PM Modi Raises Indian Seafarers' Safety In Strait Of Hormuz With Iran President

The latest India Today C-Voter Mood of the Nation survey has placed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay at number three in the national Prime Minister preference race, behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. The ranking has triggered friction between the TVK and its ally, the Congress. Two Congress ministers in Tamil Nadu have threatened to resign and withdraw support if TVK does not recognise Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate for 2029. While TVK leaders have projected Vijay as their PM face, MDMK chief Vaiko has supported Congress, even as DMK mocked the pitch.

Ties between India and Russia continue to expand across multiple sectors, yet key challenges persist on strategic and economic fronts. A major point of discussion is the growing bilateral trade deficit, which has widened to over 53 billion dollars despite overall trade crossing 100 billion dollars, primarily driven by India's heavy imports of discounted Russian oil. India seeks greater market access for its exports in Russia alongside ensuring uninterrupted fertilizer supplies for Indian farmers. Strategically, New Delhi navigates discomfort over the deepening alignment between Moscow and Beijing while diversifying its own defence procurement towards Western suppliers. Concurrently, Russia continues to serve as a diplomatic balancer in regional dialogues such as the Russia-India-China process and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar noted that economic cooperation has grown significantly ahead of key summit meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as India maintains its stance advocating dialogue and peace regarding the Ukraine conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek. During the bilateral talks, Moscow expressed readiness to work towards permanent visa-free travel arrangements between Russia and China, while Putin offered condolences over the recent floods in China. The meeting highlights deepening Russia-China ties amid growing Russian economic reliance on Beijing following the Ukraine conflict, particularly in crude oil trade. Meanwhile, a bilateral meeting is scheduled between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin to discuss energy cooperation, crude oil purchases, and Arctic projects, though no meeting is scheduled between Modi and Xi Jinping.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek. The discussions between the two leaders are expected to cover defence, energy, trade, economy, investments, space, and undersea capabilities. The meeting takes place amid global geopolitical turbulence and discussions around an alternative world order, with Washington closely observing the engagement between India and Russia. The strategic partnership between both nations spans wide-ranging areas, continuing India's engagement in the SCO process, which India joined as a permanent member with Russia's support.