Israel and the United States had a plan. Iran punched back. And now the Gulf is reeling, the world is beginning to feel the pain and, as on date, no one in Washington or Tel Aviv appears willing to admit that the punch has landed, notes Prem Panicker, continuing his must-read blog on the war in the Middle East.
President Droupadi Murmu addressed the nation on the eve of Republic Day, emphasising India's role in promoting peace, the empowerment of women, and the country's economic growth.
An Indian national fighting alongside the Russian military surrendered to Ukrainian forces. The individual, identified as Majoti Sahil Mohamed Hussein from Gujarat, claimed he was forced to join the Russian military to avoid prison after being convicted on drug-related charges.
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.
The broader theme of the performance will be -- 'Swatantra Ka Mantra - Vande Mataram' and 'Samriddhi Ka Mantra - Viksit Bharat', officials said.
'The only challenge was making a family-friendly show with Emraan.'
The Indian Army has enhanced security along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district by deploying state-of-the-art equipment, including smart fence systems, robotic mules, and all-terrain vehicles. These upgrades aim to counter infiltration and ensure peaceful Independence Day celebrations.
'When my character died in Border, I felt a strange sense of pride. But today, I sometimes feel that if my character had survived, perhaps I would have been a part of Border 2.'
With the aim of giving special forces a technological edge over terrorists, Northern command headquarters had recently floated tenders for the purchase of high-tech multi-utility GPS wrist watches, defence sources said.
In a culture where children take up the profession of their father, her becoming a politician was seen as natural and acceptable.
'From every point of view, they have faced an extremely difficult couple of years, and the setback they have suffered is irreversible.' 'This reality has begun to set in even amongst the top-level cadres. That is why, in recent times, we have witnessed a huge number of senior-level cadres emerging from the jungle and deciding to renounce violence and join the mainstream.'
Special Forces are a vital element of national power, possessing enormous freedom of action and should be fruitfully employed to successfully meet future challenges, say Lieutenant General P C Katoch and journalist Saikat Dutta.
India strongly responded to Pakistan's remarks on Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty at the UN Security Council, accusing Pakistan of supporting terrorism and violating the spirit of the Indus Waters Treaty.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against seven accused in the Pahalgam terror attack case, including Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its proxy The Resistance Front (TRF).
The upcoming Republic Day Parade will center around the sesquicentenary of 'Vande Mataram,' featuring themed decorations, performances, and special guests.
He added that the BSF, working with the Army, had neutralised eight terrorists in four infiltration attempts in 2025.
From the edges of Pangong Tso lake to Port Blair, and from Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh to the Rann of Kachchh, soldiers performed yoga, embracing the ancient Indian practice as a tool for physical, mental and emotional resilience, the official said.
'Some success has been achieved in raising the costs of terrorism for Pakistan.'
The officials found that his browsing history indicated an interest in the deployment of paramilitary forces in the Kashmir valley, prompting them to ascertain the purpose of his visit to the strategically important Zanskar region in Ladakh late last month.
That a country thinks it has the right to randomly invade another country has repercussions that will for sure be played on the global arena in the years to come.
'There is no substantive basis for Bangladesh-Pakistan relations. The only real link they can have is mischief, with Pakistan's intelligence agency using Bangladesh to create trouble along our eastern borders.'
Developing relations with the Taliban is needed, but plunging headlong into Afghanistan without due thought will be akin to the rooster entering a KFC outlet, warns Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (Retd).
'Operation Sindoor had three objectives.' 'One, destroy the Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters at Muridke and the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters at Bahawalpur.' 'Second, deter and defend any counterstrike by Pakistan.' 'And third, if they persist, demonstrably deliver counterforce punishment.' 'All of the three boxes, the IAF checked,' points out Shekhar Gupta.
'Mark had such a profound understanding of India, which was, of course, the land of his birth as well as of his death... He loved India, and lived two-thirds of his life here.'
The deadly attack on the Uri garrison on September 18 nine years ago marked the end of India's policy against crossing the Line of Control to target Pakistan-based terrorists. It paved the way for the Balakot Air Strikes in 2019 and Operation Sindoor.
Returning to the Brahmaputra for Vijay Diwas was not just a journey across geography, but across memory of war, service, sacrifice, and the enduring bond between the Indian Air Force and the north east, asserts Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
Having control over both digital media and NGOs, it was easy for the US to topple the government and destabilise Nepal -- to undercut Chinese influence and pressure India, argues Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
'It is in the interest of China and Pakistan to give a bad name to the Indian Army and remove AFSPA 'completely' from the north east.' 'Hopefully, better sense will prevail and the ground realities of the army countering insurgency in the north east acknowledged,' asserts Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
Bangladesh is set to hold the funeral of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi amid tight security following unrest triggered by his death. The funeral prayer will be held at the National Parliament Building. The country is also observing a day of state mourning.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman has returned to Dhaka after 17 years in self-exile in the UK, amid political instability following the killing of a youth leader. His return is significant as BNP emerges as a forerunner in the changed political landscape.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance in the Bihar polls was a mandate against infiltrators in the country because citizens will never favour those parties that support such illegal immigrants.
We need to equip the Indian Armed Forces, not 'commercial' as Trump wants, but 'operationally' looking at growing Chinese military capabilities, asserts Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
Indian army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday said that the surgical strikes carried out during Operation Sindoor were a clear message to Pakistan that supporters of terrorism will not be spared.
Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's former first female prime minister and chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has died at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness.
'Why have we failed to address the issue of ensuring a requisite buffer zone in J&K, given that cross-border links of some J&K politicians are known?', asks Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
The aircraft crashed into the Milestone School and College campus in Dhaka's Uttara area.
'Indian Army officers always lead their men into battle or combat. Pakistani officers are seldom seen at the front.'
'They came to our bedrooms, woke people who were sleeping, and shot them. For what? For what?'
'Non-compatible with Western Civilization' is about as vague and jingoistic as it gets and Trump saying this gives full license to his acolytes to go full throttle on making life as difficult and scary as possible for as many non-white people as possible,' notes Sree Sreenivasan.
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