Karthik V R / വി.ആർ. കാർത്തിക്

Journalist | Faithful | Loyal | Partly Mature | Lifetime Learner | Scared of Attachments | Critical & Complementary

[Ritika Chopra @RitikaChopra__]

The Election Commission of India is under fire like never before.

The SIR has struck 13 crore names off draft rolls, putting the EC at the centre of intense public debate over its role in deciding who gets to vote — and who doesn’t.

HOWEVER, what nobody knew: through that same period, some of the sharpest questions were being asked from inside.

Out today, after months of work. Our #ExpressInvestigation 🧵
(1/10)

[Shanaka Anslem Perera ⚡ @shanaka86]

Dubai just shut down. The busiest international airport on earth. Closed. Indefinitely.

Dubai International and Al Maktoum International both suspended all operations on February 28 per official Dubai Airports statement. Over 280 flights canceled. 250 more delayed. The airspace that handles more international passengers than any hub on the planet went dark this morning because Iranian ballistic missiles were flying through it.

Now read the airline list and understand the scale of what just broke.

Emirates. Grounded. Etihad. Grounded. Qatar Airways. Suspended all flights to and from Doha after Qatari airspace closed. Air India. Every single flight to every destination in the entire Middle East. Suspended indefinitely. Turkish Airlines. Suspended flights to Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Syria, Qatar, and the UAE until at least March 2. Lufthansa. Dubai suspended. Air France. Tel Aviv and Beirut suspended. Wizz Air. Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman suspended until March 7. British Airways. Affected. Virgin Atlantic. Affected. Japan Airlines. Affected. Norwegian Air, LOT Polish, Scandinavian Airlines, Aegean, Iberia, Air Arabia, PIA, Saudia, Air Algerie. All affected. All grounded or rerouting.

This is not a regional disruption. This is the global aviation network breaking at one of its most critical nodes.

Dubai is not just an airport. It is the single largest connecting hub between Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Every flight from Mumbai to London, from Singapore to Frankfurt, from Nairobi to New York that routes through the Gulf is now either canceled, delayed, or burning extra fuel on thousand-mile detours around closed airspace. IndiGo just suspended flights to Almaty, Baku, Tashkent, and Tbilisi until March 28. Not March 2. March 28. A month of Central Asian connectivity erased because Iranian missiles crossed the flight paths.

The cost is compounding by the hour. Rerouted flights burn more fuel when oil is spiking past 100 dollars a barrel because the same conflict that closed the airspace is threatening the strait that moves 21 million barrels a day. Airlines are paying surge prices for fuel to fly longer routes around a war zone that did not exist yesterday morning. Every hour the airspace stays closed, the losses multiply across carriers already operating on thin margins.

And here is what nobody is calculating yet. Dubai’s economy runs on connectivity. Tourism. Trade. Finance. Logistics. All of it depends on DXB being open. The UAE just absorbed an act of war on its sovereign territory with a civilian killed in Abu Dhabi from missile debris. The country that built its entire economic model on being the safe, neutral, connected hub of the Middle East is now closed for business because the country it had no quarrel with fired missiles through its airspace.

Iran did not just attack military bases this morning. Iran shut down the economic engine of the Gulf.

That is a cost Tehran cannot afford to repay and the UAE will not forget.

[Esmaeil Baqaei @IRIMFA_SPOX]

Iran's FM @araghchi:

Pillared on the understandings forged in the previous round, Iran will resume talks with the U.S. in Geneva with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal—in the shortest possible time.

Our fundamental convictions are crystal clear: Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon; neither will we Iranians ever forgo our right to harness the dividends of peaceful nuclear technology for our people.

We have a historic opportunity to strike an unprecedented agreement that addresses mutual concerns and achieves mutual interests. A deal is within reach, but only if diplomacy is given priority.

We have proven that we will stop at nothing to guard our sovereignty with courage. We bring the same courage to the negotiating table, where we will pursue a peaceful resolution to any differences.

[Seyed Abbas Araghchi @araghchi]

1/4 Pillared on the understandings forged in the previous round, Iran will resume talks with the U.S. in Geneva with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal—in the shortest possible time.

[Karthik V R / വി.ആർ. കാർത്തിക് @vrkarthik5252]

@rustyynova karthi

[Aman Sharma @AmanKayamHai_]

Lokpal Wants 7 High-End BMW Cars Worth Rs 70 Lakh Each, Floats Tenders | EXCLUSIVE

My Story ⁦@CNNnews18⁩
https://t.co/ZsW8oIhQCp

[Narendra Modi @narendramodi]

India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership. Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest. I am also looking forward to speaking with President Trump. We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people.

@realDonaldTrump

@POTUS

[ANI @ANI]

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigns from his post "to prioritise health care and abide by medical advice."

[Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad الشيخ أبوبكر أحمد @shkaboobacker]

The execution of Nimisha Priya, which was scheduled to take place tomorrow (16/07/25), has been postponed to another day.

This is the verdict given by the Public Prosecution of Specialized Criminal Court, Republic of Yemen, today.

[Karthik V R / വി.ആർ. കാർത്തിക് @vrkarthik5252]

വർത്തമാനകാല കേരളത്തിൽ നിങ്ങൾ മറ്റൊരു ജനവിധി പ്രതീക്ഷിച്ചോ , നിഷ്കളങ്കരെ !
#Nilambur #Election

[Stanly Johny @johnstanly]

My takeaway from the Trump-Putin call is Putin telling Trump that “he will have to respond to the recent (Ukrainian) attacks on the airfields”. So the Russian retaliation is coming.

Trump also seeks Putin’s cooperation for Iran talks.

[Reuters Asia @ReutersAsia]

WATCH: Monsoon rains hit the coast of India's southernmost state of Kerala eight days earlier than usual, marking the earliest arrival in 16 years and providing the promise of a bumper harvest and relief from a gruelling heatwave https://t.co/6JoKegfODA

[Stanly Johny @johnstanly]

There were speculations in Dhaka yesterday that Yunus was going to resign. Nahid Islam, who met Yunus yesterday, told BBC Bangla later in the day that Yunus was actually considering resignation. We don't know whether Yunus is using the resignation card as a pressure tactic or he's actually planning to step down. Anyway, I won't be surprised if he actually goes. Look at today's Bangladesh. It's been almost a year since Hasina was toppled. The mob violence still continues. Awami League, the largest and oldest political party of the count, was banned and is being crushed. Chatra League had been banned earlier. With AL banned, there is no hope for inclusive, free and fair elections. The BNP and the so-called student leaders are at each other's throat. The Islamists have been empowered. There's no consensus on what should be the future of Bangladesh among the key political stakeholders. Yunus believes the country is not ready for polls. But an impatient military wants elections before the end of the year. This week, the army chief issued a rare, stern public warning to Yunus to hold elections, and keep the military posted on key decisions. It's chaos everywhere.

Surprised? I am not.

[Stanly Johny @johnstanly]

Ten years ago, this man was the founder of al-Qaeda's branch in Syria. Six months ago, the US had a $10-million bounty on his head. Today, he is posing with the President of the United States.

[News18 @CNNnews18]

#Exclusive | The TRF statement, accessed by News18, said: “Those targeted were not ordinary tourists, instead, they were linked to and affiliated with Indian Security Agencies..."

@manojkumargupta

https://t.co/k5aKUr7neE

[NIA India @NIA_India]

NIA Formally Arrests 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack Conspirator Tahawwur Rana on Arrival at IGI, New Delhi

[Sunita Williams @Astro_Suni]

Best homecoming ever!

[NASA @NASA]

Welcome home, #Crew9

@NASA_Astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov splashed down off the coast of Florida at 5:57pm ET (2127 UTC), concluding their scientific mission to the @Space_Station: https://t.co/DFWxQIiz6O

[International Space Station @Space_Station]

Live now on @NASA+. Watch the @SpaceX #Crew9 mission undock from the station aboard the Dragon spacecraft at 1:05am ET on Tuesday. https://t.co/zasw23Ni84

[News18 @CNNnews18]

#Exclusive | There is no limit for the Governor to withhold any bill. Many govts in the country take this stand, if Governor objects to certain things, govt will think of removing him: @KeralaGovernor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar speaks to @Neethureghu

@akankshaswarups | Kerala