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.
World leaders often have simple tastes when it comes to food.
'Today, if 50 songs are composed, one or two work. In the 1970s, all 50 would work.'
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering proposals to encourage businesses to bring call centre jobs back to the US and require call-takers to be proficient in American Standard English.
Far from it; the country's resistance to the US, its nuclear ambitions, and its pursuit of influence and proxies across the Middle East are driven by a constant search for independence and security. Thus, Iran will never capitulate. Trump will learn this home truth ultimately, and it is going to be a humbling personal experience that may even destroy his presidency, predicts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed the ceasefire between the US and Iran and invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad for peace negotiations.
Direct talks between the US and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, have failed to produce an agreement after 21 hours of negotiations, with disagreements over Iran's nuclear ambitions and sanctions proving insurmountable.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy and his remarks referencing the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to the West Asia situation.
The question is whether the clocks allow enough time for two deeply mistrustful sides to get there, and whether the surface calm holds long enough for the paddling to produce something before the ceasefire ends on April 22, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Israel wishes to continue its bombing campaign until Iran's military and industrial infrastructure are degraded to a point where it ceases to pose a threat to Israel. Iran, for its part, has learnt from its experience in the 12-day war of last June. Any ceasefire, it believes, will only be a prelude to another attack on itself. It is determined to convey that any attack on Iran will impose heavy costs on Israel, the US, America's allies in the Gulf -- and on the world at large, points out T T Ram Mohan.
Biocon aims to become the world's leading insulin company, capitalising on larger pharmaceutical rivals' strategic shift towards newer, high-margin GLP-1 diabetes therapies. The company plans to expand its insulin presence across 80 markets, focusing on value maximisation and addressing the indispensable need for insulin, particularly for Type-1 and late-stage Type-2 diabetics.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced a 12.22 per cent increase in its net profit for the March quarter, reaching Rs 13,718 crore, alongside a 9.64 per cent rise in revenue from operations.
The clock on the ceasefire is running out. But everyone's already whispering about round two, possibly as soon as this weekend.
India's services sector growth slowed in March, reaching a 14-month low, according to the HSBC India Services PMI. The slowdown reflects weaker new business intakes and rising input costs, particularly in fuel, transport, and logistics.
The fragile ceasefire in West Asia between the US and Iran to halt the hostilities in the region for two weeks faces renewed uncertainty as Tehran reportedly moved to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz once again due to Israel's intensified offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to Iranian state media Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), which US President Trump says was "not included" as part of the ceasefire deal.
Chaffing under public ridicule in the US as well as internationally for having 'lost' the war, Trump is under immense pressure to do something, cautions Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Delhi should keep all its options open in what is essentially a transitional period in the geopolitics of energy rather than remain a gatekeeper serving Trump's 'America First', suggests Ambasssador M K Bhadrakumar.
A Pakistani national has pleaded guilty to attempting to commit an ISIS-inspired attack at a Jewish centre in New York in 2024, coinciding with the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
Italy has denied the United States the use of the Sigonella military base for flights heading to West Asia, citing a lack of consultation and concerns over the nature of the flights. This decision reflects Italy's stance on avoiding escalation in the region, as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government emphasises its desire to stay out of war.
Argentina has significantly increased its LPG exports to India to help mitigate shortages caused by the ongoing conflict in West Asia. This partnership is becoming increasingly important for India's energy security.
Between now and 2030, four new models will be designed and assembled in India, including 100 per cent electric and full-hybrid cars.
In his resignation letter to US President Donald Trump, Kent called the conflict with Iran unjustified, contending that Washington, DC entered the war due primarily to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby rather than clear, direct threats to national security.
Donald Trump has appointed Markwayne Mullin as the new Secretary of Homeland Security, replacing Kristi Noem, who will take on the role of Special Envoy for 'The Shield of the Americas' initiative.
West Asia conflict triggers sharp sell-off in Indian markets, with realty, banking and auto stocks leading losses amid energy shock fears.
United States President Donald Trump has said that India's Reliance Industries will make an investment in a new oil refinery being opened in Texas, thanking the company and 'our partners in India' for the deal.
'On behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I express gratitude and appreciation for my dear brothers HE Prime Minister of Pakistan Sharif and HE Field Marshal Munir for their tireless efforts to end the war in the region.'
The United States Special Forces have rescued the second F-15 crew member alive, who went missing after Iran downed the jet amid the West Asia conflict, President Donald Trump has confirmed.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of corruption and land grabbing, promising action if the Congress party wins the upcoming elections in Assam. Gandhi also criticised the BJP's governance and economic policies.
Piyush Goyal on Friday rejected reports suggesting that India is planning to hold off trade deal with the United States for several months.
Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov met with Indian leaders to discuss strengthening bilateral ties in key sectors amidst the escalating conflict in West Asia.
The Chhattisgarh High Court has sentenced Amit Jogi, son of former chief minister Ajit Jogi, to life imprisonment for the 2003 murder of NCP leader Ramavatar Jaggi, overturning a previous acquittal.
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.
Protests were held from coast to coast, with massive marches in major cities and smaller gatherings in suburban and rural areas across both traditionally Republican and Democratic states.
'American stature has been reduced because they have not been able to achieve their aims.'
The Drama is what you can call a 'feel-bad' romance done right, notes Sreeju Sudhakaran.
'In such a scenario, Iran could proclaim itself victor, rebuild, re-enforce its diminished regional proxies to further destabilise neighbouring nations and take control of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.'
If the Iranian regime needs to be punished for promoting quasi-terrorist outfits like Hezbollah and Hamas, then what about Pakistan which has spent decades exporting terror around the world, killing thousands, particularly in Afghanistan and India? asks M R Narayan Swamy.
Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met in Islamabad in what analysts say is the formal opening of a new diplomatic formation that could reshape the post-war regional order. Their immediate goal is a ceasefire; their larger ambition is to ensure that neither Iran nor Israel emerges from this war in a dominant position. Pakistan's foreign minister then flew directly to Beijing and mooted a Chinese role as guarantor of any eventual agreement. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation. The most likely outcome of the opening sessions is that both sides take the measure of each other, establish what is and is not negotiable, and return home without having broken anything. That would count as progress.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances