Daily Briefing: Nepal voters choose new leadership

With that, let’s move on to the top five stories from today’s edition:

🚨 Big Story

“Unconditional Surrender”

US President Donald Trump has taken a stern approach to the escalating conflict with Iran, declaring that the United States will not pursue any negotiations unless Tehran agrees to an “unconditional surrender.” As the conflict between the US-Israel alliance and Iran intensifies across West Asia and the Indian Ocean, expanding from air strikes to naval engagements and drone attacks, Trump signalled that diplomacy is off the table. “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! After that… we will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink… making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!),” Trump said. Read.

Escape plan: Nearly 9,000 Indians remain stranded in Iran, prompting the Centre to draw up plans for a possible evacuation. A majority of them are students, many from Jammu and Kashmir, along with others from states such as Uttar Pradesh, pursuing courses in Iranian universities. Large numbers are currently in Tehran and the religious city of Qom. Evacuation, however, has become complicated after Iran shut its airspace following the US and Israeli air strikes that began on February 28. Officials are now exploring alternative land routes through neighbouring Armenia and Turkmenistan, from where stranded Indians could be flown back home. Read.

⚡ Only in Express

“I’ve always seen India as a nation of peace”

In an interview with The Indian Express on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue, Finland President Alexander Stubb shared his views on India’s growth, its peacemaking abilities, bilateral cooperation, his assessment of US President Donald Trump, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and his advice to Indian youth. Stubb, who is on a state visit to India, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the two leaders decided to upgrade ties to a strategic partnership on digitalisation and sustainability. 

Aravalli row: The definition of the Aravalli hills has come under scrutiny yet again in the Supreme Court, with an amicus curiae alleging that a committee led by the Environment Ministry Secretary suppressed the Forest Survey of India’s (FSI) views. The FSI had submitted a report in September 2025 highlighting the ecological importance of hills of varying heights, but the ministry’s affidavit did not mention it. The committee defined the Aravallis using a 100-metre height criterion, which the FSI opposed, suggesting an alternative definition. Investigations by The Indian Express in November–December 2025 reported that this benchmark would exclude 90% of Aravalli hills, that the CEC’s objection was overlooked, and that the Supreme Court had rejected the 100-metre benchmark in 2010. Read.

💡 Express Explained

Beyond oil: The fallout of the West Asia conflict may extend far beyond oil, quietly hitting several core Indian industries that rely on the region for key raw materials. From construction to fertilisers, steel and even diamonds, supply chains could face pressure if tensions disrupt Gulf logistics hubs or shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. India imports a large share of crucial inputs such as limestone, gypsum, sulphur and direct reduced iron (DRI) from West Asia—materials essential for cement production, infrastructure projects, fertiliser manufacturing and steelmaking. While some industries may find alternative suppliers, experts say rising oil and gas prices could still push up production costs across sectors.

✍️ Express OpinionIn our Opinion section today, Arun Prakash argues that the US sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka marks a dangerous expansion of the West Asia conflict into the Indian Ocean. The vessel, which had earlier visited Visakhapatnam for an international fleet review, was torpedoed by a US submarine using a Mark-48 missile, an attack described by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth as a “quiet death”. Prakash writes that the strike reflects today’s geopolitical reality: the ability to strike anywhere now defines power, while also risking disruptions to global shipping and higher insurance and freight costs.

🎬 Movie Review

If you’re looking for something to watch this weekend, Subedaar might be worth checking out. Directed by Suresh Triveni, the film follows Subedaar Arjun Maurya, played by Anil Kapoor, a mid-level Army man who returns to a troubled small town and takes on a sand mafia running illegal mining operations. The film leans into the old-school Bollywood trope of a lone hero confronting a corrupt system. While the dusty small-town setting and Kapoor’s performance stand out, Shubhra Gupta writes that the narrative loses steam at times because of uneven pacing and some forced action sequences.

That’s it for today, have a lovely weekend!

Until next time,
Anupama