$275 billion! China hikes defence budget as conflicts spread across the world
China on Thursday sharply increased its defence budget to $275 billion as it ramped up on efforts of the modernisation of the country's armed forces to compete with the US military. The $275 billion China defence budget was $25 billion more than last year, according to data. China's defence budget hike coincides with the conflict in the Middle East, where the US is showing its military prowess by launching missiles and drones in Iran. Last year China announced a 7.2% increase for its national defence budget to $249 billion for 2025 which is a $17 billion rise compared to 2024. $44 billion for state-owned banks China said on Thursday it would inject 300 billion yuan ($43.59 billion) into state-owned banks this year through a special treasury bond and deepen reforms of state-owned financial enterprises, to fend off systemic financial risks.
Source:Mint
March 05, 2026 06:39 UTC
BJP pushes Nitish Kumar to Rajya Sabha move as Bihar chief minister post opens - Telegraph India
ADVERTISEMENTJDU insiders said Nitish had still not signed the Rajya Sabha nomination papers for which the last date of filing is Thursday. After a meeting with Nitish, JDU MLC Sanjay Gandhi said: "We will support whatever decision Nitish Kumar ji will take... We will be with him even if he decides to go to the Rajya Sabha." The speculation was strong enough for discussions about a possible BJP chief minister, with Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary emerging as a frontrunner. BJP leaders claim that 75-year-old Nitish’s mental acuity had worsened and he was not in a position to govern. In fact, it may be better for Nitishji to move to the Rajya Sabha as he is not in a position to run the state.
Source:The Telegraph
March 05, 2026 06:00 UTC
Windows shake, doors rattle at Lara Dutta’s Dubai villa amid West Asia tension: ‘But I haven’t felt unsafe’
Windows shake and doors rattle at actress Lara Dutta’s Dubai villa amid airstrikes, but the uncertainty caused by growing tension in West Asia following USA-Israel’s strikes on Iran do not make her feel “unsafe”, she said on Wednesday, lauding the UAE government for looking after their citizens. Though we live in a villa in a very safe neighbourhood, the windows shake, the house and the doors rattle, and it's unnerving. But I haven't felt unsafe, not even once,” Dutta said. We felt wanted, we felt protected, regardless of our nationality or where we're from. I was in India, obviously, when India and Pakistan went to war, and we saw how well our country protected us then.
Source:The Telegraph
March 05, 2026 05:47 UTC
Airline shares rebound as Middle East flights gradually resume - Telegraph India
Airline shares rebounded on Thursday as more flights took off from the Middle East, providing some reprieve for carriers after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran wiped billions of dollars off their market value earlier in the week. As of early on Thursday morning, Emirates flights had departed from Dubai to destinations including Sydney, Amsterdam, Toronto and Mumbai, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24, though the vast majority of services remained cancelled. Canada said it was working to repatriate stranded citizens by organising seats on commercial flights and contracting charter flights. Major Chinese carriers including Air China, , China Eastern Airlines , and China Southern Airlines, fell between 1% and 3% in both the Hong Kong and Shanghai markets, stabilising after steeper falls earlier this week. Marooned tourists and some expatriates have also tried to find their own way out of the Middle East through Saudi Arabia or Oman, where the airspace remains open.
Source:The Telegraph
March 05, 2026 05:33 UTC
Nepal votes in crucial general election after deadly youth protests - Telegraph India
ADVERTISEMENTThe long-festering, deep-seated malaise erupted into street demonstrations last September, triggered by a social media ban, that brought thousands on the streets, leading to clashes and fatalities that forced the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. They include the country's oldest party, the Nepali Congress led by 49-year-old Gagan Thapa, and the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) comprising former Maoist insurgents who joined mainstream politics. "The election is critical to address the aspirations of the youths expressed during the Gen Z protests," said political analyst Puranjan Acharya. "If the newly elected leaders are seen as unfit to do so, there is a risk of further trouble." "Voting is not just about sending someone to victory," Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki, who took over after Oli, said in a public broadcast this week.
Source:The Telegraph
March 05, 2026 04:58 UTC
Pakistani man says Iran forced him into plot to kill US President Donald Trump: Report - Telegraph India
A Pakistani man accused of planning to kill President Donald Trump told jurors on Wednesday that he did not willingly work with Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to devise the plot, media said. ADVERTISEMENTThe Corps has a central role in Iran, with its combination of military and economic power and an intelligence network. The trial started last week, days before Trump ordered strikes on Iran carried out with Israel that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top officials in the Middle Eastern nation. Trump cited an alleged Iranian plot when he spoke to ABC News on Sunday about a joint U.S.-Israeli operation that killed Khamenei, saying, "I got him before he got me." Tehran has denied accusations that it targeted Trump and other U.S. officials.
Source:The Telegraph
March 05, 2026 04:58 UTC
Rupee rebounds from all-time low, gains 48 paise to 91.57 against US dollar in early trade - Telegraph India
Rupee recovered from its lowest level and gained 48 paise to trade at 91.57 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday, tracking positive momentum in domestic equity markets. However, higher crude oil prices, a strengthening American currency and intense selling of Indian equities by foreign investors amid escalating tension in the Middle East kept the local unit under pressure, forex analysts said. ADVERTISEMENTAt the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 92.16 and touched a high of 91.30 before trading at 91.57 against the American currency, registering a gain of 48 paise from its previous closing level. The Indian currency slumped 56 paise to close at its all-time low of 92.05 against US dollar on Wednesday, after logging a steep loss of 41 paise on Monday. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.20 per cent higher at 98.93.
Source:The Telegraph
March 05, 2026 04:40 UTC
US Republicans back Donald Trump on Iran strikes, block bid to rein in war powers - Telegraph India
U.S. Senate Republicans backed President Donald Trump's military campaign against Iran on Wednesday, voting to block a bipartisan resolution aiming to stop the air war and require that any hostilities against Iran be authorized by Congress. ADVERTISEMENTThe latest effort by Democrats and a few Republicans to rein in President Donald Trump's repeated foreign troop deployments, sponsors described the war powers resolution as a bid to take back Congress' responsibility to declare war, as spelled out in the U.S. Constitution. Opponents rejected this, insisting that Trump's action was legal and within his right as commander in chief to protect the United States by ordering limited strikes. "This is not a forever war, indeed not even close to it. Trump's fellow Republicans hold slim majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives, and have blocked previous resolutions seeking to curb his war powers.
Source:The Telegraph
March 05, 2026 04:32 UTC
Iran conflict's impact on energy temporary and a 'small price,' US energy secretary says - Telegraph India
The impact of the Iran conflict on energy markets will be temporary and a "small price" to pay for US military goals, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox News on Wednesday. US and Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent response by Tehran have widened regional tensions and paralyzed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting vital Middle East oil and gas flows and sending energy prices higher. Oil prices rose on Thursday in Asia amid growing concern over the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. ADVERTISEMENT"This will definitely be temporary," Wright told the "Ingraham Angle" program on Fox News. US President Donald Trump has pledged to provide insurance and naval escorts for ships exporting energy from the region to contain soaring costs.
Source:The Telegraph
March 05, 2026 04:32 UTC
War in your kitchen: US-Israel offensive on Iran stokes fears of cooking fuel shortages in India
Compared with crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), LPG supplies are tighter and there are fewer fallback sourcing options. “Unlike crude, India does not maintain strategic LPG reserves of comparable scale, making LPG flows more logistically vulnerable.”He said India had limited room to manoeuvre in finding replacement LPG supplies. Russia’s deputy prime minister, Alexander Novak, said on Wednesday that Moscow was ready to increase oil supplies to India and China. Higher crude prices feed directly into India’s import bill and may widen the trade deficit. Spot LNG prices in Asian markets have surged, with recent prices around $25 per million British thermal units, roughly double many long term contract rates.
Source:The Telegraph
March 05, 2026 04:30 UTC
Over 600 arrested for ‘disorderly conduct’ during Holi celebrations in Kolkata - Telegraph India
More than 600 people were arrested between Tuesday and Wednesday for “disorderly conduct” from different parts of Calcutta during Holi celebrations. While 330 were arrested on Tuesday, the figure on Wednesday stood at 277, police said. Over 390 police posts were set up, with officers down from the rank of joint commissioner out on the roads. On Wednesday, police contingents were also posted in certain parts of the city, where Holi was celebrated. “The police stations have been instructed to stay alert even after the celebrations are over,” he said.
Source:The Telegraph
March 05, 2026 04:26 UTC
अमेरिकी एयरबेस को उड़ाने से 2 मिनट दूर थे ईरानी बॉम्बर्स, कतर ने कैसे Su-24 फाइटर जेट्स को गिराया?
लेखक के बारे में अभिजात शेखर आजाद अभिजात शेखर आजाद नवभारत टाइम्स डिजिटल में असिस्टेंट न्यूज़ एडिटर हैं, जिन्हें पत्रकारिता में 16 वर्षों से अधिक का गहन अनुभव है। वे अंतरराष्ट्रीय राजनीति (International Politics), वैश्विक कूटनीति (Global Diplomacy) और रक्षा रणनीति (Defense Strategy) के विशेषज्ञ माने जाते हैं।अभिजात ने अपने करियर में अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति चुनाव, रूस-यूक्रेन युद्ध और मध्य पूर्व (Middle East) के भू-राजनीतिक संकटों का सूक्ष्म विश्लेषण किया है। उनकी विशेषज्ञता केवल समाचार रिपोर्टिंग तक सीमित नहीं है, बल्कि वे जटिल अंतरराष्ट्रीय संबंधों को भारतीय दर्शकों के लिए सरल और प्रभावी ढंग से समझाने के लिए जाने जाते हैं।प्रमुख उपलब्धियां और विशेषज्ञता:रक्षा और सैन्य विश्लेषण: राफेल डील से लेकर अत्याधुनिक मिसाइल टेक्नोलॉजी और वैश्विक शक्ति संतुलन पर सैकड़ों विश्लेषणात्मक लेख।चुनाव कवरेज: कई भारतीय लोकसभा चुनावों और प्रमुख वैश्विक चुनावों की ग्राउंड और संपादकीय रिपोर्टिंग।पुरस्कार: पत्रकारिता में उत्कृष्टता के लिए दो बार प्रतिष्ठित ENBA अवार्ड से सम्मानित।इंटरव्यू: वैश्विक नीति निर्माताओं, पूर्व राजनयिकों और रक्षा विशेषज्ञों के साथ विशेष संवाद।अभिजात का लक्ष्य वैश्विक घटनाओं के पीछे छिपे 'असली कारणों' को उजागर करना है, ताकि पाठक केवल खबर न पढ़ें, बल्कि उसके दूरगामी प्रभावों को भी समझ सकें।... और पढ़ें
Source:Navbharat Times
March 05, 2026 04:04 UTC
ईरान में सत्ता परिवर्तन की कोशिश की तो उड़ा देंगे इजरायली 'परमाणु बम' की फैक्ट्री, तेहरान से अब तक की सबसे बड़ी धमकी
लेखक के बारे में अभिजात शेखर आजाद अभिजात शेखर आजाद नवभारत टाइम्स डिजिटल में असिस्टेंट न्यूज़ एडिटर हैं, जिन्हें पत्रकारिता में 16 वर्षों से अधिक का गहन अनुभव है। वे अंतरराष्ट्रीय राजनीति (International Politics), वैश्विक कूटनीति (Global Diplomacy) और रक्षा रणनीति (Defense Strategy) के विशेषज्ञ माने जाते हैं।अभिजात ने अपने करियर में अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति चुनाव, रूस-यूक्रेन युद्ध और मध्य पूर्व (Middle East) के भू-राजनीतिक संकटों का सूक्ष्म विश्लेषण किया है। उनकी विशेषज्ञता केवल समाचार रिपोर्टिंग तक सीमित नहीं है, बल्कि वे जटिल अंतरराष्ट्रीय संबंधों को भारतीय दर्शकों के लिए सरल और प्रभावी ढंग से समझाने के लिए जाने जाते हैं।प्रमुख उपलब्धियां और विशेषज्ञता:रक्षा और सैन्य विश्लेषण: राफेल डील से लेकर अत्याधुनिक मिसाइल टेक्नोलॉजी और वैश्विक शक्ति संतुलन पर सैकड़ों विश्लेषणात्मक लेख।चुनाव कवरेज: कई भारतीय लोकसभा चुनावों और प्रमुख वैश्विक चुनावों की ग्राउंड और संपादकीय रिपोर्टिंग।पुरस्कार: पत्रकारिता में उत्कृष्टता के लिए दो बार प्रतिष्ठित ENBA अवार्ड से सम्मानित।इंटरव्यू: वैश्विक नीति निर्माताओं, पूर्व राजनयिकों और रक्षा विशेषज्ञों के साथ विशेष संवाद।अभिजात का लक्ष्य वैश्विक घटनाओं के पीछे छिपे 'असली कारणों' को उजागर करना है, ताकि पाठक केवल खबर न पढ़ें, बल्कि उसके दूरगामी प्रभावों को भी समझ सकें।... और पढ़ें
Source:Navbharat Times
March 05, 2026 03:53 UTC
Amazon layoffs: Tech giant hands pink slips to employees in robotics division, says report
Amazon layoffs: Tech giant Amazon has carried out another round of layoffs this week, this time in its robotics division, Business Insider reported. The company did not disclose the exact number of employees affected in the latest round of Amazon layoffs. According to an Amazon spokesperson cited by Business Insider, the company eliminated a “relatively small number of robotics roles” this week. What to know about Amazon layoffs In January, Amazon carried out a mass layoff round, eliminating 16,000 corporate roles. However, she did not rule out more Amazon layoffs.
Source:Mint
March 05, 2026 02:57 UTC
ईरान में शुरू होगा जमीनी हमला, इजरायल-अमेरिका के समर्थन से कुर्दों की धावा बोलने की तैयारी
लेखक के बारे में रिजवान रिजवान, नवभारत टाइम्स ऑनलाइन में चीफ सीनियर डिजिटल कंटेंट प्रोड्यूसर हैं। पत्रकारिता में उनका करीब 10 वर्षों का अनुभव है। वह इंटरेशनल अफेयर्स (वर्ल्ड सेक्शन) कवर कर रहे हैं। अमर उजाला के साथ डिजिटल पारी की शुरुआत की और फिर वन इंडिया हिंदी, राजस्थान पत्रिका से होते हुए नवभारत टाइम्स में है। उन्होंने चौधरी चरण सिंह विश्वविद्यालय और भारतीय जनसंचार संस्थान से पढ़ाई की है।... और पढ़ें
Source:Navbharat Times
March 05, 2026 02:56 UTC