Quote of the day by Mahatma Gandhi: “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”

Mahatma Gandhi (Image: Wikipedia)
A lot of famous quotes survive because they sound clever. This one by Mahatma Gandhi survives for a different reason. It feels personal almost immediately.The line is short. Simple too. No dramatic language. No complicated philosophy. Still, people continue sharing it decades later because it quietly points toward something many individuals recognise in everyday life.Sometimes people speak beautifully without meaning much at all. And sometimes somebody says almost nothing, yet the emotion behind their silence feels completely genuine.That contrast sits at the centre of Gandhi’s quote.At first glance, the line appears to be only about prayer or religion. Spend a little more time with it though, and the meaning starts stretching far beyond spirituality. The quote touches sincerity, emotional honesty, human connection, and the strange emptiness that appears when actions lose genuine feeling underneath them.That probably explains why the line still feels ..

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‘An aggressor’: Iran tells UAE to ‘accept responsibility’ as tensions flare at Brics meeting in New Delhi

Iran delegation at Brics
Iran lashed out at the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, accusing Abu Dhabi of direct involvement in military operations against Tehran during a tense exchange at the Brics foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi.The sharp escalation came a day after the UAE denied a claim by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had visited the Gulf country during the Iran war. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had earlier warned that “those colluding with Israel to sow division will be held to account.” “I didn't name the UAE in my (BRICS) statement for the sake of unity. But the truth is that the UAE was directly involved in the aggression against my country,” he said, reported Reuters , citing Iranian state media. “When the attacks started, they didn't even issue a condemnation,” he added. Watch Iran Signals More Safe Passage For Indian Ships As BRICS Meet Faces West Asia Divide”We must live side ‌by side ⁠in peace, and this requires peaceful re..

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Trump pushes back on offshore wind as global industry expands rapidly

President Donald Trump's administration is actively impeding the growth of offshore wind projects across the United States, precisely as the industry stood on the brink of substantial expansion.
This clean energy source holds considerable promise for delivering vast amounts of power to U.S. coastlines.
Currently, three offshore wind farms are operational, with an additional three already supplying power as they complete construction or final testing phases. Despite more than 40 federal offshore wind leases being in place, the administration is reportedly repurchasing some, offering financial incentives for energy companies to abandon their offshore wind endeavors.
Trump has also implemented various other obstacles for the sector, while simultaneously prioritizing fossil fuel development.
Trump has also implemented various other obstacles for the sector, while simultaneously prioritizing fossil fuel development (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)His stance runs counter to many other coun..

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Newsom outlines his final budget proposal with no deficit, new major spending

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday proposed a revised budget proposal without a deficit for his last year of office and the next, laying out a $350 billion spending plan that includes little new spending but also avoids major cuts.
Newsom is eager to safeguard programs that have defined his tenure as the leader of the nation’s most populous state and one of the world’s largest economies. As he gears up for a possible presidential run in 2028, Newsom is promoting the budget as fiscally responsible because it protects California's progressive programs but also builds up the state's rainy day funds, a pointed rebuke to critics who say the state spends more than it has. The state’s spending has grown more than $100 billion since 2020, according to the legislative budget analysts.
“We’re cutting deficits. But we’re not cutting corners,” Newsom said.
Newsom can’t seek a third term and will leave office in January.
Revenues, driven mostly by the booming stock market and artifi..

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Xi-Trump summit day 1: everything you need to know from the meeting in Beijing

We have put together stories from our coverage of Xi and Trump’s meeting in Beijing. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Thucydides Trap, personal touches – all you need to know from Xi-Trump summit so far
The two leaders began the day with an extravagant welcome on the steps of the Great Hall of the People before heading in for talks.
2. After fanfare and banquet, day 1 of Trump’s China visit draws to a close
Xi and Trump are expected to discuss the…

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US moves to end fraud cases against Asia’s richest person, Gautam Adani

US authorities are moving to resolve the fraud charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, according to people familiar with the matter, and end a criminal case that has hung over Asia’s richest person for more than a year.
The Justice Department may announce that they are dropping the charges as soon as this week, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing a confidential matter. The Securities and Exchange Commission is also moving to settle a parallel civil fraud case it…

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‘Floating armoury’ ship reportedly seized by Iran

'Floating armoury' ship reportedly seized by Iran5 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleThomas CopelandBBC VerifyGetty ImagesA vessel reportedly operating as a “floating armoury” in the Gulf of Oman has been seized by Iranian military personnel, according to the maritime risk management company Vanguard.
The ship is now “bound for Iranian territorial waters”, the UK's Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organisation said.
BBC Verify has checked ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic which shows the vessel – identified by Vanguard as the Honduras-flagged Hui Chuan – last broadcast its location 70km (40 miles) north-east of Fujairah in the UAE on Wednesday.
Hui Chuan's operators told Vanguard it was operating as a floating armoury which stores weapons for security firms who protect ships at sea from attack by pirates.
BBC Verify cannot confirm what was on the ship or who it was used by.
The BBC has previously reported how these vessels are based in the Red Sea, Gu..

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Flattery and fanfare as Trump welcomed to China – but thorny issues remain

Flattery and fanfare as Trump welcomed to China – but thorny issues remain6 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleLaura BickerChina correspondentReutersDonald Trump last visited China nine years ago, during his first term in officeXi Jinping threw a grand welcome for Donald Trump on the first day of a visit that could reset ties between the rival superpowers.
The military honour guard lined up outside the Great Hall of the People to welcome Trump, complete with a gun salute and a band playing the US national anthem. The president paused twice to say hello to schoolchildren cheering with Chinese and American flags.
As he shook hands with Xi, he leaned in to pat him on the arm in what appeared to be a gesture of warmth. And he lavished praise on his host.
“You're a great leader. I say it to everybody,” he declared in what appeared to be unscripted remarks. Later, on his tour of the 15th Century Temple of Heaven, he remarked to reporters that China was beautiful. At the banquet..

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NASA used this town to train Moon astronauts: The German town built inside a meteor crater filled with diamonds

Nordlingen is no ordinary German town. With its red roofs, church towers, and ring of ancient walls, it wears its medieval charm beautifully. But beneath the picturesque streets and historic spires lies a story shaped by a meteor, a giant crater, and the wreckage of deep space. Hidden beneath its historic charm is evidence of a catastrophic cosmic event. The entire town sits inside the Nordlinger Ries, a massive meteor crater formed around 15 million years ago when an asteroid crashed into Earth. The impact created rocks filled with microscopic diamonds that were later used to build much of the town itself. Millions of years later, NASA recognised the site’s unusual geology and brought Apollo-era astronauts there to study terrain similar to the Moon’s surface. The diamond-filled meteor crater that built the German town of Nordlingen Scientists estimate the asteroid responsible for the Ries crater was roughly 1 to 1.5 km wide. Travelling at enormous speed, it struck southern Germany wit..

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NASA confirms School bus-sized asteroid 2026 JH2 to pass very close to Earth

A newly discovered near-Earth asteroid known as 2026 JH2 is set to make an unusually close flyby of Earth on May 18, according to orbital data tracked by NASA and astronomers monitoring near-Earth objects. The asteroid, estimated to be roughly the size of a school bus, was only detected days before its close approach, making it one of the more closely watched small-body encounters of the month. While the object poses no impact threat to Earth, its trajectory will bring it remarkably close in astronomical terms, giving astronomers and amateur skywatchers a rare opportunity to observe a newly discovered asteroid during a near-Earth pass.What is asteroid 2026 JH2?Asteroid 2026 JH2 is classified as an Apollo-type near-Earth asteroid, meaning its orbit crosses Earth’s orbital path around the Sun. The object was identified by observatories including the Mount Lemmon Survey in Arizona, part of the global network dedicated to detecting potentially hazardous objects in space.Preliminary observa..

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