US, Iran trade strikes again; Trump says Iran really wants to make a deal

WASHINGTON: The United States and Iran said they traded strikes straining an already fragile ceasefire as negotiations between the two sides have stalled. The US Central Command said it conducted weekend strikes at Iranian air defences, ground station and drone sites in retaliation to Tehran shooting down a US MQ-1 drone....more

'All major points settled': First tranche of India-US trade deal soon, says Piyush Goyal

NEW DELHI: Union minister for commerce and industry, Piyush Goyal, on Monday, stated that the first tranche of the bilateral trade deal between India and the United States will be signed soon. Speaking at a press conference, he added that all major points have been settled between the delegations....more

Israel makes deep incursion inside Lebanon

TEL AVIV: The Israeli forces have begun a historic incursion deep inside Lebanon drawing global condemnation and putting the US-Iran ceasefire at risk. Amid the escalation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the diplomatic negotiations. The US proposed that as a first step Hezbollah will stop all attacks on Israel and in return Israel would refrain from escalation in Beirut....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

Vihaan Jain Clinches Maiden IGU Category A Title

VISAKHAPATNAM: Vihaan Jain clinched his maiden IGU Category ‘A’ (15–17 years) title with an impressive three-shot victory at the IGU Andhra Pradesh Junior Boys Golf Championship held at East Point Golf Club, Visakhapatnam. The 16-year-old displayed remarkable composure in the final round, carding a two-under 70 to finish the 72-hole championship at four-under 284....more

CJP chief Dipke to return to india on June 6 to demand eductions minister's resignation

NEW DELHI: Online activist outfit Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Monday said he will return to India on June 6 and hold a protest offline, to demand the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over recent mess-ups in several examinations across the country, including NEET, CBSE, SSC and CUET....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

@ Netherlands Returns 1,000-Year-Old Chola-Era Copper Plates To India

@ Modi invites Dutch companies to explore opportunities in India

Trump announces Israel, Hezbollah ceasefire

WASHINGTON: Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting, said Donald Trump, after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communication with the Lebanese militant group through mediators. Hezbollah agreed to stop attacks and Israel would not strike the group, the US President said....more

DK Shivakumar chosen as Karnataka's next chief minister at CLP meet; oath on June 3

BENGALURU: The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Saturday unanimously elected D K Shivakumar as its new leader, formally selecting him as the successor to Siddaramaiah and paved the way for him to become Karnataka's 18th chief minister. The decision was taken in a Congress legislators meeting at Vidhana Soudha, where leadership transition was completed after deliberations involving senior party leaders....more

Quad Foreign Ministers meet: Jaishankar, Rubio sign India-U.S. Critical Minerals Framework

NEW DELHI: The Quad grouping on Tuesday expanded cooperation in critical minerals and energy while unveiling new measures to boost maritime surveillance and port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific against the backdrop of China’s growing military posturing in the region. The new measures were announced following a meeting of the grouping’s foreign ministers in New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi....more

Nato, EU condemn Russia after drone hits Romanian residential block

BUCHAREST: A Russian drone hit a block of flats in Romania, causing a fire and injuring two people, Romanian officials say. Friday's incident in the eastern town of Galați, near the border with Ukraine, was condemned by Romania's fellow members of Nato and the EU. Ukraine said it proved again that Russia posed "a real threat" to Europe....more

UN raises alarm over Israeli ops in Lebanon

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations on Monday expressed its alarm and called for all sides to respect the ceasefire as Israel expanded its offensive into Lebanon, while negotiations to end the US-Iran war appeared in peril. "We are deeply alarmed by the escalation in military activities across southern Lebanon and beyond," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said....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