New Delhi: The Indian Navy inducted on Wednesday its first vessel constructed using traditional shipbuilding techniques dating back to the 5th century.
The 21-meter wooden ship is a stitched ship, a type of boat that is carvel-built, with its planks stitched together using cords or ropes. The technique was popular in ancient India in constructing ocean-going vessels.
Named Kaundinya, the ship is a recreation of a vessel inspired by a painting from the Ajanta Caves — a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Maharashtra state, where ancient Buddhist rock-cut monuments feature exquisite murals dating from the 2nd century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E.
“The whole concept was to kind of connect to our ancient methodology of how the construction takes place and also, subsequently, connect to the historical maritime routes which Indian seafarers took during that particular time,” Cdr. Vivek Madhwal, spokesperson of the Indian Navy, told Arab News.
Funded by the Ministry of Culture, the project was launched in July 2023 and constructed by artisans from Kerala, who were led by master Indian shipwright Babu Sankaran. The vessel was completed in February this year.
The INSV Kaundinya’s induction into the Indian Navy took place in the presence of Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at the Naval Base Karwar in Karnataka, on the country’s western coast along the Arabian Sea.
The ship will sail its first transoceanic voyage from Gujarat to Oman.
“That is one of the routes which was used by the ancient seafarers,” Madhwal said, adding that new routes will be considered in the future, after the first journey.
The Indian Navy collaborated with the Department of Ocean Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras to conduct model testing of the vessel’s hydrodynamic behavior at sea. The navy has also tested the wooden mast system, which was constructed without the use of contemporary materials.
“Every aspect of the ship had to balance historical authenticity with seaworthiness, leading to design choices that were both innovative and true to the maritime traditions of ancient India,” the Indian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
“The combination of a stitched hull, square sails, wooden spars, and traditional steering mechanisms makes the vessel unlike any ship currently in naval service anywhere in the world.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday Islamabad had not engaged in any new military cooperation with Tehran since Israel launched attacks on Iran last week and had not held specific talks with the United States over the escalating crisis in the Middle East.
Iran, which borders Pakistan, has hit back with strikes against Israel after it unleashed waves of attacks on Friday at Iranian nuclear installations, missile stockpiles, scientists, and military generals, among other targets, sparking global alarm that the conflict could erupt into a regional war.
The latest escalation follows months of hostilities between Israel and Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, which intensified after the war in Gaza was launched late in 2023. Regional powers fear a direct confrontation could spiral into a broader conflict involving major oil shipping lanes and global energy supplies. For Pakistan, a close Iranian neighbor and a longtime opponent of Israel, a prolonged conflict risks disrupting border security, inflaming sectarian tensions at home, and possibly putting it in a tight spot with other Arab allies and the West.
Speaking in an interview to Arab News, Asif said regular security cooperation was continuing with Iran along their shared border to combat militant groups, but no fresh operational coordination had been initiated in response to Israel’s attacks on Iranian territory since June 13.
“I don’t see any need of [it],” the defense minister said in response to a question on whether Pakistan’s military was coordinating with Iranian counterparts on the border or engaging in any fresh defense cooperation.
“We coordinate on a very regular basis as far as the Iran and Pakistan border is concerned because of terrorist activities… that sort of cooperation is already on. So I don’t see any new activity.”
Asked if Pakistan had held talks with Washington to discuss the fast-evolving situation, the defense minister said there had been no recent contact specifically on the crisis in the past five days:
“But we are in constant touch with the United States of America regarding the tense situation we have in this region.”
Asif said Pakistan’s leadership was instead focused on engagement with close partners like China and Muslim countries to press for calm, warning that the conflict risked engulfing the entire region.
“The countries who have religious affinity with us or geographical affinity, even China or other countries, because what we are pursuing is peace,” he said.
“And we would like to mobilize the countries of this region that this conflict can multiply and it can engulf the whole region into a situation which could be very, very disastrous.”
Smoke rises from a fire, as the Israel-Iran air war continues, in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released June 17, 2025. (Social Media via REUTERS)
NUCLEAR FACILITIES “MILITANTLY GUARDED”
Diplomatic and security experts warn that the Israel-Iran hostilities could affect Pakistan by destabilizing its western border with Iran, threatening energy imports as oil prices surge, and creating new pressures in Pakistan’s relations with the US and Gulf partners if Islamabad is seen as tilting too far toward Tehran. On the other hand, if Tehran were to fall or be severely weakened, analysts say Pakistan would likely side with the United States and its allies — despite being Iran’s immediate neighbor — to protect its strategic and economic interests.
Addressing concerns over past remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that have drawn parallels between Iran and Pakistan as so-called “militant Islamic regimes” that needed to be deterred, Asif rejected any immediate threat to Pakistan from Tel Aviv but stressed Islamabad would remain vigilant.
“If we are threatened by Israel, which I will discount at the moment… what happens in the coming months or years I can’t predict, but at the moment I discount [a threat from Israel],” he said.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif speaks with Arab News Pakistan in Islamabad, Pakistan, on June 17, 2025. (AN photo)
He described Israel as a state with “hegemonic intent” whose recent actions in Gaza and against Iran were “extremely dangerous to the immediate region,” and said global public opinion was turning against Israeli policies despite support or muted reactions from many Western governments.
Asif declined to comment on reports that Pakistan had scrambled fighter jets near its nuclear sites and the Iranian border in response to Israel’s initial strikes on Iran but insisted that its nuclear security remained robust.
In addition to the Middle East tensions, Pakistan faced a major military standoff with India last month in which the two nations exchanged missile, drone and artillery attacks. Islamabad claimed to have shot down six Indian jets and struck back at military positions, triggering fears of a wider conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals before a ceasefire was announced by the President Donald Trump administration on May 10.
When questioned about any direct threat to Pakistan’s national security or strategic assets as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, the defense minister said Pakistan’s armed forces were already on high alert following the latest confrontation with New Delhi, describing the country’s nuclear facilities as “very militantly guarded, very grudgingly guarded” and fully compliant with international safeguards.
“Since our short war with India [in May], we have been on alert so we have not lowered guards… We can never take the risk of any attack on our nuclear facility from anywhere, that is something which is a lifeline as far as our defense is concerned,” he said
Asif said Pakistan’s performance in the recent fight with India was evidence of the country’s defense capability and national resolve, which would deter Israel from any adventurism.
“We have just had a bout with India and we clearly established our superiority, the superiority of our armed forces, Air Force, Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy and the determination of our people, the way the nation stood behind the armed forces,” the defense minister said.
“So I think Netanyahu or his people or his government will think many times before taking on Pakistan.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has started evacuating families of its diplomats and staff, as well as members of some non-essential staff from Iran, a senior foreign ministry official confirmed on Tuesday as Tehran’s military conflict with Israel intensifies.
Thousands of residents of Iran’s capital Tehran are reportedly fleeing their homes and stockpiling essential supplies out of fear that Israel will intensify its strikes against regional foe Iran in the coming days.
Iran and Israel have been locked in military conflict since Friday when the latter attacked the former’s nuclear facilities and military leadership in a bid to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. Israel’s strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran while Tehran has retaliated by launching more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel and more than 500 wounded.
“The foreign ministry is moving out families of diplomats and staff and some non-essential staff from Iran,” the official, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to media, said in a statement.
“However Pakistan embassy in Tehran and our consulates will continue to remain functional.”
Pakistan has been repatriating hundreds of its citizens from Iran and Iraq since the conflict began last week. Thousands of Pakistani zaireen (pilgrims) travel annually to Iran and Iraq to visit holy sites there. Many were left stranded since Friday as airspaces closed following Israel’s attacks.
Pakistan repatriated 268 nationals from Iraq via two flights on Monday while on Sunday, it evacuated 450 nationals from Iran.
Pakistan has condemned Israel’s strikes, calling them an unjustified violation of Iranian sovereignty, and has urged the international community to help de-escalate tensions through dialogue.
Syrian farmers pay price of worst drought in decades
One fruit grower forced to chop down dead pear trees and use them for firewood
Updated 18 June 2025
Reuters
DAMASCUS: Syria’s worst drought in decades is taking a devastating toll on the agricultural region of Al-Nashabiyah east of Damascus.
Water reserves are down by more than 60 percent on previous years, levels in dams in March were lower than the past two years, and some areas have lost more than 70 percent of their groundwater reserves.
Farmer Mati Mohammed Nasser expects to lose his whole harvest of wheat, pears, plums and other fruit and vegetables. He usually picks about 200 kg of pears a year from trees he has raised from seedlings, but this year he will chop down the dead trees and use them for firewood.
He paid almost $2,000 to dig a deep well, but the water was only a couple of centimeters deep.
“What are we supposed to do with that?” he said. “We have lost hope. We sold everything we had and invested it into the land.”
Another farmer, Al-Nashabiyah’s deputy mayor Mahmoud Al-Hobeish, is $4,000 in debt. “People are asking for it and they know I cannot pay,” he said.
Nelly Korda suffers neck spasm, but will be ready for Women’s PGA Championship
Korda cited a neck injury for missing a pair of tournaments on the Asia swing late in the 2024 season
Korda said the heat in Texas this week will be a potential complicating factor as she tries to gameplan how to “be smart” and take care of her body while going out and competing
Updated 18 June 2025
Reuters
FRISCO, Texas: World No. 1 Nelly Korda attended a press conference Tuesday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship with therapeutic tape on her neck.
Korda explained that she suffered a spasm the day before during practice at PGA Frisco, the site of this week’s major championship.
“I hit a shot out of the rough yesterday (Monday), and my neck went into a full spasm,” Korda said. “It’s getting better, but yeah, it was not very good yesterday.”
But Korda — the betting favorite to win this week despite a winless start to her season — said she expects to be ready for her first-round tee time Thursday.
The injury nonetheless comes at a tough time for Korda, whose last win on the LPGA Tour came in November. She tied for second at the US Women’s Open earlier this month.
Korda cited a neck injury for missing a pair of tournaments on the Asia swing late in the 2024 season. She also sat out a chunk of the 2022 season due to a blood clot in her arm.
“Obviously with the injury that I had last year, every single time something kind of flares up in my neck now, I think I feel it a little bit more than what I used to,” she said.
“But I have a great physio who takes care of me. Trying to work through it, but I’ll be ready by Thursday.”
Korda said the heat in Texas this week will be a potential complicating factor as she tries to gameplan how to “be smart” and take care of her body while going out and competing.
Korda won the first of her two major titles at the 2021 Women’s PGA in Atlanta. That earned her a lifetime invite to the champions’ dinner, but she had to pass on the tradition Monday evening while getting treatment for her neck.
“I didn’t go because of my neck. I was so sad to miss it, though,” Korda said. “I messaged (defending champion Amy Yang of South Korea); the menu looked unbelievable. I love Korean food. So I was really jealous.
“At the end of the day, I need to prioritize my body. So I wasn’t able to go, but I missed out on a good dinner.”
Israel-Iran air war enters sixth day, Trump calls for Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’
US moves additional fighter jets to region
Trump says whereabouts of Iranian leader Khamenei are known
Updated 18 June 2025
Reuters
JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON/DUBAI: Iran and Israel launched new missile strikes at each other on Wednesday as the air war between the two longtime enemies entered a sixth day despite a call from US President Donald Trump for Iran’s unconditional surrender.
The Israeli military said two barrages of Iranian missiles were launched toward Israel in the first two hours of Wednesday morning. Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv.
Israel told residents in the area of Tehran to evacuate so its air force could strike Iranian military installations. Iranian news websites said explosions were heard in Tehran and the city of Karaj west of the capital.
Trump warned on social media on Tuesday that US patience was wearing thin. While he said there was no intention to kill Iran’s leader “for now,” his comments suggested a more aggressive stance toward Iran as he weighs whether to deepen US involvement.
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” he wrote on Truth Social, referring to Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “We are not going to take him out , at least not for now ... Our patience is wearing thin.”
Three minutes later Trump posted, “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!“
A White House official said Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Tuesday.
Trump’s sometimes contradictory and cryptic messaging about the conflict between close US ally Israel and longtime foe Iran has deepened the uncertainty surrounding the crisis. His public comments have ranged from military threats to diplomatic overtures, not uncommon for a president known for an often erratic approach to foreign policy.
Britain’s leader Keir Starmer, speaking at the Group of Seven nations summit in Canada that Trump left early, said there was no indication the US was about to enter the conflict.
Trump met for 90 minutes with his National Security Council on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the conflict, a White House official said. Details were not immediately available.
The US is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, three US officials told Reuters. The US has so far only taken defensive actions in the current conflict with Iran, including helping to shoot down missiles fired toward Israel.
Regional influence weakens
Khamenei’s main military and security advisers have been killed by Israeli strikes, hollowing out his inner circle and raising the risk of strategic errors, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process.
With Iranian leaders suffering their most dangerous security breach since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the country’s cybersecurity command banned officials from using communications devices and mobile phones, Fars news agency reported.
Israel launched a “massive cyber war” against Iran’s digital infrastructure, Iranian media reported.
Ever since Iran-backed Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, and triggered the Gaza war, Khamenei’s regional influence has waned as Israel has pounded Iran’s proxies — from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq. Iran’s close ally, Syria’s autocratic president Bashar Assad, has been ousted.
Israel launched its air war, its largest ever on Iran, on Friday after saying it had concluded the Islamic Republic was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and has pointed to its right to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Israel, which is not a party to the NPT, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that.
Netanyahu has stressed that he will not back down until Iran’s nuclear development is disabled, while Trump says the Israeli assault could end if Iran agrees to strict curbs on enrichment.
Before Israel’s attack began, the 35-nation board of governors of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years.
The IAEA said on Tuesday an Israeli strike directly hit the underground enrichment halls at the Natanz facility.
Israel says it now has control of Iranian airspace and intends to escalate the campaign in coming days.
But Israel will struggle to deal a knock-out blow to deeply buried nuclear sites like Fordow, which is dug beneath a mountain, without the US joining the attack.
Iranian officials have reported 224 deaths, mostly civilians, while Israel said 24 civilians had been killed. Residents of both countries have been evacuated or fled.
Global oil markets are on high alert following strikes on sites including the world’s biggest gas field, South Pars, shared by Iran and Qatar.
