PM Modi reaffirms India's commitment to remain Seychelles' reliable partner

IANS | February 9, 2026 5:04 PM

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Seychelles President Patrick Herminie on Monday acknowledged India’s support for the development, security needs and aspirations of the archipelagic island nation through Lines of Credit (LoCs), grants, capacity building and High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP).

Govt set to release new series of GDP, CPI, and IIP data: Minister

IANS | February 9, 2026 3:37 PM

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) After conducting a comprehensive exercise to enhance key data relevance, accuracy and international comparability, the government is set to release a new series of GDP, CPI and IIP (based on the new base year) on February 27, February 12 and May 28, respectively, the Parliament was informed on Monday.

Chidambaram slams Budget 2026-27 as 'forgettable' , says youth joblessness stands at 15 per cent

IANS | February 9, 2026 3:20 PM

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Pointing out that youth joblessness stands at 15 per cent in India, with less than 25 per cent of the workforce in regular employment, Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram launched a sharp attack on the Union Budget 2026-27 in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, describing it as cautious, parsimonious, forgettable, and already vanishing from public memory.

Pakistan's trade deficit soars by 44 per cent as exports plunge

IANS | February 9, 2026 2:58 PM

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Pakistan's trade deficit with nine neighbouring countries widened sharply by 44.42 per cent to $7.683 billion in the first half of fiscal year 2025-2026 (July-December), compared to $5.32 billion during the same period last year, according to the latest data from the State Bank of Pakistan.