Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah passes away

Oman Air confirmed that flights to and from Amman (AMM), Dubai (DXB), Bahrain (BAH), Doha (DOH), Dammam (DMM), Kuwait (KWI), Copenhagen (CPH), Baghdad (BGW), and Khasab (KHS) are cancelled until March 22.

Bangladesh's 13th Parliament unanimously elected veteran BNP leader Hafizuddin Ahmed as Speaker and Barrister Kayser Kamal as Deputy Speaker. Following the BNP's recent election victory, the two leaders were sworn in by President Shahabuddin in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, marking the new legislative journey.

A drone strike on a Kuwaiti residential building has caused casualties and "material damage," following revelations that a previous Iranian attack on US forces was more severe than disclosed. While "robust air defences" are in place, dozens of personnel suffered "brain trauma" and other "urgent" battle injuries.

According to the Indian Embassy in Beirut, the first batch of 177 Indian nationals was repatriated to New Delhi on a charter flight arranged by their employer on Wednesday. The group was seen off at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport by India's Ambassador to Lebanon, Noor Rahman Sheikh.

MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, while addressing an Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia, said that the Indian Embassy in Tehran remains fully operational and is on high alert. The government is assisting Indian nationals, including students and pilgrims, who wish to leave the country. He further added that those choosing to exit Iran via land, the embassy is assisting citizens in crossing into Armenia and Azerbaijan, from where they can board commercial flights to return to India.

Saar said that due to Iran's strikes, which were in blatant flagration of international law, 13 civilians had died in Israel.

Speaking with ANI, she called for South Asian nations to "talk as one" and collaborate with partners like India to maintain regional stability, moving away from insular foreign policy slogans.

Assuring the safety of the large Indian community in the United Arab Emirates amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia, UAE Ambassador to India Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali said that the Indian diaspora in the Gulf nation is safe and cared for, highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's direct engagement with UAE leadership during the situation.

Amid a severe military escalation in the ongoing conflict between the US-Israel and Iran expanded to target Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, the Embassy of India in Kuwait on Tuesday announced that all consular services are operating normally, with the Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) following Ramadan working hours (9:00 am - 3:00 pm), except on Fridays.

Iran and regional allies launched "Operation True Promise 4," conducting 27 waves of missile and drone strikes against US and Israeli military targets. The retaliatory offensive, reported by Press TV, struck bases in Kuwait, Iraq, and the occupied territories following the killing of the former Supreme Leader.