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WASHINGTON: Embassies of the United States in several countries in West Asia have urged American citizens to “consider departing” the region amid fears of an escalation in the conflict with Iran. “Americans in the region should consider departing, or be prepared to depart should there be escalation,” said a security alert, versions of which were posted by the US missions in Amman, Jerusalem and Baghdad on social media....more
TEHRAN: Iran’s military accused the United States of “escalating tensions” in West Asia on Saturday and warned countries in the region against cooperating with Washington during the ongoing conflict. The remarks came after US President Donald Trump reiterated threats to hit Iran “very hard”. The White House signalled that U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing carrying out new strikes on Iran as the U.S. presses for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and abide by terms set out in a truce agreement the two sides forged last month, only to quickly collapse....more
CEUTA: Spain has announced it was installing a 500-meter-long (1,600-foot) containment barrier on the sea border between its North African territory of Ceuta and neighbouring Morocco after between 50,000 and 60,000 migrants breached the frontier earlier this week. A floating pneumatic barrier was installed off the coast of Ceuta near the Tarajal breakwater, according to a report by the New York Times....more
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he forgives students who hurled expletives at him during protests last month, describing them as “misled children” who must be shown “the right path” rather than be prosecuted and punished. The biggest political crisis of Modi’s third term was caused by growing support for the youth-led Cockroach protest movement, which emerged in May after a crucial exam was voided after the questions were leaked, forcing more than two million students to resit the exam the following month....more
By Rear Admiral Dhiren Vig (Retd)
 NEW DELHI: India's military justice system, long regarded as a cornerstone of discipline within the Armed Forces, is facing renewed calls for reform amid concerns over procedural shortcomings, judicial delays and the need for greater transparency in court martial proceedings. The military legal framework operates under a distinct set of laws designed to ensure swift disciplinary action and maintain operational readiness, morale and discipline among service personnel....more
NEW DELHI: Gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections grew 15.4% to more than ₹2.11 lakh crore in July on higher mop-up from sales and imports, reflecting sustained domestic consumption. Gross GST collections were ₹1.83 lakh crore in July 2025 and ₹1.95 lakh crore last month. Tax collection from domestic transactions grew 10.1% to more than ₹1.44 lakh crore, while gross revenues from imports were up 29% to ₹66,511 crore....more
NEW DELHI: Seeking to provide a fillip to India’s offshore exploration, the Union Cabinet Friday approved an outlay of ₹84,084 crore to the Union Petroleum Ministry’s National Offshore Exploration Scheme, titled ‘Samudra Manthan’. The corpus is up to be utilised until fiscal year 2030-31. The overall outlay is categorised into four key components. The most important of these relate to drilling 60 deepwater exploration wells for which the Cabinet has allocated ₹43,200 crore....more
NEW DELHI: Legendary mountaineer Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja was killed in an avalanche at Broad Peak, the 12th highest mountain in the world, an adventure company of the Nepali-origin climber and others said in a post on Instagram today. Purja and five other climbers had been missing since Friday after an avalanche struck them....more
ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates has entered a new chapter in public transport with the launch of its first passenger train service, Etihad Rail. Beginning June 30, travellers can board trains between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah, marking the start of passenger rail operations in the country. The service is expected to significantly improve connectivity between the emirates, offering a faster and more sustainable alternative to road travel....more
NEW DELHI: Air India has resumed 10 flights a week between Toronto and New Delhi after curtailing its operations due to the war between the United States and Iran. Air India is using its new wide-bodied Boeing aircraft on these routes and also adding more options to Mumbai. The first flight using Air India’s new B787-9 began between Toronto and New Delhi on Saturday, restoring the daily service between the two cities....more
GLASGOW: Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage made history with Sri Lanka’s first gold medal in athletics when he saw off a strong field to win the 2026 Commonwealth Games javelin final. The 23-year-old faced the daunting prospect in Glasgow of battling the great Pakistan and India pairing of Arshad Nadeem and Neeraj Chopra, so long the top two in the discipline....more
BANGKOK: Thailand will allow 30-day visa-exempted entries by visitors from India, after a proposal to scrap visa-free entry led arrivals from the South Asian nation to drop in a blow to the vital tourism industry. An initial proposal, which had not come into effect despite being approved by the cabinet in May, had caused confusion for Indian travelers and resulted in a decline of arrivals from the country, Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said after a weekly cabinet meeting....more
NEW DELHI: The government on Monday told Parliament that it has taken no decision to increase the mandatory ethanol blending in petrol beyond 20%, saying any move towards higher blends would be preceded by detailed scientific studies and consultations with stakeholders. Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha on proposals to increase ethanol blending beyond 20% (E20), minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Suresh Gopi said: “So far, no decision has been taken by the Government for increasing ethanol blending with petrol beyond 20%.”...more
TAIPEI: Taiwan must work together to protect its democracy and not become part of China, President Lai Ching-te said on Sunday, calling on members of his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to oppose the "red terror" coming from Beijing. Lai, who won election two years ago, and his ruling DPP, champion Taiwan's separate identity from China, a position that frequently angers Beijing which views the island as an inviolable part of Chinese territory....more |
'Global Action Must Match Global Ambition': Modi At UN Summit
AI Has Potential to Rescue SDGs: UN Chief
