'Its aim is to force the Bhutanese government to cede territory that China wants elsewhere in Bhutan to give Beijing a military advantage in its struggle with New Delhi.'
One must wonder whether Mr Modi's efforts to wine and dine the Big Two of today's world were seen as a sign of weakness rather than a proffered arm of friendship, points out R Jagannathan.
The prime minister tweeted that he admires Bhutan for its unique model of sustainable development and the deeply spiritual way of life.
Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said on social media that he was overjoyed to hear "His Majesty pronounce Your Excellency Modiji's Narendra Modi name for the highest civilian decoration, Ngadag Pel gi Khorlo".
'If Washington has to balance Chinese power, she will have to turn to the third biggest power in the world which is India.' 'The United States and India will have to work together in order to keep Chinese ambitions in check.'
'New Delhi is not naive about its foreign policy choices.'
The Indian women's kho kho team secured a commanding 80-point victory over Malaysia, ensuring their place in the World Cup quarterfinals.
At 13, Naseer Khan left Bihar to work in a saw-mill in Bhutan. He learnt the craft of making sofas, and some of the pieces he made found a place in the royal palace. He returned home after spending 35 years in the Himalayan kingdom, and has continued making sofas, restoring old furniture and creating wire-gutting chairs, all that has become a dying art now.
JSW Paints, part of $23 billion JSW Group, on Friday said it will acquire majority controlling stake in Akzo Nobel India Ltd (ANIL), the maker of Dulux paints, for Rs 8,986 crore. It will acquire 74.76 per cent stake from its Dutch promoters/holding entities -- namely Imperial Chemical Industries and Akzo Nobel Coatings International BV -- for a consideration of Rs 8,986 crore, according to a statement from the JSW Group firm.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday asked fintech startups to come out with solutions to deal with the rising incidence of digital arrests, cheating by fly-by-night operators, and other kinds of cyber frauds. Speaking at the Digital Payments Awards 2025 ceremony here, the minister credited fintechs with helping speed up financial inclusion and taking the payment system to even the far-flung areas of the country.
India has for the first time secured a place among the top 100 out of 167 countries ranked for their progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a report published on Tuesday. According to the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network's 10th and latest Sustainable Development Report (SDR), India ranks 99th on the 2025 SDG Index with a score of 67, while China ranks 49th with 74.4 and the US 44th with 75.2 points.
The South Asia Postgraduate Excellence Award 2025 is an initiative by University of Nottingham which offers scholarships to international students who excel academically and demonstrate a strong passion for their chosen field.
India has improved its ranking in the World Happiness Report 2025, climbing to 118th from 126th last year. However, it still lags behind neighbouring countries like Nepal, Pakistan, and Ukraine. Finland has topped the list for the eighth consecutive year. The report emphasizes the impact of caring and sharing on happiness, highlighting how sharing meals increases happiness. It also notes a decline in wellbeing in the United States, which has dropped to its lowest ever position at 24th.
India has ranked 131 out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2025, slipping two places from its position last year.
Bhutan on Thursday announced that it firmed up a "three-step roadmap" for expediting the negotiations with China to resolve the long-pending boundary dispute between the two countries, a development that India said it has taken note of.
India has exempted Bangladeshi exports to Nepal and Bhutan as such trade facilitation is mandatory for landlocked countries under the framework of provisions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
'$125 million for the hull and the remaining of over $350 million for liability.'
'China could intentionally release excess water.' 'The North East is already flood-prone during the monsoon, and even a controlled release from Chinese dams (during the monsoon) could worsen flooding.'
In an unexpected move, the government has terminated services of K V Subramanian as the executive director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) six months ahead of his three-year tenure. The move comes days before the IMF executive board is to consider financial aid for debt-ridden Pakistan.
Thimpu apparently didn't think it necessary to take Delhi into confidence. Bhutan is loathe to getting dragged into the geopolitical rivalry between India and China. And for Beijing, this was too good an opportunity to be missed to thumb its nose at the powers-that-be in Delhi, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
India's disaster relief assistance has increased substantially in recent years, from Rs 1.60 crore in FY23 to Rs 41.18 crore in FY24, and Rs 27.88 cr in FY25 (until January 2025).
India on Monday proposed new ideas for further enhancing cooperation with Bhutan while asserting that commitments made by the previous government will be fulfilled.
'Although China has been ruling over Tibet for past 75 years, it has no legitimacy.'
Live on one of Gelephu's inhabitable bridges where elephants will saunter past, be it day or night; or be homed in a never-ending building with flying cars and robot maids? asks ambivalent Sandeep Goyal.
India has withdrawn the transhipment facility it extended to Bangladesh for exports to third countries, citing congestion at ports and airports. The decision comes after Bangladesh's interim government halted yarn imports from India and closed three land ports. The move has raised concerns about a downturn in India-Bangladesh relations following political instability and attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.
The Bodoland Territorial Region in Assam is slowly picking up the pieces and finally finding peace after being subjected to decades of insurgencies and violence.
"Concerned by the situation in the wake of the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand. Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone," Modi said on X.
India finalised a free trade agreement with the UK, its 16th so far as the country aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investments. The other regions and countries with which India has signed such agreements include the four-nation European bloc EFTA, Japan, Korea and Australia.
'"It is a deliberate attempt by vested interests to spread misinformation and cause misunderstanding between the friendly people of Bhutan and Assam'
As a part of the SBI Fellowship programme, youngsters aged between 21 and 32 years get to work with NGOs on several projects in rural India.
The new PM would be more than unwise to attempt steering away from India into an all-encompassing Chinese embrace that would ultimately swamp Bhutanese identity, says Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd).
There is a "high possibility" of a meeting between Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, a senior official said. The meeting comes amid strained ties between the two countries, marked by India's concerns over violence against Hindus and a rise of hardline Islamist forces in Bangladesh. Yunus's recent comments about India's northeastern states being landlocked and Bangladesh being the "only guardian of the ocean" in the region have drawn sharp reactions from Indian politicians. However, a Bangladesh official insists that Yunus's statement was misinterpreted.
Bhutan's Kinzang Lhamo finished the hilly and hot course in three hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds
In underlining the role of border villages as custodians of India's frontiers, New Delhi is following China's example in Tibet.
The BJP has accused the Congress of politicising the death of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and levelling "baseless allegations" of disrespect and mismanagement at his State funeral. The Congress has countered by alleging that the government's arrangements for the funeral were a "shocking display" of disrespect. The row comes as the Congress alleges that the Centre did not allow news agencies except for DD (Doordarshan) to cover the funeral, did not provide enough space for Singh's family around the pyre, and did not stand up for the national flag during the gun salute. The BJP has refuted all of these charges.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Border Security Force (BSF), central agencies, and the BJP of fanning tension in Murshidabad by allegedly facilitating cross-border influx from Bangladesh. She also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to keep the Union Home Ministry under control. Banerjee has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of three people killed during the violence and directed the state chief secretary to initiate a probe into the role of the BSF.
The government has sanctioned a dozen fresh SSB battalions, comprising over 13,000 personnel for the Nepal and Bhutan borders guarding force, to "fortify" defences along these fronts including the tri-junction area in Sikkim that adjoins Bhutan and Tibet, officials said.
The Indian cricketing legend is in Bhutan to speard awareness about UNICEF Handwash initiative.
Here is the complete list of tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
As sludge started solidifying inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel in Telangana, rescuers are planning to use sniffer dogs to locate those got trapped, District Collector B Santhosh said on Wednesday.
