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Global leaders are arriving in New Delhi to participate in the Raisina Dialogue 2025, a key conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics. The foreign Ministers of the Slovak Republic, Juraj Blanar; the Philippines, Enrique A. Manalo; and Antigua and Barbuda, EP Chet Greene, have already arrived in the capital. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X, «Welcoming FM Mr. Juraj Blanar of Slovak Republic, FM Enrique A. Manalo of Philippines & FM E.P. Chet Greene of Antigua & Barbuda, as they arrive in New Delhi for the Raisina Dialogue 2025.» The Raisina Dialogue, India's premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, will be held in New Delhi from March 17 to 19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 10th edition of the event today, with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as the chief guest and delivering the keynote address. Representatives from about 125 countries, including ministers, former Heads of State and heads of government, military commanders, captains of industry, technology leaders, academics, journalists, scholars on strategic affairs, experts from leading think tanks, and youth will participate in the Raisina Dialogue.

Indian Commonwealth Games champion and Olympian Lakshya Sen bowed out of the All-England Open 2025 after losing his men's singles quarter-final match in Birmingham on Friday. Lakshya Sen, 15th in the men's singles badminton rankings, lost 21-10, 21-16 against reigning Asian Games champion and world No. 6 Shi Feng Li of the People's Republic of China, as per Olympics.com. Sen matched the sixth seed Shi Feng Li shot for shot in the early exchanges to lead 4-3 before the latter picked up nine successive points and took control of the game. The Indian badminton player managed to pick just six points for the rest of the first game as Shi Feng Li comfortably wrapped out the opener. Lakshya Sen mounted a brief comeback to lead Shi Feng Li 11-8 at the second-game interval. However, Shi Feng Li switched gears after the break to win the contest in 45 minutes. This was Lakshya Sen's third defeat in seven meetings against Shi Feng Li.

Putin expressed gratitude to Donald Trump and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, among other world leaders, for their «noble mission» to resolve the conflict. Speaking at a joint press briefing in Moscow with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday, Putin said he is «grateful» to all the leaders for their efforts towards the goal. «As for Ukraine's readiness for a ceasefire, I will tell you how I view it, of course. But I would like to start by thanking the President of the United States, Mr Trump, for paying so much attention to the Ukraine settlement. We all have enough of our own domestic affairs to attend to,» Putin told reporters. «But many leaders of states, among them the President of the People's Republic of China, the Prime Minister of India, the Presidents of Brazil and the Republic of South Africa are addressing this issue and give it a lot of their time. We are grateful to all of them for that because this activity is aimed at achieving a noble mission — the mission of ending hostilities and loss of life,» Putin said. It may be recalled that Modi had repeatedly called for peace over the last three years while resisting huge pressure from the Western powers to take sides in the war.

Iran's clerical leaders, engaging with the «Great Satan» to hammer out a nuclear deal and ease crippling sanctions may for once be the lesser of two evils. Though it harbours deep mistrust of the United States, and President Donald Trump in particular, Tehran is increasingly concerned that mounting public anger over economic hardships could erupt into mass protests, four Iranian officials said. That's why, despite the unyielding stance and defiant rhetoric of Iran's clerical leaders in public, there is a pragmatic willingness within Tehran's corridors of power to strike a deal with Washington, the people said. Tehran's concerns were exacerbated by Trump's speedy revival of his first term's «maximum pressure» campaign to drive Iran's oil exports towards zero with more sanctions and bring the country's already fragile economy to its knees, they said. President Masoud Pezeshkian has repeatedly highlighted the severity of the economic situation in the Islamic Republic, stating that it is more challenging than during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, and pointing this month to the latest round of U.S. sanctions targeting tankers carrying Iranian oil.

Donald Trump, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, for their efforts in addressing the conflict. Speaking at a joint press conference with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday, Putin said that Russia agrees with the proposals to cease hostilities but «proceeds from the assumption that this cessation should lead to long-term peace and eliminate the root causes of the crisis.» When asked about Ukraine's readiness for a ceasefire, Putin said, «As for Ukraine's readiness for a ceasefire, I will tell you how I view it, of course. But I would like to start by thanking the President of the United States, Mr Trump, for paying so much attention to the Ukraine settlement. We all have enough of our own domestic affairs to attend to. But many leaders of states, among them the President of the People's Republic of China, the Prime Minister of India, the Presidents of Brazil and the Republic of South Africa are addressing this issue and give it a lot of their time. We are grateful to all of them for that because this activity is aimed at achieving a noble mission — the mission of ending hostilities and loss of life.» He further said, «We agree with the proposals to cease hostilities but proceed from the assumption that this cessation should lead to long-term peace and eliminate the root causes of this crisis.» He also referred to the recent US-Ukraine discussions in Saudi Arabia, suggesting that Ukraine's willingness for a ceasefire was likely influenced by American pressure.

Elon Musk, whose DOGE team was considered to be involved in cutting the federal workforce, is now pushing back against accusations and has claimed that DOGE is not responsible for the job eliminations, as per a report.

Akshay Kumar being the lead actor, these films are patriotic or based on real-life incidents that showcase the themes of national security and heroism. Now, in a recent interview, he shared that his wife now pulls his leg for saving the country many times. During a recent event hosted by Republic World, Akshay Kumar shed light on why he continues to gravitate toward films centered on nationalism and patriotism. He revealed that ever since launching his production house, he has been consciously choosing stories that highlight these themes. Sharing a lighthearted moment from his personal life, he mentioned that his wife, Twinkle Khanna, often teases him, playfully asking, “How many times will you save the country?” Akshay Kumar explained that while growing up, he noticed a recurring theme in movies—whenever the world faced a crisis, whether it was terrorism, natural disasters, or even alien invasions, it was always America that came to the rescue. It made him wonder that if America does everything, then what is the role of India? He shared that this thought eventually led him to make Airlift, a film inspired by true events. Later, he was fascinated by India’s remarkable achievements in space exploration—how the country accomplished extraordinary feats with limited resources. This inspired Mission Mangal. He also mentioned Sky Force as another project that aligned with his passion for showcasing India's achievements.

Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, on Saturday, met with Majid Takht Ravanchi, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran for Political Affairs. The meeting discussed relations between the United Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Iran, with both sides commending the latest round of political consultations between the two countries. The two officials underscored the importance of strengthening mutual interests and explored ways to enhance economic and trade relations between the neighbouring countries. The meeting also addressed regional and international developments of mutual concern.

Sergei Shoigu landed in Beijing on Friday, Russian news agencies reported, for a flying visit to meet China's top leadership. «During the one-day visit, he is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping… and Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi,» TASS said.

Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, parents of a 15-year-old boy were arrested after complaints that the teenager was spouting 'anti-national' slogans during last weekend's India-Pakistan cricket match. The parents were granted bail by the local court, and have been asked not to leave the area. The family's scrap shop — which allegedly didn't have the right permit and was left intact until Monday — was razed by the local council. From when was it a crime to cheer for a cricket team pitted against India, a Pakistani team included? What next? Arresting for listening to Pakistani ghazals? For having a poster of 2024 Paris Olympic gold medal-winning Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem — and pal of India's 2023 World Champion Neeraj Chopra — on a wall? If the police had one job, it was to quell the escalating argument between the boy's family and the complainants, not, for all purposes, join the mob.

Jamie McGrath has been confirmed as Hibernian’s latest summer signing, agreeing to a four-year contract following the expiry of his deal with Aberdeen.

Kapil Garg would say, yes. He set up his company, Thela Gaadi, in 2021 to sell quirky socks, after he glanced at his own uninspiring pair. Back in 2014, as a corporate workhorse, Garg would wear formal attire and soon realised that socks were the only things he could play around with. “One day, I peeped at my shoes and found those boring grey socks sadly looking at me and I wondered why my socks couldn’t be colourful?” Later, while holidaying in Thailand, he picked up novelty socks from the local market.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Is that the heady scent of hubris, wafting through the winter air of Washington, D.C.? So bold has President Trump been in the first month of his second term that nervous Europeans wonder if the American republic is now unabashedly an empire. Trump renames seas.

Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. says it has signed an almost $1.3-billion deal to sell Helly Hansen to a United States owner of several clothing brands.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The USAID building was closed to employees on Monday. Elon Musk, the billionaire adviser to President Trump, is targeting the U.S.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be the very first foreign leader to visit US President Donald Trump's White House during his second term which is all scheduled for February 4 of the year 2025, reported The New Republic. In spite of facing an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for his alleged war crimes in Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump without any sort of legal impediment.

Delhi Police has been adjudged the 'Best Marching Contingent' at the Republic Day Parade 2025 held at Kartavya Path on January 26, an official said on Wednesday. The team included three sub-inspectors, 44 head constables and 100 constables, all donned in iconic 'Red Safa' attire. This marks its 17th victory in the parade's history, following the Delhi Police Women's Contingent last year, the official said.

Coldplay's frontman, Chris Martin, greeted an ecstatic crowd at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium as he kicked off the band's final performance in India. The evening took an emotional turn when Martin sang the patriotic anthem Vande Mataram, stirring deep pride among fans. The stadium, illuminated by thousands of flashlights, resembled a sea of stars as attendees grooved to Coldplay’s electrifying setlist. The concert, which marked the band’s farewell in India, was also streamed live on Disney+ Hotstar.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India’s embrace of democracy has been affirmed many times over by the ‘power of the vote’ as a lived experience. That We the People live in a republic, with no hereditary right to rule, remains far more abstract in comparison.

Kolkata Police Musical band, which was initially unable to enter the Raj Bhawan to attend the state reception as part of the Republic Day programme in Kolkata, succeeded in entering the premises after the intervention of CM Mamata Banerjee.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said differences should be respected and cohesion was the key to living in harmony. He was speaking after unfurling the national flag at the Republic Day celebrations at a college in Bhiwandi town of Maharashtra's Thane district.