The UAE has approved its first USD-backed stablecoin, issued by ADGM-regulated Universal Digital, to enable stable, blockchain-based payments for trade, remittances, and international transfers.

The United States reportedly used a classified weapon system dubbed the “Discombobulator” during its Venezuela operation, claimed to have disabled Venezuelan defence systems and caused disorientation among personnel

The 6th ASEAN–India Digital Ministers’ Meeting underscored deeper ASEAN–India cooperation on digital transformation, highlighting India’s digital infrastructure achievements and collaboration on DPI, fintech, cybersecurity and safe, trusted AI.

UNCTAD’s Global Investment Trends Monitor highlights a moderate global FDI recovery in 2025, marked by a sharp surge in India’s inflows, alongside a continued decline in China’s foreign investment.

Graça Machel has been selected for the 2025 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development in recognition of her lifelong global contributions to human rights, humanitarian action, and social justice.

India and the UAE have agreed to deepen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership by aiming to double trade to USD 200 billion by 2032, boosting energy, defence and cultural cooperation while jointly condemning terrorism.

Project Suncatcher is Google’s research initiative to build solar-powered AI data centers in space using satellite arrays and TPUs, offering renewable, always-on computing with high-speed global connectivity.

The IMF, in its January 2026 update, raised India’s FY 2025–26 growth forecast to 7.3% citing strong Q3–Q4 performance and robust domestic demand.

ECOSOC, a principal UN organ established in 1945, highlights its role in coordinating global economic, social and environmental action for sustainable development.

India’s diplomatic stature is reinforced with DB Venkatesh Varma’s appointment as Chair of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters, a key expert body advising on global arms control and disarmament.

Article 6 of the Paris Agreement enables India to use carbon markets to mobilize global finance, access clean technologies, and accelerate decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors, strengthening both climate action and economic growth

Pax Silica is a US-led strategic technology partnership to secure semiconductor and AI supply chains, reduce geopolitical vulnerabilities, and integrate India into trusted global chip ecosystems critical for economic and national security.

Israel’s formal recognition of Somaliland reflects a strategic geopolitical move rooted in Red Sea–Indian Ocean security interests and the expansion of the Abraham Accords framework in the Horn of Africa.

The proposed U.S. 500% tariff under the Sanctioning Russia Act highlights the need for market diversification and export support

India’s 2026 Europe visit marks a strategic deepening of India–Europe ties, with Weimar Triangle engagement and EU FTA talks reflecting India’s multi-alignment and stabilising role in global politics.

News: The United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year for Rangelands and Pastoralists Grasslands Grasslands are open ecosystems dominated by grasses, with few or no trees, found across savannahs, steppes, prairies, and rangelands. They cover ~40% of Earth’s land surface Significance of grasslands Natural climate cooling via albedo effect Fire resilience 90% of […]

India and Oman have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Muscat.

A new US-led strategic initiative — Pax Silica — aimed at securing the global silicon and critical minerals supply chain does not include India. This comes amid ongoing but inconclusive India–US trade negotiations and a broader global effort to diversify supply chains away from China.

The historic Siliserh Lake in Alwar, Rajasthan, has been declared a Ramsar Site under the Convention on Wetlands, 1971. With this addition, India’s total Ramsar sites have increased to 96, marking a significant milestone in the country’s wetland conservation journey. Siliserh Lake is now the fifth Ramsar site in Rajasthan.

Recent research by IIT Bombay and collaborating institutions offers new insights into why Mars transformed into a cold, barren desert while Earth evolved into a thriving blue planet.

The US released the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2026, outlining defence priorities for the Indo-Pacific.

UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity – Deepavali Secures Global Recognition

Sri Lanka faces one of its worst natural disasters as Cyclone Ditwah wreaks havoc across the island. Heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides have caused at least 153 deaths, damaged over 600 homes, and displaced more than 200,000 people from 61,000 families. Key areas affected include the Western Province, Kandy, and Badulla, with electricity disrupted for around 7 million people.

The increased interconnectedness of the world has compelled nations to collaborate through multilateral platforms to address shared global challenges—trade, climate change, migration, debt crises, and geopolitical conflicts. The 2025 G20 Summit in South Africa, despite US objections, revived debates on the relevance and future of multilateralism.

Sri Lanka faces one of its worst natural disasters as Cyclone Ditwah wreaks havoc across the island. Heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides have caused at least 153 deaths, damaged over 600 homes, and displaced more than 200,000 people from 61,000 families. Key areas affected include the Western Province, Kandy, and Badulla, with electricity disrupted for around 7 million people.

The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) released a report highlighting rapid global urbanisation.

COP30, the 30th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC, concluded in Belém, Brazil, gateway to the Amazon rainforest, with negotiations spilling beyond deadlines. Fossil fuel phase-out and climate finance remained contentious.

India has signed its first-ever structured one-year contract to import 2.2 MTPA of LPG from the United States, accounting for around 10% of India’s annual LPG imports, marking a significant diversification in its energy basket.

A recent report released at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi highlights the alarming decline of dugong (sea cow) populations in India due to escalating human activities and pollution.

India plans to induct women soldiers into the Territorial Army—an unprecedented step toward gender inclusion in defence.

Neurotechnology refers to devices or procedures that access, monitor, or act on the brain and neural systems. With rapid advances such as AI-driven brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), UNESCO has released the first global ethical framework to regulate this emerging field.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bhutan marks the 70th birthday celebrations of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck (K4), the fourth king and architect of modern Bhutan.

India continues to top the list of countries with the highest tuberculosis (TB) burden, accounting for 25% of global cases, according to the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2025.

The Malabar Naval Exercise 2025 — involving India, the US, Japan, and Australia — has commenced in the Northern Pacific’s Guam. This annual multilateral exercise strengthens defence cooperation among QUAD nations and enhances interoperability in the Indo-Pacific region

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global watchdog for anti–money laundering (AML) and counter–terror financing (CFT), released its report on “Asset Recovery Guidance and Best Practices”.

Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai have joined a global coalition of 33 cities to tackle rising urban temperatures.

India’s horticulture sector is set for a technological transformation through a Dutch-led initiative focusing on AI-driven precision farming and climate-resilient food production.

The United States and South Korea have reached a long-awaited agreement on a new bilateral trade deal.