Author: India BBC News Correspondent

Asha Bhosle, the legendary playback singer whose career spans seven decades and whose recorded output is, by most estimates, larger than any other singer in recorded music history, was hospitalised in Mumbai on Sunday. She is 91 years old. Her team issued a brief statement confirming the hospitalisation and asking for privacy. “Didi is receiving the best possible care. The family asks for your prayers and your understanding,” the statement said, using the affectionate term her close associates use for her. Her Significance Any attempt to summarise Asha Bhosle’s contribution to Indian music risks being inadequate by definition. The Guinness…

Peace talks between the United States and Iran began in a location that has not been officially disclosed — described in diplomatic communiqués as “a neutral venue in the Gulf region.” The talks are being facilitated by Oman, which has historically served as a back-channel intermediary in US-Iran relations, most recently in the preliminary contacts that led to the nuclear negotiations of the Obama era. Trump, speaking at a White House briefing, described Iran’s leadership as having “no cards left to play” — a characterisation that is both tactically true in some respects and diplomatically impolitic in the ways that…

The Supreme Court has sharply criticised a state police force for filing a First Information Report in a sexual assault case that omitted the rape and POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) charges — despite the facts presented by the complainant clearly establishing those offences. The bench, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar, described the omission as “a serious failure of the investigating agency’s basic responsibility” and directed that the FIR be amended immediately to include the correct charges. What Happened The case involved a minor girl. The complainant’s account included facts that, under standard legal interpretation,…

A 13-year-old girl who had run away from her home in rural Maharashtra was located safe by police in a town approximately 80 kilometres from where she lived. She had been missing for four days before her parents filed a complaint, and located within 48 hours of the complaint being registered. The girl is with her family and receiving care. Details of her circumstances are being kept private consistent with protections for minors. The Search and Recovery Maharashtra Police’s approach to missing child cases has evolved over the past decade, partly driven by NHRC directives and partly by the establishment…

Lebanon’s government issued a statement on Monday clarifying that any formal talks with Israel would require a ceasefire to be in place first — a sequencing condition that directly responds to Israeli proposals for talks without a prior ceasefire commitment. The distinction matters more than it might appear: Lebanon is effectively saying it won’t negotiate under fire, while Israel’s position — which has US backing — is that talks and a cessation of hostilities can proceed simultaneously or in parallel. What Lebanon Is Asking For Lebanon’s position, as articulated by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, is that the Israeli conditions for…

The survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse network who have sought a meeting with the King and Queen of England have found that request significantly harder to arrange than media coverage might suggest. Royal household protocols, legal advice to the institution, and the sensitivity of any implied institutional acknowledgment of connection have collectively produced what one advocate described as “a wall of polite obstruction.” The context: several of the women who are named plaintiffs in ongoing civil litigation related to Epstein’s network have alleged that connections to the British royal family — specifically regarding Prince Andrew, who settled a civil suit…

Iran-US ceasefire news live coverage captured a Trump statement that was, characteristically, both combative and conditional: Iranians have “no cards left to play,” he said, but the ceasefire remains in place “as long as they behave themselves.” The statement is being read by diplomatic correspondents as a public negotiating position — establishing American strength while preserving the possibility of a deal. It is also being read by Iran watchers as exactly the kind of statement that makes Iranian internal politics complicated: hardliners who opposed the ceasefire can point to “no cards left to play” as evidence that negotiating with the…

Noida International Airport — the new greenfield airport being developed at Jewar in Greater Noida — has completed the first phase of construction that will allow it to handle commercial flights. The target for the first commercial service has been confirmed as later this year, making it one of the most anticipated infrastructure openings in India’s recent aviation history. The airport is designed to eventually relieve the pressure on Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, which is operating close to its capacity limits during peak periods. Phase 1 of Jewar will have a capacity of approximately 12 million passengers annually…

Coachella’s fashion coverage has become its own genre, and the 2025 festival delivered the expected array of bold choices, international style crossovers, and moments that will be endlessly replayed and discussed. But two presences at Coachella this year made for a specific kind of cultural moment: Diljit Dosanjh and Rihanna, at the same event. Dosanjh was performing — his second Coachella headline set, following the breakthrough of his 2023 appearance that introduced him to a global audience that didn’t know Punjabi pop could do this. Rihanna was attending, in her capacity as a festival-goer and brand presence. The Style Contrast…

Mukul Choudhary from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, has been selected for the Indian junior athletics team — fulfilling what his family describes as his late father’s most cherished ambition. His father, who was himself a promising middle-distance runner whose career was cut short by a farm accident, had identified his son’s talent early and made his coaching a family project that continued after the father’s death. “He used to say, ‘run until you can’t hear my voice anymore, and then run a little more,’” Mukul said in an interview after the selection announcement. He spoke about his father with the combination of…