On Passport Seva Divas — the day India celebrates its passport services — the Ministry of External Affairs announced that the Indian passport is not proof of citizenship. The questions that followed are anything but simple

‘Passport should not be treated as a citizenship document,’ says Ministry of External Affairs
A passport serves to attest the nationality of Indians when they are abroad. It cannot be considered as a proof of citizenship, said the government ministry

Kunal Shah, Indian start-up fintech founder, is new WhatsApp head
Will Cathcart, who oversaw Meta's popular messaging platform for nearly seven years, has announced that it 'felt like the right moment to step back'
Editor’s Picks

12 Indian nationals killed in Ras Laffan gas factory blast in Qatar
The Ras Laffan Port suffered extensive damage during the US-Israel war with Iran. So operations at the gas facility were stopped in March. This major blast occurred when the workers were engaged in restarting the operations

Small connections count
The impact of small interactions is not only subjective, but also neurobiological. Such interactions aren’t just polite, they’re protective. They signal to your body to not always remain in a state of hyper vigilance, but to learn to let loose in a safe and secure manner. It reminds the heart and mind of the prevalence of basic human kindness

‘NRIs must evolve into investors, entrepreneurs, and knowledge partners,’ says Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan
In order to attract investment from NRIs, Kerala plans to ease regulations and unlock its 'land bank' to foster development in important sectors such as aviation, logistics, and shipping

FCNR deposit scheme: Banks seek RBI approval to permit NRIs to prematurely withdraw funds
The FCNR deposit scheme, subject to certain conditions, offers almost double the returns of regular term deposits. Banks are offering 6% to 7.1% for three- to five-year deposits under the special scheme. Earlier, it was 3.35% to 4% only
മലയാളം

മിഡിൽ ഈസ്റ്റിൽ പ്രതീക്ഷയാവുന്ന പുനർ നിർമാണം
35 ലക്ഷത്തോളം മലയാളികൾ ജോലി ചെയ്യുന്ന ഗൾഫ് മേഖല എന്നും നമുക്ക് അക്ഷയ ഖനിയാണ്. ദശലക്ഷക്കണക്കിനു കുടുംബങ്ങളിൽ പ്രധാന വരുമാന മാർഗം തന്നെ ഗൾഫിൽ നിന്നുള്ള വരുമാനമാണ്

യുദ്ധം മുറുകി നിൽക്കുമ്പോഴും പ്രത്യാശ കൈവിടാതെ പ്രവാസികൾ
ഒരാഴ്ചയോളം യുദ്ധം തുടർന്നാൽ തന്നെ അത് ഗൾഫിലെ പ്രവാസികൾക്കു പിടിച്ചു നിൽക്കാൻ കഴിയാത്ത പ്രതിസന്ധിയിലേക്കു വഴുതിപ്പോവുന്ന സാഹചര്യം സൃഷ്ടിക്കാം. എന്നാൽ യുഎസ്-ഇസ്രയേലി ആക്രമണങ്ങൾ ലക്ഷ്യം കണ്ടാൽ ഇറാന് ഗൾഫിനെ വിറപ്പിക്കാൻ കഴിയുന്ന കരുത്തു നഷ്ടമാവും
Columns
Featured Stories

Indian expat dies during cricket match in Dubai
Mohammed Safwan Shanu collapsed during a game of cricket and was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. He was only 38 years old

When clothes speak a language of their own
Are garments second skin - the reason why we love that ikkat kurta our mom wore, and that flaming red Banarasi brocade our grandma left for us? Discarded textile scraps tell painful stories of the Partition, as three textile artists embroider, dye, paint on waste, and crochet, to say that fabrics have emotion

Peace deal: a stronger return to business — and life — as usual for NRIs
As an Iran-US MoU takes shape, NRIs in the UAE share why they see it as a clear signal that the region and the opportunities within it — including the India-UAE corridor — are ready to get stronger than ever before

US, Iran agree to end war; Hormuz to open, nukes to be discussed in 60 days
In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump said, “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all”

Attacks on Indian ships in Hormuz are unacceptable. New Delhi’s silence is shocking
Podcast: Executive Editor Simran Sodhi says the Indian government remains a mute spectator as its sailors are killed when caught in the crossfire

RBI launches dollar-rupee swap scheme for NRI investors
Experts feel that banks may be required to raise the rates by at least 100 basis points to get NRIs to invest funds. The new FCNR(B) deposits scheme would be successful if banks offered higher rates to investors, like hiking the interest rates to 5.5% or more

Three Indian sailors killed in US military strikes on oil tanker off Oman
The three seafarers identified as deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya and chief engineer Patnala Suresh were on board the Palau-flagged oil tanker, the Settebello, when one of the US warplanes fired on the tanker in the Gulf of Oman, disabling the vessel

NRI businessman Shamsheer Vayalil launches Dh1m fund for Dubai accident victims
The families of the seven deceased victims will receive Dh100,000 each, while Dh180,000 has been allocated to support the nine injured survivors based on medical and recovery needs
