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Super Rugby Pacific double-header at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday (April 5), with several key players returning from injury. The players back in the Blues team include Beauden Barrett and Patrick Tuipulotu. The Blues men's team are aiming to improve their standing in the second half of the season while the women’s team, the nib Blues, are vying for home ground advantage in the upcoming Aupiki final against Hurricanes Poua. Kurt Eklund, Ricky Riccitelli, AJ Lam, Anton Segner, and Adrian Choat, too, are back in the Blues team. The return of the top players will give a massive boost to the Blues for the remainder of the Super Rugby Pacific season. Beauden Barrett has recovered from a hand fracture sustained in a match against the Brumbies on March 7. He is confirmed to start at fly-half in the upcoming match against the Hurricanes. “The only thing holding me back from being back to 100 percent is probably holding a golf club. But in terms of rugby, I’m feeling really good,” Barrett told Radio New Zealand.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.To grab hold of the glossy dream of overseas education and eventual global employment, Indian parents have willingly liquidated family assets and taken out hefty education loans — all in the hope that earnings in dollars or euros would wipe out the debt.But in 2026, that fundamental equation stands fractured. With the Indian rupee hitting record lows of ₹96 against the US dollar, the financial math of studying abroad demands a hard reset.The equation has changed.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.From India and New Zealand formally signing a free trade agreement (FTA) to India once again becoming a net exporter of finished steel, the index of industrial production (IIP) easing to a five-month low in March, freshers facing disruptions in job offers,and gender disparity in India’s boardrooms — here is a compilation of this week's news in numbers.India and New Zealand formally signed a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) on Monday after completing the negotiations in just nine months in December 2025, making this one of the fastest trade deals ever concluded. The deal carries a $20 billion investment commitment from Wellington over the next 15 years, commerce minister Piyush Goyal said.The FTA will grant duty-free access to all Indian exports to New Zealand, spanning 100% of tariff lines.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The India-New Zealand free trade agreement (FTA) signed on Monday is the latest in a series of bilateral pacts India has struck. Once operationalized, it will allow India zero-duty access for all goods along with easier mobility for professionals to work in New Zealand, which has also committed to invest $20 billion in India over many years.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Geography may place India and New Zealand at distant points on the world map, but that distance has never defined their relationship. They have common democratic values, strong people-to-people ties and a deep cultural affinity, which includes their shared love for cricket. Much like their encounters on the pitch, India-New Zealand trade has traditionally resembled a Test match: steady and patient but often lacking in tempo, and has only picked up pace in recent years.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.NEW DELHI: India’s avocado demand is surging, but domestic supply is still playing catch-up, keeping the country reliant on imports even as local cultivation expands.Government data show imports have more than tripled in two years, rising to $42.27 million in FY26 (till February), from about $27 million in FY25 and $13.5 million in FY24. Domestic output, meanwhile, has increased more gradually—from about 6,000 tonnes in 2023 to around 9,000 tonnes in 2026, experts said.The mismatch highlights a widening gap: rising health-driven consumption is outpacing India’s nascent production base, forcing the market to lean on overseas suppliers even as farmers begin to scale up planting.The area under avocado cultivation has expanded over the years, with farmers in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim and parts of Maharashtra responding to growing urban demand.

Three of India’s mid-sized IT companies—Persistent Systems Ltd, Hexaware Technologies Ltd and Firstsource Solutions Ltd—are looking to scale up their business and employ more people outside the US, which makes up more than three-fifths of their business. This mirrors the trend of their larger peers shifting their focus from the US to Europe and growth markets including Asia and South Africa.From acquisitions and large deals to strategic employee hubs, India, Australia, South Africa and West Asia are emerging as the key hotspots for these mid-sized IT services companies earning $1 billion to $5 billion in revenue as they look to insulate themselves from macroeconomic tensions and tap new growth markets.Persistent Systems, the country’s ninth-largest IT services company, got about 80% of its $1.41 billion revenue from North America.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge was, like its first edition, is anyway unlikely to release in the territory given its patriotic and anti-Islamic theme, other titles scheduled for the coming weeks could bear the brunt, given the unpredictable timeline of disruption.Over the coming weeks, Akshay Kumar’s horror comedy Bhooth Bangla, Telugu film Dacoit, and Malayalam titles Aadu 3, Drishyam 3 and Pallichattambi would have ordinarily looked to West Asia for box-office returns. Indian film buffs are now unlikely to make it to theatres to watch these films under present circumstances even if cinemas are technically functional.The region is among the top five overseas markets for Indian films along with the US, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.Industry experts said most Indian film producers are in a wait-and-watch mode, with only Kannada star Yash’s Toxic moved to June, citing tensions in the region.To put it in perspective, a big hit like Shah Rukh Khan's 2023 release Jawan had earned nearly ₹150 crore from the UAE alone and trade experts estimate that 25-30% of overseas box office comes from West Asia.“There will definitely be a big impact.

T20 World Cup victory on Sunday night - its second in a row after the 2024 triumph - is already shaping conversations around endorsements for cricketers, with top performers attracting early queries.Companies and industry analysts said the top players are going to see a 30-35% increase in their valuations, with speedster Jasprit Bumrah and skipper Suryakumar Yadav leading the pack. The two cricketers are now said to be charging around ₹6 crore and ₹4 crore per endorsement, respectively, confirmed two experts who did not want to be named.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Centre has set new standards aligning domestic norms with global benchmarks for children’s apparel to help domestic manufacturers meet stricter international regulations, two people close to the development said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Mumbai: Young fans gathered in a sunny sports stadium chanting ‘DJ Bravo! DJ Bravo!’ is not an everyday sight in Goa, a state traditionally obsessed with football.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. IN THE BARRIO of Iztapalapa, on Mexico City’s eastern flank, the pavements stay busy even in the punishing afternoon sun. Street vendors hawk snacks from metal carts; waiters from corner taquerías weave between tables and traffic; cashiers in the ubiquitous convenience stores ring up a steady stream of small purchases.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. For many would-be marathoners, January seems as good a time as any to dust off their trainers and begin the journey to running 26.2 miles (42km). To hit a goal time or even just complete the race without injury, runners need to follow a training plan.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Even as we are engaged in protracted negotiations with the US to sew up a trade deal, India has gone ahead with much agility to sign several others. In recent months, New Delhi has concluded deals with Australia and the UAE, apart from a long-awaited pact with the UK, and announced progress on trade agreements with New Zealand and the EU.

First, trade pacts serve as instruments of political signalling, allowing India to deepen strategic partnerships while preserving strategic autonomy.Second, they function as tools for hedging risks in an uncertain global trade environment, helping diversify economic relationships and reduce over-dependence on China.Third, deeper engagements provide greater protection for investors by clarifying rules on investment, dispute settlement and regulation.Finally, bilateral agreements help pre-empt exclusion amid the formation of trade blocs that increasingly mirror geopolitical alignments.Our agreements with Oman and New Zealand illustrate this shift. Neither is a major merchandise trade partner.

• Don’t go cold turkey. If you’re averaging multiple hours on social media, it’s not realistic to go to zero. Start with a goal of limiting or restricting your use by a certain amount.• Use your phone to set screen-time limits or cut-off times. Your phone can help you reach your goals.

Dear reader, as 2025, a year of global tumult and volatility, rolls by, Mint's reporters and columnists look around the corner on what is coming in 2026—to help you know what to expect and prepare for it. Tell us what you think at [email protected]’s trade policy in 2025 unfolded against a challenging global backdrop of high US tariffs, geopolitical uncertainty and slowing global demand.

From India and New Zealand wrapping up trade talks in record time to the Centre planning a higher outlay on rail safety, a drop in overseas education remittances, shifts in the rural job guarantee burden, and a record US court payout in the Johnson & Johnson talc case—here's a compilation of this week's news in numbers.The Centre is likely to announce an outlay of over ₹1.3 trillion in FY27 on rail safety in the Union budget, about 12% higher than the current fiscal’s amount of ₹1.2 trillion, Mint reported. Funds would be used for rolling stock maintenance, track renewals, and expanding Kavach—India’s automatic train protection system.This marks a shift in the government’s focus towards railway safety: the outlay was up only 2% in FY26.

Across much of the industrial world, trust in government is low and declining. Why is this happening and why exactly does it matter? An unusually thorough new study looks at these questions and finds answers that are somewhat unexpected and, in one way, more disturbing than you might have guessed.The fact of diminished trust is hardly a revelation, least of all in countries such as the US, where anti-establishment populists have turned politics upside down and elite expertise has become not just distrusted but disdained. Last year, a survey found that fewer than one is six Americans expect Washington to do the right thing “nearly always” (1%) or “most of the time” (15%).

A week before Australia’s social media ban for under-16s kicks in, Meta has started pushing underage Australians off its Instagram, Facebook and Threads platforms.The ban, which comes into effect on 10 December, is aimed at shielding children from harmful content. Social media being what it is, the rest of the world is watching what many consider a doomed experiment. Age-faking has been a common practice for the underage to gain access to platforms and many under-16s are aware of VPN and other hacks to get around digital walls.

Ben Sears was the star for New Zealand, scalping five Pakistani batters and ending with 5-34, the same as his five-wicket haul in the previous ODI match. The match, reduced to 42 overs per side due to a wet outfield, saw Pakistan all out for 221 chasing New Zealand's 264-8. New Zealand’s Rhys Mariu scored a maiden half-century (58 off 61 balls) after the team was put in to bat by Pakistani skipper Mohammad Rizwan. The Kiwi team lost opener Nick Kelly early, but Mariu reached his half-century with ease. Mitchell fell shortly before reaching fifty, and Muhammad Abbas made a small contribution before Home team captain Michael Bracewell's late hitting. Bracewell added a quickfire 59 off 40 balls, including six sixes. For Pakistan, Akif Javed took 4-62 and Naseem Shah claimed 2-54.

Ben Sears's second five-wicket haul on the trot inspired New Zealand to whitewash Pakistan with a 3-0 ODI series triumph, following their 43-run success in the third and final clash of the series at Bay Oval on Saturday. In a 42-over-reduced game due to a wet outfield, Pakistan's pursuit of a 265-run target began with Imam-ul-Haq retiring hurt after taking a bouncer from William O'Rourke on his helmet. He instantly removed his helmet, holding his jaw. After a brief halt, he was eventually taken off the field, and Pakistan's premier batter, Babar Azam, arrived at the crease to carry the fight for his side. A 69-run partnership brewed between Babar and Abdullah Shafique as the duo flaunted their textbook strokeplay. Babar danced around the track to dispatch Michael Bracewell's flighted delivery past the boundary rope for a maximum. Sears, who effectively used the short ball ploy, broke the threatening partnership. Shafique (33) swivelled his hook without any timing straight down to Jacob Duffy. The floodgates opened, and Pakistan started losing scalps at regular intervals. Babar's 50 kept Pakistan's hopes high, but Daryl Mitchell set him up perfectly to scythe his scalp. Skipper Mohammad Rizwan (37) and Tayyab Tahir (33) resisted but gave away their wickets to Duffy. Sears cleaned up the middle and tail-end to force Pakistan to pack on 221, surrendering to a 43-run defeat.