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Ten people have been killed after a fire broke out in the trauma centre of a government hospital in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, BBC reported. 

All the victims were patients, while 11 hospital staff are being treated for burns suffered while trying to rescue patients, state Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said.

The fire - suspected to be caused by an electrical short circuit - started in the trauma care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack city around 02:30 local time on Monday (21:00 GMT Sunday), according to BBC. 

In a historic political shift, the newly formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and its prime ministerial candidate, rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah, swept the elections in Nepal and are set to form the government – dislodging the country’s old political institutions. While the mandate marks a pivotal moment in Nepal's political landscape following the Gen-Z protests that rocked the country last year, it also poses a significant strategic test for India in Kathmandu. 

Nepal occupies a key strategic place in India’s South Asian engagement strategy. India remains Nepal’s largest trading partner. Over the past decade, New Delhi has invested significantly in developmental assistance, strengthening cross-border connectivity projects and hydro and energy cooperation.

Initiatives such as amending the ‘Treaty of Transit’ to enhance trade flows via the Jogbani-Biratnagar rail link – enabling direct rail transport of containerised and bulk cargo to Nepal’s custom yard – and completion of the 34 km Jayanagar-Kutha rail link, similarly, integrated check posts have been operationalized to streamline customs procedures and reduce logistical delays – illustrate India’s effort in institutionalising supply chains that bind two economies closer together.

In the energy sector, India has invested heavily in several hydropower and electricity transmission projects. Multiple cross-border electricity transmission lines are already operational, while agreements have been signed for a new 400 kV transmission line linking Inaruwa to New Purnea and the Lamki-Dododhara corridor with Bareilly. Additionally, under a long-term power-purchase agreement, Nepal plans to export up to 10,000 MW of electricity to India over the next decade – reinforcing New Delhi’s ambition to position itself as the hub of a broader regional energy network. 

However, the smooth operationalization of these initiatives depends significantly on a cooperative and predictable political leadership in Kathmandu. It is precisely at this juncture that the landslide victory of the RSP carries profound significance. 

The RSP’s electoral triumph reflects the aspirations of a new generation shaped by the Gen-Z wave. For many Nepalis, the political mandate represents not merely a change in government but a generational reset in a political system long criticized for stagnation and persistent corruption. The anti-corruption sentiment that fuelled the September protests has now propelled a leadership that emphasises transparency, accountability, and institutional reforms while simultaneously articulating what many describe as a more “vocal sovereignty."

Within this emerging political cohort, relations with India may no longer be viewed through the lens of ‘historical obligation’. Sections of Nepal’s political discourse have historically accused India of excessive involvement in Nepal’s internal affairs and behaving as ‘big brother’ rather than engaging on equal terms. Whether justified or not, such perceptions have periodically strained bilateral ties in the past. The emergence of a political order committed to “strategic autonomy” and a “Nepal First” approach is therefore likely to scrutinize India’s role far more closely, particularly in negotiations concerning trade felicitation, customs procedures, and cross-border administrative arrangements. 

Consistent with this outlook, RSP under Shah’s leadership has pledged to reposition Nepal from a traditional “buffer state” between India and China into a “vibrant bridge” that facilitates trilateral economic partnerships. The RSP argues that Nepal must pragmatically maximize its sovereign interests with both neighbors through technical negotiations. 

China, meanwhile, is keen to steadily expand its economic and infrastructural footprint in Nepal. During K.P. Sharma Oli’s tenure, Kathmandu finalized several projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, deepening Chinese engagement in the country’s infrastructure sector. 

While Shah has expressed equal frustration with both India and China, it is very likely that the new government will seek to diversify Nepal’s external partnerships to reduce long-standing dependence on any single partner. Such balancing is common in South Asian diplomacy; yet, most of the party leadership’s relative lack of prior institutional experience in governing at the national level, coupled with a new political landscape, introduces an element of unpredictability regarding how these ambitions will translate into policy or whether the party’s “Nepal’s First” policy will slip into a “China First” reality – inevitably complicating India’s strategic calculations in the Himalayas.

Another sensitive dimension concerns unresolved territorial disputes. Shah and his party have taken a critical position on revisiting the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship and have repeatedly called for a stronger Nepali stance on key territorial disputes, including Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura, insisting that no foreign activity should take place in these regions without Nepal’s consent. The issue has remained a sensitive flashpoint between the two since Nepal’s controversial map revision in 2020. Now, with a two-thirds parliamentary majority, the new leadership could possess the domestic political capital to pursue a harder line on such issues, considering Balen Shah’s earlier anti-India rhetoric as a mayor of Kathmandu – possibly sharpening bilateral tensions.

New Delhi’s diplomatic outreach towards Nepal was traditionally anchored in the long-established political entities, such as the Nepal Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist–Leninist (CPN-UML). The RSP’s landslide victory signals the erosion of this familiar political landscape and the emergence of a new generation of leaders whose governance approach remains largely untested. In a country witnessing a dramatic shift, its younger generation is more digitally connected than ever before and uncompromisingly aspirational. Nepal’s electoral earthquake has brought the RSP into the corridors of power – one that India’s regional diplomacy has not previously had to navigate in such a form.

Although the new mandate sends some optimism in New Delhi's strategic circles. Analysts view the emergence of RSP, compounded by Shah's technocratic priorities – its emphasis on improving infrastructure, digital connectivity, and boosting GDP – could also open new avenues for cooperation. RSP ambitiously wants to be vehicle of change of a new Nepal and the trajectory of India-Nepal relations will therefore depend on how India adapts to this evolving landscape, making the RSP’s rise not a just a domestic phenomenon but a critical strategic test for New Delhi’s regional diplomacy in Kathmandu. 

Ammu S. Anil is a Senior Research Fellow at the MMAJ Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and a Visiting Fellow at NIICE Nepal, Lalitpur.

Mahesh Ganguly, Teaching Assistant and Research Fellow, IIT Bombay. 

The External Affairs Ministry of India has stated that India and Nepal have a unique and multifaceted partnership.

Responding to the query of a journalist at a weekly press briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the partnership between India and Nepal will continue to gain momentum in the coming days.

He said that the Indian government will work closely with the new government of Nepal.

Saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation with Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane and senior leader Balendra Shah, Jaiswal stated that India wants common peace, progress, and prosperity.

“We have welcomed the successful conclusion of the elections in Nepal. Our Prime Minister has also congratulated the Rastriya Swatantra Party for its remarkable success in the elections through telephone,” he said, adding, “The Prime Minister has stated that India, as a close friend and neighbor, is always committed to working with the people and the new government of Nepal.”

New Delhi's Middle East diplomacy paid off on Thursday as Iran allowed Indian oil tankers to pass through the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz after talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, sources told India Today.

The discussions were aimed at ensuring that India'senergy supplies remain uninterrupted amid escalating tensions in West Asia.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, through which a significant portion of global crude oil and natural gas shipments transit, according to India Today. 

India's success has been powered by a deliberate move away from celebrating individual milestones, head coach Gautam Gambhir said on Sunday after the team retained their Twenty20 World Cup title, Reuters reported. 

India thrashed New Zealand by 96 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium to become the first team to win the tournament three times, sealing back-to-back titles after their 2024 triumph.

Gambhir, appointed shortly after they lifted the trophy in 2024, said he set the tone early in his tenure that personal landmarks would not determine selection, and that approach helped India commit fully to a dominant style under captain Suryakumar Yadav, according to Reuters. 

India became the first team to retain the men's Twenty20 ​World Cup title after handing out a 96-run demolition of New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium ‌on Sunday, Reuters reported. 

India also became the first team to lift the title three times, while New Zealand's wait for a maiden white-ball World Cup continues.

The victory will taste particularly sweet for India since it came at a venue where they were beaten by Australia in the final of the 50-overs World Cup three years ago, according to Reuters. 

India survived a brilliant hundred from Jacob Bethell and moved within one win of becoming the first ​nation to claim back-to-back men's Twenty20 World Cup titles after beating England by seven runs in a nail-biting semi-final on ‌Thursday, Reuters reported. 

India will also be chasing a record third T20 title when they take on New Zealand in Sunday's final in Ahmedabad.

Put in to bat in front of a packed Wankhede Stadium awash in blue, the hosts racked up an imposing 253-7 as Sanju Samson struck a commanding 89, supported by fluent contributions from Shivam Dube ​and Ishan Kishan, according to Reuters. 

India has welcomed the successful conduct of elections and the exercise of their democratic mandate by the citizens of Nepal, which have seen enthusiastic participation.

We congratulate Prime Minister Sushila Karki, the Government and the people of Nepal, as well as various stakeholders, for successfully holding these polls, which took place against the backdrop of exceptional circumstances last year, India said in a press statement.

India has consistently supported peace, progress, and stability in Nepal and, in keeping with our commitment, provided logistical supplies as per the request from the Government of Nepal for these elections, the statement says. We look forward to working with the new Government of Nepal to further build on the robust multifaceted ties between our two countries and peoples for mutual benefit. 

India and Canada have announced a host of agreements, including a 10-year nuclear energy deal, after their prime ministers met in Delhi to reset ties that plummeted due to diplomatic tensions, BBC reported. 

Narendra Modi and Mark Carney also struck agreement in areas such as technology, critical minerals, space, defence and education.

Carney said they agreed to conclude a free trade deal, years in the making, by the end of 2026. Both countries want to reduce exposure to punitive US trade tariffs, according to BBC. 

India reached the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup with a five-wicket win over West Indies in Sunday's decisive Super Eights match, as Sanju Samson's unbeaten knock of 97 helped them chase down a target of 196 with four balls to spare, Reuters reported. 

Defending champions India, who will play in the semis for the third straight time, will face England in Mumbai on Thursday, a day after South Africa take on New Zealand in the first semi-final.

"It means the whole world to me. Right from the day I started playing, started dreaming to play for the country, I think this is the day I was waiting for," said player-of-the-match Samson, whose 50-ball knock included four sixes and 12 boundaries, according to Reuters. 

A rampant India piled up a record total and handed Zimbabwe a 72‑run shellacking in a Super Eight contest on Thursday to revive their Twenty20 World Cup title defence, Reuters reported. 

Sent in, the hosts blasted 256‑4, the tournament's highest score this year, after Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya smoked blistering half‑centuries.

It rained 17 sixes and as many fours at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium as India's top order feasted on a modest Zimbabwean attack made even blunter by their sloppy catching, according to Reuters. 

Nepal and India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on biodiversity conservation. 

The MoU to this effect was signed in the presence of Minister for Forests and Environment of Nepal, Madhav Prasad Chaualgain, and Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India, Bhupendra Yadav, in New Delhi on Wednesday. 

The MoU was signed by Nepal's Ambassador to India Dr Shankar Prasad Sharma, on behalf of Nepal, and by Tanmay Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, on behalf of India.

Dr Maheshwor Dhakal, spokesperson at the Ministry of Forests said that senior officials from the governments of Nepal and India were present on the occasion. 

Both Nepal and India are signatories to various international treaties on environmental conservation, including biodiversity, under the United Nations.

There are protected areas and biological corridors in the bordering areas of both nations, providing habitat to many wild animals, including elephants, rhinos, and tigers. These wild animals cross the borders freely without hindrances. 

The MoU, therefore, is expected to play a role in enabling both countries to coordinate and cooperate in the protected areas, biodiversity, and wildlife crime control, adopt a shared strategy related to biodiversity, and develop the capacities of personnel working in the field.

Additionally, Minister Chaulagain said that the MoU will support controlling and regulating poaching and illegal trade of wildlife in cross-border areas, conducting research, studies, and monitoring of wildlife, and raising awareness and building capacity at the local level.

The implementation of the MoU is expected to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity in both countries by conducting regular patrols and meetings in the border areas, exchanging experiences and knowledge, developing and expanding good practices, and sharing immediate information related to wildlife and illegal trade.

The MoU states that both countries can exchange wildlife crime-related information with the South Asia Wildlife Law Enforcement Network (SAWEN) to control and regulate international wildlife crimes.

The Ministry and its subordinate Department of Forests and Soil Conservation and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation at the central level, and the relevant provincial Ministry of Forests and Environment, protected areas, and divisional forest offices will coordinate and collaborate at the local level, to implement the said understanding on behalf of Nepal.

The MoU  stipulates that the agreement will be automatically renewed every five years unless a nation provides written information through diplomatic means, and it will be reviewed every three years.

The MoU states that any problems arising during the implementation will be resolved through mutual understanding.

South Africa bulldozed defending champions India by 76 runs on Sunday in their Super Eight Group One clash in the Twenty20 World Cup, underlining their title credentials and sending a strong signal to their rivals, Reuters reported. 

Choosing to bat in a rematch of the 2024 World Cup final, South Africa surged to a commanding 187‑7 following a remarkable recovery from a precarious 20-3.

In reply, tournament co-hosts India's timid top-order faltered swiftly, and their innings never quite escaped the grip of scoreboard pressure. They were bundled out for 111 in 18.5 overs, slipping to their first defeat of the World Cup, according to Reuters. 

India beat the Netherlands by 17 runs in their final Twenty20 World Cup Group A match on Wednesday in Ahmedabad as the co-hosts and defending champions maintained their perfect record heading into the Super Eight stage, Reuters reported. 

After winning the toss and opting to bat, India posted 193-6 on a slow pitch on the back of Shivam Dube's 66 off 31 balls in the middle order while Logan van Beek finished with figures of 3-56.

In response, the already-eliminated Dutch side managed only 176-7 after Varun Chakravarthy picked up three wickets for just 14 runs while Dube also took two wickets to win the player of the match award, according to Reuters. 

In a spectacle dripping with dominance and drama, India delivered a crushing 61-run triumph, bowling Pakistan out for 114 in a second innings that showcased relentless intensity, tactical brilliance and breathtaking athleticism, The Economic Times reported. 

Defending 176, India exploded out of the blocks like a storm, snatching four wickets inside the first five overs to seize total control and silence the chase before it could even gather momentum.

The early destruction was scripted by Hardik Pandya, who opened with a sizzling wicket maiden that instantly tilted the contest. At the other end, Jasprit Bumrah unleashed a masterclass in hostile precision — searing pace, late movement and pinpoint lines that left batters groping and guessing. Pakistan never found rhythm as India’s bowlers circled like hunters sensing victory, according to The Economic Times. 

Indian captain Suryakumar ⁠Yadav said his players ⁠are not concerned about the threat of rain for Sunday’s Twenty20 World Cup clash with Pakistan, adding that the defending champions are focused on preparing for the showdown between ⁠bitter rivals, Aljazeera reported. 

Pakistan had initially boycotted the Group A fixture in Colombo over Bangladesh’s removal from the tournament for refusing to play in India over security concerns, but reversed their decision on Monday.

But weather forecasts have warned ⁠of heavy rain between Sunday afternoon and evening, casting new doubts over the match, according to Aljazeera ​​​​​​.