"India hopes implementation of US-Iran understanding will help restore peace and stability," says PM Modi ::: All eyes on G7 gathering .... Can Trump's presence turn things "acrimonious" ?

While an in-person signing ceremony is apparently set for Friday in Switzerland, US Vice President JD Vance says the MOU between the US and Iran was signed “digitally”. 

“We already signed the deal digitally yesterday,” Vance says during an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

****

"I welcome the understanding reached between the United States and Iran on ending the conflict in West Asia, which has caused serious economic disruption across the world and led to loss of life in many countries. 

"India hopes that the implementation of this understanding will help restore peace and stability in the region and ensure the freedom of navigation and commerce. 

"We look forward to deliberations on the remaining issues reaching a sustainable final agreement," PM Narendra Modi tweeted.  

Reports suggest Prez Donald Trump made minor last-minute concessions after the Israeli strike, possibly over the timing of the lifting of the US naval blockade, to allow the deal to go ahead.

US President Donald Trump will travel to the French Alps to meet the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK at a potentially acrimonious G7 summit. 

The US president and other senior officials have repeatedly accused European allies of failing to provide adequate support during the war. Several European leaders, in turn, have sharply criticised his decision-making throughout the conflict.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the G7 Summit on June 16-17 at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. 

During the summit, he is expected to engage with G7 leaders, partner countries and international organisations on global partnerships, sustainable economic growth and the safe deployment of artificial intelligence.

Modi  and Trump to meet on G7 Summit sidelines on June 17; trade deal on agenda

The meeting will mark the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders since February 2025, when Prime Minister Modi visited President Trump following his victory in the November 2024 US presidential election.  

JD Vance, the US vice-president, is expected to attend the signing ceremony between the US and Iran. 

The Iranian delegation is likely to include Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Iranian parliamentary speaker and lead negotiator, and Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister.

Israel has fiercely resisted Lebanon’s inclusion in the deal, where its forces have mounted a sweeping offensive and occupied a swath of land in the south. Trump called for restraint on Sunday after Israel launched fresh airstrikes on Beirut.

Israel braced for retaliatory Iranian missile strikes after its attack destroyed a building in the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs, killing three and injuring six. 

Israeli military officials said the strike targeted senior Hezbollah commanders after the militant Islamist organisation, which has close ties to Tehran, launched three projectiles into northern Israel. 

Palestinian gunmen from Hamas and Islamic Jihad gather next to Eid al-Fitr prayers in Gaza City, March 20, 2026. 

Israeli politicians across the spectrum slam the so-called 'deal'. 

First fatality in Lebanon since MOU’s announcement reported after Israeli drone strike.

Trump says ships starting to cross Hormuz, as US military maintains blockade of Iranian ports. 

Hamas gave effective ‘no’ in latest disarmament talks, US-backed Gaza plan to advance regardless 

The Israeli prime minister must now explain to voters why so few of the objectives he outlined at the start of the conflict have been achieved.

Israeli officials are also likely to be disappointed that neither Iran’s support for regional militant movements, including Hezbollah, nor its ballistic missile armoury are reportedly on the agenda in negotiations over a final agreement.

The talks are likely to focus on Iran’s nuclear programme, with the US pressing Tehran to dilute its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium stockpiles and accept new restrictions and monitoring measures.

Experts have warned that it is unlikely that a comprehensive agreement on such complex, technical issues will be reached with such a short timeframe, making it likely that negotiations will drag on.

Iran, meanwhile, is keen to secure sanctions relief for Iran and the release of billions of dollars in frozen assets. 

The US blockade has further damaged the country’s crisis-hit economy, making relief imperative for Iranian policymakers. Inflation has soared and there are shortages of some basic goods.

ends 

Is Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar new president of NCPI ???? Thanks to Mamata debacle and 'merger' of 20 rebel MPs :::: NCPI, registered with Election Commission in Jan 2023,will become "fifth-largest party in Lok Sabha" .... after BJP (240 MPs), Congress (99), Samajwadi Party (37 MPs), and DMK (22)

The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a nondescript party, based with offices in Howrah region in West Bengal has been thrown into the limelight and the national power equation almost overnight. 

The NCPI is a party that could only secure a total of 822 votes in its sole electoral contest and raised just Rs 1.13 lakh in donations.   

The NCPI is currently led by husband-wife duo Uttiya Kundu (right) and Shewly Kundu (centre), who serve as the party's president and treasurer, respectively. 

But now its fortunes seem to have changed overnight. 

Steered by a husband-and-wife duo from West Bengal, it could become the fifth-largest party in the Lok Sabha and second-largest in the ruling NDA government if the Speaker approves of the merger of nearly 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs with NCPI.  

The NCPI, registered with the Election Commission of India (ECI) in January 2023, is emerging as the biggest beneficiary of the rebellion within the TMC. With nearly 20 TMC MPs announcing their decision to merge with the party, the NCPI will become the fifth-largest party in the Lok Sabha.

If the merger is approved, the NCPI's strength would rise to 20 MPs from zero. It will become the fifth-biggest party in the Lok Sabha after the BJP (240 MPs), the Congress (99 MPs), the Samajwadi Party (37 MPs), and the DMK (22 MPs).  

The TMC, which was the fourth-largest opposition party with 28 MPs in the Lok Sabha, would see its strength shrink dramatically to just eight. 

A party with no electoral base suddenly becoming a major parliamentary force will be India's most unusual political story. 

"It takes a lot of hard work and investment to win a Lok Sabha seat. Getting to be a party with 20 MPs overnight is nothing short of a political miracle, which is the result of manoeuvring in which it most likely has had a minimal role," says an article in 'India Today'.  

The NCPI was registered with the Election Commission as a Registered Unrecognised Political Party (RUPP) on January 20, 2023, just weeks before the Tripura assembly elections. Despite being registered in Bengal, the party chose to make its electoral debut in Tripura.

According to Election Commission records, the party received total donations of just Rs 1.13 lakh.

Party documents list Shewly Kundu as the treasurer. She is also a director in two organisations registered at the same address as the political party: 

Biswabazar Private Limited (director since November 2021) and Paschim Banga Asangathita Mahila Karmi Association (director since October 2020), an organisation involved in social work activities.  The registered address of all three entities is located in Banipur area of Howrah district in Bengal. The party's president is Uttiya Kundu, husband of Shewly Kundu. In one Facebook post, Uttiya Kundu shared a picture with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

Tripura Debut, Poor Electoral Performance

NCPI leader Shantanu Dey told NDTV the party entered Tripura politics with the stated aim of representing deprived tribal communities in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) region.

It fielded candidates in seven constituencies. However, nomination papers of candidates in four seats were rejected. Eventually, NCPI candidates contested in only two constituencies under the party symbol. 

The results were as follows: Chawmanu (536 votes), 

and Kailashahar (286 votes). Together, it got just 822 votes.

ends 

"Indian actions were overdue" ???? Fate of 12 in limbo over India-Bangladesh border standoff in Nadia :::: Dhaka, Delhi in diplomatic row after Bangladesh PM's aide stopped at Delhi Airport

According to BSF sources, the BGB attempted to send the 12 persons — comprising four men and an equal number of women and children — into Indian territory, claiming that they were Indian citizens. The BSF, however, firmly rejected the claim

Some members of the suspected group of Bangladeshi nationals stranded on a jute field near Raninangar village of Murutia, Nadia district, close to the India-Bangladesh border, on Saturday. (The Telegraph)

Tensions simmered along the India-Bangladesh border in Nadia district’s Murutia area for the third consecutive day on Sunday as a standoff between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) over a group of 12 persons remained unresolved despite two rounds of flag meetings.

The BSF maintains that the individuals were Bangladeshi nationals attempting to infiltrate India and could not be allowed entry. 

Reports from Assam claimed: 

"Bangladesh has not yet accepted nine of its nationals pushed back by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) for illegal entry, leaving the group — including women and children — stranded in the no-man’s land along the India-Bangladesh border for more than 24 hours. 

The nine individuals were pushed back on Sunday, June 14, through border points in Assam’s South Salmara-Mankachar district, specifically at Jhalarchar and Shahapara. 

They are currently sheltering under a temporary tarpaulin in the zero-line area between the two countries. 

According to reports, both the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local residents on the Bangladeshi side have refused to accept the group. A flag meeting between BSF and BGB has been held, but the situation remains unresolved

Dhaka, Delhi in diplomatic row after Bangladesh PM's aide stopped at IGI Airport

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's adviser, Zahed Ur Rahman, was stopped at New Delhi's IGI Airport for over two hours before being cleared to enter India. However, the BNP leader's aide chose to return to Dhaka. Bangladesh has now summoned the top Indian diplomat to convey its 'deep disappointment' over the incident.  

Bangladesh on Monday conveyed its "deep disappointment" to India after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's Adviser on Policy and Strategy Affairs, Zahed Ur Rahman, was stopped at New Delhi's IGI Airport before eventually being granted clearance to enter the country. 

However, Zahed chose not to enter India and instead returned to Dhaka via Colombo, according to Bangladeshi media reports.

Dhaka summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe over the incident.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman termed the episode "unexpected" and "unfortunate", according to Bangladesh's state-owned news agency, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. 

Curiously, commentator Pratim Ranjan Bose said -  

"A couple of days ago, I told a Bangladeshi podcaster that Indian pressure should increase. 

Today, Delhi denied entry to Bangladeshi PM @trahmanbnp's information adviser. 

In a separate development, India denied #Bangladesh access to #Nepalese electricity citing technical issues. 

This is the first time since BNP came to power in Feb that #India upped the ante. However, Indian actions were overdue. 

Islamists have taken control of the Bangladeshi administration and, #Dhaka is clearly giving space to India's enemies. Pressures are all set to intensify, unless Bangladesh mends its ways."   

According to diplomatic sources, Zahed was travelling to India to attend the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), scheduled for June 15 and 16 hosted by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.

However, after landing, he was questioned by Indian immigration authorities and kept waiting for about two and a half hours without showing any specific reason, Prothom Alo reports.

ends 

 

All sides including Trump and Iranian minister say 'deal' is done; yet that could be a tall claim :::: Netanyahu has shown no sign of being prepared to end Israel's offensive against Hezbollah

All sides are saying that the deal will see the lifting both of Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz and The US blockade of Iranian ports, although this may not be immediate.

However, Iran’s 'Mehr' state news reported that the memorandum of understanding agreed with the US calls for the reopening of the strait within 30 days under “Iranian arrangements”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown no sign so far of being prepared to end Israel's current offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.  

Exact terms of the deal not clear amid differing claims from both sides on when access to the global shipping route would be restored. 

That will go some way to relieving pressure on President Trump over the harm to the global economy caused by the former, while Iran's collapsing economy will gain some relief from the latter.

That could be a tall order. 

Indeed, twice in just the past week, Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut in response to Hezbollah rockets crossing into northern Israel have come close to derailing the whole process. 

Iran only just pulled back from responding with another missile attack on Israel in order to get the deal across the line.  

Washington and Tehran express increasing optimism that weeks of halting negotiations may be drawing to a close  

Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed the agreement in televised comments in the early hours of Monday, saying it puts an “immediate end” to the countries’ war, and that it included Lebanon.

The precise terms of the deal were not immediately known, however, in a statement posted to Truth Social Sunday evening, the US president announced the opening of the strait of Hormuz as well as the removal of the US naval blockade. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”, said Trump in the celebratory post.

He later clarified that the opening of the strait would be contingent upon the signing of the deal on Friday – which mediator Pakistan said would take place in Geneva – “for purposes of mine removal”

East Bengali 'advertisement' :: Memories sound relevance and refreshing ::: Hair oil that kills lice and Jaba Kusum hair oil --- was my dad's favourite

Instead of creating a fictional or fairytale world, the "East Bengali' advertisement precisely would capture a real, everyday problem faced by ordinary people, allowing consumers to instantly relate it to their own lives. 

From an illustrative perspective, the meticulous craftsmanship is truly commendable. 

The mother's posture, the simple, casual drape of her saree, the teep (টিপ) on her forehead, and the agonised expressions on the faces of the two children—everything brilliantly conveys social realism. 

In particular, the mat spread on the floor, a comb, and that timeless family portrait of distress caused by lice have been brought vividly to life by the artist. 

To our misfortune, we can hardly ascertain the identity of any of the artists behind these advertisement illustrations.

How many of you will recall, --- my dad's favourite hair oil was Jaba Kusum - a product of 'made in India' company in Kolkata. I have seen my father buy, use and discuss 'Jaba Kusum tel' with his friends and cousins !!

A father in rural Bengal going to bathe with his son on his shoulders. We never saw this kind of hair oil advertisement even during the boom era of advertising agencies. (1923)

Regardless of the visual's artistic quality, the novelty of the concept remains undeniable. The image instantly brings to mind the famous anecdote of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar walking all the way from Midnapore to Kolkata. It has often been written that the exhausted scholar was occasionally carried on someone's shoulders.

Others might recall Nandalal Bose's masterful illustration accompanying Rabindranath Tagore's verse, depicting a Santhal child perched on his father's shoulders. In this advertising visual, we similarly see a young boy riding on a man's shoulders. The boy is shown pouring oil onto his father's head, while the latter has a towel (gamcha) slung around his neck. The advertising tagline read: 

"Jabakusum Oil keeps the head cool" ('জবাকুসুম তেল মাথা ঠান্ডা রাখে').

Compared with the refinement we witnessed in later hair oil illustrations, this drawing appears rather rudimentary. Yet the expression of sheer relief on the elderly man's face as the oil trickles down his scalp is vividly captured—so much so that one of his eyes is blissfully closed.  (Daily Star newspaper, Dhaka)  

Manufactured by C.K. Sen & Co., 'Jabakusum' was one of the most successful indigenous products of the Swadeshi movement era. 

The visual, too, is entirely swadeshi in spirit. The father's simple dhoti, bare torso, the towel on his shoulder ....evoke the timeless, familiar image of rural Bengal !!  

An advertisement in an almanack printed on the old printing presses of Battala, featuring a massive radish, is a source of laughter today. 

The artist Shailo Chakraborty once observed that advertisers often hesitated to promote their products through cartoons. 

Shailo Babu used to write a regular column on cartoons in the weekly magazine Deepali, edited by Basanta Kumar Chattopadhyay. Later, at the editor's behest, these columns were compiled into a book.

An iconic early 20th-century advertisement for Bukhsh Ellahie & Co., featuring classical maestro Gauhar Jaan holding a cigarette to promote their brand

ends 

View Points ::: "BJP has given freedom to people of West Bengal" ::::: Mandate 2026 was "outcome of an electoral battle to prevent the state of West Bengal turn into a new Bangladesh"

 

Feedback about West Bengal verdict 2026 :: And why Mamata Banerjee is left so much 'rejected' and 'isolated'

(Comments from a cross section of people from various states including West Bengal, Meghalaya, Kerala and also beyond)   

Sanjay Das (Gen Secy, Meghalaya Congress party) 

"Elections are never a cakewalk in India. For the Trinamool too, the assembly elections in 2026 was a tough battle. It crumbled under its own forces. People in the ultimate may feel excited that the people of West Bengal have defeated such a regime. After elections what is going on does not matter much for us in the Congress. Change is in the essence of politics. 

The BJP policies and politics will also be rejected .... sooner than later. Arrogance is something the Indian voters do not like. The BJP is more arrogant than TMC."

Sanjay Das and blogger 

Tushar Bhadra, Varanasi :

"The election mandate and subsequent political developments should give a crucial political lessons to those who refuse to learn. 

"The apologists of the 'Secular brigade' must stop putting the blame for Mamata Banerjee's defeat on SIR or Election Commission's use of its powers. It was also not entirely due to Modi Magic or Team Modi-Shah's hard work. The verdict of May 2026 had nothing to do with any communal polarisation. 

But a divide was clear. But this divide was about who was voting for 'a united India' as against a hidden agenda of 'united Bengal' tried by certain quarters. This is why Mamata Banerjee is so much isolated today and her party colleagues are almost reluctantly quitting her camp". 

BBC snap 

Nikhil Das, ABVP Leader West Bengal 

"We are happy people in Assam and West Bengal have given our party landslide victories in both the states." 

Nikhil Das (ABVP leader, Kolkata) 

"To start with, I can say Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's vision and the right synthesis between Development and Nationalism have brought us dividends. In other words, the people of Bengal and Assam have reposed faith in the powerhouse of delivery of Good Governance. 

Today, Kolkata and Guwahati have the Double Engine Government and focus will be to ensure effective implementation of our Sankalp Patra. 

I must also give credit to the leadership and sharp organisational ability of respected Shri Amit Shah ji and other leaders such as Sunil Bansal and Bhupendra Yadav". 

Ravi Kumar (Kerala)

"I am at a far distance in Kerala. But the information we have been getting here through media reports and from friends have helped me to form my opinion. The Bengal mandate of 2026 is certainly a display of Hindu resurgence. 

But as we understand in Kerala; it was guided by a genuine nationalism. May be we have something like this in Kerala also in times to come. It was a vote against Islamic radicalism. It was a vote in an election where the battle was to prevent the state of West Bengal turn into a new Bangladesh or allow it go out of hands. I am happy, the nationalists people of West Bengal including most of my friends in West Bengal took a right decision". 

Asutosh Talukdar (Guwahati)

There are many things those have contributed to the ouster of Mamata Banerjee from power in West Bengal. Look at the irony, she was considered invincible. Even she believed she is a PM-material. The arrogance came due to these factors. But the TMC did not realise that being anti-Hindu would be almost being anti-India.

People could sense the pulse. The slogan 'Jai Bangla' always has a typical communal agenda. It's a Bangladeshi slogan. She developed liking for everything Muslim and Bangladeshi. She borrowed the slogan Khela Hobey from Bangladesh. And hence I believe, she had to a pay a bigger price perhaps any other ruling party would have paid after 15 years in office. 

But the way people are screaming 'chor chor' at TMC leaders was not expected nor anticipated. It shows people's hatred. That is why she is a vanquished leader today.    

Ajay Sen (Retd teacher, Dhanbad, Jharkhand) 

The mandate has made it clear that the voters in West Bengal - both men and women - and also rich, middleclass and poor have endorsed BJP's policies and programmes on critical issues. I can also say the BJP has given freedom to people of West Bengal. Most of you may be surprised, but I am not, what is happening with the TMC after elections was expected. Even Sudip Bandyopadhyay, such a senior Trinamool leader and party's floor leader in Lok Sabha, has met Amit Shah and Bhupendra Yadav. Means TMC is almost finished... it's only a matter of time. 

There is another view, the Trinamool as a party will be split like we saw developments in Shiv Sena and NCP.   

end 

"You can already see condition of 'Pushpa' and others" ... veiled attack ::::: Bengal CM Suvendu orders probe into Rs 635 crore spent on 'Bengal Global Business Summit' ::::: Funds "siphoned off" via event management company

 CM Suvendu Adhikari orders probe into Rs 635 crore spent on Bengal Global Business Summit

Sources suspect government funds may have been siphoned off through the event management company

CM Suvendu Adhikari has announced a probe into the expenditure of Rs 635 crore on an event management company engaged to organise various editions of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) and indicated that the government might hand the case over to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"During the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), Mamata Banerjee's government spent a total of Rs 635 crore on an event management company. This matter will be investigated. 

Not only will there be an investigation, but we will also move the court," said the chief minister.

        Venue of BGBS at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town : 2025 

A source said the current government suspected that large-scale misappropriation of public money had occurred through advertisements and promotional campaigns linked to events such as the BGBS.

"If necessary, we will hand the matter over to agencies investigating money laundering. We will not let this go. 

The people have not elected us to remain silent. You can already see the condition of 'Pushpa' and others," he added.  

The state Industry minister Tapas Roy has already directed officials to prepare a detailed report on the BGBS and its expenditure.

The new state government is keen to "scrutinise" the outcomes of those high-profile events that involved spending hundreds of crores and examine whether public funds were misused.

Former Mamata Banerjee, who even failed to win her own seat in 2026 polls, had launched the BGBS as a platform to connect with leading industrialists from across the country and the world, inviting them to invest in Bengal. 

After each summit, her government used to announce investment proposals worth thousands of crores in the state, many of which critics claimed were never implemented on the ground.

The BGBS was launched in 2015, and a total of 12 editions have been held.

"If an investigation is conducted, a massive corruption racket will be exposed. The chief minister has already understood this, and that is why he raised the issue today," said a BJP source.

Since the BJP government came to power, a significant number of industrialists have started meeting Suvendu. 

A section of industrialists has also called on top BJP leaders, including state president Samik Bhattacharya, with proposals to invest in Bengal.

CM Suvendu said that his government had been examining the track records of all such industrialists and the performance of their companies to determine whether they had previously been involved in land-related or banking scams.

"We want to determine whether industrialists are coming merely to meet the chief minister and take photographs after presenting flowers, or whether they genuinely intend to invest and contribute," said the chief minister.

"Our first task is to examine whether those industries have been credible business players in the past, whether they have committed bank fraud, land fraud, or whether any money laundering investigations are pending against them," he has stated.

ends