Narendra Modi to focus on jobs, incomes in first budget after election setback

Indian Premier Narendra Modi aims to reconnect with voters through the upcoming federal budget, which will be presented next week. Economic analysts suggest that the budget may include measures to boost employment and income levels, addressing the uneven economic growth and surging food prices.

The United States emphasized that India`s long-standing relationship with Russia positions it to influence President Vladimir Putin to halt the war in Ukraine. This statement was made on Tuesday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s two-day visit to Moscow.

A militant attack on an Indian Army convoy in the Jammu and Kashmir region has resulted in the deaths of at least 5 soldiers, according to India`s Defence Minister on Tuesday. This incident is part of a recent surge of violence that has unsettled the region.

An Indian doctor affiliated with Delhi`s Indraprastha Apollo Hospital has been arrested for allegedly being involved in an organ transplant racket operating between Bangladesh and India, according to the Indian Express.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Russia for two days starting Monday, marking his first trip there since the onset of Moscow`s invasion of Ukraine. This conflict has strained the historical relationship between the two allies and drawn Russia closer to India`s rival, China.

India on Thursday sought `early resolution of remaining issues in border areas` with China as the top diplomats of the two Himalayan neighbors met in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana. 

India witnessed a 48% increase in medical tourists from Bangladesh in 2023 compared to that of the previous year, reports Business Standard, an India-based newspaper. 

The death toll from a stampede at a Hindu religious congregation in northern India has risen to 121, where a police report said the number of people present was more than triple the permitted capacity.

The flood-stricken Indian state of Assam is on high alert as it prepares for more rainfall in the coming days. Assam, located in the northeastern part of India, has been submerged in floodwaters for several days. This natural disaster has affected over 600,000 people and claimed at least 34 lives.

The death toll from this week`s sudden heavy rain in New Delhi has risen to 11, including four individuals who drowned in submerged underpasses, according to the Times of India. The heavy rainfall also caused significant disruptions to flight operations in the Indian capital.

India`s foreign minister S. Jaishankar said he voiced concern about the impact of continuing violence in Myanmar in a meeting on Wednesday with his counterpart from the Southeast Asian nation.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi successfully navigated the first major political challenge of his third term on Wednesday, as his party`s candidate was elected speaker of the lower house of parliament.

Indian lawmakers begin taking their oaths Monday as parliament opens after an election setback forced Premier Narendra Modi into a coalition government for the first time in a decade.

India`s West Bengal irrigation department has decided to dredge the upstream portion of the Teesta River to mitigate flood risks in downstream regions.

India has initiated the final survey for selecting sites for new railway tracks to enhance cross-border connectivity with Bangladesh and Nepal, aiming to establish alternative routes to its northeastern states.

Police in India`s territory of Jammu and Kashmir blamed arch rival Pakistan for a spurt in militant attacks that killed 12 people and injured dozens over the last three days, just weeks after a large turnout for India`s general elections.