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Google is celebrating this year's Nowruz, the Persian New Year, with a special Doodle illustrated by guest artist Pendar Yousefi. The festival is being observed on March 20, precisely at 2:31 pm IST, which coincides with the spring equinox. The festival, which marks the beginning of the new year in the Persian calendar, has been observed for over 3,000 years. Nowruz means «new day» in Persian. The day has its roots in Zoroastrianism and ancient Persian culture. The festival symbolizes renewal, rebirth, and the triumph of light over darkness. The day signifies new beginnings and families gather to observe cultural festivities. In 2010, UNESCO added Nowruz to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and the United Nations recognises March 21 as International Nowruz Day. On this day, about 300 million people across Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, the Caucasus, Turkey, and parts of South Asia celebrate withe festival. Google, in its description of the Doodle, explained that central to Nowruz traditions is the haft-sin table, a display of seven symbolic items each beginning with the Persian letter 'sin. These include sprouts for rebirth, wheat pudding for strength, olives for love, berries for the sunrise, vinegar for patience, apples for beauty, and garlic for health.

Queen Elizabeth II, a private family drama unfolded behind palace doors—one that would further fracture the already strained relationship between Prince Harry and the rest of the royal family. A new revelation from royal biographer Robert Hardman suggests that Meghan Markle was specifically asked to stay away from Balmoral Castle during the Queen’s final moments, with King Charles personally making the call.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Several times a day groups of young-professional types gather at 7Breaths, a meditation studio in central London, simply to breathe. The studio offers yoga and meditation sessions but their signature class is focused on “breathwork".

Rajnath Singh and the US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard met and held bilateral talks in the national capital on Monday. On Saturday, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held a meeting with Gabbard, and according to sources, they discussed several facets of the India-US relationship in detail. Gabbard is visiting India as a part of her multi-nation visit. The Asia leg of Gabbard's trip will culminate in an address on March 18 at the Raisina Dialogue, a multinational gathering of security officials in Delhi, to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited her. The US intel chief Gabbard will hold bilateral meetings with Indian officials and officials from other countries, The New York Times reported, citing a Trump administration official. Her visit to India follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US in February this year.

Keir Starmer has told global leaders to «keep the pressure» on Russian President Vladimir Putin to back a ceasefire in Ukraine. In his opening remarks Saturday to a virtual gathering of what he has termed the "coalition of the willing," Starmer said Putin will «sooner or later» have to «come to the table.» Unlike the first summit on March 2, the meeting of what Starmer has termed the «coalition of the willing» is being conducted virtually. The call is expected to delve into how countries can help Ukraine militarily and financially as well as gauging support for any future possible peacekeeping mission. «If Russia finally comes to the table, then we must be ready to monitor a ceasefire to ensure it is a serious, and enduring peace,» Starmer told leaders, in remarks released by his office ahead of the meeting. «If they don't, then we need to strain every sinew to ramp up economic pressure on Russia to secure an end to this war.» Like last time, there will be no representative from the United States, which has shifted its approach on the war since the return of President Donald Trump to the White House. The change of approach relative to that taken by Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, became particularly notable after Trump clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 28 in the Oval Office.

Aamir Khan approaches his milestone 60th birthday, he has officially confirmed his romantic relationship with Bengaluru-based hair stylist Gauri Spratt. The Bollywood superstar introduced Gauri to the media during a casual pre-birthday gathering, where he shared that his family wholeheartedly approves of his new partner. Additionally, he disclosed that she has already met industry heavyweights Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. According to various reports, the couple has been in a relationship for approximately a year and a half. Aamir, known for being extremely private about his personal life, managed to keep his relationship under wraps for a significant period. Addressing this, he playfully remarked at his pre-birthday event, «See, I ensured that none of you had even the slightest clue about this.» The actor then elaborated on how he successfully maintained secrecy, revealing that Gauri was residing in Bengaluru until recently. Since he would travel there to meet her, they were able to evade the ever-watchful eyes of the media. He explained that the media scrutiny in Bengaluru is not as intense as in Mumbai, allowing them to maintain a low profile.

Over the past decade, auto fares have been revised twice. The last revision was in November 2021, when the base fare was set at ₹30 for the first 1.9 km and ₹15 per kilometre thereafter. Before that, fares were last revised in 2013.

Aamir Khan has officially confirmed his relationship with Gauri Spratt, revealing that they have been together for over a year. A day before his 60th birthday, Aamir introduced Gauri to the media at an informal gathering, putting an end to speculation. Khan mentioned that he felt it was a good opportunity to introduce her, adding that it would also put an end to the need for secrecy.

AI took center stage in many sessions at the world's largest energy gathering. Oil producers are seeking ways to remain profitable in an environment of plummeting oil prices and worries that U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs could slow global energy demand. UK oil major BP is using AI to steer drill bits and predict potential problems in wells before they happen, said Ann Davies, BP's senior vice president of wells.

Indian markets will be closed for a total 14 days for various festivals and other important occasions. In the month of March, there is one more holiday on the eve of Ramzan Id, which will fall on March 31.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Russia said its forces were in the final stages of ousting Ukraine’s army from the Kursk region, where Kyiv had taken Russian territory that it had hoped to use as a bargaining chip in peace negotiations. The Russian military said Thursday it had retaken Sudzha, the biggest town held by Ukraine in the Kursk region, after recapturing a string of villages in recent days.

economy? check. As you continue to gather your gulal and stock up on sweets, there is another reason to celebrate Holi this year—the Indian economy is bringing its own splash of colors to the festival. With inflation cooling, EMIs likely to get cheaper, and a fresh dose of tax relief from the government, there’s more than just festive spirit in the air. So, as you vibe on “Balam Pichkari" or «Do me a favor, let’s play Holi!”—here’s how the economy is setting the perfect backdrop for a vibrant, cheerful celebration.

Chhattisgarh Waqf Board has decided to reschedule Namaz in mosques across the state this year, as Holi celebrations coincide with Friday prayers. An official directive has been issued to all mosques regarding this change. As per the directive, the Friday prayers, which are usually held between 12:30 PM and 1:00 PM, will now take place between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM on March 14. Speaking on the decision, Chhattisgarh Waqf Board Chairman Dr. Salim Raj said, «The Chhattisgarh State Waqf Board has decided that, considering the festival of Holi, Friday prayers will be held between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM in all mosques. Previously, the prayers were conducted at 12:30 PM or 1:00 PM, but now they will be held later in all mosques across the state. Chhattisgarh has become the first state in the country to implement such a change in mosque prayer timings.» Meanwhile, on Tuesday, according to authorities, Friday Namaaz prayers in mosques in the cities of Haridwar in Uttarakhand and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh have been postponed to the afternoon to avoid overlapping with Holika Dahan timings on March 14, the day of the Holi festival. Haridwar Superintendent of Police Pankaj Gairola confirmed that a meeting with community representatives resulted in the decision to hold Friday prayers after 2:30 pm.

ICC Champions Trophy 2025 title with a four-wicket win over New Zealand in the final at Dubai International Stadium on March 9. New Zealand, batting first, posted a total of 251 runs. In response, Rohit Sharma led with 76 runs, while contributions from KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja ensured India’s victory.

Meera Jain, founder of Times Evoke, urged business leaders to consider distributing their resources to projects and endeavours that safeguard the planet. Delivering her special address at ET Awards for Corporate Excellence, she underlined the importance of mitigating the loss of many species that are vanishing due to human action. «Our success depends on how we gather and disseminate information,» she said. «Ironically, in the age of science and truth, we are veering towards an information avalanche of untruth, glorifying trivialities and stepping over the salient.» The moving address, which followed an expansive dance performance, began with Jain highlighting the urgency of the situation that humanity is facing.

Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU), more than 100 people gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Sunday to advocate for a healthy work-life balance in the IT sector. Expressing disappointment over the turnout, KITU advisor Vasanthraj said that, given Bengaluru's status as a tech hub, at least 6,000 people should have participated to make their collective voice heard. «The hard reality is that IT industry captains are minting profits through the dollar exchange rate but end up squeezing workers. In the last three decades, the IT industry should have become an IT product giant. But despite moving up a few steps in the value chain, it remains a service industry,» said Vasanthraj. KITU member Ram said the protest was organised to counter recent remarks by Infosys Chairman Emeritus Narayana Murthy and L&T Chairman and Managing Director S N Subrahmanyan, who have blamed workers for the sector's failure to move up the value chain.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday said he aspires to see Araku coffee reach the status of a global brand like Starbucks in the future. While celebrating International Women's Day here, Naidu noted that Araku Coffee, grown by tribal farmers, has already gained international recognition. «One day, our Araku Coffee should emerge as another Starbucks. It should become an international brand. To achieve this, set up 100 pilot outlets,» said Naidu, addressing a large gathering of Women's Day celebrants. He emphasised that he had found a partner to promote and establish Araku Coffee centres and called for their expansion into every village and major panchayat, encouraging women to take the lead.

I have nothing against people wearing suits and ties. I have nothing against people engaged in self-flagellation either. In fact, in both cases, I admire the effort and skill involved in pulling off something that gives the subject self-worth. But being ticked off for not wearing a 'suit-tie,' and then attributed some fiendish attempt to disrespect a gathering of suits is something I find utterly churlish. At the weekend Oscars, host Conan O' Brien (in a navy-blue shawl lapel tux) and Adam Sandler in a blue hoodie and basketball shorts mocked White House Armanipulation. The point isn't that Sandler was wearing a $175 neon blue Aviator Nation hoodie over a Hawaiian shirt in a sea of tuxedos and looking like 'a guy playing video poker at 2 am'. It was that O'Brien — who later revealed that the two of them had prepped for the Sandler-conceived gag — was ribbing the 'other ambush' that happened in the White House a few days before.

Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of «lying» to the country, alleging that he has told eleven significant lies during his eleven years in power. Speaking at an event to launch the Kalyana Patha project in Jewargi, aimed at laying 1,166 km of roads across 38 rural constituencies in Kalyan Karnataka, Kharge criticised Modi's promises. The project, which is modeled after the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, will be implemented at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. «In eleven years Modi has said eleven big lies, not small ones. First lie is to bring black money from abroad and put Rs 15 lakh each to the bank accounts of the people. Second lie is creating 2 crore jobs every year. Did you get it, no. But I still don't know why our youths support him? Do they do it on the basis of caste, religion, conduct, I don't understand,» Kharge said. Addressing the gathering, he wondered why people don't support those from the Congress party, whose leaders have dedicated their lives serving the poor, sacrificed their lives, and fought for the freedom of the country.

Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) has called for a mass gathering of IT sector employees on March 9 here demanding stricter enforcement of labour laws and a healthy work-life balance. With the protest, the union aims to address concerns over excessive working hours, lack of overtime compensation, and the expectation for employees to be available beyond official working hours. The gathering is being organised under the slogan «A healthy work-life balance is every employee's right.» In a statement, KITU stated on March 13, 2024, that a memorandum was submitted to the Labour Minister, alleging that IT/ITES companies are not compensating overtime wages and are extending work hours beyond statutory limits. The union urged the government to investigate actual working hours and overtime payments.