Deadlock nears end, LS all set to discuss anti-paper leak Bill today 

After A week of repeated disruptions, the government and the Opposition on Monday reached an understanding to end the logjam in Lok Sabha, paving the way for a discussion on The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, from Tuesday..

Right to peaceful protest guaranteed, police excesses can be examined: SC

Stating that there cannot be police excesses or violence merely because there is an agitation, the Supreme Court on Monday underlined the need for a "balanced" approach, a pan-India "protocol" and a "self-evolved discipline, which is integral to the democratic process".

Ministry pushing RBI to open licences for more urban co-op banks: Secy

The Ministry of Cooperation has urged the RBI to open licences for more urban cooperative banks in the country, a top official said Monday.

Speaking at a book release function, Cooperation Ministry Secretary Ashish Kumar Bhutani said that India needs urban cooperative banks (UCBs) in every town of the country.

70% of suicides by Indians abroad in Gulf: MEA data

Over the last three years, 1,340 Indian citizens died by suicide in Gulf countries, according to data provided by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in Parliament.

Out of these, 511 cases have been recorded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), followed by Saudi Arabia (354), Kuwait (162), Oman (146), Bahrain (101) and Qatar (66).

Western Ghats panel gets one more year as deadlock continues over eco-sensitive area

An expert committee constituted in 2022 by the Union environment ministry to examine issues raised by states regarding the demarcation of ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) in the fragile Western Ghats region was given a year's extension late last month. 

The extension was given as the committee's and the Centre's work on breaking the deadlock on finalising ESAs as demarcated in a July 2024 draft notification, which has lapsed, continues.

Israel's earthen barriers in Gaza Strip, and a line in the sand

• Earthen berms and ramparts are among the oldest architectural defensive structures in human history.

• In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the barriers have evolved over decades, beginning with the Gaza perimeter fence built in 1994, following the Oslo Accords.

• Since 2002, Israel has been building a planned 700-km barrier to separate the West Bank from Jerusalem and Israel.

CBDT's crypto asset reporting guidance, and what it means for taxpayers

The Central Board of Direct Taxes has released a 198-page guidance note on crypto-asset reporting obligations, aligning India's tax reporting framework with that laid out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The measure puts the onus on crypto exchanges to report all transactions accurately and in detail, while helping countries to undertake automatic exchange of information regarding crypto asset transactions starting next year.

Trump & Netanyahu: The cracks are showing

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with President Donald Trump this week comes at a time of growing strain in the US-Israel relationship. This is because of diverging interests over the war with Iran, Israel's military campaigns in Lebanon and Gaza, and signs that the personal rapport between the two leaders who face elections later this year is waning. Netanyahu has long presented his close ties with Trump as a political asset, while Trump confronts an electorate increasingly angry about the war.

India, Bangladesh must not just renew Ganga Treaty. They should reimagine it

The 1996 treaty, signed after decades of deliberations, reflected a particular political moment of relatively stable bilateral relations. The treaty emerged from sustained Track 1 and Track 2 engagements that built trust and goodwill.

Deterrence has broken down in West Asia

The US and Iran have been at odds since the 1979 Revolution, portraying each other as agents of violence or destruction. But this kind of mutual "othering" has not led to war; for all the posturing there has been deterrence, and a good deal of indirect negotiation, conducted with the necessary restraint. Identity is part of why the rivalry has held on, but it does not explain why things come to a head in direct military terms at some junctures and not at others.

France, Spain race to curb wildfires before new heatwave arrives

Firefighters sought on Monday to take advantage of more favourable weather conditions to subdue massive wildfires threatening the French city and tourist region of Bordeaux and a number of sites in neighbouring Spain.

Al data centres' power load seen 26.3 GW by 2031-32

Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centres will put an additional load of 26.3 gigawatts (GW) by 2031-32, the Ministry of Power informed the Parliament on Monday. This additional load is expected to be integrated into the grid and will primarily be served by renewable energy capacity, the ministry added. The fresh projection is almost double the government's earlier projection in March this year when it estimated that electricity demand from data centres will reach 13.56 GW by 2031-32.

India's rupee billionaires top 500 for first time, quadruple in 4 years

The Number of individuals who reported a gross total income of at least Rs 100 crore crossed 500 in Assessment Year 2025-26, up 39% from the previous year, the Ministry of Finance said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The finance ministry data showed the number of rupee billionaires as per their income has quadrupled in four years to 576 from 142 in AY 2021-22. Assessment Year refers to the 12 months after the year in which income is earned, or the financial year. As such, AY 2025-26 is 2024-25, or April 2024-March 2025.