Two CoBRA battalion personnel were seriously injured in an IED blast triggered by Maoists during an anti-Naxal operation in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district.
The Congress party has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic efforts following the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, facilitated in part by Pakistan. The party claims this development undermines Modi's strategy and exposes his perceived failures in foreign policy.
Amidst escalating tensions in West Asia, Pakistan's defence chief visited Saudi Arabia to discuss regional security and the mutual defence pact between the two nations, focusing on de-escalation strategies.
The clock on the ceasefire is running out. But everyone's already whispering about round two, possibly as soon as this weekend.
The logic of war plus the gathering storms in US politics as the midterms loom large leave him with no real alternative but to negotiate, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'Within 30 minutes of when Asim Munir made those comments, he should have been taken to Tampa airport and flown out of the United States.'
As he settled down to his job as army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa -- who died last week; his passing did not merit even an obituary in major print or electronic media in Pakistan! -- developed a vision of reducing his country's and his institution, the army's traditional hostility toward India, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
'The White House lunch that Trump hosted for Munir last year came just after Munir returned from a visit to Iran, at a moment when Israel and Iran were at war.' 'Trump said after that lunch that the Pakistanis know Iran very well. He likely views Munir as a useful interlocutor that can give helpful insights on Iran.'
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.
The Congress party has criticised the Indian government's diplomatic strategy, claiming a 'severe setback' if reports of Pakistan mediating between the US-Israel and Iran are accurate. The party alleges Pakistan's diplomatic engagement has surpassed India's, despite military successes.
Trump may strike. He may announce productive talks and extend again. He may do both at the same time. Iran will not open the Strait on someone else's terms, so no matter what happens, that problem will remain unsolved. And the IRGC will still be collecting its $2 million toll from every ship bold enough to ask permission to pass.
'Munir hopes to solidify his hold on power.'
A senior Pakistani official has affirmed Pakistan's commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia, even before assistance is explicitly requested, amidst ongoing conflict in West Asia. This pledge underscores the close ties between the two nations and Pakistan's role in regional stability.
'Was the five-day pause ever meant to hold, or was it simply another instrument of signaling, of positioning, of buying time in a war where even the pauses are tactical?' asks Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
India had better be prepared. Munir could be back at our throats soon, even within the next 12 months, warns Shekhar Gupta.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to express Pakistan's support for the Kingdom amidst escalating tensions in West Asia, reaffirming their mutual defence pact and commitment to regional stability.
The Maharashtra assembly has passed the Freedom of Religion Bill 2026, introducing strict measures to prevent religious conversions through coercion, fraud, or marriage, sparking debate over constitutional rights and religious freedom.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting to review regional and internal security in light of recent events in Iran and Afghanistan.
In a strategic move for the upcoming West Bengal elections, the BJP has announced its first candidate list, highlighted by Suvendu Adhikari challenging Mamata Banerjee in both Nandigram and Bhabanipur.
Sections in the US State Department and Pentagon have always felt more comfortable dealing with all powerful Pakistani generals instead of elected civilians, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
Seeking foreign loan had forced Pakistan to 'bow' its head and make compromises at the 'cost of self-respect', Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said in a candid admission about the humiliation involved in approaching 'friendly countries' for financial aid.
Trump repeated the assertion that Sharif had claimed he saved "25 million lives" when he stopped the war between India and Pakistan.
Pakistan's Army chief Asim Munir visited Washington and met with top US political and military leaders, discussing mutual interests and regional security.
Pakistan Hockey Federation president Tariq Bugti has resigned following a controversy surrounding the national team's accommodation during their tour of Australia. b
India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, delivered a sharp response to comments made by Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad.
'If this region destabilises, then we are not far away. This region should not destabilise.'
The previous Congress-NCP government had issued an ordinance to grant a 16 per cent quota to Marathas and five per cent to Muslims.
The India vs Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup will go ahead as scheduled after Pakistan's government on Monday decided to withdraw its boycott call.
The launch of the first-ever direct train service from Delhi to Kashmir would be a big turning point in the Valley's mood and its integration with India. He had to thwart it at any cost, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised the issue of the Indo-US trade deal soon after the zero hour ended and alleged that the information about the deal was being received from Washington instead.
The real surprise in these results came from Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM. Of the 29 Muslim candidates who got elected to the 227-strong BMC, the Congress and the AIMIM between them bagged 22.
India strongly criticized Pakistan at the United Nations for misusing UN platforms to promote a divisive agenda by repeatedly raising the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
India strongly responded to Pakistan's remarks on Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty at the UN Security Council, accusing Pakistan of supporting terrorism and violating the spirit of the Indus Waters Treaty.
While Asim Malik's role in Pakistan's recent warming up of relations with the US is acknowledged, army watchers note a recent distancing, what with Asim Munir not wanting his DG, ISI to share the limelight during his subsequent sojourns to Tampa and Brussels, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
'If the Trump administration could gain access to the nuclear weapons, they would be satisfied -- at least they could control them.'
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi asserted that Operation Sindoor was unlike any conventional mission and that it was akin to playing a game of chess as 'we did not know' what would be the enemy's next move.
The Pakistani government has once again found itself embarrassed on the world stage, now acknowledging the impact of India's strategic and precision strikes on its military installation during the escalation in May, following Operation Sindoor, which came in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
Former US President Donald Trump claims he can quickly resolve the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, praising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief Asim Munir. Tensions remain high despite recent talks.
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