New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) Top government sources on Saturday allayed fears that current global energy situation can become a crisis for India, saying that the country currently holds over 250 million barrels (around 4,000 crore litres) of crude and petroleum products, providing about 7-8 weeks of buffer across the supply chain.These stocks are not held in a single location or a single form. They are distributed across above-ground storage tanks, underground strategic caverns, pipeline systems, t…
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Washington, March 1 (IANS) Indian-American Republican donor Asha Jadeja Motwani, who attended a two-hour dinner with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago this weekend alongside about 20 Republican donors, described the unfolding military action against Iran as a defining geopolitical moment that she believes will “change the destiny of the Middle East”.“Yes, it is a historic time here in Mar-a-Lago. While we were here for something else, actually, war was declared. This is obviously going …
Guwahati, Feb 25 (IANS) A total of 1,05,540 water birds belonging to 107 species were recorded in the latest water bird survey conducted at Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), officials said on Wednesday. KNPTR Director Sonali Ghosh said that the 7th Kaziranga Waterbird Count documented 1,05,540 water and wetland-dependent birds representing 107 species. She said that the synchronised survey, conducted from January 4 to 11, 2026, covered 166 wetlands across 10 ranges…
New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS) New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Chairman Keshav Chandra and Marisa Gerards, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, inaugurated the NDMC Tulip Festival–2026 at Shanti Path on Monday. NDMC Vice Chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal and Council member Anil joined the dignitaries in a Tulip Walk and visited the Tulip Exhibition organised by NDMC, which showcased the vibrant blossoms of spring at the heart of the capital.Chandra shared that an exhibition based on the hist…
New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) India now has market access to 70 per cent of global GDP, in most cases at zero duty for domestic products, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.Speaking at an event here, Goyal said that nine Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have been concluded in the last three years, covering 38 countries with strong per capita incomes, and most developed markets now have trade arrangements with India.“Agreements include the 27-nation EU bloc, four-nation E…
Washington, Feb 12 (IANS) Lawmakers urged the State Department to back the repeal of the Cold War-era Jackson-Vanik amendment for Central Asian nations, arguing that the outdated provision hampers US investment and undercuts strategic competition with Russia and China. During a House subcommittee hearing on South and Central Asia, Democratic Rep. Ami Bera pressed Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur to support legislative efforts to remove the trade restric…
Islamabad, Jan 30 (IANS) The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has witnessed a 53.02 per cent decline in revenue due to the continued closure and suspension of trade at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border since October last year, resulting in provincial government seeking intervention from the federal government, local media reported on Friday. The Pakistan-Afghanistan border closure has caused revenue losses for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the collection of Infrastructure Development Cess (IDC) reduced to P…
New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday that India is closely watching the fast-developing situation in Iran and assured that it will take all necessary measures for the welfare of Indians. While addressing a weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that around 9,000 Indian nationals reside in Iran, which include students, people connected to business, professionals, pilgrims and seafarers.”Given the situation th…
Washington, Jan 15 (IANS) A US funding bill for the fiscal year 2026 proposes to withhold a portion of American assistance to Pakistan, according to the text of legislation introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill says that of the funds made available for Pakistan, $33 million “shall be withheld from obligation” until the Secretary of State reports to Congress that Dr Shakil Afridi “has been released from prison and cleared of all charges relating to the assistance provided to …
Moscow, Jan 14 (IANS) India and Russia could leverage their decades-long bonds of goodwill, trust and friendship to guide global transition in areas of shared interest in the current turbulent international system, a report said on Wednesday. It stressed that following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in December 2025 and amid a global order in a free-fall, both nations – as vectors of stability – may have little choice but to operationalise the ‘Russia-India plus’ formulation…