Boca Juniors were held to a surprise 1-1 draw by amateurs Auckland City and failed to reach the knockout stage of the Club World Cup on Tuesday in steamy Nashville, Tennessee, where the match was suspended for nearly 50 minutes due to stormy weather.
Argentine side Boca came into the game needing both a convincing win against already-eliminated Auckland City to overturn a seven-goal difference with Benfica and for the Portuguese club to lose to German champions Bayern Munich in the other Group C fixture.
Auckland City had just drawn level shortly after the break when lightning in the area forced players off the field. By the time play resumed, Benfica had secured a 1-0 win to qualify top of Group C and reach the last 16 along with Bayern.
Boca went ahead in the 26th minute when Lautaro Di Lollo received a well-delivered corner and headed it against the post before the ball bounced off Auckland City goalkeeper Nathan Garrow’s arm and into the net for an own goal.
Auckland scored their first goal of the tournament in the 52nd minute when Christian Gray sent a header inside the right post and past an outstretched Agustin Marchesin moments before play was suspended.
“Scoring that goal was just surreal. It probably hasn’t sunk in yet. I think the club deserved it, and I’m happy for the boys,” Grey, who is a physical education teacher back in New Zealand, said.
Boca thought they had pulled back in front shortly after the restart but a VAR decision overturned Miguel Merentiel’s goal due to a handball by teammate Kevin Zenon.
Boca finished third in the group with two points, one more than Auckland City who also exited the Club World Cup.
“It was difficult to find spaces because they defended well – that was their objective. They never gave up, and we couldn’t increase our lead. The climate conditions were tough – it was really hot – and then when they equalised, they gained new strength,” Boca forward Edinson Cavani said.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was among those at the game where temperatures at kickoff were around 96 degrees Fahrenheit (35.5 degrees Celsius).
The steamy conditions did little to dampen the spirits of the passionate Boca supporters who spent the duration of the match singing to the beat of drums, including during the weather delay when many refused calls to head to the concourse.
“Thanks to all the fans that came here and support us the way they do back home,” Boca coach Miguel Angel Russo said.
“Until their goal, the game was all ours. Boca’s image after this last game is not good. This is the third set-piece goal we’ve conceded, there’s a lot to correct,” the manager added.
NASA retiree turned private astronaut Peggy Whitson was launched on the fifth spaceflight of her career early on Wednesday, joined by crewmates from India, Poland and Hungary heading for their countries’ first visit to the International Space Station.
The astronaut team lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at about 2:30 a.m. EDT (0630 GMT; 12 Noon IST)), beginning the latest mission organized by Texas-based startup Axiom Space in partnership with Elon Musk’s rocket venture SpaceX.
The four-member crew was carried aloft on a towering SpaceX launch vehicle consisting of a Crew Dragon capsule perched atop a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket.
Live video showed the towering spacecraft streaking into the night sky over Florida’s Atlantic coast trailed by a brilliant yellowish plume of fiery exhaust.
It marked the first Crew Dragon flight since Musk briefly threatened to decommission the spacecraft after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cancel Musk’s government contracts in a high-profile political feud between the two men earlier this month.
Axiom 4’s autonomously operated Crew Dragon was expected to reach the ISS after a flight of about 28 hours, then dock with the outpost as the two vehicles soar together in orbit some 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.
If all goes according to plan, the Axiom 4 crew will be welcomed aboard the orbiting space laboratory Thursday morning by its seven current resident occupants – three astronauts from the U.S., one from Japan and three cosmonauts from Russia.
Whitson, 65, and her three Axiom 4 crewmates – Shubhanshu Shukla, 39, of India, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, 41, of Poland, and Tibor Kapu, 33, of Hungary – are slated to spend 14 days aboard the space station conducting microgravity research.
The mission stands as the fourth such flight since 2022 arranged by Axiom as the Houston-headquartered company builds on its business of putting astronauts sponsored by private companies and foreign governments into Earth orbit.
For India, Poland and Hungary, the launch marked a return to human spaceflight after more than 40 years and the first mission to send astronauts from each of those three countries to the International Space Station.
The Axiom 4 participation of Shukla, an Indian air force pilot, is seen by India’s own space program as a kind of precursor to the debut crewed mission of its Gaganyaan orbital spacecraft, planned for 2027.
The Axiom 4 crew is led by Whitson, who retired from NASA in 2018 after a pioneering career that included her tenure as the first woman to serve as the U.S. space agency’s chief astronaut. She also was the first woman to command an ISS expedition and the first to do so twice.
Now a consultant and director of human spaceflight for Axiom, she has logged a career total of 675 days in space, a U.S. record, during three NASA missions and a fourth flight to space as commander of the Axiom 2 mission in 2023.
The Axiom 4 mission was previously scheduled for liftoff on Tuesday before a forecast of unsuitable weather forced a 24-hour postponement.
Tesla’s new car sales in Europe fell 27.9% in May from a year earlier even as fully-electric vehicle sales in the region jumped 27.2%, with the U.S. EV maker’s revised Model Y yet to show signs of reviving the brand’s fortunes.
Overall car sales in Europe rose 1.9%, with the strongest growth coming from plug-in hybrids and cars powered by alternative fuels, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Tesla’s European sales have now fallen for five straight months as customers switch to cheaper Chinese EVs and, in some cases, protest against Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s politics.
Tesla’s European market share dropped to just 1.2% in May from 1.8% a year ago.
The revised Model Y is meant to revamp the company’s ageing model range as traditional automakers and Chinese rivals launch EVs at a rapid pace amid trade tensions.
BY THE NUMBERS
May new car sales in the European Union, Britain and the European Free Trade Association rose to 1.11 million vehicles, following a 0.3% dip in April, ACEA data showed.
Registrations at Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor and Germany’s BMW rose 22.5% and 5.6% respectively, while they fell 23% at Japan’s Mazda.
In the EU alone, total car sales have fallen 0.6% so far this year.
That comes despite growing demand for EVs, with registrations of battery-electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid-electric (HEV) cars rising 26.1%, 15% and 19.8% respectively.
EU sales of BEVs, HEVs and PHEVs combined accounted for 58.9% of passenger car registrations in May, up from 48.9% in May 2024.
Among the largest EU markets, new car sales in Spain and Germany rose 18.6% and 1.2% respectively, while in France and Italy they dropped by 12.3% and 0.1%.
Tesla’s new car sales in Europe fell 27.9% in May from a year earlier even as fully-electric vehicle sales in the region jumped 27.2%, with the U.S. EV maker’s revised Model Y yet to show signs of reviving the brand’s fortunes.
Overall car sales in Europe rose 1.9%, with the strongest growth coming from plug-in hybrids and cars powered by alternative fuels, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Tesla’s European sales have now fallen for five straight months as customers switch to cheaper Chinese EVs and, in some cases, protest against Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s politics.
Tesla’s European market share dropped to just 1.2% in May from 1.8% a year ago.
The revised Model Y is meant to revamp the company’s ageing model range as traditional automakers and Chinese rivals launch EVs at a rapid pace amid trade tensions.
BY THE NUMBERS
May new car sales in the European Union, Britain and the European Free Trade Association rose to 1.11 million vehicles, following a 0.3% dip in April, ACEA data showed.
Registrations at Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor and Germany’s BMW rose 22.5% and 5.6% respectively, while they fell 23% at Japan’s Mazda.
In the EU alone, total car sales have fallen 0.6% so far this year.
That comes despite growing demand for EVs, with registrations of battery-electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid-electric (HEV) cars rising 26.1%, 15% and 19.8% respectively.
EU sales of BEVs, HEVs and PHEVs combined accounted for 58.9% of passenger car registrations in May, up from 48.9% in May 2024.
Among the largest EU markets, new car sales in Spain and Germany rose 18.6% and 1.2% respectively, while in France and Italy they dropped by 12.3% and 0.1%.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he was glad that his experiences during the anti-Emergency movement have been compiled into a new book titled ‘The Emergency Diaries — Years that Forged a Leader’, which will be released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency’s imposition.
The book, published by Bluekraft Digital Foundation, explores Narendra Modi’s journey as a young Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak during one of India’s most turbulent political periods.
It sheds light on how he evaded the police, worked underground, and took part in the covert resistance to what has been described as a draconian crackdown on civil liberties and democratic institutions under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s rule from 1975 to 1977.
Taking to X on Wednesday, PM Modi wrote, “When the Emergency was imposed, I was a young RSS Pracharak. The anti-Emergency movement was a learning experience for me. It reaffirmed the vitality of preserving our democratic framework. At the same time, I got to learn so much from people across the political spectrum.”
“I am glad that BlueKraft Digital Foundation has compiled some of those experiences in the form of a book, whose foreword has been penned by Shri H.D. Deve Gowda Ji, himself a stalwart of the anti-Emergency movement,” he added.
“‘The Emergency Diaries’ chronicles my journey during the Emergency years. It brought back many memories from that time,” PM Modi said.
“I call upon all those who remember those dark days of the Emergency or those whose families suffered during that time to share their experiences on social media. It will create awareness among the youth of the shameful time from 1975 to 1977,” he added.
The publishers announced that the book offers a deep dive into the “compelling role that Narendra Modi, then a young RSS Pracharak, played in the fight against Emergency.”
Drawing on first-person accounts from his close associates, archival material, and PM Modi’s own memoir ‘Sangharsh Ma Gujarat’, the narrative seeks to bring forth a rare window into how India’s future leader was shaped by those dark days of state repression.
Bluekraft shared on X, “The book delves into the compelling role that Narendra Modi played in the fight against Emergency. Based on first-person anecdotes from associates who worked with young Modi, and using other archival material, the book is a first of its kind that creates new scholarship on the formative years of a young man who would give it his all in the fight against tyranny.”
“The Emergency Diaries paints a vivid picture of Narendra Modi fighting for the ideals of democracy and how he has worked all his life to preserve and promote it. This book is a tribute to the grit and resolve of those who refused to be silenced, and it offers a rare glimpse into the early trials that forged one of the most transformative leaders of our time,” it added.
The book’s introduction paints the backdrop of the Emergency years in stark terms. “In the mid-1970s, as India was caught in the iron shackles of the Emergency, democracy was in captivity,” it reads.
It presents Narendra Modi as part of a covert network resisting the regime, working to distribute banned literature, organise underground meetings, and sustain public morale amidst widespread censorship and fear.
According to the publishers, The Emergency Diaries highlights PM Modi’s “clandestine operations, his narrow escapes, and his unwavering commitment to restoring democracy as he navigates through a landscape of fear and repression”.
The book is described as a “tale of resilience, ingenuity, and relentless dedication to preserving democratic ideals and institutions enshrined in our Constitution”.
It underscores how, according to the narrative, “the resolve of the masses, led by diligent young karyakartas like Modi, shaped one of the most important movements that reshaped a nation’s destiny.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he was glad that his experiences during the anti-Emergency movement have been compiled into a new book titled ‘The Emergency Diaries — Years that Forged a Leader’, which will be released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency’s imposition.
The book, published by Bluekraft Digital Foundation, explores Narendra Modi’s journey as a young Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak during one of India’s most turbulent political periods.
It sheds light on how he evaded the police, worked underground, and took part in the covert resistance to what has been described as a draconian crackdown on civil liberties and democratic institutions under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s rule from 1975 to 1977.
Taking to X on Wednesday, PM Modi wrote, “When the Emergency was imposed, I was a young RSS Pracharak. The anti-Emergency movement was a learning experience for me. It reaffirmed the vitality of preserving our democratic framework. At the same time, I got to learn so much from people across the political spectrum.”
“I am glad that BlueKraft Digital Foundation has compiled some of those experiences in the form of a book, whose foreword has been penned by Shri H.D. Deve Gowda Ji, himself a stalwart of the anti-Emergency movement,” he added.
“‘The Emergency Diaries’ chronicles my journey during the Emergency years. It brought back many memories from that time,” PM Modi said.
“I call upon all those who remember those dark days of the Emergency or those whose families suffered during that time to share their experiences on social media. It will create awareness among the youth of the shameful time from 1975 to 1977,” he added.
The publishers announced that the book offers a deep dive into the “compelling role that Narendra Modi, then a young RSS Pracharak, played in the fight against Emergency.”
Drawing on first-person accounts from his close associates, archival material, and PM Modi’s own memoir ‘Sangharsh Ma Gujarat’, the narrative seeks to bring forth a rare window into how India’s future leader was shaped by those dark days of state repression.
Bluekraft shared on X, “The book delves into the compelling role that Narendra Modi played in the fight against Emergency. Based on first-person anecdotes from associates who worked with young Modi, and using other archival material, the book is a first of its kind that creates new scholarship on the formative years of a young man who would give it his all in the fight against tyranny.”
“The Emergency Diaries paints a vivid picture of Narendra Modi fighting for the ideals of democracy and how he has worked all his life to preserve and promote it. This book is a tribute to the grit and resolve of those who refused to be silenced, and it offers a rare glimpse into the early trials that forged one of the most transformative leaders of our time,” it added.
The book’s introduction paints the backdrop of the Emergency years in stark terms. “In the mid-1970s, as India was caught in the iron shackles of the Emergency, democracy was in captivity,” it reads.
It presents Narendra Modi as part of a covert network resisting the regime, working to distribute banned literature, organise underground meetings, and sustain public morale amidst widespread censorship and fear.
According to the publishers, The Emergency Diaries highlights PM Modi’s “clandestine operations, his narrow escapes, and his unwavering commitment to restoring democracy as he navigates through a landscape of fear and repression”.
The book is described as a “tale of resilience, ingenuity, and relentless dedication to preserving democratic ideals and institutions enshrined in our Constitution”.
It underscores how, according to the narrative, “the resolve of the masses, led by diligent young karyakartas like Modi, shaped one of the most important movements that reshaped a nation’s destiny.”
The Reserve Bank had set up the Working Group (Chairperson: Shri Radha Shyam Ratho) to undertake a comprehensive review of trading and settlement timings of financial markets regulated by the Reserve Bank. The Working Group provided recommendations aimed at facilitating further market development, price discovery, and optimization of liquidity requirements. Its report was published on the RBI’s website inviting comments from members of the public. The Reserve Bank has examined the recommendations of the Committee as well as the feedback received and it has been decided to implement the following recommendations:
The market timings for call money shall be extended to 7:00 PM with effect from July 01, 2025. Accordingly, the revised market hours shall be from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
The trading hours of market repo and Tri-Party Repo (TREP) shall be extended to 4:00 PM with effect from August 01, 2025. Accordingly, the revised trading hours shall be from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
The trading hours for Government securities market, foreign exchange market and interest rate derivatives market remain unchanged.
2. Other recommendations of the Working Group are under consideration and the decisions thereon will be taken in due course.
India will continue to prioritise Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness and stick to their plan of playing the pace spearhead in only three out of the five tests against England despite losing the opener by five wickets on Tuesday, head coach Gautam Gambhir said.
Bumrah, who declined the test captaincy in order to manage his workload after four months out with a back issue, was India’s top bowler with 5-83 in the first innings of the Headingley thriller but went wicketless in the second.
The 31-year-old’s expected absence in two of the remaining four tests could see India field an inexperienced attack against the hosts’ aggressive batters but Gambhir remained focused on the longer-term picture.
“For us to manage Bumrah’s workload is more important,” he told reporters. “There’s a lot of cricket going forward and we know what he brings to the table.
“Before he came on this tour it was already decided that he’s going to play three tests, but let’s see how his body turns up. We haven’t decided which other tests he’s going to play.”
Seamer Prasidh Krishna took five wickets in the match and leaked runs, while bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur bagged two wickets while contributing only five runs with the bat, but Gambhir backed the under-fire duo.
“Prasidh bowled really well,” Gambhir said.
“He got us crucial wickets. We picked him because we thought he’s got something different. He’s got bounce, and in the first innings, he used that really well, even in the second innings. He’ll keep getting better with experience.
“Shardul was used a little less, but the reason was that Ravindra Jadeja bowled really well, so we thought he’ll give us control. Shardul got us two important wickets. I’m not going to say this guy didn’t bowl well or that guy bowled well.
“We’ve just got to be more consistent … and these boys will learn.”
The second test will begin in Birmingham on July 2.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that he is looking forward to present India’s vision for global peace and security and will also call for joint efforts to eliminate terrorism during the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave in Qingdao, China.
Singh is visiting the port city of Qingdao in eastern Shandong province to attend the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting from June 25–26, where extensive deliberations are expected on the evolving regional security architecture.
Rajnath Singh said on X: “Today, June 25, I shall be leaving for Qingdao, China, to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting. I will have the opportunity to interact with various Defence Ministers on a wide range of issues. Looking forward to presenting India’s vision for global peace and security, and also, calling for joint and consistent efforts to eliminate terrorism.”
Singh’s visit comes just over a month after Operation Sindoor, under which India conducted targeted airstrikes on nine high-value terrorist infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack.
This marks the first visit to China by an Indian Union Minister since bilateral relations were severely strained by the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh beginning in May 2020.
Meanwhile, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is also in China for a meeting of SCO national security advisors.
According to an official readout, Defence Minister Singh will reaffirm India’s commitment to the SCO’s core principles and objectives, while outlining New Delhi’s vision for enhanced regional cooperation to counter terrorism and extremism.
In addition to addressing the plenary session, Singh is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from several participating nations, including China and Russia.
The Ministry of Defence said: “India attaches special importance to SCO in promoting multilateralism, and fostering political, security, economic, and people-to-people interactions in the region. The SCO adheres to principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, mutual respect, understanding, and equality among member states.”
China is hosting the conclave as the current chair of the SCO.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid heartfelt tribute to the countless Indians who stood in defence of democracy during what he described as one of the darkest chapters in the nation’s history.
Observing June 25 as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas (Constitution Murder Day), the Prime Minister reflected on the grave assault on constitutional values that occurred during the Emergency period from 1975 to 1977. He highlighted how fundamental rights were suspended, press freedom was extinguished, and thousands of political leaders, social workers, students, and ordinary citizens were imprisoned.
In a public statement, PM Modi reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to the Constitution and emphasized the importance of working collectively to realize the vision of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India). He noted that the anti-Emergency movement served as a critical learning experience and a reminder of the importance of preserving the democratic framework.
Calling on all those who lived through or were affected by the Emergency, the Prime Minister encouraged citizens to share their stories and memories on social media. He said this would help create awareness among today’s youth about the events that took place during those turbulent years.
In a series of posts on X, the Prime Minister remarked, “Today marks fifty years since one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history, the imposition of the Emergency. The people of India mark this day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. On this day, the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution were set aside, fundamental rights were suspended, press freedom was extinguished and several political leaders, social workers, students and ordinary citizens were jailed. It was as if the Congress Government in power at that time placed democracy under arrest.”
He further stated, “No Indian will ever forget the manner in which the spirit of our Constitution was violated, the voice of Parliament muzzled and attempts were made to control the courts. The 42nd Amendment is a prime example of their shenanigans. The poor, marginalised and downtrodden were particularly targeted, including their dignity insulted.”
Saluting the resilience of those who resisted the Emergency, Modi said, “We salute every person who stood firm in the fight against the Emergency. These were people from across India, from all walks of life and from diverse ideologies, united in their resolve to protect the democratic fabric of the nation. Their collective efforts ultimately led to the restoration of democracy and the defeat of the then Congress Government in the subsequent elections.”
The Prime Minister also reiterated the present government’s resolve to uphold constitutional principles and pursue inclusive national development. “We also reiterate our commitment to strengthening the principles in our Constitution and working together to realise our vision of a Viksit Bharat. May we scale new heights of progress and fulfil the dreams of the poor and downtrodden,” he added.
Sharing personal memories, PM Modi recalled, “When the Emergency was imposed, I was a young RSS Pracharak. The anti-Emergency movement was a learning experience for me. It reaffirmed the vitality of preserving our democratic framework. At the same time, I got to learn so much from people across the political spectrum.”
The Prime Minister also mentioned the recently released book The Emergency Diaries, which documents his experiences during that time. He noted that the foreword to the book was written by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, a veteran of the anti-Emergency movement.
“I call upon all those who remember those dark days of the Emergency or those whose families suffered during that time to share their experiences on social media. It will create awareness among the youth of the shameful time from 1975 to 1977,” PM Modi said.
The solemn occasion was a reminder of the resilience of India’s democratic institutions and the enduring spirit of its people in the face of authoritarianism.
Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
It’s time that the nations of the world (or at least the influential western nations) accept the reality that all the lands that constituted 1920-1948 Mandatory Palestine should be formally recognised as a single nation-state; ideally called Palestine Israel or Israel-Palestine, but more realistically called Israel.
In other words, the never-viable notion of a two-nation-state division of ‘Israel’ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eretz_Israel) should be dropped as a viable solution in favour of the promotion of a liberal bicultural (or multicultural) nation-state. The role model for change could be South Africa.
Jewish and Non-Jewish intellectuals (such as Hans Kohn, Shlomo Sand and Yanis Varoufakis) – on the political left – have been arguing for this ‘one-state-solution’ for over 100 years. It’s just that their voices have always been deamplified by those on the political centre and the political right. (On the centre, we think of people like Joe Biden, Keir Starmer, and their predecessors. On the right, we may consider former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, a leader in the 1940s of the openly fascist Lehi, yet a moderate by today’s Israeli political standards.)
Shlomo Sand outlines the history of the arguments for a single ‘binational’ state in his 2024 book Israel-Palestine: Federation or Apartheid? His vision, which is not quite what I favour, emphasises binationalism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/binationalism), and looks towards these successful liberal examples of bi- or multi- nationalism: Canada, Belgium, Switzerland.
The better framing of this approach, I believe, is biculturalism; though even that is not problem-free, because it is an exclusive concept. What I think would work best for Palestine Israel is also the same as what would work best for Aotearoa New Zealand: multiculturalism with a bicultural (treaty) emphasis. (Ireland could have become something similar, as in Irish rugby; but it went down a failed two-state path, and experienced two substantial civil wars last century.) The ideal is for Palestine Israel to become a liberal democracy in which all people born within its borders become citizens with equal citizenship rights; a nation state which commits to both the domestic and international norms of liberal democracy.
(In a bicultural nation-state, the principal divider is religion; normally people’s religious loyalties are discrete, meaning that being, say, a Muslim or Jew or Christian is mutually exclusive. The word ‘national’ is increasingly used in the 21st century as it was in the 19th century; to refer to a ‘people’ or a ‘race’ rather than to relate to a territory defined by its borders and its sovereign institutions. Ethnicity – the better word is ‘ancestry – is not a discrete concept such as ‘religion’; individual people have multiple ancestries, and should not be required to identify as one over another.)
How can this be achieved?
First, we should note that the status quo in Eretz Israel is at least as unacceptable as Apartheid South Africa was to our world of mostly ‘internationally-civilised’ nation-states. (An internationally civilised state is one that accepts agreed norms in the ways that it relates to other nation states, meaning that it does not indulge in offensive hard-power geopolitics – such as ‘gunboat diplomacy’; and it practises cultural equality. Terrorism is understood as criminality. Such a state does not have to be a ‘democracy’ in the Westminster or American sense; but it should meet open liberal standards in the ways it treats its resident denizens – non-citizens – and it should subscribe to international treaties on matters such as climate sustainability and nuclear energy and election authenticity.)
Second, this desired outcome will not come about by force. The community of liberal nations should simply recognise Eretz Israel as a nation state, based ideally on the prior borders of Mandatory Palestine.
While there should be no demands, such a new nation-state would be risking discriminatory sanctions if it abuses liberal norms; in particular if it implements laws (including civil-marriage laws) that discriminate on the basis of sex, religion, or ancestry. Again, the obvious model is Apartheid South Africa, and the ways that South Africa was excluded from international sport so long as it implemented laws which discriminated on the basis of ethnicity. (Palestinians and many Israelis have Levantine ethnicity. Many Israelis have European, African or Asian co-ethnicity; that non-indigeneity should never be held against them. Nor should the indigeneity of the Palestinians.)
In recognising Eretz Israel as Israel-Palestine (or even just under the name ‘Israel’), a Levantine nation state, Israel’s nuclear status should be addressed and normalised. (Likewise, India and Pakistan should be pressured to join the ‘nuclear club’. One of the most problematic regional asymmetries at present is the advanced nuclear-status of Israel versus the embryonic nuclear status of Iran; Israel at present hides behind its non-membership of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to make it seem that Iran is a bigger nuclear threat to the world than Israel is.)
Recognition of Eretz Israel as a sovereign nation state, under any name, should come with overt expectations of democracy, amnesty, truth, reconciliation, and press freedom. There should be no formal or informal mechanism of ‘settling scores’, no matter how reprehensible anyone’s past or present behaviour has been. Truth trumps vengeance cloaked as ‘accountability’.
Lebanon was an initially successful, but now largely failed, version of a similar attempt at creating a tolerant multicultural nation state in the Levant. Lebanon’s main problem was its belligerent southern neighbour. Israel-Palestine would not have Israel as a neighbour.
Abandon the naïve two-state solution.
There is no way a Palestinian nation-state can be viable. At the very best it could become like a mini-Pakistan or mini-Bangladesh; and even that would take decades. (And the last Israeli prime minister to formalise a two-state future – Yitzhak Rabin – was assassinated in 1995, having achieved a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.) The two-state-solution agenda seems to be more about deescalating sufficiently for the Palestine issue to disappear from its media prominence; and not at all about ending a forever war which began in 1948.
The present forever war – now in its hottest phase – followed a brutal war for Israeli-Jewish independence and non-Jewish expulsion waged by fascist and non-fascist ‘non-state actors’ from 1939 to 1948 against the British ‘protectors’. That, in turn, followed a prior Palestinian insurrection against the British and the settlers from 1936-1939 (though overshadowed in the international media by the Spanish Civil War), which in its turn followed the 1929 Palestine riots. That’s 96 years of escalating forever violence.
In Summary
Recognise a new expanded state, with or without a new name, but with certain (unenforceable, but well-publicised) expectations. This expectation should be a multi-cultural Levantine sovereign state, embracing adherents of the three Abrahamic faiths (as well as people of other religions, or no religion, as citizens; people born in Israel or Palestine, and documented immigrants): Levantine Jews, Levantine Muslims, Levantine Christians, plus others. All Israelis. And all Palestinians.
*******
Keith Rankin (keith at rankin dot nz), trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
It’s time that the nations of the world (or at least the influential western nations) accept the reality that all the lands that constituted 1920-1948 Mandatory Palestine should be formally recognised as a single nation-state; ideally called Palestine Israel or Israel-Palestine, but more realistically called Israel.
In other words, the never-viable notion of a two-nation-state division of ‘Israel’ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eretz_Israel) should be dropped as a viable solution in favour of the promotion of a liberal bicultural (or multicultural) nation-state. The role model for change could be South Africa.
Jewish and Non-Jewish intellectuals (such as Hans Kohn, Shlomo Sand and Yanis Varoufakis) – on the political left – have been arguing for this ‘one-state-solution’ for over 100 years. It’s just that their voices have always been deamplified by those on the political centre and the political right. (On the centre, we think of people like Joe Biden, Keir Starmer, and their predecessors. On the right, we may consider former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, a leader in the 1940s of the openly fascist Lehi, yet a moderate by today’s Israeli political standards.)
Shlomo Sand outlines the history of the arguments for a single ‘binational’ state in his 2024 book Israel-Palestine: Federation or Apartheid? His vision, which is not quite what I favour, emphasises binationalism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/binationalism), and looks towards these successful liberal examples of bi- or multi- nationalism: Canada, Belgium, Switzerland.
The better framing of this approach, I believe, is biculturalism; though even that is not problem-free, because it is an exclusive concept. What I think would work best for Palestine Israel is also the same as what would work best for Aotearoa New Zealand: multiculturalism with a bicultural (treaty) emphasis. (Ireland could have become something similar, as in Irish rugby; but it went down a failed two-state path, and experienced two substantial civil wars last century.) The ideal is for Palestine Israel to become a liberal democracy in which all people born within its borders become citizens with equal citizenship rights; a nation state which commits to both the domestic and international norms of liberal democracy.
(In a bicultural nation-state, the principal divider is religion; normally people’s religious loyalties are discrete, meaning that being, say, a Muslim or Jew or Christian is mutually exclusive. The word ‘national’ is increasingly used in the 21st century as it was in the 19th century; to refer to a ‘people’ or a ‘race’ rather than to relate to a territory defined by its borders and its sovereign institutions. Ethnicity – the better word is ‘ancestry – is not a discrete concept such as ‘religion’; individual people have multiple ancestries, and should not be required to identify as one over another.)
How can this be achieved?
First, we should note that the status quo in Eretz Israel is at least as unacceptable as Apartheid South Africa was to our world of mostly ‘internationally-civilised’ nation-states. (An internationally civilised state is one that accepts agreed norms in the ways that it relates to other nation states, meaning that it does not indulge in offensive hard-power geopolitics – such as ‘gunboat diplomacy’; and it practises cultural equality. Terrorism is understood as criminality. Such a state does not have to be a ‘democracy’ in the Westminster or American sense; but it should meet open liberal standards in the ways it treats its resident denizens – non-citizens – and it should subscribe to international treaties on matters such as climate sustainability and nuclear energy and election authenticity.)
Second, this desired outcome will not come about by force. The community of liberal nations should simply recognise Eretz Israel as a nation state, based ideally on the prior borders of Mandatory Palestine.
While there should be no demands, such a new nation-state would be risking discriminatory sanctions if it abuses liberal norms; in particular if it implements laws (including civil-marriage laws) that discriminate on the basis of sex, religion, or ancestry. Again, the obvious model is Apartheid South Africa, and the ways that South Africa was excluded from international sport so long as it implemented laws which discriminated on the basis of ethnicity. (Palestinians and many Israelis have Levantine ethnicity. Many Israelis have European, African or Asian co-ethnicity; that non-indigeneity should never be held against them. Nor should the indigeneity of the Palestinians.)
In recognising Eretz Israel as Israel-Palestine (or even just under the name ‘Israel’), a Levantine nation state, Israel’s nuclear status should be addressed and normalised. (Likewise, India and Pakistan should be pressured to join the ‘nuclear club’. One of the most problematic regional asymmetries at present is the advanced nuclear-status of Israel versus the embryonic nuclear status of Iran; Israel at present hides behind its non-membership of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to make it seem that Iran is a bigger nuclear threat to the world than Israel is.)
Recognition of Eretz Israel as a sovereign nation state, under any name, should come with overt expectations of democracy, amnesty, truth, reconciliation, and press freedom. There should be no formal or informal mechanism of ‘settling scores’, no matter how reprehensible anyone’s past or present behaviour has been. Truth trumps vengeance cloaked as ‘accountability’.
Lebanon was an initially successful, but now largely failed, version of a similar attempt at creating a tolerant multicultural nation state in the Levant. Lebanon’s main problem was its belligerent southern neighbour. Israel-Palestine would not have Israel as a neighbour.
Abandon the naïve two-state solution.
There is no way a Palestinian nation-state can be viable. At the very best it could become like a mini-Pakistan or mini-Bangladesh; and even that would take decades. (And the last Israeli prime minister to formalise a two-state future – Yitzhak Rabin – was assassinated in 1995, having achieved a Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.) The two-state-solution agenda seems to be more about deescalating sufficiently for the Palestine issue to disappear from its media prominence; and not at all about ending a forever war which began in 1948.
The present forever war – now in its hottest phase – followed a brutal war for Israeli-Jewish independence and non-Jewish expulsion waged by fascist and non-fascist ‘non-state actors’ from 1939 to 1948 against the British ‘protectors’. That, in turn, followed a prior Palestinian insurrection against the British and the settlers from 1936-1939 (though overshadowed in the international media by the Spanish Civil War), which in its turn followed the 1929 Palestine riots. That’s 96 years of escalating forever violence.
In Summary
Recognise a new expanded state, with or without a new name, but with certain (unenforceable, but well-publicised) expectations. This expectation should be a multi-cultural Levantine sovereign state, embracing adherents of the three Abrahamic faiths (as well as people of other religions, or no religion, as citizens; people born in Israel or Palestine, and documented immigrants): Levantine Jews, Levantine Muslims, Levantine Christians, plus others. All Israelis. And all Palestinians.
*******
Keith Rankin (keith at rankin dot nz), trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
The Indian benchmark indices opened over 400 points up on Wednesday amid positive global cues, as buying was seen in the IT, auto and pharma sectors in the early trade.
At around 9.25 am, Sensex was trading 445.6 points or 0.54 per cent up at 82,500.73 while the Nifty added 130.15 point or 0.52 per cent at 25,174.50
According to analysts, a significant feature of the recent market trend has been its resilience despite major challenges like the West Asian crisis.
“Even during the short India-Pakistan conflict, the market has been resilient. A significant contributor to this resilience has been FII buying during the crisis,” said Dr VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.
Nifty Bank was up 31.25 points or 0.06 per cent at 56,493.15. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 58,867.80 after adding 245.40 points or 0.42 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 18,617.85 after climbing 165.10 points or 0.89 per cent.
Meanwhile, in the Sensex pack, Titan, UltraTech Cement, Trent, HCL Tech, Adani Ports, Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, PowerGrid, Hindustan Unilever Limited and L&T were the top gainers. Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Bank, BEL, and Axis Bank were the top losers.
Interestingly, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have been selling as the Mideast crisis blows over. On the other hand, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) have been sustained buyers in the market, thanks to the continuing inflows into mutual funds, said experts.
This will impart resilience to the market even when FIIs sell on valuation concerns, they added.
FIIs were net sellers on June 24, selling equities worth Rs 5,266.01 crore. Meanwhile, DIIs remained buyers, purchasing equities worth Rs 5,209.60 crore.
In the Asian markets, Japan, China, Seoul and Hong Kong were trading in green. Whereas Bangkok and Jakarta were trading in red.
In the last trading session, Dow Jones in the US closed at 42,581.78, up 507.24 points, or 1.19 per cent. The S&P 500 ended with a gain of 67.01 points, or 1.11 per cent, at 6,025.17 and the Nasdaq closed at 19,630.97, up 281.56 points, or 1.43 per cent.
Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra won the javelin throw title at the Ostrava Golden Spike 2025 meet with a best throw of 85.29 metres during the one-day competition held on Tuesday.
Neeraj clinched victory with one throw remaining, as his third-attempt effort of 85.29m remained unbeaten through all six rounds, securing him yet another top podium finish this season. This marks his second title within a month, following his recent triumph at the Paris Diamond League.
The 27-year-old athlete from Haryana delivered his best throw in the third round. He finished first ahead of Douw Smit of South Africa, who threw 84.12m, and Anderson Peters of Grenada, who managed 83.63m, securing second and third place, respectively.
Neeraj, who made history by winning India’s first Olympic gold medal in athletics at Tokyo 2020, and a silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has been in fine form this season. After winning the Paris Diamond League, he was keen to extend his winning streak in Ostrava—and he did just that.
However, while he secured the top spot, the distance might leave him slightly disappointed, as he has previously surpassed the 90-metre mark and is aiming to breach that barrier again soon.
The competition didn’t start smoothly for Neeraj. His first attempt was a foul, and his second throw measured 83.45m. But he made a strong comeback on his third attempt, launching the spear to 85.29m, which proved to be the winning throw. Douw Smit followed with 84.12m, and Anderson Peters was close behind with 83.63m.
Neeraj could not better his distance in the remaining attempts. He recorded 82.17m in the fourth, 81.01m in the fifth, and deliberately fouled his final throw, opting not to complete it after an unsatisfactory release.
Despite not crossing the 90-metre mark, Neeraj Chopra’s consistency and commanding performance reaffirm his status as one of the top javelin throwers in the world.
Joy, pride, and excitement swept through Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla prepares to make history with the Axiom-4 mission, set to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday.
The Indian Air Force Group Captain, hailing from Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow, is heading to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 Mission.
Shukla’s father, Shambhu Dayal, expressed that his son’s achievement brings pride not only to Lucknow but also to the entire nation.
“…His mission is set to launch around 12 noon IST. We are very eager to see his mission launch. We are delighted. Our blessings are with him, and we also pray to God for his mission to be completed well… He is fully prepared… It feels great to see all the posters that have been put up for him… He is bringing laurels to Lucknow, the state and our country… We are proud of him,” Shambhu Sayal said.
Asha Shukla, Shubhanshu’s mother, praised her daughter-in-law for her unwavering support ahead of the mission, emphasizing that this achievement wouldn’t have been possible without her.
“It is a moment of pride for us and everyone else. Posters are being put up everywhere. Everyone is delighted that a man from this country, this Triveni Nagar, is going to soar so high… We are sending all our wishes and blessings to him… He has all the support of our daughter-in-law. This could not have been possible without her… She has played the biggest role here,” she added.
The Axiom-4 mission is targeting a launch window of 2:31 a.m. EDT or 12 noon IST on Wednesday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the US.
The crew, piloted by India’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 7 am EDT on Thursday, or 4 pm IST.
The four-member crew, which has been in quarantine in Florida, will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and now Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. The mission specialists are ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
The Ax-4 mission will “realise the return” to human spaceflight for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each nation’s first government-sponsored flight in more than 40 years. While Ax-4 marks these countries’ second human spaceflight mission in history, it will be the first time all three nations will execute a mission on board the International Space Station.
For Group Captain Shukla, this will be an opportunity to emulate fellow Indian Air Force Officer Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme. Sharma spent seven days in space on board the Salyut 7 space station.
The Ax-4 mission is also conducting major research. The research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the U.S., India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the UAE, and nations across Europe.
For ISRO and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, this mission lays the groundwork for India’s space roadmap to land an Indian on the Moon by 2040.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who will pilot the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), is one of the four astronauts selected for ISRO’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission.
Born on October 10, 1985, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Shukla was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in June 2006. A highly accomplished combat leader and seasoned test pilot, he has amassed over 2,000 hours of flight experience across a wide range of aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk, Dornier, and An-32.
In 2019, Shukla began intensive training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Moscow—a rigorous, year-long preparation that set the course for his spaceflight journey. On February 27, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially introduced Shukla as one of the astronauts undergoing advanced training for Gaganyaan, India’s maiden human spaceflight mission, scheduled for launch in 2025.
Now, Group Captain Shukla is gearing up to pilot the historic Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a major milestone in India’s human spaceflight journey.
“I found out I was going probably a week before we arrived at Axiom. I was extremely excited—this was a real opportunity to actually fly to space. You don’t even know how to respond to something like that,” Shukla shared in a YouTube video posted by the Ax-4 mission team.
The Ax-4 crew will be led by Mission Commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and current Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space. She praised Shukla’s capabilities:
“For me, having him as my pilot in the Dragon capsule is great. He already has that operational savvy—he’s just wicked smart when it comes to spacecraft technologies,” Whitson remarked.
Shukla will pilot a three-member crew that includes Whitson, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, both serving as mission specialists.
“The team I’m flying with on this mission is fantastic. I truly feel I have exceptional crewmates. While I’ll fly with them just this once, these are people who will remain my friends for life,” said Shukla.
Group Captain Shukla’s participation in Ax-4 is poised to inspire a new generation, just as Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma did in 1984 when he became the first Indian in space.
“It has been an amazing journey. These are the kind of moments that make you realize you’re part of something far greater than yourself. I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of this mission. My sincere endeavour is to inspire a generation back home in India. If my story can ignite curiosity or change even one life, that alone would make this mission a success for me,” Shukla said.
As Ax-4 lifts off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, it will not only mark a new chapter for commercial spaceflight but also a defining moment in India’s journey into human space exploration.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated the commitment to strengthening the principles in the Constitution and working together to realise the nation’s vision of a Viksit Bharat.
He said this on Wednesday while marking 50 years of the imposition of the Emergency in the country.
In a post on X, PM Modi wrote that this day marks 50 years of one of the darkest chapters in India’s history when the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution were set aside.
“Today marks fifty years since one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history, the imposition of the Emergency. The people of India mark this day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. On this day, the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution were set aside, fundamental rights were suspended, press freedom was extinguished and several political leaders, social workers, students and ordinary citizens were jailed.”
“It was as if the Congress Government in power at that time placed democracy under arrest!” said PM Modi.
He said the country salutes every person who stood up against the tyranny.
“We salute every person who stood firm in the fight against the Emergency! These were the people from all over India, from all walks of life, from diverse ideologies who worked closely with each other with one aim: to protect India’s democratic fabric and to preserve the ideals for which our freedom fighters devoted their lives.”
The Prime Minister said in his post that it was their collective struggle that ensured that the then Congress government had to restore democracy and call for fresh elections, which they badly lost.
Reiterating the commitment to the Constitution and its values, he said, “We also reiterate our commitment to strengthening the principles in our Constitution and working together to realise our vision of a Viksit Bharat.”
“May we scale new heights of progress and fulfil the dreams of the poor and downtrodden,” he added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is observing the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, which was imposed by the Indira Gandhi-led government in 1975, as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Murder Day).
The party has planned extensive outreach programmes at district and booth levels across the country to mark the day as a “dark chapter” in India’s democratic history.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated the commitment to strengthening the principles in the Constitution and working together to realise the nation’s vision of a Viksit Bharat.
He said this on Wednesday while marking 50 years of the imposition of the Emergency in the country.
In a post on X, PM Modi wrote that this day marks 50 years of one of the darkest chapters in India’s history when the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution were set aside.
“Today marks fifty years since one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history, the imposition of the Emergency. The people of India mark this day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. On this day, the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution were set aside, fundamental rights were suspended, press freedom was extinguished and several political leaders, social workers, students and ordinary citizens were jailed.”
“It was as if the Congress Government in power at that time placed democracy under arrest!” said PM Modi.
He said the country salutes every person who stood up against the tyranny.
“We salute every person who stood firm in the fight against the Emergency! These were the people from all over India, from all walks of life, from diverse ideologies who worked closely with each other with one aim: to protect India’s democratic fabric and to preserve the ideals for which our freedom fighters devoted their lives.”
The Prime Minister said in his post that it was their collective struggle that ensured that the then Congress government had to restore democracy and call for fresh elections, which they badly lost.
Reiterating the commitment to the Constitution and its values, he said, “We also reiterate our commitment to strengthening the principles in our Constitution and working together to realise our vision of a Viksit Bharat.”
“May we scale new heights of progress and fulfil the dreams of the poor and downtrodden,” he added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is observing the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, which was imposed by the Indira Gandhi-led government in 1975, as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Murder Day).
The party has planned extensive outreach programmes at district and booth levels across the country to mark the day as a “dark chapter” in India’s democratic history.
SpaceX has confirmed that all systems are “looking good” for the launch of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), as NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX target a 2:31 AM EDT (12:00 PM IST) liftoff on Wednesday for the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
In a post on X on Tuesday (local time), SpaceX stated that weather conditions are 90% favorable for the launch scheduled for Wednesday evening (local time).
“All systems are looking good for Wednesday’s launch of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station, and weather is 90 percent favourable for liftoff,” the company said.
The Ax-4 mission will launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The mission holds special significance for India’s space programme, as the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will be piloted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force. The spacecraft will launch atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
For Group Captain Shukla, this mission presents a historic opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who became the first Indian in space when he flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on April 3, 1984, as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme.
Now, Group Captain Shukla is set to rewrite history by becoming the second Indian in space and the first to travel to the International Space Station.
The four-member Ax-4 crew, currently in quarantine in Florida, will be led by Commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and now Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. The mission specialists include ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
The Ax-4 mission marks a symbolic “return to human spaceflight” for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each country sponsoring its first government-backed human space mission in over 40 years. While Ax-4 is only the second crewed space mission in the history of these nations, it will be the first time all three will participate in a mission aboard the ISS.
For ISRO and Group Captain Shukla, this mission is a significant milestone, laying the foundation for India’s future in human spaceflight. It also paves the way for India’s first crewed space mission, Gaganyaan, slated for launch in the first quarter of 2027, and the country’s long-term goal of landing an Indian on the Moon by 2040.
SpaceX has confirmed that all systems are “looking good” for the launch of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), as NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX target a 2:31 AM EDT (12:00 PM IST) liftoff on Wednesday for the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
In a post on X on Tuesday (local time), SpaceX stated that weather conditions are 90% favorable for the launch scheduled for Wednesday evening (local time).
“All systems are looking good for Wednesday’s launch of Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station, and weather is 90 percent favourable for liftoff,” the company said.
The Ax-4 mission will launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The mission holds special significance for India’s space programme, as the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will be piloted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force. The spacecraft will launch atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
For Group Captain Shukla, this mission presents a historic opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, who became the first Indian in space when he flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on April 3, 1984, as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme.
Now, Group Captain Shukla is set to rewrite history by becoming the second Indian in space and the first to travel to the International Space Station.
The four-member Ax-4 crew, currently in quarantine in Florida, will be led by Commander Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and now Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight. The mission specialists include ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.
The Ax-4 mission marks a symbolic “return to human spaceflight” for India, Poland, and Hungary, with each country sponsoring its first government-backed human space mission in over 40 years. While Ax-4 is only the second crewed space mission in the history of these nations, it will be the first time all three will participate in a mission aboard the ISS.
For ISRO and Group Captain Shukla, this mission is a significant milestone, laying the foundation for India’s future in human spaceflight. It also paves the way for India’s first crewed space mission, Gaganyaan, slated for launch in the first quarter of 2027, and the country’s long-term goal of landing an Indian on the Moon by 2040.
The ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump between Iran and Israel appeared to be holding on Wednesday a day after both countries signalled that their air war had ended, at least for now.
Each side claimed victory on Tuesday after 12 days of war, which the U.S. joined with airstrikes in support of Israel to take out Iran’s uranium-enrichment facilities.
Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said late on Tuesday that talks between the United States and Iran were “promising” and that Washington was hopeful for a long-term peace deal.
“We are already talking to each other, not just directly but also through interlocutors. I think that the conversations are promising. We are hopeful that we can have a long-term peace agreement that resurrects Iran,” Witkoff said in an interview on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” show.
“Now it’s for us to sit down with the Iranians and get to a comprehensive peace agreement, and I am very confident that we are going to achieve that,” he added.
Trump said over the weekend that U.S. stealth bombers had “obliterated” Iran’s programme to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its enrichment activities are for civilian purposes only.
But Trump’s claim appeared to be contradicted by an initial report by one of his administration’s intelligence agencies, according to three people familiar with the matter.
One of the sources said Iran’s enriched uranium stocks had not been eliminated, and the country’s nuclear programme, much of which is buried deep underground, may have been set back only a month or two.
The White House said the intelligence assessment was “flat out wrong.”
According to the report, which was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the strikes sealed off the entrances to two of the facilities, but did not collapse underground buildings, said one of the people familiar with its findings.
Some centrifuges remained intact, the Washington Post said, citing an unnamed person familiar with the report.
Trump’s administration told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday that its weekend strikes had “degraded” Iran’s nuclear programme, short of Trump’s assertion that the facilities had been “obliterated.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the attack had removed the nuclear threat against Israel and he was determined to thwart any attempt by Tehran to revive its weapons program.
“We have removed two immediate existential threats to us: the threat of nuclear annihilation and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles,” he said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had successfully ended the war in what he called a “great victory,” according to Iranian media.
Pezeshkian also told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Tehran was ready to resolve differences with the U.S., according to official news agency IRNA.
Israel launched the surprise air war on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders in the worst blow to the Islamic Republic since the 1980s war with Iraq.
Iran, which denies trying to build nuclear weapons, retaliated with barrages of missiles on Israeli military sites and cities.
RESTRICTIONS LIFTED
Israel’s military lifted restrictions on activity across the country at 8 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) on Tuesday, and officials said Ben Gurion Airport, the country’s main airport near Tel Aviv, had reopened. Iran’s airspace likewise will be reopened, state-affiliated Nournews reported.
Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday, finding some respite after plummeting in the last two sessions, as investors assessed the stability of the ceasefire and the diminished prospect of an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The truce appeared fragile: Both Israel and Iran took hours to acknowledge they had accepted the ceasefire and accused each other of violating it.
Trump scolded both sides but aimed especially stinging criticism at Israel, telling the close U.S. ally to “calm down now.” He later said Israel called off further attacks at his command.
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said he told his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, that his country would respect the ceasefire unless Iran violated it. Pezeshkian likewise said Iran would honour the ceasefire as long as Israel did, according to Iranian media.
Israeli armed forces chief of staff Eyal Zamir said a “significant chapter” of the conflict had concluded but the campaign against Iran was not over. He said the military would refocus on its war against Iran-backed Hamas militants in Gaza.
Iranian authorities said 610 people were killed in their country by Israeli strikes and 4,746 injured. Iran’s retaliatory bombardment killed 28 people in Israel, the first time its air defences were penetrated by large numbers of Iranian missiles.
The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is set to conduct major research during its mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The Ax-4, a landmark private spaceflight to the ISS, will launch on Wednesday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
The research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the US, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe.
This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date.
NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) are collaborating to launch several scientific investigations.
These studies include examining muscle regeneration, growth of sprouts and edible microalgae, survival of tiny aquatic organisms, and human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity.
ISRO’s experiments include the following:
Crop Seeds on ISS
This ISRO experiment will investigate the impacts of spaceflight on six varieties of crop seeds. After the mission, seeds will be grown for multiple generations and plants showing preferred traits selected for genetic analyses. This project aims to help understand how crops may be grown in space for future exploration missions.
Cyanobacteria on ISS
Cyanobacteria are aquatic bacteria that can photosynthesize, and are of interest for integration into spacecraft environmental control systems. This ISRO experiment will compare two strains of cyanobacteria to investigate growth rates, cellular responses, and biochemical activity in microgravity. The results could help with the development of future spacecraft life support systems.
Sprouts
This ISRO experiment will investigate the impacts of spaceflight on germination and growth of crop seeds. After the mission, seeds will be grown for multiple generations and the effects on genetics, microbial load, and nutritional profile investigated. This project aims to help understand how crops may be grown in space for future exploration missions.
Space Microalgae
Microalgae are potentially useful organisms for future spaceflight that could be used as foods, fuel, or even used in life support systems. In this experiment, three strains of microalgae will be grown and the impact of microgravity on the growth, metabolism, and genetic activity will be investigated versus algae grown on the ground.
Myogenesis
This project aims to identify the pathways responsible for skeletal muscle dysfunction in microgravity and explore therapeutic targeting strategies. By studying how muscle loss occurs in space, the project seeks to pinpoint specific molecular mechanisms and potential interventions. Understanding these pathways is crucial for developing treatments to prevent muscle atrophy in astronauts during long space missions. On Earth, the findings could also impact the understanding of and treatments for muscle-related diseases and conditions related to aging or prolonged immobility.
Voyager Displays
This experiment will investigate how the physical and cognitive impact of utilizing computer screens in microgravity. The research will study how pointing tasks, gaze fixation, and rapid eye movements are affected my being performed in space, and how this may interact with subjective experiences of stress wellbeing. The results could inform future spacecraft computer design and interaction.
STEMonstrations
These will consist of four different STEAM outreach activities for Indian students. STEAM stands for Science and Technology, which is interpreted through Engineering and Arts and is based on mathematics.
Voyager Tardigrades
This ISRO project will investigate the revival, survival, and reproduction of tardigrades sent to the ISS. The project will examine the revival of dormant tardigrades, count the number of eggs laid and hatched during a mission, and compare the gene expression patterns of space flown vs. ground control populations. The research seeks to identify molecular mechanisms of resilience which has implications for understanding the limits of life in extreme environments. This knowledge could inform future space exploration and help develop biotechnology applications on Earth.
The Axiom-4 mission also sets the tone for ISRO’s own Gaganyaan Mission, a project to send a 3-day manned mission to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) of 400 km with a crew of three members and bring them safely back to Earth.
The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) is set to conduct major research during its mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The Ax-4, a landmark private spaceflight to the ISS, will launch on Wednesday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
The research complement includes around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, including the US, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, UAE, and nations across Europe.
This will be the most research and science-related activities conducted on an Axiom Space mission aboard the International Space Station to date.
NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) are collaborating to launch several scientific investigations.
These studies include examining muscle regeneration, growth of sprouts and edible microalgae, survival of tiny aquatic organisms, and human interaction with electronic displays in microgravity.
ISRO’s experiments include the following:
Crop Seeds on ISS
This ISRO experiment will investigate the impacts of spaceflight on six varieties of crop seeds. After the mission, seeds will be grown for multiple generations and plants showing preferred traits selected for genetic analyses. This project aims to help understand how crops may be grown in space for future exploration missions.
Cyanobacteria on ISS
Cyanobacteria are aquatic bacteria that can photosynthesize, and are of interest for integration into spacecraft environmental control systems. This ISRO experiment will compare two strains of cyanobacteria to investigate growth rates, cellular responses, and biochemical activity in microgravity. The results could help with the development of future spacecraft life support systems.
Sprouts
This ISRO experiment will investigate the impacts of spaceflight on germination and growth of crop seeds. After the mission, seeds will be grown for multiple generations and the effects on genetics, microbial load, and nutritional profile investigated. This project aims to help understand how crops may be grown in space for future exploration missions.
Space Microalgae
Microalgae are potentially useful organisms for future spaceflight that could be used as foods, fuel, or even used in life support systems. In this experiment, three strains of microalgae will be grown and the impact of microgravity on the growth, metabolism, and genetic activity will be investigated versus algae grown on the ground.
Myogenesis
This project aims to identify the pathways responsible for skeletal muscle dysfunction in microgravity and explore therapeutic targeting strategies. By studying how muscle loss occurs in space, the project seeks to pinpoint specific molecular mechanisms and potential interventions. Understanding these pathways is crucial for developing treatments to prevent muscle atrophy in astronauts during long space missions. On Earth, the findings could also impact the understanding of and treatments for muscle-related diseases and conditions related to aging or prolonged immobility.
Voyager Displays
This experiment will investigate how the physical and cognitive impact of utilizing computer screens in microgravity. The research will study how pointing tasks, gaze fixation, and rapid eye movements are affected my being performed in space, and how this may interact with subjective experiences of stress wellbeing. The results could inform future spacecraft computer design and interaction.
STEMonstrations
These will consist of four different STEAM outreach activities for Indian students. STEAM stands for Science and Technology, which is interpreted through Engineering and Arts and is based on mathematics.
Voyager Tardigrades
This ISRO project will investigate the revival, survival, and reproduction of tardigrades sent to the ISS. The project will examine the revival of dormant tardigrades, count the number of eggs laid and hatched during a mission, and compare the gene expression patterns of space flown vs. ground control populations. The research seeks to identify molecular mechanisms of resilience which has implications for understanding the limits of life in extreme environments. This knowledge could inform future space exploration and help develop biotechnology applications on Earth.
The Axiom-4 mission also sets the tone for ISRO’s own Gaganyaan Mission, a project to send a 3-day manned mission to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) of 400 km with a crew of three members and bring them safely back to Earth.
The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a landmark private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS), will launch on Wednesday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
Axiom Space, in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, organised the mission, which features a diverse international crew and marks a major step forward in commercial and global space exploration.
Scheduled to lift off at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:01 p.m. IST) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the mission will transport four astronauts aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, propelled into orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket. Docking with the ISS is expected at around 7:00 a.m. EDT (4:30 p.m. IST) on Thursday, June 26.
“All systems are looking good for Wednesday’s launch of @Axiom_Space’s Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station and weather is 90 per cent favorable for liftoff. Webcast starts at 12:30 a.m.” SpaceX posted on X ahead of the launch.
Among the crew is Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, representing ISRO, who will serve as the mission’s pilot. He is joined by veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. For India, Hungary, and Poland, this mission signifies a return to human spaceflight after a long hiatus.
Earlier on Tuesday NASA confirmed the final schedule via its official X handle, “With @Axiom_Spaceand @SpaceX, we’re now targeting Wednesday, June 25, to launch #Ax4 to the @Space_Station. The four-member crew, including astronauts from @ESA and @ISRO, is scheduled to lift off at 2:31am ET (0631 UTC).”
Axiom-4 has experienced multiple delays leading up to Wednesday’s launch. Initial postponements were due to unfavourable weather conditions, followed by technical issues, including detected leaks in the Falcon 9 rocket. After a thorough review and resolution of the problems, the launch was cleared.
This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS under Axiom Space’s expanding program, signalling growing international interest in commercial space missions and partnerships.
The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), a landmark private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS), will launch on Wednesday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
Axiom Space, in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, organised the mission, which features a diverse international crew and marks a major step forward in commercial and global space exploration.
Scheduled to lift off at 2:31 a.m. EDT (12:01 p.m. IST) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the mission will transport four astronauts aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, propelled into orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket. Docking with the ISS is expected at around 7:00 a.m. EDT (4:30 p.m. IST) on Thursday, June 26.
“All systems are looking good for Wednesday’s launch of @Axiom_Space’s Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station and weather is 90 per cent favorable for liftoff. Webcast starts at 12:30 a.m.” SpaceX posted on X ahead of the launch.
Among the crew is Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, representing ISRO, who will serve as the mission’s pilot. He is joined by veteran NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ESA astronaut Sławosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. For India, Hungary, and Poland, this mission signifies a return to human spaceflight after a long hiatus.
Earlier on Tuesday NASA confirmed the final schedule via its official X handle, “With @Axiom_Spaceand @SpaceX, we’re now targeting Wednesday, June 25, to launch #Ax4 to the @Space_Station. The four-member crew, including astronauts from @ESA and @ISRO, is scheduled to lift off at 2:31am ET (0631 UTC).”
Axiom-4 has experienced multiple delays leading up to Wednesday’s launch. Initial postponements were due to unfavourable weather conditions, followed by technical issues, including detected leaks in the Falcon 9 rocket. After a thorough review and resolution of the problems, the launch was cleared.
This is the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS under Axiom Space’s expanding program, signalling growing international interest in commercial space missions and partnerships.
‘Fake News’: Trump slams CNN, NYT for reports stating US strikes did not destroy Iranian nuclear sites
US President Donald Trump has slammed CNN for its report suggesting that the US strikes did not destroy nuclear sites in Iran. Trump said CNN, along with The New York Times, teamed up to “demean one of the most successful military strikes in history” and termed it “fake news.”
He reiterated his claim that the US has completely destroyed nuclear sites in Iran. According to him, both the media outlets faced backlash from the people.
In a statement shared on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated, “FAKE NEWS CNN, TOGETHER WITH THE FAILING NEW YORK TIMES, HAVE TEAMED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY. THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED! BOTH THE TIMES AND CNN ARE GETTING SLAMMED BY THE PUBLIC!”
The findings, first reported by CNN, citing seven individuals briefed on the assessments, noted that the early evaluation from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggested that the attacks only caused a temporary disruption, possibly setting Tehran’s nuclear program back by a few months.
The findings based on a battle damage assessment by US Central Command contradict public claims made by US President Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who asserted that the US “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, CNN reported.
As per CNN, citing intelligence sources, the centrifuges in Iran’s nuclear facilities remain mostly functional, and enriched uranium stockpiles were likely moved before the strikes.
The US strikes targeted Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, which inflicted heavy damage to above-ground structures, such as power infrastructure and facilities involved in uranium metal conversion, but failed to neutralise Iran’s underground enrichment systems, as reported by CNN.
As per CNN, citing officials, the US used its B-2 bombers that dropped over a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs during the assault; underground components remained largely intact.
Israel, which conducted their own strikes before the US operation, also found less damage at Fordow than anticipated; however, it was earlier believed that the combined efforts may delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions by up to two years, as reported by CNN. The long-standing doubts over whether the US’s Massive Ordnance Penetrators could penetrate Iran’s deeply buried nuclear sites.
Earlier on Tuesday (local time), Trump has stated that Iran will “never be able to rebuild” its nuclear facilities after recent American airstrikes carried out under “Operation Midnight Hammer” over the weekend while claiming that the sites were now “under rock”, referring to Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote, “IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!”
Shutting off the internet within an entire country is a serious action. It severely limits people’s ability to freely communicate and to find reliable information during times of conflict.
In countries that have privatised mobile and internet providers, control is often exercised through legislation or through government directives – such as age restrictions on adult content. By contrast, Iran has spent years developing the capacity to directly control its telecommunications infrastructure.
So how can a country have broad control over internet access, and could this happen anywhere in the world?
How does ‘blocking the internet’ work?
The “internet” is a broad term. It covers many types of applications, services and, of course, the websites we’re familiar with.
A nation may opt to physically disconnect the incoming internet connectivity at the point of entry to the country (imagine pulling the plug on a telephone exchange).
This allows for easy recovery of service when the government is ready, but the impact will be far-reaching. Nobody in the country, including the government itself, will be able to connect to the internet – unless the government has its own additional, covert connectivity to the rest of the world.
This is where it gets more technical. Every internet-connected endpoint – laptop, computer, mobile phone – has an IP (internet protocol) address. They’re strings of numbers; for example, 77.237.87.95 is an address assigned to one of the internet service providers in Iran.
IP addresses identify the device on the public internet. However, since strings of numbers are not easy to remember, humans use domain names to connect to services – theconversation.com is an example of a domain name.
That connection between the IP address and the domain is controlled by the domain name system or DNS. It’s possible for a government to control access to key internet services by modifying the DNS – this manipulates the connection between domain names and their underlying numeric addresses.
An additional way to control the internet involves manipulating the traffic flow. IP addresses allow devices to send and receive data across networks controlled by internet service providers. In turn, they rely on the border gateway protocol (BGP) – think of it like a series of traffic signs which direct internet traffic flow, allowing data to move around the world.
Governments could force local internet service providers to remove their BGP routes from the internet. As a result, the devices they service wouldn’t be able to connect to the internet. In the same manner, the rest of the world would no longer be able to “see” into the country.
These events clearly show that if a government anywhere in the world wants to turn off the internet, it really can. The democratic state of the country is the most significant influence on the willingness to undertake such action – not the technical capability.
However, in today’s world, being disconnected from the internet will heavily impact people’s lives, jobs and the economy. It’s not an action to be taken lightly.
How can people evade internet controls?
Virtual private networks or VPNs have long been used to hide communications in countries with strict internet controls, and continue to be an effective internet access method for many people. (However, there are indications Iran has clamped down on VPN use in recent times.)
However, VPNs won’t help when the internet is physically disconnected. Depending on configuration, if BGP routes are blocked, this may also prevent any VPN traffic from reaching the target.
This is where independent satellite internet services open up the most reliable alternative. Satellite internet is great for remote and rural areas where traditional internet service providers have yet to establish their cabling infrastructure – or can’t do so.
Even if traditional wired or wireless internet connections are unavailable, services such as Starlink, Viasat, Hughesnet and others can provide internet access through satellites orbiting Earth.
To use satellite internet, users rely on antenna kits supplied by providers. In Iran, Elon Musk’s Starlink was activated during the blackout, and independent reports suggest there are thousands of Starlink receivers secretly operating in the country.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
In a decade of international security crises, this could be the most serious. Is there still time to prevent this from happening?
A successful but vulnerable treaty
In May 2015, I attended the five-yearly review conference of the NPT. Delegates debated a draft outcome for weeks, and then, not for the first time, went home with nothing. Delegates from the US, United Kingdom and Canada blocked the final outcome to prevent words being added that would call for Israel to attend a disarmament conference.
Russia did the same in 2022 in protest at language on its illegal occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine.
Now, in the latest challenge to the NPT, Israel and the US have bombed Iran’s nuclear complexes to ostensibly enforce a treaty neither one respects.
When the treaty was adopted in 1968, it allowed the five nuclear-armed states at the time – the US, Soviet Union, France, UK and China – to join if they committed not to pass weapons or material to other states, and to disarm themselves.
All other members had to pledge never to acquire nuclear weapons. Newer nuclear powers were not permitted to join unless they gave up their weapons.
Israel declined to join, as it had developed its own undeclared nuclear arsenal by the late 1960s. India, Pakistan and South Sudan have also never signed; North Korea was a member but withdrew in 2003. Only South Sudan does not have nuclear weapons today.
To make the obligations enforceable and strengthen safeguards against the diversion of nuclear material to non-nuclear weapons states, members were later required to sign the IAEA Additional Protocol. This gave the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wide powers to inspect a state’s nuclear facilities and detect violations.
It was the IAEA that first blew the whistle on Iran’s concerning uranium enrichment activity in 2003. Just before Israel’s attacks this month, the organisation also reported Iran was in breach of its obligations under the NPT for the first time in two decades.
The NPT is arguably the world’s most universal, important and successful security treaty, but it is also paradoxically vulnerable.
The treaty’s underlying consensus has been damaged by the failure of the five nuclear-weapon states to disarm as required, and by the failure to prevent North Korea from developing a now formidable nuclear arsenal.
North Korea withdrew from the treaty in 2003, tested a weapon in 2006, and now may have up to 50 warheads.
Iran could be next.
How things can deteriorate from here
Iran argues Israel’s attacks have undermined the credibility of the IAEA, given Israel used the IAEA’s new report on Iran as a pretext for its strikes, taking the matter out of the hands of the UN Security Council.
For its part, the IAEA has maintained a principled position and criticised both the US and Israeli strikes.
Iran has retaliated with its own missile strikes against both Israel and a US base in Qatar. In addition, it wasted no time announcing it would withdraw from the NPT.
On June 23, an Iranian parliament committee also approved a bill that would fully suspend Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA, including allowing inspections and submitting reports to the organisation.
Iran’s envoy to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, said the US strikes:
[…] delivered a fundamental and irreparable blow to the international non-proliferation regime conclusively demonstrating that the existing NPT framework has been rendered ineffective.
Even if Israel and the US consider their bombing campaign successful, it has almost certainly renewed the Iranians’ resolve to build a weapon. The strikes may only delay an Iranian bomb by a few years.
Iran will have two paths to do so. The slower path would be to reconstitute its enrichment activity and obtain nuclear implosion designs, which create extremely devastating weapons, from Russia or North Korea.
Alternatively, Russia could send Iran some of its weapons. This should be a real concern given Moscow’s cascade of withdrawals from critical arms control agreements over the last decade.
An Iranian bomb could then trigger NPT withdrawals by other regional states, especially Saudi Arabia, who suddenly face a new threat to their security.
Why Iran might now pursue a bomb
Iran’s support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria’s Assad regime certainly shows it is a dangerous international actor. Iranian leaders have also long used alarming rhetoric about Israel’s destruction.
However repugnant the words, Israeli and US conservatives have misjudged Iran’s motives in seeking nuclear weapons.
Israel fears an Iranian bomb would be an existential threat to its survival, given Iran’s promises to destroy it. But this neglects the fact that Israel already possesses a potent (if undeclared) nuclear deterrent capability.
Israeli anxieties about an Iranian bomb should not be dismissed. But other analysts (myself included) see Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons capability more as a way to establish deterrence to prevent future military attacks from Israel and the US to protect their regime.
Iranians were shaken by Iraq’s invasion in 1980 and then again by the US-led removal of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. This war with Israel and the US will shake them even more.
Last week, I felt that if the Israeli bombing ceased, a new diplomatic effort to bring Iran into compliance with the IAEA and persuade it to abandon its program might have a chance.
However, the US strikes may have buried that possibility for decades. And by then, the damage to the nonproliferation regime could be irreversible.
Anthony Burke received funding from the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council for a project on global nuclear governance (2014–17).
In our guides to the classics, experts explain key literary works.
Ibn Battuta, was born in Tangier, Morocco, on February 24, 1304. From a statement in his celebrated travel book the Rihla (“legal affairs are my ancestral profession,”) he evidently came from an intellectually distinguished family.
According to the Rihla (travelogue), Ibn Battuta embarked on his travels from Tangier at the age of 22 with the intention of performing the Hajj (the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca) in 1325. Although he returned to Fez (his adopted home-town) around the end of 1349, he continued to visit various regions, including Granada and Sudan, in subsequent years.
Over the course of his almost 30 years of travel, Ibn Battuta covered an astonishing distance of approximately 73,000 miles (117,000 kilometres), visiting a region that today encompasses more than 50 countries. His journeys covered much of the medieval Islamic world and beyond, excluding Northern Europe.
In 1355, he returned to Morocco for the last time and remained there for the rest of his life. Upon his return he dictated his experiences, observations and anecdotes to the Andalusian scholar Ibn Juzayy, with a compilation of his travels completed in 1355 or 1356.
The work, formally titled A Gift to Researchers on the Curiosities of Cities and the Marvels of Journeys, is more commonly referred to as Rihlat Ibn Battuta or simply Rihla.
A painting of Ibn Battuta (on right) in Egypt by Leon Benett. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
More than a travelogue or geographical record, this book provides rich insights into 14th-century social and political life, capturing cultural diversity across nations. Ibn Battuta details local lifestyles, linguistic traits, beliefs, clothing, cuisines, holidays, artistic traditions and gender relations, as well as commercial activities and currencies.
His observations also include geographical features such as mountains, rivers and agricultural products. Notably, the work highlights his encounters with over 60 sultans and more than 2,000 prominent figures, making it a valuable historical resource.
The travels
His travels began after a dream. According to Ibn Battuta, one night, while in Fuwwa, a town near Alexandria in Egypt, he dreamed of flying on a massive bird across various lands, landing in a dark, greenish country.
To test the local sheikh’s mystical knowledge, he decided if the sheikh knew of his dream, he was truly extraordinary. The next morning, after leading the dawn prayer, he saw the sheikh bid farewell to visitors. Later, the sheikh astonishingly revealed knowledge of Ibn Battuta’s dream and prophesied his pilgrimage through Yemen, Iraq, Turkey and India.
At the time, the Middle East was under the rule of the Mamluk sultanate, Anatolia was divided among principalities and the Mongol Ilkhanate state controlled Iran, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.
Ibn Battuta initially travelled through North Africa, Egypt, Palestine and Syria, completing his first Hajj in 1326.
He then visited Iraq and Iran, returning to Mecca. In 1328, he explored East Africa, reaching Mogadishu, Mombasa, Sudan and Kilwa (modern Tanzania), as well as Yemen, Oman and Anatolia, where he documented cities like Alanya, Konya, Erzurum, Nicaea and Bursa.
His descriptions are vivid. Describing the city of Dimyat, on the bank of the Nile, he says:
Many of the houses have steps leading down to the Nile. Banana trees are especially abundant there, and their fruit is carried to Cairo in boats. Its sheep and goats are allowed to pasture at liberty day and night, and for this reason the saying goes of Dimyat, ‘Its wall is a sweetmeat and its dogs are sheep’. No one who enters the city may afterwards leave it except by the governor’s seal […]
Farmland on the banks of the Nile river today. Alice-D/shutterstock
When it comes to Anatolia (in modern-day Turkey), he declares:
This country, known as the Land of Rum, is the most beautiful in the world. While Allah Almighty has distributed beauty to other lands separately, He has gathered them all here. The most beautiful and well-dressed people live in this land, and the most delicious food is prepared here […] From the moment we arrived, our neighbors — both men and women — showed great concern for our wellbeing. Here, women do not shy away from men; when we departed, they bid us farewell as if we were family, expressing their sadness through tears.
A judge and husband
In 1332, Ibn Battutua met the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
Since Ibn Battuta dictated his work, it’s difficult to assess the extent of the scribe’s influence in recording his narratives. Despite being an educated man, he occasionally narrates like a commoner and sometimes exceeds the bounds of polite language. At times, he provides excessive detail, giving the impression he may be quoting from sources beyond his own observations.
Nevertheless, the Rihla stands out for its engaging style and captivating anecdotes, drawing readers in.
Ibn Battuta later journeyed through Crimea, Central Asia, Khwarezm (a large oasis region in the territories of present-day Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), Bukhara (a city in Uzbekistan), and the Hindu Kush Mountains. In 1332, he met Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos and travelled to Istanbul with the caravan of Uzbek Khan’s third wife. He mentions a caravan that even has a market:
Whenever the caravan halted, food was cooked in great brass cauldrons, called dasts, and supplied from them to the poorer pilgrims and those who had no provisions. […] This caravan contained also animated bazaars and great supplies of luxuries and all kinds of food and fruit. They used to march during the night and light torches in front of the file of camels and litters, so that you saw the countryside gleaming with light and the darkness turned into radiant day.
Ibn Battuta arrived in Delhi in 1333, where he served as a judge under Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq for seven years. He married or was married to local women in many of the places he stayed. Among his wives were ordinary people as well as the daughters of the administrative class.
Miniature painting in Mughal style depicting the court of Muhammad bin Tughluq. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
The Sultan’s generosity, intelligence and unconventional ruling style both impressed and surprised Ibn Battuta. However, Muhammad bin Tughluq was known for making excessively harsh and abrupt decisions at times, which led Ibn Battuta to approach him with caution. Nevertheless, with the Sultan’s support, he remained in India for a long time and was eventually chosen as an ambassador to China in 1341.
In 1345 his mission was disrupted when his ship capsized off the coast of Calcutta (then known as Sadqawan) in the Indian Ocean. Though he survived, he lost most of his possessions.
After the incident, he remained in India for a while before continuing his journey by other means. During this period, he travelled through India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. He served as a judge in the latter for one and a half years. In 1345, he journeyed to China via Bengal, Burma and Sumatra, reaching the city of Guangzhou but limiting his exploration to the southern coast.
He was among the first Arab travellers to record Islam’s spread in the Malay Archipelago, noting interactions between Muslims and Hindu-Buddhist communities. Visiting Java and Sumatra, he praised Sultan Malik al-Zahir of Sumatra as a generous, pious and scholarly ruler and highlighted his rare practice of walking to Friday prayers.
On his return, Ibn Battuta explored regions such as Iran, Iraq, North Africa, Spain and the Kingdom of Mali, documenting the vast Islamic world.
Back in his homeland, Ibn Battuta served as a judge in several locations. He died around 1368-9 while serving as a judge in Morocco and was buried in his birthplace, Tangier.
Historic copy of selected parts of the Travel Report by Ibn Battuta, 1836 CE, Cairo. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
The status of women
Ibn Battuta’s travels revealed intriguing insights into the status of women across regions. In inner West Africa, he observed matriarchal practices where lineage and inheritance were determined by the mother’s family.
Among Turks, women rode horses like raiders, traded actively and did not veil their faces.
In the Maldives, husbands leaving the region had to abandon their wives. He noted that Muslim women there, including the ruling woman, did not cover their heads. Despite attempting to enforce the hijab as a judge, he failed.
He offers fascinating insights into food cultures. In Siberia, sled dogs were fed before humans. He described 15-day wedding feasts in India.
He tried local produce such as mango in the Indian subcontinent, which he compared to an apple, and sun-dried, sliced fish in Oman.
Religious practices
Ibn Battuta’s accounts of the Hajj (pilgrimage) rituals he performed six times provide a unique perspective. He references a fatwa by Ibn Taymiyyah, prominent Islamic scholar and theologian known for his opposition to theological innovations and critiques of Sufism and philosophy, advising against shortening prayers for those travelling to Medina.
Ibn Battuta’s accounts, particularly regarding the Iranian region, offer important perspectives into religious sects during a period when Iran started shifting from Sunnism to Shiism. He describes societies with diverse demographics, including Persians, Azeris, Kurds, Arabs and Baluchis. His observations on religious practices are especially significant.
Inclined toward Sufism, Ibn Battuta often dressed like a dervish during his travels. He offers a compelling view of Islamic mysticism. He considered regions like Damascus as places of abundance and Anatolia as a land of compassion, interpreting them with a spiritual perspective.
His accounts of Sufi education, dervish lodges, zawiyas (similar to monasteries), and tombs, along with the special invocations of Sufi masters, are important historical records. He also observed and documented unique practices, such as the followers of the Persian Sufi saint Sheikh Qutb al-Din Haydar wearing iron rings on their hands, necks, ears, and even private parts to avoid sexual intercourse.
While Ibn Battuta primarily visited Muslim lands, he also travelled to non-Muslim territories, offering key understandings into different religious cultures, for instance interactions between Crimean Muslims and Christian Armenians in the Golden Horde region.
He also documented churches, icons and monasteries, such as the tomb of the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem. His observation of Muslims openly reciting the call to prayer (adhan) in China is significant.
Other anecdotes include the division of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus into a mosque and Christian church. Most importantly, his encounters with Hindus and Buddhists in the Indian subcontinent and Malay Islands provide rich historical context.
His accounts of death rituals reveal diverse practices. In Sinop (a city in Turkey), 40 days of mourning were declared for a ruler’s mother, while in Iran, a funeral resembled a wedding celebration. He observed similarities in cremation practices between India and China and described a chilling custom in some regions where slaves and concubines were buried alive with the deceased.
Ibn Battuta’s Rihla, widely translated into Eastern and Western languages, has drawn some criticism for containing depictions that sometimes diverge from historical continuity or borrow from other works. Ibn Battuta himself admitted to using earlier travel books as references.
Despite limited recognition in older sources, the Rihla gained prominence in the West in the 19th century. His legacy remains vibrant today. Morocco declared 1996–1997 the “Year of Ibn Battuta,” and established a museum in Tangier to honour him. In Dubai, a mall is named after him.
Notably, Ibn Battuta travelled to more destinations than Marco Polo and shared a broader range of humane anecdotes, showcasing the depth and diversity of his experiences.
Ismail Albayrak does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
