114 Another Rafale for IAF get approval

The induction of 114 Rafale will fill a critical capability gap. The IAF squadron strength is down to 29 as against the sanctioned 42 squadrons and this is a worry given the situation along the frontiers with Pakistan and China. India's own Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft is at least a decade away.

Bangladesh-style zero-duty textile access for India in US deal: Goyal

The India-US trade deal, which is expected to be signed next month, will also have provisions similar to the Bangladesh-US deal that allow limited quality of textile and clothing to be exported to the US at zero reciprocal duty, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.

Will not let anyone touch Aravalli: SC

Asserting that it "will not allow anyone to touch" the "Aravalli range" as it stands now, the Supreme Court on Thursday said that the issue of the Aravalli Zoo Safari project, proposed to come up in Gurgaon and Nuh districts, will be dealt with when it considers the main matter on the Aravalli range.

LS passes Industrial Relations Code Bill as Opp, BJP face off

Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday defended the Industrial Relations Code 2020, saying it would guarantee a minimum wage to every worker and ensure pay parity for men and women for similar kind of work, as the Opposition termed it "regression" not "reform", which "dismantled" the labour protection Bill.

Brazilian President in Delhi next week, will meet Modi

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be in India for a state visit from February 18 to 22, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday. While President Lula will participate in the AI Impact Summit on February 19-20, he is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 21. This will be Lula's sixth visit to India, last one for the G20 Summit in September 2023.

India-US deal could have been a moment missed. It is a moment seized

Global Economic engagement is and was riddled with contradictions. We aspired for growth yet feared competition. This diffidence shaped our early approach to trade. PM Narendra Modi has acted with panache. The present engagement on FTAs with the EU and US represents a discontinuity with the past. The US deal is not an isolated initiative but integral to a long, uneven journey from protectionist to purposeful participation in global trade.

New inflation series is a welcome update

The Release of the new inflation series by the National Statistics Office on Thursday is part of an exercise to update the country's macroeconomic indicators. It will be followed by the release of a new GDP series later this month, and thereafter by the Index of Industrial Production in May. These series incorporate new data sources and expand coverage to better reflect the changed economic realities of the country.

WHO needs a financial model less vulnerable

The US withdrawal from the WHO has left the global health agency with a serious fund crunch. Though other nations have pledged more in 2026-2027, the WHO ap-prehends that it will fall short of its needed budget by 15 per cent. The agency's appeal for funds on its website to deal with emergencies speaks of the challenges it faces after the withdrawal of its largest benefactor.

'Kim's daughter set to be next ruler of North Korea'

South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday that it believes the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is close to being designated as the country's future leader as he moves to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation.

Retail inflation at 2.75% in Jan under revised CPI data series

India's Headline retail inflation rate based on the revised and updated Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 2.75% in January, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Thursday. (MOSPI) said

As per the old CPI inflation series, retail prices had risen 1.33% in the final month of 2025.