Bangladesh's government has warned media outlets not to report former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent interview with NDTV. Officials said broadcasting her remarks is against a court order and could lead to legal action. Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman urged media organisations to follow the law and act responsibly. In the interview, Hasina said she plans to return to Bangladesh this year. She also raised concerns about attacks on Hindus and other minority communities, claiming temples were vandalised and violence had increased. The government has not responded directly to her claims in the interview. (PC: AFP)

India and Japan are planning a new system to settle trade directly in yen and rupees instead of using the US dollar. The proposal is expected to be discussed during the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi. Under the plan, Japanese firms could open accounts with Indian banks to make payments easier. The move aims to boost trade, investment and financial cooperation between the two countries. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is on a three-day visit to India for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders will also discuss defence, energy and infrastructure cooperation. (PC: Reuters)

India is importing a record amount of crude oil from Russia, with Russian supplies expected to make up over 50% of its oil imports in June. Around 2.5 million barrels of oil are arriving each day. Analysts say Ukrainian drone attacks have damaged Russian refineries, forcing Moscow to export more crude instead of refining it. Lower demand from China has also increased supplies available for India. The discounted Russian oil is helping India reduce import costs and strengthen energy security. However, experts warn that India's strategic oil reserves remain low, making the country vulnerable to future global supply disruptions. (PC: Shutterstock)

The Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court against a Madras High Court order that imposed a complete ban on cow slaughter in the state. The government said the High Court's directions went beyond the Tamil Nadu Animal Preservation Act, 1958. It argued that the law already allows cow slaughter in limited cases with official approval. The High Court had directed officials to stop the slaughter of cows and calves on Bakrid and all other days. The order was passed on a petition alleging illegal cow slaughter. The Supreme Court will now hear the state's challenge to the High Court ruling.

A 25-year-old Hindu law student and temple priest was allegedly abducted and assaulted in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The victim, Subhash Deuri, was reportedly kidnapped by unidentified men late Monday. The attackers allegedly beat him, stripped him, and forced him to call his family for money. His relatives transferred 26,000 Bangladeshi Taka after the kidnappers demanded a ransom. Deuri was later found unconscious on a street by his friends and taken to a hospital. He is receiving treatment. Police have not confirmed the motive behind the attack. It is also unclear whether he was targeted because of his religion.

Afghanistan's Taliban-led government says it has carried out airstrikes on alleged ISIS hideouts inside Pakistan, marking a major escalation in cross-border tensions. According to the Afghan Ministry of Defence, the strikes targeted suspected ISIS positions in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that were allegedly being used to plan attacks in Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed the operation caused heavy losses to ISIS and said no civilians were harmed. It also warned that it would continue targeting any location posing a threat to Afghanistan's security. The strikes come days after Pakistan launched air operations inside Afghanistan, further straining relations between the two neighbours.  

A puppy has been rescued alive from beneath the rubble days after devastating twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, offering a rare moment of hope amid the disaster. Rescuers heard barking while searching a collapsed building in Caracas and carefully dug through the debris before pulling the frightened animal to safety. Video of the rescue shows emergency workers comforting the puppy after it was freed. The rescue comes as teams continue searching for survivors following the powerful earthquakes, which have killed more than 1,700 people and caused widespread destruction across affected areas. Rescue efforts remain underway despite fading hopes of finding more survivors.

Germany's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign ended in disappointment after a 3-2 penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay in the Round of 32, following a 1-1 draw after extra time. A report by German newspaper *Bild* claimed four players—Leon Goretzka, Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown and Malick Thiaw—declined to take Germany's sixth penalty during sudden death. Defender Jonathan Tah stepped up instead, taking the first penalty of his professional career, but missed the target. The defeat eliminated the four-time world champions before the Round of 16 for the third consecutive World Cup, deepening concerns over Germany's recent struggles.  

The US Department of the Treasury has removed four Indian companies from its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List in its latest sanctions update. The companies are Hyderabad-based RRG Engineering Technologies Private Limited and Lokesh Machines Limited, Ahmedabad-based Galaxy Bearings Ltd, and Delhi-based Shaurya Aeronautics Private Limited. All four had been sanctioned under Executive Order 14024, which targets activities linked to Russia. The delisting lifts US financial restrictions on the companies. The announcement came as the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also added several individuals and entities linked to Mexican drug trafficking networks to the sanctions list. (PC: HT)

Iran has warned it is fully prepared for war if diplomacy with the United States fails, while maintaining that negotiations remain its preferred path ahead of high-stakes talks in Doha on implementing their memorandum of understanding (MoU). Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran’s nuclear rights, including uranium enrichment, are non-negotiable and stressed Tehran would not advance to the next phase of the agreement until all key provisions, including commitments related to Lebanon, oil exports and the Strait of Hormuz, are fully implemented. Despite the warning, Ghalibaf reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to dialogue, saying negotiations would continue while the country remains ready to defend its interests.