Author: Akancha Mishra

India and Armenia have taken further steps to enhance their defence partnership through a series of high-level meetings held in New Delhi. Lieutenant General Edvard Asryan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, met senior Indian defence officials during his official visit, with discussions centered on expanding cooperation in military and strategic sectors. On Wednesday, Lt Gen Asryan held detailed talks with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, where both sides reviewed ongoing defence collaboration and explored new areas for engagement. According to official communication from Armenia’s Ministry of Defence, the discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation…

New York City has unveiled an ambitious plan to host free fan zones across all five boroughs during the FIFA World Cup 2026, ensuring that residents and visitors can experience the global tournament without financial barriers. The initiative reflects a broader effort to make one of the world’s biggest sporting events accessible to a wider audience while fostering a vibrant, citywide celebration. The fan zones will feature large-scale public screenings of matches along with cultural and entertainment activities, creating a festival-like atmosphere across the city. Key locations identified for these events include prominent public spaces in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Sikkim, praised the state’s exceptional biodiversity and emphasized its importance as a model for sustainable and eco-friendly development. He visited the Orchidarium in Gangtok, where he expressed admiration for its natural beauty and the state’s rich floral diversity. In a message shared on social media, he noted that Sikkim’s environmental wealth reflects a deep harmony between nature and human development, inspiring efforts toward conservation and sustainable living. The Orchidarium, located within the Swarnajayanti Maitri Manjari Park, has been developed as a world-class centre showcasing the region’s unique orchid species and floral heritage.…

Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu has made a strong appeal to Indian-origin professionals currently working in the United States, encouraging them to return to India and actively contribute to the country’s technological and economic development. In a widely discussed open message shared on social media platform X, he emphasized that India’s future growth depends on the expertise and global experience of its skilled diaspora. Vembu highlighted that many Indian professionals who moved abroad decades ago built successful careers starting with strong educational foundations and cultural values rooted in India. He expressed gratitude toward the United States for offering opportunities but stressed…

India and Egypt marked a significant step in their defence partnership by holding the inaugural Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks (NNST) in Cairo on April 24, 2026. Conducted on the sidelines of the 11th India-Egypt Joint Defence Committee meeting, the talks highlighted growing maritime cooperation between the two nations. Both sides discussed key areas such as operational coordination, joint training, maritime domain awareness, and collaboration in naval technologies and shipbuilding. The discussions underscored maritime cooperation as a central pillar of India-Egypt defence ties. During the Joint Defence Committee meeting, the delegations reviewed progress made since previous engagements and outlined a forward-looking roadmap…

Indian-origin tennis player Dhakshineswar Suresh, originally from Madurai, received special recognition from former US President Donald Trump during the National Champions Day celebration held at the White House. The event honored NCAA collegiate championship teams for their outstanding performances in the 2025 season. Suresh, aged 26, was part of the Wake Forest University men’s tennis team, which secured the NCAA championship title. During the ceremony, Trump highlighted Suresh’s decisive contribution in the final match, where he delivered the winning point in a 4–2 victory over Texas Christian University. The former president publicly praised his performance, noting that team members themselves…

US President Donald Trump has reignited a heated debate over birthright citizenship after resharing a video featuring conservative commentator Michael Savage, who strongly criticized current US immigration laws. The remarks have drawn attention for their controversial framing of immigrants from countries such as India and China, and for intensifying ongoing political divisions around US citizenship policy. In the video, Savage argued that the existing legal framework allows for misuse of birthright citizenship provisions. He claimed that some individuals allegedly travel to the United States late in pregnancy so their children can automatically gain citizenship at birth, a process he described…

Following India’s Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack last year, the Hindi film industry has witnessed a sudden surge in interest from producers looking to register film titles inspired by the military operation. What began as a strategic national response has now turned into a creative rush in Bollywood, with filmmakers eager to develop projects around the high-profile event. Industry associations report that more than 150 applications for film titles linked to Operation Sindoor and its variations are currently pending. In addition, several other requests connected to the Pahalgam attack have also been submitted,…

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has emphasized that India’s defence sector is undergoing a major transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, creating new opportunities for deeper collaboration with Germany’s industrial ecosystem. He highlighted that stronger ties between the two nations could lead to meaningful mutual benefits, particularly in defence manufacturing and advanced technologies. Speaking to Germany’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence and Security, Singh made a strong case for expanding cooperation between the defence industries of both countries. He clarified that the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative is not limited to procurement but is designed to encourage joint creation, co-development, and innovation between…

Asha Jadeja Motwani, a venture capitalist and philanthropist of Indian origin based in the United States, has gained renewed attention for her growing presence in American political and policy circles. She has positioned herself as an active voice in India US relations, using a combination of philanthropy, political donations, and strategic engagement to influence discussions around trade, immigration, and bilateral cooperation. Motwani recently described attending high-level gatherings in the United States, including interactions close to former US President Donald Trump, where she argued that more Indian American professionals should engage directly with the US administration. She expressed frustration that many…