- Iran rejects ceasefire: Iran rejected
Donald Trump ’s proposal, citing pre-negotiation violations and asserting its right touranium enrichment . - Turnout strong across states: As of 5 pm, voter turnout stands at 84.42% in Assam, 75.01% in Kerala, and 86.92% in Puducherry, indicating strong participation in the Assembly elections.
- Congress quits Baramati: The Congress exited the race following Sharad Pawar’s advice, but Sunetra Pawar still faces 22 independent candidates.
- Beirut strike escalates: Israel said it killed Ali Yusuf Harshi, nephew of Naim Qassem, in a Beirut strike amid ongoing conflict.
- Markets fall sharply: BSE Sensex dropped over 900 points and Nifty50 slipped below 23,800 as ceasefire optimism weakened investor sentiment.
Here are top 5 stories of the day
Iran calls ceasefire ‘ureasonable’, draws red line over uranium enrichment
Iran rejected the peace proposal put forward by Donald Trump, arguing that the United States had already breached three key provisions of the plan before negotiations even began.
Describing the ceasefire as “unreasonable,” Tehran emphasized its “deep historical distrust” of United States, citing a pattern of repeated violations of commitments. It pointed to three specific breaches: failure to comply with the first clause on a ceasefire in Lebanon, the intrusion of a drone into Iranian airspace, and the denial of Iran’s right to uranium enrichment. Follow live updates
Assembly elestions: 84.42% turnout in Assam, 75.01% in Kerala, 86.92% in Puducherry till 5pm
Voter turnout remained robust in the State Assembly elections as of 5pm, with Assam recording 84.42% participation, Kerala registering 75.01%, and Puducherry leading with an impressive 86.92%, reflecting strong public engagement across regions as polling progressed. Follow live updates
Congress withdraws from Baramati bypoll to pave way for Sunetra Pawar
The Congress withdrew its candidate from the Baramati by-election just hours before Thursday’s nomination withdrawal deadline. However, Sunetra Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party will not be elected unopposed, as 22 independent candidates remain in the contest even after the 3 pm cutoff. The move came following an “advisory” from Sharad Pawar, who urged the Congress to step aside and support Sunetra Pawar.
Israeli strikes on Beirut kills Hezbollah chief’s nephew Ali Yusuf Harshi
Israel said that it had killed the nephew of Naim Qassem in an overnight strike on Beirut, as its attacks on Lebanon continued despite a ceasefire announcement in the US-Israeli war with Iran. The military stated that it had targeted and killed Ali Yusuf Harshi, described as Qassem’s nephew, personal secretary, and a close adviser who played a key role in managing and securing his office. The strike followed Israeli attacks on central Beirut a day earlier, which hit both commercial and residential areas without warning, killing at least 182 people and injuring hundreds, marking the deadliest day in the current Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
BSE Sensex tanks over 900 points, Nifty50 below 23,750
The Nifty50 and BSE Sensex fell sharply, just a day after recording a historic single-day surge. The Nifty50 slipped below the 23,800 mark and settled at 23,775.10, down 222 points or 0.93%, while the Sensex dropped 900 points during intraday trade before closing at 76,631.65, lower by 931 points or 1.20%. The decline was driven by fading optimism over a potential US-Iran ceasefire, along with other factors that dampened investor sentiment.
Among Sensex stocks, Infosys, Adani Ports, UltraTech Cement, HCLTech, and Larsen & Toubro were the top losers, falling by up to 2%, whereas Tata Steel, NTPC, Bharat Electronics Limited, and Power Grid Corporation of India emerged as key gainers. Read full story
