International Financial News

Kalyan Jewellers, Tanishq, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Joyalukkas and Senco Gold are staying away from lab-grown diamonds (LGDs) citing low demand and an aversion to mixing them with natural stones at counters. Nonetheless, the buzz over such stones — much cheaper than natural diamonds and indistinguishable from them — is getting louder, with higher sales in markets such as the US and government stimulus budgeted in India. Top retailers still feel the local market is not yet ready to accept LGDs like the US, as artificial diamonds are popularly considered fashion jewellery and not an asset with resale value.

Good Friday and Easter will fuel your festive spirits. These three days give you the perfect opportunity to binge on latest content on streaming platforms and also in theatres. Some films have been planned for release just for the festive weekend this Easter as this is the perfect time to go movie hopping with your family and friends in theatres near you.

Indian Air Force (IAF) has for the first time disclosed reasons behind the accidental firing of a BrahMos combat missile which landed in Pakistan in March 2022. In a reply filed before the Delhi High Court, the IAF has said that combat connectors of the Brahmos missile «remained connected to the junction box» which led to the accidental firing of the missile. Sharing relevant findings of the Court of Inquiry held in March 2022 to probe the incident, the IAF has further submitted that the convoy commander of a road convoy, which was to move to location as part of inspection «failed to ensure safe transit of convoy by not ensuring disconnection of combat connectors of all missiles loaded» on the mobile autonomous launcher prior to the movement.

Election Commission has directed the authorities in Manipur to make arrangements to ensure and facilitate all Internally Displaced People (IDPs) to cast their votes for the Lok Sabha elections at the special polling stations without any difficulty. The special polling stations would be set up in all the relief camps in different districts so that the voters among the IDPs could cast their votes in the two phases of Lok Sabha elections on April 19 and 26. A 6-member Election Commission team led by Dharmendra Sharma, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner arrived in Imphal on Thursday and conducted a thorough review of the election preparedness. The ECI team also reviewed the preparedness of elections with the District Election Officers and Superintendents of Police of all 16 districts.

Rings play a pivotal role in defining one's personal style, adding flair and personality to any outfit. Whether you are aiming for a subtle touch of sophistication or a bold statement piece, this list has it all. With affordability and quality in mind, these rings allow you to experiment with different styles and trends without compromising on style or budget. So, without wasting any time, dive into this article to find the ideal ring that perfectly complements your style and effortlessly expresses your unique personality.

Russia said on Friday that major powers needed a new approach to North Korea, accusing the United States and its allies of ratchetting up military tensions in Asia and seeking to «strangle» the reclusive state. Russia vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts monitoring enforcement of longstanding United Nations sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. Moscow's move, which strikes a blow at the enforcement of a myriad of UN sanctions imposed after Pyongyang carried out its first nuclear test in 2006, underscores the dividend that Kim Jong Un has earned by moving closer to President Vladimir Putin amid the war in Ukraine.

BJP in the Alipurduars Lok Sabha seat, so far considered a saffron citadel, the TMC seems to be banking on the saffron disarray to secure its second victory in the constituency after a decade. Riding on the promise of CAA implementation and RSS groundwork among local tribals, the BJP swept the region by winning this ST-reserved seat in 2019 and bagged all seven assembly constituencies under its fold in 2021, including two MLA seats from adjacent districts. Much seems to have changed in the meanwhile, with internal bickerings gaining momentum within the BJP's local unit after the party decided to replace its sitting MP and Union minister John Barla, with its local MLA and chief whip in the West Bengal assembly, Manoj Tigga, as candidate for the seat.

The Telegraph reported the Taliban's latest announcement made in a voice message on state TV last Saturday. According to the report, Taliban's Supreme Leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada made the announcement. In the announcement, Akhundzada said that the international community had been advocating for women's rights which were against the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic Sharia.

Shapoorji Pallonji Group’s flagship infrastructure engineering and Construction firm, Afcons Infrastructure Limited (AIL), has filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO). According to the draft papers, the IPO, with a face value of Rs 10 per equity share, is a mix of fresh issue of shares of Rs 1,250 crore and an offer for sale of up to Rs 5,750 crore by Goswami Infratech Private Limited.

Tillu Square' has hit theatres, sparking immense excitement among viewers, especially the younger audience. Directed by Mallik Ram and featuring the talented duo Siddhu Jonnalagadda and Anupama Parameswaran, this movie has been a topic of eager discussion among fans since its announcement. Produced by Sitara Entertainments, 'Tillu Square' is a sequel to the successful 'DJ Tillu,' released in 2022, adding to the anticipation surrounding its premiere. Tillu's trademark comedy has once again won hearts, with netizens praising Siddhu Jonnalagadda's performance as DJ Tillu, citing his body language and punch dialogues as key highlights. The film's comedy elements, coupled with an engaging storyline, promise a full fun theatrical experience, ensuring that 'Tillu Square' is poised for success at the box office.

Under this multi-year agreement with AWS, Minfy will help enterprises across multiple industries worldwide leverage AI and cloud technologies to deliver new solutions, like the Swayam.ai generative AI app store. Swayam.ai serves healthcare, aerospace, logistics, manufacturing, and public sector customers worldwide with solutions including intelligent chatbots, sentiment analysis tools, and text-to-video conversion. Minfy plans to further international expansion in the U.S., Australia, and in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Philippines with AWS.

Axis Bank credit card holders took to social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to report unauthorised transactions, including international purchases made without their consent. One user claimed to have received a fraudulent transaction alert from Uber Eats Canada, while others complained about being unable to close their credit cards due to technical glitches on the bank's app, as per the report.

Akasa Air has commenced its international operations with its inaugural overseas flight departing from Mumbai to Doha, Qatar. In a statement on Thursday, the airline said it has been granted traffic rights for three other international destinations — Kuwait, Jeddah, and Riyadh. Akasa will be rapidly expanding its global footprint in the coming months, the statement said. Further, the airline said with its conveniently timed flight schedule, travellers from other domestic cities such as Ahmedabad, Goa, Varanasi, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Kochi, and Delhi will also have multiple connecting options for travel to and from Doha via Mumbai.

Israel to take measures to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including opening more land crossings to allow food, water, fuel and other supplies into the war-ravaged enclave. The International Court of Justice issued two new so-called provisional measures in a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of acts of genocide in its military campaign launched after the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. Israel denies it is committing genocide and accused South Africa of trying to «undermine Israel's inherent right and obligation to defend its citizens.»

unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen on Thursday, the US Central Command said. These UAS were aimed at a Coalition vessel and a US warship and were engaged in self-defence over the Red Sea. Sharing on their official social media X, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) posted, «Between 6:00 and 10:56 p.m. (Sanaa time) on March 28, and for the second day in a row, United States Central Command successfully engaged and destroyed four unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched by Iranian backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen. These UAS were aimed at a Coalition vessel and a U.S. warship and were engaged in self-defence over the Red Sea.»

South Korea slammed Russia's «irresponsible» veto blocking the renewal of a panel of UN experts monitoring international sanctions on North Korea, with the vote following accusations Pyongyang is aiding Moscow in its war in Ukraine. South Korea «clearly points out that the Russian Federation, despite its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has made an irresponsible decision», Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The decision by the government of Ontario will hit hardest at colleges that have been relying entirely on foreign enrollments to drive recent growth. Colleges Ontario, an industry group, said revenue losses will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars this fall. That will mean “immediate program suspensions” and a pause on capital spending, Marketa Evans, the group’s CEO, said in a statement. “No organization can absorb such losses without significant cuts to operations.”

Ishaq Dar raised more than a few eyebrows last week when he said — almost as an aside — that his country’s new government would “seriously look into matters of trade with India”. A resumption of trade would be something of a climbdown for Pakistan, which cut off economic ties when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi unilaterally withdrew Kashmir’s special constitutional status in 2019. Until now, Pakistani leaders have insisted they wouldn’t restore relations until the decision was reversed. Dar’s statement should not come as a complete surprise. His party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N, has a very particular class basis: It’s an alliance between the semi-urban petty bourgeoisie and large industrialists such as its leader, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. These constituencies have always seen the benefits — for themselves and for Pakistan — of normalizing trade ties with a large and growing India. Those gains are potentially substantial, especially for a country as desperate for hard currency as Pakistan is today. The World Bank estimated in 2018 that Pakistan’s exports could increase by as much as 80% — about $25 billion at that point — if trade with India reached its potential.

fintech sector, have received income tax notices in recent weeks with respect to venture capital raised by them, according to people in the know. The notices — served under Section 68 of the Income Tax Act — have clubbed the investments received by these startups with the income earned by them, and tax and penalties have been levied on the combined amount, the sources said. So much so that one startup, registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) — has been asked to pay Rs 37 crore in tax and penalty on funding of Rs 40 crore by venture capital investors, they added.

NEW DELHI : Former US vice-president Al Gore-headed Generation Investment Management’s Just Climate LLP, and Singapore’s CapitaLand Investment Ltd are among entities exploring an acquisition of Radiance Renewables Pvt. Ltd, two people aware of the development said. The sale of the Eversource Capital-backed company, which operates in the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment, may attract a potential equity value of about $300 million, the people said.

Critics say the patchwork system of safety regulations governing massive cargo ships like the one that toppled a Baltimore bridge this week can allow shippers to skirt oversight