Trump declares, 'I don't want to do a ceasefire' even as war cripples oil hubs |
PROGNOSIS: There are conflicting speculations about ending the war. Trump's waiver on Iranian and Russian oil movement, some argue, indicates the war is winding down. Additionally, Trump said "we consider winding down." But if you know Donald the New Trump, he only means they are just about winning the war. Lifting sanction is small relief to ease supply shock. In fact, the Pentagon is preparing an occupation of Iran's military bases and economic lifelines that will facilitate the US to complete its control of everything of what is West Asia. If that is in the making, the American boots will be there on Iranian soil in a week's time. They want a base and a pliable Government. The Shah is waiting in the wings! A secular democrat and what you want!
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WASHINGTON/TEHRAN/KUWAIT, Mar 21 (INS): President Donald Trump has declared
he does not want a ceasefire, warning that the US could “massively blow up”
Iranian gas fields if Tehran continues attacks on Gulf energy assets. More troops
and warships are being sent to the region.
Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday before leaving for a weekend in Palm
Beach in Florida: "I don't want to do a ceasefire... You don't do a ceasefire
when you're literally obliterating the other side."
He also wrote on his Truth Social: "We are getting very close to meeting our
objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle
East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran."
He clarified his stand on the Strait of Hormuz, it "will have to be guarded
and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it - The United States does
not!" and specially called upon China, Japan and Europe to do the job. "The
United States does not (use it)!"
Earlier also he had said the war is coming to a close, "pretty quickly".
Meanwhile, Pentagon officials told BBC that detailed preparations are being
made to deploy ground forces to Iran. Another report said, US military is also
preparing to deploy 2,500 marines and warships to the region. But for the troops
to arrive it may take over a week. There is also plan to occupy Kharg Island,
Iran's biggest oil hub and economic lifeline. Days ago, the military base there
was bombed.
US lifted sanctions on Iranian oil as fuel prices soared. around the world.
Eenergy prices are shooting up. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the
permit was applicable to the sale of Iran's oil and petrol loaded on vessels
until April 19.
That amounts to 140 m barrels of oil. India, Japan and Malaysia will benefit
from an ease of the supply shock. A fifth of the 100 m barrels of oil the world
consumes a day comes via the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran strikes Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi refinery
Meanwhile, Iran launched drone strikes on Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi refinery,
one of the largest in the region (730,000 barrels/day capacity), for a second
time on Friday. Fires broke out across multiple units, severely curtailing output.
Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s largest LNG hub, has also been
attacked multiple times. Analysts warn supply chains could be disrupted for
up to five years, crippling global LNG markets.
Fujairah oil hub (UAE) was previously disabled by Iranian attacks, impacting
storage and shipping routes.
Iran’s own export terminal Kharg was hit, further destabilizing its capacity.
Brent crude surged to $114 per barrel, reflecting fears of prolonged supply
shortages. Analysts describe this as a new phase where energy infrastructure
itself is being used as a weapon of war.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global oil passes, faces heightened
risk of blockade.
With Qatar’s LNG facilities crippled and Kuwaiti refining capacity slashed,
Asia and Europe face severe energy shortages.
The absence of Iranian leadership and Trump’s hardline stance reduce chances
of negotiation.
Continued strikes on energy hubs could also trigger wider regional conflict,
drawing in Saudi Arabia and others.
The emerging scenario: West Asia’s energy war has entered a dangerous
new phase—Trump’s refusal of a ceasefire, Iran’s leadership vacuum, and crippling
strikes on Kuwait, Qatar, Fujairah, and Kharg signal prolonged instability.
The global economy now faces years of disrupted oil and gas flows, with prices
already spiking and supply chains under severe strain.
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SELECTIONS FROM OUR ARCHIVES |
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Top Govt officer thrashed, kicked inside Bhubaneswar office: Incident sparks a debate
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The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.
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UK's House of Commons votes to legalise assisted dying: What it means | |
ANALYSIS: There have been cases of Britons going to Switzerland to get rid of a miserable life. Now once the House of Lords also passes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, terminally ill Britons can call it quits with the help of a medical practitioner here itself. But the measure when comes into practice, will have very serious social consequences, it is feared. There won't be comparisons, even as tropes in Latin American folklores. The worst case scenario is of those who are not terminally ill also trying to misuse the provision to leave this world early when life with dignity is not available. But that is, in fact, a political question and not a moral imbroglio!
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What caused Air India Boeing 787 crash? Some questions, some answers | |
The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.
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Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line brings Kashmir Valley on India's rail map |
- The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line provides Kashmir with all-weather connectivity and integrates the Valley with the rest of India.
- The saying 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' is now a dream come true.
- The Chenab bridge on the line, an engineering marvel, is the world's highest
railway bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower. (Video: File)
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Work done, Elon Musk steps down from DOGE, leaves White House | |
Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.
PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.
Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people.
(Today's headlines )
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Ailing Asiatic lion Pataudi too dies of bird flu at Kanpur zoo
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Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.
Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.
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48 tourist destinations closed in Kashmir following Pahalgam terror attack
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As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.
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Trump slaps ‘kind’, ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on trading partners; a 'lenient' 26% on India!
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ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!
What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America!
(Today's headlines )
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Trump signs order to shut Education Dept - And the contrast with India
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PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).
In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.
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Sunita, Wilmore's Dragon splashes down in Gulf: What delayed their return? |
THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.
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All 80k health workers in US offered $25,000 voluntary buyout: Administering wrong prescriptions!
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The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.
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Visit Indian Travel Sites
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Neighbours Calling
Bhutan
Nepal
Malaysia
Dubai
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Visit Indian Travel Sites
Goa,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Sikkim,
Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir
Gujarat
Puducherry
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