Chittoor district’s mango-based economy, one of India’s largest centres for pulp production, is facing significant uncertainty this season as poor crop yields and disruptions linked to West Asia tensions threaten both farmers and processors ahead of the key procurement period.

Industry representatives estimate that mango output this year may fall to nearly 40% of normal production across approximately one lakh hectares of cultivation, raising concerns for a region heavily dependent on the ‘Totapuri’ variety, which supports a large processing industry and thousands of farming households.

Chittoor is a major supplier of Totapuri mangoes, a variety primarily used for pulp manufacturing. The district feeds nearly two dozen active pulp industries and records annual production exceeding 10 lakh tonnes in a normal season, making it a critical driver of the local rural economy and export-linked food processing activity.

Stakeholders say the current season has been affected by a combination of climatic disruptions, including early flowering followed by unusually early summer conditions that damaged fruit development. The situation has been compounded by uncertainty in export markets following the ongoing West Asia crisis, which has disrupted shipments and delayed fresh procurement decisions by processors.

Veteran mango trader N.C. Ramachandra Reddy said orchards across the district showed strong flowering from January, but the pattern was uneven and failed to translate into stable fruit formation.“Though the mango gardens witnessed a very healthy and early flowering from January onwards, it was not uniform.

This year’s summer set in from early March, which caused the flowering to wither, affecting the prospects of yields,” Reddy said.He noted that in several mandals, premature fruit drop began from mid-March, significantly reducing expectations for the harvest.“In several mandals, the baby mangoes started falling to the ground from mid-March.

Our clear expectation is that the yield will not cross 40% at any point this year,” he said.The export-linked pulp processing sector is facing a parallel challenge as shipments already sent to Gulf markets remain uncertain due to instability in West Asia.

Industry officials say the region’s dependence on overseas demand, particularly from Gulf countries, has created immediate liquidity concerns for exporters and processors.All India Food Processors Association South Zone chairperson Kattamanchi Govardhan Bobby said pulp stocks valued at more than ₹1,500 crore from factories in Chittoor and parts of Tamil Nadu had been shipped shortly before the escalation of tensions in West Asia.

He said some exporters had recently incurred substantial additional logistics costs while moving consignments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime trade route critical for Gulf-bound shipments.“As per the information available to the association, the pulp stocks worth over ₹1,500 crore from various factories in Chittoor and parts of Tamil Nadu were shipped a couple of weeks prior to the West Asia crisis,” Bobby said.

“Some exporters from our region had recently paid a hefty charge running into 4 million USD at the Strait of Hormuz. It’s a very scary situation for the exporters.”According to industry representatives, the uncertainty surrounding payments for these shipments has effectively halted working capital circulation, making processors reluctant to begin fresh procurement for the current season.

“The money flow has turned zero due to the West Asia tensions. As of now, we will not be able to say anything about the fresh procurement of mangoes for the current season, but only around mid-May,” Bobby said.The delay in procurement has increased anxiety among farmers, many of whom rely on seasonal mango sales as their primary annual income.

With the normal procurement cycle expected to begin in May, uncertainty over factory buying has added pressure during an already weak production year.Farmer groups have also raised concerns over delayed payments from the previous season, alleging that some pulp industries are yet to clear dues pending from 2025.

They argue that references to Gulf shipment disruptions should not be used to postpone procurement commitments to local growers.Chittoor District Mango Producers Association representative Kothur Babu said several farmers remain financially strained because of unpaid balances from last year’s supply.“It is unfortunate that some pulp industries in Chittoor district are yet to clear the 2025 pending dues to the farmers, and even the district authorities are biased towards them,” Babu said.

He said that despite the adverse weather conditions, farmers were still expecting a reasonable harvest and urged the government to ensure procurement begins according to schedule.“Despite adverse climatic conditions this year, the farmers are hopeful of a reasonable yield, and the government should intervene to start procurement as per the original schedule, which is from May,” he said.

Babu also questioned whether the West Asia crisis alone justified procurement delays, calling the argument insufficient from the farmers’ perspective.“Talk about the West Asia crisis and stranded shipments is merely a lame excuse,” he said.The uncertainty highlights the vulnerability of Chittoor’s mango economy to both climate volatility and international trade disruptions.

With production losses already likely and export-linked processors waiting for clarity on stranded shipments, the coming weeks will be critical for determining the financial outcome of the season for both growers and industry.

For a district where mango cultivation underpins both farm incomes and industrial employment, delays in procurement decisions could have broader ripple effects across the regional economy, particularly if lower yields are matched by slower factory intake and prolonged payment cycles.

Industry participants say clarity is expected only by mid-May, when processors assess export recoveries and determine the scale of fresh buying for the 2026 season.

In the remote hills of India’s northeastern state of Manipur, members of the B’nei Menashe community are preparing for what they describe as a long-awaited return home — not within India, but to Israel, where they believe their ancestral roots lie.

The B’nei Menashe, a small community concentrated mainly in Manipur and neighboring Mizoram, identify themselves as descendants of Manasseh, one of the biblical Ten Lost Tribes of Israel believed to have been dispersed nearly 3,000 years ago.

While historical and anthropological evidence supporting that claim remains limited, Israel has increasingly accepted the group’s migration under a formal aliyah process, allowing them to settle as returning Jews.Around 10,000 members of the community currently live across Manipur and Mizoram, while nearly half have already relocated to Israel since the 1990s.

This week, under an operation called “Wings of Dawn,” Israel is set to fly about 250 more members from India to Tel Aviv via New Delhi, with larger numbers expected to follow in the coming years.The Israeli government approved broader support for the remaining approximately 5,800 community members in November last year, including plans for around 1,200 relocations this year.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the funding as “an important and Zionist decision” that would also help strengthen Israel’s northern and Galilee regions.For many in the B’nei Menashe community, the migration is framed first as a religious return rather than an economic opportunity. In villages near Churachandpur and Kangpokpi, families have preserved Jewish practices for generations while living within a largely Christian and tribal social landscape.

“We have faith in the Torah,” said Shimon Ngamthenlal, a Hebrew teacher living in a small kibbutz-style settlement in Manipur. Wearing traditional payot, the sidelocks associated with Orthodox Jewish men, he described aliyah as both spiritual fulfillment and a promise long awaited.“We have good faith in the Israeli government.

They promised that all the B’nei Menashe will go to Israel by 2030,” he said. “We all have our passports ready.”The settlements where they live remain modest, with bamboo homes, family farms and subsistence-based livelihoods. Many residents work as day laborers or in small-scale agriculture, reflecting the broader economic conditions of Manipur, one of India’s less prosperous states.

According to 2023–24 data, Manipur’s per capita economic activity was valued at roughly $1,200 annually, compared with more than $55,000 in Israel. For younger families, the contrast has added practical considerations to religious aspirations.“We want to go to Israel, 90 percent for our religion, but yes, other things are better there, too — like education,” Ngamthenlal said.

Another resident, Benjamin Haokip, said maintaining Jewish practices in the hills of northeast India remains difficult because of limited community infrastructure and the absence of broader Jewish social life.“We follow Judaism, and here we cannot follow all our customs,” he said.

Some prayers require a minyan, the quorum needed for communal worship in Judaism, while others depend on ritual familiarity and food traditions not easily sustained in isolated villages far from established Jewish communities.“The principal appeal is to worship among fellow Jews in Israel,” Haokip said.

The B’nei Menashe story has drawn attention for decades because it sits at the intersection of religion, migration and identity. In India, the group is officially classified as part of the Kuki ethnic communities, whose languages belong to the Tibeto-Burman family and whose conventional anthropological origins trace to regions that are now within China.

Most Kukis converted to Christianity during the early 20th century under the influence of American missionaries. The B’nei Menashe movement gained momentum in the 1970s after Israeli anthropologists visiting northeast India observed similarities between some pre-Christian customs and Jewish ritual traditions.

Researchers pointed to folk songs, oral histories and ceremonial practices that they believed resembled biblical narratives, including stories interpreted as recalling the Exodus from Egypt. Some local expressions used during moments of distress were also seen as resembling references to Manasseh, helping shape the identity now embraced by the community.

While scholars remain divided over the historical validity of the claim, the religious commitment of the B’nei Menashe themselves has become central to the migration process. Their identity has been shaped less by academic consensus and more by sustained faith and ritual practice over generations.

Those who have already moved to Israel often work in construction, factories and transportation. Many have settled in areas such as northern Israel, while earlier groups were placed in settlements including Hebron in the occupied West Bank and, before 2005, in Gaza settlements.Israel’s interest in expanding immigration for the group also comes amid labor shortages intensified by the wars that followed the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.

Military mobilization, displacement from Hezbollah rocket fire in northern regions, restrictions on Palestinian labor from the West Bank and reduced migrant labor flows from countries such as Nepal and Thailand have strained parts of the Israeli workforce.Officials see the B’nei Menashe not only as religious returnees but also as contributors to economic recovery and demographic stability in sensitive regions.

For migrants already living in Israel, the transition can be difficult. Jessica Thangjom, a member of the community now based there, works with an organization helping others relocate and adapt.She said the shift from an agrarian lifestyle in Manipur to Israel’s highly urbanized and technologically advanced environment can be challenging for new arrivals.

“Transitioning is not an easy journey,” she said, describing the cultural and economic adjustment required.Still, for many families waiting in Manipur, the move is seen less as migration than as completion of a long historical journey. In modest synagogues tucked into the hills near Myanmar’s border, prayers continue with the expectation that the next generation may soon perform them thousands of miles away.

For the B’nei Menashe, the destination is not simply another country, but what they believe to be the final chapter of a return centuries in the making.

Writing in The Times of Israel, commentator Zahack Tanvir described Al-Jaber’s remarks, carried by Tihama News, as a rare intervention that shifts focus away from immediate political settlements toward long-term national reconstruction.

Rather than outlining policy prescriptions, Al-Jaber framed Yemen’s crisis through history, invoking its civilizational legacy to argue that the country’s stagnation stems not from lack of capacity, but from an inability to convert potential into sustained development.

Analysts say this framing resonates in a country where decades of stalled projects and interrupted reforms have eroded public confidence. Al-Jaber pointed to more than 40 years of failed development initiatives, attributing their collapse to entrenched corruption networks and competing elite interests.

“This is not about isolated failures, but a cumulative loss,” Tanvir wrote, adding that repeated setbacks have fostered a sense among Yemenis that progress remains perpetually out of reach.

Beyond conflict and humanitarian concerns, observers increasingly describe Yemen’s crisis as psychological, marked by diminished expectations and weakened trust in institutions.

Al-Jaber’s address also emphasized learning from international models, citing the economic transformations of Singapore and South Korea as examples of rapid development under constrained conditions. While acknowledging Yemen’s ongoing conflict and fragmentation, he argued that geography offers untapped advantages, particularly along the Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea corridor.

Central to his proposal is the revival of Aden as a free economic zone, supported by decentralized industries and workforce mobilization. Analysts note that Aden’s historical role as a major global port lends credibility to the idea, though its feasibility remains uncertain amid political instability.

“He is not offering a detailed blueprint, but a direction,” Tanvir wrote, highlighting a shift toward people-centered development rather than resource-driven strategies.

However, the most contentious aspect of Al-Jaber’s remarks lies in his call for a federal political structure. He argued that decentralization would empower regions such as Tihama, reduce corruption, and address long-standing inequalities.

The proposal echoes earlier discussions during Yemen’s National Dialogue process but remains divisive. Supporters view federalism as essential for inclusive governance, while critics warn it could accelerate fragmentation in an already fractured state.

“Federalism in Yemen is both a solution and a risk,” one regional analyst said, noting that its success depends on institutional strength and political consensus—both currently fragile.

Al-Jaber also addressed Yemen’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, defending its involvement as historically responsive to Yemeni appeals rather than purely strategic. This interpretation contrasts with widespread criticism of Saudi intervention since 2015 but reflects an effort to reframe bilateral ties as mutually rooted.

Analysts say such reframing underscores a broader reality: Yemen’s future cannot be disentangled from regional dynamics.

Despite its ambitious tone, Al-Jaber’s vision stops short of offering immediate solutions. Instead, it challenges Yemen’s political class and society to confront internal obstacles, from governance failures to corruption.

“Yemen does not lack ideas,” Tanvir concluded. “It lacks the conditions that allow those ideas to endure.”

Whether this renewed emphasis on economic vision can translate into tangible change remains uncertain. For now, it has reopened a critical question: can Yemen move beyond managing crisis to building a viable future.

Trump said the United States could “put a big tariff on the UK” if London maintains the tax, which was introduced in 2020 and applies a 2% levy on revenues generated by large digital companies operating in Britain.

The measure affects major U.S.-based firms including Apple, Alphabet’s Google and Meta.“I don’t like it when they target American companies, because basically, you’re talking about our great American companies,” Trump told The Telegraph, adding that Washington could respond swiftly through trade measures.

“If they don’t drop the tax, we’ll probably put a big tariff on the UK.”The digital services tax has been a longstanding point of friction between Washington and London, drawing criticism not only from Trump but also from his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, who similarly argued that such levies disproportionately impact U.S. technology giants.

The dispute underscores broader transatlantic disagreements over how to tax multinational digital corporations, particularly those with significant cross-border revenues but limited physical presence in foreign markets.

Britain has defended the tax as a temporary measure aimed at ensuring fair contributions from large tech firms operating within its jurisdiction.

Trump’s remarks come ahead of a scheduled visit by Britain’s King Charles to the United States next week, adding a diplomatic dimension to the trade tensions at a time when both countries have sought to maintain close economic ties.

Prosecutors said in a statement that the new sentence was being pursued on charges of aiding the enemy, arguing that Yoon’s alleged actions were intended to “fabricate wartime conditions” and undermined national security.

The request comes after Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment in February for leading what authorities described as an insurrection aimed at paralysing South Korea’s National Assembly.According to prosecutors, the drone operation heightened tensions with North Korea and led to the exposure of classified military information after the drones crashed, including details related to force capabilities.

The allegations were also reported by Yonhap news agency.Yoon has appealed his earlier conviction, maintaining that his decision to declare martial law was taken “solely for the sake of the nation.”The case adds to ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, where the two Koreas remain technically at war.

Drone activity has been a recurring source of friction between the sides.Earlier this month, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret to Pyongyang following an investigation that found government officials had sent drones into North Korea in January.

In response, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described the statement as “wise behavior,” though prospects for improved relations diminished after North Korea resumed describing the South as its “most hostile” adversary.

Lee has pledged to repair inter-Korean relations by halting provocations associated with his predecessor and has indicated that a formal apology over the drone incidents may be considered.

The suggestion was attributed to Paolo Zampolli, a U.S. special envoy for global partnerships, who according to the Financial Times raised the possibility with U.S. President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino as a contingency plan should Iran withdraw.

Zampolli told the Associated Press the proposal was not political and framed it as a hypothetical scenario. “My request was for the Italian people and the American-Italian people,” he said, adding that Italy’s four World Cup titles could justify its inclusion.Italian officials rejected the idea.

Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said “it’s not possible” and “not a good idea,” while Luciano Buonfiglio said participation in the tournament must be earned on merit. Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti described the suggestion as “shameful.”Iran has not withdrawn from the World Cup and is preparing to play matches scheduled in U.S. cities including Los Angeles and Seattle in June.

FIFA has maintained that Iran’s fixtures will proceed as planned and has declined to comment on proposals to alter the lineup.Speaking at the White House, Trump said he had not given the matter much thought but called it “an interesting question.”

He deferred to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said no U.S. decision had been made to bar Iranian players from entering the country.Rubio indicated that concerns, if any, would relate to non-athlete personnel accompanying the team.

“The problem with Iran would be, not their athletes. It would be some of the other people that they want to bring with them,” he said, adding that authorities might restrict entry to certain individuals.Iran’s embassy in Rome criticized the proposal, saying in a statement on X that football “belongs to the people, not to politicians,” and describing any attempt to exclude the team as unjustified.

Iran secured qualification through the Asian Football Confederation and has publicly affirmed its intention to participate. An Iranian government spokesperson said this week that the national team is preparing for “proud and successful participation.

”Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time, following a campaign that led to the resignation of its national team coach and football federation president.

FIFA regulations state that in the event of a team’s withdrawal, a replacement may be selected from another association, though the rules do not explicitly require the substitute to come from the same continental confederation.

The initiative, known as the Big Catch-Up and led by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, concluded in March after a three-year effort to restore immunization coverage disrupted by the pandemic.

By the end of December 2025, the campaign had reached an estimated 18.3 million children aged under five across 36 countries in Africa and Asia, delivering more than 100 million vaccine doses, according to a joint statement. Of those, around 12.3 million children had never received any prior vaccination, while 15 million had not previously been immunized against measles.

Health systems worldwide faced severe disruption during the COVID-19 crisis, leading to missed routine immunizations and a resurgence of preventable diseases including measles and polio. The agencies said the campaign also strengthened national immunization systems by improving their ability to identify children who had previously been missed.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the initiative had helped reverse one of the pandemic’s major health setbacks by reaching children who had been excluded due to service disruptions.However, officials warned that significant obstacles persist.

The agencies highlighted declining foreign aid and widening gaps in routine immunization, noting that measles outbreaks have increased globally, with approximately 11 million cases reported in 2024.Kate O’Brien said growing politicization of vaccines and health issues posed a serious concern, even as trust in frontline health workers remained relatively strong.

Sania Nishtar pointed to the role of social media in amplifying misinformation, saying digital platforms often incentivize the spread of misleading or false content about vaccines.

Ephrem Lemango added that algorithm-driven amplification of anti-vaccine narratives, combined with reductions in global health funding, could undermine progress and risk reversing gains made through the campaign.

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, allegedly exploited sensitive details from a January mission to capture Maduro, using insider knowledge to place wagers on the platform Polymarket, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York.

Prosecutors said Van Dyke participated in the planning and execution of the operation for about a month starting Dec. 8, 2025, during which he had access to classified material.He faces multiple charges, including unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.

If convicted, he could face a lengthy prison sentence.According to the indictment, Van Dyke created an account on Polymarket in late December and placed around 13 bets, taking positions on outcomes such as the presence of U.S. forces in Venezuela and Maduro being removed from power by Jan. 31, 2026.

Officials allege that after securing the winnings, Van Dyke transferred much of the funds into a foreign cryptocurrency account before moving them into a brokerage account. He also attempted to have his Polymarket account deleted, claiming he had lost access to the associated email, prosecutors said.

Van Dyke, a Master Sergeant promoted in 2023, was part of the U.S. special forces community and stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The indictment states he had signed nondisclosure agreements prohibiting the disclosure or misuse of classified or sensitive operational information.

Kash Patel said the case underscores accountability for individuals entrusted with national security information. “Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access and knowledge for personal gain will be held accountable,” he said in a statement.

The case follows heightened scrutiny of prediction markets after reports earlier this month identified suspiciously accurate bets tied to geopolitical developments, prompting warnings from the White House against the misuse of nonpublic information in such platforms.

The Pentagon referred inquiries to the Army and the Department of Justice, while U.S. Special Operations Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

An 18-year-old, Angelina Han Hicks, was taken into custody in North Carolina and charged with conspiracy to commit murder and assault related to members of Congregation Beth Israel, a historic Jewish place of worship in Texas.

A juvenile suspect, identified as 16 years old, was separately arrested in Texas and charged with conspiracy to commit capital murder, authorities said.The Federal Bureau of Investigation said its Charlotte Joint Terrorism Task Force launched the investigation following a tip received earlier this week.

The Houston Police Department said there was no indication of any ongoing credible threat after the arrests.Court records allege the conspiracy involved plans to “kill as many Jews as possible” by driving through a congregation at a synagogue.

A judge ordered Hicks detained on a $10 million bond, citing concerns over public safety and potential communication with alleged co-conspirators.Authorities said the timeline outlined in warrants pointed to a possible attack in 2028, though prosecutors indicated concerns that the threat could have been more immediate.

Investigators have not publicly disclosed a motive.The synagogue temporarily closed earlier this week as a precaution following warnings from law enforcement but has since reopened, according to community officials. The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston said security remains a priority.

The case comes amid heightened concerns over attacks targeting Jewish institutions. Last month, an armed individual drove a vehicle into a synagogue in Michigan, underscoring growing security challenges faced by such communities.

Hicks’ legal counsel said the case remains at an early stage, with further investigation expected. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 13.

In a social media statement, U.S. officials said they were seeking information on Al-Saraji, also known as Abu Alaa Al-Walai, citing his leadership of the group, which Washington has designated as a terrorist organization.

Authorities said the group has carried out attacks against Iraqi civilians, U.S. diplomatic facilities, and American military personnel in Iraq and Syria.The department said individuals providing credible information could be eligible for relocation in addition to the financial reward, as part of efforts to disrupt the activities of Iran-aligned militias operating in the region.

Kataeb Sayyid Al-Shuhada has been linked to attacks targeting the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, facilities at the capital’s international airport, and oil infrastructure operated by foreign companies. The group operates within Iraq’s broader network of armed factions aligned with Tehran.

Al-Saraji is also reported to hold a position within Iraq’s Coordination Framework, a Shiite political alliance that commands a parliamentary majority, underscoring the overlap between armed groups and political structures in the country.

The move comes as Iraq faces renewed instability linked to the wider regional conflict that escalated following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, drawing in Tehran-backed factions across the Middle East.

Earlier this month, Washington announced a similar reward targeting a senior figure in Kataeb Hezbollah, another powerful Iran-aligned militia, following the temporary abduction of a U.S. journalist.

U.S. officials have also increased pressure on the Iraqi government to curb the influence of such groups, with reports indicating the suspension of certain financial transfers and security-related funding as part of broader policy measures.