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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. For the past few weeks, Chinese engineers have gathered in the factory of a luxury electric-vehicle brand to test a new technology the country’s leadership considers vital to its rivalry with the U.S. The engineers at a startup called UBTech are training humanlike robots to sort auto parts and move containers.

Mumbai Indians' senior pacer Trent Boult said the Gujarat Titans bowlers made good use of the black soil pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium and successfully tied up the MI batters by taking the pace off the ball. Hosts GT beat MI by 36 runs in their IPL match after posting 196 for eight here on Saturday, as dew did not come into the picture. «Good tactics from the opposition. If you have those options to do that, it obviously makes sense, but I don't think we'll be using it as an excuse,» Boult said at the post-match press conference. «There are players in our team that have played all over the country on all different types of wickets. So, in all honesty, just an off game tonight, I thought they (GT) scrapped their way to a good total and they showed us how to bowl on that wicket. So full credit to them,» Boult added. The track used for the game was black soil instead of the red one, but the seasoned Kiwi refused to use it as an excuse. «I think it was just good thinking of using home tactics to your advantage. Obviously, there should be an advantage for the home team. But like I said, not an excuse from our point of view. We understood the wicket was black soil and I don't think we just didn't adjust nicely enough,» Boult said.

Under the mission, India has launched initiatives addressing various aspects of the Innovation landscape, from infrastructural capacity building to spurring innovation. India has allocated approximately 10,300 rupees under this mission over the coming five years. A major focus of the mission is to build high-end common computing facilities equipped with 18,693 Graphics Processing Units.

US President Donald Trump invoked rarely used US wartime legislation to fly the Venezuelans to El Salvador on March 16, without the migrants being afforded any kind of court hearing. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said 238 Venezuelans were sent to his country after the United States accused them of being part of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang. It is an «embarrassment that has been committed with the kidnapping and forced disappearance of 324 Venezuelan migrants who were taken to a Nazi concentration camp in El Salvador,» Maduro said at a meeting in Caracas with foreign ministers from the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) bloc. Maduro did not explain where he got the figure from, and acknowledged that he does not yet have an official list.

The countries' three trade ministers agreed to «closely cooperate for a comprehensive and high-level» talks on a South Korea-Japan-China free trade agreement deal to promote «regional and global trade», according to a statement released after the meeting. «It is necessary to strengthen the implementation of RCEP, in which all three countries have participated, and to create a framework for expanding trade cooperation among the three countries through Korea-China-Japan FTA negotiations,» said South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, referring to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. The ministers met ahead of Trump's announcement on Wednesday of more tariffs in what he calls «liberation day», as he upends Washington's trading partnerships. Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo are major U.S. major trading partners, although they have been at loggerheads among themselves over issues including territorial disputes and Japan's release of wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Trump declared on Saturday that he «couldn't care less» if automakers increase car prices for Americans in the wake of his imposition of import tariffs. There have been reports that Trump threatened auto executives with reprisals if prices jump, but he told NBC News that increasing prices would simply help US-based manufacturers. «I couldn't care less. I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars. We have plenty,» he told NBC host Kristen Welker. On Thursday, Trump imposed a blanket 25 percent import tariff on cars and light trucks made outside the United States, due to take effect on April 3. Tariffs will be delayed for car parts from countries covered by US trade pact with Mexico and Canada as officials try to disentangle the mixed supply chain.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of the country. The «counter-terrorism operation» on Saturday morning targeted hideouts of terrorists in the remote hilltop area of Katlang in the Mardan district, the provincial government said in a press note. It confirmed the civilian casualties and suggested that women and children might be among the victims. Later, official reports said 12 terrorists were killed during the operation. The press note, issued on Saturday, said the operation was based on «credible intelligence» about armed militants using the location as a hideout and transit point. It said «several high-value targets linked to ongoing militant activities in the region» were killed in the operation. «Unfortunately, subsequent reports have confirmed the presence of non-combatants, including women and children, at the periphery of the target zone, resulting in tragic civilian casualties,» the press note stated. Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Ali Amin Gandapur said the death of civilians during the operation was highly condemnable and tragic.

The initial 7.7-magnitude quake struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock. The tremors collapsed buildings, downed bridges and buckled roads, with mass destruction seen in the city of more than 1.7 million people. As dawn broke Sunday, tea shop owner Win Lwin picked his way through the remains of a collapsed restaurant on a main road in his neighbourhood, tossing bricks aside one by one. «About seven people died here» when the quake struck Friday, he told AFP. «I'm looking for more bodies but I know there cannot be any survivors.

U.S. citizens and lawfully permanent residents usually retain the privilege of re-entering the country, as long as they possess the valid documentation. A valid U.S. passport is required for all international traveling U.S. citizens. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-approved identification, in the form of an enhanced driver's license or Global Entry card, can also be utilized for entry by land or sea. For permanent residents, a current Green Card is required. At arrival, CBP officers check documents and determine if the traveler qualifies for entry. Foreign nationals and visa holders are required to abide by visa terms and Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approvals, as applicable.

trade talks in New Delhi as part of efforts to negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by fall of 2025. Representatives of India's Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative held meeting in the national capital for four days beginning March 26 as a follow up to the two countries agreeing to expand bilateral trade to reach USD 500 billion by 2030, including through the conclusion of a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). A Commerce and Industry Ministry release said that in order to realize the shared objective of promoting growth that ensures fairness, national security and job creation, both sides have through four-days of discussions in New Delhi broadly come to an understanding on the next steps towards a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), with the goal to finalize its first tranche by fall 2025. Sectoral expert level engagements under the BTA will start virtually in the coming weeks and pave the path for an early negotiating round in person. «During these discussions the two sides also had a productive exchange of views on deepening bilateral cooperation in priority areas including increasing market access, reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers and deepening supply chain integration in a mutually beneficial manner,» the release said.

attacks in Syria during the Eid el-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan. According to a report by AP, Eid could begin in Syria on Sunday, depending on the sighting of the new moon. Syrian authorities have said they arrested several militant cells in recent weeks. These groups were allegedly planning attacks in different parts of the country. Since Islamist insurgents from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) removed President Bashar Assad from power in December, Syria's security situation has been unstable. The US State Department issued a travel warning, saying possible attacks could target embassies, international organisations, and Syrian government buildings in Damascus. Although the Islamic State group was largely defeated in Syria in 2019, its sleeper cells are still active. They have claimed responsibility for multiple attacks, mainly in the northeast, which is controlled by US-backed Kurdish-led fighters.

Barak Valley Branch of the Tea Association of India (TAI) said that the issue of absenteeism and migration poses a serious challenge to tea estates, with unauthorized absenteeism rates exceeding 50% in some cases. Addressing at the association’s 50th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Cachar Club, Silchar he said this persistent trend disrupts operations, creates manpower shortages, and forces estates to resort to costly alternative sourcing methods to maintain their daily functions. “Such challenges come at a time when financial constraints are already straining estate resources. The additional expenditure required to manage this manpower deficit exacerbates the stress on estate exchequers, creating a compounded financial burden.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar on Friday was one of the most powerful in the region in years. While the full extent of the damage remains unclear, the United States Geological Survey says it is likely that more than 10,000 people died and that economic losses could exceed the gross domestic product of Myanmar, a poor country engulfed in a bloody civil war.

Kathmandu on Friday witnessed a tense situation after pro-monarchy protesters pelted stones, attacked the office of a political party, set fire to vehicles and looted shops in the Tinkune-Baneshwor area of Kathmandu. Two persons, including a TV cameraman, were killed and 110 others injured in the clashes between the security personnel and the pro-monarchy protesters. As the protest was organised on the call of Gyanendra Shah, Kathmandu Metropolitan City's (KMC) mayor Balendra Shah sent a letter to his residence at Nirmala Niwas at Maharjgunj on the outskirt of Kathmandu asking him to pay Nepali Rupees 7,93,000 as compensation against the damage. In the letter sent to the former monarch, copies of which were released to the media, the KMC said that the protest organised with the call of the former monarch had damaged various properties belonging to the metropolis and affected the environment of the capital city. Durga Prasai, who was the convener of Friday's agitation, had met Gyanendra Shah a day before and received instructions to stage the agitation demanding reinstatement of monarchy and a Hindu state.

Operation Brahma' to assist Myanmar after a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook the country, claiming over 1,644 lives and reducing buildings to rubble. The large-scale humanitarian mission includes rescue teams, medical aid, and relief supplies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Myanmar’s military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, expressing solidarity. In a post on X, he said, «Spoke with Senior General H E Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar. Conveyed our deep condolences at the loss of lives in the devastating earthquake. As a close friend and neighbour, India stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in this difficult hour.»

Myanmar on Saturday evening. The NDRF team was received by Indian Ambassador and Ambassador Maung Maung Lynn, Ambassador-at-large, in Myanmar MOFA. India is the first country to bring rescue personnel in the capital. The NDRF team will proceed to Mandalay on Sunday morning. India is sending a contingent of 80 NDRF personnel for aiding relief and rescue work in earthquake-hit Myanmar, officials said on Saturday. Personnel of the federal disaster contingency force are being deployed under Operation Brahma, with quake rescue equipment such as strong concrete cutters, drill machines, hammers and plasma cutting machines to provide support to the neighbouring country. «A team of 80 NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) personnel are being sent to Myanmar aboard two IAF (Indian Air Force) sorties from Hindon in Ghaziabad. Both teams are expected to reach Nay Pyi Taw by Saturday evening,» an official told PTI. Commandant PK Tiwary of the 8th NDRF battalion based in Ghaziabad near Delhi is leading the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team.

BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey unveiled key outcomes, including the Bangkok Vision 2030 and underlined that the grouping is set to grow stronger by partnering with other external partners such as Indian Ocean Rim Association and ASEAN. In an online conference organised by Centre for Global India Insights (CGII), a think tank focused on global affairs, Pandey underscored the growing political will and commitment of member states to strengthening BIMSTEC, enhancing its effectiveness, and ensuring time-bound implementation of decisions. The conference, titled “Bolstering BIMSTEC: Mapping the Next Steps,” was held ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangkok to attend BIMSTEC summit and featured eminent diplomats and experts from India, Thailand Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Diplomats from other BIMSTEC countries also attended the conference. Besides BIMSTEC Secretary General Pandey, Sumith Nakandala, First Secretary General, BIMSTEC Secretariat; Amb. (Retd.) Riva Ganguly Das, India’s Former High Commissioner to Bangladesh; Prof Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka; Dr. Piyanat Soikham, Director, India Studies Centre, Ubon Ratchathani University, Thailand; Prabir De, Professor, RIS; and Yash Pal Sachar, Vice-President, Ashok Leyland participated in the panel discussion. The conference was moderated by Manish Chand, CEO, Centre for Global India Insights. “Our leaders will adopt a joint declaration. They will also adopt a BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030. This is for the first time that BIMSTEC will adopt its own vision document,” said Pandey.

deep-sea engineering, unveiling a device capable of slicing through the world’s most reinforced undersea cables at unprecedented depths. Developed by the China Ship Scientific Research Centre (CSSRC) and the State Key Laboratory of Deep-Sea Manned Vehicles, the tool integrates seamlessly with China’s advanced submersibles, including the Fendouzhe (Striver) and the Haidou series. For the first time, a country has openly declared possession of such a device—one that can target undersea infrastructure vital to global communication and military operations. These cables transmit 95% of the world’s data, linking continents and ensuring the smooth functioning of financial markets, defence systems, and everyday digital services.