'Wages have not risen. Rural wages have stagnated. The growth was 0.7 per cent last year. For casual and irregular labour, the wage growth is negative.'
A massive flash flood originating in Tibet has devastated central Nepal, killing 17 people and leaving nearly 500 missing, including 105 Indians. The deluge, caused by a rock slide near the Nepal-Tibet border, swept through districts, washing away bridges and severely damaging at least a dozen hydropower projects.
India has dispatched a fresh tranche of 35 tonnes of humanitarian aid to flood-ravaged Nepal, marking the eighth special flight since devastating flash floods struck the Himalayan nation on August 26. The aid includes relief materials, specialised rescue equipment, and expert personnel, with Indian teams actively assisting in tunnel rescue operations and forensic identification of victims. The death toll has climbed to 1,365, and thousands remain missing as India reaffirms its commitment to supporting Nepal's recovery efforts.
Nepal is grappling with one of its worst disasters in recent years as massive flash floods, triggered by an ice avalanche, have claimed 270 lives and left thousands missing across multiple districts, prompting urgent rescue and relief operations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated he does not believe India and Iran are pursuing a trade deal, despite a recent meeting between their leaders. He acknowledged that many countries engage with the Iranian regime but reiterated President Trump's warning against helping Iran evade sanctions, threatening penalties for nations that do so.
'You have to get private investment to somewhere between 35% to 36% of GDP. It is hovering about 30%-31%.'
Nepal is grappling with the devastating aftermath of flash floods, with the death toll reaching 1,356 and nearly 5,000 people, including foreign nationals, still missing. Identification of bodies is a major challenge, with only a fraction identified so far. President Ramchandra Paudel has appealed for climate justice and national unity for relief efforts. International teams, including experts from India and China, are assisting in search and rescue, particularly at hydropower projects where workers are trapped. The country is also working to restore infrastructure and reassure tourists to protect its vital autumn tourism season.
Four Indian nationals have been killed in an attack on the vessel MV Golden Leo during departure from the port of Odesa in Ukraine on Sunday evening, while one is critically injured.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday called on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussed issues of bilateral interest.
The Supreme Court has directed the Jammu and Kashmir administration to issue a no-objection certificate and relieving order to international water sports coach Bilquis Mir, enabling her to join the Indian National Kayaking and Canoeing Team as chief coach for the Asian Games. This ruling came after PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti criticised the bureaucratic hurdles faced by Mir, highlighting systemic issues within the administration.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's week-long ongoing tour of France and Slovakia is his 100th foreign trip since he assumed the high office 12 years ago.
Nepal's devastating flash floods have claimed 1,127 lives, with thousands still missing a week after the disaster. Rescuers are intensifying efforts to find survivors and recover bodies across affected regions, while police work to identify victims and relocate families from high-risk areas.
Bangladesh has not yet decided on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to India for the upcoming BRICS summit, with his office stating that Dhaka is awaiting New Delhi's response to its request for the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and other 'fugitive criminals' currently residing in India.
The PM CARES Fund experienced a 30 per cent decrease in domestic donations and an 18 per cent drop in foreign contributions during the fiscal year 2024-2025. Despite this, the total balance in the fund increased to Rs 8,452 crore, primarily held in fixed deposits and savings accounts. The fund's expenditure on the PM CARES for Children Scheme also saw a sharp reduction.
The death toll from devastating flash floods in Nepal has surged to 1,252, with more bodies recovered and fresh flood risks emerging due to continuous rainfall in the Bhotekoshi River's upstream areas. The disaster, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche, has also left 4,875 people missing and prompted calls to address climate change's impact on the Himalayan region.
Wang also condemned the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which had cross-border linkages and triggered the worst fighting between India and Pakistan in years.
NPCI International and Uzbekistan's NIPC have partnered to enable UPI payments across Uzbekistan, allowing Indian tourists, business travellers, and students to make instant merchant payments using the UZQR code. This agreement, approved by RBI and CBU, integrates UPI with Uzbekistan's national payment system, HUMO, facilitating direct P2M payments from Indian bank accounts and reducing reliance on foreign exchange or international cards.
An Indian woman has alleged that Russian police detained her husband in Moscow and pressured him to join the Russian army. The Indian Embassy has sought consular access, while India continues efforts to secure the return of its nationals recruited into Russian forces.
Cricket Australia has announced that private investment will be introduced into the Big Bash League (BBL) from the 2027-28 season, beginning with the sale of the Melbourne Renegades T20 franchise, a move aimed at strengthening the league's long-term future and boosting finances.
Ahead of President Vladimir Putin's visit to India for the BRICS summit, Russia has expressed support for New Delhi's peace initiatives to resolve the Ukraine conflict. Discussions between Putin and PM Modi will cover defence, energy, technology, and the repatriation of Indian nationals from the Russian military, alongside addressing trade and investment ties.
The devastating flash floods wreaked havoc across Nepal, with the ministry of external affairs on Thursday stating that 84 Indian nationals have been rescued while 290 remain uncontactable as the Himalayan nation stepped up search, rescue and relief operations following the disaster that has claimed more than 390 lives.
'The Chinese military cannot advance much in Ladakh, even if they want to.' 'Similarly, in Arunachal Pradesh, they can rename a village or two, intrude here or there, but cannot do much more realistically.'
India has removed a key regulatory hurdle, allowing exporters to receive payments in Indian currency while retaining incentives under the country's foreign trade policy, a move aimed at promoting wider use of the rupee in international trade.
The administration has sounded a high alert in Maharajganj and Kushinagar districts of Uttar Pradesh, while stepping up the monitoring of the Gandak and other water bodies downstream of rivers in Nepal, following devastating flash floods in the neighbouring country that have killed more than 350 people and left thousands missing.
Bangladesh has once again sought the extradition of former premier Sheikh Hasina from India during High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi's first meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka, amidst fresh strains in ties between the two countries following Hasina's controversial virtual media interaction in New Delhi.
An NRI couple from Vadodara, Kinnari and Mihir Patel, who travelled to Nepal from New Zealand, have gone missing after devastating flash floods hit the region, prompting their family to appeal to the government for swift rescue action.
'India is trying to project that it can engage with the world in a different way too.'
There is a strong opinion within the BJP in Punjab that the party must now stand on its own two feet and dump the badly compromised SAD baggage.
As devastating flash floods swept through parts of Nepal, triggered by torrential rains and a surge in the Bhote Koshi River, Nepali residents and workers in Delhi spent Wednesday anxiously trying to reach family and friends back home, with reports of deaths and hundreds missing causing widespread worry.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced he would meet US Ambassador Sergio Gor to discuss the regional situation but firmly stated he would not raise internal issues with the US representative. Abdullah emphasised that solutions to J&K's problems lie with the central government, not with foreign entities, maintaining his stance against complaining about India to foreign diplomats.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday signed a key joint defence agreement under which an attack against one of them will be treated as an attack against all of them, amid increasing security concerns in the wake of escalating tensions in West Asia.
Indian government sources revealed that a 'cautious approach' was adopted during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's June talks with then-US President Donald Trump due to concerns over Trump's 'unpredictable behaviour' with foreign leaders, leading to a preference against a joint media interaction.
The United States Central Command announced strikes against Iranian military targets, including air defence and communication sites, in retaliation for alleged attacks on commercial shipping and US personnel. However, Iran's Foreign Ministry claims these strikes caused over 50 civilian casualties at a wedding and vowed a firm response. Iran's state media also reported retaliatory ballistic missile and drone attacks on US bases in Jordan and Bahrain, claims which were partially corroborated by Kuwait and Jordan reporting intercepted drones and missiles.
'The fundamental issue that I have raised, how come India's GDP in current prices went down from Rs 86 lakh crore down to Rs 80 lakh crore -- a staggering erasure of Rs 6 lakh crore. This disappearance of Rs 6 lakh crore has not been answered by anyone.'
The Lok Sabha has referred the contentious Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a 31-member joint parliamentary committee for thorough scrutiny.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi mocked US President Donald Trump's claim of the US being the 'guardian' of the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that Iran has always been and will remain the sole guardian, while also suggesting that any entity providing security should be compensated, though Trump's proposed '20 per cent' levy is 'too much'.
The rules require nuclear plant operators to maintain an insurance policy, financial security or a combination of both to cover civil liability for nuclear damage.
US President Donald Trump announced a finalised peace deal between the US and Iran, set for signing on June 19 in Switzerland, with key figures like J D Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner from the US side, and Abbas Araghchi and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf representing Iran, alongside Pakistani mediators Field Marshal Asim Munir, Shehbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, and Mohsin Naqvi, playing crucial roles in the diplomatic breakthrough.
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma met Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. Shah assured that the bill would not be retrospective. Various church and minority organisations have expressed concerns about the bill's impact on NGOs, schools, and healthcare units, urging its withdrawal or referral to a joint parliamentary committee.
'They are claiming that they are very good in governance. All governments do propaganda. This is the propaganda of the government that they are doing very well, in spite of all the troubles.'
