On May 22, 2004, Dr. Manmohan Singh, clad in his signature white kurta-pyjama and blue turban, was sworn in as India's 14th Prime Minister at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. This moment was a political surprise, as Sonia Gandhi, despite leading the Congress-led UPA coalition to victory, chose not to assume the role due to political resistance and personal reasons. Instead, she stepped aside in favor of Dr. Singh, a respected economist with no mass political base. Dr. Singh’s rise

Nepal's tourism industry, which saw a post-pandemic resurgence with over a million foreign visitors this year, continues to grow, attracting tourists with unique experiences like the recently held hot-air balloon festival. The event, organized by Sabin Maharjan and his team, featured more than 10 countries participating in the thrilling balloon flights. The stunning views of the snow-capped Annapurna range, mountains, lakes, and rolling hills provided an unforgettable experience for the p

Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is looking to add something to his impressive list of achievements: his own company town. After moving his SpaceX operations to Texas due to political reasons, Musk now plans to create a new municipality in the state's coastal South. The town, known as Starbase, is home to a growing number of SpaceX employees, many of whom are pushing to establish it as an official town. Since July, SpaceX employees at the Starbase launch site have begun

India has started a probe into the alleged dumping of liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel tanks from China, following a complaint by domestic company Inox India Ltd. The company has requested the imposition of anti-dumping duties, claiming that the influx of cheap imports is negatively affecting the profit margins of the domestic industry. These LNG fuel tanks are used for transporting methane gas in vehicles like trucks. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), which handles

In response to Russia's Christmas Day attack on Ukrainian cities and its energy infrastructure, President Joe Biden has instructed the U.S. Defense Department to maintain its surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine. Biden condemned Russia’s actions, which were aimed at disrupting Ukraine’s power supply and endangering the country’s energy grid during the harsh winter. The attack, which involved cruise and ballistic missiles as well as drones, is part of Russia’s ong

In a shift of political support, major US business leaders and companies are lining up to donate substantial sums to Donald Trump’s 2025 inaugural committee, following his landslide victory. Corporate America, which largely supported Kamala Harris and the Democratic agenda in the 2020 presidential race, is now keen to strengthen ties with the incoming Republican administration. With some of the largest donations coming from figures like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI’s Sam A

As 2025 approaches, India has already begun shaping its foreign policy for the year. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to travel to the United States to meet officials from both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump team, ahead of the U.S. power transition. Jaishankar is expected to discuss the Quad Summit, where U.S. President Donald Trump may attend, and potentially seek an early date for Trump’s visit to India. In addition to the Quad Summit,

China has officially approved the construction of what is set to be the world's largest hydropower dam, located on the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet. This ambitious project, which will span the lower reaches of the river, is expected to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, far surpassing the Three Gorges Dam's output of 88.2 billion kWh. The new dam is also seen as a significant step toward China’s goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, alongside

A Budaun court will decide on January 18, 2025, whether to hear a plea that claims the existence of a Neelkanth temple at the site of the Jama Masjid Shamsi mosque. The case, which began in 2022, arose when Mukesh Patel, then convener of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, claimed that a temple existed at the site and sought permission to worship there. Lawyers from both sides presented their arguments on December 17, but the court did not pass a decision and postponed it to January 18 due to the o

Between April and November 2024, the Indian government dispersed Rs 3.08 lakh crore in income tax refunds, reflecting a significant 46% increase compared to the same period last year. As of November 22, about 98.35% of Income Tax Returns (ITRs) filed have been e-verified, with a record-breaking 69.93 lakh ITRs submitted on a single day, July 31. The total number of ITRs filed by November 22 stands at 8.50 crore, a 7.32% increase from the previous year. The introduction of innovation

On December 4, a tragic stampede at Hyderabad's Sandhya Theatre during the screening of Pushpa 2: The Rise resulted in the death of a 35-year-old mother, Revathi, and left her eight-year-old son, Sri Tej, critically injured. Footage from the scene captures the confusion and chaos as a crowd surged through a doorway, tearing metal gates from their hinges and littering the ground with plastic bottles and paper. The stampede reportedly followed the announcement that actor Allu Arjun

The question of where Santa Claus lives has sparked a variety of claims from countries across the globe. Finland, for instance, touts Korvatunturi in Lapland as Santa's home, drawing tourists to the region. Denmark points to Greenland, Sweden suggests Mora, and all these locations are close to the North Pole, contributing to the myth of a snowy Santa home. However, this image of Santa as a jolly man with reindeer and a sleigh was not always so cheerful. Historically, European fo

The Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Mumbai's Central Railway issued a clarification regarding the change of route taken by the CSMT Madgaon Vande Bharat Express. The clarification came in response to allegations made by Akhilesh Yadav, the national president of the Samajwadi Party, who claimed that the train went to Kalyan instead of Goa. The DRM denied these claims, calling them "factually incorrect." According to the statement, the Vande Bharat Express started at

Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, was hospitalized on Monday at Georgetown University Medical Center for testing and observation after experiencing a fever. His deputy chief of staff, Angel Urena, shared the news on social media, assuring the public that Clinton remains in good spirits despite the health scare. The 78-year-old former president has a history of health issues. In 2004, Clinton underwent a quadruple bypass surgery at age 58 due to extensive heart d

The 14th Dalai Lama, now 89, expressed his belief that he will live beyond 100, despite recent health challenges, including knee surgery. Although he still walks with assistance, he continues to meet hundreds of followers in Dharamshala, India, where he resides. He has been a spiritual leader and advocate for Tibet for decades, and concerns about his succession have grown as his health has become a focal point for Tibetan Buddhists. The Dalai Lama's predictions about his long li

China is building the world’s largest airport on a man-made island. The Dalian Jinzhou Bay International Airport, located off China’s northeast coast, spans a massive 20 square kilometer island and will feature four runways and a 900,000 square meter passenger terminal. Construction for the airport began in earnest after plans were first made in 2003, with the airport set for completion in 2035. Once finished, Dalian Jinzhou Bay International will become the largest arti

In a potentially game-changing move, China is in talks with Pakistan for the sale of 40 advanced J-35A stealth fighter jets, the most cutting-edge aircraft in China's military arsenal. If the deal goes through, Pakistan will become the first country outside of China to possess these jets, marking the first international sale of China’s most advanced military aircraft. This move would provide Pakistan with a significant boost to its air defense capabilities, potentially shifting regi

Indian cinema mourns the loss of one of its most influential figures, Shyam Benegal, who passed away at the age of 90 due to kidney-related ailments in Mumbai on December 23, 2024. A luminary of the Parallel Cinema movement, Benegal's work left an indelible mark on Indian filmmaking with his poignant explorations of societal issues, including caste, feudalism, and women's emancipation. Born in Hyderabad in 1934, Benegal shared a familial connection with legendary filmmaker G

In a recent post on Truth Social, Donald Trump raised concerns about the growing influence of China over the Panama Canal, warning that the US would not allow the strategic waterway to fall into "the wrong hands." His remarks were sparked by rising tariffs imposed by Panama on the use of the canal, which Trump criticized as excessive. The Panama Canal, originally constructed by the US and transferred to Panama in 1999, is a critical trade route linking the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean

 A Bengaluru software engineer was defrauded of Rs 11.8 crore over the span of just 18 days in a sophisticated "digital arrest" scam. The victim, a 39-year-old tech professional, filed a complaint with the North-East CEN police station on December 12 after realizing he had been tricked. The scam began when an individual posing as a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officer contacted the victim, falsely claiming his Aadhaar-linked SIM card was involved in illegal acti