Mismatch between Indian Foreign Secretary's claim and President Trump's back-to-back assertion on USA's role in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during the recent skirmish.

Pakistan has been a crucial US ally through thick & thin - during the Russo-Afghan war & now in Iran as immediate neighbour. Just as they did in 1970-80s, Washington will make sure that Pakistan isn't disturbed. Shehbaz Sharif is ready for talks. Shouldn't India bite the bullet?

Strategic mineral (coltan & cobalt) deposits worth $25-30 trillion - to be extracted by China under DRC govt contract - is at stake. With Europe keen on protecting historical access, experts fear a US-China-Europe rivalry replacing intra-African confrontation if the deal falters.

India's poll body asks registered voters to prove their eligibility afresh producing 2 generations' birth documents. Born out of migration, post-1947 India is least documented vis-a-vis ancestry & birth. So, large scale disenfranchisement is inevitable, causing democracy deficit.

Captain Kohli co-founded the Himalayan Environment Trust to save the mountains, perhaps as an act of atonement of leaving a nuclear device whose radiation exposure could've transgenerational effects on people downstream - as a senior Tibetan commander of Establishment 22 told me.

Alarming data shared by a civil rights advocacy group focusing on protecting India’s underprivileged & marginalized people. Interestingly, Indian lawmakers crisscrossed the globe recently, highlighting the country's vaunted tolerance. It is always dark under the lamp.

Two different eras in India's space history, a common question, eliciting two distinct responses from two IAF officers during space missions. While Sq Ldr Rakesh Sharma showed great esprit de corps, Gp Capt Shubhanshu Shukla extolled PM Modi's virtues. A generational degradation?

The news of Department of State's Amb Richard Boucher's demise came as a rude shock. I can't describe in words how kind & helpful he was. Earlier this month Richard Sir gave a hint about his deteriorating health & conveyed his condolences for my losses. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

I was born in the Emergency era (1977) & have no memories literally. Sharing something from 2016 - my editor advising me to avoid criticizing PM Modi or his govt immediately after his visit. Did Mr. Modi allude to such censorship while urging people to share 1975-77 experiences?

Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy was a magician of medicine. He successfully treated a relative's congenital heart disease on the request of my late grandfather, who knew the legendary physician since pre-independence days. My tribute to Dr. Roy on his birth & death anniversary.

Once upon a time Arab & Jewish people were expected to live within a single democratic structure with an autonomous framework for the Jewish areas. Today it's a reverse scenario. But I've reasons to believe that a new West Asia is being envisaged without an independent Palestine.

Why did India suppress casualty figures from Mahakumbh festival stampede despite compensating more people? Is it because PM Modi carried sacred Ganges water from the religious event during his foreign trip to symbolize cultural connect & presented it as a gift to dignitaries?

Class disruption in Trinidad and Tobago during PM Modi's visit. Education Minister says, early suspension will enable students to gather along the roadways and witness the Indian PM's arrival. This has apparently caused consternation among parents.

A milestone in bilateral relations doesn't happen overnight. Pandit Nehru initiated that process. During Dr. Manmohan Singh's tenure India's tie with Trinidad & Tobago was elevated to a new level with MoU signing & honoring PM Kamla Bissessar with Pravasi Bharatiya Award in 2012.

The days of sipping morning tea while browsing newspaper aren't over yet. Rich content & honest journalism are key to the longevity of print media, says Matiur Rahman, Editor of INMA award-winning Bangladeshi newspaper Prothom Alo. Indeed newsprint's aroma still evokes nostalgia.

HH Dalai Lama's bodyguard Ratu Ngawang had an interesting take on reincarnation. It's no longer a purely spiritual process, but dictated by contemporary geopolitics, he told me, adding, this holy institution may be a strategic tool for some but is an existential issue for China.

Dog & human bonding is deeply biological, triggered by love hormone Oxytocin responsible for social connect. Scientists now reveal, dogs are entering into a new stage of evolution driven by the 3rd wave of domestication & shaped by their adaptability to changing human lifestyle.

Mr. Ajit Doval's visit to UK coincided with the rejection of my Iran article in London. This despite the Editor accepting the pitch after detailed discussion .... Sheer Nastiness

On this day (July 5) 12 years ago .... St. Paul's Cathedral in my home city Kolkata touches the sky with glory. Since then much water has flown down the bridge.

Muharram mourning in Iran & sense of national humiliation are now intertwined. Incidentally, taziya, majlis, azadari, sineh-zani brings back childhood memories. I grew up joining the commemoration of Imam Hussein's martyrdom - He who symbolizes truth, sacrifice & dignity.