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The US embassy in Iraq has warned that Iran-aligned militant groups may conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours, again urging Americans to leave the country.

Iran and its proxies have already attacked US citizens and US-associated targets in neighboring Iraq, the embassy said in a post to X on Thursday.

“They may intend to target US citizens, businesses, universities, diplomatic facilities, energy infrastructure, hotels, airports, and other locations perceived to be associated with the United States, as well as Iraqi institutions and civilian targets. Terrorist militias have targeted Americans for kidnapping,” the post said. “US citizens should leave Iraq now.”

American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in the capital on Tuesday, her media outlet said. The US government is currently working to secure her release.

The US embassy in Iraq has repeatedly warned US citizens to leave the country since the conflict with Iran began in late February.

Source:adaderana.lk

U.S. President Donald Trump ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday after mounting frustration with her performance, especially over the release of files on late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump also felt Bondi was not moving quickly enough to prosecute critics and adversaries whom he wanted to face criminal charges, according to sources.

Deputy Attorney General Todd ‌Blanche, a former personal lawyer to Trump, will lead the Justice Department temporarily, Trump said in a social media post.

In the post, Trump praised Bondi as a “Great American Patriot and a loyal friend” who had overseen a “massive crackdown in Crime.” Trump said she will soon move to a job in the private sector, but he gave no details.

In her own social media post, Bondi said: “Leading President Trump’s historic and highly successful efforts to make America safer and more secure has been the honor of a lifetime.”

She said she would spend the next month transitioning the role to Blanche. On social media, Blanche thanked Trump and praised Bondi, promising to do “everything in our power to keep America safe.”

During her tenure as the top U.S. law enforcement official, Bondi was a combative champion of Trump’s agenda and dismantled the Justice Department’s longstanding tradition of independence from the White House in its investigations.

But it was repeated criticism over the Epstein files, including from Trump ⁠allies and some Republican lawmakers, that came to dominate her tenure. Bondi was accused of covering up or mismanaging the release of records on the DOJ’s sex-trafficking investigations into Epstein, a financier who cultivated ties to wealthy and powerful figures.

Trump informed Bondi at a White House meeting on Wednesday that he was looking to replace her as attorney general, according to a source familiar with the matter. Trump allies had encouraged the president in recent days to “rip off the Band-Aid” and fire her, according to the source and one other person familiar with the matter.

Trump told Bondi multiple times over the past several months that he was unhappy with her performance, a senior White House official told Reuters. The official said Trump has contemplated replacing her with Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, but has also discussed other candidates.

Bondi spent much of Wednesday with Trump, riding with him to the U.S. Supreme Court in the morning, attending an Easter lunch where he spoke and later watching his address to the nation on the Iran war. At the Supreme Court, Trump observed as one of Bondi’s top officials, Solicitor General D. John Sauer, was grilled by justices about the administration’s attempt to limit birthright citizenship.

POLITICAL HEADACHE

The Epstein files created political headaches for Trump and drew renewed scrutiny of his past friendship with Epstein, which he has said ended decades ago.

Bondi’s firing could lead to a shake-up in strategy at the Justice Department and potentially a renewed push to deploy the U.S. legal system against Trump’s ‌targets.

Bondi is ⁠the second senior Trump official to be ousted recently. Trump removed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on March 5 following criticism of her management of the agency and Trump’s immigration agenda.

Bondi, a former Republican state attorney general in Florida, said she worked on restoring the Justice Department’s focus on violent crime and rebuilding trust with Trump’s supporters after federal prosecutors twice criminally charged Trump during his years out of power.

Bondi also faced criticism over the removal of dozens of career prosecutors who worked on investigations that Trump opposed, with critics accusing her of abandoning the DOJ’s traditional focus on even-handed justice.

“Pam Bondi took a sledgehammer to the Justice Department and its workforce,” said Stacey Young, a former DOJ lawyer and the head of Justice Connection, an advocacy organization formed to aid career staff who were expelled or resigned.

Bondi presided over a mass exodus of career lawyers from many crucial ⁠DOJ units and a near-total alignment between the Justice Department and Trump, whose image now adorns its Washington headquarters.

DOJ has pursued a slew of investigations against Trump antagonists, including bringing criminal charges last year against former FBI Director James Comey, opens new tab and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The cases encountered obstacles in court and were thrown out by a judge who found the Trump-nominated prosecutor who brought them, Lindsey Halligan, was unlawfully appointed.

“Pam Bondi’s legacy will be the weaponization of the world’s preeminent law enforcement agency for Donald Trump’s personal benefit, but apparently even she didn’t go far ⁠enough to appease him,” Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement.

SPARRING WITH LAWMAKERS

Bondi defended the rollout of the Epstein files, saying the Trump administration had been more transparent than previous presidents and that DOJ lawyers quickly reviewed reams of material.

At a House of Representatives committee hearing in February, Bondi responded to criticism with political attacks on lawmakers.

Bondi early last year played into fevered speculation about the Epstein files, saying a client list was on her desk for review. But after an ⁠initial release included material that was largely already public, the DOJ and FBI declared in July that the case was closed and no further disclosures were warranted.

That prompted an eruption of criticism and eventually a bipartisan law passed in November requiring the Justice Department to release nearly all its files.

The release of roughly 3 million pages still did not quell the controversy, as lawmakers criticized redactions and the disclosure of some Epstein victims’ identities.

Source:adaderana.lk

The central government on Thursday exempted a wide range of critical petrochemical products till June 30th, in light of the ongoing war in the Middle East and the consequent disruptions in global supply chains.

The exemptions, effective from April 2, apply to imports ⁠of products such as ammonium nitrate, methanol, styrene, acetic acid and polyvinyl chloride, the government order said. 

The government also exempted ammonium nitrate from ⁠the Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess for the same period. 
Detailed list of the products exempted 

• Anhydrous ammonia
• Toluene
• Styrene
• Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)
• Vinyl chloride monomer
• Methanol (methyl alcohol)
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Monoethylene Glycol (MEG)
• Phenol
• Acetic acid
• Vinyl acetate monomer
• Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA)
• Ethylenediamine
• Di Ethanolamine and Mono Ethanolamine
• Toluene di-isocyanate
• Ammonium nitrate
• Linear alkylbenzenes
• Polymers of ethylene (including Ethylene-vinyl acetate)
• Polypropylene
• Polystyrene
• Styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN)
• Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
• Polytetrafluoroethylene
• Polyvinyl acetate
• Polyvinyl alcohol
• Poly (methyl methacrylate)
• Polyoxymethylene (POM - acetal)
• Polyols
• Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK)
• Epoxy resins
• Polycarbonates
• Alkyd resins
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) chips
• Unsaturated polyester resins
• Polybutylene terephthalate
• Formaldehyde, Urea formaldehyde, Melamine formaldehyde, Phenol formaldehyde
• Polyurethanes
• Polyphenylene sulphide (PPS)
• Polybutadiene, Styrene butadiene

A clutch of industries that use petrochemicals as inputs, from pharmaceuticals and paints to textiles and toys, is facing the brunt of the Iran conflict as refiners have passed on the surge in crude oil and natural gas prices. Some of the downstream sectors in the petrochemicals complex are labour-intensive small enterprises with low pricing power, such as textile units where distress is showing up in employment figures.

These industries were looking at an extended spell of margin pressure as input costs are unlikely to subside till global petrochemicals supply chain recovers, possibly only months after hostilities end in the Persian Gulf. India’s Goldilocks economic scenario of strong growth and low inflation is over. 

Effects of petrochem inflation are not as immediate as fuel - these appear with a lag. Packaging price rises show up in new inventory that arrives in the market with a delay. Petrochem use is almost universal in consumer goods, and the ticket shock, though slow and imperceptible, shows up over time. The price transmission works through labour-intensive industries and affects lower-income consumers.

Source:adaderana.lk

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Randy George was fired on Thursday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, two U.S. ‌defense officials and a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, in the latest purge among the Pentagon’s most senior ranks.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has moved quickly to reshape the department, firing generals and admirals as he seeks to implement U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security agenda.

 The Pentagon confirmed that George, who had more than a year left in his term, “will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately.”

The Pentagon said in a statement it was grateful ⁠for George’s decades of service. “We wish him well in his retirement,” it said.

The department did not give a reason for his departure, which comes as the U.S. military builds up its forces in the Middle East while carrying out operations against Iran.

The strikes in the region are largely being carried out by the Navy and Air Force, although U.S. Army soldiers have been dispatched to the Middle East for air defense systems. The Army is the largest branch of the U.S. military, with about 450,000 active-duty soldiers.

Thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division have also started arriving in the Middle East, potentially for ground operations in Iran.

LATEST UPHEAVAL AT PENTAGON

There had been no public signs of friction between Hegseth and George, even as Hegseth pursued controversial moves such as firing the Army’s top lawyer and arranging a massive ‌military parade ⁠celebrating the Army’s 250th birthday, which coincided with Trump’s birthday.

Earlier this week, however, Hegseth reversed an Army decision to investigate Army pilots who were flying attack helicopters near singer Kid Rock’s house, in an apparent show of support for the vocal Trump backer.

CBS News, which first reported George’s dismissal, said his firing was not related to the Kid Rock incident. An official said Hegseth’s former military aide and Army vice chief of staff, General Christopher LaNeve, will take over ⁠George’s role in an acting capacity.

George, an infantry officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was confirmed to the top Army post in 2023. Terms in that role usually run for four years.

Prior to holding the top job, George was the vice chief of the Army and, before that, the senior military adviser ⁠to then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

He was considered close to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. The two worked together to take on large defense companies, in the Army’s drive to speed up weapons development and drive down costs.

George’s removal adds to recent upheaval at all levels of leadership at the ⁠Pentagon, including the firing last year of the previous chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, as well as the chief of naval operations and Air Force vice chief of staff.

The office for George did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Source:adaderana.lk

Trump’s address appears to have done nothing to reassure global oil markets that disruption to the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route will ease anytime soon.

The price of benchmark Brent crude was trading at about $100 a barrel before the president started speaking.

It fluctuated during the address but is now heading higher and is currently up by around 4% at $105.38.

The strait is crucial to the global economy as around 20% of the world’s energy usually passes through the narrow shipping lane.

It has been effectively shut since the conflict started on 28 February as Iran retaliated to US and Israeli airstrikes by threatening to attack ships using the waterway.

Source:adaderana.lk

The Iran war requires a “serious” approach that does not change every day, Emmanuel Macron has said, in an apparent reference to US President Donald Trump’s seemingly contradictory remarks about the conflict.

“This is not a show. We are talking about war and peace and the lives of men and women,” the French president told journalists upon arrival in South Korea for a state visit.

“When you want to be serious you don’t say every day the opposite of what you said the day before,” Macron added.

“And maybe you shouldn’t be speaking every day. You should just let things quieten down.”

Macron was answering questions on the US-Israel war in Iran, which has now entered its second month. France and other European countries have supported some of the US operations in the region, but have so far resisted getting dragged into the war.

Trump and his administration have so far offered mixed messages on the conflict, at various times suggesting that a ceasefire was near, that the war had already been won or that the US was going to fight on.

“Alliances like Nato are valuable because of what is unspoken – meaning the trust behind them,” Macron said, arguing that casting doubt on one’s commitment to the organisation emptied it of its substance.

Partners sign agreements and show up if issues arise, Macron added, “rather than commenting on them every day to say that you will or will not respect them”.

“I feel like there is too much chatter, it’s all over the place,” he said.

He added he was unwilling to comment on an operation that the US and the Israelis “decided on by themselves”, Macron said. “They then lament that they are alone in an operation they decided on alone. It’s not our operation.”

Macron also mentioned the US strikes on Iran in June 2025, which Trump said had “obliterated” Iranian nuclear facilities.

However, in the wake of the February 2026 war the US president said it was the “last best chance to strike at Iran’s nuclear weapons programme”.

“I remind you that six months ago were told that everything had been destroyed and all had been sorted out,” Macron noted.

He argued that international observers were needed to check the nuclear development situation in Iran, and a framework to prevent further enriching.

“You still have today and you’ll still have in the future people who have the know-how, hidden laboratories, etc. So it’s not targeted military action even lasting a few weeks which can sort out the nuclear problem for good.”

Trump has been on the offensive against France, which he accuses of failing to help in the war on Iran.

At a private lunch on Wednesday, Trump mocked Macron by imitating a French accent and saying that his wife Brigitte “treats him extremely badly” and that Macron was still “recovering from the right to the jaw”.

Trump was likely referring to a 2025 video which showed Macron being shoved in the face by Brigitte.

Macron dismissed the comments as “neither elegant nor up to standard”.

“I won’t respond to them, they don’t deserve a reply,” he said.

The comments on Macron’s marriage have been exceptionally badly received in France, where even staunch Macron critics came to his defence.

“For Donald Trump to speak to him like that and to speak of his wife in such a manner - I find that absolutely unacceptable,” said Manuel Bompard of hard-left France Unbowed party.

Tehran has retaliated to the strikes on its territory by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway which enables the passage of a large proportion of the world’s energy supply. In the absence of a quick resolution to the closure, Trump has said the countries most affected by the disruption should solve the problem themselves.

Macron pushed back against the idea of a military operation to liberate the strait, saying it was “unrealistic” because it would take too long and be too dangerous.

“It would expose anyone crossing the strait to coastal threats from the [Iranian] Revolutionary Guards, who possess significant resources, as well as ballistic missiles, [and] a host of other risks,” he said.

Source:adaderana.lk

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will visit Washington next week for what a spokesperson for the military alliance called a ‘‘long-planned visit’’ that comes after President Donald Trump blasted European allies over differences on the Iran war.

‘‘I can confirm that the Secretary General will be in ⁠DC next week for a long-planned visit,’’ NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said. A White House official also confirmed the visit.

No further details of the trip were immediately available.

Trump said he was considering pulling the U.S. out of the Western military alliance due to the refusal of European members to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.

In ⁠remarks on Wednesday to allies gathered for an Easter lunch at the White House, Trump criticized France and the United Kingdom, among other U.S. allies, as a ‘‘paper tiger.’’

NATO, which ⁠includes European countries, the U.S. and Canada, was formed in 1949 with the aim of countering the risk of Soviet attack ⁠and has been the cornerstone of the West’s security ever since.

‘‘We’ve had some very bad allies in ⁠NATO,’’ Trump said. ‘‘Hopefully, we’re never going to need them. I don’t think we will need them.’’

Source: adaderana.lk

Donald Trump has posted on Truth Social, saying the army “hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran”.

The US president then threatened to destroy more bridges, following yesterday’s strike on the B1 bridge linking Tehran to Karaj, before turning to Iran’s electric power supply.

Trump signed off saying the “New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST!”

Source:adaderana.lk

Australia’s Prime Minister has warned the economic shock from the war involving Iran will “be with us for months”, as he delivered a rare televised address to the nation.

Speaking on Wednesday, Anthony Albanese said the conflict had driven the biggest spike in petrol and diesel prices in history, and households were already feeling the strain.

“Australia is not an active participant in this war. But all Australians are paying higher prices because of it,” he added.

Addresses of this kind have been used at moments of international importance, last seen in the country during the Covid pandemic and before that the 2008 financial crisis.

Australia is among a host of nations that have seen fuel prices increase sharply since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The near-total blockade of international shipping in the vital waterway - through which around 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas flows - has led governments around the world to begin implementing measures to conserve fuel.

Albanese has previously sought to reassure motorists following reports of panic-buying and petrol stations running dry.

During the address, he acknowledged that the “months ahead may not be easy”, and said that no government could fully shield Australians from the global pressures.

The Australian government has announced a series of temporary measures aimed at easing immediate cost pressures, including halving fuel excise - a sales tax - and scrapping road user charges for heavy vehicles for three months.

Officials are also seeking to shore up domestic supply and increase fuel imports through regional partners as part of a newly agreed National Fuel Security Plan.

Alongside government action, Albanese urged Australians to limit unnecessary usage of fuel, including switching to public transport where possible to preserve supplies for essential industries.

“You should go about your business and your life, as normal”, he said.

“Enjoy your Easter. If you’re hitting the road, don’t take more fuel than you need - just fill up like you normally would. Think of others in your community, in the bush and in critical industries.

“And over coming weeks, if you can switch to catching the train or bus or tram to work, do so”.

The address ended on a note of unity and said the country will “deal with these global challenges, the Australian way”.

“Working together - and looking after each other. As we always have”.

Source: adaderana.lk

Britain will on Thursday (Apr 2) hold a virtual meeting of about 35 countries to discuss how to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz which has been crippled by the Middle East war.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the meeting earlier Wednesday, while a UK official told AFP the meeting would be virtual and held on Thursday.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will host the discussions, Starmer told reporters during a Downing Street news conference. 

The meeting will “assess all viable diplomatic and political measures that we can take to restore freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers and resume the movement of vital commodities”, he added.

“Following that meeting, we will also convene our military planners to look at how we can marshal our capabilities and make the strait accessible and safe after the fighting has stopped,” he added.

The discussions will include countries who recently signed a statement saying they were ready “to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz”, said Starmer.

Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands are among those to have signed it.

“WILL NOT BE EASY”

Iran has virtually closed the vital strait since the US-Israeli strikes that started the war on Feb 28, causing global oil and gas prices to soar.

A fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the strait in peacetime.

“I do have to level with people on this. This (reopening) will not be easy,” Starmer said.

The UK leader also backed NATO following renewed criticism of the eight-decade-old alliance by US President Donald Trump.

“NATO is the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen, and it has kept us safe for many decades, and we are fully committed to NATO,” Starmer said.

Trump told Britain’s Telegraph newspaper in an article published Wednesday that NATO was a “paper tiger”.

Asked whether he would reconsider US membership, he replied: “Oh yes, I would say (it’s) beyond reconsideration,” the paper reported.

Last month, Trump told the Financial Times that it would be “very bad for the future of NATO” if members fail to help reopen the vital waterway.

On Tuesday, he said that countries which had not joined the war but were struggling with fuel shortages should “go get your own oil” in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the US would not help them.

Source:adaderana.lk

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has called for a comprehensive nationwide drive to restore infrastructure and address the destruction caused by ‘‘unprovoked American-Zionist aggression,’’ state broadcaster Press TV reported.

The Leader’s appeal was part of a broader message issued on Wednesday to mark Islamic Republic Day and National Nature Day. He stressed that national efforts must now focus on ensuring the country’s continued prosperity in the wake of the recent conflict.

According to Press TV, the Supreme Leader, who is the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, noted that the recent external hostilities had not only impacted the population but had specifically ‘‘targeted its land and natural environment.’’ He condemned the actions of the opposition, stating that at a time when the ‘‘vile and ruthless American and Zionist enemy knows no human, moral, or existential limits in its savagery,’’ the nation must remain focused on internal growth.

The Leader further observed that the enemy ‘‘has even attacked and damaged the natural and environmental spaces of our beloved homeland.’’ Consequently, he asserted that ‘‘every effort aimed at expanding development and building Iran’s bright future is both worthy and necessary.’’

Reflecting on the resilience of the public, the Supreme Leader described the nation as having maintained a spirit of ‘‘steadfastness and dignity’’ throughout the recent spring commemorations. Press TV noted his remarks that the ‘‘heroic nation of Iran has intertwined this year’s Nowruz with epic resolve and honour,’’ despite the ongoing regional pressures.

A significant portion of the address was dedicated to those who lost their lives during the hostilities that commenced on 28 February. As reported by Press TV, the Leader highlighted a specific strike on a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab, which resulted in 186 fatalities.

Referring to the young victims of the school attack, he stated that ‘‘the child-killing, monstrous American and Zionist fiends brutally martyred the young saplings of the school.’’ In light of these events, he urged citizens in both urban and rural areas to participate in a coordinated tree-planting initiative.

The Supreme Leader stated that the Iranian people are ‘‘planting the sapling of hope across its land’’ as a tribute to those lost in the ‘‘ongoing war.’’ He expressed confidence that, through these efforts, ‘‘each of these saplings may, in the years ahead, grow into a blessed tree and a fruitful one,’’ according to Press TV. 

Source:adaderana.lk