Bombs were hurled at a Hindu Puja gathering in Cumilla on March 7, leaving several people injured and seriously wounding chief priest Keshab Chakraborty. CCTV footage reportedly captured the moment explosives were thrown at devotees, triggering panic at the religious event. Chakraborty suffered severe injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment. The attack comes amid growing concern over violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh following the political upheaval after Sheikh Hasina was ousted in 2024. Minority groups say thousands of incidents targeting Hindus including killings, temple vandalism, and property seizures have been reported over the past year. (PC: News18)

US President Donald Trump intensified criticism of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over London’s stance on the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Trump accused Starmer of blocking American forces from using British bases during the initial strikes and suggested the UK was now considering sending aircraft carriers only after the conflict had largely been decided. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the US did not need British support and warned that Washington would “remember” the lack of early backing from its ally. The remarks highlight growing tensions between the two traditional partners as Western governments respond differently to the escalating Middle East conflict. (PC: India Today)

Questions have been raised about whether the US Navy may have violated international law after sinking an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. A US submarine torpedoed the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena last week. The ship sank with about 180 sailors on board. Sri Lankan rescuers later saved 32 sailors and recovered dozens of bodies. International law requires forces to help wounded or shipwrecked sailors after a battle. Experts say it is unclear if the US took such steps. “I certainly think the U.S. military needs to explain itself,” said Brian Finucane of the International Crisis Group. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the strike historic. (PC: X)

More than 52,000 Indians have returned from West Asia between March 1 and March 7 as tensions rise due to the Iran–US conflict, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday. The ministry said many stranded passengers travelled on commercial and special flights after some regional airspace reopened. Of the total number, 32,107 people flew on Indian airlines. The MEA said the government is closely monitoring the situation in the region. It is focusing on the safety of over 10 million Indians living in West Asia. Officials said “more flights are planned in the coming days.” Indian embassies have also set up 24×7 helplines to help citizens affected by the crisis. (PC: HT)

Iran Drone Strike Hits Dubai Airport, Flights Paused After Blasts Rock City   Story (104 words): A drone strike linked to Iran hit Dubai International Airport on Saturday, briefly stopping flight operations. Explosions were heard across the city as air defences were activated. Videos on social media showed a large cloud of smoke rising near the airport after the strike. Passengers inside the airport moved into underground train tunnels after an alert was issued, according to reports. Airline Emirates said flights to and from Dubai were suspended “until further notice.” Operations resumed shortly after. The attack came as Iran continued strikes on Gulf states during its conflict with the United States and Israel. 

Katyusha rockets struck the US embassy in Baghdad on Saturday as the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel intensified. Security sources confirmed the attack on the diplomatic compound in Iraq’s capital. At the same time, explosions were heard in Iran’s capital Tehran and in Jerusalem. Israel said it had launched new strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure. US President Donald Trump said Iran had “lost” and had “surrendered to Middle East neighbours.” Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected US demands for surrender. He said the demand for “unconditional surrender is a dream they should take to their grave.” Iran has also carried out attacks across the region as the fighting continues. (PC: HT)

Iran continued missile and drone attacks on Gulf states on Sunday as tensions remained high in the region. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates reported being targeted by drones and missiles. Saudi Arabia said a missile was launched toward a military base. Earlier, Iran’s president apologised to neighbouring countries and said Tehran would not attack them “unless attacked first.” But Iran’s foreign minister said chances of easing tensions were quickly damaged. He said Iran’s “openness to de-escalation was almost immediately killed” by remarks from US President Donald Trump. Trump earlier said Iran had “surrendered” to its neighbours and warned the United States would hit Iran “very hard.” (PC: BBC)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has condemned a US strike on a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island. He called the attack a “blatant and desperate crime”. Araghchi said the strike disrupted water supply in about 30 villages. He warned that targeting Iran’s infrastructure could have “grave consequences”. “The U.S. committed a blatant and desperate crime by attacking a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island,” he wrote on X. He added that attacking infrastructure was a “dangerous move”. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Iran had promised not to attack neighbouring countries anymore. He claimed the decision followed “relentless” US and Israeli strikes. (PC: The Tribune)

Three Iranian naval ships became central to rising tensions in the Indian Ocean during the Iran-US-Israel conflict. One vessel was sunk, while two others were allowed to dock after reporting problems. The Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was hit by a torpedo fired from a US submarine on March 4 near Sri Lanka’s southern coast. The ship sank and several sailors were killed or went missing. Another vessel, IRIS Lavan, reported a technical fault and requested emergency docking in Kochi, India. Authorities granted permission. A third ship, IRIS Bushehr, reported engine trouble and was allowed to dock in Sri Lanka. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, “An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship.” (PC: NDTV)

Iran has warned that “heavy attacks” will continue against countries helping the United States in the ongoing conflict. President Masoud Pezeshkian’s office said Iran would not target regional states if they do not assist US operations against Tehran. “If countries in the region do not cooperate in the US attack on Iran, we will not attack them,” a spokesperson said. However, Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei warned that strikes would continue against locations used by its enemies. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed Iran had “apologised and surrendered” to its neighbours after weeks of US and Israeli strikes. Explosions and air raid sirens were reported in cities including Dubai and Doha as attacks continued. (PC: HT)