...is a way out, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War. What the indefinite extension produces is a prolonged condition of not-war-not-peace, in which oil markets cannot stabilise, Asian refineries cannot plan, European governments cannot stop subsidising consumption they cannot afford, and the next flashpoint -- a seized tanker, a miscalculated drone strike, a Truth Social post that claims too much -- is one news cycle away.
An Indian national was among those killed in the UAE after debris from intercepted missiles fell in Abu Dhabi. The Indian Embassy is providing assistance.
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra Police has filed a charge sheet against DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar, who is accused of providing confidential information to a Pakistani intelligence operative.
Direct talks between the US and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, have failed to produce an agreement after 21 hours of negotiations, with disagreements over Iran's nuclear ambitions and sanctions proving insurmountable.
India has strongly condemned Pakistan's air strikes within Afghan territory, emphasising the need to respect Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity following civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.
'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.'
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei on Sunday said that the recent meeting with US officials was the longest round of negotiations they have had in the past year.
Two men, believed to be the main perpetrators of the blast outside the Punjab BJP headquarters, have been arrested in Haryana. This follows the earlier arrest of five individuals linked to a Pakistan ISI-backed module.
Trump has made it clear: the US will not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until a deal is signed.
Afghans have deep self-respect and are the last people to put up with humiliation. Is it any surprise that relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have touched an all-time low and the two countries are now at war? asks M R Narayan Swamy.
Reports indicate that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran's Supreme Leader and a potential successor, is reportedly unconscious and receiving medical treatment in Qom, according to intelligence assessments.
'If this region destabilises, then we are not far away. This region should not destabilise.'
A man in Pakistan's Punjab province murdered his wife and five children with an axe, claiming it was an 'honour killing' due to suspicions of infidelity.
Following a US agreement to a ceasefire, Iran claims victory and outlines conditions for a lasting peace deal, including control over the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of sanctions.
A joint Pakistan-Afghanistan jirga in Peshawar has called for an immediate ceasefire to de-escalate tensions between the two countries, emphasising dialogue and mutual respect.
A female suicide bomber, allegedly trained by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), has been arrested in Pakistan, highlighting the group's tactics of brainwashing young individuals for terror attacks.
Punjab Police have arrested two more individuals allegedly involved in the recent blast outside the BJP headquarters in Chandigarh, bringing the total arrests to seven. The suspects are believed to be part of an ISI-backed module taking instructions from handlers in Germany and Portugal.
The Punjab Police, in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF), successfully foiled a major cross-border smuggling attempt, recovering 6.5 kg of heroin near the border in Fazilka.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to target Iran's civilian energy infrastructure, including power plants, oil wells and Kharg Island, if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
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.
Pakistani security forces killed 15 terrorists in two intelligence-based operations in Balochistan province, recovering weapons, ammunition, and explosives.
The strikes targeted the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi, the 12th Brigade base in Quetta, Balochistan, and the Khoizai camp in the Mohmand Agency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along with other military sites housing key facilities and centres.
Terror incidents in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have declined by 65 per cent following the launch of "Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq," according to official documents.
Forty-two members of the United States Congress, led by Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Congressman Greg Casar, have written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding immediate sanctions against senior Pakistani officials for what they termed an 'escalating campaign of transnational repression and worsening human rights crisis in Pakistan' under the military-backed government of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with his counterparts from Egypt and Turkiye in Islamabad ahead of a quadrilateral summit, including Saudi Arabia, to discuss the ongoing conflict in West Asia and explore avenues for peace.
Pakistan confirms its armed forces targeted terrorist hideouts and military installations in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, claiming the action was in response to attacks by the Afghan Taliban. The strikes, part of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeted technical support infrastructure and equipment storage used by terrorists, according to Pakistani officials.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for urgent de-escalation and dialogue in West Asia during a phone call with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing serious concern over ongoing hostilities.
Officials from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China are meeting in Urumqi to discuss regional security concerns and potential confidence-building measures.
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, special envoy, foreign ministry of Israel, has asserted that the situation has effectively been a "multi-front regional conflict" since its inception, while claiming significant military and strategic gains against adversarial forces.
Pakistani security forces killed 13 terrorists in multiple intelligence-based operations in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, amidst a surge in terrorist activities in the region.
Pakistan claims significant casualties inflicted on Afghan Taliban operatives during a recent military operation along the border, while diplomatic efforts are reportedly underway to find a negotiated solution.
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.
Pakistani security forces conducted coordinated ground and aerial strikes against militant positions along the border with Afghanistan, targeting posts used by the Afghan Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
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.
A close aide to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claims that Pakistan has achieved its targets in the recent military operation against Afghanistan, following attacks by Afghan Taliban forces along the border.
India has provided Afghanistan with 2.5 tons of medical supplies to assist those injured in a recent airstrike by Pakistan, which resulted in numerous casualties. This act underscores India's commitment to supporting the Afghan people during a difficult time.
'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.'
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has been actively involved in mediating between Saudi Arabia and Iran following the outbreak of war, ensuring the safety of Pakistani citizens in affected regions.
According to a statement, the move follows rigorous monitoring of digital platforms to combat the spread of fabricated information and artificial content intended to incite public disorder and undermine general stability.
Asha Bhosle's only daughter Varsha Bhosle, who died in 2012, had penned this beautiful ode to her mother.
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