NATO leaders to gather in Ankara, aim to ease tensions with Trump

Nato leaders gather next week in Ankara, where Europeans aim to set aside strife with US President Donald Trump over Iran and Greenland and show they are stepping up to defend the continent as Washington cuts back on its commitments to the alliance.

Deaths surged 29% in France amid record June heat: Health agency

Deaths Surged by nearly a third in France during the hottest week of a record heat wave last month, the country's public health authority said Friday, reporting at least 2,000 more deaths than in the previous week when temperatures were already climbing and filling emergency wards with heat victims.

Rescue op launched to save NASA telescope that's falling back to Earth

A Three-Armed spacecraft rocketed into orbit Friday to rescue a NASA telescope that's in danger of crashing back to Earth. Northrop Grumman launched Katalyst Space Technologies' Link spacecraft from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. The Pegasus rocket blasted off from the belly of a modified airplane, putting Link on course to reach and capture NASA's Swift Observatory in about a month.

Govt's plan to revive struggling tiger reserves

An event marking the 18th anniversary of tiger reintroductions at the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar, Rajasthan, last month saw the Centre release two new assessments. The first was a road map to manage tigers going forward and the second reflected on the lessons learnt from 12 reintroduction initiatives in India.

It has been argued that beyond simply counting overall numbers, the focus should be on national parks and reserves with a low number of tigers. To aid the recovery of big cats, parks with poor habitats and prey availability have also been included. This, the Centre said, will also aid the dispersal of tigers from places which have reached peak carrying capacity towards newer habitats.

Antibiotics to creams: The perils of combination meds

The Government has banned 16 fixed-dose combination (FDC) drugs, including certain antibiotic combinations and a range of dermatological products containing aloe vera and other herbal ingredients, because their supposedly amplified bene-fits lack scientific justification.

FDCs, or fixed-dose combination drugs, contain two or more ingredients in one formulation. They claim to amplify benefits.

Some combinations do improve patient outcomes. But FDCs are called 'irrational' when there is little evidence that the ingredients work better together than when used separately.

Four Chinese firms with factories in India cleared to bid for power projects

The Finance Ministry has allowed four Chinese power equipment manufacturing companies with factories in India to participate in government tenders for critical power projects.

The four firms - ТВЕА Energy, Nanjing Electric India, New Northeast Electric India and Taikai Electric (India) -have been exempted from the provisions of the public procurement rules. These rules require entities from countries sharing a land border with India to register with the relevant Indian authority to be eligible to bid in the procurement of goods, services, or works.

1991 Act doesn't bar takeover of worship place for public use: Allahabad HC

The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 does not bar the government from acquiring places of worship for public purposes, the Allahabad High Court said Thurs day while dismissing a writ challenging the acquisition of six mosques in Varanasi's Dalmandi Street for expansion of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor.

Revising Ladakh talks record, Centre gives elected leaders control over UT bureaucracy

Days After Ladakh observed a shutdown over what its leaders alleged were omissions in the official record of their talks with the Centre, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), moving to address concerns over the government's commitment to its assurances, has incorporated key provisions in the final minutes of the May 22 meeting that resulted in a breakthrough after months of protests and negotiations.

Matcha tea, now from India: Assam estate sells first batch

Featuring in lattes and desserts across trendy cafes, matcha tea has found growing demand in India. And on Friday, the first batch of Indian-manufactured matcha tea, produced at a tea estate in Assam, was sold at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC).

PM on six-day tour of Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand from July 6

As Delhi seeks to bolster ties in the Asia-Pacific region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand next week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday. Modi will reach Indonesia on July 6 and travel to Australia before concluding his trip with a visit to New Zealand on July 11.

Defence acquisition proposals worth Rs 52,000 crore cleared

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Friday cleared a range of acquisition proposals worth about Rs 52,000 crore for the Armed Forces.

The proposals include Anti-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Anti-UAV) Electronic Warfare System named 'Akash Tarang', Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) Weapon System, Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS), Jet-Based Kamikaze Drone System for the Army, Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System (NSUAS) for the Navy and Fixed-Wing Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (FW-HAPS) for the Indian Air Force, among others.

'Will never win genuine recognition': China on India-Japan's open Indo-Pacific stand

As Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wound up her three-day India visit where New Delhi and Tokyo dis-cussed and advocated a free and open Indo-Pacific, Beijing has said that the concept goes against the shared aspirations of regional countries.

On Friday, China's spokes-person in India, Yu Jing, high-lighted the statement made by the spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun, a day earlier, when talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PM Takaichi were held.

"The so-called concept of 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific' goes against the regional countries shared aspirations for peace, development and cooperation, and will never win genuine recognition," Guo said in response to a question on Takaichi statement.

Insurance regulator likely to tighten commission norms

The Country's insurance regulator, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), has proposed tighter transparency norms for insurance intermediaries, asking them to disclose commission earnings to the public and the regulator.

It is also considering a cap on commissions and bringing some order to the industry, according to insurance sources.

FM: Middle class consumption powering India's eco growth

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said India's expanding middle class has emerged as the country's engine of growth, with consumption-led demand helping the economy remain the world's fastest-growing major economy after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The middle class is no longer merely a beneficiary of economic growth but the principal driver of it, Sitharaman said speaking on the theme "How to Promote the Rise of a New Middle Class?" .

India and France to deepen cooperation in critical minerals

India and France on Friday agreed to deepen cooperation in critical minerals, economic security, investment, financial services and high-speed rail as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and French Economy Minister Roland Lescure co-chaired the India-France Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) in Aix-en-Provence.