Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun high-level bilateral talks in New Delhi, with trade, defence, economic cooperation and strategic ties at the centre of the India-Russia agenda. A major highlight of the meeting was Modi's presentation of a Russian translation of the Thirukkural to Putin, bringing Tamil classical literature and India's cultural heritage into the diplomatic engagement. The Thirukkural, comprising 1,330 couplets, added a significant cultural dimension to the leaders' discussions. The talks also focus on an ambitious $100 billion India-Russia bilateral trade target by 2030, with New Delhi seeking greater access to Russian markets and expanded industrial cooperation across sectors including railways and tunnelling. WATCH

Kathy Ruemmler, the influential Chief Legal Officer of Goldman Sachs and former White House counsel under Barack Obama, has stepped down after newly disclosed Justice Department files revealed years of private email exchanges with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The documents show communication between 2014 and 2019, including messages in which Epstein was referred to in strikingly personal terms, “Uncle Jeffrey” and even an “older brother.” Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon accepted her resignation, praising her contributions but acknowledging the growing controversy. Ruemmler stated that the escalating media attention had become a distraction and that stepping aside was in the firm’s best interest. WATCH