Death toll in India’s Chhattisgarh train accident rises to 11

The death toll from a train accident in India’s central state of Chhattisgarh has risen to 11, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Malaysia on Monday to discuss bilateral relations and ongoing trade tensions.

India and the United States are on the verge of finalizing a long-awaited trade agreement that would sharply reduce US tariffs on Indian exports—from the current 50% down to around 15–16%, according to Indian media reports citing officials familiar with the discussions.

US President Donald Trump has renewed his warning to India, saying that Washington will maintain `massive` tariffs on Indian goods until New Delhi completely halts its imports of Russian oil.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to supporting free, fair, and inclusive elections in Bangladesh, saying India will cooperate with whichever government emerges through the people’s mandate.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was originally slated to speak at the United Nations General Assembly’s landmark 80th anniversary session this year. His name remained on the roster until July, but when the time came it was External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who took the podium on India’s behalf.

India has successfully conducted the first-ever test of its next-generation Agni-Prime intermediate-range ballistic missile from a specially designed rail-based mobile launcher, defence officials confirmed on Thursday. The missile, with a strike range of up to 2,000 kilometers, represents a major step forward in the country’s strategic deterrence capabilities.

India is gearing up to challenge Bangladesh and Pakistan in the global shipbreaking business with a hefty $454 million (40 billion rupees) incentive package. 

Nepal has become the latest South Asian country to descend into turmoil, joining Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in recent years where mass protests have forced leaders from office.

Retired US Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt has suggested that the United States’ growing warmth toward Pakistan is partly the result of what he described as India’s “arrogant” attitude toward Washington. 

US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a sweeping 50% tariff on Indian goods took effect on August 27, throwing one of the world’s largest trade relationships into turmoil. For New Delhi, the move has created a dilemma: should India respond in kind, or pursue a more calculated strategy to safeguard its economic and geopolitical interests?

The Indian government has announced that members of minority communities from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who fled to India by December 31, 2024, citing religious persecution, will be permitted to remain in the country even if they lack passports or other valid travel documents.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused India of forcibly expelling Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh and Myanmar without ensuring their basic rights and safety. 

Severe monsoon rains have unleashed widespread devastation across the Himalayan region, leaving at least 36 people dead in India within just 24 hours and sparking flood alerts downstream in Pakistan. Authorities in both countries are now grappling with the aftermath of swollen rivers, landslides, and collapsed infrastructure.

India’s exporters are preparing for a heavy blow as Washington moves ahead with sharp tariff hikes on Indian goods, set to take effect from Wednesday. 

India is raising alarm over China’s plan to build the world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibet, fearing the project could drastically cut water flow into the Brahmaputra River system and threaten millions of livelihoods downstream.