The US has threatened to prosecute those buying or selling sanctioned Iranian oil and has announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after peace talks failed.
A crew of four astronauts boarded their spacecraft for the landmark flight, which represents a major milestone in lunar exploration.
Donald Trump has extended the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, amid escalating tensions between the two countries. Trump issued a harsh warning to Tehran, threatening to target Iran's energy and civil infrastructure if the Strait is not opened.
Iran has strongly criticised US plans to impose a blockade on its ports, warning that maritime security across the Persian Gulf region would be jeopardised if its own security is threatened.
Reports indicate that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran's Supreme Leader and a potential successor, is reportedly unconscious and receiving medical treatment in Qom, according to intelligence assessments.
Iran's ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, has described India as a "reliable and compassionate" partner while asserting Tehran's territorial authority over the Strait of Hormuz amidst ongoing regional tensions.
A lighthearted joke by comedian Zakir Khan at the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 has ignited a debate within Bollywood about jealousy and artistic contribution following the success of 'Dhurandhar 2'. The film's box office triumph has exposed underlying tensions and prompted discussions about star power and creative content.
Backstage is Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff's favourite playground where he captures beautiful pictures of people who work in sync to present the perfect fashion show.
The United States and Iran, with regional mediators, are reportedly discussing a potential 45-day ceasefire to prevent further escalation of conflict, including strikes on Iranian infrastructure and retaliation against Gulf states' facilities.
Tensions between Washington, DC and Tehran have reached a boiling point, as a heavy barrage of aerial strikes was reported across multiple locations in Iran on Tuesday.
The ceasefire is still technically holding, to the extent that no overt hostilities have been reported yet, but the rhetoric has hardened dangerously. The week ahead will also clarify whether the Islamabad failure was a negotiating tactic or whether Washington has genuinely locked itself into a position from which the only exits are climb-down, escalation, or the slow bleed of a new status quo that nobody chose and nobody controls. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that the restriction on women of menstruating age entering Kerala's Sabarimala temple is a matter of religious faith and denominational autonomy, falling outside the purview of judicial review. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that courts should not apply 'secular standards of reason' to religious practices.
Trinamool Congress MP Nadimul Haque criticised the Jan Vishwas (Amendment and Provisions) Bill, 2026, in the Rajya Sabha, questioning the government's approach to amending multiple central laws through a single piece of legislation and raising concerns about its impact on public health and federal funds owed to West Bengal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the BJP's 47th Foundation Day, highlighting the Uniform Civil Code and 'One Nation, One Election' as key unfinished agendas. He also reaffirmed the party's commitment to implementing women's reservation in the 2029 elections and criticised dynastic politics.
Lok Sabha takes up FCRA Amendment Bill amid opposition protests.
Ukraine's Maksym Murashkovskyi said ChatGPT played a key role in his training after he won silver at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics biathlon event.
The 'rescue' operation occurred within kilometres of Iran's underground tunnel complex at Isfahan, assessed by the IAEA and US intelligence as holding a substantial portion of the country's 60 per cent enriched uranium stockpile. Retired senior US military officers have highlighted that the mission's footprint -- hundreds of special operators, multiple heavy-lift aircraft deep inside Iran -- appears outsized for recovering a single airman. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
The delegations from the US and Iran head to Islamabad on Friday, carrying a ceasefire that is already fraying, a Strait that is technically open and practically closed, and a negotiating agenda that would challenge even parties actually negotiating in good faith, which these groups are not. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
Like the best crowd-pleasers, Project Hail Mary makes you laugh, it makes you weep a little, it keeps you riveted and then leaves you with a big smile by the end, notes Mayur Sanap.
By all available indications, the White House drafted a face-saving note and handed it, ready-made, to Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was supposed to then post it in the guise of a plea urging Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks 'to allow diplomacy to run its course'. Trump would then graciously accept Pakistan's 'request' and declare a ceasefire. Sharif dutifully posted the message on X. Except that he, or whoever was handling the account, forgot to delete the tell-tale first line visible in the edit history: 'Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X'. Prem Panicker's must read blog on the Iran War.
The United States, which entered this war in expectation of a short, sharp win along the Venezuela model, is now preparing for deeper involvement in a conflict it does not fully control, without the allies it typically relies on, against an adversary that is not behaving as expected, in a global environment that is already absorbing economic shock. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The pause gives the US time to breathe, to regroup, to move its expeditionary force into position without risk of interception along the way. It gives Iran nothing -- on the ground, attacks against its infrastructure continue apace. Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged its citizens to immediately depart from several Middle Eastern countries, citing "serious safety risks."
Fight on toward goals that keep receding, or exit with most objectives unmet. Trump is agitated, his poll numbers falling below the Plimsoll line, his base fractured between those who back the war and those who remember that he campaigned on ending them.
'It's a very, very large opportunity -- not just for India, but even for Uber globally.'
'Women in crime can turn on and off emotions like a tap.' 'Something that comes in the way of their goals can be eliminated without a second thought.'
'This leading filmmaker told me: "Don't let the industry cake you up with makeup and wigs. You are a breath of fresh air".'
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are set to appear before a federal judge on Monday, after United States authorities confirmed that the case will be heard in the Southern District of New York on Sunday, CBS News reported.
Cut off from the world in his solitary confinement in the Jodhpur jail, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has turned his attention to a group of usually unremarkable visitors -- ants. Perhaps, he is drawn to the sense of solidarity and team spirit they display, his wife and HIAL co-founder Gitanjali Angmo says.
'Had I been launched as a leading actor, it would probably have worked better.' 'Prabhu Devaa came eight years after me. Maybe if a filmmaker had thought of a film for me like the ones he got, my career would have been a different trajectory.'
Scientists have developed a simple blood test that can predict which heart disease patients face the greatest risk of life-threatening complications.
India asserted its supremacy with a commanding 3-1 victory over Wales in a 9/16 classification match at the FIH Junior Women's World Cup.
ETS introduces adaptive TOEFL, fairness protocols and faster scores to ease global students' stress and test anxiety.
Have a look at the countries with some of the most Indian restaurants.
Which are some of most special places in the world to celebrate Christmas?
The Deepa Thoon controversy, if not allowed to die a natural death, could take the election focus away from the anti-incumbency impacting the DMK and into the secular space. Stalin would love to have it that way, all over again, after the three past elections, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
...a time when his legacy ledger was still positive and before the debacle against China. With every subsequent election, our leaders tend to become weaker. India should consider passing a law that no person should hold the highest office in our country for more than two terms, points out Harishchandra.
US President Donald Trump received a mixed reception of cheers and boos at the US Open final at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Sunday.
Bollywood ladies enjoyed the spotlight at the ET Inspiring Women Leaders Conclave And Awards 2025 in Mumbai, and they dazzled on the red carpet.
That is the level of trust we have in each other.'
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