Friday, 21 August 2026

India Has Political Stability, World Sees It As Bright Spot Of Growth: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Friday that reforms in all spheres are his government's commitment and that India continues to take several steps to ensure continued growth momentum.

Addressing the Economic Times World Leaders Forum, PM Modi also said India has political stability and continuity in its policies, and the world sees the country as a bright spot of growth and hope.

"India continues to take several steps to ensure continued growth momentum. India is pushing ahead with reforms across sectors and reforms are our commitment," he said.

The prime minister said the world has many concerns regarding growth as resources are getting weaponised, but India is being seen as a bright spot of growth.

He said the NDA government has a clear roadmap for reforms, with a strong focus on governance.

"Our government is rewarding higher production with incentives," he said.

PM Modi alleged that it was the policy of the previous regimes to keep people in scarcity, so that they beg before the government for even basic needs.

He said the licence raj of the previous governments used to add to the burden of unemployment, whereas his government's production-linked incentive model is creating opportunities.

"We are not just changing regulations, we are changing the entire policy of regulations. Our government believes that there should be no regulation for doing something that has not been explicitly prohibited under law," he said.

The prime minister said his government is bringing next-generation reforms at the policy level and implementing reforms at the governance level and for ease of living.

"We are moving from the 'prohibited-unless-permitted' approach to the 'permitted-unless-prohibited' model," he said.

PM Modi said India has moved away from the PLP (Production Linked Punishment) model of the previous governments to PLIs (Production Linked Incentives) now.

He said even small reforms in the Indian Railways, the Delhi Metro and the Namo Rapid Rail show that the country is changing with times.

The prime minister said earlier, no one could make India's map without permission even though foreign satellites could map India, but his government has changed this system.

He also said the government has decided that border infrastructure is India's strength and not weakness. "We have changed the picture of our border infrastructure," he said.

Modi said the world's cheapest data is available in India and the country is making the cheapest and best mobile phones. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)



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Thursday, 20 August 2026

Preparations Complete For Imran Khan's Transfer From Jail To Islamabad Hospital

Preparations have been completed for the possible transfer of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, with security tightened around the facility, according to local Pakistani media reports.

A heavy deployment of police and Rangers was reported outside the hospital as authorities finalised arrangements for Khan's possible transfer. Senior police officials also visited the facility to review the security plan.

Khan is expected to enter the hospital through Gate No. 1, according to the reports. Multiple media reports said that security was stepped up on Thursday night as the deadline approached for the transfer of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder for medical treatment under a Supreme Court order.

ALSO READ: Pakistan Government To Challenge SC Order To Move Imran Khan To Private Hospital

Roads around the hospital were cleared of vehicles, while senior Islamabad police officials inspected the arrangements. Pakistani media reported that Khan's sister, Aleema Khanum, also reached Adiala Jail.

The Supreme Court had ordered Khan's transfer to a hospital for treatment for several days and directed the government to arrange weekly meetings between him and his family.

The government subsequently approached the Supreme Court seeking clarification on the scope of the order, arguing that some aspects could have wider implications for the prison healthcare system.

Pakistan Today reported that Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the government had until midnight to implement the transfer order and that the Islamabad administration was working on the arrangements.

In the Senate, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government would ensure that Khan received the treatment required under the court's directive. He said that if the necessary facilities were unavailable at a government hospital, treatment could be arranged at Shifa International Hospital or another better-equipped facility.

ALSO READ: Pakistan Arrests Over 100 Imran Khan Supporters During Nationwide PTI Protests

“There is no intention to oppose or create hurdles in the provision of necessary medical treatment,” the minister said.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja claimed the government had withdrawn its review petition after objections from the court's filing branch and demanded immediate implementation of the order.

PTI Central Information Secretary Waqas Akram, meanwhile, urged supporters not to create obstacles to Khan's treatment, saying his health should take priority over political activity or public gatherings.



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Elon Musk’s X Considers Stablecoin-Based Payments for Influencers and Content Providers

X is reportedly exploring the use of stablecoins such as Circle’s USDC to pay royalties to influencers and content creators, according to CoinDesk. The discussions come as stablecoins gain traction for faster and cheaper cross-border payments. X recently replaced its Revenue Sharing model with the Original Content Rewards Program, while Elon Musk’s SpaceX is already using stablecoins for payments from some Starlink customers. The move could expand stablecoin use across creator payments and digital platforms.

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Wednesday, 19 August 2026

Badminton WC: Sindhu And Ayush Enter Rd Of 16, Lakshya Sen Knocked Out

Badminton World Championships 2026 Highlights: PV Sindhu is in Round of 16, so is Ayush Shetty. However, India had a mixed day at the Badminton World Championships on Wednesday. While Sindhu and Ayush Shetty entered the next round it was curtains for Lakshya Sen. Indian men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the pre-quarterfinals after receiving a walkover in their opening match. Lakshya Sen suffered a shock second-round exit, going down to USA's 18-year-old Garret Tan in a three-game thriller.



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Tuesday, 18 August 2026

Vijay Wants To Shift His Office. BJP Alleges Corruption In Tender Process

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's plan to shift to a new office has landed him in the middle of a raging political controversy, with the Opposition alleging irregularities in the tender process.

Vijay intends to shift the Chief Minister's Office from Fort St. George to Namakkal Kavingar Maaligai in Chennai to provide more workspace for his staff. According to reports, construction is already underway.

Recently, a Rs 5.5-crore tender was floated by the government for the shifting.

Levelling the first-ever corruption allegation against the three-month-old government, the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that the tender had been released a month after construction commenced.

Also read: Shoutout To Gen Z, Warning For Rivals In Vijay's First Independence Day Speech

"In stark contrast to all the tall claims made by the new TVK government about bringing in transparency to the government tender process, a news article by a leading daily today has openly alleged many discrepancies in the tender process in connection with the new chief minister's office for Vijay. The article states that the tender work is worth about Rs 5.5 crores, and that there have been multiple irregularities in the tender process. It has been only 100 days since the TVK government came to power, and already the government is under the scanner," said BJP leader CR Kesavan.

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DMK MLA EV Velu also reacted to the row.

"Shifting his office is his personal choice. We can't interfere in it. Even we are happy in a way with the chief minister shifting his office, as that building was constructed by Kalaignar Karunanidhi. But an Indian newspaper report says there are irregularities in the tender, which was not floated online either. We seek clarification from the government. You speak about purity in tenders. But news reports say the tender has been invited after works began for the office," he said.

Also read: Row Over 3 'Poachers' Shot Dead In Karnataka, Vijay Says They Were Tamils

TVK Reacts

Tamil Nadu minister Aadhav Arjuna has refuted the allegations. 

"The news reports are false," he said.

"The chief minister feels that just like him, everyone else who's working with him should also have a comfortable workspace. His officers and staff are now working in a space that's not even 100 sq ft. That's why we are planning a temporary shift of his office. Our chief minister is naturally down-to-earth and flexible...During campaigns, he'll even be okay with resting in a simple hotel or a van," he added.

He further said that former chief ministers M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa wanted to establish a new secretariat but could not due to political circumstances.

"We have had the same building for over 100 years. The office hasn't changed in consonance with the change in administration. Hence, we need to update it," he added.

He assured that the tender process will be transparent.

"No benami companies will be used. We will ensure no leakage to the government's treasury," he added.



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Monday, 17 August 2026

Ayush Shetty: India's Badminton Star Who Stunned World No. 1 At World C'ships

India's 21-year-old badminton star Ayush Shetty stunned defending champion and World No. 1 Shi Yuqi of China 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in the BWF World Championships 2026 Round of 64 clash. The youngster, who hails from Karkala in Karnataka, looked in sensational form as he came up with brilliant smashes and terrific defence to pull off a stunning win in front of the home crowd in New Delhi. This was his first-ever win over Shi Yuqi after three successive losses, including a straight-game loss in the final of the Asia Badminton Championships earlier this year.

Ayush was off to a flying start with a 21-14 win in the first game and although he dropped the second game, the youngster did not give up. He fought back brilliantly and was able to finish the match in style.

Who is Ayush Shetty?

Shetty found himself in the headlines earlier this year after he became the first Indian men's singles player to reach the Badminton Asia Championships final in 61 years. While he was defeated by Shi Yuqi in the final, he pulled off a brilliant win over Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semi-final. It was a result that truly announced his arrival on the global stage.

He comes from the small town of Sanoor near Karkala in Karnataka and was introduced to badminton at the age of 8 by his father, who coached him in their backyard. The family later relocated to Bengaluru in order to provide proper training to Shetty and under the guidance of coaches at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, he honed his skills.

Shetty's breakthrough came in 2025 when he won the US Open title after beating Brian Yang in straight games. It was his maiden BWF World Tour title. He followed it up with wins over top-10 players like Li Shi Feng and Chi Yu Jen at the Asia Championships.

Earlier, he won the bronze medal at the 2023 World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA, won the Denmark Junior International in 2021, and reached the finals at the Odisha Masters Super 100 (2023), the Bahrain International Challenge (2023), and the Dutch Open (2024).

(With IANS inputs)



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Israel’s Bits of Gold Suffers Data Breach Affecting 200,000 Customers

Israeli crypto brokerage Bits of Gold has disclosed a data breach that potentially exposed personal information belonging to around 200,000 customers. The company said a hacker accessed a third-party data analytics system containing names, national identification numbers, contact details, bank information, IP addresses and public wallet addresses. Bits of Gold said there is no indication that customer funds, private keys, passwords, CVV codes or scanned identity documents were compromised and urged users to remain alert to phishing attempts.

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India Has Political Stability, World Sees It As Bright Spot Of Growth: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Friday that reforms in all spheres are his government's commitment and that India continues to ...