India has withdrawn the transhipment facility it extended to Bangladesh for exports to third countries, citing congestion at ports and airports.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.
There is no official word either from China or from India on who will represent Beijing at the upcoming G20 summit.
The theme for this year is "Yoga for One Earth, One Health" echoes India's vision of global wellness.
"For instance, you generally buy your military gear from Russia. That's a way to kind of get under the skin of America, if you go to buy your armaments from Russia."
'Day by day we expose how soulless we have become as a society. Every day is a disappointment.'
President Xi is also skipping the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and East Asia summits in Jakarta this week.
The Rs 1-trillion Research Development and Innovation (RDI) fund, which was announced in the July budget for FY25, of which Rs 20,000 crore has already been allocated, will be operationalised in the next two to three months, a top official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with US Vice President J D Vance and his family, Estonian President Alar Karis, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris. The meetings focused on bilateral relations, AI collaboration, and trade opportunities. Modi also invited Estonia to explore opportunities in India's growth story. He concluded the summit by expressing India's willingness to host the next AI Action Summit.
'We need to be very vigilant as we are passing through some fraught times.'
An Indian commerce ministry team will soon visit Washington for another round of talks on the proposed trade agreement with the US to iron out differences in sectors, like agriculture and automobiles, a government official said on Thursday.
India and the US have collaborated through the past one month on launching a powerful satellite; are commencing joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 jet engines in India; India is participating in a massive three week-long military exercise in the Western Pacific, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
If the only superpower, which calls India an ally, sees the region through an India-Pakistan prism, it is unacceptable. Rather than endorse India's sphere of influence, this undermines it, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
The reality is that far from being friendless, India is better positioned in the world than at any point post-Cold War, asserts Shekhar Gupta.
The mourning will be observed across the country on April 22 and 23, and again on the day of the Pope's funeral.
'Make-in-India played a key role in India's effective action against terrorism during Operation Sindoor.'
The exhibition of artefacts -- in physical and digital form -- has been set up on the same floor where the leaders' meetings took place.
'In the Indian government there are no illusions about the United States reliability or the possibility of having any kind of preferential treatment from Washington when it comes to trade.'
He then went on to say that, however, he won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for any of his efforts.
Shrinivas Sainis Dattatraya, 39, went missing on Friday from camp IV situated at an altitude of 8,400 metres while returning from the Summit, said Mingma Sherpa, chairperson of the Seven Summit Trek, which organised the expedition.
The 'mediation' by the United States from behind the scene on the diplomatic track appears to be once again working, which calls on both Delhi and Islamabad to show restraint and pull back from a military confrontation, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'...we say that sport is this great phenomenon that is so wonderful and it's healthy and it's good for us all. Let's make sure that it doesn't bring suffering or disadvantage to anybody because of a major event that's come.'
'India is a very strategic geography. The business is growing over 37-38 per cent year-on-year.'
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).
Noting the success of the Coldplay concerts in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India has immense possibilities in the concert economy and urged the state governments and the private sector to invest in creating the necessary infrastructure and skills for hosting live events.
Chess960, created by former world champion Bobby Fischer in 1996, has been gaining in popularity after an invitational tournament played last year at the Weissenhaus Luxury Resort, which hosted the G7 Foreign Minister summit in 2022.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Thursday flagged serious concerns over inordinate delays in various defence acquisition projects and failure to stick to delivery schedules for supply of key platforms even as he hailed Operation Sindoor as a 'national victory'.
The political and ideological differences between the Congress and Shashi Tharoor is no longer a matter of whispers.
Recalling his detention during Hiteshwar Saikia's tenure as Assam Chief Minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that during the Congress government in Assam, he was beaten up and had jail food for seven days in the state.
The Summit for Democracy seems to have done more harm than good, notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asserted that the Narendra Modi government has "almost all" completed its ideological tasks, including the abrogation of Article 370, and will continue on the same path in its third tenure. Shah, a senior BJP leader, was speaking at the Hindu Spiritual & Service Fair in Gujarat, where he highlighted the government's achievements in areas such as the Ram Temple construction, abolition of triple talaq, and the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand. He also emphasized the government's success in promoting Yoga internationally and repatriating stolen idols of Hindu deities. Shah lauded Hindu temples and organizations for their service to society, especially their contributions to education and healthcare for the poor.
Nepal has sharply increased permit fees for climbing Mount Everest by 36 per cent and also introduced a slew of measures aimed at controlling garbage pollution on the world's tallest peak, officials said.
The exhibition of artefacts -- in physical and digital formats -- will be done on the same floor level where the leaders' meetings will take place, and they will walk through this 'cultural corridor' while moving into and out of the summit room, official sources said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a two-day working visit to the US from February 12 during which he will meet President Donald Trump, the external affairs ministry announced. The visit will give further impetus and direction to India-US bilateral relationship. Prior to his US visit, Modi will be in France from February 10-12 to co-chair the AI Action Summit with French President Emmanuel Macron. He will also visit Cadarache, the site of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor of which India is a partner. During his visit to France from February 10-12, Modi and Macron will also address the India-France CEOs forum. The prime minister and Macron will travel to Marseille where they will inaugurate the Consulate General of India. The leaders will also visit the war cemetery and pay tribute to the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers in World War 1. Modi and Macron will visit Cadarache, the site of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). There has been a very close rapport between Trump and Modi, dating back to the US leader's first term. There is a clear convergence of interests between the two countries in several areas, including trade, investment, technology, defense cooperation, counterterrorism, Indo-Pacific security, and people-to-people relations.
'Trump administration wanted a positive tone at this summit, but there was still some anxiety that there could be some awkward moments -- and there were not.'
'Its nature changes, new types of jobs are created.' 'We need to invest in skilling and re-skilling our people for an AI-driven future,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his opening speech at the AI Action Summit in Paris, co-hosted by India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Vice President JD Vance have expressed satisfaction with the progress made in negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement. The two leaders met in New Delhi and discussed a range of bilateral issues, including cooperation in energy, defense, strategic technologies, and other areas. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Li also had a difficult meeting with some of the Western leaders on the sidelines, especially Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has signalled Italy's resolve to quit China's famed Belt and Road Initiative for its failure to bring the expected results to Rome.
Barring a few, such as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu (74), Union Minister C R Patil (69) and Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna (71), most other ministers attending the WEF represent the next generation of India's politicians.
'A less tense US-China relationship would make Beijing less likely to provoke India -- including on the border -- in retaliation for its close defence ties with the US.'
'While on the one hand, terrorism continues to be a serious threat to global peace and security, on the other hand, areas such as cyber, maritime and space, are emerging as new theatres of conflict'
