Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a historic visit to Ukraine, reiterated India's firm stance on resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict through "dialogue and diplomacy." This visit marks the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited Ukraine since it gained independence in 1991. Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted the significance of this visit, emphasizing India's readiness to contribute towards peace efforts in any possible way.

Upon his arrival in Kyiv by a special train, PM Modi was warmly received by Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister at the railway station. He also met with members of the Indian community, further strengthening ties between the two nations.

In a significant gesture of goodwill, PM Modi embraced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Mariinsky Palace, underscoring the importance of their discussions. The meeting comes at a crucial time, as Ukraine's forces intensify their offensive in Russia's Kursk region, while Moscow's military advances in eastern Ukraine.

The visit also provided an opportunity for PM Modi to discuss his recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Moscow. India's balanced approach, maintaining strong relations with both Russia and Ukraine, positions PM Modi as a potential mediator in the ongoing conflict.

Jaishankar noted that this visit is not just a diplomatic milestone but also a symbol of India's commitment to global peace and stability. With the war dragging on for over two years, PM Modi's presence in Ukraine sends a powerful message about India's role on the world stage. His visit is being closely watched, as it could pave the way for new diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, with India playing a pivotal role in fostering dialogue and peace.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman created history by presenting her seventh consecutive budget on Tuesday for 2024-25, surpassing former prime minister Morarji Desai's record. This budget, the first of the Modi government's third term, is anticipated to emphasize post-pandemic fiscal consolidation while pursuing long-term goals under the banner of Vikshit Bharat.

In this significant budget, the government focuses on stimulating consumption by offering tax benefits to the middle class. Other priority areas include agriculture, capital expenditure, infrastructure spending, and a push for manufacturing. With India emerging as a key player in global growth, the budget will likely address major trends such as global offshoring, digitalization, and energy transition.

One of the budget’s highlights is its commitment to women-led development, with over Rs 3 lakh crore allocated for schemes benefiting women and girls. Sitharaman announced the establishment of working women hostels to enhance women's participation in the workforce. Additionally, three employment-linked schemes will be launched, targeting enrolment in the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO).

Scheme A will provide one month’s wage to new workforce entrants across all sectors. Scheme B will incentivize additional employment in the manufacturing sector, particularly for first-time employees, by offering direct incentives related to EPFO contributions for the first four years of employment. This scheme is expected to benefit 30 lakh youth and their employers. Scheme C will cover additional employment in all sectors, with the government reimbursing employers up to Rs 3,000 per month for two years towards EPFO contributions for each additional employee earning a salary of up to Rs 1 lakh per month. This scheme aims to incentivize the additional employment of 50 lakh people.

Sitharaman also announced measures to support the development of climate-resilient seeds by providing funds to the private sector and domain experts. Furthermore, a credit guarantee scheme for MSMEs will be introduced to facilitate term loans without collateral or third-party guarantees. Public sector banks will build in-house capabilities for credit assessment of MSMEs, and the turnover threshold for mandatory onboarding on the TReDs platform will be reduced from Rs 500 crore to Rs 250 crore. SIDBI will open 24 new branches to serve MSME clusters.

For rural development, Rs 2.66 lakh crore has been allocated. The government will launch the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) under a saturation drive. In Bihar, an outlay of Rs 26,000 crore is proposed for various road projects, with financial assistance arranged through multilateral development agencies. Additionally, airports, medical colleges, and sports infrastructure will be established in Bihar. The 'Purvodaya' plan will be formulated for the comprehensive development of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh, including the support of an industrial corridor for the eastern region.

The budget also includes direct e-vouchers for 1 lakh students annually, with an interest subvention of 3% on the loan amount. This move aims to further support education and skill development in India.

Overall, the 2024-25 Union Budget aims to address key areas of growth and development, reinforcing the government's commitment to economic progress and inclusive development.

Joe Biden has withdrawn from the US presidential election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's new nominee, shaking up the 2024 race for the White House. Biden, 81, cited the "best interest of my party and the country" after a disastrous June debate against Donald Trump raised concerns about his age and mental fitness.

This unexpected move has thrown Democrats into turmoil ahead of the November 5 election but could also rejuvenate the party. Harris, aiming to become America's first woman president, swiftly confirmed her goal to "defeat Donald Trump."

Trump reacted on Truth Social, claiming that if Biden is unfit to run, he is also unfit to serve. This shift disrupts the Republicans, whose campaign focused on Biden, now pitting the 78-year-old Trump against a much younger opponent.

Biden's withdrawal, anticipated for some time, was announced without warning as he recovered from Covid at his Delaware beach house. In a letter on X, he called his presidency the "greatest honor" and will address the nation later this week. He pledged his full support for Harris, with his campaign rebranding to "Harris for President."

Endorsements for Harris poured in from Democratic leaders and potential rivals like California Governor Gavin Newsom. The Democratic fundraising group ActBlue reported Harris received $27.5 million in small-donor contributions within five hours.

Democrats must now confirm a new candidate at their convention in Chicago on August 19. Harris praised Biden's "selfless and patriotic act" and vowed to "earn and win" the nomination. Former President Barack Obama cautioned that "uncharted waters" lie ahead.

Biden's decision followed weeks of isolation due to Covid. First Lady Jill Biden simply reposted his statement with two hearts. Trump's new running mate J.D. Vance emphasized Harris's close association with Biden, whom he called "the worst president in my lifetime."

The Opposition INDIA alliance, which fiercely contested the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, has triumphed in the by-elections for 13 Assembly seats across seven states. The INDIA bloc secured eight seats and is leading in two others. In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won a record third term in the Lok Sabha polls, managed to claim just two seats.

The INDIA bloc parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), AAP, and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), fielded candidates in the bypolls held on Wednesday in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu.

In Punjab, AAP's Mohinder Bhagat won the Jalandhar West seat by over 23,000 votes. In West Bengal, TMC candidates have taken the lead in four seats, with BJP trailing in each constituency. Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's wife, Kamlesh Thakur, made her electoral debut and won the Dehra elections. The Congress is also leading in Nalagarh, while BJP's Ashish Sharma is ahead in Hamirpur.

In West Bengal, the TMC has won four seats, with its candidates defeating BJP opponents by significant margins. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK's Anniyur Siva is leading by 58,785 votes in the Vikravandi assembly seat. In Uttarakhand, Congress candidates are leading in both the Badrinath and Manglaur seats. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP's Kamslesh Pratap Shahi is leading in the Amarwar seat. In Bihar, the JD(U)'s Kaladhar Prasad Mandal is trailing an Independent candidate in the Rupauli seat.

Vote counting for the 13 legislative assembly seats began on Saturday morning. Voting took place on Wednesday in Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.

These bypolls are the first since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP won 240 seats, 32 short of the majority. However, the NDA crossed the halfway mark with a total of 293 seats, while the Congress-led INDIA bloc secured 232 seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently on a two-day official visit to Russia, engaged in an informal meeting with President Vladimir Putin at the latter's official residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, near Moscow.

During their discussions, the leaders addressed critical global issues, including the ongoing Ukraine conflict, with PM Modi emphasizing that "no solution can be found on the battleground," according to sources.

Additionally, PM Modi raised concerns about Indian nationals deceived into joining the Russian army by unscrupulous travel agents. Sources reported that Russia has committed to repatriating all affected individuals.

Congratulating PM Modi on his third term, Vladimir Putin remarked that his re-election underscores Modi's effectiveness in advancing India's interests: "The results speak for themselves; India now ranks third globally in terms of economy."

The meeting marks the 16th encounter between PM Modi and President Putin in the past decade, with their last face-to-face interaction occurring at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in 2022.

In 2019, PM Modi was honored with Russia's highest state award, the 'Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First.' This visit to Russia by PM Modi is his first since the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv began in 2022.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, mocking him as 'balak buddhi' (childish mind) and accusing him of linking Hindus with violence and making false claims in the Lok Sabha. Modi demanded stringent action against Gandhi to protect parliamentary democracy.

During his reply to the nearly 18-hour discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, Modi said the Congress and its "ecosystem" are misleading people by claiming the BJP-led NDA was defeated, despite voters granting his government a historic third term.

"I urge Congress leaders not to suppress people's mandate under the guise of fake victory celebrations," Modi said, criticizing the opposition party for behaving as if it had won 99 out of 100 seats instead of 543. He labeled the Congress a "parasitic party" that fed off its partners' votes to boost its tally.

In his 135-minute speech, marked by continuous slogan-shouting and heckling from opposition members, Modi initially listed his government's successes since 2014 before targeting the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. "The mandate for the Congress is to sit in the opposition and keep shouting once it runs out of logic," he said.

Modi noted the Congress's third-worst national election performance and mocked Rahul Gandhi with the phrase, "Aaj desh inse kah raha hai - tumse na ho payega" (The country is telling him that you are not up to it). He emphasized that the Congress's tally of 99 seats was largely due to its allies, with a strike rate of only 26% in direct contests with the BJP.

Accusing the Congress of spreading anarchy through divisive politics and false claims, Modi described Gandhi's speech as childish and filled with "lame laments." He criticized Gandhi for his conduct in the House and called for the Speaker to take serious action against him.

Modi condemned Gandhi's comments linking Hindus to violence, asserting that the community's tolerance has allowed diversity to flourish in India. He accused the Congress of lying about the Agnipath scheme to weaken India's military and criticized its decades of neglecting the armed forces.

Addressing the issue of paper leaks, Modi assured that his government is taking strict measures to prevent them and punish the guilty. He reiterated his commitment to zero tolerance for corruption and praised the public for supporting his government's efforts to serve the poor.

Concluding his speech, Modi wished that God grant "balak buddhi" good sense, highlighting the need for cooperation on national issues while maintaining his criticism of Gandhi.