Union Home Minister Amit Shah has officially become India's longest-serving Home Minister, with 2,258 days in office as of August 4, 2025. He surpassed the previous record held by senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, who served for 2,256 days from March 19, 1998, to May 22, 2004. Shah assumed office on May 30, 2019, during the second term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. The announcement coincided with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Parliamentary meeting, which was held at the Parliament Library Building. During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi recognised Shah's recor
According to General Romeo Brawner Jr., Chief of the Philippine Army, the Philippines intends to enhance its defence alliance with India by acquiring new military equipment. The declaration comes ahead of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s five-day official visit to India. The island nation had made headlines in 2022 for becoming the first foreign buyer of the BrahMos missile system, following a $375 million arrangement with the Indo-Russian joint venture. Each BrahMos battery is made up of several missile launchers, command units, and support equipment that can be deployed on land, sea,
India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to elevate their defence ties to align with the growing momentum in trade, investment, and social engagement. This decision was made during the 13th meeting of the India-UAE Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC), which convened at the secretary level for the first time in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by India's Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and the UAE's Under Secretary of Defence, Lt General Ibrahim Nasser M Al Alawi. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defence cooperation. Both countries agreed
India and the United Arab Emirates have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Maritime Security and Safety Cooperation, marking a significant step forward in their maritime engagement. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the United Arab Emirates National Guard Command (UAE NGC) signed an MoU after it was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). The agreement was signed in New Delhi at the 13th Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting. Director General Paramesh Sivamani, AVSM, PTM, TM, represented the Indian Coast Guard, and Brigadier Staff Khalid Obaid Thani Al Shamsi
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have significantly advanced their mining investment cooperation in 2025. This development comes ahead of the upcoming African Mining Week (AMW), which is expected to be a major forum for highlighting strategic collaborations between the two countries. The DRC, which has massive mineral reserves worth $24 trillion, is a global leader in cobalt production, a major tin exporter, and Africa's largest copper producer. Recent agreements have reinforced the UAE's growing influence in the DRC's mining sector. In July,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his latest Mann Ki Baat broadcast, lauded the growing interest in space exploration among Indian youth, highlighting the remarkable rise of over 200 startups in the country's space sector. He praised astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's safe return from space, saying it triggered a wave of national pride and optimism across the country. PM Modi emphasised that this event has sparked a new surge of interest in space, particularly among children, boosting the country's ambition in space science. He highlighted that the startup ecosystem in the Indian space sector ha
France and India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their cooperation in skill development, vocational education, and training. The agreement was signed by French Ambassador Thierry Mathou and Indian Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary during the Bharat SkillNXT 2025 event held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The event marked a decade of the Skill India Mission, which has trained 1.6 crore young Indians through the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. The MoU intends to improve professional mobility and skill alignment with ri
India and Finland are moving towards finalising a significant mobility agreement to facilitate the movement of students, researchers, skilled professionals, and entrepreneurs across sectors like education, information technology, and healthcare. Kimmo Lähdevirta, the Finnish ambassador to India, stated that the Memorandum of Understanding on migration and mobility is expected to be signed within the year, ushering in a new era of the two nations' partnership. The proposed agreement will replace the previous declaration, signed in 2022, and will establish a formal framework to encourage re
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a "massive" $550 billion trade agreement with Japan, calling it probably the greatest deal ever reached between the two countries. Trump asserted that Japan would invest $550 billion in the United States, with the US receiving 90% of the revenues generated under this agreement. He emphasised that the agreement is projected to generate hundreds of thousands of jobs across several industries. The pact will see Japan open its market to American products like vehicles, trucks, rice, and agricultural goods while paying 15% reciprocal tariffs to the United S
The 44th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) reinforced the Indian Navy's bilateral maritime ties with Indonesia. The exercise was conducted last week in the Indian Ocean Region. INS Saryu, an indigenous Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel, and LCU-55, the fifth Landing Craft Utility Mk-IV class ship, joined the Maritime Patrol Aircraft Dornier. The Indian Navy units arrived at Belawan, Indonesia, for the post-deployment debriefing and closing ceremony. The exercise aims to improve maritime cooperation and develop operational ties between the two countries. The Embassy