India's handling of the Iran crisis reflects a growing strain between strategic autonomy and geopolitical alignment, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
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.
'If movement remains stalled for three to four months, more than 300,000 recruitments from India could be affected.'
With Gulf countries emerging as popular destinations for Indian weddings and pre-wedding shoots, the March-April season had seen a flurry of bookings.
Gold prices experienced a significant decline in futures trading due to uncertainty surrounding geopolitical tensions in West Asia and conflicting statements regarding the conflict. Investors are also awaiting key macroeconomic data for further direction on interest rate cuts.
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.
The West Indies and Zimbabwe cricket teams have delayed their return from India after being eliminated from the Twenty20 World Cup due to international airspace closures amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell says he has no immediate retirement plans and hopes to remain "fit and firing" for the 2028 T20 World Cup and Los Angeles Olympics despite recent form concerns.
Amid escalating tensions with Iran, President Trump is urging nations dependent on Middle Eastern oil to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard critical global energy supplies.
'Extending 'flight duty period' and 'flight time' limits for minimum crew complement operations increases exposure to fatigue-related performance degradation'
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 saw investment pledges of USD 240 billion from major players like Reliance, Adani, Google, Lightspeed Ventures, and Tata, signalling a significant boost to India's AI infrastructure and development.
In order to optimise branch efficiency, public sector banks (PSBs) are reworking their strategies to streamline operations and reduce cost amid changing customer behaviour. The strategies include closing or merging low traffic branches and reducing their size in smaller centres.
The Lok Sabha witnessed a heated debate between BJP and Congress members regarding the handling of Naxalism, with the BJP accusing the previous UPA government of failing to contain left-wing extremism and the Congress defending its efforts to curb the threat.
The ECB cancelled the England Lions vs Pakistan Shaheens match in Abu Dhabi and postponed the England Women's training camp after US and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered missile fire across the Gulf and airspace closures.
Governance uncertainty and leadership visibility gap are likely to keep the stock under pressure in the near term, said Nomura in a report.
Popularly known as 'Little India', Dimona has a large Indian-Jewish population, and the community members, mostly from the state of Maharashtra, maintain strong links with India and have consistently put efforts to solidify them.
'Much will depend on the position of the United States.' 'It will have to be seen to what extent the US will be more interested in achieving some form of a deal and to what extent Israel will be allowed to continue to carry out both airstrikes and the killing of Iranian officials.'
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 LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
Which airports have flights to the most places in the world?
Indian airlines are expected to cancel 444 international flights due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East following attacks on Iran by Israel and the US. The civil aviation ministry is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with airlines to ensure passenger safety and minimize disruptions.
Zimbabwe's departure from the T20 World Cup is on hold after Dubai airport closure amid escalating Middle East tensions.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu recounts a 'tense and scary' experience at Dubai International Airport after an explosion occurred nearby, amidst escalating tensions in the Gulf region.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has defended its decision to appoint Amelia Valverde as head coach of the women's national team and addressed the controversy surrounding team kits during the Asian Cup.
The ICC said the South African contingent had begun departing for home on Wednesday with "four players and five family members having boarded the flight".
The Gujarat government has announced a significant investment in sports infrastructure, with the goal of transforming the state into a sports hub and positioning Ahmedabad as a potential host city for the 2036 Olympic Games.
A London-based surgeon of Indian origin has made medical history by successfully completing the UK's first remote robotic surgeries on patients in Gibraltar, approximately 2,400 km away.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual meeting with chief ministers to review preparedness and plans in light of the West Asia conflict, emphasising the importance of national unity and enhanced security measures.
An Air Canada plane collided with a ground vehicle at La Guardia Airport, resulting in a ground stop and significant flight disruptions, impacting travel plans for countless passengers.
Maruti Suzuki India plans to localise battery production and other critical components over the next few years as part of strengthening the overall EV ecosystem in the country. The company, which plans to launch its first electric vehicle - e VITARA in the domestic market next year, is looking to instill confidence in the buyers as it looks to strengthen the overall EV ecosystem.
Satyan Gajwani, chairman of Times Internet Limited and RCB's new co-owner, discusses the significance of American companies investing in IPL franchises like RCB and Rajasthan Royals, highlighting the league's immense growth potential and global appeal.
Inspections conducted across 49 entities including pharmacies, wholesalers, and clinics to detect violations and misleading marketing practices.
At Border Pillar 609 at Babliyan near Jaisalmer, the one thing that dominates the landscape is something entirely different, something central to our identity -- the Tiranga -- flying boldly above the blazing desert.
The US torpedo attack on the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in international waters was a lawful act of war between belligerents, not a diplomatic or strategic embarrassment for India, asserts Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
The International Cricket Council confirmed that stranded players from the South Africa national cricket team and West Indies cricket team have finally left India after Gulf airspace closures during the West Asia conflict disrupted travel following the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
The Federation of Indian Pilots, said the union has written to the DGCA raising concerns over the extension.
The 'rescue' operation occurred within kilometres of Iran's underground tunnel complex at Isfahan, assessed by the IAEA and US intelligence as holding a substantial portion of the country's 60 per cent enriched uranium stockpile. Retired senior US military officers have highlighted that the mission's footprint -- hundreds of special operators, multiple heavy-lift aircraft deep inside Iran -- appears outsized for recovering a single airman. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
Cricket Ireland is planning a Euro Nations Cup, with chairman Brian MacNeice targeting a 2027 launch.
'Pakistan's is the only military-controlled nuclear weapons programme in the world.' 'As people get radicalised, the risk of a brigadier or pilot taking matters into their own hands is a real concern.'
'The best photographs usually happen in between the big moments -- a quiet smile, a nervous laugh, a parent watching from the corner of the room. Those are the moments you can't script,' says Himanshu Patel, celebrated wedding photographer and founder of Epic Stories.
