The Trinamool Congress's request for a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu to discuss West Bengal's welfare initiatives was declined due to time constraints. This comes after a political controversy during the President's recent visit to Bagdogra, where she expressed displeasure over the absence of state officials.

Joint procurement of defence equipment by the EU has gained renewed strategic importance in response to the recent deteriorating security environment and persistent fragmentation within the European defence market. Although the European Defence Agency set a 35 % collaborative procurement benchmark back in 2007, cooperation among Member States remains limited. The 2022 coordinated annual review on defence reported that only 18 % of defence investment took place collaboratively, far below agreed targets. While total EU defence expenditure reached €381 billion in 2025, increased spending has not translated into commensurate growth in joint acquisition. EU institutions continue to highlight duplication issues, capability gaps and over-reliance on non EU suppliers. To address these shortcomings, the Union has expanded financial and regulatory instruments. EDIRPA, EDIP and SAFE provide grants and loans to incentivise joint procurement, while the defence readiness roadmap 2030 raises the ambition to 40 % joint procurement by 2027. Targeted adjustments to the Defence Procurement Directive aim to reduce administrative barriers and facilitate multinational contracting. Joint procurement offers potential economies of scale, stronger bargaining leverage, greater industrial predictability and enhanced interoperability. Studies indicate that meeting collaborative benchmarks could generate annual savings of several billion euros. Yet significant constraints persist, including differing threat perceptions by national governments, industrial competition that often runs counter to consolidation, governance complexity and risks of cost overruns in multinational programmes. The European Parliament has consistently supported deeper pooling and interoperability, urging collaborative acquisition to be prioritised in EU instruments while cautioning against incentives that may reinforce national disparities. Sustained progress therefore depends on credible demand aggregation, coherent defence planning and effective coordination across EU and NATO frameworks. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has warned about escalating risks that the US-Israeli war on Iran poses Read Full Article at RT.com

Italy’s Giorgia Meloni has criticized the US and Israel for their war on Iran Read Full Article at RT.com

Data rarely tells the full story. So when CBC News emailed a questionnaire to tens of thousands of Alberta teachers this January, we invited them to share stories to illustrate what classroom complexity actually looks like for them. More than 4,000 teachers participated.

Paid plasma could be banned in Manitoba, the province's health minister said after two fatal adverse reactions at Winnipeg collection centres were reported to Health Canada.

The Bank of England will replace historical figures, including Winston Churchill, with images of UK wildlife on banknotes Read Full Article at RT.com

A deepfake clip shows the Indian Army chief claiming that New Delhi informed Israel about an Iranian ship’s location Read Full Article at RT.com

French UNICEF worker Karine Buisset has been killed in Goma drone strike in DR Congo Read Full Article at RT.com

The Shenlong reportedly cross the Tehran-controlled Strait of Hormuz after the Middle East conflict began Read Full Article at RT.com

The Russian government plans to cover treatment with new cancer vaccines under the national health insurance system Read Full Article at RT.com

At the same time, many Iranian commanders and servicemen responsible for launching drones toward Israel were killed during these strikes, the IDF stated

The senior Russian official noted that «the hackneyed, artificially inflated concerns about the fate of the non-existent 'Country 404' will soon be replaced by an awareness of the need to respond to far more serious global challenges and threats»

The South Korean government resorts to such measures for the first time since 1997, when the Asian financial crisis hit the country

Igor Dodon regretted that he sees no clear position from the authorities on this issue

«In fact, one gets the impression that European elites have no ability at all to think strategically,» Maria Zakharova said

Iran's new Supreme Leader has ordered his nation to weaponise the Strait of Hormuz in his first statement, amid claims he is 'in a coma' and has lost a leg after being seriously injured in air strikes. 

Keir Starmer finally offered a grovelling mea culpa on the Mandelson debacle today as he fights to contain Labour fury.

The Prince and Princess of Wales went on a royal pub crawl today as they poured pints and learned about beer production on a visit to the Bermondsey Beer Mile in South East London.

LIVE UPDATES: Follow the latest developments on the US-Israel war with Iran as Donald Trump vows to protect the Strait of Hormuz after Iran launches attacks on ships in the Gulf.

The Government of Vanuatu has launched a landmark tax reform called the Vanuatu Sales Monitoring System (VSMS).

Vanuatu Beverage Limited has stepped forward to support communities affected by volcanic ash on Ambae Island by donating 1,800 litres of clean drinking water to assist families facing water shortages.

Children walking to Suango Primary School along Mele Road will now have safer access, thanks to a volunteer initiative by Fletcher Organisation (Vanuatu) Ltd.

Maewo Island residents have raised concerns about a sharp increase in their electricity bills, with some claiming their monthly payments have surged without clear explanation.

As uncertainty grips the world and Vanuatu faces rising challenges, two companies are giving back to the community. Fletcher Construction is fixing the road stretching from Mele main road to Suango School so students do not get muddy on their…

The road through Súðavíkurhlíð is impassable after an avalanche fell onto the road around 10 a.m. this morning, and a danger level has now been declared.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin denied knowing about the employee’s criminal record, but the employee says he did. A “cache” of weapons was found at Mullin’s business.

Candidates backed by AI companies have found early success — of the 20 candidates in the Texas and North Carolina primaries who received AI funds, only one lost her race.

Resistance to the U.S. military campaign in Iran is easing overall, though a plurality of Americans still favor ending the strikes.

Germany will use Ukrainian military trainers to prepare for a potential war with Russia by 2029, the head of the German army has said Read Full Article at RT.com