- The government has reduced special additional excise duty on petrol to Rs 3 per liter and reduced duty on diesel to zero (from Rs 10).
- Rajnath Singh will head an inter-ministerial team, including Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman and Hardeep Singh Puri, on Middle East crises.
- Elbridge Colby concluded his visit to India and pushed for deepening military cooperation under the Defense Strategy 2026.
- Former cricketer Yograj Singh has backed MS Dhoni, urging him to continue playing in the IPL and rejecting calls to retire.
- As Tehran continues its missile activities, questions have been raised about advanced systems such as the Qassem Basir and Fattah-2.
Here are the top 5 stories of the day:
Government cuts excise duty on petrol to Rs 3 per liter, zero on diesel amid tensions in Middle East
The government has revised the fuel tax structure and reduced the special additional excise duty on petrol to Rs 3 per liter while completely abolishing the special additional excise duty on diesel. The decision comes against the backdrop of ongoing disruptions to global oil supply chains caused by conflicts in the Middle East, as Iran continues to tighten its control over the Strait of Hormuz. According to a government order issued on Thursday, “Additional excise duty on petrol has been reduced to Rs 3 per liter from the previous Rs 13 per liter. Meanwhile, excise duty on diesel has been reduced to Rs 0 per liter from the previous Rs 10 per liter.” Read more
Rajnath Singh to head inter-ministerial team to monitor issues arising from Middle East conflicts
Union Minister Rajnath Singh will head an inter-ministerial team to oversee issues arising from the conflict in the Middle East. According to ANI sources, while Rajnath will lead the group, its members include union home minister Amit Shah, union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri and other ministers. Read more
India-US defense partnership: US envoy wraps up New Delhi visit, calls for closer military cooperation
US Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby concluded an official visit to India on Thursday. The focus of the visit is to advance the India-US defense partnership and key elements of the National Defense Strategy 2026. The official visit, which began on Tuesday, will include high-level consultations with senior Indian officials and strategic discussions on defense cooperation. Read more
‘Hats off to him’: Yugraj Singh in rare praise of MS Dhoni, slams retirement calls
In a surprising change of stance, former India cricketer Yograj Singh has come out strongly in support of MS Dhoni, urging the veteran to continue playing in the IPL while targeting those calling for his retirement. Yograj has been an outspoken critic of Dhoni in the past, but his tone is decidedly different ahead of IPL 2026. Speaking to InsideSport, he praised Dhoni’s longevity, discipline and dedication to the game and insisted that age should not be a factor in judging a player’s future. Read more
From Fattah-2 to Qasim Bassil: Where Iran’s top missiles are and why Tehran is stopping them
As the Middle East continues to be rocked by Tehran’s near-daily missile attacks, a key question looms large: What happened to Iran’s most advanced missiles? Qassem Basir, Etemad and Fattah, etc. 2. According to the Financial Times, Iran’s Ministry of Defense launched its latest missile, the Qassem Basir, in May last year, claiming that it can strike the enemy “no matter where the enemy is and whenever necessary.”It has a steerable 500-kilogram warhead and an optically guided “terminal seeker” that cannot be electronically jammed, and is considered one of the most advanced weapons in Iran’s arsenal. Read more
.Rajnath Singh was set to head an inte.){kind=link}