News Broadcasting
CNN special to look at the mayhem in Iraq
MUMBAI: CNN will air the special On Assignment : Month of Mayhem on 12 May at 11:30 am, 7:30 pm.
It has been 50 months since the war in Iraq was started. The special is a personal
account of what it’s like to report in Iraq during one of its bloodiest months since the war began. This dramatic hour-long report goes beyond what is presented in a typical newscast by letting viewers see daily life in Iraq through the eyes of a reporter.
CNN International anchor and reporter Michael Holmes has been to Iraq seven times since 2003, but it is just as unnerving on the eighth tour to Baghdad as it was on the first. Little did he know that within 10 minutes of arriving at CNN’s bureau on January 9, he would be on the air reporting on a battle at nearby Haifa Street, thus beginning the month of mayhem.
“The previous seven ‘tours’ had allowed me to witness a steady deterioration in the level of security and services – despite my hopes, it was always, always worse. And I knew this trip would likely be no different,” Holmes said.
It really becomes a matter of how bad it’s going to be. Before leaving the airport – before leaving home, for that matter – I know there will be bodies, and there will be bombs – it was only a question of who and how many.”
Throughout his assignment, Holmes films behind the scenes inside the CNN bureau where he lives and works, on embedded trips with the military to neighborhood sweeps and wherever else a story takes him. With the conditions in Iraq worsening, embedding with the military has become, in some cases, the only way for reporters to safely meet with residents to get their first-hand accounts, putting a human face on the war.
Holmes arrives in Iraq in early January, just as President George Bush announces his new “surge” plan to send thousands of additional U.S. troops to pacify Baghdad. What follows is one of the deadliest months of the war. Hundreds of people are killed in bombings at universities, markets and other places where civilians gather. Several American servicemen die in a string of insurgent attacks on U.S. military helicopters. Sectarian fighting rages and bodies showing signs of gross torture are dumped in neighbourhoods on almost a daily basis. The CNN bureau, where the team grapples with how to tell the stories behind the death counts, even takes a stray bullet from a fight in a nearby neighbourhood. In one sequence, Holmes shows viewers the whiteboard on which they record the date, location and circumstance surrounding each violent episode.
“This a depressing board, the daily running total of casualties…but they are people, not involved in the violence itself,” Holmes says. “Every now and then you stop and you gotta remember that these are people – they are not numbers on a board.”
Despite the tragic stories, Holmes is also able to show the dignity of the Iraqi civilians, living and trying to work in very difficult circumstances. On one embedded sweep with the U.S. military, he shows how a family was so generous and hospitable even though 12 soldiers had just searched their house for weapons.
But for Holmes it is the Iraqi children, who follow him around when walking the streets with the military, which bring a smile to his face. One of the few opportunities for joy during this month of mayhem in Baghdad. The children are smiling, laughing and asking for his name. For a brief moment, Holmes feels like the ‘Pied Piper’.
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
