There are many star cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Surya Kumar Yadav, who have dominated the world by crossing the threshold of U-19 World Cup. But there remained many players who performed brilliantly in the Under-19 World Cup, but could not make a place in Team India.
Under-19 World Cup is the entry point for the senior Indian team. There are many star cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Surya Kumar Yadav, who have dominated the world by crossing the threshold of U-19 World Cup. These are such stars, seeing whom the youth move forward, when applause echoes in the stadium, the hopes of every player playing Under-19 skyrocket. Under this burden of expectations, many players remained who performed brilliantly in the Under-19 World Cup, but could not make a place in Team India. Even if some players came, they disappeared after just two-four matches. Among them, there are some players who made the team win by scoring a century in the final, some were the top scorer of the tournament and some performed best with the ball, but due to form, fitness, competition, injury or lack of opportunities, they were left behind.
Great experience of reading news
Scan the QR, download News18 app or click here to continue on the website
Bihar Budget Session Live: Left party MLA raised this serious issue
Vibhutipur MLA Ajay Kumar raised the problem of farmers in the House. He said that black marketing of urea is taking place. They are facing shortage of urea. Crops are getting damaged due to lack of fertilizer. There is also connivance of agricultural officials and workers at the local level in this. Therefore, this serious issue should be given prime attention.
11:41 AM, 06-Feb-2026
Bihar Budget Session Live: What question did BJP MLA Maithili Thakur raise?
BJP MLA Maithili Thakur.
– Photo: Amar Ujala
During the question and answer period, BJP MLA Maithili Thakur from Alinagar Assembly raised the issue related to health in the Assembly. He said that I am not satisfied with the answer given to the question. The minister should review once again. There is no MBBM doctor in the hospital. The buildings are also dilapidated. I myself have inspected there. There is a need for two MBBS doctors. About 40 thousand people from five to seven panchayats are dependent on it. Therefore, the Health Minister should pay attention to this. This is my appeal.
11:32 AM, 06-Feb-2026
Bihar Budget Session Live: Opposition MLAs demonstrated
Opposition MLAs fiercely attacked the Nitish government outside the assembly complex on the issue of farmers. At Portico, the MLAs raised their voice for the farmers with posters in their hands. RJD MLAs said that there is no juggling of figures and no willpower. Farmers have been cheated once again in the current budget. Today an honest farmer is scared and frightened. Despite working hard, farmers are dying of hunger but Nitish government is not paying attention to it.
11:17 AM, 06-Feb-2026
Sanjay Mayukh said – Now the politics of show off has stopped
Legislative Council member Sanjay Mayukh has fiercely attacked the opposition. He said that now the politics of show off has stopped. Therefore, the opposition should not go out and do politics of show off. Nitish Kumar led government does not protect the culprits. Whoever is a criminal here will be punished. Attacking Tejashwi Yadav, he said that he is insulting the people of Bihar. If the Leader of the Opposition has something then he should come to the House and present it. Nothing will be saved by coming out and speaking.
10:57 AM, 06-Feb-2026
Bihar Budget Session Live: Opposition’s demonstration on farmers’ issue; What appeal did BJP MLA Maithili Thakur make?
Today is the fourth day of Bihar Legislative Assembly budget session. Shortlisted and starred questions and their answers will be taken in the Assembly. Health Department Minister Mangal Pandey will give his statement on the attention received from four MLAs including MLA Janak Singh, Manjeet Singh. The Minister of Education Department will give his statement on the attention received from three MLAs including Ajay Kumar Singh, Arun Singh. In the afternoon there will be a general discussion on the income and expenditure for the financial year 2026 to 2027. In the Legislative Council, the Education Minister will answer the questions of the MLC. He will present his views on many issues related to the education department. Here, the opposition MLAs launched a fierce attack against the Nitish government in the assembly premises.
Nearly a quarter of all soup bought in supermarkets contains too much salt, with one brand containing more salt than two McDonald’s cheeseburgers, according to research.
Soup has long had a reputation for being a healthy choice for lunch. The analysis of nearly 500 varieties of tinned and chilled soups sold in supermarkets found that 23% contained too much salt.
Of the 481 soups Action on Salt and Sugar (AoSS) tested, nearly half (48%) of branded soups and 6% of supermarket own-brand soups still exceeded the government’s voluntary salt target of 0.59g per 100g serving.
The saltiest was Soup Head’s Tom Yum soup, with 3.03g in a 300g pack – more than half an adult’s recommended total daily limit and saltier than eating two McDonald’s cheeseburgers. Other high-salt soups included Daylesford Organic minestrone soup (1g per 100g) and Baxters luxury Cullen Skink (0.95g per 100g).
Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke. According to the World Health Organization, just under 2 million deaths a year are linked to eating too much salt.
AoSS found that nearly 90% of Mr Organic soups, just under 70% of Heinz, 40% of Daylesford Organic and 27% of Crosse & Blackwell soups exceeded the voluntary maximum amount of salt in soup.
AoSS calculated that under front-of-pack labelling guidelines, one in six soups would be classified as red for high salt levels, and only 11 soups would be labelled green.
In contrast, every Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose, Co-op, Lidl and Covent Garden soup tested had salt levels at or below the government target.
Sonia Pombo, the head of impact and research at AoSS, said the level of noncompliance with targets showed that government action was needed.
“The UK used to be a world leader on salt reduction, but progress has stalled. Government must get back on the front foot with stronger incentives to drive reformulation, and proper accountability, so the healthier option becomes the default, not the exception.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government is bringing in a modernised food nutrient scoring system, which includes criteria for salt, to improve diets, which has a direct benefit to health.
“We are also restricting advertising of junk food on TV and online, limiting volume price promotions on less healthy foods and introducing mandatory reporting on sales of healthy food – all of which should also impact the salt content of foods.”
Dell Stanford, a senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said reducing salt was a quick and cost-effective way to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, but that as most salt consumed was added to foods before purchase, people had “little ability to reduce their intake through individual choice alone”.
A spokesperson for Veetee, which makes Soup Head’s Tom Yum soup, said: “We will continue to assess opportunities to reduce salt and improve nutritional profiles across our range as part of our broader, long-term approach to health and wellbeing.”
A Heinz spokesperson said: “We’ve been reducing the amount of salt in our products since the mid-1980s … Reducing sodium without compromising on taste and quality is a complex process and there’s still work to be done.”
A spokesperson for Mr Organic said: “Over the past five months, we have already been working behind the scenes on recipe development to reduce salt across our soup range … We know there are still very limited options available that focus on lower salt, and we see this as an important opportunity and responsibility for us as a brand.”
Daylesford Organic said: “The salt content figure of 1g per 100g for Daylesford minestrone soup cited in this report was based on a packaging misprint that has been independently verified as incorrect. Laboratory analysis confirms the actual salt content is 0.67g per 100g – 33% lower than reported. Corrected packaging is already in production. We regret this error and are committed to accurate nutritional labelling.”
Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, the assistant director of food at the British Retail Consortium, said: “The retail industry is fully committed to helping improve the health of their customers, with the report showing that retailers are leading the way on product reformulation.
“It is, of course, important to strike a balance between diminishing salt levels while also retaining the quality and taste which consumers expect. The clear labelling on packaging ensures that consumers are fully aware of the salt content in the products they buy.”
A spokesperson for Baxters Food Group said: “We produce many soup products that fall well within the guidelines for salt content. The quality of our ingredients is fundamental to our business and all our soups are free from artificial colourings, flavourings and preservatives.”
Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf Thursday, accusing them of smuggling fuel and detaining 15 foreign crew members ahead of high-stakes U.S.–Iran talks Friday in Oman.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said it intercepted the two ships near Farsi Island, claiming they were carrying about 1 million liters of smuggled fuel, Reuters reported.
The crews, made up of 15 foreign nationals, were taken into custody and referred to Iran’s judicial authorities, according to Iranian state media.
Iran seized two oil tankers Thursday while former Iranian Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami threatened to make the Strait of Hormuz a “massacre and hell” for U.S. forces.(Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)
The IRGC alleged the vessels were part of an organized fuel-smuggling network that had been operating in the region for several months.
Iranian officials said the ships were identified through intelligence monitoring and seized during coordinated naval operations in the Persian Gulf, a vital artery for global energy markets.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Iranian authorities framed the operation as a significant blow to illegal fuel trafficking, though they did not immediately disclose the vessels’ nationalities or destinations.
Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf Thursday allegedly carrying 1 million liters of smuggled fuel.(Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)
The seizures come as Iranian rhetoric toward the U.S. has grown hostile.
Ezzatollah Zarghami, a former Iranian minister and ex–state broadcaster chief, issued a warning, threatening violence in the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and petroleum product consumption passes.
“I am sure that the Strait of Hormuz will be the place of massacre and hell for the U.S.,” Zarghami said Thursday.
“Iran will show that the Strait of Hormuz has historically belonged to Iran. The only thing the Americans can think of is playing with their vessels and moving them from one place to another.”
Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Oman Friday.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Zarghami later repeated the threat, calling the Strait a potential “killing field” for American forces and signaling Iran’s willingness to escalate amid mounting regional pressure.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Thursday that Friday’s talks were still on, stating “diplomacy is always [Trump’s] first option.”
Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.
The weather has once again taken a turn in Uttarakhand. The effect of weather is clearly visible from the mountains to the plains. Visibility has reduced significantly due to dense fog in the plains of the state, due to which people are facing problems in commuting in the morning and late night. At the same time, the Meteorological Department has issued an alert regarding rain and snowfall in five districts of the state.
According to the Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of snowfall in high altitude areas along with light to moderate rain in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Nainital districts. Due to changing weather, there is a possibility of increase in cold in the hilly areas, due to which normal life may be affected.
Slow speed of vehicles due to dense fog
Due to dense fog in the plains in the morning, the speed of vehicles on the roads has slowed down. The risk of accidents has increased especially on national highways and rural roads due to low visibility. At many places, drivers have to drive with headlights on.
The Meteorological Department has advised people to remain alert. Those traveling in hilly areas have been appealed to travel only after getting the latest information about the weather. Necessary precautions have been asked to be taken in view of the possibility of road blockage in case of snowfall.
District administration issued alert
In view of possible weather conditions, the district administration is also on alert mode. Officials of the concerned districts have been instructed to take precautions and deal with any emergency. The disaster management department has also been asked to remain active so that quick relief and rescue work can be done if needed.
Season Experts say that the cold may increase further in the mountains in the coming days, while the effect of fog is likely to continue in the plains. In such a situation, people have been appealed to be cautious and avoid unnecessary travel.
After the formation of the new government in Manipur, the situation has once again become tense. Some tribal organizations are angry with the involvement of two MLAs in the government formation process in Churachandpur district of the state. In protest against this, a complete bandh was announced on Friday. Due to this bandh, life in the Kuki-dominated district is completely affected. Strict security arrangements have been made in the district.
Tribal organizations called bandh
Kuki Students Organization had announced a 24-hour bandh from Friday midnight. At the same time, another organization ‘Joint Forum of Seven’ also called for a bandh from 6 am to 6 pm. Due to the bandh, markets remained completely closed and vehicles did not ply on the roads. Very few people also reached government offices and schools. The maximum impact of the bandh was seen in Tuibong area of the district headquarters. In view of the tension in the district, additional security forces have been deployed at important places. On Friday morning, people supporting the bandh came out on the streets with sticks in their hands. Meanwhile, Kuki Women’s Human Rights Organization has also announced a big rally on Friday afternoon to protest against the MLAs.
There was a clash a day ago
Earlier on Thursday evening, there was a clash between the crowd and security forces near Tuibong Forest Gate. The mob threw stones at the security forces, following which lathicharge and tear gas shells were used to disperse them. The clash continued till 3 am on Friday, in which two protesters were reported injured.
Why did this controversy start?
This entire controversy started when MLAs N Sanate and LM Khaute had reached Imphal on Wednesday. He was part of the NDA team that staked claim to form the government. Both these MLAs along with Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen had also participated virtually in the assembly session on Thursday. Some organizations are angry about this.
At the same time, the Indigenous Tribes Advocacy Committee has warned. The committee has said that any attempt to intimidate MLA N Sanate or damage his property will be considered an insult to the tribals of Pherjawal and Jiribam districts. The committee also said that this incident should not lead to enmity between the Hmar, Kuki and Zomi tribes.
Stock market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty continued to trade lower on Friday after the RBI decided to pause on the policy rate front, with IT heavyweights facing selling pressure amid weak trend in the US equities.
Fresh foreign fund outflows also dented investors’ sentiment.
Extending its previous day’s decline, the 30-share BSE Sensex further edged lower by 368.37 points to 82,945.56 in morning trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 146.7 points to 25,496.10.
After a 25 basis point rate cut in December, the RBI on Friday decided to pause on the policy rate front amid geopolitical uncertainties.
This is the first monetary policy review after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Budget for financial year 2026-27.
Announcing the sixth and final bi-monthly monetary policy for the current fiscal year, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to retain short-term lending rate or repo rate at 5.25 per cent with a neutral stance.
“RBI’s monetary policy came exactly on expected lines with no change in rates, and stance kept unchanged at neutral,” VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Ltd, said.
From the Sensex firms, Tata Consultancy Services, Tech Mahindra, Trent, State Bank of India, Bharat Electronics, Tata Steel, Asian Paints and Infosys were among the major laggards.
ITC, Bajaj Finance, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Power Grid were among the gainers.
In Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi traded nearly 3 per cent lower and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index declined over 1 per cent. while Japan’s Nikkei 225 index and Shanghai’s SSE Composite index quoted higher.
US markets ended lower on Thursday. The Nasdaq Composite index tumbled 1.59 per cent, the S&P 500 declined 1.23 per cent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.20 per cent.
“Global equity markets are trading with a pronounced risk-off bias following sharp losses in the overnight US session. Weakness in global technology stocks and commodities continues to weigh on sentiment, with selling pressure extending into Asian markets,” Ponmudi R, CEO of Enrich Money, an online trading and wealth tech firm, said.
The ongoing correction in global technology names reflects a combination of stretched valuations, rising AI-related cost concerns, and muted investor response to recent big-tech earnings and outlooks, he added.
Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth Rs 2,150.51 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, climbed 0.44 per cent to USD 67.92 per barrel.
On Thursday, the Sensex dropped 503.76 points, or 0.60 per cent, to settle at 83,313.93. The Nifty declined 133.20 points or 0.52 per cent to end at 25,642.80.
Western leaders were bullish when they imposed sanctions on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“The Russian economy is on track to be cut in half,” said the then US president, Joe Biden, in March, a month into the war.
“It was ranked the 11th biggest economy in the world before this invasion – and soon it will not even rank among the top 20.”
His prediction was off the mark. After the immediate shock of sanctions in 2022, Russia’s military spending surged and the economy boomed.
Rather than falling out of the top 20, Russia was the world’s ninth biggest economy as of 2025, overtaking Canada and Brazil to rank just behind Italy, France and the UK.
But further climbs now seem unlikely. In 2026, there are clear signs that the Russian economy is finally running aground.
While the dramatic collapse envisaged by the west may be off the cards, the Kremlin faces its most precarious economic position since its tanks first rolled into Ukraine.
Guardian graphic. Source: Russian Federal State Statistics Service
Growth has slowed to a crawl amid falling oil prices – a key source of government revenue – and long-term demographic pressures that high defence spending previously masked.
To bridge the fiscal gap, ordinary Russians face tax hikes and a state that has been rewired for war, with funding for welfare, education and healthcare crowded out.
Guardian graphic. Source: 2025 figures taken from How resilient is Russia’s economy after four years of war?, Marek Dabrowski, Dec 2025. 2021 figures taken from Russan ministry of finance. Figures for both years represent planned spending
Meanwhile, trade with key allies has become more muted, corporate bankruptcies are rising and labour shortages are severe.
How the malaise will affect the conflict in Ukraine is, experts say, dependent on Russia’s recent macroeconomic manoeuvres – and whether global events continue to drive down oil prices.
Growth downgrade as oil revenues dry up
The current outlook is unfavourable. In January the International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded its growth forecasts for Russia to an estimate of just 0.6% in 2025 and 0.8% in 2026.
Outside the pandemic years of 2020-22, these are the lowest annual growth rates for Russia since a recession caused by sanctions over the 2014 annexation of Crimea.
They are also lower than the IMF’s forecasts for economies in the west.
This loss in economic momentum comes at the same time as falling oil and gas revenues – a key underpinning of Russia’s war machine.
In 2022 the tax take from fossil fuels made up about 40% of funding in the Russian federal budget, more than enough to pay for the war.
But preliminary estimates for the first three-quarters of 2025 show this share has dropped to 25%.
Falling prices are partly behind this – the price of Ural oil has dropped from about $90 (£66) a barrel in early 2022 to $50 a barrel by the end of 2025 – amid a global glut of oil supply.
But the west’s sanctions are playing a role too, despite Russia’s efforts to find new buyers.
China, India and to a lesser extent Turkey all increased their purchases in the wake of the invasion, as exports to Europe fell off sharply.
But as of 2026, their combined business pales in comparison with how much the countries that imposed sanctions were buying on the eve of war.
Isaac Levi, a policy analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, said: “Russia’s fossil fuel export earnings in 2025 were 13% below prewar levels, squeezed by tougher sanctions, Ukraine’s drone strikes on energy infrastructure, the struggle to find new markets for its gas exports, and lower global oil prices.
“These pressures are steadily draining the revenues Moscow relies on to bankroll its war – but Ukraine’s allies must go further to fully constrain the Kremlin’s war chest.
“Targeting Russia’s shadow fleet, including detaining flagless vessels, would sharply constrain its oil export volumes as well as its earnings.”
Long-term pressures still not solved
Vladimir Putin’s problems with oil may be just a temporary setback, particularly if oil prices begin to recover in 2026.
But there are also long-term demographic pressures that are now biting the Russian economy hard.
The Russian population has fallen consistently since 2019, from 145.5 million to 143.5 million in 2024.
A combination of falling fertility rates, casualties of the war and emigration are to blame.
Although western countries have seen similar falls in their fertility rates, they have not been as large, and immigration has helped keep populations rising.
Guardian graphic. Source: World Bank except Germany, which is taken from Our World in Data
“Russia doesn’t have the potential for rapid growth,” said Dr Marek Dabrowski, a fellow at the Brussels-based thinktank Bruegel.
“The war-related business climate is, of course, part of the story, but the major story here is the long-term demographics. It hasn’t changed.”
This means labour shortages are now commonplace in Russia – a fact that experts say can be seen in its unusually low unemployment rate of just 2%.
The Kremlin has sought to shore up its fiscal position with several hefty tax rises.
In 2025 it increased corporation tax from 20% to 25%, and introduced higher income tax bands.
In addition, a rise in VAT came into force at the beginning of 2026 – from 20% to 22%, which is higher than in the US, the UK, France or Germany.
Though the Russian government has exempted some essential goods, the VAT hike comes on top of persistent inflation in Russia that has driven up the price of basics.
While much has been made of the impact of the war on inflation in the west, Russia has experienced far higher inflation for longer.
Efforts to combat this inflation have only added to the slowdown.
Dr Vladislav Inozemtsev, an economist and co-founder of the Centre for Analysis and Strategies in Europe thinktank, said: “There is an irresponsible policy conducted by the central bank and the finance ministry that started to ‘cool the economy off’ in 2023 for fighting inflation.
“For this, the central bank has raised its key rate up to 21%, the government abandoned its subsidised mortgage programme, and the banks started to cut loans and increase rates, most of which were not fixed but floating.
“Why the Kremlin was supportive of such a policy is kind of a riddle for me.”
Optimism softening as military spending slows
There are signs this economic hardship is taking a toll on the morale of ordinary Russians.
According to polling conducted in Russia by Gallup, the invasion of Ukraine initially increased optimism about the economy in Russia, amid the wartime boom.
In July 2021, most Russians believed the economy was getting worse, but in November 2022 this situation had reversed, with most believing conditions were getting better.
Yet as of August 2025, this optimism has softened, with 39% of Russians saying economic conditions are getting worse, up from 29% in 2022.
Jul 2021
Russia invades Ukraine in Feb 2022
Guardian graphic. Source: Gallup. Responses to the question: ‘Right now, do you think that economic conditions in the city or area where you live, as a whole, are getting better or getting worse?”. ‘Don’t knows’ are represented by white space.
The key question for Ukraine is whether Russia will be able to maintain its surge in military expenditure.
Over the course of the war, Russian military expenditure as a share of GDP has doubled to more than 7%.
That is twice as high as the US’s spending of 3.4% of its GDP, and higher than any individual member of Nato.
But the rise in spending in the first few years of war has now slowed, with only a 0.1 percentage point increase between 2024 and 2025.
However, Russia is in a unique position when it comes to options for maintaining its war chest.
Borrowing is possible because Russia has a relatively low stock of debt – though access to international markets has been cut since the invasion and subsequent sanctions – and taxes could be raised again.
And much is dependent on what happens to oil. Further falls in prices may mean increased precariousness, but equally, rises might mean stabilisation.
Experts therefore conclude that Russia should be able to keep paying for the war, at least in the short term.
“Putin will encourage the central bank to print money; he will continue to raise taxes, sell state property and nationalise business corporations,” said Inozemtsev.
“This will allow him to get enough money to wage the war for 2026, and, most probably, for 2027.”
There is also the question of whether growing economic discontent in Russia will translate into growing political discontent.
But in the last few weeks, there is evidence the Kremlin’s thinking has changed.
Russia has agreed to peace talks with Ukraine for the first time in months, with meetings led by the US taking place in Abu Dhabi this week.
For Ukraine’s negotiators, a key factor is now in play: Russia’s war economy is showing signs of weakness, and cannot last for ever.
president of france Emmanuel Macron Coming to India in the third week of February. He is expected to attend the AI Summit to be held in New Delhi on February 18. Preparations have started for the visit of the French President. The visit of the French President to India is very special for the Indian defense sector. In this visit of Macron, the proposal for purchase of Rafale is also included in the bilateral talks between India and France. In this deal, 114 Rafale fighter planes are to be purchased for the Indian Air Force, in which about Rs 3.25 lakh crore is to be spent.
According to news agency ANI, India’s Defense Procurement Board has already given preliminary consent to the proposal last month, which is likely to be discussed in the high level meeting of the Defense Minister of India next week. This deal is being considered very important in terms of the needs and operations of the Indian Air Force in view of the current security situation.
How many Rafales does India have now?
The timing of discussing the purchase of Rafale aircraft from France is very important. At present there are about 30 fighter squadrons in the Indian Air Force fleet, which is much less than its sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons. Defense experts point to the growing strategic and military alliance between Bangladesh and China, as well as between Pakistan and China, as a factor increasing India’s regional security concerns.
Why is Rafale special?
Rafale project is very special for the Indian Air Force. India’s offensive air power will increase with the availability of multirole fighter aircraft with more than 4.5 generation power. There was a shortage of lethal fighter planes in the Air Force for a long time, which will be fulfilled by this deal with Rafale. According to the proposal, as part of efforts to boost defense production in India, 80 percent of the 114 Rafale aircraft are to be manufactured in India.
Indian Air Force will have 150 Rafale in its fleet.
According to sources, Indian Air Force will buy 88 single seater and 26 twin seater aircraft. Most of the production will be done by French manufacturing company The Salt and Indian private sector company, which will be done in India only. After completion of the deal, the number of aircraft in the Rafale fleet of the Indian Air Force will increase to approximately 150.
Rafale worsened Pakistan’s condition in Operation Sindoor
114 Rafale deal is also special in this sense, because operation vermilion It had performed brilliantly during. During this period, due to accurate attacks by India, Pakistan was forced to surrender. Rafale is a 4.5 generation fighter jet, which is considered much better than the Pakistani JF-17. Not only this, there are 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in the Indian Air Force fleet, while the Navy has also ordered new variants for 36 Rafales.
New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie suggested Vice President JD Vance‘s mother was right to have attempted to sell him for drugs in a Bluesky post on Wednesday.
In a series of comments on the left-wing platform, Bouie criticized Vance for a recent interview with the Daily Mail where he declined to apologize to Minnesota shooting victim Alex Pretti‘s family after accusing him of showing up with “ill intent” at an immigration enforcement protest.
“[T]his is a wicked man who knows he is being wicked and does it anyway,” Bouie wrote.
He added, “like, do you see that smirk? that brief ‘ain’t i a stinker’ grin? beneath contempt.”
New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie insulted Vice President JD Vance in a series of Bluesky posts.(Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bouie also responded to a comment calling Vance “pompous” while musing “No wonder his mom tried to sell him for Percocets.”
“[I] can’t imagine a parent who wouldn’t sell little JD for percocet if they knew he would turn out like this,” Bouie remarked.
He added, “to be a bit serious one irony of vance’s life is that he is also an addict: addicted to power and clearly willing to sell anything to get it.”
Fox News Digital reached out to The New York Times and Vance’s office for comment.
Vance has frequently discussed his mother, Beverly Aikins, and her history of addiction during his childhood.
Jamelle Bouie agreed with a post suggesting “no wonder” JD Vance’s mother “tried to sell him for Percocets.”(Shawn Thew/Reuters)
Aikins’ addiction began with a legitimate prescription for medication, but led to her stealing drugs from her patients, as detailed in his bestselling book, “Hillbilly Elegy.”
Throughout the book, Vance detailed remaining committed to her recovery.
“I knew that a mother could love her son despite the grip of addiction,” he wrote. “I knew that my family loved me, even when they struggled to take care of themselves.”
In April 2025, Vance led a celebration at the White House in honor of his mother achieving a decade of sobriety.
Vice President JD Vance celebrated his mother, Beverly Aikins, for a decade of sobriety.(White House office)
