Delhi-NCR tightens curbs as AQI nears 'severe+' mark

IANS | January 17, 2026 10:31 PM

New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS) The National Capital Region (NCR) has once again come under the harshest anti-pollution restrictions as the Air Quality Index (AQI) surged dangerously close to the “Severe+” category on Saturday.

Pakistan’s rich elite gets richer as others lose out

IANS | January 16, 2026 7:08 PM

New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) In Pakistan, the phrase "the 22 families" has been a prominent part of public discourse for decades. It resurfaces time and again, echoing a sentiment held by many that an alarming amount of wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of a small few.

50 pc of Indian startups emerging from Tier 2, 3 cities; women lead inclusive growth

IANS | January 15, 2026 3:15 PM

New Delhi, Jan 15 (IANS) Startups are increasingly bridging India’s rural-urban divide by deploying solutions across agri-tech, telemedicine, microfinance, tourism, and ed-tech, directly addressing developmental gaps and supporting rural livelihoods, an official statement said on Thursday, ahead of the National Startup Day.

New household survey confirms rising poverty in Pakistan

IANS | January 14, 2026 6:42 PM

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) Pakistan’s Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES), published after a gap of six years, exposes the extreme level of poverty in the country with food-insecure households surging from 15.9 per cent in 2018 to 2019 to a staggering 24.4 per cent in 2024 to 2025, according to a report in the local media.