Iran vows to safeguard its nuclear capabilities

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that the country would "safeguard" its "nuclear and missile" capabilities and lay down new rules for managing the Strait of Hormuz, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said a blockade of Iranian ports would remain until a nuclear deal is reached.

Revenue-deficit States may face fiscal stress, says Centre

The Union Finance Ministry has warned that States with revenue deficits and high debt burdens will find it harder to deal with fiscal shocks, including from the West Asia crisis, forcing them to either reprioritise expenditure away from productive areas, or approach the Centre for more funds at a time when it is trying to consolidate its own finances.

Kerala starts sacred groves restoration

The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has initiated a pilot restoration programme for sacred groves in collaboration with the local Biodiversity Management Committees.

Five sacred groves have been selected from Ezhikkara in Ernakulam, Pattanchery in Palakkad, Villiappally in Kozhikode, Iritty in Kannur, and Uduma in Kasaragod for the initial phase of the project.

CM declares Mizoram insurgency-free as last rebel group surrenders

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma declared the State "insurgency-free" after the last remaining ethnic insurgent group laid down arms on Thursday.

Although it remained dormant for several years, a faction of the Hmar People's Convention (Democratic) or HPC(D), headed by Lalhmingthanga Sanate, indulged in sporadic criminal activities at irregular intervals, officials said. The Sanate faction was considered the last surviving insurgent group in the north-eastern State.

Gulf within

The UAE has withdrawn from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Coun-tries (OPEC), a cartel that it joined in 1967, and OPEC+. It was OPEC's fourth-largest producer (3.12 million barrels per day) and its third-largest exporter (2.88 mbd) in 2025, behind Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The Emiratis clearly sought to free themselves of production constraints set largely by the cartel's dominant producer, Saudi Arabia.

On May Day, a workforce in India without a floor

From Noida's streets to furnace rooms in Chhattisgarh, India's new labour regime delivers for employers and for workers, what it long warned of.

India's sprint beyond the dairy red line to the Pacific

India concluded a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with New Zealand in December 2025, at a time marked by fractured supply chains and rising protectionist tendencies among nations. Guided by the vision of "Viksit Bharat", India has recalibrated its foreign trade policy, transitioning from a cautious, tariff-focused negotiator to a strategic, high-velocity partner.

Should the PIL jurisdiction be reconsidered?

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) emerged in the 1970s as a transformative judicial innovation aimed at widening access to justice for the poor and the marginalised. This was achieved by relaxing the strict rules of standing to permit representative actions, and by broadening the scope of judicial notice to allow courts to take suo motu cognisance of public issues and convert them into litigation. Over time, however, concerns have been raised about the misuse of this jurisdiction.

How is the next UN chief being chosen?

The UN is facing a deep financial and political crisis, with Security Council paralysis, funding shortfalls, and rising global conflicts.

The next Secretary-General will have the task of rejuvenating the organisation, focusing on conflict prevention, reform, and advancing sustainable development goals.

What happened to Komagata Maru passengers in 1914?

In the spring of 1914, a Japanese steamship called the Komagata Maru sailed from Hong Kong toward Vancouver, British Columbia, carrying 376 passengers: 340 Sikhs, 24 Muslims, and 12 Hindus from Punjab in British India. They were British subjects hoping to build new lives in Canada. What awaited them was a two-month standoff in the harbour, a brutal denouement on the docks of Calcutta, and a place in the history of both India's anti-colonial movement and Canada's long reckoning with its own past.

A century after legal recognition, workers still lack real protection

In 1918, Bahman Pestonji Wadia founded the Madras Labour Union, India's first trade union with regular membership and a relief fund, established to address what he called the "mal-treatment of workers" by European officers. The union he helped build was, in the eyes of British common law, a conspiracy to restrain trade.

Italy told to avoid sharing of defence tech with Pakistan

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with his Italian counterpart, Guido Crosetto, at the Manekshaw Centre on Thursday, urging Italy to refrain from sharing sensitive defence technologies with Pakistan.

Shah to attend first-ever exposition of Buddha's relics on Ladakh visit

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who arrived in Leh on Thursday, will attend the first international ex-position of holy relics of Lord Buddha in India on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. 

EC set to implement QR code-based access at counting centres

The Election Commission on Thursday introduced a QR code-based photo identity card system to eliminate the possibility of any unauthorised persons entering counting centres.

After its introduction during the counting to be held on May 4 for the Assembly elections in Assam, Bengal and Puducherry Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West and the byelections in seven Assembly constituencies across five States, the system will be extended to all future general and byelections to the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies, the EC said in a statement.

Lift abortion time limit for minor rape survivors: SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Union government to amend the abortion law to remove the time limit on medical termination of unwanted pregnancies in the case of minor rape victims.

India's first green methanol plant to turn Kutch's most invasive weed into marine fuel

A plant that has been ranked as one of the "top 100 invasive species in the world" and has for decades threatened biodiversity in Kutch's Banni grasslands, may soon be harnessed for the production of green methanol and fuel for ocean-going ships.

The Mexican-origin shrub called Prosopis juliflora, known as Gando Baval in the region, Vilayati Keekar in North India and Seemai Karuvelam in Ta-mil, has crowded out native grasses over thousands of kilometres in Kutch.

Fertiliser output steady despite West Asia crisis

The government on Thursday said domestic urea production has reached 37.49 lakh tonnes in March-April, nearly matching last year's levels despite the West Asia crisis, while securing 37 lakh tonnes of imported urea to meet the shortfall ahead of the Kharif season.