News of all people and events who made news on Saturday.
The New York Times reported that according to Rushdie's agent, Andrew Wylie, the Mumbai-born controversial author was on a ventilator and could not speak.
The Taliban's main challenge comes on the financial and economic front and there Pakistan doesn't have the capacity to be of any meaningful help, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Rediff.com encapsulates all the sporting action from the past week in this eye-catching photo feature.
Vaishali, sister of the Indian chess prodigy and GM R Praggnanandhaa, scored impressive victories over Mariya Muzychuk (Ukraine) and Russia's Valentina Gunina on the opening day of the Blitz championship.
'The bigger challenge and dilemma for Pakistan would be if the US and Saudi Arabia go full throttle against Iran and enforce regime change in Tehran.' 'That would be bad news for Pakistan, especially with the current instability in Balochistan,' notes Brigadier Narender Kumar (retd).
The decision to speak to the political convention in pre-recorded remarks from Jerusalem breaks with the longstanding precedent of sitting secretaries of state avoiding partisan politics and appears to violate guidance on political activities that Pompeo himself emphasised in a cable to diplomats just last month.
Aseem Chhabra brings you the Best of the Berlinale.
'It will remain hostile to Indian interests owing to its close proximity to China.'
The direction comes hours after Iran fired over a dozen ballistic missiles targeting at least two American bases in response to the killing of its General Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike.
'To see India being recognized at a global level at a platform like this... 'I think it says a lot about where we are as a nation and the road ahead for us as a nation.'
The Indian mixed 4x400m relay team on Wednesday won a bronze to clinch the country's fifth medal in the history of Under-20 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi.
Five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand gave a fine endgame lesson to young Alireza Firouzja, jumping to joint sixth position at the end of 11th round of Tata Steel Masters, in Wijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands, on Saturday. With his second victory, Anand clawed his way back to a fifty percent score and will now hope to end the tournament on a high. At just 16 years, Firouzja is less than one third of Anand's age, and the Indian ace showed that the Iranian still has a lot to learn.
President Trump, in a move that could have implications on India's energy security, on Monday decided not to grant sanctions exemptions to any oil customers of Iran, further squeezing Tehran's top export commodity.
James Ivory discusses the rigors of completing the latest Merchant Ivory film with Aseem Chhabra.
United States President Barack Obama on Thursday rebuked a reporter from a major news outlet who asked a question about American citizens languishing in Iranian jails at a time when he led a successful negotiations with Iran on the nuclear deal.
Rainbow-themed badge adorns US training facility
New Delhi is vulnerable to US sanctions under a 2017 law called CAATSA.
'Mr Trump is too capricious to be trusted,' says Sunanda K Datta-Ray.
BWith a distracted president brooding in the White House, Pompeo seems to think his day has come. He seems to be pushing a personal agenda before a target audience in America, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'If the Iran nuke deal holds, Iran becomes a gateway to Afghanistan, and a better one than Pakistan because the route is not so mountainous. Correspondingly, I imagine Pakistan's value to the US will fall,' says Rajeev Srinivasan.
'Drone warfare has come to stay.' 'India should exploit the expected Reaper acquisition from the US to build an effective counter terror campaign,' argues Group Captain Murli Menon (retd).
The deal involves Iran accepting curbs on its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief, but many of the critical, politically-charged details are still awaited.
Ex-US secretary of state John Kerry has torn into Trump for accusing him of holding "illegal" meetings with Iran.
'I cannot be confined to just one or two kinds of music.'
Internal strife and tribalism is endemic to Afghanistan, notes Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Describing Iran as the 'most significant threat' to regional stability, a top American commander has accused Tehran of carrying out clandestine activities in more than a dozen countries including India.
A sharp decline in crude and strengthening of the rupee added to the buoyancy.
Indian Ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India has stopped importing oil from Iran after the United States refused to extend exemption from sanctions earlier this month.
The US has extended waivers that exempt nine countries, including India and China, from fully complying with American sanctions targeting Iran's oil exports, citing their significant reduction in oil import from Tehran.
How Karuna Chani, an Indian-American make-up artist and consultant in New York was constantly made to feel unwanted in New York and looked down upon in India, overcame her pain and found solace in her culture.
The Modi government caved in under American pressure without even token resistance. Two countries similarly placed as India with high dependence on Iranian oil -- China and Turkey -- have shown the grit to stand up to Washington, says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The gravely ill baby is Iranian, but Fatemah's family has decided they did not want her to have surgery in her birth country due to concerns about the quality of medical services.
Krishna emphasised that India takes decision taking into consideration its domestic energy requirements.
The IAF transport aircraft landed in Jamnagar, Gujarat with over 120 people including officials and security personnel from the embassy.
Amid reports claiming America has threatened India with sanctions if it does not reduce its Iranian oil imports by June end, United States officials on Friday said Washington and New Delhi are having "productive conversations" on the issue and termed the reports as "highly speculative".
The talks could be a last-ditch diplomatic effort to avert a military strike on Iranian nuclear installations and could also help President Barack Obama make the case that he is nearing a breakthrough in the decade-long effort by the world's major powers to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
In return for Pak's gesture, the US has authorised the reinstatement of a military training and educational programme which had remained suspended for 2 yrs. Pak blamed Iran's Maj Gen Soleimani for Baloch militant attacks against its forces.
Politicians, bureaucrats hold different opinions about the delaying of the 2+2 summit.
India's decision to continue importing Iranian oil is a slap on the face of the United States, according to a former US diplomat who was the Bush administration's point-man on the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement."India's decision to walk out of step with the international community on Iran isn't just a slap in the face for the US -- it raises questions about its ability to lead," said Burns.
