Episode Details

Ranjodh Singh was on air this Friday morning for Today Updates on Radio Haanji 1674 AM, running through a heavy news day that stretched from the Middle East to Melbourne's share market. It is the kind of Friday where the news does not slow down just because the weekend is close, and the show covered it all across the World and Australia segments.

Iran's newly appointed military commander came out publicly on Friday with a clear message: the attacks will continue. He said Iran intends to maintain constructive relationships with its neighbours but will not yield to pressure from the United States. In the same statement, he pointed to the casualties from strikes on a school and civilian sites as part of his justification for Iran's ongoing military posture. It is a significant opening statement from someone taking command during one of the most volatile periods in the region.

The Iranian president followed that with a separate development. He set out conditions under which Iran would consider de-escalation with the United States and Israel. The conditions were not vague diplomatic language - they were specific, and whether Washington and Tel Aviv treat them as a genuine opening or dismiss them entirely will shape the next phase of this conflict. No agreement has been reached and the situation remains active.

On the trade front, the Trump administration moved to launch a new round of investigations tied to tariff policy. The details are still emerging, but the broader direction of the administration's economic approach - using tariffs as both leverage and revenue tools - continues to be a live issue for international markets and trading partners.

Russia is recording significant profits from crude oil sales, driven in part by the volatility in the Middle East. When regional instability pushes oil supply concerns higher, Russian oil finds more buyers and commands stronger prices. It is an indirect benefit from a conflict that Moscow has no direct hand in, and the timing is not lost on energy analysts watching the numbers.

A shooting in Michigan in the United States left the attacker dead. Authorities confirmed the incident was neutralised. The broader details around motive and circumstances are still being established.

In southern Ethiopia, a landslide has killed more than fifty people, with over a hundred still unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations are ongoing in difficult terrain. It is one of the deadlier natural disasters the region has seen this year and the numbers may rise as teams continue to work through the affected areas.

China's annual Two Sessions political meetings wrapped up with a notable emphasis on technology development. The government signalled major investment directions in areas like artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing. These are not small announcements - they reflect where China's leadership wants the country positioned economically over the next five to ten years.

Finally, Iran has been excluded from the FIFA 2026 World Cup. The decision comes amid the country's ongoing international pressures and will be felt by Iranian football fans who had been followin