India-US economic partnership: India will stop buying Russian oil, cut tariffs to zero on many US goods, and back $500B in investments.
India committed to cease purchases of Russian oil and to provide $500 billion in investments into the US, while implementing tariff liberalisation that reduces duties to zero on a wide array of US industrial and agricultural goods. Senior officials held discussions to coordinate economic partnership measures and strategic cooperation on energy, nuclear, defence, and critical minerals.

India US cooperation on critical minerals and a reciprocal trade tariff reduction were welcomed and advanced.
India and the United States welcomed a reciprocal trade agreement and agreed to convene early meetings of mechanisms to operationalise cooperation on trade, energy, nuclear, defence and technology. They emphasised formalising bilateral cooperation on critical minerals exploration, mining and processing and committed to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad. The inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial aims to strengthen and diversify critical minerals supply chains to support technological innovation, economic resilience and national security.

Rafah crossing reopened under security conditioned transit, allowing few medical evacuations while barring humanitarian imports.
The Rafah reopening established a security conditioned transit regime: Israel and Egypt jointly vet and screen small cohorts of medical evacuees and returnees, enforce strict baggage and escort rules, and prohibit importation of humanitarian goods, producing significant delays and throughputs far below announced allowances and limiting humanitarian access despite international calls to open the crossing as a functional humanitarian corridor.

Iran-US negotiations sought amid a US shootdown of an Iranian drone and maritime security incidents.
Iran directed its foreign minister to seek negotiations with the United States while a US jet shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone near a carrier. Talks, tentatively supported by regional hosts such as Turkey and Oman, are expected to begin indirectly and focus on the nuclear issue, moving to direct talks if a deal becomes attainable. Concurrent maritime incidents, including alleged harassment of a US-flagged merchant vessel and US escort response, highlight security risks affecting the diplomatic process.

Federal funding bill signed, ending a partial shutdown and temporarily funding Homeland Security for two weeks pending immigration talks.
President signed a roughly $1.2 trillion appropriations package that ends a brief partial federal shutdown by funding most agencies through September 30 while leaving Department of Homeland Security funding in place only for a two week period to compel further negotiations over immigration enforcement.

EAM Jaishankar meets US Sec. of State; US-India agreement reduces reciprocal tariff from 25% to 18%.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington before a Critical Minerals Ministerial, with Jaishankar holding additional meetings with senior U.S. officials. Concurrently, it was announced that India and the United States agreed to a trade arrangement reducing the reciprocal tariff from 25% to 18%.

US-Iran tensions: planned talks risk collapse after US shoots down Iranian drone near carrier and maritime harassment.
Iran's president instructed the foreign minister to pursue fair and equitable negotiations with the United States, with Turkey and regional states positioned to facilitate talks; US officials acknowledged planned discussions but contemporaneous military incidents - an F-35C shooting down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone near a carrier and IRGC harassment of a US-flag merchant vessel - complicate scheduling and political willingness. Negotiation scope is contested, with US/Israeli demands on Iran's nuclear programme and Iranian advisers proposing phased, nuclear-focused indirect talks.

House passage of $1.2 trillion spending package to end partial government shutdown; DHS funding extended short term.
The House passed a roughly $1.2 trillion appropriations package, 217-214, funding 11 of 12 annual bills through September 30 and sending the measure to the President, who has said he will sign it; the package includes a short-term funding patch for the Department of Homeland Security through February 13 while lawmakers negotiate changes to Homeland Security funding and enforcement operations.

Fraudulent property sale: excise official arrested for using forged allotment letter to register and sell a Gurugram plot.
An excise department official is accused of obtaining a fake allotment letter and, in collusion with developer employees, registering a conveyance deed on that basis to transfer and sell a Gurugram plot; an FIR names multiple accused, bail was rejected for some, and the official was arrested to be presented for police remand in the ongoing criminal investigation into property fraud and forgery.

House passes $1.2 trillion appropriations package to end partial government shutdown; DHS funding remains contested.
A House-passed roughly $1.2 trillion appropriations package (217-214) funds 11 of 12 annual appropriations bills, ending a partial government shutdown by financing most federal operations through the fiscal year and leaving Department of Homeland Security funding unresolved amid demands for enforcement restrictions.

Helicopter technical snag delays Maharashtra minister's campaign flight; regulator grounded the Agusta 109 pending rectification of rotor link issue.
A post flight inspection by an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer revealed excessive play in the pitch operating link rod of a main rotor blade on an Agusta 109. The defect was flagged, the helicopter was not released for further flights, the operator informed the chartering agency, and subsequent sorties were cancelled pending rectification; the regulator issued a precautionary grounding note.

Iran-US negotiations: Iran's president orders foreign minister to pursue fair, conditional talks amid rising tensions.
The president instructed the foreign minister to pursue fair and equitable negotiations with the United States provided a suitable environment free from threats and unreasonable expectations; talks, potentially facilitated by regional states, would initially be indirect, focus solely on nuclear issues, and face complicating security incidents such as the U.S. shooting down an Iranian drone and substantive disputes over uranium enrichment and related demands.

Suspended Lok Sabha MPs barred from House access and allowances during suspension period and committee participation.
Suspension excludes members from entering the chamber, lobbies and galleries; from committee sittings; from listing business or tabling notices; and from voting in committee elections during the suspension period, and suspensions covering the remainder of a session also forfeit entitlement to daily allowance because the stay cannot be regarded as residence on duty.

US stock market slips as gold and silver rebound amid interest-rate expectations and commodity-driven volatility.
No regulatory action is addressed; the piece reports that US equity benchmarks fell in mixed trading while gold and silver rebounded strongly after a recent sell-off. Tech giants and company-specific earnings and leadership changes drove notable stock moves, and analysts linked recent commodity momentum shifts partly to interest-rate expectations tied to prospective central bank leadership. International markets also staged recoveries from prior losses.

Aircraft wingtips touched at Mumbai airport; both planes grounded, safety checks and a regulatory probe are underway.
Right wingtips of two Airbus A320 aircraft touched while both were taxiing at Mumbai airport; both were grounded and returned to bays for technical and maintenance inspections, passengers were disembarked safely, and the civil aviation regulator deployed a team to investigate compliance with taxiway procedures and assess damage.

Wingtips of two commercial aircraft touched at Mumbai airport; both planes grounded for DGCA inspection and passengers safe.
A Directorate General of Civil Aviation team attended after the wingtips of two Airbus A320 aircraft made contact at Mumbai airport; both planes were grounded and returned to the bay for inspection, with one aircraft sustaining wingtip damage and passengers reported safe.

Air India 787 fuel control switch issue prompts DGCA review; procedural adherence and OEM checks required for safety.
DGCA's review found the left-engine fuel control switch intermittently failed to remain latched in RUN when light vertical pressure was applied and concluded the crew's operating procedure was apparently incorrect. The crew later verified the switch latched on a subsequent attempt, monitored engine indications, and completed the flight without abnormal parameters. DGCA advised Air India to circulate Boeing's recommended procedure, sent the suspect module for OEM checks, and directed fleet inspections and testing of pull-to-unlock force per Boeing guidance.

Tirupati laddu ghee adulteration: officials face action for alleged tender relaxations enabling adulterated supplies during 2020-2023.
The CBI led SIT recommends administrative action against senior TTD officials and committee members for alleged deliberate omissions and failures in ghee procurement tender conditions that diluted quality safeguards, including reducing turnover eligibility and excluding experience criteria, enabling private dairies to win tenders and supply adulterated ghee during 2020-2023; it urges accountability, notes prior laboratory indications of adulteration, and records formation of a short tenure committee, hearing opportunities for concerned persons, and seeking Advocate General advice.

India EU FTA undergoing legal scrubbing, both sides aim to conclude and bring it into force this year.
The India EU Free Trade Agreement is undergoing final legal scrubbing with both sides committed to concluding technical and legal reviews to enable signing and possible entry into force within the year. The deal is described as substantive and driven by complementary economic interests and private sector enthusiasm for supply chain integration and worker mobility. Concurrently, a Security and Defence Partnership will be followed by a Security of Information Agreement and defence industry cooperation to enable classified information exchange, co development, and deeper operational collaboration on maritime, hybrid, cyber and AI security.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi protests being barred from speaking on national security in Lok Sabha.
The Leader of the Opposition protested being prevented from speaking on a national security matter after authenticating a document he sought to quote during the President's Address debate; he contends that authentication obliges the Chair to permit quotation and shifts responsibility to the government, and alleges the Speaker refused to allow him to speak at the behest of the government, invoking the Speaker's duty to protect members' speaking rights.