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.
United States President Donald Trump held a New Year bash at his Florida resort on Thursday and when he was quizzed about his wish for the New Year he said he wanted peace on Earth, reported Fox News.
'India's ties with Israel have to do with defence and general technology.' 'The war changes nothing in what India and Israel hope to get from the relationship.' 'It's not as though India will get significantly more benefits from Iran if India abandons Israel at this time.'
'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.
"It is still not too late. India must speak clearly, act responsibly, and use every diplomatic channel available to defuse tensions and promote a return to dialogue in West Asia," Gandhi asserted.
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.
Israeli officials believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on charges related to the ongoing war with Hamas, The New York Times reported, citing five Israeli and foreign officials.
US President Donald Trump has shared his development plan for Gaza via an AI-generated video on social media.
In the phone talks, Modi emphasised on an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict, including the release of all hostages, through "dialogue and diplomacy" as well as continued humanitarian assistance to the affected people.
The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, shared an online compilation on Saturday, displaying images of both living and deceased captives.
Israel's security cabinet on Friday approved a plan from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to occupy Gaza City, The Times of Israel reported, quoting the Prime Minister's Office.
They died when an Israeli strike hit their home in the at-Twam neighbourhood of Gaza City.
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.
Following reports of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death, widespread protests erupted in Kashmir, with demonstrators expressing strong anti-US and anti-Israel sentiments.
The terrorists who carried out the deadly terror shooting attack at the Ramot Junction in Jerusalem used a makeshift "Carlo" submachine gun, otherwise known as a Carl Gustav.
'What we have yet to see on either the US or the Iranian side is willingness to compromise on their ultimate demands and the flexibility to reach an agreement to end the war.
Sonia Gandhi has criticised the Modi government's silence on the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, arguing it raises doubts about India's foreign policy direction and credibility.
As per Israeli media, at least four people have been killed and several injured after an Iranian missile struck a residential building in Beersheba.
On Monday night Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a press conference in English for the foreign media in which he said that Israel's war in Gaza is a fight for civilisation and against barbarism.
United States President Joe Biden arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and show support to its Middle Eastern ally as Israel entered into the 12th day of war against the Hamas terror group.
Israel's aerial assault on Iran is widely viewed as an act of naked aggression with no basis in international law, carried out unilaterally despite US opposition and aimed at derailing ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
India and Israel on Tuesday signed a defence pact that will facilitate sharing of advanced technologies and promote co-development and co-production of key weapon systems and military hardware, in a major move to further bolster their already robust strategic ties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated US President Donald Trump on the success of the first phase of a US-brokered peace plan for Gaza and reviewed trade negotiations during a phone conversation.
United States President Donald Trump has warned Hamas of 'complete obliteration' if the group insists on taking control over Gaza and blocks progress on his proposed ceasefire deal, CNN reported.
Netanyahu, who has won the backing of 64 Members of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), has been assigned the task to form the next government, a statement from the Presidency said.
He was accorded a traditional welcome by Braj folk artists on his arrival at the airport.
'We will be unable to move forward with the framework until we receive the list of the hostages who will be released, as was agreed'
Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Monday appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately halt his controversial judicial overhaul, warning that the move has put the country's security, economy and society under threat.
In a statement later, the White House said Biden and Netanyahu discussed Israel's military campaign in Gaza, including its "objectives and phasing".
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi criticizes the Modi government's stance on Palestine, calling it a 'profound silence' and an abdication of humanity and morality. She argues that India needs to demonstrate leadership on the issue and that the government's actions are driven by personal friendship rather than constitutional values or strategic interests.
Macron said in a post on X that he will formalise the decision at the UN General Assembly in September. "The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved," he wrote.
US President Donald Trump has shared an AI-generated video on social media depicting a war-torn Gaza transformed into a luxurious riviera town, featuring himself vacationing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The video, which has gone viral, has sparked widespread criticism and backlash, with many users expressing their disgust and disappointment. The video, set to a catchy song, showcases a utopian vision of Gaza with luxurious amenities, including SpaceX CEO Elon Musk enjoying meals in the new town, belly dancers, party scenes, and luxurious cars. The video also portrays Trump and Netanyahu enjoying the beach, while children chase after falling dollars. The post has been met with outrage, with many users stating that they voted for Trump to focus on the American economy, not for this type of project. Others criticized the lack of respect and seriousness in the video. Trump recently announced that the US will take over the Gaza Strip, own it, and undertake economic development to create jobs and housing. He envisions a diverse population, including Palestinians, living in the rebuilt Gaza Strip, which has been met with rejection from key Arab allies like Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
It is high time India ends its silence on the human cost of the Gaza war and takes a principled stand without diluting its relations with Israel. A largely friendless Tel Aviv today needs New Delhi more than the other way around. India's failure now may cost it diplomatically in the long run, cautions M R Narayan Swamy.
Once the OS layer is opened to the State, it doesn't close, notes Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
'Despite the large number of missiles and drones we have already launched, we still possess reserves and missile cities whose doors have not yet been opened,' says Iran's Consul-General Saeid Reza Mosayeb Motlagh.
Aseem Chhabra lists his top 10 films from this year's Sundance festival, a blend of narratives and documentaries made in the US and other parts of the world.
World leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemned the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people, expressing solidarity with India. The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group. The attack came during US Vice President J D Vance's maiden visit to India. Prime Minister Modi, who had arrived in Saudi Arabia on a two-day visit earlier in the day, cut short his visit and departed for New Delhi on Tuesday night following the attack.
Over the weekend, one senior US official told CNN, the Israelis had an opportunity to kill Iran's supreme leader.
Around 50 stages were erected on the roadside along the stretch to showcase performances by troupes of different states.
