Oman Hosts High-Stakes Return to Diplomacy On February 6, Washington and Tehran are set to restart nuclear negotiations in Oman, reviving a fraught diplomatic channel overshadowed by sharp warnings from US President Donald Trump to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The talks come after months of escalating rhetoric, targeted strikes, and military deployments across the Gulf,…
A Renewed Bid for a Six-Nation Gulf Pact India is once again exploring a sweeping trade arrangement with six Arab economies—Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain—under the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). After years of stalled discussions, negotiators have revived plans for a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) that could reshape commercial, energy,…
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on February 5, 2026, unveiled Bharat Taxi at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi-NCR, positioning it as India’s first government-supported, cooperative ride-hailing platform. The service, run by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Ltd, begins with an initial fleet of roughly 2.5 lakh vehicles and promises a zero-commission structure in which drivers retain the…
President Droupadi Murmu returned to her home turf in Odisha on February 4, 2026, inaugurating and laying foundation stones for development projects worth ₹284 crore in Rairangpur, Mayurbhanj district. The visit combined ceremony with substance: new facilities across health, education, sports and civic infrastructure were launched in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and local…
Odisha’s remote Malkangiri district, once synonymous with Maoist violence and isolation, was officially declared “Naxal-free” on February 4, 2026. The announcement followed the surrender of Sukhram Markam, a key insurgent commander carrying a significant bounty, marking the end of an era in a region that had long been considered one of India’s most entrenched rebel strongholds….
A new US–India trade arrangement announced by President Donald Trump has reduced tariffs on a large share of Indian exports to 18% from earlier punitive levels near 50%, while also removing a proposed 25% penalty tied to India’s purchases of Russian oil. The revised tariff rate places India marginally ahead of Pakistan, whose exports to the US…
War, Stalled Diplomacy, and a Grinding Stalemate Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, another attempt at diplomacy has begun, with US-mediated talks resuming in early February 2026. The negotiations follow a protracted conflict marked by battlefield stalemates, failed peace initiatives, and deep mistrust between Moscow and Kyiv. While frontlines have shifted only marginally in…
Odisha has set out to reposition itself as a global centre for artificial intelligence, financial technology, and insurance innovation through the Black Swan Summit in Bhubaneswar. The event, bringing together international investors, policymakers, and technology leaders, reflects the state’s ambition to move beyond its traditional industrial base and emerge as a major node in India’s digital…
The Washington Post’s decision to lay off more than 300 employees — roughly a third of its newsroom — has underscored the accelerating upheaval within legacy media. The sweeping cuts, affecting reporting desks from international coverage to culture and sports, illustrate how even storied institutions are reshaping operations as digital disruption, declining advertising revenue, and changing…
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink on Wednesday delivered an emphatic endorsement of India’s long-term economic prospects, declaring that “this is the era for India” and urging millions of citizens to invest alongside the nation’s ascent. Sharing the stage with Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, the discussion centered on India’s sweeping economic ambitions — including a potential expansion toward a $30 trillion…
