International

Russia Assures India Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure

By BPN News Desk August 20, 2025

Russia has assured India that it will help absorb Indian exports struggling to enter the United States after Washington imposed steep tariffs on a wide range of goods. The move comes at a time when New Delhi faces pressure due to its continued imports of Russian oil, which has triggered trade tensions with Washington. Alternative […]

International

Switzerland and Austria Offer to Host Peace Talks Between Putin and Zelenskyy

By BPN News Desk August 20, 2025

Switzerland and Austria have both expressed readiness to host peace negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis confirmed that, in exceptional circumstances such as a peace summit, Switzerland may set aside its obligations under an arrest warrant issued by the International

International

Trump Rules Out U.S. Troops in Ukraine, Eyes Air Support

By BPN News Desk August 20, 2025

President Donald Trump confirmed that the U.S. would not deploy ground troops in Ukraine, offering his personal assurance to that effect. He made the statement in a Fox News interview following a high-level summit with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington. Air Support Option Left Open While ruling out boots on the […]

Law & Order National

SC: Don’t Criminalize Teen Love Under POCSO

By BPN News Desk August 20, 2025

The Supreme Court of India ruled on August 19, 2025, that teenagers in consensual romantic relationships should not be treated as offenders under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The judges said that adolescent love is different from abuse and should not be prosecuted as a crime. Guidance for Courts and Police […]

Business Finance

FM to Head GST Panel Talks on Reforms

By BPN News Desk August 20, 2025

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will brief three ministerial groups of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council in New Delhi this week. The groups will discuss rate rationalisation, health and life insurance, and phasing out the compensation cess. Proposal to Simplify GST Slabs The government is considering moving from the current four-tier structure to two […]

National

India Won’t First Normalize Ties; Onus on Pakistan: Tharoor

By BPN News Desk August 20, 2025

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said that India will not take the first step in normalizing ties with Pakistan. He explained that decades of past outreach had ended in disappointment, from Nehru’s 1950 pact with Liaquat Ali Khan to Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 1999 Lahore visit and Narendra Modi’s surprise trip to Lahore in 2015. […]

National

Bills to Remove PM, CMs, Ministers If Detained for 30 Days

By BPN News Desk August 20, 2025

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to introduce three landmark bills in Parliament. These propose that the Prime Minister, Union ministers, Chief Ministers, and state/UT ministers must resign—or will be removed from office—if they are detained or arrested for 30 consecutive days on charges punishable by at least five years in prison. Constitutional Amendments […]

Defence National

India Clears ₹62,000 Cr Deal for 97 Tejas Mk1A Jets

By BPN News Desk August 20, 2025

The Indian government has cleared a ₹62,000 crore deal to procure 97 additional Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft. The approval, granted by the Cabinet Committee on Security, will further strengthen the Indian Air Force’s fleet and support the “Make in India” push for indigenous defence manufacturing. HAL to Lead Production Across Facilities Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)

International

India and China to Resume Flights and Border Trade

By BPN News Desk August 20, 2025

India and China have agreed to restart direct passenger flights between the two countries. The decision was announced during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Delhi. Air services were suspended in 2020 following the Galwan Valley clash and pandemic restrictions, leaving business and student communities dependent on third-country transit routes. Border Trade

International

Trump Doubled Tariff on India to Pressure Russia – White House

By BPN News Desk August 20, 2025

The White House announced that President Donald Trump has increased import tariffs on Indian goods—to a total of 50%—as part of efforts to apply economic pressure on Russia amid the conflict in Ukraine. The move, delivered by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, is described as a strategy to exert “secondary pressure” on Moscow by targeting its […]