Author: India BBC News Correspondent

And US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on an official visit to India, suggested on social media that “good news” about Iran could come within hours, focusing world attention on New Delhi. The statement immediately sparked worldwide speculation of a possible diplomatic breakthrough involving Iran, the United States and rising tensions in the Middle East. Rubio’s comments have raised hopes of a possible peace deal that could reshape the regional geopolitical map at a time when fears of conflict escalation, oil supply disruption and nuclear tensions are still topping international headlines. “Negotiations with Iran are going well,” Rubio said during…

Her family members said her retired court mother-in-law contacted us to authorities connected with the courts and also CCTV installation after 33-year-old Twisha Sharma’s death. The member of the family revealed that Twisha Sharma’s mother-in-law made telephone call to several individuals, including those associated with the judiciary, a day after the 33-year-old female died by self-destruction at her residence in Bhopal. Parents of Twisha of Noida have charged former additional district judge Giribala Singh for dowry harassment. The house said some calls were reportedly made to family and friends, while others were apparently made to persons affiliated with the judiciary,…

Sources said the session was a timely midterm testimonial to the government’s performance as the NDA government is nearing 2 years in office in its 3rd consecutive term. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a lengthy discussion of the Council of Ministers on Thursday that ran for practically four-and-a-half hours, focusing on government delivery, execution spaces and the probable outcomes of the continuing West Asia issue. The meeting, held at Seva Teerth from 5 pm, brought together Union Cabinet ministers, preachers of state with independent cost and priests of state in what sources described as the first full Council of Ministers…

US software firm Intuit is cutting around 17 per cent of its global workforce, or approximately 3,000 employees. But CEO Sasan Goodarzi said the decision didn’t include AI, unlike some other recent layoffs. U.S. software firm Intuit on Wednesday became the latest in a long line of technology businesses to trim thousands of jobs in recent months. Sasan Goodarzi, Intuit’s chief executive officer, told staff the company was eliminating 3,000 positions throughout the globe, or approximately 17 per cent of its worldwide workforce. However, unlike other organizations who have cited AI as a justification for employment reduction, Goodarzi has claimed…

The numbers are real. On Instagram, the Cockroach Janta Party has 16 million followers. The BJP’s official handle, by comparison, has significantly fewer. The comparison is being shared across platforms with varying degrees of earnestness — and it’s worth unpacking what it actually means. The Follower Count Reality The CJP’s Instagram growth is genuine and it is remarkable. Abhijeet Dipke’s combination of absurdist political commentary, high-production viral content, and a genuinely distinctive visual identity has translated into follower numbers that mainstream political parties’ social media managers are studying with something between admiration and alarm. The BJP, for its part, has…

The Cockroach Janta Party’s X account is now withheld in India. The notification that users inside the country receive when they try to access it says the account has been withheld “in response to a legal demand.” X (formerly Twitter) withholds accounts in specific countries when it receives a legally valid government request — typically under local law — that it determines it must comply with to continue operating in that jurisdiction. The company’s own transparency reports document these actions. What “Withheld in India” Means Technically The account is not deleted. Users outside India can still access it. Indian users…

India has become the World Bank’s largest single borrower, with total outstanding commitments crossing $24 billion. The figure represents a significant shift in the institution’s portfolio — and it’s worth examining both what it signals and what it doesn’t. The Numbers The World Bank’s latest portfolio disclosure shows India at the top of its borrower list, ahead of countries like Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan that have historically been among its largest clients. The $24 billion figure covers IBRD (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) loans and IDA (International Development Association) credits across active projects. The portfolio spans sectors including urban…

The US Department of Justice may be moving toward dropping the charges against Gautam Adani and several associates that it announced with significant fanfare late last year. Sources familiar with the discussions, cited in reports by multiple US financial publications, describe internal conversations about whether the case as currently constructed can succeed — and whether the political environment for it has changed. Background: What Adani Was Charged With The indictment, filed in a New York federal court in November 2024, alleged that Adani and co-defendants paid or agreed to pay approximately $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials to…

India’s wholesale price index rose to 8.3 percent in the latest reading — the highest figure in 42 months. The combination of elevated oil prices and food costs has pushed WPI into territory that creates genuine complications for monetary policy and government planning alike. What’s Driving the Number Oil and fuel prices account for a substantial share of the WPI basket, and the current elevation in global crude prices — driven by OPEC production discipline and continued demand from Asian economies — has fed directly into the index. India imports roughly 85 percent of its crude requirements, which means global…

The footage is twelve minutes long and, for most of that time, looks completely ordinary. A jewellery store in what appears to be a busy commercial area. Customers browsing. Staff attending. The kind of footage that security cameras capture thousands of times a day across India. Then, in a sequence that takes less than ninety seconds, ₹1.66 crore worth of jewellery disappears. What the CCTV Shows The video, which has circulated on social media after being verified and released by the police, shows a saleswoman — who had been employed at the store for several months — making a series…