India may adopt a "calibrated" and a "step-by-step" approach to easing norms on investments originating from China, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. He was in a conversation with A K Bhattacharya on Day 1 of Business Standard's two-day annual event, Manthan 2026. The minister said foreign direct investment (FDI) from China was certainly not "banned", but it goes through an approval process. "The government's approach at the moment is to accelerate the approval process."
Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani (retd) has been appointed as India's next Chief of Defence Staff, succeeding Gen Anil Chauhan. Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been named the next Chief of the Naval Staff, succeeding Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi. Lt Gen Subramani's primary mandate will be to implement the military theaterisation plan and bolster tri-services synergy.
Everybody talks of China as the real threat, but we aren't even building a decisive capability against Pakistan, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
Punjab Police have successfully dismantled a cross-border arms smuggling module, arresting three individuals and seizing six pistols. Investigations reveal links to Pakistan-based smugglers using social media to facilitate the illegal arms trade.
China supplied more than $20 billion worth of arms to Pakistan. These include 20 J-10CE and JF-17 Block III fighter aircraft, Wing Loong drones, frigates, submarines, Hongqi HQ-9P surface-to-air missiles, 240 PL-15E air-to-air missiles, LY-80 air defence systems, ZDK early warning aircraft and other weapons.
India is among six countries on the priority watch list in a US report addressing the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has urged India to take the lead in bringing peace to West Asia, highlighting the UAE's role in stalling BRICS consensus on the conflict. Gharibabadi also discussed a new framework with Oman for merchant vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Indian men's and women's hockey teams' schedules for the FIH World Cup in Amstelveen, Netherlands and Belgium have been announced, with the men's team opening against Wales and the women's team against China.
In a testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, also said that the threats to the US were set to expand collectively from more than 3,000 missiles at present to more than 16,000 missiles by 2035.
'Neither do the Israelis. The two attacking parties have very little economic interest in Hormuz.'
'It is typical of China's strategic deception of making virtue out of necessity,' observes Rup Narayan Das.
The popularity of US President Donald Trump is waning with approval ratings at its lowest, according to former diplomat Mahesh Sachdev, who notes that with two-thirds of Americans not approving of a continuation of the war on Iran, Trump faces the risk of being impeached.
'America holds about 16% of IMF voting rights, giving it crucial influence over Pakistan's desperately needed bailout loans.'
Delhi Police have dismantled an international arms smuggling ring with links to Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, arresting 10 individuals and seizing a cache of sophisticated foreign-made weapons.
Bangladesh has expressed a potential interest in procuring JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft from Pakistan, according to a statement from the Pakistan military. The development came during a meeting between the air chiefs of both countries, focusing on strengthening operational cooperation and institutional synergy.
For India, much is at stake: Crucial energy supplies traversing the Strait of Hormuz, the fate of its 10 million citizens living and working in West Asia -- who send generous remittances home -- and its major trade links with the region.
Amritsar police have dismantled a cross-border illegal arms smuggling module, arresting four individuals and seizing sophisticated weapons and ammunition.
'If they can be duplicitous, we can be equally duplicitous.' 'If they offer friendship, we reciprocate.' 'If they choose hostility, we respond with equal hostility.'
A senior Russian diplomat has expressed apprehension over the possibility of the US attempting to regain control of the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan, amidst escalating military tensions in the region.
Swift and global banks are launching a new system to make international payments faster and cheaper for small businesses and consumers, starting with major global markets.
Trump has said he would be present at the signing ceremony in Islamabad. Don't be surprised if the Pakistani hosts make it a grand event in the geopolitics of the region. Trump would love that, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
She said that America spent $46 billion on foreign aid last year, which is given to countries like China, Pakistan, and Iraq.
Colonel Sonam Wangchuk, a decorated Kargil War hero known as the 'Lion of Ladakh' and recipient of the Maha Vir Chakra, has passed away. He was celebrated for his gallantry and leadership in securing the Chorbat-La in the Batalik sub-sector during Operation Vijay in 1999.
The delegations from the US and Iran head to Islamabad on Friday, carrying a ceasefire that is already fraying, a Strait that is technically open and practically closed, and a negotiating agenda that would challenge even parties actually negotiating in good faith, which these groups are not. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in West Asia, offering to host talks between the US and Iran and engaging with regional leaders to promote peace and stability.
The Chinese military on Monday denied reports that its largest military cargo plane has carried arms supplies to Pakistan and warned legal action against those spreading such rumours.
The UN Security Council will vote on a Bahrain-proposed resolution regarding the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to ensure freedom of navigation amid concerns and opposition from some members.
Punjab Police have dismantled a cross-border arms smuggling operation, arresting two individuals and seizing a cache of foreign-made pistols intended for distribution among criminals in the state.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over US President Donald Trump's warning to Iran and appealed for the re-establishment of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will assess the performance of India's National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) in the coming months, a process described as routine by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). WADA President Witold Banka expressed satisfaction with the facility after a recent visit, while India is also in the running to host the next WADA Global Education Conference.
Delhi Police dismantled a major international arms trafficking module with links to Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, arresting 10 operatives and recovering a cache of foreign-made weapons.
The logic of war plus the gathering storms in US politics as the midterms loom large leave him with no real alternative but to negotiate, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Luckily for us, a Russia that is desperate to stay relevant in an emerging multipolar world finds in India a reliable geostrategic partner. The Russian proximity to India also keeps China from exploiting its economic dominance vis a vis Russia, points out Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Chaffing under public ridicule in the US as well as internationally for having 'lost' the war, Trump is under immense pressure to do something, cautions Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'What the Americans want is to destabilise Iran. For destabilising Iran, you need access. 'One access is through Iraq. The other access is through Pakistan.'
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington is considering a "joint venture" with Iran to secure the Strait of Hormuz, following his announcement of a two-week ceasefire.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has criticised Congress leaders for visiting 'anaj mandis' in Haryana and challenged them to assess the performance of Congress-governed states. He highlighted the development work carried out in Haryana under the current government.
Sri Lanka's response to the Easter attacks has been slow and politically contested, unlike India's swift institutional reforms after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, observes Colonel R Hariharan (retd).
The ceasefire is still technically holding, to the extent that no overt hostilities have been reported yet, but the rhetoric has hardened dangerously. The week ahead will also clarify whether the Islamabad failure was a negotiating tactic or whether Washington has genuinely locked itself into a position from which the only exits are climb-down, escalation, or the slow bleed of a new status quo that nobody chose and nobody controls. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
