HT Punjab
Trump weighs options on Iran strikes as crude soars
WASHINGTON/DUBAI: The US and Iran showed little sign of breaking their impasse and agreeing to another round of peace talks, with President Donald Trump examining options for new strikes on Tehran ahead of a deadline to seek Congressional approval to...
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Exit polls predict BJP edge in Bengal, DMK to keep TN hold
: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is headed for a historic victory in West Bengal and a third consecutive term in Assam, the Congress-led United Democratic Front is set to win power in Kerala, and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) might beat...
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UAE to leave OPEC as war upends oil market
The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday it will leave OPEC effective May 1, stripping the oil cartel of its third-largest producer and further weakening its leverage over global oil supplies and prices. The UAE’s decision had been rumored as a...
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Iran offers conditional deal to US on Hormuz
Iran offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade on the country and ends the war in a proposal that would postpone discussions on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, two regional officials said Monday. US...
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Trump in crosshairs again as shooter targets DC function
President Donald Trump and officials in his administration were the likely targets of a suspect who fired on a security agent guarding the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, US acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on...
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AAP-heaval: 7 Rajya Sabha MPs revolt, desert Kejriwal
NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was jolted on Friday after Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha announced that seven out of 10 parliamentarians from the Upper House were quitting the party and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),...
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Trump’s ‘shoot, kill’ order sharpens Strait standoff
President Donald Trump has ordered the US military to “shoot and kill” small Iranian boats that deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz, he said on Thursday, a day after Iran again displayed its ability to thwart traffic through the channel. Trump’s post...
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Iran attacks 3 ships in Strait day after ceasefire extended
Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them on Wednesday, intensifying its assault on shipping in the key waterway. The attacks came a day after US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire while maintaining an American...
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Clock ticks on ceasefire, Iran-US talks uncertain
Last-minute ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran looked uncertain Tuesday as a two-week truce was set to expire and both countries warned that, without a deal, they were prepared to resume fighting. US Vice President JD Vance, expected...
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Mixed signals as Pak talks hang in balance
DUBAI/WASHINGTON: Iran is considering attending peace talks with the United States in Pakistan, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday, following moves by Islamabad to end a US blockade of Iran’s ports, a major hurdle for Tehran to rejoin...
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Trump announces new peace talks in Pakistan
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said his negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for talks with Iran, lifting hopes of extending a ceasefire set to expire this week even as Washington and Tehran remain locked in a standoff over the Strait of...
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Delimitation divide defeats bill to raise LS seats for women’s quota
A Constitution amendment bill to expand the size of the Lok Sabha and fasttrack 33% reservation for women failed to garner the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on Friday, marking the first defeat of a government bill since the National...
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LS expansion will be fair, says govt; Oppn wants it in writing
The government on Thursday attempted to convince the Opposition that the proposal to increase the Lok Sabha’s strength and fast-track 33% reservation for women would involve a proportional 50% rise in each state’s seats, thereby not hurting southern...
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Trump hints at end to Iran war, fresh talks take shape
US President Donald Trump said the war he launched with Israel on Iran was close to over, as the army chief of mediator Pakistan reached Tehran to try to prevent a renewal of the conflict. The diplomatic push came as US and Iranian officials weighed a...
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Women’s quota: Bills seek to take LS seats up to 850 based on 2011 census
The government’s legislative push to reserve a third of the seats in Parliament and state legislative assemblies involves raising the cap on seats in the Lok Sabha from 550 to 850, with the allocation of seats to states, the reserved constituencies and...
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US cuts off Iranian ports; Tehran vows to hit back
The US military began a blockade of ships leaving Iran’s ports on Monday, President Donald Trump said, and Tehran threatened to retaliate against ports of its Gulf neighbours after weekend talks on ending the war broke down. Oil prices climbed back...
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Talks fail, Trump says US will block Hormuz
President Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would “immediately” begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after US-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement or next diplomatic steps in sight. In his...
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Iran lays down red lines ahead of talks with US in Islamabad
Iran said on Friday that Iranian assets must be unblocked and a ceasefire take hold in Lebanon before peace talks with the United States can proceed, throwing last-minute doubt over negotiations scheduled for Saturday in Pakistan. Iran’s parliament...
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Crucial election cycle kicks off with high voter turnout
GUWAHATI/THIRUVANTHAPURAM/ NEW DELHI: Assembly elections in Assam and Puducherry produced record voter turnouts on Thursday while Kerala recorded its highest participation in nearly four decades, as all three went to the polls in a single phase — and a...
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Conflicting claims cloud nth-hour ceasefire
TEHRAN: Hours after a last-minute ceasefire was announced, the United States demanded Wednesday that Iran immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the Islamic Republic closed the waterway in response to Israeli attacks against the Hezbollah...
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Trump raises the stakes to civilisational levels
President Donald Trump threatened Iran with civilisational destruction as the US attacked military targets on the country’s key oil export hub, ramping up pressure on Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday morning (Tehran time) deadline...
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Trump threatens Tehran with night of destruction
Iran on Monday rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and said it wants a permanent end to the war, while President Donald Trump appeared to widen his threat from civilian targets to the whole Islamic Republic as his ultimatum ticked closer. “The entire...
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Malda mob siege, manifesto title: PM targets TMC
KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched an all-out attack on the West Bengal government over the law and order situation in the state, referring to the mob siege of judicial officers in Malda to accuse the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of...
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US F-15 downed, Gulf energy sites hit as talks go nowhere
Iran shot down a US fighter jet for the first time in the war and targeted more sites, including energy facilities, in Arab Gulf states even as a handful of ships transited the Strait of Hormuz by using a new route hugging the Omani coastline. The...
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Trump dashes hopes of quick end to war as Iran continues Gulf strikes
Iran fired more missiles at Israel and Gulf Arab states Thursday, demonstrating Tehran’s continued ability to strike its neighbours even as US President Donald Trump claimed in a televised address the threat from the country was nearly eliminated but...
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Trump signals Iran, Nato exit, Tehran denies ceasefire claim
The United States will end its war on Iran fairly soon and could return for “spot hits” if needed, President Donald Trump told Reuters on Wednesday, hours before he was scheduled to make a primetime address to the nation. Trump also said he would...
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Trump slams allies, Iran seeks guarantees for truce
TEHRAN/WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump expressed frustration Tuesday with allies who have been unwilling to do more to support the US war effort, telling them to “go get your own oil” as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country had the...
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Trump threatens to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure
US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital civilian infrastructure, potentially including desalination plants that supply drinking water, if a deal to end the war is not reached...
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Iran warns US on ground war as regional diplomats huddle
Pakistan said on Sunday that it will soon host talks between the US and Iran, though there was no immediate word from Washington or Tehran, and it was unclear whether the talks would be direct or indirect. “Pakistan is very happy that both Iran and...
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Israel strikes Iran N-sites after Trump extends Hormuz date
Iran’s nuclear facilities came under attack on Friday, state media reported, just hours after Israel threatened to “escalate and expand” its campaign against Tehran. Iran quickly threatened to retaliate and Israel claimed responsibility for the...
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Iran, US stick to their guns, Trump says unsure of deal
Iran and the US appeared at an impasse on Thursday, hardening their positions over ceasefire talks and setting the stage for another potential escalation in the West Asia conflict. A US proposal for ending nearly four weeks of fighting is “one-sided...
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Iran shoots down US plan, says will end the war when it decides
Iran on Wednesday dismissed an American plan to pause the war in the Middle East and launched more attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, including an assault that sparked a huge fire at Kuwait International Airport. Iran’s defiance came as Israel...
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Missiles hit Tehran, Tel Aviv amid uncertainty over talks
Airstrikes battered Iran and Iranian missiles and drones targeted Israel’s Tel Aviv and sites across the Mideast on Tuesday, even as President Donald Trump said the US was in talks with the Islamic Republic to end the war. With thousands more US...
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Trump presses pause, Iran denies talks claim
US President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. was talking with a “respected” Iranian leader and claimed the Islamic Republic was eager for a deal to end the war. He also extended a deadline for Iran to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz or face...
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Iran threatens key infra after Trump’s Hormuz ultimatum
The US and Iran threatened to target critical infrastructure Sunday as the war in the West Asia, now in its fourth week, puts lives and livelihoods at risk throughout the region. Iran said the Strait of Hormuz, crucial to oil and other exports, would...
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Bulk diesel, premium petrol prices up
State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) raised the price of industrial diesel and premium petrol on Friday as surging global crude prices — driven by the West Asia conflict — piled pressure on retail margins. While pump prices steady for ordinary...
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Stakes rise as Gulf petrochem sites attacked; US eyes waiver for Iran oil
Iran intensified its attacks on oil and natural gas facilities around the Gulf on Thursday, raising the stakes in a war that is sending shock waves through the global economy. The strikes, in retaliation for an Israeli attack on a key Iranian gas...
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Iran rejects talks as Israel says killed security chief
Israel said on Tuesday it had killed Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani, the most senior figure targeted since the war’s first day, while a top Iranian official said the new supreme leader had rejected de-escalation offers conveyed by intermediary...
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Dubai airport rattled, flights disrupted after drone strike
A drone struck a fuel tank at the Dubai International Airport early on Monday, halting operations at the aviation hub, which gradually resumed flights later in the day, before suspending landings for all foreign carriers in the evening, forcing jets to...
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4 states, 1 UT gear up for April poll battles; verdict on May 4
Roughly 174 million voters across four states and a Union Territory will vote in assembly polls next month, the Election Commission of India (ECI) declared on Sunday, setting in motion a crucial electoral cycle that will have deep ramifications for...
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Iran allows two LPG ships to transit Hormuz to India
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Iran has allowed two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian officials said on Friday, a development expected to ease a cooking gas crisis in India. “The vessels have been...
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Mojtaba vows to keep Hormuz shut, continue attacks on Gulf
DUBAI/BEIRUT: Iran will fight on and keep the Strait of Hormuz shut as leverage against the United States and Israel, new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday in the first comments attributed to him since he succeeded his slain...
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Iran targets more merchant ships, warns of $200 oil, extended war
Iran said the world should be ready for oil at $200 a barrel as its forces hit merchant ships on Wednesday and the International Energy Agency recommended a massive release of strategic reserves to dampen one of the worst oil shocks since the...
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Govt invokes ESMA; gas for households, cars top priority
The government on Tuesday moved to ration natural gas supplies, prioritising households receiving piped gas, vehicles running on compressed natural gas (CNG), and units producing cooking gas (LPG), as the conflict in West Asia disrupts liquefied...
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Khamenei’s successor, strikes on oil infra take Brent past $100
Oil prices surged and stock markets slid Monday after hard-line Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen to succeed his late father as Iran’s supreme leader. His appointment, and new strikes on regional oil infrastructure, signaled that Iran was digging...
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India make history, retain crown at home
India scored just 12 runs in the first two overs of the Powerplay. There were some murmurs of nerves at the Narendra Modi Stadium. But then, they took off. In the next four overs, they smashed 80 runs. By the end of the sixth over, Abhishek Sharma and...
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As oil surges, US gives India a waiver on Russian cargos
The US has issued a 30-day sanctions waiver authorising Indian refiners to access Russian crude oil stranded at sea in a bid to stabilise global energy markets rattled by the West Asia conflict. Oil prices jumped further on Friday, with the...
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Israel pounds Tehran; Gulf cities under fresh Iran fire
DUBAI/WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump claimed the right to join Iran in deciding its next leader on Thursday as the war escalated further, with US and Israeli jets hitting areas across the country and Gulf cities coming under renewed bombardment....
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Israel steps up strikes on Tehran, Iran defiant
Israel stepped up airstrikes on Iranian missile launchers and factories Tuesday, and Iran retaliated against Israel and across the Gulf region, disrupting energy supplies and travel. As explosions rang out in Tehran and in Lebanon — where Israel said...
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Trump, Tehran dig in as attacks rage on
The US and Israeli air war against Iran widened on Monday with no end in sight as Israel attacked Lebanon in response to strikes by Hezbollah, while Tehran maintained missile and drone attacks on Gulf states. US President Donald Trump said the...
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Khamenei dead, Iran strikes widen war
Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran on Sunday and Iran responded with more missile barrages, a day after the killing of supreme leader Ali Khamenei pitched West Asia and the global economy into deepening uncertainty. US and Israeli...
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Court skewers CBI case against Kejriwal, others
A Delhi court on Friday cleared former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his then deputy Manish Sisodia and 21 others of any wrongdoing in planning and executing the now-repealed 2021-22 Delhi excise policy, marking a dramatic twist in the...
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India, Israel elevate ties; trade deal on anvil: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India and Israel have elevated their bilateral relationship to the status of a special strategic partnership, adding that the “historic decision” reflects the aspirations of the people of the two countries...
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Jharkhand crash: Plane didn’t have a black box
The medical evacuation aircraft that crashed in Jharkhand Monday night, killing all seven people on board, had no black box, officials familiar with the matter told HT, in what would likely pose a significant challenge in piecing together the cause of...
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Medical charter plane crashes, 7 feared dead
NEW DELHI/ RANCHI: All seven people on board were feared dead as an air ambulance transporting a burn victim from Ranchi to New Delhi crashed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district on Monday night, in the latest safety crisis to hit India’s aviation...
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India, US delay meet; deal timeline may slip
Indian and American officials have postponed a three-day meeting scheduled for this week to discuss their interim trade deal, people aware of the matter said, describing a chain of events since Friday as likely to impact the March timeline New Delhi...
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Tariffs junked, Trump takes new route
The US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff regime in a 6-3 ruling on Friday — and within hours, Trump said he would sign a fresh executive order imposing a 10% global tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974,...
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PM frames India as key player in AI ecosystem
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday outlined an ethical, sovereign, inclusive and globally oriented vision of artificial intelligence (AI) as he pitched India as a central player in the global AI ecosystem and called for stronger guardrails to...
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Rajya Sabha elections on Mar 16, NDA tally to go up
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced elections to the Rajya Sabha for 37 seats across 10 states on March 16 even as data suggested that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is set to expand its presence in the Upper House,...
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Surviving partner is liable for abetment in suicide pact: SC
NEW DELHI: A surviving partner in a mutual suicide agreement is criminally liable for abetting the death of the other, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday as it affirmed the two-year jail term awarded to Gudipalli Siddhartha Reddy, who was in a...
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India team heads to US to seal deal text
India’s chief negotiator Darpan Jain will visit the US next week to finalise the legal text for an interim agreement in line with the February 7 joint statement of the two countries, commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Monday, adding that...
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Reforms to innovation: PM sets decade’s agenda
Asserting that his government’s “Reform Express” is benefitting common citizens in a big way, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said his top three reform priorities for the next decade will be continued structural reforms, deepening innovation and...
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BNP clinches massive mandate in B’desh polls
: Bangladesh’s opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party won a landslide parliamentary election on Friday, returning to power after nearly two decades and positioning party leader Tarique Rahman to become prime minister as the country emerges from months...
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DAC nod for Rafale fighters, sub hunters
The defence acquisition council (DAC) on Thursday cleared the purchase of military hardware worth ₹3.6 lakh crore, including 114 Rafale fighter jets, six P-8I long-range maritime surveillance aircraft, SCALP deep-strike cruise missiles and...
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Rahul slams govt on trade deal, gets cutting response
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took aim at the India-US trade deal, accusing the government of compromising on national interests and asserting that the INDIA bloc would have negotiated a superior agreement, drawing...
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India committed to stopping Russia oil buys: US fact sheet
The White House released a fact sheet late on Monday asserting India has committed to stop purchasing Russian oil, reduce tariffs on “certain pulses”, and ending digital services taxes — claims the Indian government has not officially confirmed and...
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Pak climbs down, India WC clash on
Pakistan will play India in a T20 World Cup blockbuster clash slated for Sunday in Colombo after three-way discussions between the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday...
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Trade, tech, defence: India, Malaysia deepen relations
India and Malaysia on Sunday agreed to bolster cooperation in defence, security and trade, including the interlinking of digital payment systems and trade settlement in local currencies, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart...
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RBI hits pause, rates to stay low for a long time
NEW DELHI: The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India maintained status quo on interest rates and policy stance in its first meeting of the year and also the first after the Union Budget, bringing to an end the current rate...
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Modi praises trade deals, slams Oppn in RS speech
NEW DELHI: A raft of recent trade deals will open a world of new opportunities for the youth and prove that the world is tilting towards India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, hitting out at the Opposition for sullying the image of the...
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Manipur gets a new CM after 12 months of President’s Rule
Former Manipur speaker Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Wednesday took oath as the chief minister of the strifetorn state, becoming the first person to helm the northeastern province since President’s Rule was clamped in 2025 after two years of ethnic...
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US deal protects key agri items, dairy; no duty for $40bn exports
The India-US trade deal exempts Indian dairy and “sensitive” agriculture items from its ambit, provides for zero-duty access to over $40 billion worth of Indian goods, and reduces customs duties on labor-intensive Indian merchandise such as textiles,...
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US trade deal done: India tariffs now 18%
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday that Indian goods will face a reduced US tariff of 18% after a phone conversation with President Donald Trump, who said the two sides had concluded a trade deal whereby New Delhi will cut its tariffs to...
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Reform Express takes Kartavya path
In 2025-26, the Union government threw the kitchen sink at reviving growth and mass sentiment via a big boost to disposable incomes through an income tax reduction in the last Budget followed by a mid-year Goods and Services Tax (GST) cut. These...
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