Evening News Brief: Iran calls ceasefire ‘irrational’; high voter turnout in states for parliamentary elections
- Iran refuses ceasefire: Iran refuses
Donald Trump proposal, pointing out violations of pre-negotiation provisions and claiming their rightsuranium enrichment . - Strong turnout in states: As of 5 pm, the voter turnout in Assam was 84.42%, in Kerala it was 75.01% and in Puducherry it was 86.92%, indicating high participation in the assembly elections.
- Congress quits Baramati: Congress withdrew from the race on Sharad Pawar’s advice, but Sunetra Pawar is still facing 22 independent candidates.
- Beirut strike escalates: Israel said it killed Naeem Qasim’s nephew Ali Yusuf al-Hashi in an airstrike in Beirut amid the ongoing conflict.
- The market fell sharply: BSE Sensex fell over 900 points and Nifty50 fell below 23,800 points as ceasefire optimism dented investor sentiment.
Here are the top 5 stories of the day
Iran calls ceasefire “unreasonable” and sets uranium enrichment red line
Iran has rejected Donald Trump’s peace overtures, arguing that the United States had violated three key terms of the plan before negotiations began. Tehran called the ceasefire “unreasonable” and highlighted its “deep-rooted historical distrust” of the United States, citing repeated violations of its commitments. The report identifies three specific violations: failure to comply with the first article of the Lebanese ceasefire, drone incursions into Iranian airspace, and denial of Iran’s right to enrich uranium. Follow real-time updates
Assembly elections: Voter turnout in Assam was 84.42%, Kerala 75.01%, Puducherry 86.92% by 5 pm
Voter turnout in the state assembly elections remained strong with 84.42% in Assam and 75.01% in Kerala as of 5 pm, with Puducherry leading the way at an impressive 86.92%, reflecting strong public participation across regions as polls progressed. Follow real-time updates
Congress withdraws Baramati polls Paving the way for Sunetra Pawar
The Congress party withdrew its candidate from the Baramati by-election just hours before the deadline for withdrawal of nominations on Thursday. However, Sunetra Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party will not be elected unopposed as 22 independent candidates were still in the fray even after the 3pm cut-off. The move comes after Sharad Pawar made a “suggestion” urging the Congress to step down and support Sunetra Pawar. Read more
Israeli air strikes on Beirut cause casualties nephew of hezbollah leader Ali Yusuf Hash
Israel says it has continued its attacks on Lebanon despite a ceasefire in the US-Israeli war and killed Naeem Qasim’s nephew in a nighttime attack on Beirut. The military said it targeted and killed Ali Yusuf Harshi, described as Qasim’s nephew, personal secretary and close adviser who played a key role in managing and protecting the security of Qasim’s office. The attack came a day after an Israeli attack on downtown Beirut that struck commercial and residential areas without warning, killing at least 182 people and injuring hundreds more in the deadliest day of the current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Read more
BSE Sensex falls below 900 points, Nifty50 falls below 23,750 points
The Nifty50 index and the BSE Sensex index fell sharply just a day after recording a historic one-day surge. The Nifty50 index fell below 23,800 points and closed at 23,775.10 points, down 222 points or 0.93%; the Sensex index fell 900 points during the session and closed at 76,631.65 points, down 931 points or 1.20%. Stocks fell as optimism over a possible cease-fire between the United States and Iran faded, along with other factors that dampened investor sentiment. Among Sensex stocks, Infosys, Adani Ports, UltraTech Cement, HCLTech and Larsen & Toubro were the top losers, down as much as 2 per cent, while Tata Steel, NTPC, Bharat Electronics Limited and Power Grid Corporation of India were the top gainers. Read more
