In the Indo-Pacific's new era -- where perception shapes reality faster than treaties -- the real entrapment is not of China or the United States. It is the test Japan has set for itself -- and whether partners like India, acting as balancers rather than accelerants, can help ensure that the story ends in stability, points out Varun Arya.
SKYTRAX's annual airport rankings for 2026, based on a global passenger poll, placed four Indian gateways within the top 100. Delhi moved up to 28th and led the India-South Asia region, while Hyderabad climbed to 43rd and earned praise for staff service. Goa and Mumbai improved to 64th and 66th respectively.
India has successfully conducted maiden flight tests of an integrated air defence weapon system (IADWS) off the coast of Odisha. The system includes quick reaction surface-to-air missiles, very short range air defence system (VSHORADS) missiles, and a high power laser based directed energy weapons (DEW) system.
India showcased its frontline military assets, including Brahmos and Akash missiles, at the Republic Day parade. The event also celebrated Operation Sindoor and featured a new 'Battle Array Format' for the Indian Army.
Trump has made it clear: the US will not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until a deal is signed.
India successfully test-fired two Pralay missiles in quick succession off the coast of Odisha, paving the way for its induction into the military. The missile is indigenously developed and features a state-of-the-art navigation system.
The Congress-led UDF candidate in Palakkad, Ramesh Pisharody, was allegedly prevented from entering a BJP stronghold, leading to condemnation from various political figures, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The incident occurred during Pisharody's campaign tour, with BJP women workers blocking his path and raising slogans.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has requested the Rajya Sabha secretariat to remove Raghav Chadha as the party's deputy leader in the House, proposing Punjab MP Ashok Mittal as his replacement, amidst Chadha's absence from key party events and prolonged silence on AAP matters.
An autorickshaw driver in Palghar, Maharashtra, was arrested after brutally assaulting a four-year-old boy following an argument with the child's father. The incident, captured on CCTV, shows the driver slamming the boy to the ground and hitting his head with an iron rod. The child is in critical condition.
'Strikes into the Gulf countries are proof that the security guarantees offered by the US are ineffective and that the Gulf countries cannot rely on American security assurances for their safety.'
A murder accused out on bail was killed in broad daylight in Kollam, Kerala, by a group armed with weapons. The victim, Aluva Atul, was attacked after leaving a police station.
'This is an annual preventive exercise undertaken before the Republic Day air show. Birds such as black kites are naturally drawn to open areas and food sources, and if they enter the flying corridor, they can pose a serious hazard to aircraft performing low-level manoeuvres'
A devastating fire in Delhi claimed the lives of nine members of a family, including three children, who tragically perished while attempting to save each other from the blaze.
'India is a top-tier security partner for Australia and we continue to prioritise practical and tangible cooperation that directly contributes to Indo-Pacific stability.'
The Indian Air Force is set to retire its fleet of MiG-21 fighter jets at a decommissioning event in Chandigarh. The event will mark the end of an era for the aircraft that has been a key part of the IAF's combat fleet for over six decades.
Telangana's anti-narcotics wing, the EAGLE Force, conducted a multi-state operation against a Nigerian drug cartel, resulting in over 50 arrests and the seizure of narcotics worth Rs 3.5 crore.
16 days into the war, US forces were already running out of ground-attack missiles and Israel is about to expend its entire Arrow interceptor missiles by end March. To be sure, the Iranians are watching closely and that explains their defiant stance that 'Iran will end the war when it decides to do so and when its conditions are met', notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
In a statement on X, Zelenskyy said emergency services were working around the clock to address the aftermath of the attacks, which included over 800 drones and 13 missiles, four of which were ballistic.
Referring to local sources, IRNA shared a video clip that it claims shows the downing of the American F-15 fighter jet in Kuwait.
At least 10 people were killed and 15 injured when militants targeted a Pakistan air force bus with a powerful bomb in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Tuesday.The PAF bus was heading to a base near Peshawar when it was attacked on a bridge in Kohat Road locality, police said, adding, many of the dead and injured were PAF personnel.The blast was so powerful that it uprooted electricity poles by the side of the road and created a large hole in the bridge.
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.
One person was killed and seven others injured after Afghan forces allegedly carried out mortar shelling on civilian areas near the Afghanistan border in northwestern Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
'If this region destabilises, then we are not far away. This region should not destabilise.'
On Saturday, it was reported that a drone strike had targeted the Fujairah Port in the UAE, triggering a fire.
A five-member team, headed by Sanjay Kumar Singh, is probing the fatal crash of the Air India aircraft last month in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary report and appointed the team.
Is Bhutan merely experimenting with digital finance -- or is the Himalayan kingdom punching far above its weight, quietly playing one of the most sophisticated strategic games in Asia today? asks Varun Arya.
'US and Iran have not annulled the ceasefire, and the possibility of continuing negotiations remains open.'
Iran's men's national soccer team wore black armbands and held schoolbags as their anthem played ahead of a match in Turkey on Friday, in what a team official said was a protest over the killing of schoolgirls on the first day of the Iran war.
Lockheed Martin plans to establish a C-130J Super Hercules co-production facility in India, the first outside the US, as the IAF seeks to procure new transport aircraft.
The proposal, expected to be worth over Rs 2 lakh crore, including the indigenous content of more than 60 percent, is expected to be taken up for discussion by the Defence Procurement Board headed by the defence secretary in the next few weeks.
'In such a scenario, Iran could proclaim itself victor, rebuild, re-enforce its diminished regional proxies to further destabilise neighbouring nations and take control of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.'
The Navy would be using the missiles for equipping its Veer-class warships while the Indian Air Force would be using them to equip its Russian-origin Su-30 MKI fighter jet fleet, the sources said.
Pakistan has announced a temporary pause in its ongoing operation against the Afghan Taliban in response to requests from Islamic countries and in view of the upcoming Eid festival, following accusations from Afghanistan regarding an attack on a rehabilitation hospital in Kabul.
The strategically important Mudh-Nyoma airbase in Ladakh has been operationalised, enhancing India's military capabilities near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
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.
Colonel Sonam Wangchuk, a decorated Kargil War hero known as the 'Lion of Ladakh' and recipient of the Maha Vir Chakra, has passed away. He was celebrated for his gallantry and leadership in securing the Chorbat-La in the Batalik sub-sector during Operation Vijay in 1999.
Earlier, another state media outlet showed a display of part of the IRGC's drone arsenal inside a large tunnel. Coinciding with the release of these visuals, the IRGC confirmed the launch of the 48th phase of its retaliatory campaign.
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).
Clearance for many strategic roads have been delayed because the ministry of environment and forests as well as respective state forest and public works departments have been sitting on the proposals without realising their importance to national security, reports RS Chauhan
The Chinese military is planning to revamp its English-language instruction in its academies to improve graduates' communication skills on the international stage, according to an article by senior lecturers from the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
