With nine days left for the filing of nominations for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election to commence, the seat-sharing parleys in the AIADMK-led NDA has entered a crucial phase and the lead party of the bloc is likely to retain about 170 seats, party sources said on Saturday.

Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles towards the joint US-UK military base at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago as US President Donald Trump said Washington is "very close" to winding down its military operations against Tehran, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.

As per WSJ, one missile failed during flight, while a US warship launched an SM-3 interceptor at the second missile.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said the "illegal" war imposed by the United States and Israel on the world should end at the earliest.

"Today, I only prayed for an end to this illegal war that has been imposed by the United States and Israel on us," Abdullah told reporters after offering Eid prayers at the Hazratbal shrine here.

HDFC Bank — the largest private sector lender of the country — has asked three of its executives to leave due to misselling concerns, sources told Business Standard. This comes after its part-time chairman Atanu Chakraborty’s sudden resignation on Wednesday.

Pakistan’s deadly airstrikes in Afghanistan this week have sparked global alarm and calls for ceasefire, as the world grapples with the implications of another major conflict near Iran.

The European Union called Pakistan’s attack on a medical facility in Kabul “another deadly escalation in a conflict that needs to end as soon as possible” and urged an “immediate ceasefire.”

India's Axis Bank will invest ₹1,500 crore ($162.28 million) in its ​consumer lending arm, Axis Finance, ​the country's third-largest private lender said on ‌Wednesday.

In January, Reuters reported that the lender was rethinking a stake sale in Axis Finance after the central bank eased its rules on overlapping activities between banks and their subsidiaries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday praised the contributions of retiring Rajya Sabha members, saying their experience and participation strengthened parliamentary traditions.

Speaking during the farewell session in the Upper House, PM Modi said, "...Discussions take place on various issues in the House, and every member plays a unique role in them.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has reportedly struck over 100 targets in Tel Aviv in retaliation for the killing of Ali Larijani, a former top security official, according to state broadcaster Press TV.

The strikes were launched in response to what Tehran described as unprovoked American-Israeli aggression.

Iran on Tuesday (local time) confirmed the death of its national security chief Ali Larijani, hours after Israel claimed responsibility for killing him in an airstrike.

In a statement, the Secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said Dr Ali Larijani was killed along with his son Mortaza Larijani, SNSC deputy for security Alireza Bayat, and several bodyguards in an Israeli strike, reported Press TV.

United States (US) President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the US would withdraw from its military operation in Iran in the “very near future”, even as he made it clear that an immediate exit was not on the cards.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump stated that Washington was “not ready to leave” at present but added “We will be leaving in pretty much the very near future.”

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