Houthi attacks on 2 Saudi Arabia-flagged tankers drive Brent crude price past $100

In an escalation of the conflict in West Asia, the Houthis, Iran's allies in Yemen, said they attacked two Saudi Arabia-flagged tankers in the Red Sea on Thursday, as part of a blockade on Saudi shipping.

Himachal farmers pioneer sustainable cultivation of endangered herb

In the higher reaches of the Himalayas, an agricul-tural initiative is helping bring one of the region's most prized medicinal plants back from the brink of extinction. Decades of destructive wild harvesting pushed Picrorhiza kurroa, known locally as Kutki, a herb used in medicinal formulations, onto the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Now, a sustainable cultivation model adopted by farmers in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district is showing promis-ing signs of conserving the species while boosting the rural mountain economy.

Odisha govt. plans new policy to curb human trafficking

Having recorded the highest number of human traf-ficking victims in India for four consecutive years, Odisha has now proposed a new State policy, Nutana Sakala (New Dawn), to curb the practice through measures ranging from community-based prevention to confiscation of as-sets linked to trafficking networks.

Warning signals for India from NATO's Ankara summit

The heads of state or government of the 32 countries that are politico-military allies under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) met in Ankara, Türkiye, on July 7-8, 2026 for what is called the Ankara Summit. Their stated objective was to review progress made since the 2025 Summit in The Hague and to set out a roadmap for continuing delivery on NATO's key objectives.

The gathering in Ankara is being regarded as one of NATO's more successful summits, despite the abrasive presence of United States President Donald Trump, who devoted most of his speaking time to extolling the putative success of U.S. strategy and talking up the superiority of American weapons systems.

Core upgrade

The updated Index of Core Industries rounds out economic data upgrades

The Index of Core Industries (ICI) has final-ly joined the country's other economic metrics in becoming up-to-date and representative of the economy. The other metrics such as the national accounts, Consumer Price Index (CPI), Wholesale Price Index (WPI), and the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) were updated earlier this year, although even those were after considerable delays. The ICI has now joined their ranks with the June data being based on a new series with an updated base year, an additional sector being covered, and revised weights and methodologies.   

How should cities reclaim footpaths?

The Street Vendors Act, 2014, was enacted to regulate street vending by balancing pedestrians' right to safe, obstruction-free footpaths with street vendors' right to livelihood, while preventing arbitrary evictions.

The Act requires authorities to constitute a Town Vending Committee, conduct surveys, issue Certificates of Vending and identify vending and novending zones before vendors are removed or relocated.

The right to protest and the limits of police power

People from across the country gathered at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi on July 20 for the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) "Chalo Sansad" march, carrying placards demanding reforms in the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Is the right to protest absolute?

The Constitution guarantees citizens the right to assemble peacefully under Article 19(1)(b) But that right is subject to "reasonable restrictions" under Article 19(3) in the interests of public order, the sovereignty and integrity of India, and other constitutionally recognised grounds. In practice, these restrictions are implemented through laws governing public order and policing. The legal authority to regulate protests, however, comes from a range of statutes.

Global waterways should be safe, unimpeded: Jaishankar

Participating in the 21^st East Asia Summit (EAS) in Manila, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said. Thursday that the global maritime channels "must remain safe and unimpeded". At the meeting, Mr. Jaishankar also called for dialogue and diplomacy in dealing with the crisis in the Persian Gulf region and a "political solution" to the civil conflict in Myanmar, where Ethnic Armed Or-ganisations (EAOS) have been challenging the authority of the military junta that took power in February 2021.     

Govt. eases FDI rules for e-com firms, first big relaxation in years

In a significant relaxation in its long-held stance, the government has proposed allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in e-commerce companies that hold inventory and don't just act as marketplaces as long as this inventory is used for exports. India has for nearly a de-cade allowed FDI only in business to business (B2B) e-commerce and where the company only serves as a marketplace but does not hold inventory of its own. This was aimed at protecting small traders in India and to uphold the government's ban on FDI in multi-brand retails as well.    

U.S. announces civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia

The United States and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday announced a landmark deal that would establish a civi-lian nuclear programme in the kingdom, which U.S. President Donald Trump said was contingent on Riyadh normalising relations with Israel.

The move comes as the U.S. fights a war with Iran that began in large part over concerns about Tehran's nuclear programme - still a key point of contention in now-stalled peace talks.

Building resilience to protect elderly from climate stressors

A recent study by HelpAge India further highlights the fact that senior citizens form a vulnerable group and are right in the pathway of harm left in the trail of climate change. This is particularly relevant to India, where the portion of senior citizens as a part of the overall population is constantly growing      

Can time outdoors become part of healthcare?

Healthcare systems in several countries are exploring whether structured time in natural environments can complement conventional care amid rising rates of stress, anxiety and chronic disease. Green prescriptions, blue prescriptions and other forms of nature-based social prescribing involve healthcare professionals recommending activities in parks, gardens or near water bodies alongside standard treatment.