Zohram Kwame Mamdani would be the city's first Muslim and Indian American mayor if elected New York mayor this November.
By all available indications, the White House drafted a face-saving note and handed it, ready-made, to Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was supposed to then post it in the guise of a plea urging Trump to extend the deadline by two weeks 'to allow diplomacy to run its course'. Trump would then graciously accept Pakistan's 'request' and declare a ceasefire. Sharif dutifully posted the message on X. Except that he, or whoever was handling the account, forgot to delete the tell-tale first line visible in the edit history: 'Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X'. Prem Panicker's must read blog on the Iran War.
United States President Donald Trump said he will file a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the newspaper of running what he called a decades-long 'method of lying' against him, his family and the America First movement.
Pakistan is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to facilitate negotiations between the US and Iran, with hopes of hosting a second round of talks in Islamabad.
US President Donald Trump stated he would not set a deadline for ending the conflict with Iran, claiming Iran's military capabilities have been severely weakened. He also said he would not use nuclear weapons and maintained the US has complete control over blockade measures against Iran.
A consortium led by Kal Somani, a tech entrepreneur, has acquired Rajasthan Royals for $1.63 billion, marking a significant milestone in IPL's history.
The container ship SELEN, en route to Karachi, was denied passage by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy due to lack of permission and failure to coordinate with Iranian maritime authorities.
Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty to charges of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in connection with his efforts to murder Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York.
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 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
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.
Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani are seeking the dismissal of a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) securities fraud lawsuit, arguing that the case represents an impermissible extraterritorial application of US law and fails for lack of personal jurisdiction.
It remains unclear whether United States President Donald Trump or Iranian authorities will pursue the offer.
According to the report, the Pentagon is deploying the USS Tripoli ARG, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), part of its own strike group.
Rory McIlroy, the five-time Major winner, will participate in the DP World India Championship at the Delhi Golf Club for the second year running. Tommy Fleetwood has also confirmed his participation.
An Air India A350 aircraft en route to London Heathrow returned to Delhi due to a technical issue after being airborne for nearly seven hours. This is the same aircraft that faced a technical issue on March 15, leading to a diversion to Shannon, Ireland.
The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani to appear for questioning on February 26 after he skipped deposition this week, official sources said on Thursday.
Vijay Varma delivers a tour de force performance in Nagraj Popatrao Manjule's Matka King, a compelling eight-part series that chronicles the rise and fall of a gambling trailblazer in 1960s-1970s Bombay, notes Sukanya Verma.
Gulveer Singh, India's national record holder in 10,000m and 5,000m, will lead the Indian elite field at the 18th TCS World 10K Bengaluru, scheduled for April 26. The event, a World Athletics Gold Label Race, features top international and Indian distance runners.
Protests were held from coast to coast, with massive marches in major cities and smaller gatherings in suburban and rural areas across both traditionally Republican and Democratic states.
In an official statement, the embassy criticised remarks by the Russian foreign ministry, alleging that Moscow was attempting to manipulate information and interfere in India's internal processes.
'As result, Netanyahu 'convinced' Trump to go to war with the help of overoptimistic Israeli intelligence assessments, essentially explaining to him that they only need to bomb Iran for 3-4 days, and the regime would then collapse.' 'Rather unsurprisingly, Netanyahu is ever since blaming his own intel service for the entire operation failing.'
April Fools' jokes and clever tricks have entertained people and baffled the public at large for centuries.
In a bid to de-escalate Middle East tensions, the US has presented Iran with a comprehensive 15-point peace plan focusing on nuclear disarmament and regional stability in exchange for sanctions relief.
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.
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.
Gulveer Singh, the Asian champion and national record holder, will lead the Indian contingent at the TCS World 10K Run Bengaluru, a World Athletics Gold Label race.
The United States, which entered this war in expectation of a short, sharp win along the Venezuela model, is now preparing for deeper involvement in a conflict it does not fully control, without the allies it typically relies on, against an adversary that is not behaving as expected, in a global environment that is already absorbing economic shock. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Chaffing under public ridicule in the US as well as internationally for having 'lost' the war, Trump is under immense pressure to do something, cautions Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Deniz Undav scored a late goal to secure a 2-1 victory for Germany against Ghana in a friendly match, enhancing his chances of being selected for the World Cup squad.
Crude oil prices experienced a sharp decline after US President Donald Trump announced a temporary halt to military strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure, easing geopolitical tensions and supply disruption fears.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
Indian filmmaker Mira Nair attended a party at Ghislaine Maxwell's townhouse, according to newly released Epstein files. The files also mention Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were in attendance.
According to court documents, Shivam directed smuggling operations from January through June 2025, coordinating the illegal transport of individuals across the US-Canada border into Clinton County, New York.
'The city was not only a setting but also a major character in Sankar's stories, providing the readers insight into the ever-changing and complex nature of Calcutta,' observes Atanu Biswas.
The delegations from the US and Iran head to Islamabad on Friday, carrying a ceasefire that is already fraying, a Strait that is technically open and practically closed, and a negotiating agenda that would challenge even parties actually negotiating in good faith, which these groups are not. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
The final teams have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Find out which teams have qualified and their group stage assignments.
Vikram Doraiswami, a seasoned diplomat, has been appointed as India's new ambassador to China, succeeding Pradeep Kumar Rawat. This decision comes as both countries attempt to improve bilateral relations following a period of strain.
This weekend, Donald Trump has begun to say the quiet part out loud -- that he wants to take control of Iran's oil, a formulation more in line with his robber-baron style of international relations.
