Aja

EU chief diplomat says ‘not much happening’ in talks as she cautions against focus on personalities rather than strategyBut other foreign ministers appear somewhat divided on the concept of appointing a single EU negotiator for Russia.Austria’s Beate Meinl-Reisinge said it was a necessary step as “the EU should not get ready.”“It’s a trap that Russia wants us to walk into, that we discuss who talks to them, and they are already picking who is suitable, who is not. Let’s not walk into that trap. Negotiations are always a team effort. You have good cops, you have bad cops, you have a strategy [on] how you go to the table, so that is why the substance is much more important.”“This is what Russia does. Because it’s not really gaining ground on the battlefield, what they are doing now is really increasing the terrorist attacks, because you can’t really describe it in other ways, creating fear inside the society. It hasn’t worked for four years, and I don’t think that it’s going to work now.” Continue reading...

• Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for the resolution of Middle East tensions through peaceful, wise, and responsible diplomatic efforts. • In his statement, Ibrahim condemned the ongoing attacks and aggression occurring across the region. • Separately, two unnamed companies hosted events to introduce their products to industry officials and consumers in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

• Muhamad Nazri highlighted the Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore (LTMS) initiative as the first interconnection enabling commercial power transfer and enhancing regional supply security. • Five additional projects are currently in planning or feasibility stages to expand energy cooperation across Southeast Asia. • Key upcoming links include the Vietnam-Malaysia-Singapore (VMS) interconnection and the Sarawak-Peninsular Malaysia-Singapore link.

• The Indian stock market closed in the red on Thursday, with the Sensex ending 135 points lower and the Nifty 50 slipping below 23,700. • Markets erased morning gains due to expiry day volatility, rising bond yields, and selling by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), impacting stocks like Bajaj Finance (-2%) and IndiGo (+3%). • In a major corporate move, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone announced the acquisition of a 100% stake in Jaypee Fertilizers & Industries for Rs 1,500 crore.

• Riteish Deshmukh-starrer Raja Shivaji, released on Maharashtra Day 2026, recorded strong day 6 collections, inching toward Rs 50 crore India net before week's end. • The historical epic shattered records for the highest first Monday earnings for any Marathi film, sustaining dominant domestic run. • Featuring Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, and Vidya Balan, the film underscores rising popularity of Marathi cinema nationally.

• Riteish Deshmukh's Marathi film Raja Shivaji amassed Rs 25 crore in its first two days of release, setting new records for Marathi cinema in India. • The epic historical drama has drawn massive audiences, highlighting growing demand for regional language blockbusters. • This milestone underscores the rising commercial success of Marathi films amid competition from Bollywood releases.

• Riteish Deshmukh's ambitious project 'Raja Shivaji', based on Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, opened with Rs 3.35 crore on Day 1 across 4,251 shows in the Hindi version. • The film received mixed reactions from audiences in its opening day, indicating moderate viewer interest despite the historical subject matter. • The Marathi version of the film reportedly performed strongly, scoring big and dominating nationwide.