US Strikes Mark Escalation in West Africa Counterterrorism

The United States has carried out military strikes against Islamic State (IS) operatives in north-western Nigeria, signalling a sharper turn in Washington’s counterterrorism posture in West Africa. President Donald Trump described the action as “powerful and deadly,” framing it as a response to militant violence and civilian casualties attributed to IS-linked groups operating in the region.

Tripura Strengthens Bonds with Its Global Diaspora

Tripura is preparing to host the second edition of the Prabashi Tripurabasi Summit 2025–26 in Agartala, marking an important initiative to reconnect with natives of the state living outside its geographical boundaries. The summit reflects the state government’s evolving approach to inclusive development by recognising the diaspora as a key partner in Tripura’s social, economic and cultural transformation.

UPI’s Next Challenge: Inclusion Beyond Scale

As the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) approaches a decade of operation, its scale is unprecedented. In November alone, it processed over 20 billion transactions and served nearly 500 million unique users, close to half of India’s addressable population. Yet behind these headline numbers lies a critical policy question: who remains outside the UPI ecosystem, and why?

Anti-Terror Conference 2025 to Strengthen India’s Security Framework

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah will inaugurate the Anti-Terror Conference 2025 on December 26 in New Delhi. The two-day national-level conference is being organised by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and will bring together a wide spectrum of stakeholders involved in India’s counter-terrorism ecosystem.

Panchayat decision and scope

The resolution was adopted by the Sundhamata Patti panchayat of the Chaudhary clan, which exercises informal influence over 15 villages in the Bhinmal–Khanpur belt. Under the diktat, daughters-in-law and young married women are barred from using camera-enabled smartphones at weddings, public functions, neighbourhood visits or community gatherings. They are permitted to use only basic keypad phones for voice calls. The proclamation was publicly announced by panch Himmataram and endorsed by elders present at the meeting.