Kashiwazaki-Kariwa No.6 reactor restart revives safety and evacuation concerns amid Japan's nuclear expansion and energy demand pressures.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa No. 6 reactor was brought toward criticality following safety screening and remediation, underscoring public distrust tied to the operator's past safety culture failures and recent industry data falsification. Evacuation plans for tens of thousands may be impracticable after seismic damage to local infrastructure, raising questions about emergency logistics. The restart coincides with national policy to expand nuclear capacity for energy and decarbonization goals, while the operator implements physical and procedural safety upgrades and staged inspections prior to full commercial operation.

Aluminium manufacturing: Rs 500-cr MoU converted to production within a year, touted as a model for fast industrial execution.
A Rs 500 crore MoU was converted into full-scale aluminium manufacturing production within a year at a Supa MIDC facility, presented as a benchmark for fast-track industrial execution achieved through strong planning and administration-industry coordination, creating local employment and supporting manufacturing and self-reliance policy objectives while bolstering capacity across strategic sectors.

Andhra industrial park proposed to anchor Israeli med tech, aero defence and clean tech firms; Nvidia to partner on AI university.
Proposal to establish an Israeli industrial park in Andhra Pradesh to anchor Israeli med tech, aero defence and clean tech firms for local manufacturing. Meetings also advanced collaboration in defence, aerospace, UAV ecosystems, desalination, semiconductors, quantum technologies, medicine, education and cybersecurity. A separate agreement with Nvidia to develop an AI University in Amaravati was noted, alongside talks about a Nvidia Global Capability Centre, hardware manufacturing and cooperation with a domestic innovation hub; Swiss engagements aimed to strengthen trade and attract investment.

MBA in AI & Data Science launched through industry-academic partnership offering SAS tools, certifications, internships and research opportunities.
A collaboration launches an MBA in AI & Data Science that integrates vendor analytics and AI platforms into teaching, supplies hands-on lab sessions and capstone projects with access to proprietary software, offers pathways to global vendor certifications, and embeds internships, workshops, and guest lectures to enhance employability. The partnership also enables joint research initiatives in AI and machine learning and leverages institutional approvals and accreditation to position the program within higher-education and professional frameworks.

Annexation and tariff threats to Greenland challenge territorial integrity and spur coordinated EU defensive and economic measures.
Threats to annex Greenland and to impose tariffs challenge territorial integrity and national sovereignty, risk undermining the EU-US trade agreement, and have led EU leaders to prepare coordinated defensive, economic and security responses, including a major investment programme for Greenland and strengthened cooperation with partners.

Rajasthan property protection bill bars transfers in disturbed areas without permission and creates non bailable offences, protecting tenants' rights.
The proposed Bill would make transfers of immovable property in declared disturbed areas invalid without prior permission of the competent authority, criminalise unauthorized transfers as non-bailable cognisable offences with imprisonment and fines, and seeks to prevent distress sales while protecting tenants from eviction; it will be placed before the assembly in the upcoming session.

Stock markets fell for a third day as geopolitical tensions and foreign fund outflows weighed on benchmarks.
Benchmarks fell for a third straight session as geopolitical tensions, weak global peers and foreign fund outflows dampened investor risk appetite; the Sensex settled at 81,909.63 (down 270.84 points) after an intraday low of 81,124.45, and the Nifty closed at 25,157.50 (down 75 points), with selling concentrated in financial, bank and consumption stocks amid rupee weakness.

Rupee falls to record low amid foreign fund outflows and geopolitical risk; reserves and central bank tools cited as stabilisers.
The rupee hit a record low of 91.73 against the dollar due to persistent foreign fund outflows, volatile capital flows, weak domestic equities and geopolitical tensions; large foreign investor sales intensified the depreciation. Strong official foreign exchange reserves and possible central bank management are identified as stabilising factors, and a pending trade agreement with the US is noted as a potential confidence booster while the currency remains vulnerable to external shocks.

Salary-linked advances for Rajasthan government employees via a regulated, payroll-integrated digital lending platform providing transparent short-term credit access.
Mega Corporation will implement a salary-linked advance programme for Rajasthan government employees by deploying its Lendingo digital lending platform to enable payroll-integrated advances against salary, emphasising regulated deployment, transparency, auditability, and adherence to compliance, risk management and governance frameworks to provide digitised short-term credit for medical, emergency and household liquidity needs.

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactor restart raises safety, seismic risk, and evacuation plan feasibility concerns amid energy policy shifts.
The restart of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa No. 6 by TEPCO raises regulatory and public-safety issues rooted in TEPCO's Fukushima-era safety failures. The reactor cleared scrutiny in 2023 after remediation measures-seawalls, watertighting, emergency water reservoirs, mobile cooling units, and filtered venting-and will undergo an interim inspection at 50% power before full commercial restart. Persistent concerns include deficient safety culture, collusion with authorities, data falsification by a utility, and the practical infeasibility of government evacuation plans after severe earthquake damage.

Airtel mobile connectivity on Vidyasagar Setu delivers uninterrupted voice and data for commuters, emergency services, and traffic management.
Airtel provided seamless mobile connectivity on Vidyasagar Setu by laying 1.3 km of fibre and installing antennas on six poles to ensure zero drop zones, in collaboration with the Government of West Bengal, the West Bengal Police Traffic Department, and the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners to support commuters, emergency services and traffic management.

Global markets steadied ahead of Trump's Davos speech as gold hit record highs and tariff threats unsettled investors.
Markets steadied ahead of the US President's Davos speech as investors shifted into safe havens, pushing gold above USD 4,800. Tariff threats-an announced 10 percent levy on eight European countries layered on a proposed 15 percent EU tariff-were identified as a principal source of uncertainty prompting potential European countermeasures. Regional equity indices and sovereign yields moved unevenly, while upcoming central bank meetings and an election-driven fiscal outlook in Japan added to short-term market drivers.

India economy to grow 6-8% real; policy focus on permitting, data localisation, tax and labour reforms.
India is projected to sustain 6-8% real growth and 10-13% nominal growth over the next five years, supported by administrative streamlining exemplified by a reduction in telecom tower permitting from 270 days to seven days with 89% instant permissions. Policy priorities include harmonising data localisation standards, diversifying trade relationships, and pursuing domestic reforms such as labour law changes and GST implementation that have altered tax rates on consumer food products.

India Digital Summit 2026 brings policymakers and industry together to address AI adoption, digital infrastructure and regulatory priorities.
India Digital Summit 2026 convenes policymakers, regulators and industry leaders under the theme "India's AI Moment," featuring 300+ speakers across 60+ sessions and five tracks focused on AI readiness, cyber resilience, digital infrastructure and scaling AI for MSMEs; the summit, organised by IAMAI with government collaboration, functions as a pre summit to a national AI forum and will also launch the 2025 Internet in India report and host the India Digital Awards.

Rupee falls to record 91.74 amid foreign fund outflows and strong dollar demand, pressuring investor returns and markets.
The rupee plunged to an intraday record low of 91.74 against the US dollar amid persistent foreign fund outflows and strong dollar demand from metal importers; heightened geopolitical tensions and weak domestic market trends further depressed sentiment, while foreign institutional investors offloaded significant equity positions, amplifying pressures on investor returns and increasing hedging costs.

Dmall's AI retail platform drove profit uplift, labor and shrink reductions, and major energy savings across pilot stores.
Dmall integrated POS, inventory, in store cameras, and AIoT sensors into an event driven platform deployed in 100 pilot stores, yielding a $421 daily gross profit uplift per store, 30% lower labor costs, 85% reduction in shrink, and 26% cut in daily energy consumption with associated annual CO2 avoidance.

Rays Power wins 300 MW renewable order worth INR 1,912 crore under co-development and EPC model.
Rays Power Infra was awarded a 300 MW renewable energy project worth INR 1,912 crore under its Co-Development Business Model, covering land aggregation, ISTS connectivity, and full EPC delivery, using modules sourced from its subsidiary's cell facility; the project is sited in a Karnataka renewable park with a three year commissioning target. The Company also states its Co-Development process includes SPV formation and transfer, EPC and O&M roles, and has filed a draft red herring prospectus for an initial public offer subject to approvals and market conditions.

Deakin University GIFT City Campus celebrates second foundation day and inaugural cohort progress, highlighting industry-aligned postgraduate programs.
Deakin University's GIFT City Campus reports operational progress with its inaugural cohort nearing graduation and ongoing intakes for postgraduate programs in Business Analytics and Cyber Security, emphasizing applied learning, industry alignment, international immersion experiences, and a planned Skills Roundtable to engage industry and policy stakeholders on employability and workforce needs.

Trump's Board of Peace centralises chairman authority and sells permanent membership for over one billion dollars.
The Board of Peace is a proposed international peace building body for Gaza and wider conflicts whose draft charter centralises authority in the chairman-who may invite members, set meetings, create or dissolve subsidiaries, and break ties-and funds operations by member contributions, with payments over one billion US dollars in the first year securing permanent membership for three year term structures; an executive board and a Gaza Executive Board are tasked with implementation functions such as deploying security forces, disarming militants, and supervising Gaza's day to day governance, while the charter remains draft and subject to revision.

Universities must promote innovation and entrepreneurship to equip students for self-employment through incubation and industry collaboration.
Universities must become centres of entrepreneurship by promoting innovation, exposing students to current knowledge and technologies, establishing incubation and innovation centres, and strengthening university-industry collaboration so graduates can pursue self-employment and contribute to national development; conference resolutions from vice chancellors will be submitted to the government for implementation.