India is yet to take a call on United States President Donald Trump's invitation to be part of the 'Board of Peace' that will work towards bringing lasting peace to Gaza and possibly resolve global conflicts, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump outlined key goals of the campaign, including degrading Iran's missile capabilities, dismantling its defence industrial base, eliminating naval and air power, preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear capability, and protecting United States allies such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
India and the US have reported positive progress in recent trade talks in Washington, agreeing to maintain engagement to finalise a bilateral trade agreement, which now requires recalibration following new US tariffs.
United States President Donald Trump has said that India's Reliance Industries will make an investment in a new oil refinery being opened in Texas, thanking the company and 'our partners in India' for the deal.
The US has granted India permission to buy Russian oil already in transit to ease global supply pressures amidst the West Asia conflict. This decision comes after India agreed to halt sanctioned Russian oil purchases and substitute them with US oil.
Iranian representatives have conveyed to the Trump administration that they are unwilling to resume talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, preferring instead to engage with Vice President J D Vance.
The United States and Iran could resume negotiations as early as next week in Islamabad, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter.
'The next two to three weeks will not be decided in Washington.' 'They will be decided in Tehran, in whatever calculation Iran makes about the costs of continued resistance against the costs of appearing to have yielded.'
A new poll indicates that President Donald Trump's approval rating is suffering as economic anxieties and the rising cost of living weigh heavily on US voters, revealing deep political divides and widespread dissatisfaction with the government.
Karex, the Malaysian company that makes roughly one in five of the world's condoms -- about five billion a year, supplying Durex and Trojan among others -- announced this week that it is raising prices by up to 30 percent. The reason is the Strait of Hormuz.
Advocacy groups issued a travel advisory on Thursday, warning that visitors traveling to the US for the 2026 World Cup may face arbitrary detention or deportation, among other human rights abuses.
In another post, Trump is seen hoisting a US flag in Greenland, with a milepost that reads, "Greenland US Territory Est 2026".
The new US national security strategy signals a retreat from global dominance while reaffirming continuity in India's role in Indo-Pacific security and Quad cooperation, points out former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
The big question is whether Trump is any longer in command of the situation. For all practical purposes, the war seems set to cascade as the US is preparing for a potential ground operation in Iran and threatens to destroy 'bridges next, then electric power plants', points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Addressing members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, armed forces, and police, Trump said they must lay down their weapons and accept complete immunity or face 'certain death'.
For years, these two powers operated as "frenemies" in the shadow of Iran's regional influence. The frame here is "The Enemy of My Enemy."
Fight on toward goals that keep receding, or exit with most objectives unmet. Trump is agitated, his poll numbers falling below the Plimsoll line, his base fractured between those who back the war and those who remember that he campaigned on ending them.
The White House on Thursday stated that United States President Donald Trump is 'extremely frustrated' with both Russia and Ukraine over the slow progress toward ending the ongoing war and is unwilling to engage in 'meetings just for the sake of meeting'.
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) has thanked law enforcement for ensuring the safety of guests after a shooting at the Washington Hilton, where their annual dinner was held. The incident led to the evacuation of President Trump and other officials.
Iran has submitted its latest proposal aimed at advancing negotiations to end the ongoing West Asia conflict with the US, days after the Islamic Republic submitted a fresh proposal through regional intermediaries to cease its military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, which is likely to get rejected by Washington.
The White House has responded cautiously to reports of Pakistan offering to mediate between the US and Iran, amid ongoing tensions and potential talks.
'Pakistan is an ally who gives the US access.' 'If we have a presence there, it puts us that much closer to China and puts our assets closer to China and Iran.'
'Was the five-day pause ever meant to hold, or was it simply another instrument of signaling, of positioning, of buying time in a war where even the pauses are tactical?' asks Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
In a major setback to Trump's pivotal economic agenda for his second term, the US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 verdict written by Chief Justice John Roberts, ruled that the tariffs imposed by the president on nations around the world were illegal.
'The border deal offers a hedge for India against Trump's unpredictability when it comes to his approach to competition with China.'
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.
Indian professionals, including technology workers and physicians, are among the largest cohort of H-1B visa holders.
The ruling is expected to have wide-ranging consequences for global trade, businesses, consumers, inflation trends and household finances across the country.
The Congress has strongly criticised the US government's temporary waiver allowing India to purchase Russian oil, raising concerns about continued 'American blackmail' and its impact on India's energy policy.
Pakistan has increased security measures in Islamabad and surrounding areas as the US and Iran prepare for another round of peace talks. The move follows an announcement by former US President Donald Trump that American negotiators would be in Pakistan for discussions aimed at resolving the conflict between the two nations.
India emerged reasonably well from 2025. But now, the oil shock and war-related supply disruptions have again driven funds out of India and significantly weakened the rupee, points out Ajay Chhibber.
In his resignation letter to US President Donald Trump, Kent called the conflict with Iran unjustified, contending that Washington, DC entered the war due primarily to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby rather than clear, direct threats to national security.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Saturday criticised the United States over its stance on Russian oil, claiming Washington was now "begging" countries across the globe, including India, to purchase Russian crude.
Two family members of Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian general killed in a US strike in 2020, have been arrested in the United States after their residency permits were rescinded.
During his State of the Union address, President Trump honored Dalilah Coleman, a young crash victim, and urged Congress to pass 'Dalilah Law' to prevent undocumented immigrants from obtaining commercial driver's licenses, sparking debate on immigration and road safety.
India and the US have decided to reschedule their meeting to finalize the interim trade pact due to recent developments and implications, including changes in US tariffs.
The Trump administration said it will conduct a "rigorous" re-examination of all Green Cards issued to immigrants from "every country of concern".
The US administration has ordered a probe into the deaths and disappearances of at least 10 top US scientists and researchers with access to information related to aerospace, defence and extra-terrestrial life.
US lawmakers have expressed concerns that policies enacted by the Trump administration, such as the H1B visa fee and tariffs on India, are detrimental to American businesses and threaten the relationship between the United States and India.
'India is too important to the United States for there to be any kind of a permanent bump in the relationship.'
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