Major Moscow Bombing Plot Foiled; ‘Ukrainian Agents' Killed Kilometres Away From Putin's House
Iran's envoy to UN rejected the presence of Israel at Security Council meeting in New York. Saeid Iravani insisted that the attacks on its nuclear facilities had 'no legal basis.' Iravani added that while Tehran complies with atomic regulations, Israel remains "the region's only undeclared nuclear-armed entity and non-party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty," refusing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections and monitoring. "If there were a Nobel Prize for deception, the Iranian regime would win it every single year. It has broken every commitment it has ever made," responded Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon. He proclaimed that the IAEA is 'completely blind' as Iran enriches uranium to 60% with 'no civilian application', stating that all the nuclear work talks were 'a framework for deception.' Watch their fierce faceoff.
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Economic Times
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A same-sex couple has challenged a discriminatory tax law in Bombay High Court. The couple argues that the law unfairly taxes gifts between same-sex partners. Heterosexual couples do not face this tax burden. The petitioners claim this violates constitutional rights. The court admitted the petition and will notify the Attorney General. The LGBTQIA+ community is closely watching the case. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads 'The love that dare not speak its name' spoke up against an 'uneven' tax code on Thursday morning at Room number 6 of the Bombay High Court, a theatre of many epic legal battles. A same-sex couple, in a relationship for years, has moved the court, challenging the law that discriminates against them by taxing the gifts received by one partner from the Income Tax Act, no such tax on gifts is levied for a heterosexual couple, even if the partners are not formally married but are presumed to be in a marriage. They are not taxed simply because they have the possibility of getting to the petitioners, such unequal economic treatment to same-sex couples, who may be in a long, stable relationship, would amount to a denial of the equal protection of the law on the basis of sex --- a form of discrimination prohibited by Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution of the petition, the bench comprising Justice and Firdoush Pooniwalla said the court would send a notice to the Attorney General as it raises a constitutional petitioners, Payio Ashiho, a homemaker, and his partner Vivek Divan, a lawyer who had practised at the High Court and worked at the UN headquarters, were represented by Advocate Dr Dhruv to curb tax evasion, Section 56(2)(x) of the IT Act taxes any money, property, or other assets received without adequate consideration if their value exceeds Rs 50,000. Such receipts or gifts are categorised as 'income from other sources'. However, as per the fifth proviso to Section 56(2)(x), such gifts are not treated as 'income from other sources' and therefore not taxed, when received from 'relatives', which also includes 'spouses' (a term that the statute does not separately explain).Unlike the partners in a heterosexual couple, the petitioners are unable to claim tax benefit as they would not legally qualify as 'spouses' as they belong to the same petition challenges the constitutional validity of the explanation to the fifth proviso to Section 56(2)(x) of the Act, insofar as it discriminates against same-sex couples in taxing gifts received from one partner to petitioners have prayed before the court, (1) to declare the reference to the term 'spouse' as unconstitutional in so far as it excludes same-sex couples in the same circumstances; (2) to declare that the particular proviso is applicable to same-sex couples in a long, stable relationship; (3) restrain tax authorities from carrying out reassessment and imposing penalties relating to transactions between the petitioners. It may be pointed out that the petitioners neither seek recognition nor presumption of outcome of the proceedings, according to legal circles, would be closely followed by the LGBTQIA+ community as it could have a bearing on investments, property ownerships, and some legal victories, community members, often voicing the discriminations they encounter, believe they still have a long way to go in preserving their dignity and freedom. While in 2018, the apex court had decriminalised same-sex relationship by scrapping a colonial era law, in 2023, a five-member Supreme Court bench declined to recognise LGBTQIA+ persons' right to marry under the Special Marriage Act, K Singh, managing partner of law firm Capstone Legal said For such a prayer to be granted, an expansive reading of the word 'spouse' is required to be considered by the Court.'However, the biggest bottleneck would be the fact that no legal provision in India recognises the rights of same sex couples,' said Singh.
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This narrow maritime chokepoint links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, through which roughly a third of global seaborne trade Houthi rebel attacks on shipping have disrupted trade and inflated insurance costs. For Washington, the prospect of securing a monitoring base in Somaliland, out of reach of adversarial influence and within striking distance of a major shipping artery, is a tempting strategic and leverageBeyond military positioning, Somaliland is dangling another prize: untapped mineral wealth. Geological surveys suggest deposits of lithium, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, alongside tin, gold, gemstones and industrial potential economic outcomes are starkly different. An extract-and-export model would bring royalties and jobs but risk locking Somaliland into a familiar trap: resource dependency without long-term industrial growth. By contrast, developing local refining and manufacturing could transform the economy, expand employment, and embed the country into global supply is where geopolitics sharpens the offer. By securing lithium access with guarantees on responsible mining and supply stability, Somaliland could become a key link in Western efforts to reduce dependence on strategic minerals from protectorate to pariahSomaliland's current path was shaped by a turbulent history. Once the British Protectorate of Somaliland, it gained independence on 26 June 1960 before voluntarily uniting with Italian Somaliland to form Somalia. Discontent grew under centralised rule from Mogadishu, culminating in brutal campaigns against the Isaaq clan during Siad Barre's dictatorship — violence that many consider Barre fell in 1991, Somaliland broke away, choosing stability over Somalia's subsequent decades of turmoil. It built governance structures from the ground up, approved a new constitution in 2001, and has since held multiple peaceful elections, including a 2024 vote that saw Abdullahi's Waddani party take power, one of the few non-violent opposition victories in Africa that democracy has not brought prosperity. The economy, worth around $7 billion in 2022, depends heavily on remittances. International loans and aid from bodies like the World Bank remain inaccessible due to its unrecognised investment and failed dealsDespite these hurdles, Somaliland has attracted strategic investment. In 2016, DP World took over management of the Port of Berbera, later partnering with Ethiopia. A more recent 2024 deal to grant Ethiopia a 50-year lease on part of Somaliland's coastline in exchange for recognition collapsed after Mogadishu and Addis Ababa mended ties under Turkish diplomatic setback has likely influenced Hargeisa's decision to turn to Washington. The US already maintains a heavy military presence in Djibouti, but the crowded, costly port city is also home to China's first overseas base which is a constant reminder of great power rivalry. Somaliland's location offers an alternative, free from Beijing's direct recognition roadblockReports indicate that US-Somaliland talks over partial recognition and base access have been ongoing since March 2025. But formal recognition faces major obstacles. Washington, like the African Union, officially supports a 'One Somalia' policy, wary of encouraging separatist movements across the federal government strongly opposes Somaliland's independence, and from a counter-terrorism standpoint, the US is reluctant to weaken Mogadishu's authority in the fight against Al-Shabaab. In recent African history, only Eritrea and South Sudan have achieved widely accepted statehood after these constraints, President Abdullahi has floated a phased approach: deepen military and economic ties first, and push for formal diplomatic recognition between powersThe timing of Somaliland's overture is no accident. The Horn of Africa has become a focal point for global competition. The UAE is entrenched at Berbera, China is in Djibouti, and US-China tensions are playing out in the shipping lanes of the Red Sea. For Washington, aligning with a relatively democratic, pro-Western Somaliland could strengthen supply chains, bolster maritime security, and counter Chinese influence, all without the political baggage of stakes for SomalilandFor Hargeisa, the stakes could not be higher. A US security partnership and resource deal could transform its economic and diplomatic fortunes. But failure could mean continued limbo: stable, functional, but invisible on the world thirty-four years of surviving without recognition, Somaliland is making its boldest move yet. In an era defined by strategic competition, it is betting that the right deal, at the right moment, might finally turn survival into sovereignty.- Ends
