Tensions escalated dramatically on March 5, 2026, as the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, triggering retaliatory explosions across Tehran, Sanandaj, and beyond.
The first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections was disrupted by EVM glitches and overnight violence in several districts. Polling was halted or delayed at multiple booths due to malfunctioning Electronic Voting Machines. Incidents of violence were reported in Murshidabad and Cooch Behar, with political parties trading accusations.
Gautam Gambhir addressed rumours of a rift with senior stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, stressing that honesty, intent and learning from mistakes are key inside the Indian team dressing room.
'It's a changing world and the opening up doesn't mean that concerns with regards to security have gone away.'
US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the American Navy will henceforth block all maritime traffic entering the Strait of Hormuz.
A group of Indian sailors recount their harrowing experience of being detained in Iran on suspicion of smuggling, and their subsequent escape from the country as regional tensions escalated into open conflict.
Villagers living near the International Border and Line of Control in Jammu are on high alert following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, preparing underground bunkers and accelerating crop harvesting. The incident has heightened security concerns despite a renewed ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan in 2021. Residents are demanding swift action against the perpetrators and their handlers.
The clock on the ceasefire is running out. But everyone's already whispering about round two, possibly as soon as this weekend.
Nepal's claim on Lipulekh and Kalapani reopens a 200-year-old border dispute, while historical maps and treaties show the area belongs to India, asserts Lieutenant General Shakti Gurung (retd).
Trump has said he would be present at the signing ceremony in Islamabad. Don't be surprised if the Pakistani hosts make it a grand event in the geopolitics of the region. Trump would love that, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The Lebanese army has begun evacuating some of its forward positions along the border with Israel and redeploying troops to other posts, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported on Tuesday, amid intensified Israeli military activity in the area.
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.
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 military operation against the Afghan Taliban continues with the destruction of an ammunition depot, following attacks on multiple locations along the border.
Pakistani security forces have reportedly killed dozens of Afghan Taliban personnel in overnight operations along the southwestern border, repulsing attacks at multiple locations.
The US blockade on Iranian ports is aimed to curb Iranian energy exports, thereby crippling its economy to force Iran back to the negotiating table, points out Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
The Indian embassy in Tehran has earlier stated that it is facilitating the safe movement of nationals who wish to leave Iran.
The two-day mega exercise is involving almost all its frontline fighter jets and other assets deployed in the region, people familiar with the drill said.
The diplomatic intervention follows various media reports which attributed comments to Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi, suggesting that merchant vessels were being charged USD 2 million for safe passage through the "conflict-hit Hormuz."
A mob in Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh, attacked a Gujarat police vehicle investigating a liquor smuggling case, fueled by local anger over a youth's death in Gujarat.
The urgency for a resolution is underscored by the military situation, as joint operations by Israel and the US have consistently been "targeting Iran's missile systems, launch sites and other critical infrastructure" since the onset of the conflict.
Reports indicate Pakistan targeted Bagram airbase in Afghanistan as part of Operation Ghazab lil Haq, following alleged Afghan Taliban attacks. The operation aims to address the failure to stop terrorist attacks originating from Afghan soil.
Pakistani airstrikes targeted Kabul, Afghanistan on March 16-17, 2026, with the Taliban claiming the attacks hit a drug users rehabilitation hospital and residential areas.
Both sides have now revealed a preference for escalation over strategic defeat, and each new provocation narrows the space for the next pause. The Touska seizure, Iran's refusal to negotiate under blockade, Israel's strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure -- all of these add up to an increasingly untenable situation. This makes the wild card -- Trump and his motormouth -- more consequential than ever, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
The Pakistan Army intercepted and destroyed Afghan Taliban drones targeting civilian areas, resulting in injuries. This incident has further strained relations between the two countries, with Pakistan reiterating its commitment to combating terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has accused the BJP of misusing democratic institutions and stoking communal discord in Bengal, criticising their 'double engine' governance model.
'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.'
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.
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 Indian Air Force will carry out a two-day mega military exercise along the border with Pakistan from Wednesday that will involve all the frontline fighter jets including Rafale, Su-30 and Jaguar aircraft. The exercise is taking place amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. India's civil aviation authorities have already issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the major air exercise that will largely take place along the southern and western section of the Indo-Pakistan border. India's frontline fighter jets including the Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Tejas and AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft are set to feature in the exercise.
The construction of a Babri Masjid-style mosque in West Bengal's Murshidabad district has become a focal point in the upcoming elections, reshaping voter loyalties and raising communal tensions.
The Indian National Congress has strongly condemned the air strike by Pakistan that hit a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, resulting in a high number of casualties. The party calls for global rejection of such acts of barbarism and expresses solidarity with the Afghan people.
The experienced Indian crew members in Pakistan Cricket Board's roster set to be replaced after escalating cross-border tensions in the aftermath of Pahalgam terrorist attack.
A devastating airstrike on a Kabul drug rehabilitation centre has killed hundreds, escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan and prompting international calls for de-escalation and investigation.
A deadlock between Delhi Police and Himachal Pradesh Police occurred over the arrest of three people in connection with a protest at the AI Impact Summit, leading to a nightlong impasse and accusations of obstruction of justice.
28 Indian vessels carrying 778 seafarers are stranded in the Persian Gulf, prompting government monitoring and coordination to ensure their safety and security.
Pakistan's army intercepted and destroyed Afghan Taliban drones near Islamabad, resulting in injuries from debris. The incident has heightened tensions between the two countries, with Pakistan reiterating its commitment to combating terrorism emanating from Afghan soil.
The report describes the Pahalgam terror attack orchestrated by Pakistan as 'deadly insurgent attack that killed 26 civilians in India's contested Jammu and Kashmir region.'
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.
Pakistan has handed over evidence-based demands to mediators in Istanbul talks with the Afghan Taliban, aiming to end cross-border terrorism. The talks follow recent border clashes and aim to defuse tensions between the two sides.
