Evening news brief: Iran calls ceasefire ‘ureasonable’; high voter turnout across states in assembly elections | India News
- Iran rejects ceasefire: Iran refused
Donald Trump its motion, citing pre-negotiation violations and asserting its rightsUranium enrichment . - Voter turnout strong across the state: As of 5 pm, voter turnout stood at 84.42% in Assam, 75.01% in Kerala and 86.92% in Puducherry, indicating strong participation in the assembly elections.
- Congress left Baramati. Congress exited the race on Sharad Pawar’s advice, but Sunetra Pawar still faces 22 independent candidates.
- Beirut strike escalates: Israel said it killed Naim Kasem’s nephew Ali Youssef Hershi in an attack in Beirut amid ongoing clashes.
- Sharp decline in the market: The BSE Sensex fell over 900 points and the Nifty 50 fell below 23,800 as ceasefire optimism dampened investor sentiment.
Here are the top 5 stories of the day
Iran has called the ceasefire ‘reasonable’, drawing a red line on uranium enrichment
Iran has rejected Donald Trump’s proposed peace proposal, arguing that the United States violated three key provisions of the plan before negotiations could begin. Describing the ceasefire as “absurd”, Tehran emphasized its “deep historical distrust” of the US, citing a pattern of repeated violations of commitments. It pointed to three specific violations: failure to comply with the first clause of the cease-fire in Lebanon, drone incursions into Iranian airspace, and denial of Iran’s right to enrich uranium. Follow the live updates
Assembly polls: 84.42% in Assam, 75.01% in Kerala, 86.92% in Puducherry till 5 pm
Voter turnout in state assembly elections remained strong till 5 pm, with Assam recording 84.42% participation, Kerala registering 75.01%, and Puducherry leading with an impressive 86.92%, reflecting strong turnout across the region as voting progressed. Follow the live updates
withdrew from the Congress Baramati by-election To pave the way for Sunetra Power
The Congress withdrew its candidate from the Baramati bypoll 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 are still in the fray after the 3 pm cutoff. The move followed a “suggestion” by Sharad Pawar, who urged the Congress to step aside and support Sunetra Pawar. Read the full story
Killed in Israeli attack in Beirut Hizbullah chief’s nephew Ali Yusuf Harshi
Israel said it killed Naim Kassem’s nephew in an overnight attack in Beirut, as its attacks on Lebanon continued despite a ceasefire in the US-Israeli war with Iran. The military said it targeted and killed Ali Yusuf Harshi, described as Kasem’s nephew, personal secretary and a close adviser who played a key role in running and securing his office. The strike followed an Israeli attack in central Beirut a day earlier, which struck both commercial and residential areas without warning, killing at least 182 people and wounding hundreds, marking the deadliest day of the current Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Read the full story
BSE Sensex is over 900 points, Nifty is below 23,750
Nifty50 and BSE Sensex fell sharply just a day after recording a historic one-day surge. The Nifty 50 fell below the 23,800 mark and settled at 23,775.10, down 222 points or 0.93%, while the Sensex lost 900 points before closing at 76,631.65, down 931 points or 1%. The decline was due to fading optimism over a possible US-Iran ceasefire, along with other factors that dampened investor sentiment. Among Sensex stocks, Infosys, Adani Ports, Ultratech Cement, HCLTech, and Larsen & Toubro fell up to 2%, while Tata Steel, NTPC, Bharat Electronics Ltd, and Power Grid Corporation of India emerged as key gainers. Read the full story
