After spending 43 years working inside Dubai's royal palace, a man from Kottakkal returned home with nothing but gratitude for the life he lived in extraordinary circumstances.
India has summoned the US charge d'affaires for the second time this week to protest American Navy strikes on three commercial vessels off the coast of Oman, which resulted in the deaths of three Indian crew members. New Delhi has demanded an end to these attacks, acknowledging that the US Navy targeted the ships, some of which were reportedly non-compliant with US sanctions.
Ideology is dead; long live the numbers game that is being played with the sole intention of securing a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha for the NDA, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
The US has warned India that any violation of its naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and illicit transport of Iranian oil will not be tolerated, a statement made amidst a diplomatic row over the deaths of Indian seafarers in US attacks on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman.
Governor: Simplistic narrative, questionable historical accuracy, underwhelming production quality, notes Sukanya Verma.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty surged significantly in early trade, tracking a global rally fueled by US President Donald Trump's declaration of an end to the war with Iran and a subsequent drop in crude oil prices.
The India-Oman free trade agreement, operationalised on June 1, is set to create significant export opportunities for India's labour-intensive and value-added sectors, including textiles, gems and jewellery, and marine products, while also strengthening energy security.
'Historically, India has depended on the Middle Eastern Gulf for nearly 90 per cent of its LPG imports. Shifting to alternative suppliers is not something that can happen quickly.'
Indian missions in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and other Gulf countries have issued advisories urging Indian citizens to exercise caution and follow local safety guidelines amid rising regional tensions.
Modi's comments on underlining the importance of ensuring the safety of seafarers came against the backdrop of growing anger in India over the killing of the three Indian crew members in a US military attack on a merchant ship off the coast of Oman last week.
Abdul Rahim, who faced a death sentence in Saudi Arabia, returned to Kerala after a massive crowdfunding effort raised Rs 34 crore for blood money. He was greeted by family and friends after two decades of imprisonment.
16 days into the war, US forces were already running out of ground-attack missiles and Israel is about to expend its entire Arrow interceptor missiles by end March. To be sure, the Iranians are watching closely and that explains their defiant stance that 'Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its conditions are met', notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Crude oil prices are projected to fall significantly this year, driven by hopes of a peace deal between the US and Iran, which could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a notable drop in Chinese demand for seaborne crude imports.
Qatar celebrated their first World Cup point after a late own goal forced a 1-1 draw against Switzerland and sent the Gulf nation into jubilation on Saturday.
Similar to PSG finding their Messiah in Luis Enrique in 2023, the same year as Andy Flower joined the Bengaluru side, RCB found theirs in the Zimbabwean - a no-nonsense cricketing brain who believes in structure and cohesion to bring in desired results.
Climate change has increased the likelihood of temperatures high enough to affect player performance at 97 of the 104 tournament matches.
'You have seen the retrenchments by big corporates in the IT industry because they are not getting enough offers.' 'MSMEs in the manufacturing sector are really struggling. They do not know what to do. They are not able to predict what will happen tomorrow.'
'You empower a man, you are not necessarily empowering a family, you are just empowering him.'
The rupee weakened to a record low against the US dollar due to Gulf tensions, rising oil prices, and foreign capital outflows.
'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.'
AI reduces the time taken to find a target and launch a strike. This has led to a major increase in the pace of the conflict, with one report mentioning nearly 900 strikes launched on Iranian targets in the first 12 hours of an operation.
Frankly, was it really necessary in the middle of a fratricidal war for External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to travel to Abu Dhabi for a one-on-one with the sheikh on April 12?Or, for National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to follow up on April 26? Or, for PM Narendra Modi to follow through today? There are no easy answers, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered India's support to bring peace to West Asia during talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Both countries signed agreements to strengthen strategic collaborations in energy and defence.
Pakistani authorities have arrested eleven social media activists in Punjab province for allegedly spreading provocative content against the army and inciting public unrest.
Two India-bound LPG tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions in the region, while an India-flagged vessel sank after being hit near the strategic shipping corridor.
US President Donald Trump stated that Iran is eager to make a deal and predicted a sharp decline in oil prices due to abundant supply, amidst a Senate resolution to limit his war powers in Iran.
Few leaders since Independence have been able to establish such a direct connection with the electorate or shape the national conversation to the extent that Narendra Modi has done over the past decade, points out former Union minister Dr Karan Singh.
We cannot simply have a 60-65 per cent import dependency in LPG, the bulk of which comes from just one volatile region -- West Asia, points out R Jagannathan.
Occasionally, the silence of the night shift would be shattered by an ear-splitting alarm: 'ALERT, ALERT... This is a security warning.' We were drilled to move away from the windows and avoid the lifts, recalls Krishna Kumar NP, a veteran Dubai-based journalist.
Amidst ongoing conflict, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signals a potential de-escalation by apologising to neighbouring countries while firmly rejecting US President Donald Trump's demand for unconditional surrender.
Tensions in West Asia have dramatically escalated as Israel launched targeted military operations against Iran, triggering widespread blasts across strategic cities, following earlier Iranian projectile attacks on Israel.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for strikes on an American base, alleging it was in response to earlier aerial attacks near Bandar Abbas Airport. The incident follows reports of confrontations between Iranian and US forces in the Strait of Hormuz.
An Indian sailor died and several others were injured after their dhow caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz. Seventeen other Indian crew members were rescued.
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.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are actively pushing Trump to take the war to its bitter finish and 'erase' Iran's presence in the geopolitics of the region. Simply put, the two most powerful Sunni Arab oligarchies are on the same page as Israel. Such interference increases the risk of a breakdown in dialogue between the US and Iran, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
China has called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and expressed appreciation for Tehran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, a key demand of the US to end the conflict.
The IRGC accused US and Israeli forces of using civilians as 'human shields' and warned of continued attacks.
Following through announcements with enforcement of measures is key, as a run through recent Indian economic history shows, points out A K Bhattacharya.
US President Donald Trump is set to visit China for talks with President Xi Jinping on trade, global issues, and the Gulf war. The visit aims to address trade frictions and other key issues, with high expectations for progress.
India has voiced deep concern over a drone attack targeting the Barakah nuclear facility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), calling it a dangerous escalation in the West Asia conflict.
