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.
A Congressional Research Service report reveals that at least 42 US aircraft were lost or damaged during Operation Epic Fury, targeting Iran, with costs estimated to reach USD 29 billion.
'These are children of our own country; they must be heard': Param Vir Chakra Awardee Honorary Captain Yogendra Singh Yadav.
Nine individuals have been rescued from the debris of a three-storey building that collapsed at a waste management plant in Pimpri Chinchwad, near Pune. The collapse occurred after a large mound of garbage, loosened by heavy rains, crashed onto the structure. Multi-agency rescue operations are ongoing to find remaining trapped victims.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reduced India's growth forecast for FY27 to 6.4 per cent, citing the potential impact of higher energy prices offsetting the country's economic resilience. Despite this, India remains among the fastest-growing major economies.
The decision marks a significant leadership transition as the administration seeks a commander who 'will implement Donald Trump and Hegseth's vision for the Army'.
Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met in Islamabad in what analysts say is the formal opening of a new diplomatic formation that could reshape the post-war regional order. Their immediate goal is a ceasefire; their larger ambition is to ensure that neither Iran nor Israel emerges from this war in a dominant position. Pakistan's foreign minister then flew directly to Beijing and mooted a Chinese role as guarantor of any eventual agreement. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
'India's ties with Israel have to do with defence and general technology.' 'The war changes nothing in what India and Israel hope to get from the relationship.' 'It's not as though India will get significantly more benefits from Iran if India abandons Israel at this time.'
From Ikkis to Balan: The Boy, these are the 10 Indian films that truly deserved the loudest applause in the first half of 2026.
'This project is like six movies in one. And it's all been captured on the largest format that's ever been done on. So it's definitely one to see at the cinema.'
A video of an inmate from Hoshiarpur Central Jail alleging harassment and demanding money from staff has gone viral, leading to an official inquiry and a political backlash against the Punjab government.
US President Donald Trump has abruptly withdrawn from a peace deal with Iran, citing fresh intelligence of Iranian assaults on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The decision, made just a fortnight after celebrating the deal, has led to a significant military escalation in the region, with the US launching extensive counter-operations against Iranian military infrastructure.
Heavy monsoon rains have severely impacted Thane and Palghar, Mumbai's neighbouring districts, causing extensive waterlogging, tree and wall collapses, and prompting significant rescue efforts, including the tragic death of a six-year-old child.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday (local time) announced a US-mediated framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon aimed at achieving "lasting peace and security".
Following the signing of a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iran, US President Donald Trump reiterated the terms for a 60-day negotiation period, vowing that Tehran will receive "not ten cents" in financial relief.
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".
India's Central government is likely to see its fertiliser subsidy bill double to a record 3.4 trillion in FY27, up from the Budget estimate of 1.7 trillion, due to surging global fertiliser prices exacerbated by the West Asia war. This significant increase, coupled with revenue losses from excise duty cuts for oil-marketing companies, is straining the government's fiscal space, though capital expenditure plans remain unchanged.
'US and Iran have not annulled the ceasefire, and the possibility of continuing negotiations remains open.'
What we are watching is something different: A fog manufactured and maintained by the people who started the war, so that the question of why it was started never has to be answered, observes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the war in the Middle East.
'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.'
Iran's national soccer team, currently training in Tijuana, Mexico, will be able to enter the US the day before each of their three World Cup matches, the Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday.
'Our diplomacy should have been focused on preventing war and avoiding the inevitable disruptions it would cause, posing a real risk to India's growth story,' asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Real Madrid have signed midfielder Bernardo Silva, the LaLiga club said on Wednesday, after the Portuguese international left Manchester City at the end of his contract.
'After we were alerted about the war, none of us could sleep for the next two nights while sailing through those waters.'
A three-storey under-construction warehouse in Kolkata's Taratala area collapsed, killing three people and trapping several others. Rescue operations are ongoing, with 18 individuals already saved, amid allegations of substandard construction materials and illegal building practices.
Alpha is a botched up opportunity, rues Sukanya Verma.
The White House on Sunday is witnessing a "fight night" in an octagon-shaped cage as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters slug it out in the marquee event on the South Lawn on a day President Donald Trump turned 80.
For Iran's team, the FIFA World Cup has been marred by fraught politics at home, the war with the US, and tensions over whether they would actually be able to set foot on US soil to play their games.
An Indian-flagged crude tanker safely departed from the UAE's Fujairah after loading oil, despite an attack on the oil terminal. The Indian government is closely monitoring the situation in West Asia to ensure stable fuel supplies and maritime safety.
The broader conflict in West Asia, the largest international market for Indian carriers, has forced a sharp reduction in daily flights relative to the summer schedule.
Iran will play their final World Cup warm-up behind closed doors in Turkey on Thursday before departing for their tournament base in Mexico on Saturday.
Two students of a school in Kerala's Wayanad district tested positive for Shigella infection, state minister T Siddique said on Monday.
The boundary mess between India and Nepal needs a solution in a manner as mentioned by Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal: 'On evidence not emotions', counsels Lieutenant General Shakti Gurung (retd).
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said travel restrictions and visa-related disruptions hampered his team's World Cup preparations after a 2-2 draw with New Zealand, claiming Iran had become the tournament's "most oppressed" side.
'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.'
The US-China rapprochement, however tenuous, is not without implications for India. Both China and Pakistan have become closer to the US, notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar amid American demand that countries mediating the peace talks with Iran join the Abraham Accords and establish diplomatic and economic ties with Israel.
The United States and Iran have reached an agreement in principle to immediately and permanently halt all military operations, lift sanctions, and work towards a comprehensive final agreement within 60 days, including a significant reconstruction package for Iran.
Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy has resigned from his ministerial position in the newly formed Shivakumar government in Karnataka, expressing strong displeasure over the portfolio allocated to him. He had sought the Bengaluru Development portfolio but was given Major and Medium Irrigation projects, leading to a significant setback for the new administration.
The murder of a Jalandhar-based RTI activist has sparked outrage and political condemnation in Punjab, with opposition parties criticising the AAP government's handling of law and order.
