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Russian oil supplies to top buyers India and China fell sharply following the January 10 sanctions by the former Biden administration targeting Russian producers Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz as well as insurers and more than 100 vessels to curtail Moscow's oil revenue. While Russian shipments to the two Asian countries have rebounded after more non-sanctioned tankers joined the trade, China's state-run Sinopec and Zhenhua Oil halted purchases of March-loading Russian oil due to concerns over dealing with the sanctioned firms, sources with knowledge of the matter said. The scaled-back buying by Chinese state players has weighed on Russian oil prices, eating into Moscow's revenue and putting additional pressure on Russia ahead of a possible ceasefire deal with Ukraine. A Beijing-based state oil source said his company ceased Russian oil deals as it undertakes more compliance checks and waits for a «clear picture» on a possible Russia-U.S. deal to end the Ukraine war.

Iran's clerical leaders, engaging with the «Great Satan» to hammer out a nuclear deal and ease crippling sanctions may for once be the lesser of two evils. Though it harbours deep mistrust of the United States, and President Donald Trump in particular, Tehran is increasingly concerned that mounting public anger over economic hardships could erupt into mass protests, four Iranian officials said. That's why, despite the unyielding stance and defiant rhetoric of Iran's clerical leaders in public, there is a pragmatic willingness within Tehran's corridors of power to strike a deal with Washington, the people said. Tehran's concerns were exacerbated by Trump's speedy revival of his first term's «maximum pressure» campaign to drive Iran's oil exports towards zero with more sanctions and bring the country's already fragile economy to its knees, they said. President Masoud Pezeshkian has repeatedly highlighted the severity of the economic situation in the Islamic Republic, stating that it is more challenging than during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, and pointing this month to the latest round of U.S. sanctions targeting tankers carrying Iranian oil.

Jaaved Jaaferi said his latest film, Inn Galiyon Mein, reflects India's diversity through the story of a young couple from different faiths and lower economic backgrounds. The film, directed by Avinash Das, features Avantika Dassani and Vivaan Shah in lead roles and was released in theatres on Friday.

In the viral vide, Jones can be seen stepping out of her car at night in an undisclosed location in Australia. She crosses the road, picks up a baby wombat, and runs back toward her vehicle. The mother wombat is seen in distress, chasing after her as she takes the baby away. Another scene shows the mother wombat waiting near Jones’ car door, crying as long as she holds the baby in her hands. Criticizing the influencer, Prime Minister Albanese said, «Try taking a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there,» emphasizing that some animals wouldn’t tolerate such cruelty. Jones was earlier criticised by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong who dubbed the video as «dreadful» while opposition leader Peter Dutton condemned the act, calling it «cruel». There was an online petition also which had over 30,000 signatures demanding Jones to be deported from the country.

Apple still needs an import permit from the trade ministry to be able to sell the iPhones locally, the industry ministry has said. The Southeast Asian country of about 280 million people banned iPhone 16 sales last year as the company failed to meet composition requirements regarding locally-made parts.

commerce ministry on Thursday assured domestic exporters, particularly those in labour-intensive sectors like leather and textiles, to protect their interests amid the US tariff threats, industry officials said. The issues related to the country's exports were discussed during a virtual meeting chaired by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. «Held a stakeholder consultation meeting with Export Promotion Councils and Industry Associations to discuss strategies for strengthening India's export ecosystem. »The optimism among our industry stakeholders in transforming global challenges into opportunities is truly encouraging. With an evolving global trade landscape, we explored ways to expand into new markets and strengthen competitiveness to drive India's export growth," the minister said in a post on X.

Russia is using cryptocurrencies in its oil trade with China and India to skirt Western sanctions, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the matter. While Russia has publicly encouraged the use of crypto and last summer passed a law to allow digital currency payments in international trade, its use in the country's oil trade has not previously been reported. Some Russian oil companies are using bitcoin, ether and stablecoins such as Tether to smooth the conversion of Chinese yuan and Indian rupees to Russian roubles, the sources said, adding that it is a small but growing part of Russia's overall oil trade, which according to the International Energy Agency was worth $192 billion last year. All the sources declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Cryptocurrencies have already helped enable countries under U.S. sanctions such as Iran and Venezuela to keep their economies running while avoiding use of the dollar, the preferred currency for transactions in the global oil market.

Faced with the logistical and financial limits of mass deportations, the Trump administration has turned to a $200 million media campaign aimed at persuading undocumented immigrants to leave the US voluntarily. Branded “Stay Out and Leave Now,” the effort combines the ad blitz with a self-reporting departure app launched this week, and warnings from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that those who don’t leave will be caught and permanently barred from returning.

Goa Bench of Bombay High Court has struck down a section of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1974, that allowed the creation of zones within zones, holding that it was concerned with private land owners' interests. Three citizen organisations had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the HC contending that section 17 (2) of the Act was «mutilating» the Regional Plan. Notified in March 2023, the section was aimed at allowing the authorities to correct inadvertent errors or rectify inconsistent or incoherent zoning. The Regional Plan is a long-term land-use development blueprint prepared by the Town and Country Planning Department of Goa to guide infrastructure, zoning, and environmental conservation in the state. A division Bench of Justices Nivedita P Mehta and M S Karnik on Thursday struck down section 17 (2), holding that it was not in «furtherance of development in the public interest by maintaining a balance between sustainable development vis-a-vis environmental issues», but was concerned with private land owners' interests. The petitioners had argued that the section was being misused to change the status of large tracts of land for commercial purposes. According to the state, between March 2023 and January 2 of this year, there have been 353 approvals under section 17(2) which affect an area of about 26,54,286 square metres, noted the bench.

Donald Trump, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, for their efforts in addressing the conflict. Speaking at a joint press conference with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday, Putin said that Russia agrees with the proposals to cease hostilities but «proceeds from the assumption that this cessation should lead to long-term peace and eliminate the root causes of the crisis.» When asked about Ukraine's readiness for a ceasefire, Putin said, «As for Ukraine's readiness for a ceasefire, I will tell you how I view it, of course. But I would like to start by thanking the President of the United States, Mr Trump, for paying so much attention to the Ukraine settlement. We all have enough of our own domestic affairs to attend to. But many leaders of states, among them the President of the People's Republic of China, the Prime Minister of India, the Presidents of Brazil and the Republic of South Africa are addressing this issue and give it a lot of their time. We are grateful to all of them for that because this activity is aimed at achieving a noble mission — the mission of ending hostilities and loss of life.» He further said, «We agree with the proposals to cease hostilities but proceed from the assumption that this cessation should lead to long-term peace and eliminate the root causes of this crisis.» He also referred to the recent US-Ukraine discussions in Saudi Arabia, suggesting that Ukraine's willingness for a ceasefire was likely influenced by American pressure.

Johns Hopkins University said Thursday it is being forced to lay off more than 2,000 employees in the aftermath of the Trump administration's massive reduction in foreign aid funding. «This is a difficult day for our entire community. The termination of more than $800 million in USAID funding is now forcing us to wind down critical work here in Baltimore and internationally,» the school, a leading institution of scientific research, said in a statement. Hopkins, in Maryland's largest city an hour's drive north of the US capital, is eliminating more than 2,000 positions — 1,975 in projects across 44 countries and 247 jobs in the United States. The cuts impact several key programs, including the university's medical school and school of public health, and Jhpiego, a global health non-profit organization founded at the university more than 50 years ago and which works to improve health in countries worldwide. «Johns Hopkins is immensely proud of the work done by our colleagues in Jhpiego, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the School of Medicine to care for mothers and infants, fight disease, provide clean drinking water, and advance countless other critical, life-saving efforts around the world,» the university said.

As it is a regional holiday, banking activities will be impacted in select states. As Holi is a major festival across the country, banks in several states will remain closed on this day. Also read: New TDS rules from April 1: Higher limit for tax deduction on FD interest, lottery wins; check its impact

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists for successfully de-docking the SpaDeX satellites in space, calling it a significant step toward India's ambition of building its own space station. «Bharat's giant stride in space. Congratulations to Team @isro on the successful accomplishment of the de-docking of the SPADEX satellites in space,» Shah wrote in a post on X. He emphasized that the achievement aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of advancing India's space capabilities, including future missions such as Chandrayaan-4 and Gaganyaan. «It is a proud moment for us that will accelerate PM @narendramodi's vision to build our own space station, Chandrayaan 4 and Gaganyaan,» he added. On the capabilities of Indian scientists, Shah said that they have «proven yet again that even the sky is not our limit.»

U.S. automaker Tesla has warned that it and other major American exporters are exposed to retaliatory tariffs that could be leveled in response to President Donald Trump's aggressive use of tariffs. The Tesla comments reflect those of many U.S. businesses concerned by Trump's tariffs, but is notable because it is from Tesla. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump, has been leading the White House effort to shrink the size of the federal government. The billionaire heads up the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. The comments were made in a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative's Office and available on the office's web site. Dated Tuesday, it is among hundreds sent by companies to the office about U.S. trade policy. It is not clear who at Tesla wrote the letter, which is unsigned but is on a company letterhead. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Passenger vehicle sales in February held their head above water, but only just. Wholesale dispatches for the month climbed 1.9% from a year earlies to 377,689 units, according to data put out by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Thursday.

Delhi Capitals Captain Announcement LIVE Updates: Delhi Captilas have confirmed in a new video that they will be announcing their skipper for IPL 2025 season on Friday at 9:30AM. The IPL franchise were led by Rishabh Pant for the last few years and decision could potentially impact future of franchise for the next 3 years.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Air passengers in Delhi’s national capital region can expect cheaper fares if they fly out of Noida’s Jewar airport, as airlines are seeking discounts on various charges for shifting to the new airport that is likely to begin operations in the second half of 2025. Airports impose several charges on carriers for using their amenities, including landing fees and parking fees (based on weight of the aircraft), charges for air traffic control services, ground handling fees (like baggage handling), and terminal charges for using passenger facilities.

“With the solar maximum creating the most vibrant Northern Lights displays in decades, what is noteworthy is the clear expansion beyond traditional Scandinavian favourites to Murmansk in Russian Lapland, where travellers can now pair their aurora sightings with immersive Arctic experiences, from icebreaker expeditions to luxe stays in glass-domed igloos,” said Rajeev Kale, president and country head, for holidays, MICE and visa, Thomas Cook (India). He said another celestial wonder seeing an uptick in bookings is the White Nights phenomenon, where nearly 24 hours of daylight transforms cities like St Petersburg into vibrant cultural hubs with midnight festivals and illuminated river cruises.

U.S. President Donald Trump threw a curve ball at China by linking the fentanyl issue to his tariffs on imports

IQAir states that air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to human health. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 99% of people live in areas with unsafe air quality levels. Air pollution is the second leading cause of death globally. It also poses serious health risks to children under five, second only to malnutrition. Also Read: Duke Vs Georgia Tech: Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown get injured in ACC tournament game. Here’s what happened

While the consumption of «green beer» and several popular Irish beverages is one of the most common traditions associated with the festival, there's no harm in throwing a bucket of fried chicken and some great sporting fixtures in the mix.