Mueller won't testify next week: House Judiciary Committee Chairman

Speaking at a Women's History Month event at the White House, the US president said he had been fully briefed on the situation and described the incident as "terrible."

In a post by the White House, President Trump, while acknowledging that the United States is currently the world's leading oil producer and stands to benefit financially from higher crude prices, emphasised that his administration's overriding mission remains the permanent dismantling of Iran's nuclear program.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemned a drone strike on the commercial vessel Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean. Calling it "a terrorist attack & a war crime," she detailed the crew's rescue after a gas explosion, criticised Malta's refusal to assist the injured, and denounced the European silence.

Residents in Balochistan's Zehri and Surab regions are facing a severe humanitarian crisis due to a four-day curfew and military operations. The Baloch Yakjehti Committee reported acute food shortages, blocked healthcare access, and alleged house raids by security forces, urging international bodies to investigate these fundamental rights violations.

Addressing a gathering in Kentucky, Trump said, "I'm pleased to report that earlier today, the International Energy Agency agreed to coordinate the release of a record 400 million barrels of oil from various national petroleum reserves around the world, which will substantially reduce the oil prices, as we end this threat to America and this threat to the world."

Announcing the move on a White House press call, Jamieson Greer said the probe would be conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, one of Washington's most powerful trade enforcement tools.

North Korea is intensifying preparations for its upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for next week, including forming election committees and reviewing candidates for the Supreme People's Assembly, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency citing North Korean state media on Wednesday.

Drones struck fuel tanks in the port, Oman TV reported. No damage to merchant vessels was reported, Ambrey said.

The vote counting for the March 5 election in Nepal's House of Representatives has concluded late Wednesday, with Nepal's Election Commission (EC) making final preparations for the official announcement of results.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a telephonic conversation with Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan on the need to make efforts to prevent further escalation of the Middle East crisis.