Trump warns Iran of ‘very bad time’ if peace deal is not agreed on soon

WASHINGTON: US president Donald Trump has warned Iran it will have a “very bad time” if a peace deal is not agreed on soon. “They have an interest in reaching an agreement,” Trump told French broadcaster BFMTV in a telephone interview....more

Modi invites Dutch companies to design, innovate and manufacture in India

By Deepak Arora

THE HAGUE: On the first day of his visit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima at the Royal Palace and discussed close cooperation in digital technology, innovation, fintech and blue economy. Modi also held wide-ranging talks with his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten, focusing on trade, investment, and critical technologies....more

India Needs a National Maritime Commission to Safeguard Strategic and Economic Interests: Experts

By Rear Admiral Dhiren Vig (Retd)

NEW DELHI: The growing instability in West Asia and the increasing weaponisation of maritime choke points have renewed calls for India to establish a National Maritime Commission (NMC) to strengthen maritime security, streamline governance and accelerate the country’s blue economy ambitions. Strategic analysts and maritime experts argue that recent geopolitical developments, including disruptions to oil and gas supply routes in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), have exposed vulnerabilities in India’s maritime preparedness and highlighted the urgent need for an apex-level maritime body....more

USA, China And Battle For Next World Order

By Sanjay Kaul

BOSTON: There are moments in history when meetings between leaders are not really about diplomacy, trade, or even conflict. They are to decide who will write the rules of the next era. The Summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping belongs to that category. Behind the carefully measured smiles, handshakes, and official statements lies a far deeper struggle, a contest between two powers attempting to shape the future of technology, global commerce, military influence, artificial intelligence, and even the political psychology of the modern world....more

India ready to counter any cross-border misadventure: Navy chief designate

MUMBAI: Indian Navy chief designate Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has said the country has been a victim of terrorism for several years, and asserted that it remains prepared to counter and quell any "misadventure" from across the border. Operation Sindoor was targeted specifically at terrorists and terrorist camps that participated in a very dastardly incident in Pahalgam in 2025, said Swaminathan....more

Hamas Forced Captives From Israel To Have Sex With Family Members: Report

TEL AVIV: An independent Israeli investigation has detailed what it describes as a campaign of "systematic, widespread" sexual violence carried out by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups during the October 7, 2023 attacks and throughout the hostage crisis that followed. The 300-page report alleges that rape, sexual torture and humiliation were used intentionally "to maximise pain and suffering", targeting not only individuals but entire families and communities....more

India signs MoU on strategic petroleum reserves, LPG Supplies with UAE

ABU DHABI: During his two-hour stop over in UAE, Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed several key deals, including petroleum and LPG supply. India and the United Arab Emirates signed key pacts on energy security, defence partnership and trade....more

Tehran prepares mechanism to manage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN: Iranian state television said on Saturday that European countries were in talks with Tehran regarding the passage of ships through Strait of Hormuz. “Following the passage of ships from East Asian countries notably China, Japan and Pakistan we received information today indicating that Europeans have also begun negotiations with the Revolutionary Guards navy” to obtain permission to transit, state television reported....more

Israel, Lebanon extend ceasefire

WASHINGTON: Lebanon and Israel on Friday extended a ceasefire for 45 days, despite a new flare-up in violence, the US State Department said after mediating talks. "The April 16 cessation of hostilities will be extended by 45 days to enable further progress," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said....more

Modi warns of ‘return of massive poverty’, flags ‘disaster decade’ of Covid, wars, fuel crisis

THE HAGUE: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered one of his starkest warnings yet about the state of the global economy on Saturday, telling the Indian diaspora in the Netherlands that decades of hard-won progress against poverty stood at serious risk if the world's cascading crises were not urgently reversed. "The world is dealing with new challenges," he said, speaking at a community event in The Hague during the second leg of his five-nation European tour....more

Rahul Gandhi dissents on CBI chief selection: 'Leader of Opposition is not a rubber stamp'

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his dissent over the CBI Director selection process, alleging that the exercise was “biased”. Gandhi said he could not “abdicate” his constitutional responsibility by participating in the process and asserted that the Leader of Opposition was “not a rubber stamp.”...more

India criticises China, raises 'reputation' question over support to Pakistan

NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday tacitly criticised China for supporting Pakistan during a brief but intense conflict last year, saying responsible nations should reflect on how their efforts to shield terrorist infrastructure affect their global standing....more

America at 250: Advancing Freedom Worldwide Still Matters

By Daniel Twining

WASHINGTON: America was built on a radical premise: that individual liberty is an unalienable, inherent right worth fighting for in the face of tyranny. Revolutionary at the time of our founding, this idea remains the bedrock of American democracy and strength. As we approach our nation’s 250th anniversary, we should acknowledge the endurance of these ideals and their relevance today....more

From Fuel Shock to Supply Chain Strain: How the Strait of Hormuz Crisis Is Rippling Across Indian Industry

By Avica Kumar

NEW DELHI: India's energy security and industrial stability are coming under increasing strain as tensions around Iran continue to disrupt critical oil and gas supply routes. The fallout is no longer confined to global markets. Indian industries are now confronting escalating operational and financial risks, with cascading midstream and downstream impacts....more