Top 10 world news: West Asia crisis, Juror excused from Trump hush money trial, and more

The Iranian ambassador to India Iraj Elahi has said that the Indian nationals onboard MSC Aries are free to go. The Israel-linked Portuguese flag ship was seized by Iran over the weekend and had 17 Indian crew members on board. In other news, acting in response to Iran’s attack on Israel on April 13, US has targeted individuals and entities aiding Iran’s drone production, as per a release by the Department of the Treasury.

Speaking to WION's diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, the ambassador said, "From the Iranian side, they are free and not detained. Yesterday, the lady was handed over to the consulate. Consulate got access to other crew."

Acting in response to Iran’s attack on Israel on April 13, US has targeted individuals and entities aiding Iran’s drone production, as per a release by the Department of the Treasury.This comes a day after the White House said that US President Joe Biden and allies will discuss imposing sanctions on the West Asian nation that has been engulfed in tensions with Israel after the latter attacked Tehran's consulate in Syria.

The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial said on Thursday (April 17) that a juror had been excused from Donald Trump's criminal trial because she claimed to be terrified by the disclosure of some details of her identification.

As Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal continues to languish behind bars due to his alleged involvement in the liquor policy scam, his cabinet minister Atishi has claimed that the ruling BJP is plotting tokill the CM, a news agency reported."From past few days, Kejriwal's sugar level is over 300 mg/dl, but he has been denied insulin by Tihar jail authorities. There's a conspiracy to kill Kejriwal by stopping his home cooked food supply," she reportedly said.

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Thursday conducted a successful flight test of the Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha.

State and federal prisons emerged as hotbeds for the COVID-19 virus in the wake of its outbreak in the US as there was a heightened risk faced by incarcerated individuals. Researchfrom the University of California, Irvine, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital highlighted the staggering toll and revealed that at the pandemic's zenith in 2020, those inside prisons were nearly three-and-a-half times more likely to have died from the virus compared to the general population outside.

Days after Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar spoke with his Iranian counterpart Amir Abdollahian, a Kerala native and the sole woman among 17 Indians aboard an Israeli-affiliated container ship seized by Iran's militarysafely landed at theCochin International Airport on Thursday (Apr 18).

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday (Apr 18) said in a Delhi court that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was deliberately eating mangoes, sweets, and other high-carb food to raise his blood sugar level to build a case for bail.

India captain Rohit Sharma has debunked claims of a top-tier meeting with head coach Rahul Dravid and BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar to decide on the 2024 T20 World Cup squad. Per Rohit, all three concerned names are in different parts of the world and have not spoken on this, let alone meeting. While Rohit is playing IPL 2024 for Mumbai Indians, Agarkar is said to be in Dubai, and Dravid is busy with his family in his hometown in Bengaluru.

Not all is hunky dory for Swifties it seems. For many in the United Kingdom seeking Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert, it may be a 'cruel summer'. According to Lloyds Bank, many of Swift's fans have been scammed for over $1.2 million trying to purchase concert tickets, mostly through Facebook.This has prompted the bank, which is among the United Kingdom's largest, to issue an "urgent warning".