An Iranian ship offloaded more than 200 members of its crew to Sri Lanka on Friday after suffering an engine failure at sea, just days after a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in an Indian Ocean torpedo attack. 

The IRIS Bushehr, described in previous Iranian media reports as a navy logistics ship, is being brought first to the port of Colombo, according to Sri Lanka navy spokesman Cmdr. Buddhika Sampath. Sailors are being taken to a naval base in Welisara following medical exams and immigration procedures. 

«We have to understand that this is not an ordinary situation,» Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Thursday. «It’s a request by a ship belonging to one party to enter into our port. We have to consider that according to the international treaties and conventions.» 

Dissanayake added that authorities decided to take control of the IRIS Bushehr following discussions with Iranian officials and the ship’s captain, after one of its engines failed. He said some crew members would remain on board to help the Sri Lankan navy later navigate the vessel to Trincomalee on the island’s northeast coast, about 165 miles from Colombo.

The moves come after the U.S. sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast on Wednesday.  

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said it was «the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II.» 

The Indian navy said Thursday that it had initiated search and rescue operations after receiving a distress signal from the Dena, deploying two aircraft along with a sailing training vessel. By the time the response was launched, the Sri Lankan navy had already started its own rescue efforts, it said.

The Sri Lankan navy rescued 32 sailors and recovered 87 bodies after the attack, according to The Associated Press. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Thursday that the U.S. will «bitterly regret» striking and sinking that ship. 

«The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores,» Araqchi wrote on X. «Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning.»

US ‘WINNING DECISIVELY’ AGAINST IRAN, WILL ACHIEVE ‘COMPLETE CONTROL’ OF AIRSPACE WITHIN DAYS, HEGSETH SAYS

A U.S. submarine sunk an Iranian warship in international waters in the Indian Ocean, War Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Wednesday. (@DeptofWar/X)

«Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set,» he added. 

Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday that the Iranian vessel was «effectively neutralized» in a Navy «fast attack» using a single Mark 48 torpedo.

Two Iranian sailors, center, who were rescued from the IRIS Dena warship by Sri Lanka’s navy, are seen in Galle, Sri Lanka, on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Eranga Jayawardena/AP)

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He added that the U.S. Navy achieved «immediate effect, sending the warship to the bottom of the sea.» 

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace, Landon Mion and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Following the highly anticipated House Oversight Committee hearing on fraud Wednesday, Fox News Digital pressed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison about their roles in the scandal but received no response from the embattled officials.

«Why wasn’t the fraud caught sooner, governor?» Walz was asked after the hearing. «Almost $10 billion — why wasn’t it caught sooner?»

Walz declined to answer as he was escorted down a hallway by staff but stopped briefly to speak with another individual. During a second encounter, Walz again declined to answer the question but acknowledged a security guard as he walked down the hallway.

«Mr. Attorney General, can you tell us why the fraud wasn’t caught sooner?» Ellison was asked after his testimony.

Ellison did not respond and continued walking up a staircase.

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who did not testify Wednesday but has faced criticism for her ties to the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal in the state, did not respond after the hearing when Fox News Digital began asking her questions.

Walz and Ellison faced a barrage of tough questions from Republicans during the hearing on the massive fraud scandal in the state, with most focused on one key theme: What did they know and when did they know it?

Walz and Ellison were asked multiple times for specifics about when they were first made aware of the fraud and faced sharp rebukes from Republican members, including Rep. Virginia Foxx.

WALZ MOCKED ONLINE AFTER GOP LAWMAKER FLOATS THEORY IN HEATED HEARING ABOUT WHY KAMALA HARRIS CHOSE HIM AS VP

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing in the U.S. Capitol Building on March 04, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

«You did not do your job, you did not do your job,» Foxx told Walz. «You did not protect taxpayer dollars. You allowed massive fraud. You and Mr. Ellison allowed massive fraud to go on in the state of Minnesota. It is unfortunate, as somebody said, that you can’t be held personally responsible at this stage in the game.»

An exchange between GOP Rep. Jim Jordan and Walz sparked immediate pushback from conservatives on social media. 

One of the most contentious exchanges came during questioning from GOP Rep. Nancy Mace when she pressed Walz for specific numbers on how many children are in his state, the massive increase in autism care spending and why that occurred, without getting specific figures from Walz.

«Ok, so your excuse before — that you didn’t know what the 2017 autism numbers were — because you were not governor, and today you can’t answer the numbers about 2024 as governor, and you still said you prepared for this hearing today. It’s unbelievable.»

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Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks to reporters after announcing he would not seek reelection at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S., January 5, 2026. (Reuters/Tim Evans)

GOP Rep. Clay Higgins confronted Ellison in another heated moment, asking him to say he was «leading» the fight to root out corruption. Without receiving the specific answer he was looking for, Higgins called for Ellison’s resignation.

«I’m not talking about Medicaid fraud, don’t hide behind that,» Higgins said, interrupting Ellison. «You have the authority to prosecute anything criminally that the governor asks you to, and this thing is big. I’m giving you an opportunity, sir, are you leading the criminal investigative effort into this massive fraud across the board…or not?» Higgins pressed.

«You are not leading. I’m going to say, Mr. Chairman, that the attorney general of the state of Minnesota should resign,» Higgins said.

At the close of the hearing, things became tense again when GOP Rep. Nick Langworthy suggested that Walz, who is still serving as governor despite dropping out of his reelection bid due to the fraud scandal, should be impeached for «malfeasance,» citing Minnesota’s Constitution.

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La Defensoría del Consumidor anunció el lanzamiento de Precompra, un portal digital que permite a los salvadoreños comparar y verificar el precio de más de 100,000 productos en supermercados a nivel nacional. Según Ricardo Salazar, presidente de la entidad, esta plataforma responde a la necesidad de fortalecer la transparencia y la competencia en el mercado de consumo masivo.

En la entrevista AM de Canal 10, el funcionario explicó que la herramienta—disponible en precompra.defensoria.gob.sv— se presenta como una de las iniciativas destacadas del gobierno para ampliar el acceso a información sobre precios y ofertas. De acuerdo con Salazar, el sitio recopila semanalmente datos de más de 170 supermercados en 34 municipios. Los usuarios pueden buscar productos específicos, comparar precios por categoría y zona geográfica, y generar listas personalizadas de compras.

El presidente de la Defensoría del Consumidor subrayó que este sistema “facilita la toma de decisiones informadas y contribuye a generar condiciones de competencia real”. Además, detalló que los consumidores pueden crear un perfil propio en el portal, guardar listas de compras y recibir alertas cada vez que los precios se actualizan. La plataforma abarca 20 categorías, desde alimentos básicos, lácteos, carnes y huevos, hasta productos de limpieza, alimentos para mascotas y suplementos infantiles.

Durante la entrevista, Salazar destacó que el monitoreo permanente de precios en la cadena de suministro ha permitido identificar “incrementos abruptos” y prácticas abusivas. La institución ha realizado más de 6,000 verificaciones en los primeros meses del año y ha impuesto más de 160 multas por incrementos injustificados de precios, sumando sanciones superiores a $930 mil.

El funcionario precisó que los principales rubros donde se han detectado irregularidades corresponden a frutas, verduras, granos básicos, huevos, carnes y algunos insumos agrícolas. “Las sanciones también han alcanzado a proveedores que no han colaborado con los procedimientos de investigación”, mencionó.

La Defensoría del Consumidor cuenta con mecanismos para recibir denuncias sobre alzas injustificadas de precios. Los ciudadanos pueden reportar irregularidades a través de WhatsApp (7844-1482) o llamando al número 910, proporcionando información del producto, el comercio y, si es posible, una fotografía del lugar.

En cuanto a la atención ciudadana, la Defensoría del Consumidor ha brindado más de 21,000 atenciones en lo que va del año, de las cuales el 70% corresponden a servicios no presenciales —por canales electrónicos y telefónicos— y el resto a las atenciones en oficinas físicas distribuidas en todo el país. De ese total, 17,800 han sido asesorías y 3,300 corresponden a denuncias. El sector de servicios financieros concentra el 35% de las atenciones, seguido de los servicios generales, telecomunicaciones y electrodomésticos.

Según los datos presentados por el titular de la Defensoría, la institución ha recuperado $3.7 millones en favor de 3,300 consumidores durante el año. El 58% de ese monto proviene de reclamos colectivos y el 42%, de casos individuales. El sector inmobiliario encabeza la lista de recuperaciones con 2.3 millones de dólares y 1,052 beneficiarios, seguido de los servicios financieros, donde se recuperaron $629,000 para más de 1,200 usuarios.

Entre los principales motivos de recuperación aparecen el incumplimiento de contratos y ofertas, con $2.4 millones a favor de 1,383 consumidores, y los cobros indebidos, que suman $597,000 en beneficio de 1,430 personas.

Salazar también abordó la figura del delegado encubierto, una modalidad de inspección habilitada desde julio de 2024 tras una reforma legal. Según el presidente de la Defensoría del Consumidor, esta herramienta permite a funcionarios de la entidad actuar como consumidores comunes para verificar el cumplimiento de ofertas, promociones y condiciones de venta en comercios de todo el país. Durante el año pasado, esta modalidad permitió realizar más de 240 verificaciones, con un índice de hallazgos de incumplimiento superior al 60% en cobros indebidos y de hasta el 80% en casos de publicidad engañosa o información insuficiente sobre promociones.

Las sanciones por infracciones detectadas mediante este mecanismo pueden alcanzar los 500 salarios mínimos en casos de prácticas abusivas, y hasta 200 salarios mínimos por publicidad engañosa o falta de información. Actualmente, la Defensoría del Consumidor tramita 149 denuncias derivadas de estas inspecciones.

Con la proximidad de la Semana Santa, la entidad prepara un despliegue especial para verificar precios y condiciones en comercios relacionados con turismo, alimentación y hospedaje. Además, prevé lanzar un informe comparativo sobre productos de temporada, como bloqueadores solares e hidratantes, y reforzar los controles para evitar la venta de productos vencidos en establecimientos turísticos y supermercados.

El presidente de la Defensoría del Consumidor reiteró el llamado a la ciudadanía para utilizar los canales de denuncia y aprovechar la plataforma Precompra como herramienta de consulta y protección de sus derechos.