International

India and Oman to Amend Tax Treaty and Accelerate Trade Pact Negotiations

India and Oman have taken significant steps to strengthen their economic relationship. The two nations have agreed to expedite discussions for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and have signed a protocol to amend their existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement...

Kathmandu Hosts Inaugural Pashmina Festival

The first-ever International Pashmina Festival cum Exhibition, organized by the Nepal Pashmina Industries Association and the Confederation of Nepalese Industries, attracted significant attention from consumers. The event highlighted the delicate, lightweight, and warm natural fibre obtained from the Chyangra or...

DeepSeek AI Surpasses ChatGPT on US App Store

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has made headlines by surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT as the most-downloaded free app in the U.S. on Apple’s App Store. Founded in 2023, DeepSeek has quickly gained prominence with its advanced AI models, particularly R1, a reasoning...

Lukashenko Wins Seventh Term in Controversial Belarus Election

Alexander Lukashenko has secured a seventh term as President of Belarus, extending his 30-year authoritarian rule. The election, held on January 26, 2025, reported Lukashenko winning nearly 87% of the vote, a result widely denounced as fraudulent by both domestic...

US Suspends USAID Funding to Bangladesh Amid Global Foreign Aid Review

In a significant policy shift, the United States has suspended all USAID funding to Bangladesh following President Donald Trump's directive for a comprehensive 90-day review of foreign aid programs. This decision mandates an immediate halt to all USAID-related activities in...

Micheál Martin Reappointed as Irish PM

Micheál Martin has been re-elected as Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) following a parliamentary vote on January 23, 2025. This marks his second term, having previously served from 2020 to 2022. The vote concluded with 95 in favor and 76 against,...

Thailand Celebrates Marriage Equality Milestone

On January 23, 2025, Thailand became the first Southeast Asian nation to legalize same-sex marriage, marking a significant victory for LGBTQ+ rights in the region. The Marriage Equality Act, which was overwhelmingly passed by Parliament in June 2024 and ratified...

International Conference Marks 125 Years of Solar Physics Research in India

An international conference titled 'Sun, Space Weather, and Solar-Stellar Connections' was held in Bengaluru from January 20 to 24, 2025, to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KSO). Organized by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), the...

Trump’s Executive Order: Creation of Cryptocurrency Working Group

U.S. President Donald Trump took significant steps towards reshaping the nation's cryptocurrency regulations, fulfilling his promise to overhaul U.S. crypto policy quickly. The executive order laid out the creation of a cryptocurrency working group with a primary focus on proposing...

Trump Administration Officially Changes Name of Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America

Trump administration has officially changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America as part of a series of executive actions aimed at fulfilling campaign promises. This decision was announced by the Interior Department on a...