The Economic Times

The United States is considering deploying more nuclear weapons and conducting a nuclear test. This follows the expiration of the last nuclear treaty with Russia. These actions could reverse decades of nuclear control. President Trump has instructed aides to resume testing. Details of the potential deployments and tests are not yet specified.

IRS tax more filers may want to contemplate itemizing because of other changes, namely, a more generous deduction on state and local taxes known as SALT.

The US and India have agreed on a framework for an interim reciprocal trade deal, aiming for balanced market access and tariff reductions. This arrangement seeks to benefit both nations by expanding trade, aligning economic and national security priorities, and deepening bilateral cooperation.

Marilyn Monroes quote, We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets urges people to live fully without waiting for the right time. It delves into how her words challenge fear and regret, two forces that often prevent individuals from pursuing happiness and purpose. Drawing from Monroes life and outlook, the synopsis emphasizes why her message remains intensely relevant today.

Democrats and the White House are negotiating new rules for immigration enforcement. Discussions are happening as funding for the Department of Homeland Security is set to expire soon. Democrats want stricter guidelines for agencies like ICE. Republicans have their own demands. A potential government shutdown looms if an agreement is not reached.

Actis LLP is making a move to buy back Sprng Energy from Shell. This clean energy platform was originally set up by Actis. Other major players like Aditya Birla Group and KKR are also in the race. Final bids are expected soon. The deal could value Sprng Energy at up to $2 billion.

Amazon AI marketplace: Ahead of an Amazon Web Services conference on Tuesday, AWS has circulated slides that mention a content marketplace.

Nvidia share price was up 2.4 per cent and Broadcom stocks jumped 3.3 per cent. They were two of the strongest forces pushing the S&P 500 upward.

Asia-focused Hillhouse Investment Management is nearing a deal to acquire a 5% stake in Quest Global. The engineering services firm is valued at approximately $4.5 billion. This investment is part of Quest Global's pre-IPO fundraising. Singapore's Temasek may also secure a smaller stake. Quest Global is also considering a reverse flip to list on Indian stock exchanges.

A new ChatGPT trend is sparking in social media, letting users transform regular photos into exaggerated cartoon-style caricatures. By uploading a picture and giving a prompt like Create a caricature of me, the AI generates playful portraits highlighting facial features, work settings, and personality traits. Popular among teachers, journalists, and office workers, the trend has rapidly gained traction.

Catherine OHara, renowned for her roles in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, and Schitts Creek, passed away at 71 on January 30, 2026. Ten days later, her death certificate revealed a pulmonary embolism as the immediate cause, with rectal cancer listed as an underlying factor. Tributes poured in from fans and co-stars, including Macaulay Culkin: Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more.

Jutta Leerdam finally won the gold medal she had been chasing for years, achieving victory in the womens 1,000 meters at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. She set an Olympic record with a time of 1:12.31 and celebrated by blowing kisses to her fianc, Jake Paul. Leerdam outpaced Japans Miho Takagi, the 2022 Olympic champion, and thrilled Dutch fans in the stands.

Mia Brookes, the 19-year-old British snowboarder, has made a strong Olympic debut at the 2026 Winter Games, qualifying third in the Big Air final after two powerful runs. Originally from Sandbach, Cheshire, Brookes began snowboarding at 18 months and developed her skills at Kidsgrove Ski Centre under the guidance of her grandfather and family. At 16, she became the youngest snowboarding world champion, earning recognition as the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.

Why is silver price rising fast by 6.3% and will it surpass $100 mark soon or drop sharply again? Silver climbed over 6% after strong gains last week. Market watchers cite a softer dollar, Chinas central bank gold purchases, U.S. economic data, and supply shortages as key drivers.

India's banking sector outlook is stable. Moody's Ratings projects low non-performing assets. Robust economic growth will support the sector's fundamentals. Profitability is expected to remain stable. Loan growth will align with deposits. Banks are well-capitalised. Strong economic growth will support asset quality.

The promoter group is looking to raise about 2,000 crore through a combination of promoter-level borrowing and debt at the operating company, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Areion Group secured the winning bid for Aviom India Housing Finance. Secured lenders unanimously backed Areion's Rs 936-crore offer. This plan offers lenders a recovery of about 65%. Unity Small Finance Bank had placed a higher bid but with conditions. Lenders preferred Areion's unconditional offer for certainty of recovery.

While income tax returns under the new Act will be filed by taxpayers in July 2027, under the new rules the forms, including advance tax and tax deduction at source, will come into force by April 1, 2026. The new rules, which overhaul employee perquisite valuation, will be applicable to salaried taxpayers under both the old and the new tax regimes.

Amid a wave of rising AI-generated frauds, banks and regulators are responding with strengthened security controls, multi-factor authentication, real-time fraud-monitoring systems and customer awareness campaigns. As a customer protection measure, the RBI in its February Monetary Policy announced compensation of up to Rs 25,000 for small-value payment frauds if the customers are genuinely cheated.

The National Housing Bank is pushing housing finance companies to lower lending rates for customers. However, these companies plan to wait until April for their internal benchmarks to be reset before making significant rate cuts. Some lenders have already made minor reductions. This move aims to pass on reduced borrowing costs to existing borrowers.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has secured victory in the Maharashtra zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections. BJP emerged as the leading party, winning a significant number of seats. This electoral success reinforces the party's strong presence across urban, semi-urban, and rural areas of the state. The results indicate a widespread mandate for the BJP.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran expressed optimism about India's trade deals with the EU, UK, and US, foreseeing significant opportunities. He spoke at the inauguration of Tata Motors and Jaguar Land Rover's integrated manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu, which will produce 300,000 vehicles annually, including electric models and high-end vehicles like the Range Rover Evoque.

European steel prices are expected to increase significantly in the coming years. New carbon emission regulations and tariffs are driving this structural shift. Tata Steel sees improved profitability in its Netherlands operations due to these changes. The company anticipates positive developments for the UK steel industry soon. Tata Steel's Indian operations continue to grow robustly.

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary stated a ropeway project in Reasi cannot be pushed through dictatorially. He noted a large section of stakeholders opposes the project. This statement was made in the assembly. BJP MLA Baldev Raj Sharma supported the demand for the ropeway construction in the area.

The facility had been offline since Japan pulled the plug on nuclear power after a colossal earthquake and tsunami sent three reactors at the Fukushima atomic plant into meltdown. But now Japan is turning to atomic energy to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and meet growing energy needs from artificial intelligence.

Scheduled Commercial Banks have achieved a historic low in their Gross NPA ratio. India requires 307 GW of thermal power capacity by 2034-35. A falling rupee is expected to boost exports. External debt remains sustainable. CAG audit identified deviations in PMKVY. The Centre has released all admissible GST compensation to states and UTs.

The Supreme Court has issued a swift order for the Gujarat Pollution Control Board to review Piramal Pharma's appeal to reactivate its Dahej manufacturing site, which was closed due to serious allegations related to hazardous waste management. The firm sought interim relief but was turned down by the court.

Congress women MPs have written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. They deny allegations of planning unrest in the House. The MPs claim the ruling party asked the Speaker to make these charges. The Lok Sabha Secretariat stated women MPs moved aggressively towards the Prime Minister's seat. The Speaker had concerns for the Prime Minister's safety.

Foulger previously served as CEO of Zetwerk Electronics, where he led the company's vertical expansion and undertook key acquisitions, the company said in a press release. He also served for nearly a decade as managing director at Bharat FIH, a Foxconn Technology Group company, until 2024, and held international leadership roles at Nokia, where he helped architect electronics manufacturing ecosystems in India and Vietnam.

Opposition leaders met with Speaker Om Birla to resolve the Lok Sabha deadlock. They proposed allowing some MPs to speak on Tuesday regarding issues with the Chair's conduct and the suspension of MPs. The government is considering the proposals. Discussions are ongoing to end the week-long standoff.

India is set to conduct over 60% of its trade on preferential terms following recent agreements with the EU, US, and GCC. This strategic move aims to integrate India into global value chains, with exports to these partners showing a significant 8.5% growth, outpacing overall export expansion.

Bad Bunnys Super Bowl 60 halftime show grabbed huge attention online. A viral image wrongly showed him burning the American flag, which later turned out to be fake and AI-made. The performance broke records, boosted music streams, and sparked debate on social media. The event became one of the most talked-about Super Bowl moments.

The Union Budget faces sharp criticism from the Congress party. They label it as cautious and forgettable, highlighting economic concerns like unemployment and slow growth. The party also points to reduced allocations for key ministries. In contrast, the BJP praises Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality, owner of Social and Smoke House Deli, is in talks to acquire several mid-sized restaurant chains to scale up ahead of a proposed public listing. The company, majority-owned by India Resurgence Fund, aims to consolidate its position in the competitive food and beverage industry.

The God of War Prime Video series has cast Callum Vinson as Atreus, offering the young archer to life in this live-action adaptation of the famous video game franchise. The story follows Kratos and Atreus as they journey through the Nine Realms to fulfill the final wishes of Faye, Atreus late mother.

The Lok Sabha faced an impasse on Monday. The Opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi, demanded he speak before the budget debate. The government and the chair stated no such agreement existed. This disagreement led to the adjournment of the House for the entire day. The standoff prevented the budget debate from commencing as scheduled.

India's exports are poised for a record $1,000 billion in 2026-27. New trade agreements with the US and EU are expected to boost orders. Reduced US tariffs on Indian goods offer a competitive edge. Exporters anticipate significant growth in sectors like chemicals, footwear, and marine products. This development signals a promising future for India's international trade.

The Indian government is urging states to finalize power sale agreements for renewable energy projects. This initiative aims to help states meet their renewable purchase obligations. Around 43.9 GW of capacity awaits these agreements for quick implementation. Discussions are ongoing with about 15 states falling short of their targets. This move is crucial for India's ambitious 2030 renewable energy goals.

India's hospitality sector demonstrated remarkable resilience in 2025, overcoming geopolitical challenges and adverse conditions to achieve sustained growth. Hotels saw significant increases in occupancy, average daily rates, and revenue per available room, driven by a substantial addition of new rooms and strong domestic travel demand.

The Centre informed the Supreme Court that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk is in good health and receiving excellent treatment at AIIMS, Jodhpur. No progress has been made on reviewing his detention under the National Security Act. Wangchuk's wife filed a habeas corpus petition seeking his release.

Pakistan cricketer Salman Mirza confirmed the team is focused on the T20 World Cup. He mentioned that playing against India on February 15 is a government decision. The team is preparing for all matches, including the upcoming one against USA. Mirza acknowledged past upsets but stressed the team's readiness for any challenge.

Camaraderie is the warm feeling of belonging, trust, and mutual respect within a group, often forged through shared experiences and common goals. This spirit of friendly fellowship strengthens bonds in workplaces, teams, and communities, reminding individuals they are not alone during challenges. It's the invisible glue that unites people through solidarity and support.

The Supreme Court denied bail to former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the Unnao rape victim's father's custodial death case. The court cited the gravity of moral turpitude offenses. It directed the Delhi High Court to hear Sengar's appeal against his conviction and sentence swiftly. The victim's plea to enhance Sengar's sentence will also be heard concurrently.

The government is actively seeking a new chief for the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) as the current director general retires in June. Alongside this, 23 new officials are being hired to strengthen the agency. This move comes amid intense scrutiny of AAIB's performance following last year's fatal Air India crash, with concerns raised about communication and transparency.

Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, was subpoenaed to appear before the House Oversight Committee. The committee sought her testimony regarding her connections with a disgraced financier. However, Republican committee chairman James Comer stated that Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. This constitutional protection allows individuals to refuse to answer questions that could potentially incriminate them.

Since returning to the White House a year ago, President Trump has introduced numerous tariffs. These levies have targeted specific industries, including steel and autos, and have also been used for broader policy goals. The administration has engaged in trade disputes with Beijing. However, a significant trade escalation with China last spring resulted in a broad truce.

High Potential Season 2 Episode 13 release date, time, spoilers and how to watch details are now confirmed. The ABC drama returns after a break in March 2026. The episode continues Morgan Gillorys story, ongoing cases, and personal tension within the LAPD team.

The Supreme Court has strongly criticised bank officials for their alleged involvement in digital arrest scams. The court described the siphoning of money as 'absolute robbery and dacoity'. Concerns were raised about possible collusion or negligence by bank staff. The Chief Justice of India stated that banks are trustees of public money and this trust should not be broken.

India has announced a significant $175 million development fund for Seychelles. This initiative follows extensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Seychelles President Patrick Herminie. The two nations are set to enhance collaboration across sustainability, trade, economy, and security.