Phunchuk Stobdan's forte was candour and strong views on India's defence. Naturally, India's adversaries were in awe of him, fearing his views and unyielding stand on boundary issues, remembers Tarun Vijay.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted some 20 per cent of the global flows but even if it opens, damages to production facilities in the region will take time to repair, points out Sunita Narain.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has urged India to take the lead in bringing peace to West Asia, highlighting the UAE's role in stalling BRICS consensus on the conflict. Gharibabadi also discussed a new framework with Oman for merchant vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
There are enough people at the top decision-making level in Tehran who are still willing to negotiate, provided Trump can create the right setting for the negotiation to acquire a dynamic of its own, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'The BNP's election manifesto lists grievances against India, mirroring the attitude of past BNP governments.' 'Political parties have been careful not to say bad things about China.'
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries' Executive Chairman Dilip Shanghvi described the USD 11.75 billion acquisition of US-based Organon & Co as both a "happy" and "bit anxious" moment, acknowledging the significant debt required to fund the large transaction.
India's exports experienced their steepest fall in five months, declining by 7.44 per cent in March to $38.92 billion, primarily due to trade uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, with shipments to West Asia contracting by over 50 per cent.
We, Indians, forgot that for Pakistan, Kashmir dispute and blood feud with India is the raison detre for its existence. It is also the excuse with which the Pak army keeps its grip over the state. Peace in Kashmir and between India and Pakistan is against the interests of the Pak army, points out Colonel Anil A Athale (Retd).
US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran if a deal is not reached before the ceasefire ends, while Pakistan urged both sides to extend the truce and pursue diplomacy.
India's manufacturing sector growth slowed to a four-year low in March, impacted by cost pressures, competition, market uncertainty, and the Middle East conflict, according to the HSBC India Manufacturing PMI.
The highlight of our eight-day trip to stunning Bhutan was getting to understand their cultural heritage through their traditional dances.
'Neither do the Israelis. The two attacking parties have very little economic interest in Hormuz.'
Indian security agencies have continued efforts to reinforce the Siliguri Corridor through improved infrastructure, faster mobilisation capability and diversified connectivity routes to the north east.
Historically, India was a major buyer of Iranian crude, importing significant volumes of Iranian light and heavy grades due to strong refinery compatibility and favourable commercial terms.
Iran was the chance to arrange a concert of nations, to actually be a Vishwaguru. Instead, we are watching from the sidelines as Pakistan, the same country that is apparently still at war with Afghanistan, hosts talks between US-Israel and Iran. The irony is hard to miss, points out Amberish K Diwanji.
The intriguing bit is that Trump is likely to attend the talks in Islamabad this weekend -- if he does, it will be the clearest signal yet that the US is ready to exit the war with some sort of win to show, since he cannot afford to go for the talks and return empty-handed, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War
'It was diminishing even before Trump came to power.' 'The US was at the centre of the global economy. That position is going to become less and less important and less central.'
SKYTRAX's annual airport rankings for 2026, based on a global passenger poll, placed four Indian gateways within the top 100. Delhi moved up to 28th and led the India-South Asia region, while Hyderabad climbed to 43rd and earned praise for staff service. Goa and Mumbai improved to 64th and 66th respectively.
Typhoon Wipha, packing winds of 45 mt per second landed in Cangnan County, Wenzhou of east China's Zhejiang Province early on Wednesday, drenching the booming eastern coastal region with heavy rains.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over US President Donald Trump's warning to Iran and appealed for the re-establishment of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
India has expressed strong concern over the targeting of commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the West Asia conflict, urging for the restoration of unimpeded navigation and global commerce.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army's eastern theatre command continued its military drills around Taiwan for a second consecutive day on December 30, involving naval, air and ground forces in what it described as a demonstration of joint operational and blockade capabilities.
R. Vaishali, the newly-crowned Candidates champion, exemplifies quiet intensity and strong values, nurtured by a supportive family, as she prepares for the World Championship showdown against Ju Wenjun.
Pakistan's skewed foreign reserves got a major boost after Saudi Arabia pledged an additional $3 billion in deposits while extending its existing $5 billion facility for a further three years.
Today's situation in the Shaksgam Valley is the consequence of what happened in Gilgit in 1947. But is India ready to militarily get back its territories? asks Claude Arpi.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington is considering a "joint venture" with Iran to secure the Strait of Hormuz, following his announcement of a two-week ceasefire.
Iran has reportedly allowed select "friendly nations" including India and Pakistan limited access to the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing conflict, easing some energy supply concerns. Here's what the move means for global trade and oil routes.
Trump has said he would be present at the signing ceremony in Islamabad. Don't be surprised if the Pakistani hosts make it a grand event in the geopolitics of the region. Trump would love that, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
By ensuring Myanmar remains dependent on Chinese economic and military assistance, Beijing indirectly exerts pressure on India's North Eastern states, making New Delhi's regional security strategy even more complex.
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.
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.
Despite significant price differences, Indian farmers are increasingly adopting non-subsidised speciality fertilisers, which are seen as a potential solution to the rising fertiliser subsidy burden exacerbated by global supply shocks.
It is time for India to step up and get Russia, China and Europe to agree to a joint appeal to all combatants. Time is of essence, tomorrow may be too late, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale, former head of the history division, ministry of defence.
India is one of the few nations, and perhaps the only nation, that has good relations with America, Israel and Iran. Knowing that a war in the Gulf would damage our economy, hurt supply of fertilisers and fuel, and cause general chaos, we should have tried to ensure this war did not begin, asserts Aakar Patel.
'China's basic purpose of taking the Shaksgam Valley was access to the Indian Ocean.'
The cost of the war is being counted not in the corridors of power in Washington or Tehran, but in Firozabad's darkened furnace rooms, Howrah's idle casting sheds, and a barbershop in Kochi where the wait is suddenly, inexplicably, an hour long, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Max Verstappen says he is considering F1 retirement after a frustrating start to the season, saying all options are open despite his Red Bull contract till 2028.
For India, much is at stake: Crucial energy supplies traversing the Strait of Hormuz, the fate of its 10 million citizens living and working in West Asia -- who send generous remittances home -- and its major trade links with the region.
Karex, the Malaysian company that makes roughly one in five of the world's condoms -- about five billion a year, supplying Durex and Trojan among others -- announced this week that it is raising prices by up to 30 percent. The reason is the Strait of Hormuz.
Gurugram police have dismantled a cyber-fraud racket with links to the Philippines and Cambodia, arresting five individuals involved in the use and distribution of illegal SIM boxes.
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