Modi calls Trump as Israel-Iran escalates. Victoria teachers strike hits 500 schools. Messi hits 900 goals. Ranjodh Singh covers it all free on Radio Haanji.
Today Updates — 25 March 2026 | Modi-Trump Call, Israel-Iran Strikes, Victoria Teachers Strike — Radio Haanji
Wednesday, 25 March 2026 — and the world is not short of stories demanding your attention. In today's edition of Today Updates on Radio Haanji 1674 AM, Ranjodh Singh cuts through the noise to bring you the events shaping Australia and the world, from a critical phone call between two of the planet's most powerful leaders to a major industrial action on Melbourne's doorstep that will affect hundreds of thousands of Victorian families today.
Modi and Trump Speak as Western Asia Conflict Deepens
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump held a direct phone call to discuss the rapidly escalating conflict in Western Asia. Modi is reported to have emphasised the urgent need for immediate peace and stability in the region — a position consistent with India's long-standing doctrine of strategic autonomy, which avoids formal alignment with any bloc while advocating for dialogue and de-escalation. The call reflects growing international concern that the Israel-Iran conflict, which has now entered a phase of direct and sustained missile exchanges, risks pulling in regional and global powers with unpredictable consequences. For India, which has significant interests in the Middle East through its large diaspora, energy imports, and trade routes through the region, stability in Western Asia is not an abstract geopolitical preference — it is an economic and humanitarian necessity.
Pakistan Steps In as Mediator Between the US and Iran
In a development that has surprised many foreign policy analysts, Pakistan is reported to be playing an active mediation role in facilitating talks between the United States and Iran. This is a role historically associated with Turkey or Oman — both of which have established diplomatic back-channels with Tehran. Pakistan's emergence in this position reflects its complex relationship with both Washington and the broader Muslim world, as well as its geographic proximity to Iran along a shared border. Whether Pakistan's mediation will prove effective remains to be seen, but the fact that the US is engaging through such channels at all suggests that the Trump administration is — at least through back-channel diplomacy — seeking an off-ramp from the current escalation.
Israel and Iran Continue Missile Strikes Despite De-escalation Window
Despite President Trump's earlier public suggestion of a five-day window for de-escalation, both Israel and Iran have continued to launch missile strikes against each other's strategic locations. The conflict, which has moved well beyond the proxy warfare that characterised their confrontation for decades, is now a direct exchange of long-range strikes between two of the region's most capable military powers. The implications extend far beyond the two countries: oil markets, global shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, and regional states caught between the two powers are all exposed to serious disruption if the conflict continues to intensify. For the Indian and Punjabi community in Australia, where family members work across Gulf states and where energy prices directly affect the cost of living, these are not distant headlines.
North Korea Declares South Korea a Permanent Enemy
Kim Jong-un has formalised North Korea's most hardline position to date, with South Korea now officially designated as a "permanent enemy" in the North Korean constitution. Kim has also announced plans for North Korea to become what he has described as a "super nuclear power," signalling a substantial escalation in the country's stated military ambitions. The constitutional change removes any residual legal basis for the prospect of reunification — a concept that had been embedded in both countries' governing frameworks for decades. South Korea, the United States, and Japan have all responded with sharp condemnation. The announcement arrives at a moment when North Korea's relationships with Russia and China have grown closer, complicating the Western alliance's strategic calculus in Northeast Asia.
Pakistan Named World's Most Polluted Country; India Ranks Sixth
A new annual report by IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring organisation, has ranked Pakistan as the most polluted country in the world for 2025. India has been ranked sixth — a slight improvement from prior years but still deeply concerning given the scale of its population exposure. Within India, the report identifies Loni in Uttar Pradesh as the most polluted city on the planet, a distinction that reflects the severe particulate matter levels experienced across the Indo-Gangetic Plain, driven by agricultural burning, industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, and construction dust. The findings are a stark reminder that air pollution remains one of the most serious public health challenges facing South Asia, responsible for millions of premature deaths annually. For the Indian diaspora in Australia, the contrast with Australian air quality standards is stark — and many in the community remain deeply concerned about the health of family members living in affected regions.
Russia Launches Massive 400-Drone Attack on Ukraine
Russia launched one of its largest single-night aerial assaults on Ukraine since the start of the war, deploying approximately 400 long-range Shahed drones against multiple Ukrainian cities including Kyiv. The attack resulted in at least six deaths and 46 injuries across the country. Ukrainian air defences intercepted a significant number of the incoming drones, but the sheer volume of the assault — clearly designed to overwhelm air defence systems — meant that some reached their targets, causing damage to residential and infrastructure facilities. The scale of the attack signals a Russian intent to intensify pressure on Ukraine's civilian population and energy infrastructure as the conflict enters another phase. International condemnation was swift, with European nations renewing calls for expanded air defence support for Kyiv.
35,000 Victorian Teachers Strike Over Pay and Conditions
More than 35,000 teachers and education support staff across Victoria walked off the job today in a major strike and rally outside Parliament House in Melbourne, affecting more than 500 government schools across the state. The Australian Education Union is demanding a 35 per cent pay increase over four years and a range of improvements to working conditions, including reduced administrative workloads and better support for students with additional needs. The strike is one of the largest in the Victorian education sector in recent memory, and its timing — a Wednesday during the school term — has left thousands of families across the state scrambling for alternative care arrangements. The state government has described the union's demands as unaffordable, while the union argues that teacher pay in Victoria has fallen significantly behind the cost of living and behind comparable salaries in other states, contributing to a worsening teacher shortage. For the Indian and Punjabi community in Melbourne — whose children disproportionately attend government schools in Melbourne's western and northern suburbs — today's disruption is being felt directly.
Media Owner Anthony Catalano Arrested on Assault Charges
Anthony Catalano, a prominent Australian media owner with significant interests across regional and metropolitan news properties, has been arrested and charged with the alleged assault of his wife at their St Kilda penthouse in Melbourne. Catalano is one of the most influential figures in Australian media outside the major broadcast networks, having built a significant portfolio of regional newspapers and digital outlets. The arrest has attracted considerable attention given his public profile and his role in shaping media coverage across multiple Australian markets. He is expected to face court, and the case is being treated as a domestic violence matter. No conviction has been recorded at this point.
Petrol Rationing Fears Emerge Amid Global Supply Tensions
Reports have emerged in Australian media suggesting that federal and state governments have been examining contingency plans for petrol rationing — potentially limiting purchases to around $40 or approximately 16 litres per transaction — in the event that the Israel-Iran conflict severely disrupts global oil supply chains. The federal government has moved quickly to clarify that there is currently no immediate need for such measures and that Australia's fuel reserves are at adequate levels. However, the mere emergence of these reports has prompted concern among motorists and businesses, with some Australians already beginning to modify their fuel purchase behaviour. Australia imports a significant proportion of its refined fuel, and any sustained disruption to Middle East oil flows — particularly through the Strait of Hormuz — would affect domestic petrol prices and potentially availability within weeks.
Australia's Housing Shortfall Hits 262,000 Homes
A newly released report has confirmed what many Australians already feel in the rental and property market: Australia is falling dramatically behind its target of building 1.2 million new homes by 2029. The projected shortfall now stands at more than 262,000 homes, driven by a combination of labour shortages in the construction industry, rising material costs, planning delays, and a shortage of skilled tradespeople. For the Indian and Punjabi community in Melbourne and Sydney — cities where housing affordability is already a serious pressure point for recent migrants, young families, and renters — the news confirms that relief is not on the near horizon. The federal government's Housing Australia Future Fund was established to address the supply deficit, but the pace of approvals and construction starts remains well below what is required to meet the 2029 target.
Sydney Murder: Two Men Charged Over Death of 85-Year-Old
Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with the kidnapping and murder of 85-year-old Chris Bagsarian in Sydney. The case, which has disturbed the community deeply, involved the alleged abduction of an elderly man who subsequently died. Police are continuing their investigation into the full circumstances of the crime. The arrests bring some measure of resolution to a family that has been awaiting answers, though the case raises broader concerns about the safety of elderly Australians and the nature of targeted crime.
Messi Reaches 900 Career Goals
Lionel Messi has scored his 900th career goal, a milestone that further cements his position among the greatest footballers of all time and brings him within striking distance of Cristiano Ronaldo's all-time record. Messi, now playing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, continues to produce at an extraordinary level despite being in the latter stages of his career. The 900-goal landmark has generated celebration across the global football community and renewed the perennial debate about the greatest player of his generation.
Stay Informed with Today Updates on Radio Haanji
From the Western Asia conflict threatening global energy markets to teachers striking on Melbourne streets, and from diplomatic calls between world leaders to a housing crisis affecting everyday Australians — Today Updates with Ranjodh Singh on Radio Haanji 1674 AM covers it all with the clarity and fairness that the Punjabi and Indian community across Australia and Singapore deserves. Listen to the full Radio Haanji podcast free every weekday morning.
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