Pramod Thomas is a senior correspondent with Asian Media Group since 2020, bringing 19 years of journalism experience across business, politics, sports, communities, and international relations. His career spans both traditional and digital media platforms, with eight years specifically focused on digital journalism. This blend of experience positions him well to navigate the evolving media landscape and deliver content across various formats. He has worked with national and international media organisations, giving him a broad perspective on global news trends and reporting standards.
SAUDI ARAMCO on Wednesday (11) dethroned Apple as the world's most valuable company as surging oil prices drove up shares and tech stocks slumped.
The Saudi Arabian national petroleum and natural gas company billed as the largest oil-producing company globally was valued at $2.42 trillion based on the price of its shares at the close of the market.
Apple, meanwhile, has seen its share price drop over the past month and was valued at $2.37 trillion when official trading ended on Wednesday.
The sinking share price came despite Apple reporting better-than-expected profits in the first three months of this year amid solid consumer demand.
But, Apple warned that the China Covid-19 lockdown and ongoing supply chain woes would dent June quarter results by $4 to $8 billion.
"Supply constraints caused by Covid-related disruptions and industry-wide silicon shortages are impacting our ability to meet customer demand for our products," chief financial officer Luca Maestri said on a conference call with analysts.
The results looked good following stumbles by some Big Tech peers as growth from the stay-at-home demand amid the pandemic slows and companies confront rising operating and labour costs.
Oil giant Saudi Aramco recently reported a 124 per cent net profit surge for last year, hours after Yemeni rebels attacked its facilities causing a "temporary" drop in production.
As the world economy started to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic, "Aramco's net income increased by 124 per cent to $110 billion in 2021, compared to $49 billion in 2020," the company said.
One of the world's top crude exporters, the kingdom has been under pressure to raise output as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions against Moscow have roiled global energy markets.
Aramco president and CEO Amin Nasser cautioned that the company's outlook remained uncertain due in part to "geopolitical factors".
"We continue to make progress on increasing our crude oil production capacity, executing our gas expansion program and increasing our liquids to chemicals capacity," Nasser said.
On the results, for 2021, he acknowledged that "economic conditions have improved considerably".
A strong rebound last year saw demand for oil increase and prices recover from their 2020 lows.
Inflation could cause a drop in consumption, reducing oil demand, while tech shares could continue to be dragged down by investor concerns over company costs, interest rate rises and supply chain woes.
The former PM of India, Indira Gandhi, declared a state of emergency in 1975. In London, the newly formed Friends of India Society was organising protests and campaigning for the restoration of democracy. On Saturday, 24 April 1976, an international conference was held at Alexandra Palace.
Shiva Naipaul, the famous Trinidadian writer of Indian origin, wrote the following article in The London Times newspaper. Here is a brief summary of what he wrote:
A Philosophical Threat to Mrs Gandhi’s Political Power
The event was a well-organised affair. Each centre of Indian settlement in this country—Coventry, Bradford, Leicester and Southall—supplied a delegation. In addition, there were overseas delegates from a dozen countries, including solitary representatives from Venezuela and Hong Kong. On the other hand, the strength and quality of its (Friends of India’s) democratic convictions remain an altogether more debatable proposition.
"Take the delegate from Croydon. (That is me!) He was a young man dressed in traditional style—white pyjama trousers and white kurta. Surveying his fellow delegates from the rostrum, he exuded fearless conviction. Ever since the granting of independence, he observed, relentless efforts had been made to suppress the Hindu view of life. His voice rose as he warmed to his theme. 'All the history books will tell you that Alexander the Great defeated Porus. But it was the other way round. It was Porus who defeated Alexander. Through the distortions of so-called history, a sense of defeatism has been instilled in the Indian people.' It was a speech devoid of logical coherence (!). But the applause was loud and passionate."
Shiva Naipaul concluded the article by saying that with this type of opposition, Indira Gandhi had nothing to worry about in terms of power politics.
Well, history has proved Shiva wrong. India has become a mature democracy, a role model to most countries in the world, and a world economic and cultural power. Shiva himself acknowledged that India had proved him wrong.
P.S. On one occasion, on a bitterly cold winter morning, we demonstrated outside the Indian High Commission. We decided to go for a coffee and left our banners on the corner of a nearby shop. When we came back, the banners were gone. To coordinate a united opposition to the Emergency, Jayantibhai Patel held discussions with the Communist Party of India, London chapter. They would open the discussion with a quotation from a book of Marx or Mao! Jayantibhai told me that sometimes in later years, he would bump into them at grocery shops.
(Nitin Mehta is a writer and commentator on Indian culture and philosophy. He has contributed extensively to discussions on Hinduism, spirituality, and the role of Gurus in modern society. You can find more of his work at www.nitinmehta.co.uk.)
By clicking the 'Subscribe’, you agree to receive our newsletter, marketing communications and industry
partners/sponsors sharing promotional product information via email and print communication from Garavi Gujarat
Publications Ltd and subsidiaries. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the
unsubscribe link in our emails. We will use your email address to personalize our communications and send you
relevant offers. Your data will be stored up to 30 days after unsubscribing.
Contact us at data@amg.biz to see how we manage and store your data.
Keir Starmer speaks to members of the media during a visit to RAF Valley, on Anglesey in north-west Wales, on June 27, 2025. PAUL CURRIE/Pool via REUTERS
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer and Glastonbury organisers said on Sunday (29) they were appalled by on-stage chanting against the Israeli military during a performance at the festival by Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
During their show on Saturday (28), the duo chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defense Forces, the formal name of the Israeli military.
Police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation, but did not name Bob Vylan or Irish rap band Kneecap, who appeared on the same stage and also criticised Israel.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England where the festival is held, said on X late on Saturday.
"There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech," Starmer said in a statement. "I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence."
The festival organisers criticised the chanting by Bob Vylan, which comprises the guitarist-singer with the stage name Bobby Vylan and a drummer known as Bobbie Vylan.
"Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," it said on Sunday.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain condemned the "inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed" on stage.
Bob Vylan's band members did not respond to a request for comment.
Starmer also criticised the BBC, which transmits much of the festival live, for showing the performance. "The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast," he said.
The BBC said some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive.
"During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language," a spokesperson said.
"We have no plans to make the performance available on demand."
Bob Vylan's show on the festival's West Holts stage took place just before controversial Irish rap trio Kneecap played to a huge crowd, leading chants against Starmer and also taking aim at Israel.
During the show, frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh accused Israel of committing war crimes, saying: "There's no hiding it."
Known by the stage name Mo Chara, he was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert. He has denied the charge.
Starmer had said it was ""not appropriate" for Kneecap to play at the festival.
A senior member of his government, health secretary Wes Streeting, earlier on Sunday criticised the chants by Bob Vylan but added that he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
Political commentator Ash Sarkar said it was typical of punk musicians to spark controversy.
"Don't book punk bands if you don't want them to do punk stuff," said Sarkar, a contributing editor to Novara Media, a leftist media organisation.
(Reuters)
Keep ReadingShow less
After backlash at Glastonbury, Charli says autotune is a choice, not a flaw
Charli XCX criticised certain fans for attacking her autotuned vocals at Glastonbury 2025.
Called the backlash “the most boring take ever” in a series of posts on X.
Defended her artistic choices, saying divisive art is often the most impactful.
Her Brat set clashed with Neil Young’s headline act, drawing polarising reactions.
Charli XCX has addressed criticism over her use of autotune during her Glastonbury 2025 performance, calling out the ageist tone of comments that questioned her authenticity as a performer. The singer clapped back on X, brushing off the noise as outdated and out of touch.
Charli XCX defends her Glastonbury set, calling autotune criticism outdated and dull BBC
Charli XCX defends Glastonbury set from autotune critics
During her Brat set on the Other Stage, Charli delivered fan favourites like “365” and “Von Dutch” to a roaring crowd. But online, some viewers slammed her use of autotune and lack of a live band. In a sharp response the next day, she posted: “The idea that singing with deliberate autotune makes you a fraud… is like, the most boring take ever. Yawn.”
— (@)
Charli has long been open about using autotune deliberately as an artistic tool. In earlier interviews, she said she intentionally includes “pitchy” moments in her vocals to add texture and imperfection. Responding to the online backlash, she added: “I enjoy the discourse… the best art is divisive and confrontational and often evolves into truly interesting culture.”
— (@)
Brat performance draws strong reactions, both love and hate
Charli’s set, held opposite Neil Young’s headline slot, split Glastonbury attendees and online viewers alike. Despite the criticism, her show was widely praised by critics.
— (@)
Highlights included a cameo from fellow performer Gracie Abrams during the viral “Apple” dance segment. Charli ended her performance drenched in stage rain, sipping white wine, with giant signs declaring “Brat is forever.”
— (@)
After her set, Charli joined her fiancé George Daniel, drummer of The 1975, for an intimate DJ session, keeping the Brat Summer spirit alive.
Keep ReadingShow less
Kareena Kapoor gets emotional discussing Saif’s stabbing incident in an interview with Barkha Dutt
Kareena Kapoor has spoken out for the first time about Saif Ali Khan’s stabbing.
Saif was attacked at home in January 2025 during a burglary attempt.
Their sons, Taimur and Jeh, witnessed the violent episode.
Kareena says the family is still coping but trying to move forward together.
Actor Kareena Kapoor has opened up for the first time about the terrifying night her husband, Saif Ali Khan, was stabbed by an intruder at their Mumbai home. In a deeply personal interview with journalist Barkha Dutt, Kareena admitted that the incident left her shaken and sleepless for months, especially with their children, Taimur and Jeh, present during the attack.
The January 2025 break-in at their Bandra residence ended with Saif being stabbed six times. The attacker, later identified as Mohd Shariful Islam Shehzad, entered the flat during a failed burglary attempt and assaulted Saif in four-year-old Jeh’s room. The actor underwent emergency surgery to remove part of the knife lodged near his spine.
Kareena Kapoor says the incident left their children Taimur and Jeh shakenGetty Images
‘I still haven’t come to terms with it,’ says Kareena Kapoor
Kareena described the emotional aftermath of the attack as “something I haven’t fully processed.” She spoke about the trauma of watching a violent act unfold inside their own home, saying, “Seeing someone in your child’s room, that doesn’t leave you. For weeks, I couldn’t sleep.”
She said that such incidents felt “unthinkable in Mumbai,” where celebrity homes are considered secure. “It felt like something that happens elsewhere, not here. But it happened to us,” she said.
‘We’re stronger as a family, but my sons saw too much too soon’
Both of their sons witnessed the stabbing, something Kareena says forced her to balance her own trauma with parenting. “They’ve always lived a very protected life. Then this happened, and suddenly they saw blood, violence… I hope it teaches them resilience, but no child should have to go through that.”
Kareena and Saif are now focusing on healing as a family after the traumatic episodeGetty Images
Jeh, the younger of the two, has found his own way to cope. “He calls his father Batman and Iron Man. That’s how he sees him, like a superhero,” Kareena said, adding that the family has leaned on each other for strength and grown stronger as a unit.
Olivia Rodrigo brought out Robert Smith for a surprise goth-pop duet on the Pyramid Stage.
Rod Stewart reunited with Ronnie Wood during a crowd-pleasing Legends Slot performance.
Lewis Capaldi made an emotional surprise return after his 2023 setback.
Political controversy erupted with Kneecap and Bob Vylan’s provocative sets.
Scissor Sisters and Sir Ian McKellen delivered one of the festival’s most unexpected collaborations.
Charli XCX closed out her Brat era by burning her backdrop and owning the Other Stage.
Neil Young gave a stripped-back set with no visuals and all heart.
Pulp’s secret “Patchwork” set was a nostalgic Britpop masterstroke.
Worthy Farm has emptied out. The glitter’s washed off, the tents have collapsed into mud, and 210,000 people are back in the real world trying to make sense of what just happened. The mud might be drying on Worthy Farm, but the noise from Glastonbury 2025? It’s still ringing in our ears.
There were moments this year that made people cry, scream, argue, and lose their minds, sometimes all at once. This wasn’t the year of a single headliner dominating headlines. This was the year of chaotic genius. Of punk chants ringing through political tension. Of unexpected duets that bridged decades. Of artists coming back from silence.
Here’s a rundown of the 8 moments we’ll be talking about long after the fields lie fallow.
1. Lewis Capaldi’s comeback that stopped the festival
Two years ago, his voice cracked under the weight of Tourette's, cutting his set heartbreakingly short. This time? He walked back onto that Pyramid Stage like he owned it. "Worst-kept secret!" he grinned, and then he finished what he started. His voice was stronger, his tics softer, but his heart? Still wide open. When those opening notes of Someone You Loved hit, and 210,000 voices sang it right back to him? He cried. So did everyone else.
2. Olivia Rodrigo and Robert Smith’s goth-pop dream sequence
No one was expecting The Cure frontman to stroll out under the Sunday sunset. But there he was, eyeliner and all, joining Olivia Rodrigo in one of the most generationally surreal collaborations the Pyramid Stage has ever seen. Together, they sang Friday I’m In Love and Just Like Heaven, and something strange happened: thousands of Gen Z and Gen X fans wept together. Rodrigo looked awestruck. Smith smiled. The whole thing was almost eerie and euphoric.
3. Rod Stewart’s rock ‘n’ roll reunion, complete with Lulu and Ronnie Wood
80 years old. Sunday Legends Slot. Rod Stewart didn't just sing the hits. He threw a party. Mick Hucknall joined in. Lulu too. But the real moment? When his old bandmate from The Faces, Ronnie Wood, walked on stage. They blasted through Stay With Me, that classic rock energy surging back. Then, festival founder Michael Eavis appeared, wheeled out by his daughter Emily, smiling at the huge crowd he started. It felt big. Like watching Glastonbury's history come alive right there. It was proof that legacy doesn’t fade, it just gets louder.
Glasto's always had a political pulse, but 2025 felt like a live wire. Belfast rap trio Kneecap used their West Holts set for loud pro-Palestinian chants in Irish, displaying "Israel are war criminals" on screens and targeting Keir Starmer. The BBC cut the live feed, and police are investigating parts of their performance. At Woodsies, punk duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in chanting "Death to the IDF." Festival organisers condemned this specific chant as hate speech and Prime Minister Starmer called it "appalling". Glastonbury 2025 proved, once again, that the festival doesn't mute uncomfortable voices. This is part of its fabric.
All weekend, everyone wondered: who was the mystery act Patchwork? They didn’t announce it. They didn’t need to. On Saturday afternoon, the answer hit the Pyramid Stage. Jarvis Cocker walked out. Pulp slipped into a secret slot under a fake name and blew the roof off with Common People, Disco 2000, and sheer 90s brilliance. It was a brilliant, unannounced 30th-anniversary nod to their legendary 1995 Glastonbury headline rescue. Pure surprise. Pure joy.
Saturday night, the Brat queen stepped onstage and torched her signature green backdrop. Goodbye old era. What followed was pure energy: 360, Von Dutch, Club Classics. Heavy beats, heavy autotune used deliberately. Not everyone liked her stripped-back, guest-free approach, but that wasn't the point. She delivered exactly the intense, focused set she wanted. Critics debated. The crowd didn’t care.
7. Scissor Sisters and Sir Ian McKellen’s surprise walk-on
Midway through Scissor Sisters' headline set at Woodsies, their first Glastonbury show in 15 years, Sir Ian McKellen appeared. He didn't just wave. He recited lyrics from their song Invisible Light and then walked, visibly moved, right through the stunned, cheering crowd. He danced. He cried. People chanted “national treasure.” It was pure camp, pure catharsis.
While some sets screamed for attention, Neil Young whispered. Alone with a guitar and decades of memory, he sang Harvest Moon and Cinnamon Girl like they still hurt. No visuals, no hype. You could hear a pin drop. He refused video screens, forcing the crowd to focus or move closer. At 78, his voice cracked in places, but the songs held firm. Stripped of spectacle, the set stood out purely on the strength of song writing, reminding us sometimes, you don’t need fireworks to set hearts on fire.
Festivalgoers watch British band Wolf Alice perform on the Other Stage on the final day of the Glastonbury festival Getty Images
The ground beneath our feet
2027 feels a lifetime away. However, Glastonbury 2025 didn’t play it safe. It poked at power. It celebrated weirdness. It held space for grief, rage, joy, and rebellion all at once. It was Capaldi finding his voice again in front of a family of thousands. It was Olivia Rodrigo reaching back and Robert Smith reaching forward. It was Rod Stewart proving rock 'n' roll never dies, and Kneecap screaming that some fights aren't over. It was Charli burning it down and McKellen wandering wonderstruck.
It was wild. It was beautiful. It was uncomfortable. It was unforgettable.