India intends to purchase $500 billion of US goods over five years across energy, aviation, technology, and coal.
India and the United States finalised a framework for the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement under which India intends to purchase USD 500 billion of US goods over five years, targeting energy products, aircraft and parts, precious metals, technology products, and coking coal; the figure includes existing orders (notably significant aviation commitments) and is presented as conservative relative to projected import demand, contingent on US competitiveness.

Uniform Civil Code should be framed by consensus and stakeholder consultation to avoid divisions and build trust.
Uniform Civil Code should be framed through broad consensus and structured stakeholder consultation to avoid social divisions, with large scale public suggestions cited as an exemplar; law reform is conditioned on inclusive procedure, trust, and dialogue with Muslim and Christian communities to align religious practice with non dominating principles.

Household caregiver verification recommended to curb thefts using digital registration, ID checks and background details.
Kolkata Police recommended mandatory verification and digital registration of household employees via the Domestic Help Profile on the 'Bondhu' app or website, requiring identity proof, permanent address and photographs to enable background checks and faster investigation; awareness drives will encourage compliance, with family members urged to assist elderly residents in completing registration.

Digital arrest scam used impersonation and coercion to extract funds; Rs 100 crore linked to shell accounts and directors arrested.
Two individuals were arrested in a digital arrest scam using impersonation, forged FIRs and threats to coerce victims into transferring funds; one victim paid Rs 40 lakh. A private limited company in west Delhi, with the accused as joint directors, operated as a conduit. Digital forensics traced layered fund movements through multiple bank accounts and UPI IDs linked to shell entities across states, with 190 complaints and suspected proceeds over Rs 100 crore connected to the network. The accused admitted opening multiple accounts; investigation continues.

India Malaysia ties expand across trade, defence and counter terrorism, including semiconductor cooperation and local currency trade.
India and Malaysia agreed to deepen cooperation across trade, investment, defence, energy, advanced manufacturing and semiconductors via 11 agreements, promoted trade settlement in local currencies, and established an Indian Consulate General. They committed to strengthened counter terrorism cooperation-intelligence sharing, maritime security, defence ties, countering radicalisation and terrorism financing-and pledged coordinated support for reforms to make multilateral institutions more representative, including mutual backing on international candidatures and an expedited review of the ASEAN India Trade Agreement.

Kerala paddy procurement bonus faces central review; state says discontinuation threatens farmers and food security.
The Union Finance Ministry asked Kerala to review and consider discontinuing its additional incentive bonus on paddy and wheat procurement, citing bumper production that has produced stocks exceeding PDS, buffer and contingency requirements and creating a recurring burden on the public exchequer; the state rejects this direction, defending its Rs 6.31 per kilogram bonus above the Minimum Support Price as necessary farmer support and contesting the fiscal-burden characterization.

India-Malaysia cooperation expands in defence, semiconductors and trade while domestic governance and electoral actions advance.
India and Malaysia announced expanded cooperation in defence and security, semiconductor supply chains, and trade after leaders' talks. Concurrent domestic matters include calls for judicial intervention over a ruling party unit's allegedly targeting social-media video, a state request to expedite and fund sanctioned railway projects, emphasis on policy stability in the Union Budget, and a state offering thousands of Group B officers for a special electoral roll revision. An invitation for India to join an international supply-chain security initiative was also reported.

Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi seeks electoral majority to enact right-wing security, defence spending and immigration reforms.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called a snap election to win a lower-house majority for a conservative agenda prioritising security and economic measures. Core operative aims include revising security and defence policy to develop offensive military capabilities, lifting the weapons export ban, increasing defence spending, tightening immigration and foreign-owner rules, and aligning more closely with the United States. Financing plans and diplomatic approaches to China were not detailed. The LDP's coalition with the Japan Innovation Party is framed as necessary to secure the legislative majority Takaichi says she needs to pursue these changes.

Union Budget 2026 27 anchors policy stability, multi year planning and capital expenditure to build Viksit Bharat.
Union Budget 2026 27 is anchored in policy stability and multi year planning toward 2047-2050, emphasising fiscal discipline over populist measures. The Budget prioritises capital expenditure and infrastructure expansion, highlights CPSE contributions and state utilisation of long term interest free loans for signature projects, and seeks to crowd in private investment to strengthen economic resilience and enable export led growth.

Farm labourers duped into motorcycle loans; FIR filed against farm owner and two associates for fraud and intimidation.
An FIR alleges a farm owner and two associates induced illiterate tribal labourers to allow use of their Aadhaar and thumb impressions to obtain motorcycle loans without informed consent, resulting in two motorcycles purchased and victims receiving repayment notices; when confronted the accused allegedly assaulted and threatened a labourer. Charges include cheating by impersonation, dishonest inducement to obtain property, criminal intimidation, and intentional insult provoking breach of peace, and police are seeking the accused.

Liquor shop auctions in Jammu and Kashmir raised significant revenue; no new wine shops planned.
The administration generated about Rs 2,152 crore from auctioning retail liquor outlets over two financial years, primarily from the Jammu region, and has stated that no new wine shops or JKEL-2 licences are proposed for 2026-27. Licence issuance and auction allocations are governed by domicile eligibility and other conditions under the J&K Excise Act, 1958 and the applicable Excise Policy.

National news schedule: regional political events, public safety incidents, and police advisory to report digital frauds promptly.
The national schedule highlights regional political briefings and official engagements, follow-ups on accidents and law and order incidents, and an operational advisory urging prompt reporting of digital frauds with better coordination among police cyber cells, banks and payment gateways. It also notes central government meetings addressing left wing extremism, reflecting ongoing security coordination and public safety responses.

Shree Cements targets Q4FY26 volume rebound and aggressive RMC expansion to 45 plants while remaining debt free.
Shree Cements targets 9-9.5 million tonnes in Q4FY26 and expects total cement capacity to reach 72 million tonnes by March 2026 while keeping a long term 80 million tonne target. It plans rapid RMC expansion from 19 to 45 plants within six to eight months and has budgeted Rs 500 crore baseline capex next year for RMC and infrastructure. The company reports industry leading cost metrics, 61% green power from 634 MW renewables, a debt free balance sheet with ~Rs 6,000 crore cash, and anticipates a higher total dividend payout for the current fiscal.

Bilateral ties strengthen counter terrorism, defence, intelligence sharing, semiconductor and trade cooperation, with focus on Indo Pacific stability.
The leaders committed to deepen counter terrorism collaboration through intelligence sharing, maritime security and broader defence cooperation, emphasising a policy of no double standards on terrorism. They also pledged expanded economic and technological cooperation in semiconductors, AI and digital technologies, health, food security, and trade to support regional development and Indo Pacific stability.

Congressman Brandon Gill warns constituents that visible Islamic growth and new mosques are transforming local communities.
An elected Member of Congress asserted that visible Islamic presence and new mosques in his district have led constituents to feel their communities are culturally transformed, likening local malls to a foreign country; he linked these concerns to immigration and highlighted his policy focus on border security and related priorities.

India-Malaysia talks to deepen defence and security ties and expand economic and semiconductor cooperation.
Prime Ministerial talks prioritized deepening defence and security cooperation and expanding economic and innovation ties, with expected bilateral agreements including semiconductor cooperation, building on the elevation to a comprehensive strategic partnership and aiming to operationalise strategic alignment across defence, security, economic engagement and technology collaboration.

North Korea's party congress will push nuclear and military expansion alongside economic self-sustenance and closer ties with Russia and China.
North Korea's late-February Workers' Party congress will outline five-year domestic and foreign policy priorities, emphasizing accelerated nuclear and missile development, upgrades to conventional forces and their integration with nuclear capabilities, and policies of mass mobilization and economic self-sustenance. The congress will also signal closer alignments with Moscow and Beijing, a tougher posture toward South Korea, and a rejection of U.S. preconditions for denuclearization.

Japanese national elections: Takaichi seeks majority to push conservative security, immigration, and defence reforms agenda.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seeks a lower-house majority via a coalition with the Japan Innovation Party to implement a conservative agenda that would revise security and defence policies to expand offensive capabilities, lift the weapons-export ban, and increase defence spending, while imposing tougher immigration, foreign property, and anti-espionage measures; she has pledged to resign if the coalition fails to win a majority.

Multi-state WhatsApp investment scam busted, 12 arrested; alleged Rs500 crore fraud averted, assistance sought from international agencies.
Police dismantled a nationwide WhatsApp-based investment racket, arresting 12 suspects and identifying about 600 groups after a complaint; authorities recovered Rs 5.64 lakh for the reporting victim, warned over 500 group members to prevent wider losses, and say actions averted an estimated Rs 500 crore fraud affecting more than 1.5 lakh people. The accused have been charged under relevant provisions of the BNS and the Information Technology Act, and investigators are seeking CBI and Interpol assistance to trace alleged masterminds abroad.

Rice company promoters declared fugitive economic offenders; assets worth Rs 123 crore confiscated in alleged Rs 1,200 crore bank fraud.
Two promoters of a Delhi-based rice company were declared fugitive economic offenders under Section 10 of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 after allegedly leaving India to evade prosecution in a Rs 1,201.85 crore bank loan fraud; the court directed confiscation of assets valued at Rs 123 crore in the ongoing money laundering investigation arising from a 2020 criminal complaint and subsequent proceedings.