President Droupadi Murmu has given assent to the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, marking a landmark moment for the country’s atomic energy sector. The legislation opens India’s civil nuclear domain to private companies for the first time, signaling a major shift in national energy policy. The SHANTI Bill was approved during the Winter Session of Parliament and formally notified by the government, clearing the way for private i

The Mahayuti alliance recorded a sweeping victory in the Maharashtra local body elections, winning 207 municipal president posts across the state and establishing strong control over urban local governance. Results from the State Election Commission showed the Bharatiya Janata Party leading the tally with 117 seats, making it the single-largest party in the polls. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena followed with 53 posts, while the Nationalist Congress Party secured 37, giving the ruling allianc

Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, denounced the lynching of Hindu garment worker Dipu Chandra Das, who was beaten to death in Mymensingh after being accused of making derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad. The government said there is no place for violence in a New Bangladesh and assured that those responsible for the killing will face strict legal action. The attack took place on Thursday night in Dubalia Para, where residents allegedly confronted Dipu before fata

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been awarded the Order of Oman, the Sultanate’s highest civilian honour, by Sultan Haitham bin Tarik in recognition of his contribution to strengthening India-Oman relations. The award was presented during PM Modi’s ongoing visit to Muscat, the final stop of his three-nation tour that included Jordan and Ethiopia. This recognition adds to his record of over 28 prestigious civilian honours from nations around the world, including recent distinctions such as

Pakistan’s request to reduce the 18 percent GST on condoms and other contraceptives has been rejected by the International Monetary Fund, leaving the government unable to make birth-control products cheaper in a period of rising population and financial pressure. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had asked the Federal Board of Revenue to approach the IMF for immediate approval to remove the tax, but the lender made it clear that such changes cannot be made mid-year and may only be considered du

Tension in Bangladesh has sharply escalated after India closed its visa centres in Rajshahi and Khulna, prompting violent protests and warnings of further unrest. Demonstrators clashed with security personnel near the Assistant High Commission of India in Rajshahi after attempting to march toward the compound. Protesters accused India of injustice and went so far as to threaten bloodshed, saying they would use swords or other weapons if necessary. The situation has alarmed authorities on both

A migratory seagull carrying a Chinese-made GPS tracking device was found along Karnataka’s Karwar coast, raising questions due to the location’s proximity to the strategic INS Kadamba naval base. Locals first spotted the bird near Timmakka Garden in Uttara Kannada district and alerted the marine division of the forest department. The discovery drew attention because INS Kadamba hosts key Indian Navy assets and is undergoing expansion that will make it one of the largest naval bases in th

Karnataka deputy chief minister and senior Congress MLA DK Shivakumar has stirred a new political flashpoint by challenging the BJP-led central government to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s image from Indian currency notes. His remarks came during a protest against the Centre’s decision to alter the rural employment scheme named after Gandhi, a move Congress leaders argue undermines the legacy of the Father of the Nation. Shivakumar accused the BJP of playing with constitutional values

The debate surrounding censorship on OTT platforms in India has intensified in recent years, with discussions rising over the language, visuals, and narrative formats used in digital entertainment. As the popularity of online streaming surged, so did public and political scrutiny, raising questions about whether OTT content would come under the same certification framework as theatrical releases. For a period, there were reports hinting at the possibility of the Central Board of Film Certific

India has closed the Indian Visa Application Centre in Dhaka following growing security concerns and escalating diplomatic tensions with Bangladesh. The decision was taken after intelligence inputs warned of threats from extremist elements and provocative statements made by certain Bangladeshi political leaders. The closure reflects India’s increasing concern over the safety of its diplomatic missions and personnel in the neighbouring country. The Indian Visa Application Centre lo

The United States has paused a multi-billion-pound investment programme in British technology, dealing a significant setback to relations between Washington and London amid ongoing trade disagreements. The decision places the £31bn tech prosperity deal on hold, halting a package that had been presented by the UK government as a cornerstone of its economic and diplomatic strategy with the US. The agreement, unveiled during Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK, was described by Pri

US President Donald Trump said on Monday, December 15, that efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine were making unprecedented progress, describing the possibility of a peace deal as “closer than ever.” His remarks came amid a series of high-level diplomatic engagements in Europe, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with key European leaders in Berlin as part of renewed international efforts to bring an end to the nearly three-year-long conflict. Speaking t

Russia’s mysterious shortwave radio station known as UVB-76, often referred to as the “Doomsday Radio” or “The Buzzer,” transmitted an unusually high number of cryptic messages this week, drawing renewed attention from military analysts and security observers across Europe. The rare surge in activity included three transmissions on Monday, eight more on Wednesday, and an extended broadcast combining faint music with long sequences of Morse code, an operational pattern that has not b

United States President Donald Trump said on Friday that the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to halt fighting following days of deadly clashes along their disputed border, raising hopes for a return to stability in the volatile region. The announcement came after Trump held separate phone conversations with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, as tensions threatened to escalate into a broader military confrontation. In

US President Donald Trump is reported to be considering the formation of a new geopolitical grouping known as the “Core-5,” a proposed alliance that would bring together the United States, Russia, China, India, and Japan. The initiative is being explored as a potential alternative to the Group of Seven, signaling a significant shift in Washington’s approach to global leadership and alliance-building. If pursued, the Core-5 could represent one of the most powerful strategic blocs ever as

Tensions between Japan and China intensified further after a coordinated air patrol by Chinese and Russian military aircraft passed close to Japan and South Korea, prompting both Tokyo and Seoul to scramble fighter jets. According to Japan’s defence authorities, seven Russian aircraft and two Chinese aircraft briefly entered South Korea’s Air Defence Identification Zone, raising fresh concerns over the scale and frequency of joint operations by Beijing and Moscow in the Asia Pacific regio

Tensions between Washington and Kyiv escalated again after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly expressed disappointment with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of not yet reviewing a U.S.-supported peace proposal. Trump told reporters late Sunday that he believed Ukrainian officials were receptive to the plan, but insisted that their president had not personally examined it. His remarks added renewed pressure on Kyiv at a sensitive moment in negotiations intended to chart

The Ministry of External Affairs issued a firm message to China after an Indian national was reportedly singled out and detained for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai airport. The statement, released on Monday, underscored India’s expectation that its citizens travelling through Chinese airports must not be selectively targeted or subjected to arbitrary detention, and urged Beijing to ensure that international air travel regulations are respected without exception. The incident has intensified di

China has firmly rejected Japan’s claims regarding recent aerial encounters, escalating a diplomatic dispute that has widened to include political, economic, and regional security dimensions. A spokesperson for the Chinese navy, Colonel Wang Xuemeng, stated that Japanese aircraft had repeatedly approached Chinese vessels as they carried out previously announced carrier-based flight training east of the Miyako Strait. According to Wang, the operations were routine and transparent, and China