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Delhi HC judge to initiate contempt action in liquor excise policy case

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court on Thursday said she "cannot stay silent" and will initiate contempt proceedings against some of the discharged accused in the liquor policy case for posting vilifying and defamatory material against her. Justice Sharma said she will pronounce an order on this aspect around 5 pm. "It has come to my notice that extremely vilifying, extremely contemptuous, and defamatory material is being posted by some of the respondents against me and against this court and I cannot stay silent. I have decided to draw contempt proceedings against some of the respondents and some other contemnors," the judge said. The court was hearing CBI's petition challenging the trial court's order discharging former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and 21 others in the liquor policy case. The court had earlier decided to appoint senior lawyers as amici curiae to represent the unrepresented respondents, i..e AAP leaders Kejriwal

Japan's imperial hubris holds a dire warning for a violent century

As new empires pursue old ambitions and borders become bargaining chips, this anti-war treatise reminds us how history repeats itself through humanity's amnesia

Trump, Xi agree Strait of Hormuz must reopen to restore energy flows

US President Xi Jinping and his Chinese counterpart were in agreement that the Strait of Hormuz needs to be opened to support global energy needs, according to a readout of their Thursday meeting by a White House official. Xi also opposed any implementation of tolls on vessels crossing the strait, which effectively has closed since the start of the US and Israel war against Iran. Xi expressed interest in China purchasing more US oil to reduce future Chinese dependence on Gulf oil, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The leaders also discussed further stemming the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals into the U.S. and increasing Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products.

China Under Xi Jinping: Caution gives way to control, nationalism, ambition

The book provides a one-stop access point for information and analysis on China under Mr Xi

Central govt employees body seeks 'work from home', online meetings

An association of central government employees on Wednesday asked the Centre to issue guidelines on work from home, online meetings and virtual conferencing. The move came following a call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on cutting down avoidable expenditure due to the West Asia crisis. "The visionary leadership of hon'ble Prime Minister and the dedicated government workforce will definitely give the fruitful results of this initiative," the Central Secretariat Service (CSS) Forum said. The forum is a representative body of CSS officers, who form the backbone of the central secretariat's functioning. "CSS Forum urges the #DoPT to issue comprehensive guidelines on Work From Home for Government offices, as Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi has encouraged a revival of Work From Home (WFH), online meetings, and virtual conferencing for both government and private sectors," it said in a post on X. A balanced and structured framework can enhance productivity, employee well-being, dig

India targets $1 trillion goods and services exports this year: Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday asked for taking the country's goods and services exports to USD 1 trillion this fiscal year. In 2025-26, exports reached an all-time high of USD 863.11 billion, registering an increase of 4.6 per cent year-on-year, despite global economic uncertainties, including high US tariffs, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the West Asia crisis, he said. Merchandise exports grew 0.93 per cent to USD 441.78 billion in the last fiscal year from USD 437.70 billion in 2024-25. Services shipments too surged to an all-time high of USD 421.32 billion in 2025-26, compared to USD 387.55 billion in 2024-25, recording a growth of 8.71 per cent. "This year, let's aspire for a USD 1 trillion exports target. It's possible," he said at an event here. The minister said that taking from USD 863 billion to USD 1 trillion needs USD 137 billion, which is a 16-17 per cent growth. The minister added that India is opening doors and is providing preferenti

Trump arrives in China for talks with Xi; focus on tariffs, West Asia

US President Donald Trump arrived in China on Wednesday for a three-day state visit during which he will discuss a host of global issues, including the Iran war, with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump, who is visiting China at the invitation of President Xi, was received by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng at the airport. The leaders of the world's two largest economies will hold their seventh face-to-face talks. They last met face-to-face in October 2025 in Busan, South Korea. The US President arrived in China on his second visit in nine years to clinch a trade deal, to end the frictions over tariffs that affected its over USD 525 billion exports to the US. Trump, who is accompanied by top CEOs, was the last US president to visit China in 2017, during his first term. President Trump would have a bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday, US Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said on Sunday. The two leaders will meet again on Friday for a bilateral tea and working lunch, s

India, Russia in advanced talks for critical minerals agreement: Report

New Delhi has signed critical minerals agreements with Argentina, Australia and Japan, and is in talks with Peru and Chile on broader bilateral agreements that also include critical minerals

India has ample fuel stocks, but OMC losses may hit ₹1 trillion: Puri

With two months of fuel stockpiles, India faces no supply concerns despite disruptions to global energy flows, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said, while warning that state-run fuel retailers face losses of as much as Rs 1 lakh crore in a single quarter if elevated crude prices persist and retail fuel prices remain unchanged. He said that at some stage an assessment needs to be made on how long retailers can sustain losses from selling petrol, diesel and cooking gas LPG below cost, but refused to speculate if rates would be raised anytime soon. "We have no supply-side problems," the minister said at CII's Annual Business Summit here, adding that India began the crisis with "more than enough" crude oil and LPG inventories and had since ramped up domestic LPG production to 54,000 tonnes per day from about 36,000 tonnes previously. At the same time, the minister acknowledged growing fiscal stress from keeping retail fuel prices unchanged. "My oil companies are losing Rs 1,

Revamped survey looks to finally crack India's household income puzzle

India's first dedicated household income survey aims to fill a decades-old statistical gap, but experts warn that under-reporting, informal work and non-response could still distort the picture

James McDougall's 'Worlds of Islam' celebrates rich heritage and diversity

One recurring theme that unites this book is Sufism

Our 'screenified' future: How screens turned people into performers online

The book is at its strongest when Garber gets hyperspecific, forcing the reader to wrestle with the fact that the far-reaching power of the screen has touched all parts of life

DRDO achieves breakthrough in hypersonic missile programme: Govt

In a major leap for India's hypersonic missile programme, the DRDO on Saturday announced the successful long-duration test of an actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor. The "extensive" long-duration test of the "actively cooled full scale scramjet combustor" has put India at the forefront of advanced aerospace capabilities, the defence ministry said. For any hypersonic missile programme, this technology is considered extremely crucial as active cooling allows the weapon to travel hundreds of miles at incredible speed. The test, conducted at the Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), achieved a continuous run-time of over 1,200 seconds (20 minutes), validating the engine's ability to sustain extreme thermal loads required for hypersonic cruise missiles. The DRDL achieved a "path-breaking milestone in the development of hypersonic missiles by successfully conducting an "extensive long-duration test of its actively cooled full scale scramjet ...

How China's evolving consumer habits may protect the Amazon rainforest

Xing is no ordinary tourist. She leads the Tianjin Meat Industry Association, representing importers responsible for around 40% of China's beef purchases from Brazil

Test Cricket: Tim Wigmore's masterly history of the game and empire

A sweeping review of Tim Wigmore's Test Cricket: A History, exploring how empire, race, class and politics shaped the game's longest format

The Rules That Make Us: Anthropology meets corporate strategy in this book

This book offers a fascinating look at the intersection of big business and the humanities, offering a glimpse into a unique career, though it can sometimes feel self-promoting

Reimagining Government: Handy AI guide for govt, but falls short on detail

While the book is written obviously for policymakers in the United States, it can actually pretty well be used by most governments in both developed nations and fast-developing nations like India

CEA sees West Asia conflict widening India's CAD above 2%, urges investment

The CEA argued that India's substantial refining capacity significantly mitigates the challenges of its high crude oil import dependence

India's digitalisation reforms improved productivity in MSMEs: IMF paper

India's digitalisation reforms in public administration have improved productivity in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in states that have embraced such changes, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a working paper. The authors compared the productivity of unincorporated manufacturing firms in states that have undertaken more digitalisation reforms with those having fewer such changes in public administration. "We find that states that undertake more public administration digitalisation experience higher productivity growth and lower productivity dispersion among firms," economists Somnath Sharma and Kenichi Ueda. MSMEs contribute around 35 per cent of manufacturing output in India, employ around 110 million workers and contribute about 45 per cent of the overall exports from India. Most MSMEs are not formally registered as companies under India's Companies Act of 1956 and only a few studies have been done on the impact of the business environment reforms on the

Finance Ministry notifies 100% FDI in insurance sector, amends Fema rules

The Finance Ministry on Saturday notified 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the insurance sector under the automatic route. While 100 per cent foreign investment will be allowed in insurance companies and intermediaries, including brokers, under the automatic route, the cap is 20 per cent for Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), said the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026. The Parliament had passed the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (amendment of insurance laws) Bill, 2025, in December, 2025, paving the way for hiking the FDI cap in the insurance sector to 100 per cent under the automatic route, from 74 per cent earlier. Subsequently, after the President's assent, the Bill became law. Thereafter in February, 2026, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Commerce and Industry Ministry had notified 100 per cent FDI in the insurance sector.