International Day of Rural Women | 15 October

The International Day of Rural Women is observed annually on October 15 to recognize the critical role and contribution of rural and indigenous women in enhancing agricultural development, improving food security, and eradicating rural poverty.

The theme of this year’s International Day of Rural Women, “Rural Women Farmers Caring for Mother Nature”, honors the work rural women do every day: conserving seeds, protecting biodiversity, managing water, and restoring degraded land. They feed communities, sustain livelihoods, and safeguard the natural resources on which we all depend. On this day, we celebrate their knowledge and leadership in building a more resilient future.

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Cabinet approves 53,428 crore rupees for social security net

The Union Cabinet gave its approval to the continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme for five years from 2026-27 to 2030-31. The Cabinet has approved an outlay 53,428 crore rupees for the social security net. The amount of assistance under divyangjan pension scheme will now be 375 rupees for the age group of up to 79 yrs and 625 rupees for 80 yrs and above.

Under Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana, the criteria for benchmark disability will be 40 percent against 80 percent at present for divyangjan, the minimum age criterion for the disability pension will now be since birth. A total of three crore and 20 lakh beneficiaries across all the 36 States and UTs will be benefitted from this approval.

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Cabinet approves 53,428 crore rupees for social security net

Pension schemes for old aged amd widows and family benefit scheme will continue in its existing form.

The Cabinet also approved the strategic restructuring of IDBI Bank. The Bank plays an important role in the growth of MSME and new industries. Strategic partner has been selected for the bank, and fresh capital will be infused with the help of this. The Government of India and LIC will retain 34 percent stake in the restructured entity.

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Centre introduces Principal Purpose Test in India-Mauritius tax treaty to curb tax avoidance

The Central Government has notified amendments to the India-Mauritius Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA), introducing a principal purpose test (PPT) to prevent the misuse of treaty provisions for tax avoidance and evasion. Under the revised agreement, tax treaty benefits may be denied if obtaining such benefits is found to be one of the principal purposes of a transaction or arrangement.

The amendment seeks to prevent the misuse of treaty provisions to secure unintended tax advantages while maintaining the agreement’s objective of eliminating double taxation.

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Centre introduces Principal Purpose Test in India-Mauritius tax treaty to curb tax avoidance

India and Mauritius signed the protocol amending their existing DTAA in March 2024, in Port Louis, to strengthen safeguards against tax avoidance while facilitating bilateral trade and investment. The protocol came into force on 10th of the last month, following the completion of the necessary legal formalities by both countries.

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India signs preferential trade agreements with 38 developed nations in four years

India has signed preferential trade agreements with 38 developed nations over the past four years. India is aiming to expand market access for Indian businesses while opening the country’s markets to global partners. India’s trade agreements covered economies with a combined GDP of around 10 trillion dollars before 2014, which has now risen to approximately 70 trillion dollars. India is negotiating trade agreements with Canada, Mexico, Mercosur, Eurasia and several other countries. India and the US continue to maintain close relations and cooperate on several fronts, including defence exercises and efforts to ensure open supply chains for technology, goods and services.

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Indian Army’s Assam Regiment wins Gold Medal at Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2026 in Wales

Indian Army’s Assam Regiment troops have won the Gold Medal at the Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2026, held in Wales, United Kingdom. The team competed against more than one hundred teams in the challenging military patrolling exercise. The Indian Army noted that the team demonstrated exceptional endurance, tactical skills and teamwork to secure a place among the ten teams awarded Gold Medals.

The Exercise was conducted from 2nd to 12th October.

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Fairfax Financial buys IDBI for $5.6 billion in India's biggest bank deal

Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa’s Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. will acquire a stake in IDBI Bank Ltd. for 528.78 billion rupees ($5.6 billion), making it the biggest foreign investment in India’s rapidly growing financial services sector.

Fairfax Financial will own 60.72% of IDBI Bank, according to Arunish Chawla, secretary at the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management, valuing the lender at around 871 billion rupees. The sale is at a 11% discount to closing price of 90.4 rupees with the Indian government and Life Insurance Corp. set to retain a total of 34% stake in the lender.

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Fairfax Financial buys IDBI for $5.6 billion in India's biggest bank deal

Fairfax joins a wave of foreign firms expanding in India, drawn by the burgeoning wealth class and the world’s fastest-growing major economy. Japanese lenders alone spent more than $6 billion combined, buying stakes in Indian banks last year, including deals by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.

The latest breakthrough in the IDBI stake sale will be seen as a shot in the arm for Modi who is seeking to convert India into a developed economy by 2047. To achieve his ambition of boosting gross domestic product 10 times to about $30 trillion by 2047, funding from banks must increase to about 130% of GDP from around 56%.

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Fairfax Financial buys IDBI for $5.6 billion in India's biggest bank deal

Proceeds from the IDBI Bank stake sale would provide a significant boost to the government’s goal of raising 800 billion rupees through asset sales this fiscal year.

The acquisition of India’s sixth-largest private bank by assets significantly expands Watsa-owned Fairfax’s India presence. Fairfax already has investments in CSB Bank Ltd. and shadow lender IIFL Capital Services Ltd.

Fairfax, will have to merge or exit its 40% stake in private sector CSB Bank Ltd., within two years of signing the share purchase agreement

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Sachin Tendulkar partners with OpenAI to drive wider adoption of ChatGPT

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has partnered with OpenAI to encourage more people to explore ChatGPT, sharing his experiences with the artificial intelligence tool and demonstrating how it can be used for everyday tasks, personal interests and preparation. The partnership will focus on discovering practical applications of the chatbot and helping people understand how it can be useful in areas they care about.

Describing his experience with ChatGPT as a journey from curiosity to conviction, Tendulkar also discussed the role of technology in cricket, the importance of expertise and why access to information cannot replace practical experience.

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Sachin Tendulkar partners with OpenAI to drive wider adoption of ChatGPT

The process made the team's approach, particularly to bowling, more scientific and precise. The experience demonstrated how technology could improve established methods when players were willing to adopt it and incorporate it into their preparation.

The comparison also provides context for his current interest in ChatGPT. Just as video analysis helped cricketers examine performances more closely, AI tools can help users organise information, investigate questions and prepare for decisions.

He viewed ChatGPT as a tool that could provide guidance comparable in some respects to the inputs of coaches and mentors, while emphasising that users could not bypass the effort required to develop a skill.

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Govt forms Ramesh Chand-led panel to examine sugarcane farmers' demands

Amid soaring sugar prices and unrest among farmers over falling yields, the central government constituted a high-powered committee under former NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand to examine sugarcane farmers’ demands, including higher remunerative returns, revision of the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar and concerns over deductions in the weight of mechanically harvested cane.

The committee was formed following a meeting between representatives of sugarcane farmers from Karnataka and Maharashtra and the Union ministers for agriculture and farmers welfare and consumer affairs, food and public distribution.

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Govt forms Ramesh Chand-led panel to examine sugarcane farmers' demands

The panel will examine demands for higher returns to sugarcane farmers, taking into account cultivation costs and other relevant factors. It will also review the demand for revising the ex-mill minimum selling price of sugar in light of production costs, market realisations and the financial viability of sugar mills.

Another key area of examination will be the mechanisms used to test and report sugar recovery, including measures to ensure transparent verification. The committee will also assess prevailing sugarcane weighment practices at mills and the adequacy of calibration, inspection and verification mechanisms.

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Govt forms Ramesh Chand-led panel to examine sugarcane farmers' demands

The panel will examine deductions from the weight of mechanically harvested sugarcane and assess the extent of actual losses, if any, arising from mechanised harvesting. It will also evaluate the financial impact of existing practices on the cane prices payable to farmers.

The committee will consult stakeholders, including farmers’ representatives, sugar mill associations, state governments, experts and other organisations, as required. It will submit its findings and specific recommendations as early as possible for consideration by the competent authority.The committee also includes the agriculture commissioner in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the joint secretary (sugar) in the Department of Food and Public Distribution, and the joint secretary (legal metrology) in the Department of Consumer Affairs.

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PM Modi inaugurates 10th edition of India Mobile Congress in New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi, bringing together global technology leaders, policymakers, industry experts and innovators to showcase advancements in digital connectivity and emerging technologies.

Upon his arrival, the Prime Minister was felicitated by Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Addressing the inaugural session, Scindia highlighted the Prime Minister’s vision of ensuring that technological advancements reach every village and citizen across the country.

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PM Modi inaugurates 10th edition of India Mobile Congress in New Delhi

Highlighting India’s progress in digital connectivity, the minister said the cost of one gigabyte (GB) of mobile data had declined from Rs 268 in 2014 to Rs 8 in 2026, making mobile internet services significantly more affordable.

IMC 2026 would showcase India’s growing technological capabilities across several emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence, next-generation communication networks, sovereign cloud infrastructure and advanced digital platforms. The demonstrations would cover technologies ranging from digital platforms and life-saving cell broadcast systems to AI, 6G networks, sovereign clouds, terahertz communication and integrated sensing and communication.

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PM Modi inaugurates 10th edition of India Mobile Congress in New Delhi

The Bharat 6G Alliance had brought together 90 institutions and established collaborations with organisations worldwide.

According to Scindia, the alliance has established 7,700 patents, including 4,400 international patents, reflecting India’s efforts to strengthen its position in next-generation telecommunications technology.

The 10th edition of India Mobile Congress is centred around four key pillars: Srishti – Building the Future; Samvardhan – Fueling Growth; Sashakt – Expanding Opportunities; and Suraksha – Strengthening Trust. These pillars focus on innovation and next-generation digital infrastructure, technology-driven economic growth, inclusive digital access, and the development of secure and resilient digital ecosystems.

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PM Modi inaugurates 10th edition of India Mobile Congress in New Delhi

IMC 2026 will cover nine major technology sectors, including 5G and 6G, next-generation AI networks, semiconductors, non-terrestrial networks, cybersecurity, quantum communication, enterprise transformation, circular economy and environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives, and electronics manufacturing. The event will also expand its focus to four new areas: smart mobility, stadium experiences, industrial robotics and transport technology. Organisers expect IMC 2026 to attract more than 1.5 lakh attendees from over 100 countries, with participation from more than 500 partners and exhibitors, over 600 startups and more than 900 thought leaders. The event will feature over 2,000 technology use cases and more than 120 sessions, providing a platform for discussions on emerging technologies, industry collaboration and the future of digital connectivity.

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Sports ministry forms seven-member committee for Hockey India League revival

The Sports Ministry has formally constituted a seven-member committee comprising representatives of Hockey India, HIL franchises and the ministry to work on the revival of the crisis-ridden Hockey India League.

The development comes after Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a meeting in September with Hockey India officials and representatives of HIL franchises and was apprised of the concerns surrounding the competition.

The committee includes Sports Ministry joint secretary (Khelo India) Vineel Krishna, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey, secretary general Bhola Nath Singh and treasurer Sekar J Manoharan.

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Sports ministry forms seven-member committee for Hockey India League revival

A panel comprising representatives from Hockey India and the franchises and a senior Sports Ministry official had also been proposed. The minister had directed the stakeholders to work on the governance model, financial model and structure of the league on a priority basis. The committee had been asked to present its report to the ministry in a time-bound manner.

Indian women's hockey players, including captain Salima Tete and Savita Punia, made an emotional public appeal to save the Women's Hockey India League (WHIL) from discontinuation amid severe financial distress during the World Cup in August, where the Indian team finished fifth, which was its best performance since 1974.

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Sports ministry forms seven-member committee for Hockey India League revival

The HIL was relaunched in 2024 after a seven-year hiatus and has since emerged as an important platform for providing domestic competition and exposure to Indian and overseas players.

The latest move is also significant against the backdrop of the continuing power struggle within Hockey India, with president Tirkey and secretary general Bhola Nath Singh having differed publicly on several administrative issues in recent weeks, including the jersey row ahead of the World Cup.

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INS Trishul Arrives in UK for India-UK Maritime Exercise KONKAN-26

Indian Navy ship INS Trishul has arrived at Plymouth in the United Kingdom to participate in the India-UK bilateral maritime exercise KONKAN-26 with the Royal Navy. The exercise is being conducted off Plymouth in two phases. Over the past two decades, KONKAN has evolved significantly in scale and complexity, enhancing interoperability and mutual understanding between the two Navies. the exercise reaffirms the shared commitment of India and the UK to ensuring secure, open and free seas. It also reflects the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership outlined in the India-UK Vision 2035. It added that through the exchange of best practices and enhanced operational cooperation, KONKAN-26 aims to strengthen the ability of both Navies to operate seamlessly in complex maritime scenarios, reinforcing their enduring partnership and shared commitment to maritime peace and security.

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Israel to honour Capt. Smit Machchhar with civilian heroism award

Capt. Smit Machchhar who fought off an attack from his co-pilot inside the cockpit of a flydubai plane, will receive Israel's highest bravery award for civilians. President Herzog presented the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism to six individuals who were on board the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026.

The Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism is Israel's highest civilian award for heroism. Established by President Herzog after October 7th, it expresses the State of Israel’s recognition of individuals who acted with exceptional heroism, at real risk to their own lives, out of mutual responsibility, and in order to save human life, according to the President's Office.

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Israel to honour Capt. Smit Machchhar with civilian heroism award

The award was presented to Tali Manes, Zvika Manes, Yaniv Hayoun, Shota Musayev, Asaf Rajuan, and Or Pardilov during the ceremony for their role in preventing the would-be hijacker from crashing the plane.

On September 30, Mr. Machchhar helped save the lives of 172 passengers and his fellow crew members aboard flydubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. He was stabbed by his co-pilot, Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, in an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft.

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Project to assess health of Keralam’s ecosystems launched

Environment Minister Sunny Joseph launched the ‘Comprehensive Red List Assessment of Ecosystems in Keralam’ project.

Sanctioned and funded by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) and included in the 100 Days programme of the State government, the project is being executed by the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) along with MES Asmabi College.

This two-year initiative will map and assess the risk of collapse for critical ecosystems across all 14 districts. The study will utilise the rigorous IUCN Red List of Ecosystems (RLE) framework to assess the health and vulnerability of ecosystems – ranging from high-altitude Shola-grassland mosaics to coastal mangroves and freshwater river networks.

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Project to assess health of Keralam’s ecosystems launched

The spatial data will help local governments and planners to make evidence-based decisions for sustainable infrastructure development and targeted conservation.

The project marks a paradigm shift in conservation strategy. By diagnosing the health of entire ecosystems rather than focusing solely on individual species, a stronger safety net is created for Keralam’s biodiversity.

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Ageas Federal launches multi-currency life insurance plan at GIFT City

Ageas Federal Life Insurance has launched a multi-currency unit-linked insurance plan (ULIP) at GIFT City, allowing customers to invest in US dollars, euros or pounds while receiving life insurance cover.

The Aurum Advantage Plan is the insurer’s first product launched at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, India’s International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), marking the commencement of its operations there.

The plan offers investment options across international equities, fixed income and gold, allowing customers to diversify their portfolios across geographies and asset classes.

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Ageas Federal launches multi-currency life insurance plan at GIFT City

It offers multiple premium payment options and fund strategies, along with partial withdrawals without a lock-in period. The policy also provides maturity benefits, loyalty additions and death benefits, subject to applicable terms and conditions.

The product is available to customers of any nationality, irrespective of residential status, including non-resident Indians (NRIs), overseas citizens of India (OCIs) and persons of Indian origin (PIOs).

The minimum investment is $3,000, €3,000 or £3,000, depending on the currency selected.

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ACKO launches three products across motor, health and travel

Digital insurer ACKO launched three products — DriveCam, ACKO Clinic and AirPass — across motor insurance, healthcare and travel.

DriveCam is a dashcam bundled with select ACKO car insurance policies. The device records footage from the time the car starts, with the footage stored on the device and the customer’s phone. The footage is not uploaded to ACKO’s servers unless the customer chooses to share it. ACKO Clinic is a members-only healthcare service that will open in Bengaluru. It will offer access to doctors, health check-ups, diagnostics and a dedicated care team, with the aim of helping customers identify health risks early. AirPass is an annual travel subscription for domestic flyers.

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ACKO launches three products across motor, health and travel

It provides a Rs 1,500 cash payout for eligible flight delays of more than 90 minutes and up to Rs 3,000 in rebooking discounts in case of a cancelled or missed flight. The insurer said its repair and roadside assistance network now services around 2,500 cars a month, twice its capacity a year ago. More than 60% of revenue from ACKO’s motor insurance business comes from renewals.

DriveCam will initially be available for private cars up to 10 years old across eight cities, with the rollout phased across new policies and renewals.

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Astranova Mobility arm gets NBFC licence, targets Rs 5,000 cr AUM in 5 years

Astranova Mobility to its lending subsidiary, NovaFusion Capital, has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). The company is targeting Rs 5,000 crore in assets under management (AUM) over the next five years, Astranova Mobility Founder & CEO Kunal Mundra told PTI.

So with the help of this NBFC, there aspiration is to deploy Rs 5,000 crore worth of financing in the next five years. It will be primarily for electric vehicles and only for commercial operators. That means everyone who earns a livelihood with the help of these assets. India estimated to require USD 100 billion for transitioning its commercial vehicles to electric mobility.

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Wholesale inflation jumps to 11.39% in September as food, fuel costs rise

India's wholesale price inflation rose to 11.39 per cent in September from 9.92 per cent in August, driven by higher prices of fuel and power, food articles and manufactured products, according to provisional government data.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI), with 2022-23 as its base year, increased to 112.5 in September from 110.8 in August. Wholesale inflation stood at 9.78 per cent in July, according to the final estimates released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The rise in wholesale inflation was broad-based, with all three major components of the index — primary articles, fuel and power, and manufactured products — recording higher year-on-year inflation in September.

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Wholesale inflation jumps to 11.39% in September as food, fuel costs rise

Fuel and power inflation rises to 25.85% :

Inflation in the fuel and power category accelerated to 25.85 per cent in September from 22.93 per cent in August, reflecting sustained price pressures across energy-related commodities.

Within the category, inflation in crude petroleum and natural gas surged to 57.32 per cent from 34.41 per cent in August.

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Putin signs law ratifying India-Russia temporary employment agreement

Russia has ratified an agreement with India to facilitate the temporary employment of citizens in each other's territories.

According to Russian publication RBC, President Vladimir Putin signed the law on October 12 after the State Duma adopted it on October 1 and the Federation Council approved it on October 2.

India and Russia signed the agreement during Putin’s state visit to New Delhi in December 2025. An agreement on cooperation to combat irregular migration was also signed at that time. More than 71,000 Indian citizens are working in Russia, primarily in the construction and textile industries, according to the Russian Ministry of Labour. The number is expected to rise to 100,000 by the end of 2026.

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TRISHNA satellite is in advanced stage of realisation

The Indo-French satellite TRISHNA (Thermal Infra-Red Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment) will be launched in the next 12-16 months. This was the third satellite that India and France are developing after Megha-Tropiques and SARAL (Satellite with ARGOS and ALTIKA) satellites. The main objective of the mission is better management of water resources, visible shortwave and thermal infrared Earth observation.

The TRISHNA mission, a collaborative endeavor between ISRO and CNES, will be launched by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

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TRISHNA satellite is in advanced stage of realisation

ISRO and CNES are jointly developing TRISHNA, which is engineered to deliver high spatial and high temporal resolution monitoring of the earth’s surface temperature, emissivity, and biophysical and radiation variables for surface energy budgeting at regional to global scale.

The satellite will have two primary payloads, the Thermal Infra-Red (TIR) payload, developed by CNES, and the Visible-Near Infra-Red Short Wave Infra-Red (VNIR-SWIR) payload, developed by ISRO.

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BIMSTEC adopts Delhi Declaration to counter terrorism

India hosted the first-ever meeting of the Home Ministers of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries (October 13, 2026), where the regional bloc adopted a declaration to counter radicalisation, violent extremism conducive to terrorism, prevent the misuse of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, and tackle terrorist recruitment. Bangladesh, the chair of BIMSTEC, was represented by Manzur Morshed Chowdhury, Senior Secretary in its Home Ministry, instead of Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, a key member in Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Cabinet. During the BRICS summit hosted by India on September 12-13, there was no representation from Bangladesh either.

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BIMSTEC adopts Delhi Declaration to counter terrorism

The “Delhi Declaration” signed by Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, also called for curbing terror financing through adherence to internationally agreed counter-terror financing and anti-money laundering standards, consistent with domestic and international laws. Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted five key areas of cooperation: drug control, counter-terrorism and legal cooperation, repatriation of fugitive criminals, cyber-security and cybercrime investigations, and institutional cooperation and capacity building. He called for a coordinated regional approach to combating illicit financial transactions and terror financing and stressed the need to strengthen cooperation among law enforcement, intelligence, and border management agencies.

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World's friendliest cities: Merida tops 2026 list, Delhi ranks near bottom

A new global ranking of 200 cities, based on an analysis of more than 1.2 million Reddit comments, has named Mérida in Mexico the world’s friendliest city, while Delhi features among the 10 lowest-scoring cities. The Friendliest Cities Index 2026, commissioned by travel platform Fernwayer, analysed more than 1.2 million Reddit comments relating to 200 cities to assess how travellers described local residents—as friendly, welcoming or hospitable, or as unfriendly and rude.

Mérida topped the ranking with a score of 95 out of 100. Glasgow came second with 94.9, followed by Bogotá at 94.5.

The top 10 also included Bodrum (94.4), Manchester (94.0), Hamburg (93.6), Perth (93.5), São Paulo (93.3), Mexico City (93.2) and Nashville (93.1).

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World's friendliest cities: Merida tops 2026 list, Delhi ranks near bottom

Delhi scored 43.6 out of 100, placing it among the 10 lowest-scoring cities in the index. Buenos Aires, Argentina, was at the bottom with 42.0, followed by Los Angeles at 42.2 and Madrid at 42.5. Paris scored 42.9, Milan 43.0 and Barcelona 43.4.

The report suggests that cities attracting large numbers of visitors can feel more impersonal, with interactions often perceived as rushed or transactional. However, the findings should not be interpreted as evidence that residents of a city are inherently unfriendly, or that migrants would necessarily have the same experience as tourists.

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