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Apple Inc. is close to getting Indonesia to lift its ban on iPhone 16 sales, after President Prabowo Subianto gave his approval for the government to accept a $1 billion investment from the US tech giant, according to people familiar with the matter. Indonesia warmed to Apple’s proposal after Prabowo was briefed on it over the weekend at a meeting that discussed the tug-of-war between the government and Apple, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing talks that were private. The country prohibited the sale of Apple’s flagship device last month, saying Apple had failed to comply with domestic content requirements for smartphones and tablets. At the meeting, Prabowo greenlit the government to accept Apple’s proposal and urged his cabinet to obtain more investments in future, the people said.

Conduct market research for each target region A successful export business starts with in-depth market research. Each country’s consumer behaviour, regulatory framework, and competition landscape are unique. Conducting thorough surveys provides actionable insights into local demand, price preferences, and competition. This understanding helps businesses tailor their products and align them with regional requirements. When we were expanding to Bangladesh, overcoming high duties involved detailed buyer-competitor analysis.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. It isn’t often that an Indian athlete prevails over a Chinese competitor, but that happened last week in Singapore. Eighteen-year-old Indian grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh became the youngest-ever undisputed world chess champion by defeating 32-year-old Ding Liren of China in the final game of a 14-game championship.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The foreign-exchange market is a devilishly difficult place to turn a profit. Massive and closely watched, edges are impossible to maintain.

China Sea to Himalayan frontiers, Beijing’s methodical approach has left neighbouring countries scrambling to respond. China shares its border with more than a dozen countries and it has had border disputes with at least six of them over the past few years. On its border disputes with its neighbors, China has mostly gone unchallenged, gradually pushing its salami-slicing strategy forward. But 2024 was a turning point: India was the first country in past few decades to decisively stop China in its tracks and refuse to yield to its tried-and-tested game. India’s resistance proved to be a firm message that China’s expansionist ambitions can't always go unchecked.

Global battery maker CATL says it will expand its electric vehicle battery swapping in China in 2025

Alberta’s premier responded to President-elect Donald Trump’s trolling of Canada by saying the trade deficit with the country is due to billions of raw materials being sent south which creates trillions of wealth in America

The sector should grow 12-13% in 2025, he told ET in an interview on the sidelines of the 18th annual CII Tourism Summit. The minister said the government is working on several projects to spruce up tourism hubs and to create new ones.

Donald Trump administration, multiple people familiar with the matter told ET. “Ministries and departments are examining various scenarios, apprehending such a move by the US and possible remedies,” one of the persons said. President-elect Trump on Tuesday had said the US will impose reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods because New Delhi imposes high tariffs on American goods. Independent experts said India could relook at import duty on specific products and enhance market access for certain imports from the US to address Trump’s concerns.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday announced that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will come into force from January 2025. The state has done its homework for the implementation of the UCC, he said. Uttarakhand is set to become the country's first state to implement the UCC after Independence. While chairing the meeting of the Uttarakhand Investment and Infrastructural on Wednesday, Dhami told the officials that Uttarakhand is now fully prepared to implement the UCC from January. He instructed the officials to ensure proper training of the personnel, besides arranging all kinds of basic facilities to implement the provisions of the code. He also asked the officials to keep the maximum services online to avoid the chances of inconvenience for the public.

Regarding our current predicament with our neighbours on the continent, I realize it risks a rebuke from Elon Musk to say so but if Americans had elected Kamala Harris last month, we would not currently be in a national panic about access to the U.S. market, and no one within 100 miles of the White House would be making sophomoric jokes about “Governor Justin Trudeau” of the “Great State of Canada.”

It’s not every day, or even every decade, that a big foreign bank decides to have a go at Canada’s retail banking market.

Temporary foreign workers who apply to become permanent residents through Canada’s immigration system will no longer get additional points if they have a job offer that’s supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), Immigration Minister Marc Miller said on Tuesday.

Sachin Tendulkar embodies the values of trust, integrity, and excellence that perfectly align with Kissht’s mission to make digital financial services accessible, transparent, and seamless for millions of Indians. The association will include various campaigns and integrated marketing initiatives that Tendulkar will participate in. Expressing his thoughts on this association, Sachin Tendulkar said, “It’s a delight to be associated with Kissht, a brand that aspires to help Indians meet their aspirations through the power of finance. Kissht’s focus on trust and accessibility struck a chord with me, and I look forward to supporting their journey in building one of the most trusted and respected digital financial platforms for millions of Indians.”

INS Nirdeshak, the second ship of the Survey Vessel (large) project, was commissioned into the Indian Navy, in a ceremony presided over by Sanjay Seth, Union Minister of State for Defence, at Naval Dockyard in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command hosted the commissioning ceremony marking the formal induction of the second of the four ships of the Survey Vessel (Large) project under construction at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata. The ship is designed to conduct hydrographic surveys, aid in navigation, and support maritime operations. Speaking on the occasion Sanjay Seth said that highly specialised ships — the Survey Vessels — play a vital role in charting the oceans. These are sophisticated niche platforms that allow for a more accurate collation of oceanic data, its precise processing and as a result, highly reliable charts that enhance maritime operations and safety.

“The Ministry of Defense of Russia must be ready for any development of events, including a possible military conflict with NATO in Europe in the next decade,” Belousov said. The comments by the Putin minister came as US-President elect Donald Trump has called for a rapid end to the fighting. “We’re trying to get the war stopped, that horrible, horrible war that’s going on in Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine. We’re going to get a little progress, it’s a tough one, it’s a nasty one, it’s nasty," Trump had said.

Barcelona's subway system is using regenerative braking to help power both its convoys but also recharge electric cars at street level

The world’s largest maker of batteries for electric vehicles says it will get into battery swapping in China in a big way starting next year

G20 Talent Visa. Targeted at scholars, researchers, and professionals from G20 nations, this initiative aims to bolster India's scientific and educational ecosystem. The announcement aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposal at the G20 Summit in September, where he emphasized the need to create opportunities for top talent in science and technology. Speaking at the summit, the Prime Minister Modi said, “Similar to how all countries issue different categories of visas, we can establish a ‘G20 Talent Visa’ as a special category. This type of visa could be highly beneficial for our top science and technology talent to explore global opportunities. Their talent and efforts can contribute significantly to our economies.”

Quick commerce major Zepto’s 21-year-old co-founder Kaivalya Vohra is now India's youngest self-made entrepreneur, according to Hurun India. Vohra is closely followed by his founding partner Aadit Palicha, who is 22 years old. Zepto, established in 2021, has witnessed an astonishing 259% growth in valuation over the past year, reaching Rs 41,800 crore, Hurun said. The Mumbai-based company, co-founded by Stanford University computer science dropouts Vohra and Palicha, has quickly risen to prominence as India’s quick-commerce leader, offering 10-minute grocery deliveries in major cities across the country.

Mohammed Bin Salman, MBS for his devout, it may be the biggest victory yet in his push to use sport as a way to lure tourists, build influence and improve the country's image. “This is huge for MBS and the Saudi state. Arguably the pinnacle of their sports strategy so far,” said Stanis Elsborg, head of Play the Game, a Denmark-based research body into ethical standards in sport told Bloomberg. “But for MBS, it’s not just about hosting a tournament.” ALSO READ: Elon Musk's net worth reaches record high. Here's how he built his venture