Palki Sharma

Pakistan's prime minister called Donald Trump the "saviour of South Asia" at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace. Sharif's attempt at flattery (from the backseat, behind the FIFA chief) was a reminder of Islamabad's subservient foreign policy towards the US. Palki Sharma unpacks Pakistan's cringefest in Washington.

The ongoing conflict with Iran may soon open a new front involving Kurdish fighters along Iran’s western border. Around 30 to 40 million Kurds live across Turkiye, Iraq, Syria and Iran, making them the world’s largest ethnic group without a state. Nearly 9 million Kurds live inside Iran. Some Kurdish opposition groups say thousands of fighters based in northern Iraq are prepared for a possible offensive. U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed support for such an operation but has not confirmed military backing. Iran has already launched missile and drone strikes on Kurdish positions in Iraq, while Iraqi Kurdish authorities warn against attacks being launched from their territory.Firstpost

The war involving the United States, Israel and Iran is also a battle of financial and military resources. Analysts estimate the United States is spending around $891 million per day, with the first 100 hours costing about $3.7 billion. Weapons used in the conflict are expensive, with Tomahawk cruise missiles costing up to $2 million, Patriot interceptors up to $4 million and THAAD missiles about $12 million each. The United States has deployed more than 50,000 troops and 200 aircraft in the region. Iran has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and more than 2,000 drones, while Israel faces weekly war costs of roughly 3 billion dollars.Firstpost

Is the United States running out of ammunition? It may sound like a conspiracy theory, but military analysts and lawmakers are seriously asking this question. Modern wars are increasingly fought with missiles, drones, and precision weapons, and they burn through stockpiles faster than factories can replace them. Palki Sharma breaks down the numbers—from Tomahawk cruise missiles costing $4 million each to Patriot interceptors shooting down much cheaper drones.

Internet users are pitching absurd solutions to the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The impossible solutions have triggered a memefest on social media. Palki Sharma brings you the best ones on Joke of the Day.

Two violent incidents in the United States triggered major security investigations within hours of each other. In Michigan, a pickup truck rammed into Temple Israel synagogue while 140 children were inside for a preschool programme. Security guards shot the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a Lebanese-born naturalised U.S. citizen. Authorities are treating the incident as a targeted attack on the Jewish community. Hours later in Virginia, a gunman opened fire inside a classroom at Old Dominion University, killing one person and wounding two others. Students subdued the attacker. The FBI is investigating the university shooting as an act of terrorism.

The war in West Asia is not only disrupting oil markets — it may also threaten the global food supply. At the centre of the crisis is the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman. While it is widely known as a major oil chokepoint, the strait is also critical for the global fertilizer trade. Countries in the Gulf — including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain — account for about 20% of global fertilizer exports. These supplies include key nutrients such as urea, ammonia and phosphates, which are essential for crop production worldwide. After recent strikes hit Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial hub, fertilizer production was temporarily halted, removing hundreds of thousands of tons of supply from the market. Fertilizer prices have already risen by 10–30%, raising concerns about a new shock to global food security. Farmers may be forced to cut fertilizer use — which could lower crop yields. Countries like India and Brazil, which depend heavily on fertilizer imports from the Gulf, could face particular risks ahead of their key planting seasons. If the disruption in Hormuz continues, the world could face a new chain reaction — from energy crisis to fertilizer shortages to higher food prices.

Pakistan bombed the fuel depot of private airline Kam Air near Afghanistan's Kandahar airport. The strikes on Kam Air's depot, which the Head of Finance and Administration of Kandahar Airport says supplies fuel to the airline's private aircraft as well as the Red Crescent and other organisations, threaten to spark further hostilities in a region also affected by the US-Israeli war on Iran. The overnight strikes also hit residential areas in Kabul and the eastern province of Nangarhar, killing six people, including children, and wounding more than a dozen, the Taliban said.

Following her recent exit from Network18, the former Managing Editor, known for hosting Vantage, shares a teaser for India Global Review, with details on its format and timeline yet to be revealed

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