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England’s Jos Buttler, left, and Phil Salt run between the wickets during the T20 World Cup cricket match between England and West Indies in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP Having endured an underwhelming run through the group stage, England will be rubbing its hands at the prospect of facing an injury-ridden Sri Lanka in its T20 World Cup Super Eight opener at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (February 22, 2026).Already bruised by the upset against Zimbabwe, the horrors of a 0-3 sweep at the hands of England at the same venue just days…

In this exclusive interview with Firstpost, sociologist and author Salvatore Babones, who has just come out with a new book, Democracy with Dharma: The Successful Indian Experiment, offers a stimulating reassessment of Indian democracy and its uneasy relationship with Western liberal norms. Challenging dominant narratives in global academia and think tanks, Babones argues that India can be best described as a “dharma democracy” — institutionally liberal, yet culturally rooted in a deeply religious and civilisational ethos. He also questions global democracy indices and their methodological biases, and explains why India is often judged more harshly than other postcolonial states.STORY CONTINUES…

Rajasthan election campaign: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot during public meeting for the upcoming assembly elections, in Jaipur, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. The Rajasthan Assembly elections are scheduled to take place on November 25. A comparison of the economic, social, and environmental indicators of the poll-bound State with the indicators of other States shows that Rajasthan improved its rankings significantly between 2015-16 and 2019-21 in some social measures, while continuing to lag behind in many others.Table 1 | The lists Rajasthan’s rank in social indicators and its actual score in an indicator in 2019-21, 2015-16, and 2005-06. It also shows…

Trade deal that will enhance the future of a strong India: Commerce Minister Piyush GoyalOn the India-U.S. trade agreement, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, says, “The reciprocal tariff was set by the U.S., and they were the ones who had to reduce tariffs, so if they did reduce it to 18%, that news would obviously come from the U.S.”“The trade deal is in the final stages of detailing between the negotiating teams of both countries. Will be issuing a joint statement by both countries shortly, along with the details which we will be shortly inking between the…

There is a general air of uncertainty in international relations right now, and there is a distinct feeling that the old order changeth. The upheaval is likely to bring difficult times to all of us. The long-predicted end of the “liberal, rules-based international order” seems to be upon us, with a definite fin-de-siècle feeling. The certainties that we have long held on to are no longer reliable.Foremost, of course, is the role of the United States, which bestrode the world like a colossus in the aftermath of the Second World War, and again after the end of the Cold War.…

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections took place on November 17. A comparison of the economic, social, and environmental indicators of the State with the indicators of other States shows that Madhya Pradesh features at the bottom half. Also, its relative ranking among the States remained stagnant in most of the indicators between 2015-16 and 2019-21.Also read | Madhya Pradesh election updatesTable 1 | The table lists Madhya Pradesh’s rank in social indicators and its actual score in an indicator in 2019-21, 2015-16, and 2005-06. It also shows the change in rank in 2019-21 from 2015-16. The performance of the top three States…

The trade deal with the United States, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media late Monday (February 2, 2026) night, will exclude sensitive agricultural items and dairy, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday (February 3, 2026), adding that the details of the deal would be made public “soon”.Under the deal, the U.S. has agreed to lower its 25% ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on India to 18% and entirely remove the additional ‘penalty’ tariffs of 25% it had imposed on India for its import of Russian oil. India-U.S. trade deal updates“Best deal” “The trade deal finalised by…

India’s Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues. File picture | Photo Credit: PTI India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana said the bold approach of Jemimah Rodrigues helped her find the perfect rhythm after a tepid beginning to the innings, which played a defining role in her side’s thrilling 17-run victory over Australia in the third and final T20I on Saturday (February 21, 2026).Mandhana played a match-setting 82 and, alongside Jemimah who contributed 59, forged a 121-run partnership that propelled India to 176 for 6 before the bowlers stifled Australia for 159 for 9. “When she came in, I think I was 16-ball 15…

In a world of quicksand alliances, India’s EU pivot could be the firm ground needed for real growth and security.India has made considerable headway in the much-anticipated trade deal negotiations with the European Union as US trade talks drag on. India expects to conclude the trade deal by the end of January. India’s upcoming deal with the European Union stands out as a smart, deliberate step forward as India seeks new markets amid uncertainty over a trade deal with the US and mounting tariff pressures.India and the European Union are working intensively to conclude the deal before European leaders arrive…

Power cuts in Kashmir: A man tries to restore his electricity were near Gund, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Srinagar. Many areas in the higher reaches of Kashmir experienced fresh snowfall even as an overcast sky led to relief from intense cold conditions as the mercury increased across the Valley and Ladakh region. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad Power outages have been a persistent issue in the Jammu and Kashmir U.T. with recent news reports indicating that the duration of these cuts is now extending to over 18 hours a day. The region is prone to power cuts;…