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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), a 35-year-old New York congresswoman, could become the Democratic Party's candidate for the 2028 US elections after she has recently gained popularity as she might best represent the Democratic voters, according to the Axios reporter Alex Isenstadt, reported The Wrap.

Prince Harry's US visa records will be partially unsealed, reigniting speculation about whether he misrepresented his past drug use. While some believe this could lead to deportation, the controversy continues to elicit debate. The decision comes after a legal battle over whether the Duke of Sussex received special treatment during his immigration process.

The ministry has also estimated a $4.43 billion trade surplus in goods and services in February, the first surplus after the Covid-19 pandemic. In February, India’s gold imports slipped to $2.3 billion from the past month’s $2.68 billion. Meanwhile, crude oil imports dropped to $11.8 billion from $13.4 billion in January, data showed. Sequentially, goods exports were up 1.31% from January 2025. “This was a difficult year for us for trade. We are positively moving in the direction of above $800 billion exports,” said commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal, adding that services exports are growing above 14%. Live Events E

Harvard University announced on Monday that they will offer free tuition to students from families earning $200,000 or less per year. The aid, the university said, will be handed out starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. The initiative significantly expands the university’s financial aid programme and aims to make higher education more accessible to a broader range of students. Harvard President Alan M Garber stated that the move would diversify student backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This, he said, will foster intellectual and personal growth. As per the reports, the expansion will enable 86 per cent of the families in the United States to qualify for Harvard’s financial aid programme. The announcement of assistance furthers its commitment to supporting students from diverse economic backgrounds.

Savage Pet has recalled some products that are feared to be contaminated with bird flu. Savage Pet is in the process of recalling several boxes of cat food chicken from a specific lot as it may contain H5N1, or the bird flu, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The brand is recalling 66 of its 84-oz Large Chicken Boxes and 74 of its 21-oz Small Chicken Boxes bearing the lot code/expiration date «11152026», the FDA said in a press release.

Donald Trump tariffs have ignited growing fears of a slowdown in the US housing market in 2025, as economic recession fears spread across financial markets. With the US housing market already facing affordability concerns, analysts say further tariffs would further suppress market activity.

Raphaël Glucksmann, a French lawmaker, has called on the United States to return the Statue of Liberty, claiming the country has abandoned its ideals of freedom and democracy. His fiery speech sparked debate on both sides of the Atlantic. His comments, fueled by concerns about political shifts and scientific suppression, sparked debate and elicited mixed reactions in France and America.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: India is focusing its US engagement on a trade deal rather than Washington's contentious plans to impose reciprocal tariffs. According to three senior government officials, India is not engaging with the US on reciprocal tariffs; instead, discussions remain centered on shaping a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).

Stevie Wonder has revealed a five-day UK tour, Love, Light & Song, for summer 2025 featuring arena performances and festival appearances. This will also include a headline slot at London’s iconic American Express Presents BST Hyde Park Festival in July. Stevie Wonder's UK tour announcement follows the surprise reveal of his Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart US tour last year. The tour is named after his 2024 single, Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart, which marked his first new release in four years.

The OECD lowered its UK GDP growth projections for 2025 to 1.4% for this year, down from the agency's 1.7% forecast in December 2024. Similarly, growth expectations for 2026 were lowered by 0.1 percentage points to 1.2%. In addition, the OECD expects headline inflation to hover at 2.7% in 2025, unchanged from its December outlook. 'Tough year ahead' as UK GDP shrinks 0.1% in January Despite the trim in forecasts, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the UK is still expected to be «Europe's fastest growing G7 economy over the coming years – second only to the US». According t...

The market sell-off is not over yet as consumer and corporate confidence take a dive on tariff uncertainty, according to Deutsche Bank.

Sunita Williams floating effortlessly in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS). Her hair, a striking mane of salt-and-pepper curls, moved freely around her head, completely unaffected by gravity. For many, this image might raise an interesting question, how do astronauts manage their hair in space? It turns out haircare is just as essential beyond Earth as it is on the ground.

New York State plummeted this month by the most in nearly two years, a survey showed on Monday, with new orders falling sharply and input prices climbing at the fastest rate in more than two years in the latest sign the economy may be weakening, as per a report. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said its Empire State manufacturing index plunged by nearly 26 points — the largest drop since May 2023 — to a reading of negative 20.0 from positive 5.7 in February, Reuters reported. The reading was lower than all 26 forecasts in a Reuters poll of economists, which had a median expectation of minus 1.50. «New orders and shipments declined,» the report said. «Input prices increased at the fastest pace in more than two years, and selling price increases also continued to pick up. Optimism about the outlook waned considerably for a second consecutive month.» It was the latest survey to paint a picture of a weakening factory sector struggling to adjust to President Donald Trump's roll-out of tariffs on a rapidly widening range of imported goods. Trump on Monday repeated his threat that more tariffs are coming in early April, and he reiterated that he had no intention of granting exemptions for the hefty levies on steel and aluminum imports that went into effect last week.

The S&P 500 down 6% since his inauguration as investors are withdrawing funds from the US and investing them in stocks abroad, reported New York Times.

Hailey Bieber may be planning a significant life change. Amidst ongoing scrutiny and breakup rumors, the famous couple is considering leaving the US. Justin and Hailey Bieber might be moving to an upscale, extremely secure location, following Clooney's example. They are inspired by George and Amal Clooney's escape to Italy. They are considering leaving the United States for a quieter life away from the chaos.

While The Crossword remains the paper's iconic puzzle for subscribers, The Mini appeals to those seeking a fast-paced word game that can be completed in just a few minutes. For many, including seasoned solvers and newcomers, the NYT Mini Crossword March 17 puzzle presents an engaging start to the day, as per a report by USA Today. But if you find yourself stumped on today’s clues, we’ve compiled hints and answers to help you through it — just in case you need a nudge to complete your streak.

A whole lot of chutzpah, leaps of faith, and a dash of putting yourself out there. You wouldn’t know from Manoj Pipersania’s demeanour that he’s painfully shy. Over a virtual call from Jaipur, the 46-year-old Founder and CEO of Softserv Solutions talks animatedly about everything from being visible for the sake of his employees (more on that later) to his penchant for shooting and getting a pilot’s licence. Softserv Solutions is more than a template IT firm specialising in business automation. Established as a private limited company in 2012, the company also offers tailored barcode solutions for use cases such as warehousing, clinical research, and RFID tagging for jewellery and other products. Its 20,000 sq ft headquarters in Jaipur belies the fact that Softserv is a micro enterprise employing just over 60 people. As Pipersania puts it, “We are the richest company in the world.” And scale has little to do with it. Pipersania started out in the early aughts as a CCNA (short for Cisco Certified Network Associate) IT specialist who configured ATMs for state-run Bank of Baroda before moving to Nepal to automate financial processes for a cooperative bank in the country. Running on just three hours of sleep a night, he’d write programmes and shop them to local businesses that needed to automate their processes. Thereon, he hopscotched from one job to another across countries — in India for Electronic Data Systems, now an HP subsidiary, then the US’ largest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group.

Trump administration's tariffs on imported goods from Canada, Mexico and China — some already in place, others set to take effect in a few weeks — are already driving up the cost of building materials used in new residential construction and home remodeling projects. The tariffs are projected to raise the costs that go into building a single-family home in the US by USD 7,500 to USD 10,000, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Such costs are typically passed along to the homebuyer in the form of higher prices, which could hurt demand at a time when the US housing market remains in a slump and many builders are having to offer buyers costly incentives to drum up sales. We Buy Houses in San Francisco, which purchases foreclosed homes and then typically renovates and sells them, is increasing prices on its refurbished properties between 7 per cent and 12 per cent. That's even after saving USD 52,000 in costs by stockpiling 62 per cent more Canadian lumber than usual. «The uncertainty of how long these tariffs will continue has been the most challenging aspect of our planning,» said CEO Mamta Saini.

Global South is being hindered by China’s growing economic and strategic clout, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said on Sunday. Delivering the fourth General Bipin Rawat Memorial Lecture in Delhi, he highlighted the increasing complexity China’s rise brings to global geopolitics. “The rise of China as a dominant economic and strategic force adds complexity, creates competition, and hampers India's effort to be the natural leader for the Global South,” General Dwivedi stated. He urged India to look towards Africa as a future power centre, recognising its potential role in the shifting global order. Despite its demographic and geographic advantages, India remains at a relatively lower global standing, he observed. “With the democratic shift and resource control race, we need to look at possibilities of Africa as a future power centre… India’s position will remain pivotal due to its geography, demography, democracy, prosperity, soft power, and inclusive approach,” he said.

green card holders are increasingly facing secondary inspections and overnight detentions by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at American airports. According to TOI's Lubna Kably, immigration attorneys have reported a growing trend of CBP officials questioning elderly Indians who spend winter months in India and pressuring them to voluntarily surrender their green cards by signing Form I-407. Under the US Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a lawful permanent resident (LPR), or green card holder, returning to the US after an absence of more than 180 days is treated as seeking «re-admission» and becomes subject to grounds of inadmissibility. Although green card abandonment is typically considered when someone stays outside the US for more than a year, attorneys are now seeing increased scrutiny even for shorter absences. Ashwin Sharma, an immigration attorney based in Florida, said, “I have personally handled cases recently where the CBP has targeted elderly Indian green card holders, particularly grandparents who happen to have spent a bit longer outside the US, and pressured them to sign Form I-407 to ‘voluntarily’ surrender their lawful permanent resident status (green card). And the moment they have tried to push back, they have been met with threats of detention or ‘removal’ by the CBP officers who have been emboldened by Trump to see themselves as judge, jury, and executioner.”

Economists had expected the February trade deficit to ease to $21.65 billion, according to a Reuters poll. India’s exports last month were affected, with concerns growing about the looming effects of Trump's proposed tariffs, according to government sources cited by Reuters. In addition to this, geopolitical risks, especially concerns over tariffs, will continue to influence trade dynamics, as per a UBI report. The reduction in the merchandise trade deficit was mainly driven by a moderation in the Non-Oil-Non-Gold (NONG) segment, supported by seasonal factors during the quarter, the report added.