Many Indians who are stranded in Dubai in the aftermath of the US-Israel attack on Iran and Iran’s retaliation are now being forced to spend lakhs of rupees in unforeseen costs. This includes extra days of hotel accommodations and expensive tickets for the few flights that have resumed to return to India. Even for those whose flights weren’t cancelled, unexpected costs have come up. While some have spent over Rs 1 lakh in extra costs in the past four days, people also flagged that sensational and false coverage of the situation in Dubai on Indian TV channels was causing panic amongst family members of those stranded there.
With that, let’s move on to the top stories from today’s edition:
- US sinks Iranian warship
- Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s exit
- India vs England T20 semifinals today
🚨 Big Story
‘Quiet death’: An Iranian warship was torpedoed by a United States submarine off the southern coast of Sri Lanka in the early hours of Wednesday. The warship was on its way back from Visakhapatnam after participating in an International Fleet Review exercise organised by the Indian Navy on February 17 and 18. It was the first such attack on an enemy since World War II, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a Pentagon briefing. 87 bodies were brought in by military rescuers to the hospital in the Sri Lankan port city of Galle. Another 32 have been rescued and were being treated at the hospital, and about 60 people were likely unaccounted for from an estimated 180 people on board, Sri Lankan authorities said.
The latest strike off Sri Lanka raises questions about the legality of a military strike in international waters. A military strike in international waters is typically prohibited under international law, given that international waters are reserved for “peaceful purposes”, under Article 88 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). While international maritime law falls under the purview of the UNCLOS, regarded as the Constitution of the Oceans, the US is not a party to it. We explain.
Supply cut: Amid the ongoing West Asia conflict and the heavy disruption in vessel transit through the critical chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz, India’s largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) Petronet LNG has issued force majeure notices to its key supplier QatarEnergy, and its off-takers GAIL (India), Indian Oil Corporation, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation. QatarEnergy has also issued force majeure notices, indicating an LNG supply cut. According to sources, gas supplies to some sectors in India have been reduced in the anticipation of tighter LNG deliveries to the country amid the West Asia crisis.
No war risk cover: The rising tensions have also disrupted regional and global trade flows, with freight and marine insurance premiums up by nearly 80 per cent. Insurers are reassessing war-risk premiums and withdrawing marine hull war-risk cover, leading to an increase in logistics costs and potentially adding more pressure on supply chains. War risk cover will be excluded in Iranian waters, as well as the Gulf and adjacent waters. Public sector GIC Re is withdrawing marine hull war risk cover in select high-risk global regions, which include the Persian Gulf, Black Sea and Red Sea.
⚡ Only in Express
Nobody wants the keys: As the ruling Mahayuti government in Maharashtra ramps up its efforts to crack down on illegal Bangladeshi nationals, a detention centre in Bhoiwada built exclusively to hold such migrants ahead of their deportation has remained unused for months. This reveals a casualty of bureaucratic deadlock over who should run it. While the facility has been “almost ready” for several months, the Social Justice and Special Assistance department thinks their staff are not equipped to handle foreign nationals picked up by the cops. Meanwhile, police officials say the migrants are neither accused in a criminal case nor in judicial custody, and therefore not theirs to keep.
📰 From the Front Page
End of an era?: Senior leaders from the Janata Dal (United) and members of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s family were at his residence last night to dissuade him from stepping down from the position. Given his failing health, however, decks were being cleared for his exit on Wednesday. His exit was on the cards even when he was sworn in as CM in November 2025 following a landslide win for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Leaders from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ally JD(U) have said that Nitish is most likely to file his nomination for Rajya Sabha. The new CM will most likely be from JD(U) or BJP.
A direct challenge: The escalating conflict in West Asia has begun to cast a long and ominous shadow over India’s economy. The rupee slid past the psychologically crucial 92-mark to 92.17 against the US dollar on Wednesday morning. This comes as surging crude oil prices and disrupted trade flows threaten to make imports costlier, stoke inflationary pressures, and impact the monetary policy of the country. A weaker rupee, rising import costs, mounting inflationary pressures and a potential recalibration of monetary policy now loom large. What began as a distant geopolitical confrontation is fast developing into a direct economic challenge for the country.
In remembrance: Hari Kishan Dua, the editor of mainline major English newspapers, including The Indian Express (1994-96), and former member of the Rajya Sabha, passed away on Wednesday (March 4, 2026). Coomi Kapoor, in an obituary, deeply mourns his passing away, and writes: “Dua’s integrity was unimpeachable and when a newspaper owner allegedly asked him to use his political contacts to bail him out over some foreign exchange cases filed against him he refused to oblige and lost his job. He took up the issue with the Press Council of India.”
📌 Must Read
In our Opinion columns today, Manav Sachdeva delves into the reasons provided by the US and Israel to launch an intensive military campaign against Iran, and its consequences for the world. Sachdeva writes: “If nuclear weapons are catastrophic, they are catastrophic everywhere. If deterrence is legitimate, it cannot be the exclusive privilege of the powerful. Otherwise, the doctrine becomes transparent: Some states may own the ultimate weapon; others may be bombed to prevent them from approaching it. This is not non-proliferation. It is a hierarchy, enforced by missiles, carries enormous risk, humanitarian, strategic, economic, and geopolitical.”
The US-Israel-Iran conflict forces us to recall a different invasion from 20 years ago that profoundly reshaped the Middle East. The stated aim of the 2003 invasion of Iraq — led by the US and involving troops from the UK, Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands and Poland — was to destroy its “weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)” and “liberate” its people from the rule of Saddam Hussein. Two decades on, Iraq continues to bear deep scars from that invasion — internecine conflict, insurgency, state fragmentation and the rise of extremist groups. Here’s the full story.
⏳ And Finally…
India vs England today: From Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, to Shivam Dube, the India team could be seen sweating on areas that need work as they are set to battle against England at the ICC T20 World Cup Semifinals on Thursday. While the mood is very different today from that at the beginning of the WC 2026, Sriram Veera suggests that the path is clearer for India now than it has been in years. “For a coach who’s staked his credibility on strategic thinking, the opportunity is glaring. And unforgiving… Gambhir has spent his career not caring what the world thinks. On Thursday, the world won’t care what he thinks either. Only what he delivers.”
🎧 Lastly, tune in to today’s episode of our 3 Things podcast, where we discuss how actor Vijay’s TVK is disrupting Tamil Nadu’s long-standing DMK-AIADMK duopoly. We also talk about Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s following in India, as well as delve into gaps in the implementation of Centre’s welfare schemes in Bihar.
That’s all for today. Have a wonderful day!
Until next time,
Ariba
Business As Usual by E P Unny
Top news on March 5, 2026. 
Business As Usual by E P Unny
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