Friday, February 20

Author: TheStateLine

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla meets new Bangladesh PM, invites him to visit India

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla meets new Bangladesh PM, invites him to visit India

TOP STORIES, WORLD
Dhaka, Feb 17 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met new Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman following the swearing-in of the BNP government in Dhaka on Tuesday. "Glad to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Government of Bangladesh led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka today. India stands ready to support Bangladesh’s endeavours to build a democratic, progressive and inclusive nation," Birla posted on X after the meeting. During the meeting, Birla extended wishes to Rehman on assuming office and also invited him to visit India. The two leaders expressed optimism to work together for well-being of the people of India and Bangladesh.In a statement shared on X, Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, stated, "Prime Minister, H E Tarique Rahman, conveys his ...
India’s textile and apparel export sector is on its way back to recovery, say industry leaders

India’s textile and apparel export sector is on its way back to recovery, say industry leaders

INDIA, TOP STORIES
New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) India’s textile and apparel export sector is on its way back to recovery from the uncertain past and is likely to do even better than any time earlier once the country’s new trade deals come into force, according to industry players.Industry players also dismissed reports of a threat from Bangladesh exporters, with Dhaka having entered a trade deal with Washington, securing zero reciprocal tariffs on such goods, as "exaggerated and unfounded". "With the United States reducing tariffs to 18 per cent and India’s FTA (Free Trade Agreement) with the EU having zero duty access to textiles and apparel, we see the business growing by at least 30-40 per cent in another two years," stressed Animesh Saxena, General Secretary, Garments Exporters and Manufacturers Association....
Salim Khan has been shifted to ICU, says doctor

Salim Khan has been shifted to ICU, says doctor

ENTERTAINMENT
Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS) Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan has been shifted to the ICU after he was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital on Tuesday. Doctor Jalil Parkar attached to the case has issued a statement, as he gave an update on the veteran screenwriter’s health.He said, “Yes it’s true that Salim Khan (father of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan) & an icon in himself has been admitted to Lilavati Hospital under Dr Jalil Parkar in the ICU early morning at 8:30 am. He was brought into the emergency by their family doctor Sandeep Chopra. Emergency care was initiated in the emergency, and Mr Salim Khan was shifted to the intensive care on the 1st floor. A team of doctors consisting of Dr Vinay Chavan(neurologist),Dr Ajit Menon(cardiologist) & Dr Nitin Dange (neurosurgeon) & Dr Binee...
Gap between India and Pakistan is quite vast, unlikely to reduce in future: Bangar

Gap between India and Pakistan is quite vast, unlikely to reduce in future: Bangar

SPORTS
New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) India continued their remarkable form in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after a win against Pakistan, and former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar offered his insights into the Men in Blue’s stellar performance, highlighting key contributions from Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya.India secured a dominant 61-run victory over Pakistan on Sunday, with the win marking the team’s third straight victory in the tournament. Bangar began by reflecting on India’s growing supremacy in the India-Pakistan rivalry. He was emphatic in stating that the gap between the two sides had widened and was unlikely to close anytime soon.“Courtesy of that massive victory, we can probably settle this debate that the gap between India and Pakistan is quite vast and is unlikely to...
<div>Former Left Front Minister Kshiti Goswami’s daughter joins BJP ahead of Bengal Assembly polls</div>

Former Left Front Minister Kshiti Goswami’s daughter joins BJP ahead of Bengal Assembly polls

INDIA, TOP STORIES
Kolkata, Feb 17 (IANS) Kasturi Goswami, the daughter of former Left Front government Minister Kshiti Goswami joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, along with former National Security Guard (NSG) Commando Dipanjan Chakraborty and retired Central Reserve Police Force officer Biplab Biswas.The eminent personalities joined the BJP at its Salt Lake party office in the presence of West Bengal BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya, Leader of the Opposition in State Assembly Suvendu Adhikari and former MP and State BJP General Secretary Locket Chatterjee.Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader and former West Bengal Minister Kshiti Goswami passed away in 2019.After Kshiti Goswami's death in 2019, one of her daughters, Vasundhara Goswami, had joined the Trinamool Co...
Three cousins killed as car rams into bridge divider in Bihar’s Jehanabad

Three cousins killed as car rams into bridge divider in Bihar’s Jehanabad

INDIA, TOP STORIES
Patna, Feb 17 (IANS) Three youths were killed, and another was seriously injured in a horrific road accident in Bihar’s Jehanabad district on Tuesday.The accident took place near Kathhar Bridge on the Patna–Jehanabad main road.According to police sources, a speeding car lost control while attempting to avoid an oncoming vehicle and rammed into the bridge divider.The impact was so severe that the vehicle was completely mangled.The deceased have been identified as Sonu Kumar (21), Rohit Kumar (22) and Uddeshya Kumar (18), residents of Teni Bigha village in Jehanabad district.All three were cousins and were returning home after attending a Tilak ceremony for a friend’s sister in Punpun block in Patna district.The accident occurred around 3:00 a.m.Another youth, Suraj (19), sustained seriou...
South Korean President vows to serve people better, promote national unity

South Korean President vows to serve people better, promote national unity

TOP STORIES, WORLD
Seoul, Feb 17 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday he will continue efforts to better serve people and promote national unity as he marked the Lunar New Year in his second year in office."This morning, as the Lunar New Year of the Red Horse dawns, I renew my commitment as a 'president for all,' who embraces and serves every citizen," Lee, dressed in traditional hanbok, said in a video message that also featured first lady Kim Hea Kyung, Yonhap News Agency reported.Lee, who took office in June last year following months of political turmoil triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid in December 2024 and subsequent impeachment, expressed gratitude to the people for overcoming the crisis together last year."Thanks to the people's concerted effor...
Gujarat Assembly passes Shops and Establishments Amendment Bill

Gujarat Assembly passes Shops and Establishments Amendment Bill

INDIA, TOP STORIES
​Gandhinagar, Feb 17 (IANS) The Gujarat Legislative Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed the Gujarat Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, raising the threshold for the law's applicability and revising provisions related to working hours and overtime.​Presenting the Bill in the House, Labour and Employment Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya said the amendments were introduced in view of changing economic and social conditions and the need to balance the interests of workers, traders, employers, and the wider public.​Under the revised provisions, the Act will now apply to shops and establishments employing 20 or more workers, instead of the earlier threshold of 10. Establishments employing fewer than 20 workers will not be required...
Beijing Stock Exchange functions less as liquidity-driven than as policy instrument: Report

Beijing Stock Exchange functions less as liquidity-driven than as policy instrument: Report

TOP STORIES, WORLD
New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) The Beijing Stock Exchange (BSE) reveals a deeper feature of China’s political economy, where capital markets function less as liquidity-driven than as policy instruments that prioritise strategic industrial objectives, according to a new report.China’s stock exchange illustrates how China deploys capital markets as instruments of industrial policy while accepting limited market liquidity, said the report in East Asia Forum.“Designed to fund ‘little giant’ firms in strategic sectors, the exchange prioritises strategic allocation and regulatory coordination over trading depth,” the report mentioned.Its total market capitalisation exceeded 900 billion yuan ($129.1 billion). As China’s third stock exchange, the BSE was not intended to rival the Shanghai or Shenzhen ex...
India-France share vision for multipolar world: President Macron​

India-France share vision for multipolar world: President Macron​

INDIA, TOP STORIES
Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS) French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday underscored that the India-France relationship has reached a level of mutual trust that is "unique in the world today." ​After a morning jog at Marine Drive and a tribute to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack victims, the President joined PM Modi to chart the next decade of the Horizon 2047 roadmap.After the bilateral meeting, Macron, in his statement, said, “From the deep oceans to the highest mountains, the India-France partnership knows no boundaries. We are not just partners; we are two nations that share a vision for a sovereign, independent, and multipolar world.” ​President Macron reaffirmed France’s commitment to India’s "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-Reliant India) initiative. Macron welcomed the recent Indian approval fo...