India-China ties: focus on an updated air services agreement, visa facilitation, export control concerns, and border tranquillity.
The dialogue recognised the need for early conclusion of an updated air services agreement, continued practical steps for visa facilitation and people-to-people contacts, and efforts to address concerns on export control measures affecting critical minerals, all framed within a strategic, long-term approach to deepen trust, expand cooperation and maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas.

DeepSnitch AI presale raises $1.53M offering AI analytics tokens, amid MicroStrategy Bitcoin purchase and investor risk warnings.
DeepSnitch AI raised approximately $1.53 million at a presale price of $0.03906, promoted for its five agent AI analytics suite that provides contract analysis, risk scoring, scam flags, breakout spotting and sentiment/FUD alerts, with tiered presale bonus incentives (30% on $2K+; 300% on $30K+). The article also reports Strategy's reported purchase of ~1,140 BTC for $90 million at an average ~$78,800 per coin and includes an explicit investor risk disclaimer advising independent financial advice and disavowing liability.

India-US interim trade pact protects sensitive agricultural and dairy sectors while reducing reciprocal tariffs to 18%.
India has preserved full non concessional treatment for specified sensitive agricultural and dairy goods - maize, wheat, rice, soya, poultry, milk, cheese, ethanol, tobacco, certain vegetables and meat - by not granting duty concessions under the interim trade pact with the US, and where limited access exists it is constrained by tariff rate quota mechanisms; reciprocal tariffs for labour intensive exports are reduced to 18% to enhance competitiveness.

Equity markets open higher then turn choppy as Sensex gains about 213 points and investors book profits.
Equity benchmarks opened higher but turned volatile as investors booked profits after early gains; the Sensex rose about 213 points to 84,487.34 and the Nifty reached 26,009.40. Early sector movers included Mahindra & Mahindra, Titan, Tata Steel and others as gainers, with HCL Technologies, Trent, Bharat Electronics, ITC and major industrial names lagging. Brent crude rose to USD 69.32 and institutional flows showed FIIs net buyers of about Rs 69.45 crore while DIIs bought around Rs 1,174.21 crore.

Asian markets rose as weak US retail data weighed on yields and raised prospects of future monetary easing.
Asian equities rose after disappointing US retail sales reduced Treasury yields and raised prospects of US monetary easing; forthcoming US labour and inflation reports were flagged as key for rate decisions. Company earnings and a revised takeover offer in the media sector caused stock-specific moves, while oil, precious metals and currency fluctuations accompanied the market response.

DMK announces seat-sharing committee to start talks with allies from Feb 22 and election preparations continue.
DMK will form a seat-sharing committee, to be constituted by party president M. K. Stalin, and begin talks with allies from February 22 after the Assembly session ends. The move responds to Congress concerns about delay; DMK cited ongoing election operations-voter list revision, cadre mobilization, polling agent training, manifesto committee tours and the interim budget on February 17-as reasons for the timing.

Rupee weakens as India-US trade fact sheet on tariff cuts and large US purchases fuels importer dollar demand and commodity risk.
The rupee fell to 90.62 driven by importer dollar demand and geopolitical tensions after an India-US trade fact sheet outlined tariff reductions on US industrial and agricultural goods and large purchase commitments; analysts identify 90.00-90.20 as key support with 91.00-91.20 as potential upside, while rising Brent crude threatens to widen India's import bill and exert pressure on the currency.

RBI draft exempts certain NBFCs with under Rs1000 crore assets from registration, subject to conditions, and invites comments.
The Reserve Bank proposes that NBFCs not availing public funds and without customer interface with asset size below Rs.1000 crore be exempted from registration, subject to conditions specified by the RBI; the draft also prescribes procedures for deregistration or conversion of existing registered entities, including Type I NBFCs, and is accompanied by FAQs and a public consultation process.

Urban Cooperative Banks: draft rules raise unsecured-advance limits, increase aggregate ceiling, deregulate certain housing loan terms, comments invited.
The draft Amendment Directions rationalise the definition of unsecured advances, increase individual loan limits and raise the aggregate ceiling for such advances to 20% of total advances, enhance the consumer durable lending limit to nominal members to Rs.2.5 lakh, deregulate housing loan tenor and moratorium for Tier 3 and Tier 4 UCBs, and impose additional disclosure requirements, with public comments invited by March 4, 2026 via Connect 2 Regulate or email.

Dubai International Airport hit 95.2M passengers and will shift operations to Al Maktoum after a $35B upgrade by 2032.
Dubai International Airport, run by state owned and state linked entities, reached 95.2 million passengers in 2025 and faces urban and cost pressures from rapid aviation driven growth. Authorities plan to transfer operations to Al Maktoum International Airport after an estimated $35 billion upgrade, targeting a 2032 operational move to leverage larger expansion capacity and reconfigure long term aviation infrastructure.

India US interim trade agreement cuts tariffs to 18% but is criticised as asymmetrical and harmful to textile competitiveness.
The interim Indo US trade agreement reduces reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 18% and eliminates a prior punitive 25% tariff on Indian crude; opposition commentary characterises the pact as asymmetrical, a "coerced opening" that concedes more than India gains and undermines textile export competitiveness relative to Bangladesh.

White House revises trade fact sheet: removes 'pulses' and softens India purchase commitments language.
The White House revised its interim US-India trade fact sheet to remove "pulses" from the list of US agricultural products on which India will eliminate or reduce tariffs and to change wording from India "committed" to buy over $500 billion of US goods to India "intends" to buy more American products and purchase over $500 billion of specified US goods.

Supreme Court to hear challenges on detention of activist, money laundering case, service pay and police reforms.
The Supreme Court will hear petitions challenging the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk; a state chief minister's challenge to Enforcement Directorate money laundering proceedings; a petition concerning pay and allowances of members of the Uttar Pradesh State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission; and a petition concerning police reform.

Puducherry interim budget to be tabled Feb 12, Vote on Account to fund departments pending a full budget.
An interim budget will be tabled on February 12 by the Chief Minister acting as finance minister via a Vote on Account to authorize departmental expenditures for the initial months of fiscal 2026-2027; the Assembly will also pass supplementary grants for the current fiscal year because imminent elections prevent presentation of a full budget, with the House comprising thirty elected and three nominated members.

KSDL appoints Tamannaah as brand ambassador, sparking debate over non-Kannada selection and business-driven committee choice.
KSDL's selection committee appointed Tamannaah Bhatia as a two-year brand ambassador for a reported Rs 6.20 crore fee, defending the merit-based, market-oriented choice because several Kannada actors were ineligible due to other endorsements and Mysore Sandal sales are concentrated outside Karnataka (approx. 8-12% in-state), prompting both political and social-media criticism framed as an attack on local talent and counter-arguments stressing commercial strategy and export-oriented expansion.

2026 27 state budget to prioritize inclusive development, poverty welfare, youth empowerment, farmer prosperity and women's dignity.
The 2026-27 state Budget is positioned as a policy instrument to found long term economic transformation toward Viksit Bharat 2047 and a USD 1 trillion state economy, offering a coordinated action plan emphasizing poverty alleviation, youth empowerment, farmer prosperity, women's dignity, and targeted public investment within the routine legislative budget presentation process.

USTR deletes X post after map depicted Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Aksai Chin as part of India.
The US Trade Representative removed an X post that displayed a map showing Jammu and Kashmir, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and Aksai Chin as part of India; the map accompanied a bilateral interim trade framework announcement and the deletion reflects sensitivities about depicting disputed territories in official social media communications.

Regularisation of daily wagers to be initiated this year; Budget ties industrial incentives to local employment and funds key welfare locally.
The government will initiate regularisation of daily wagers this year and has prioritised job creation, infrastructure, targeted welfare across agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries and dairy, and youth entrepreneurship through Mission YUVA. The administration will fund six free LPG cylinders from its own resources, extend free bus travel to persons with disabilities, promote EV bus services, and require industrial beneficiaries of subsidies, land and power concessions to prioritise employment for local youth.

Appointment of Bal Jogi Pargat Nath to lead advisory board to develop Ram Tirath as an international Dalit heritage centre.
The Punjab government appointed Bal Jogi Pargat Nath as chairman of the advisory board of the Bhagwan Valmiki Ji Tirath Sthal shrine board and signalled a policy to develop Ram Tirath as an international centre of Dalit faith, heritage and spiritual philosophy to promote recognition of Dalit contributions and the values of equality, dignity and social justice.

Indo-US trade deal could harm J-K dry fruit and horticulture economy, and CM defends the pro-people Budget.
Omar Abdullah warned that the India-US interim trade deal allowing duty-free imports of tree nuts could harm Jammu and Kashmir's dry fruit and horticulture economy and urged protection for local walnuts, almonds and apples. He defended the Budget as pro-people and growth-oriented, noting capital expenditure at 36% (rising by March 31), distinguishing prior higher revenue spending due to loan settlements, assuring salaries and pensions are safe, and highlighting investments in agriculture, horticulture, dairying and rural economic strengthening.