'Sentinel': Manila opens coast guard base in South China Sea

The Philippines unveiled a major coast guard base Thursday on an island in the South China Sea to serve as a "steadfast sentinel of our sovereignty" in a disputed region closely guarded by China's forces.

We do not want NATO to split over US-Iran war, says Merz

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday he did not want the NATO alliance to split over the Iran war but played down reported threats by US President Donald Trump to withdraw troops from NATO countries seen as not pulling their weight. 

Nobel-winning rights group Memorial branded as 'extremist' by Moscow

Russian Human rights group Memorial was designated an "extremist" movement on Thursday in a closed-door hearing of country's Supreme Court, state news agency TASS said.

The ruling, the latest in a sweeping, years-long crackdown on free speech in Russia, provides a legal mechanism for authorities to prosecute anyone who contributes to the work of the Nobel Prize-wining organisation or shares material that it publishes.

UK & Norway launch joint Op to deter Russian submarines in North Atlantic

Britain and Norway conducted a weekslong military operation to deter Russian spy submarines near undersea cables in the North Atlantic, the UK defense chief said Thursday, accusing Moscow of using the distraction of the Iran war to ramp up malign activity against Europe. 

Artemis II astronauts prepare to end Moon mission with a 'fireball' re-entry

Four Astronauts traveling back to Earth from the far side of the Moon on NASA's Artemis II mission spoke of their emotions as they wrapped up the unprecedented flight and pre-pared to re-enter the atmosphere in a "fireball", during their first press conference from space on Wednesday. 

Ceasefire strained, Israel offers talks with Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he is seeking direct talks with Beirut, a day after the worst bombardment of the war killed more than 300 people in Leba-non and placed Donald Trump's US-Iran ceasefire in jeopardy. 

Jaishankar leads India's energy outreach to Gulf countries, Puri in Qatar

As Pakistan prepares to host peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad, Delhi has begun reaching out to key partners in the region - from Oman to the UAE, Saudi Arabia to Qatar-on the question of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. 

India to soon have its first Danish Chamber of Commerce

Just Months after the signing of the India-European Union free trade agreement, Denmark has announced the establishment of the first Danish Chamber of Commerce in India. The initiative, announced in New Delhi on Wednesday, aims to support Danish companies operating in India or those considering business opportunities here. 

A post-Iran war West Asia order can open strategic space for India

A US-led security architecture in the region, including Israel as a key pillar, has diminishing prospects. India inserting itself into such arrangements had some rationale in the past, but may have lost its relevance now. 

Delhi, Dhaka must sidestep short-termism

Over the better part of two decades, Delhi and Dhaka crafted one of the Subcontinent's most significant and stable bilateral relationships. Part of the reason for this was the conducive atmosphere created by the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in Bangladesh. Hasina's perceived "pro-India" stance has become a thorny issue in her country since her ouster in August 2024, and matters were made worse by the political instability, including attacks on minorities. 

The women's Bill has a backstory, and an arduous journey

The Women's reservation debate in India did not start in 2023 with the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam but has been a continuous dialogue going back to the national movement. In 1931, Begum Shah Nawaz and Sarojini Naidu wrote a letter to the British PM in which they said, "To seek any form of preferential treatment would be to violate the integrity of the universal demand of Indian women for absolute equality of political status." 

Public morality must govern matters of faith: Centre to SC on Sabarimala

Underlining that public morality, not constitutional morality, must be the governing standard in matters of faith and that the Supreme Court's "essential religious practices test" is unworkable, the Centre Thursday concluded its arguments before the 9-judge Constitution Bench reviewing the 2018 ruling, which held that barring the entry of women in the Sabarimala temple was unconstitutional. 

15th Finance Commission period set a record with 94.98% funds release for rural bodies

As Implementation of the 16th Finance Commission's recommendations begins for the five-year period - from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2031 - a closer look at past finance commissions reveals a clear and rising trend: rural local bodies (RLBs), including gram, block and district panchayats, are receiving more funds than ever before with release of grant peaking at a historic high of 94.98% during the 15th FC.

Centre notifies CAPF Act after assent from President

The Centre on Thursday notified the Central Armed Police Forces (General) Administration Act after the assent from President Droupadi Murmu.

The new legislation was published in the Gazette on Thursday by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Navigation should be free and safe: MEA on Hormuz

Amid Reports that Iran wants to impose a toll or a transit fees on merchant vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz, India continues to press for free and safe navigation through the narrow waterway. 

'RBI's exchange rate policy very consistent'

The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) management of the rupee's exchange rate has received a thumbs-up from the World Bank, with its officials noting that the economy's strong buffers at the start of the war in West Asia explain why the bank is "actually optimistic" about India's ability to withstand the brunt of the

ongoing crisis.

'Indian trade team to visit US this month'

The US on Thursday said it looked forward to hosting the Indian delegation here later this month to discuss the bilateral trade deal agreed to in February.

US Ambassador to India Sergei Gor made the announcement of the Indian delegation's upcoming visit to Washington after a meeting with America's Trade Representative Jamieson Greer here. Gor, who is currently on a visit to the US, also met Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and several other US officials.

Early signs of stress visible across sectors, says FICCI report

Early signs of stress are visible across sectors, warranting proactive measures to mitigate immediate risks as well as to build long-term resilience, industry lobby FICCI said in a report on the implications of the West Asia conflict released on Thursday.

The report emphasises that this crisis, while being challenging, also presents an opportunity for India to accelerate structural reforms aimed at strengthening economic resilience and reducing external vulnerabilities. 

Exporters' body: 2-3% fall in goods exports in FY26

India's merchandise exports are expected to register a fall of 2-3% in FY26 due to global economic uncertainties, aggravated by the West Asia crisis, according to FIEO.

Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President SC Ralhan said that the crisis may have led to a decline in the shipments by 7-8% in March.

"Exports are expected to record a fall of 2-3% last fiscal and 7-8% in March," the President told reporters.

In Odisha clashes between police & tribals, bauxite mining in focus

Significance of Odisha's deposits

Sijimali is part of the Eastern Ghats hill ranges and is interspersed with valleys. The bauxite reserve, spread over 1,500 hectares, covers Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. With an estimated reserve of 311 million tonnes of high-grade bauxite, Sijimali is located close to Vedanta's alumina refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district.

Alumina is refined from bauxite ore and used to produce aluminium, which is instrumental in making everything from soda cans to aircraft. Aluminium's strength, lightness and conductivity allow for a multiplicity of uses. It is also the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust, and the third most common element, after oxygen and silicon. 

Energy market turmoil could linger for months

• India meets over 88% of its crude oil needs through imports, with 40% via the Strait of Hormuz

• It has 50% LNG import dependence, with 55-60% routed through the Strait

• LPG import dependence is 60%, with 90% of those supplies passing through the Strait.