Here are the top 5 news of the day:

Amid tensions in the Middle East, the government reduced excise duty on petrol to Rs 3 per liter and on diesel to zero.

The government has revised its fuel duty structure, reducing special additional excise duty on petrol to Rs 3 per liter while completely removing it on diesel. The decision comes against the backdrop of ongoing disruptions to global oil supply chains due to the conflict in the Middle East, where Iran continues to tighten control over the Strait of Hormuz. “The additional excise duty on petrol was reduced to Rs 3 per liter from the earlier Rs 13 per litre. Meanwhile, the excise duty on diesel was reduced to Rs 0 from the earlier Rs 10 per litre,” according to a government order on Thursday. Read the full story

Rajnath Singh to head inter-ministerial group to monitor issues arising from Middle East conflict

Union Minister Rajnath Singh is set to lead an inter-ministerial group to monitor issues arising from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. According to ANI sources, while Rajnath will lead, the group will include other ministers including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Read the full story

India-US defense partnership: US envoy concludes New Delhi visit, calls for closer military cooperation

US Under Secretary for War Policy Elbridge Colby concluded his official visit to India on Thursday. The visit focused on advancing the India-US defense partnership and key elements of the 2026 National Defense Strategy. The official visit, which began on Tuesday, included high-level consultations with senior Indian officials and strategic discussions on defense cooperation. Read the full story

‘Hats off to him’: Yograj Singh has rare praise for MS Dhoni, criticizes retirement calls

In a surprise change of stance, former India cricketer Yograj Singh has come out in strong support of MS Dhoni, urging the legend to continue playing in the IPL, while also hitting out at those who are calling for his retirement. Yograj, who has been a vocal critic of Dhoni in the past, struck a different tone ahead of IPL 2026. In an interview with InsideSport, he praised Dhoni’s longevity, discipline and commitment to the game, and stressed that age should not be a factor in judging a player’s future. Read the full story

From Fatah-2 to Qasim Basir: Where are Iran’s top missiles and why Tehran is blocking them

As the Middle East is rocked by almost daily missile attacks from Tehran, an important question looms: What happened to Iran’s most advanced missiles? Like Qasim Baseer, Etemad and Fattah 2. According to a report in the Financial Times, Iran’s Defense Ministry unveiled its latest missile, the Qasim Basir, in May last year, claiming it could attack enemies “wherever they are and whenever necessary.”“With a 500-kilogram warhead and an optically guided “terminal seeker” that cannot be electronically jammed, it is considered one of the most sophisticated weapons in Iran’s arsenal. Read the full story