Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Malaysia began on a warm and symbolic note, highlighting the shared values and expanding strategic partnership between the two nations. Addressing a large gathering of the Indian diaspora in Kuala Lumpur, Modi said that India–Malaysia relations are entering a new phase, driven by mutual trust, cultural bonds, and growing economic ambition. He described the diaspora as a “living bridge” connecting the two countries and celebrated the deep-rooted Tamil heritage, centuries-old links, and strong cultural continuity that unite Indian and Malaysian co
The World Government Summit 2026 began on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026, in Dubai under the theme “Shaping Future Governments,” bringing together more than 35 global leaders and 150 government delegations from across the world. The summit focuses on evolving policy frameworks and strengthening international cooperation to address key economic, social, and technological challenges. One main topic is economic governance, mainly how global supply chains are managed and made stronger. John Denton, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce, emphasised that tough supply chains
In the Union Budget 2026-27, Defence Services have received the highest allocation among all ministries, amounting to ₹7.85 lakh crore. The Ministry of Defence said the allocation stands at around 2 per cent of the estimated GDP for the next financial year and reflects a significant increase of 15.19 per cent over the Budget Estimates of 2025-26. It also noted that the defence budget accounts for 14.67 per cent of the total Central Government expenditure. Of the total allocation to the Ministry of Defence, 27.95 per cent has been earmarked for capital expenditure, 20.17 per cent for reve
The United Arab Emirates participated in the second Arab-India Energy Dialogue held in Goa, India, as part of efforts to strengthen strategic cooperation in the energy sector between India and member states of the League of Arab States, and to explore opportunities for expanding partnerships in support of mutual interests. The dialogue featured high-level discussions involving ministers, senior officials, and experts, focusing on enhancing bilateral and multilateral cooperation and identifying new prospects across conventional and clean energy sectors. Eng Ahmed Al Kaabi, Assistant Underse
In a significant development, the United States has approved two major arms deals with Israel and Saudi Arabia, valued at $6.67 billion and $9 billion, respectively. The approvals were cleared by the US State Department late Friday, 30th January, 2026, coinciding with the Trump administration’s peacekeeping efforts in Gaza and rising tensions with Iran. Under the deal, Israel will receive a substantial defence package that includes 30 Apache attack helicopters equipped with rocket launchers, along with 3,250 light tactical vehicles, armored personnel carrier power packs, and light utilit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Acting President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, have agreed to further expand and deepen the bilateral partnership between India and Venezuela across multiple sectors. During a telephone conversation, the two leaders discussed enhancing cooperation in areas including trade and investment, energy, digital technology, health, agriculture, and people-to-people ties. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest and underscored the importance of their close cooperation for the Global South. Both leaders expressed a shared visi
Days after signing a ‘Letter of Intent’ for a Strategic Defence Partnership with the United Arab Emirates, India, on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026, held a security dialogue with Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. Senior officials from both countries conducted a comprehensive review of ongoing security cooperation and discussed global and regional threats posed by terrorist groups. The 3rd India-Saudi Arabia Security Working Group was co-chaired by Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Ahmed Al-Eissa, Director General of Legal Affairs and
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026, said that India will play a decisive role in shaping the global energy demand-supply balance, as he interacted with chief executive officers of leading global and Indian energy companies during India Energy Week (IEW) 2026. The interaction was held at Lok Kalyan Marg, where global energy leaders expressed strong confidence in India’s economic growth and showed keen interest in expanding their business footprint in the country. Addressing the roundtable, the Prime Minister said such engagements have become a vital platform fo
Qatar, on Monday, January 26th, 2026, launched Arabian Gulf Security 4, a joint tactical exercise bringing together security agencies from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with the participation of specialised units from the United States. The exercise was inaugurated under the patronage of Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force “Lekhwiya,” in the presence of senior security officials from GCC member states. Representatives included heads of higher committees overseeing the exercise, as well as comma
President Droupadi Murmu, on Monday, January 26th, 202,6 conferred the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, on Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for his role in the historic Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS). The award was presented during the 77th Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path in New Delhi, in recognition of Shukla’s “indomitable courage and outstanding valour” in successfully executing the mission. In June last year, Shukla became the first Indian to visit the ISS and the second Indian to travel to