Two women from Telangana die in road accident in US
Hyderabad (PTI): Even death could not separate two childhood friends from Telangana, who lost their lives in a road accident in the United States.
The victims, Meghana Rani and K Bhavana, both aged 24 and natives of Mahabubabad district, died in a car accident in Bishop City, California, at around 3 am (IST) on Monday, while they were on a tour, according to information received by their family members.
"They were classmates in school, during their BTech and later during their Master’s studies in the US," Meghana’s cousin Mani Kumar told PTI.
After completing engineering from a private college in Hyderabad, the two went to the US in 2022 and completed their MS degrees there, he said, adding that they were currently looking for jobs.
According to him, friends in the US informed the families about the accident.
BRS Rajya Sabha member Vaddiraju Ravichandra expressed grief over the deaths.
He spoke to the parents of the deceased and assured them that he would take up the matter with the concerned officials to facilitate the return of the mortal remains, according to a press release.
Bhavana’s father, Kadiyala Koteswara Rao, is the Upa Sarpanch of Mulkanoor village, while Meghana’s father, Prallakhandam Venkata Nageswara Rao, runs a ‘Mee Seva’ citizen service centre as a franchisee, the release added.
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The Latest: Kuwait blames Iran for drone strikes as Trump casts doubt on ceasefire
Dubai (AP): US President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the effectiveness of the two-week ceasefire over Iran's continued chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz, while Kuwait accused Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks targeting it on Thursday despite the ceasefire.
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard denied launching attacks on Persian Gulf states after Kuwait's announcement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a potential boost to ceasefire efforts in the region when he said he had approved direct talks with Lebanon. The Lebanese government has not responded as of Friday morning.
The announcement came after Israel's pounding of Beirut Wednesday killed more than 300 people. The negotiations are expected next week in Washington, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Questions remained over what will happen to Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium at the heart of tensions, how and when normal traffic will resume through the Strait of Hormuz, and what happens to Iran's ability to launch future missile attacks and support armed proxies in the region.
Talks between the United States and Iran on a resolution to the conflict are expected to start Saturday in Islamabad, with the White House saying Vice President JD Vance would lead the US delegation.
Here is the latest:
Air defence fire and explosions heard in Iran
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Multiple times overnight into Friday morning, people around Iran's capital, Tehran, and other parts of the country said they heard what sounded like air defence fire and explosions.
However, Iran's government did not acknowledge any attack during that period.
After past exchanges of fire with Israel, similar incidents happened as troops remained on edge.
Japan releases more oil reserves
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Japan said it will release an additional 20 days' worth of oil reserves in May, in a second round to address supply uncertainty over the war in the Middle East.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the planned release of the government reserves will start in early May, after an earlier release last month.
Japan started releasing about 50 days' worth of oil reserves in March, including from those held by the state, the private sector and oil-producing Gulf nations.
As of April 6, Japan had 230 days' worth oil reserves, including 143 days' worth in government stockpiles, according to the Natural Resources and Energy Agency.
Takaichi said her government is working to secure oil imports via routes that do not include the Strait of Hormuz, while Japan seeks to diversify suppliers.
Pakistan to issue visas on arrival ahead of talks
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Pakistan said Friday it would issue visas on arrival for those travelling to Islamabad for the Iran-US talks, signalling the interest in the world's media in the event.
