq “may intend to conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours”.

The embassy said the attacks could target “US citizens, businesses, universities, diplomatic facilities, energy infrastructure, hotels, airports, and other locations perceived to be associated with the United States, as well as Iraqi institutions and civilian targets”.

It was not the first statement issued by the embassy urging US citizens to leave Iraq, but the warning about potential attacks was unusually specific.

An American freelance journalist, Shelly Kittleson, was kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday and remains missing. No group has claimed responsibility, but US officials have blamed the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia for her abduction.

Women's Reservation law: Opposition demands all-party meeting

In the Rajya Sabha, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirms that the budget session will not be adjourned sine die today. House to be adjourned today and meet again in "the next 2-3 weeks".

Congress chief whip Jairam Ramesh strongly objects, saying Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had written to the government requesting that an all-party meeting be convened after April 29 to discuss the proposed amendments to Women's Reservation law.

Rijiju says the government is not going arbitrarily, adding that the government had made a commitment to the women on the country to implement reservation and is bound by that commitment and timeline.

Kharge reiterates demand for an all-party meeting while asserting the Opposition is not opposed to women's reservation and it was because of Opposition support that the Bill in 2023 was passed unanimously in Parliament.

Kharge questions if the government was bound by a timeline, then why didn't it introduce it in 2023 itself? Kharge points out that even if the government wanted to bring the amendments in this session, it could have done so in the normal course by suspending some other listed business.

Rijiju responds, saying the government has come up with a "very simple proposal that does not have a single controversial point on which the Opposition can oppose".

AAP MP Sanjay Singh also questions government's intention saying the amendments are being moved by BJP purely for electoral gains in the upcoming assembly polls.

Leader of the House JP Nadda says Opposition can give suggestions about calling the session after April 29 but it is the government which will decide when to bring the amendments. Nadda makes it clear that the government will take credit for implementing women reservation while asserting that the Congress sat on the Bill for 30 years but it was the Modi government that got the Bill passed.

Kharge retorts, saying for 30 months the government used the 2023 law "as a pillow" and has suddenly woken up to the need for its implementation. Kharge also slams Nadda for saying government alone will decide when and how Parliament session will be convened, saying "this is a democracy, our views have to be heard".

NCP-SP MP Fauzia Khan alleges she was called for a meeting by Rijiju to discuss the amendments but when she went to his house she was not allowed in and was "made to wait on the roadside".

As Union minister Piyush Goyal claims that the Opposition's attitude shows it doesn't want to implement women's reservation, Jairam Ramesh retorts, "in September 2023 when this Bill was passed, LoP Mallikarjun Kharge had told the government to implement reservation with the 2024 Lok Sabha polls but it was the government's position then that the implementation can only happen after the process of fresh Census and delimitation but now, 30 months later, suddenly they have realised that they can implement based on 2011 Census".

Oil rises 6 pc, Asian stocks fall after Trump says US will hit Iran hard, 'finish the job'

Oil rose more than 6 per cent and Asian stocks fell after US President Donald Trump said in his first national address since the Iran war began that the US will continue to hit Iran very hard.

Trump also said in his Wednesday night speech that the United States will “finish the job” in Iran soon as “core strategic objectives are nearing completion” and military operations could wrap up soon.

“We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We're going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong,” Trump said in his address.

Trump did not mention a looming deadline he set for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway for global oil and gas transport, after he threatened Iran earlier with US attacks on its energy infrastructure if the strait was not reopened. He did not offer a clear path to end the supply disruptions that have sent energy prices soaring.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 was down 2.4% to 52,463.27 on Thursday. South Korea's Kospi lost 4.5% to 5,234.05, also after government data showed consumer prices in March rose 2.2% from a year earlier on soaring fuel costs.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.3% to 24,965.07, the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.9% to 3,913.88.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.1% to 8,579.50.

Taiwan's Taiex was trading 1.8% lower, while India's Sensex lost 1.9%.

US futures were down more than 1.2%.

Oil prices were sharply higher following Trump's remarks. Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 6.9% to $108.15 per barrel. Benchmark US crude rose 6.4% to $106.55 a barrel.

“The market has shown disappointment because the speech President Trump made was far less than what the market expected," said Takashi Hiroki, chief strategist at Monex in Tokyo. "There were no concrete details about the end of the hostilities with Iran.” “What the market wants is a clear outline for the ceasefire," he said.

Gold and silver prices fell. Gold's price was down 4% to $4,621.30 per ounce, falling below the $4,700 mark. Silver lost 7.3% to $70.53 an ounce.

Renewed optimism on Wednesday for a possible end to the Iran war pushed world stocks higher, after Trump said late Tuesday the US military could end its offensive in two to three weeks.

On Wednesday, the S&P 500 added 0.7% to 6,575.32. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5% to 46,565.74, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2% to 21,840.95.

Shares of Eli Lilly jumped 3.8% after the US Food and Drug Administration approved its GLP-1 pill for weight loss. Nike plunged 15.5% despite better-than-estimated quarterly profit on expectations of weaker sales.

In other dealings early Thursday, the US dollar rose to 159.35 Japanese yen from 158.82 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1534, down from $1.1589. AP

Several policemen injured as miscreants hurl stones at them in Bengal's Birbhum

Several policemen were injured, including an OC, when miscreants hurled stones at them in West Bengal's Birhum district, an officer said on Thursday.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Suri police station, Shailendra Upadhyay, was among those injured after miscreants hurled stones and bricks at the police team at Kukhudihi village.

According to police, the trouble began after an earthmover machine engaged in construction work near a graveyard accidentally dug into soil covering a grave, triggering tension.

The earthmover operator was subsequently detained by a section of locals, leading to a confrontation between two groups belonging to same community, the officer said.

Police personnel initially reached the spot and attempted to pacify the crowd and secure the release of the driver. However, the mob hurled stones and bricks at the police team injuring several policemen, including the OC.

Senior officers, including SP Surya Pratap Yadav, later rushed to the village with additional forces to bring the situation under control.

"Fourteen persons have been arrested so far. Raids are underway and all those involved will be apprehended," Yadav said.

Global markets tumble as Trump warns Iran; crude oil surges above $105

As stocks fell and oil prices surged after Donald Trump's fresh warning to Iran during his speech, analysts have warned that global markets could further tumble today.

"I think we were hoping that he would announce an end today, and markets are disappointed that it did not happen. Overall I think that despite him saying it’s ending soon, that key update that he will hit Iran in the next few weeks is hugely negative for the markets. It means the war may continue," Nick Twidale, chief market analyst at AT Global Markets, was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, Brent reportedly jumped above $105 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate climbed toward $104 after Donald Trump's prime time address to the nation in which he signaled at an escalation in the ongoing war. 

“We're going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We're going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong,” Trump said in his speech.

Markets sink as Sensex drops 1,300 points after Trump's speech on Iran war

Benchmark stock market indices tanked on Thursday as investor sentiment dampened over President Donald Trump's fresh speech on Iran war, mentioning the US will hit Iran hard in the coming weeks.

"We’re going to hit them extremely hard. Over the next two to three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Age, where they belong," Trump said. He added that Iranian oil infrastructure remains a possible target, saying the US “could hit their oil” if needed. At the same time, the US President said diplomatic channels remain open, noting that discussions are ongoing as Washington weighs its next steps. 

The S&P BSE Sensex tumbled 1,401.01 points to 71,733.32, while the NSE Nifty50 tanked 439.55 points to 22,239.85 as of 9:27 am.

Democrats sue to block Trump's executive order targeting mail ballots

Democrats sued Wednesday to block President Donald Trump's latest executive order restricting mail voting, arguing that the US Constitution empowers states and Congress, not the president, to determine who is eligible to vote by mail.

The lawsuit marks the second round of battles over the president's power to control elections. Trump's opponents handily won the first round last year, blocking his initial executive order intended to reshape election procedures by convincing multiple federal judges that it was likely unconstitutional.

Trump on Tuesday announced that his administration would compile lists of who is eligible to vote in states and that the US Postal Service would only mail ballots to those who met that criteria. Critics note that there's little time to comb through voter rolls before ballots start going out for this fall's elections, in some places as soon as September, and question whether the administration's list would be reliable.

Mail voting has existed for more than a century and had steadily been increasing in popularity in both Democratic and Republican states until 2020. Then Trump decided to target the method, levying baseless claims of mass fraud. As a result, it's become less popular among Republicans and more among Democrats, giving Trump additional incentive to throttle it before midterm elections that will determine whether his party continues to control Congress.

Trump himself often votes by mail, as recently as in a special election in Florida last month.