Tharoor back in campaign spotlight as Congress signals thaw in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI) A thaw was visible in Shashi Tharoor's strained ties with Congress leaders in Kerala after his meeting with Rahul Gandhi, with a prominent state leader on Friday naming the Thiruvananthapuram MP a star campaigner for the party-led UDF in the upcoming polls.
Tharoor met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Thursday to seek redress for his grievances, after which he said "all is good" and "we are all on the same page", signalling a rapprochement with his party ahead of the crucial Kerala Assembly polls.
"He (Tharoor) will be in the front row of the campaign initiated by the UDF in Kerala for the elections," Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, told reporters here in response to a query.
Describing Tharoor as a global citizen and a noted writer, Satheesan said he has a strong connect with the people.
"So, he will be at the forefront of the election campaign. He is also part of the Congress party in Kerala and will be more active in the state because of the elections. For the next two months, he will be here," Satheesan said.
He added that the party is planning to take him to all 140 assembly constituencies in Kerala.
Last week, Tharoor skipped a key Kerala poll strategy meeting amid reported disappointment over being sidelined, with the tipping point said to be Rahul Gandhi not acknowledging him at a Kochi event.
Sources said Gandhi named other senior leaders on stage but did not mention Tharoor, a four-time MP and CWC member, triggering fresh unease.
He also faced criticism last year over remarks on India-Pakistan tensions, though Tharoor has maintained his views align with the party and support bipartisan foreign policy.
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The Latest: Kuwait blames Iran for drone strikes as Trump casts doubt on ceasefire
Dubai (AP): US President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the effectiveness of the two-week ceasefire over Iran's continued chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz, while Kuwait accused Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks targeting it on Thursday despite the ceasefire.
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard denied launching attacks on Persian Gulf states after Kuwait's announcement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a potential boost to ceasefire efforts in the region when he said he had approved direct talks with Lebanon. The Lebanese government has not responded as of Friday morning.
The announcement came after Israel's pounding of Beirut Wednesday killed more than 300 people. The negotiations are expected next week in Washington, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Questions remained over what will happen to Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium at the heart of tensions, how and when normal traffic will resume through the Strait of Hormuz, and what happens to Iran's ability to launch future missile attacks and support armed proxies in the region.
Talks between the United States and Iran on a resolution to the conflict are expected to start Saturday in Islamabad, with the White House saying Vice President JD Vance would lead the US delegation.
Here is the latest:
Air defence fire and explosions heard in Iran
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Multiple times overnight into Friday morning, people around Iran's capital, Tehran, and other parts of the country said they heard what sounded like air defence fire and explosions.
However, Iran's government did not acknowledge any attack during that period.
After past exchanges of fire with Israel, similar incidents happened as troops remained on edge.
Japan releases more oil reserves
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Japan said it will release an additional 20 days' worth of oil reserves in May, in a second round to address supply uncertainty over the war in the Middle East.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the planned release of the government reserves will start in early May, after an earlier release last month.
Japan started releasing about 50 days' worth of oil reserves in March, including from those held by the state, the private sector and oil-producing Gulf nations.
As of April 6, Japan had 230 days' worth oil reserves, including 143 days' worth in government stockpiles, according to the Natural Resources and Energy Agency.
Takaichi said her government is working to secure oil imports via routes that do not include the Strait of Hormuz, while Japan seeks to diversify suppliers.
Pakistan to issue visas on arrival ahead of talks
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Pakistan said Friday it would issue visas on arrival for those travelling to Islamabad for the Iran-US talks, signalling the interest in the world's media in the event.
