The day marking the triumph in the Great Patriotic War is one of Russia’s most revered holidays Military parades and other ceremonial events paying tribute to the valor and sacrifice of the…
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FDA To Ramp Up Unannounced Inspections At Foreign Facilities
FDA To Ramp Up Unannounced Inspections At Foreign Facilities Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be conducting more unannounced inspections…
North Korea holds ‘nuclear counterattack’ drills (PHOTOS)
Kim Jong-un personally inspected the operational reliability of the “nuclear trigger” system North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen a military exercise simulating a nuclear counterattack, according to the Korean Central News…
President Trump Announces Move of Ed Martin to DOJ Weaponization Investigation Working Group
As anticipated, President Trump has moved Acting USAO Ed Martin to an internal position within Main Justice where he will oversee a review of the Dept of Justice weaponization efforts that took…
Tesla Tantrums: Consumer Choices In The Age Of Performative Ethics
Tesla Tantrums: Consumer Choices In The Age Of Performative Ethics Authored by Patrick Keeney via The Epoch Times, The French have an apt expression for those vexing moments when, having exited a…
Off The Rails: Amtrak Slashes 20% Of Management In $100 Million Savings
Off The Rails: Amtrak Slashes 20% Of Management In $100 Million Savings Amtrak is cutting roughly 20% of its senior management positions, aiming to reduce expenses amid uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s…
President Trump Announces the Appointment of Judge Jeanine Pirro to be U.S. Attorney for Washington, DC
VIA TRUTH SOCIAL: – “I am pleased to announce that Judge Jeanine Pirro will be appointed interim United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Jeanine was Assistant District Attorney for Westchester…
Hyperbole, Lies, And Delusions
Hyperbole, Lies, And Delusions Authored by Richard Porter via RealClearWire.com, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s speech in New Hampshire last week was greeted by the media as yet another stirring call to arms for…
Washington Should Take Efficiency Seriously
Washington Should Take Efficiency Seriously Authored by Nancy Brinker via RealClearPolitics, DOGE is saving billions and it’s doing what voters asked for. As someone who has represented the United States abroad, first…
Ontario To Debut World’s First Small Modular Reactor, GE Predicts
Ontario To Debut World’s First Small Modular Reactor, GE Predicts The world of nuclear energy and small modular reactors – which we believe is the next obvious secular bull market in energy…
Executive Orders By President In The First 100 Days
Executive Orders By President In The First 100 Days As of just 100 days into his term, Trump had already signed 130 executive orders—more than some presidents issued over their entire time…
Trump calls for ‘unconditional ceasefire’ in Ukraine
The US president urges a longer truce amid Kiev’s reported refusal to observe even a 72-hour pause unilaterally declared by Moscow US President Donald Trump expressed hope that Moscow and Kiev would…
President Trump Announces U.S-U.K Trade Deal – 10:00am EST Livestream
President Trump is scheduled to announce the first negotiated trade deal in the global trade reset with the United States. The deal is between the U.K and the USA, which is interesting…
Bessent Fumes Over “Missed Opportunity” After Democrats Block Stablecoin Bill
Bessent Fumes Over “Missed Opportunity” After Democrats Block Stablecoin Bill Treasury Secretay Scott Bessent slammed Senate Democrats on Thursday for nuking a stablecoin bill that they began stalling on earlier in the week….
(None Dare Call It) Treason Of The Judiciary
(None Dare Call It) Treason Of The Judiciary Authored by Frank Miele via RealClearWire.com, Thursday, April 24, was a day like any other day – the sun came up, the sun went…
The First American Pope – Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost Elected to Become Pope Leo XIV
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from Chicago has been selected by the papal conclave to become the next pope. Cardinal Prevost was created by Pope Francis in 2023. As the new Bishop of…
Republican Senators Defeat Nomination of Ed Martin, President Trump will Replace
Unfortunately, there is a toxic stew in Washington DC that too few understand. The events today transpire just as many Trump supporters begin to realize the unfortunate outcomes of nominating unserious people…
Trump Urges GOP To Raise Taxes On The Wealthy To Fund Economic Agenda: Report
Trump Urges GOP To Raise Taxes On The Wealthy To Fund Economic Agenda: Report President Donald Trump is urging Republican lawmakers to raise taxes on some of the wealthiest Americans as part…
Vance: US-Iran Talks Are ‘On the Right Pathway’
Vance: US-Iran Talks Are ‘On the Right Pathway’ Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com, Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that negotiations between the US and Iran are “on the right…
Trump says will ask China to help with Ukraine conflict resolution
“It’s a natural thing to ask,” the US president has stated US President Donald Trump has admitted he could be seeking Beijing’s aid in his efforts to facilitate a peace process between…
Ukraine ready for immediate ceasefire – Zelensky
The Ukrainian leader has called for the hostilities to be stopped for at least 30 days after a phone call with US President Donald Trump Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that…
German companies assume responsibility for Nazi rise to power
Almost 50 of the nation’s biggest enterprises have signed an open letter on the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazism Dozens of Germany’s most prominent enterprises have assumed responsibility for allowing…
Senator Urges DOJ To Investigate Anonymous Pizza Deliveries To Judges
Senator Urges DOJ To Investigate Anonymous Pizza Deliveries To Judges Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times, The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee is urging federal officials to investigate…
US, Russia Discussing Restoring Gas Flows To Europe As Key To Grand Ukraine Deal
US, Russia Discussing Restoring Gas Flows To Europe As Key To Grand Ukraine Deal The Trump administration is pushing forward with seeking to forge a peace deal in Ukraine, despite recent warnings…
Rent Or Buy A Home? Californians Increasingly Have No Choice
Rent Or Buy A Home? Californians Increasingly Have No Choice Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times, California is home to some of the widest gaps between mortgage payments and rental…
Ukraine’s debt doubles in three years – finance minister
Kiev will not be able to repay its foreign creditors within the next 30 years, Sergey Marchenko has said Ukraine will be unable to repay its foreign creditors in the next 30…
Need More Proof That Polls Showing Trump Underwater Are Bogus?
Need More Proof That Polls Showing Trump Underwater Are Bogus? Authored by Matt Margolis via PJMedia.com, While the corporate media keeps pushing the narrative that Donald Trump’s approval ratings are sinking, we’ve…
US and Russia discuss restarting gas flows to EU – Reuters
Bilateral talks to end the Ukraine conflict reportedly touched on resuming Russian energy exports to the bloc Moscow and Washington have held discussions about resuming Russian natural gas exports to the EU,…
Markets Soar As Trump Says “Better Go Buy Stocks Now”
Markets Soar As Trump Says “Better Go Buy Stocks Now” While commenting to reporters after signing the first (of many) trade deal with the UK, President Trump told Americans that they “better…
Bitcoin Retakes $100,000; StanChart Sees New Record High Imminent
Bitcoin Retakes $100,000; StanChart Sees New Record High Imminent Bitcoin just topped $100,000 for the first time since early February… And Standard Chartered’s Geoffrey Kendrick thinks a fresh all-time high for Bitcoin…
Trump Admin Invokes State Secrets Privilege In Abrego Garcia’s Case
Trump Admin Invokes State Secrets Privilege In Abrego Garcia’s Case Authored by Sam Dorman via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump’s administration has invoked the state secrets privilege as a federal court…
Google Dismisses Reports Of Slowing Search Growth On Apple Devices
Google Dismisses Reports Of Slowing Search Growth On Apple Devices Google issued a statement overnight addressing a wave of press coverage on Wednesday, highlighting declining search traffic on Apple devices. The response…
New Pope Elected As White Smoke Billows From Vatican
New Pope Elected As White Smoke Billows From Vatican We have a new pope, folks. White smoke puffed from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, indicating that 133 cardinals who…
US planning new thermonuclear bomb production
B61-13 air-dropped munitions are expected to be in full production later this year The US is planning to launch the first production of its newest thermonuclear gravity bomb variant next month, according…
GOP Fiscal Hawks Dig In, Insist Megabill ‘Must Not Add To The Deficit’ To Avoid $50 Trillion Debt By 2035
GOP Fiscal Hawks Dig In, Insist Megabill ‘Must Not Add To The Deficit’ To Avoid $50 Trillion Debt By 2035 A bloc of 32 House Republicans is pressuring their party’s leadership to…
“Gates Is A Huge Liar”: Musk Hits Back After Bill Gates Claims DOGE ‘Killing World’s Poorest Children’
“Gates Is A Huge Liar”: Musk Hits Back After Bill Gates Claims DOGE ‘Killing World’s Poorest Children’ Update (1257ET): Elon Musk responded to Gates on Thursday, saying “Gates is a huge liar”…
Putin and Xi make progress on key gas pipeline – deputy PM
Russia and China want to expedite work on Power of Siberia 2, Aleksandr Novak has said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed to speed up the…
Putin, Xi talks lasted 7 hours — TASS
The two leaders have signed dozens of cooperation documents covering a wide range of areas following the talks Russia and China have signed nearly three dozen agreements following negotiations between presidents Vladimir…
The Two Catalysts Driving The Next Great Monetary Reset
The Two Catalysts Driving The Next Great Monetary Reset Authored by Nick Giambruno via InternationalMan.com, All of this points to something big on the horizon, driven by two key catalysts. We’re entering…
Russian exports to US rise sharply – media
Bilateral trade between the countries jumped 50% from February to March, according to RIA Novosti Russia and the US posted a 50% month-over-month uptick in bilateral trade in March, RIA Novosti reported…
New Pope elected
White smoke has been seen above the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican on the second day of the conclave White smoke has come pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney at the…
Trump announces upcoming talks with Zelensky
The Ukrainian parliament has ratified the minerals deal between Washington and Kiev, the US president has confirmed US President Donald Trump has announced that he plans to talk with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky…
‘Father of neoliberalism’ dies aged 88
Joseph Nye introduced the term ‘soft power’ in international relations US political scientist Joseph Nye, who co-authored the international relations theory of neoliberalism together with Robert Keohane and coined the term “soft…
Western firms quietly returning to Russia – Putin aide
A trend has emerged but there is “no publicity” around it, Kirill Dmitriev has said Foreign businesses that left Russia three years ago are quietly returning to the country’s market, President Vladimir…
Xi, Putin Embrace In Moscow, Vow To ‘Defend Multipolar World Order’ & Counter ‘Neo-Nazism & Militarism’
Xi, Putin Embrace In Moscow, Vow To ‘Defend Multipolar World Order’ & Counter ‘Neo-Nazism & Militarism’ Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin put on a big show Thursday as…
Global Growth Bellwether Maersk Slashes Container Market Outlook
Global Growth Bellwether Maersk Slashes Container Market Outlook Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk posted solid first-quarter growth but issued a stark warning, slashing its 2025 outlook for the global transport market amid…
Ukraine considers ditching dollar as reference currency – central bank chief
Comments on potential changeover come as Kiev places hopes on faster EU accession Kiev is considering a switch from the US dollar to the euro as its reference currency, the head of…
Black Smoke All Over
Black Smoke All Over By Michael Every of Rabobank We got black smoke from the Vatican and the Fed yesterday showing no new Pope and no rate cut. Yet in both cases,…
Fyodor Lukyanov: The West is dismantling the foundations of 1945
Why the cracks in the World War II settlement threaten global stability Eighty years is a long time. Over such a span, the world changes almost beyond recognition, and events that once…
Russia probing WWII memorial vandalism in Baltics and Eastern Europe
Authorities in Moscow are investigating more than 160 incidents of desecration of Soviet war graves and monuments abroad Russia has said it is conducting a criminal probe into the desecration and destruction…
AI is a perfect storm threatening humanity
Artificial intelligence may bring about the end of the world as we know it – but not in the way most would expect The global economy was already navigating a minefield of…
Futures, Global Markets Jump On Trump Trade Deal With UK
Futures, Global Markets Jump On Trump Trade Deal With UK US equity futures storm higher, and are back to their post-Liberation Day highs on positive trade news (Imminent “comprehensive” trade agreement with…
Goodwill Gesture Before Trade Talks? China Airlines Places Order For 14 Boeing 777 Jets
Goodwill Gesture Before Trade Talks? China Airlines Places Order For 14 Boeing 777 Jets Just two days before U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to meet his Chinese counterpart for the…
Slovak PM accuses EU country of trying to thwart his Moscow visit
Estonia’s actions are “extremely disruptive,” Robert Fico has said Slovak Prime Minister Rober Fico has accused the government of fellow EU member-state Estonia of trying to thwart his visit to Moscow for…
Pakistan Says It Killed Up To 50 Indian Soldiers In Fresh Border Clashes
Pakistan Says It Killed Up To 50 Indian Soldiers In Fresh Border Clashes In the latest developments along the war-ready Indian-Pakistan border, the Pakistani military says it has downed 25 Indian drones over…
Initial Jobless Claims Refuse To Weaken In Face Of CEO Dissonance
Initial Jobless Claims Refuse To Weaken In Face Of CEO Dissonance So, are CEOs all talk? After a brief spike last week, initial jobless claims are back in their four year range…
In ‘Divided’ Decision, BoE Cuts Rates, Plays Down Tariff Fears; Trump Trounces “FOOL” Powell For No Fed Cut
In ‘Divided’ Decision, BoE Cuts Rates, Plays Down Tariff Fears; Trump Trounces “FOOL” Powell For No Fed Cut Ahead of an expected trade deal between US and UK, the Bank of England…
Berlin bans Soviet flags on 80th anniversary of Nazi defeat
The Russian embassy has condemned the ban as discriminatory and revisionist A Berlin court has upheld a ban on displaying Soviet flags and symbols at World War II memorials during the city’s…
Air defense systems in Pakistan neutralized – India
New Delhi says it has hit radars and drones in various locations in response to cross-border attacks launched by Islamabad India has attacked air defense systems in various locations throughout Pakistan in…
Poland drops demand for WW2 compensation from Germany
Warsaw will instead focus on building a “safe future” with Berlin, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said Poland will no longer demand reparations from Berlin for the crimes committed by the Nazis…
India Is China 2.0
India Is China 2.0 Authored by Spencer Morrison via American Greatness, India is taking President Trump up on his offer for reciprocal free trade, proposing zero-for-zero tariffs on specific goods like pharmaceuticals, steel, and…
Trump To Reveal “Major Trade Deal” Between US-UK
Trump To Reveal “Major Trade Deal” Between US-UK Yet another signal that the trade war has hit its peak came overnight, as President Trump took to Truth Social to tease a “big…
Interior Secretary Warns U.S. At Risk Of Spain-Style Blackouts
Interior Secretary Warns U.S. At Risk Of Spain-Style Blackouts Interior Secretary Doug Burgum warned the United States is at risk of suffering from blackouts that recently brought most of Spain to a…
Russia and China to fight ‘coercion’ on world stage – Xi
The two countries bear a “special responsibility” before the international community, the Chinese president has said Beijing and Moscow have a duty to oppose unilateralism and coercion on the world stage, Chinese…
Ukrainian cross border incursions thwarted during Victory Day truce – Russia
Kiev’s forces have not stopped their attacks despite a 72-hour ceasefire announced by Moscow, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said Two attempts by Ukrainian forces to cross the border into Russia’s…
Digital Euro: ECB Launches Charm Offensive
Digital Euro: ECB Launches Charm Offensive Submitted by Thomas Kolbe, The European Central Bank (ECB) is pushing ahead with the “Digital Euro” project. On a new interaction platform, it is seeking dialogue…
The long-forgotten concert that helped defeat Hitler – and it didn’t happen in Moscow
While the Red Army was bringing the victory closer, the famous music manifesto of resistance against Nazism was performed in South Africa As the world celebrates the 80th anniversary of the defeat…
Thousands Of Unexploded Israeli Bombs In Gaza Provide Hamas With Weapons
Thousands Of Unexploded Israeli Bombs In Gaza Provide Hamas With Weapons Authored by Kyle Anzalone via The Libertarian Institute Hamas is using some of the thousands of unexploded bombs that now litter…
Another US Fighter Jet Destroyed In The Red Sea
Another US Fighter Jet Destroyed In The Red Sea Another $60 million US Navy fighter jet has been ‘lost at sea’ – this time during a crash landing as the aircraft was…
First-Time Homebuyers Face Shifting Market, Stress, Struggles: New Survey
First-Time Homebuyers Face Shifting Market, Stress, Struggles: New Survey A new survey of 1,000 first-time homebuyers reveals the complex and often stressful reality of entering the housing market. Rising housing prices, high…
French President Macron Asks EU and USA to Drop Sanctions Against Al-Qaeda in Syria
We have witnessed a lot of crazy in the past several years, but this just about takes the proverbial cake. Current Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, was the leader of al-Qaeda in Syria…
Vice-President JD Vance Speaks at the DC Munich Security Conference
Vice President JD Vance speaks at the DC session of the Munich Security Conference. Inside the discussion JD Vance outlines the status of President Trump foreign policy in a host of regions….
May 8th – 2025 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day 109
In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post…
President Trump Withdraws Nomination of Janette Nesheiwat for Surgeon General, Replaces with Casey Means
Social media, in particular those who are deeply aligned with the COVID-19 vaccination stuff, is all abuzz about Casey Means as the replacement nomination for withdrawn candidate Janette Nesheiwat (Mike Waltz’s sister-in-law)….
Thursday May 8th – Open Thread
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And…
Germany’s New Chancellor Slams US Meddling, Defends Crackdown On ‘Far-Right’
Germany’s New Chancellor Slams US Meddling, Defends Crackdown On ‘Far-Right’ Via Remix News, After the Trump administration condemned Germany’s slide into tyranny and anti-democratic actions against the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the…
Rare-ant smugglers sentenced in African state
The international group was caught with 5,000 insects in Kenya, including rare Messor cephalotes, destined for pet markets abroad A Kenyan court has sentenced four individuals to one year in prison or…
Von der Leyen Calls On EU To Hasten Ukrainian Entry As Blow To Putin
Von der Leyen Calls On EU To Hasten Ukrainian Entry As Blow To Putin European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is calling for the fast-tracking of EU accession talks for Ukraine,…
Vance outlines changed US strategy on Ukraine
Washington wants to move away from the “obsession” with the Ukraine-backed 30-day ceasefire, the vice president has said US Vice President J.D. Vance has expressed doubts regarding a Ukraine-supported 30-day ceasefire in the…
White South African group wants to fix relations with ANC
AfriForum has claimed the Afrikaner minority is in danger due to government policies, prompting Trump to cut financial aid to Pretoria AfriForum wants to mend relations with the ANC after it urged…
Russia and China will never forget WWII victims – Putin
The two countries stand against neo-Nazism and militarism, the president has said Moscow and Beijing remain staunch defenders of the historic truth and remember the countless people their countries lost during World…
Defiant Serbian leader sends message to EU from Red Square (VIDEO)
Aleksandar Vucic came to Moscow despite pressure from Brussels and recent hospitalization with a heart condition Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has delivered a pointed message to the European Union from Moscow’s Red…
World’s Largest Jewelry Brand Says Reshoring US Production “Simply Won’t Work”
World’s Largest Jewelry Brand Says Reshoring US Production “Simply Won’t Work” Pandora Jewelry CEO Alexander Lacik spoke with Bloomberg TV’s Anna Edwards on Wednesday about the potential for re-shoring production from Asia to…
How An India-Pakistan War Could Derail Central Asia’s Future
How An India-Pakistan War Could Derail Central Asia’s Future Authored by James Durso via OilPrice.com, A war between India and Pakistan would significantly destabilize Central Asia, disrupting trade routes, delaying infrastructure projects,…
FBI Mishandled Investigating Congressional Baseball Shooting, House Committee Finds
FBI Mishandled Investigating Congressional Baseball Shooting, House Committee Finds Authored by Jackson Richman via The Epoch Times, A House Intelligence Committee report released on May 6 says that the FBI mishandled its…
LNG Is A Key Bargaining Chip In Tariff Talks With Asian Nations
LNG Is A Key Bargaining Chip In Tariff Talks With Asian Nations Asian nations are ramping up energy imports from the U.S. to gain leverage in tariff talks with President Trump, though…
California Gas Prices Could Rise 75% By End Of 2026: USC Analysis
California Gas Prices Could Rise 75% By End Of 2026: USC Analysis Authored by Brad Jones via The Epoch Times, California gas prices could skyrocket by as much as 75 percent by…
Trump proclaims US WWII Victory Day
The US president claims America played a pivotal role in defeating Nazi Germany President Donald Trump has officially proclaimed May 8 as a national day to celebrate victory in World War II,…
Two German MEPs to defy EU with Moscow visit – media
The EU parliamentarians have told dpa they want to send a message of peace by taking part in Victory Day celebrations A group of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), including two…
Biden’s Floating Pier Debacle In Gaza Was Even Worse Than We Thought; IG Report
Biden’s Floating Pier Debacle In Gaza Was Even Worse Than We Thought; IG Report Authored by Debra Heine via American Greatness, Joe Biden’s floating aid pier in Gaza, which was only operational for…
Competition In Education: Texas Signs School Choice Vouchers Into Law
Competition In Education: Texas Signs School Choice Vouchers Into Law It’s no secret that US schooling has been in steep decline since the founding of the federal Department of Education in 1980…
FOMC Summary: Clueless
FOMC Summary: Clueless As expected, just hours after the PBOC cut rates and injected billions into the economy to give Xi Jinping ammunition in the upcoming trade war negotiations, the FOMC did……
Sacramental Snitches: Church To Excommunicate Any Priests Complying With Washington State Law
Sacramental Snitches: Church To Excommunicate Any Priests Complying With Washington State Law Authored by Jonathan Turley, We previously discussed the legislation passed by Washington State democrats that requires priests to violate the sanctity of…
Bitcoin ETF Inflows Top Gold ETF Inflows Year-To-Date
Bitcoin ETF Inflows Top Gold ETF Inflows Year-To-Date Year-to-date, gold prices have dramatically outperformed those on bitcoin… However, despite this dramatic divergence, the performance chasm has failed to deter investors putting new…
Real ID Is Not About Keeping You Safe
Real ID Is Not About Keeping You Safe Authored by Connor O’Keefe via The Mises Institute, Today, after nearly two decades of implementation and delays, the federal government’s new identification requirements for…
Kiev attempts new incursion into Russia’s Kursk (VIDEOS)
Ukrainian forces have launched multiple cross-border attacks, sustaining heavy casualties in the process The Ukrainian military launched a new attempt to invade Russia’s Kursk Region on Monday, launching multiple cross-border attacks. While…
Trump Nominates MAHA-Aligned Dr. Casey Means As Surgeon General
Trump Nominates MAHA-Aligned Dr. Casey Means As Surgeon General Authored by Jeff Louderbeack via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump announced on May 7 that Dr. Casey Means – a functional medicine…
The Responsible Lie: How AI Sells Conviction Without Truth
The Responsible Lie: How AI Sells Conviction Without Truth Authored by Gleb Lisikh via The Epoch Times, The widespread excitement around generative AI, particularly large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok,…
Is This Really The ‘Very, Very Big Announcement’ Ahead Of Trump’s Mideast Trip?
Is This Really The ‘Very, Very Big Announcement’ Ahead Of Trump’s Mideast Trip? This is apparently, or likely, the ‘very, very big announcement’ the President Trump teased Tuesday while hosting the Canadian…
Indian defense stocks surge after Pakistan escalation – Bloomberg
Domestic military industrial companies have grown in market value, the newspaper has said India’s defense companies have added more than $5 billion to their market value following the escalation of tensions with…