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International North South Transportation Corridor (INSTC) that provides India with the shortest route to trade with Russia and Europe. The Armenian Parliament on Wednesday approved a $200 million loan from the Eurasian Stabilization and Development Fund to build an 8.6 km Kajaran tunnel in Syunik (bordering Iran) as part of efforts to join INSTC, ET has learnt. Armenia is also in talks to join Iran’s Chabahar Port as it seeks access to India and other Asian nations. The South Caucasian country is also hoping for early linkages between the INSTC and the Chabahar Port for seamless connectivity.

Devendra Fadnavis, the political stalwart who rose from humble beginnings to become a key figure in Maharashtra politics, was on Thursday evening sworn in as chief minister — a position he has held twice before. «Mi Punha Ye-in (I will be back),» he had famously said at the end of his first tenure in the top post in 2019. His detractors mocked him over the resolution when he had to sit in the opposition subsequently; but the BJP leader had the last laugh. The 54-year-old leader, whose career has been marked by a blend of resilience and strategic manoeuvring, would lead the state for the third time following a decisive showing of the BJP in the November 20 assembly polls. Fadnavis' political journey has been nothing short of remarkable. From serving as an obscure corporator to becoming the youngest mayor of Nagpur, he has strengthened his status as a prominent leader within his party. Notably, he is only the second Brahmin to serve as Chief Minister of Maharashtra, following the Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi. His ascent began in earnest ahead of the 2014 assembly elections, where he garnered significant support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leader Amit Shah. Modi famously referred to him as «Nagpur's gift to the country» during a campaign rally. Though Modi had launched a campaign blitzkrieg in the 2014 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly polls, a portion of the credit also went to Fadnavis, then state BJP president, for the party's success.

sledging". And just a piece of advice for those who believe in old school romance- beware of this newest dating trend that are far from letting you realise your fairy tale romances. Sledging is the newest dating trend and it's gaining attention, especially among Gen Z, this winter season, after throning, breadcrumbing, ghosting, situationships, love bombing and zombieing.

BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister. Eknath Shinde, the Shiv Sena leader who has taken on the deputy CM role, now faces the delicate task of managing his party's growing faction and ensuring the smooth distribution of ministerial portfolios. The Shiv Sena is also adjusting to the new dynamics after losing the top post to the BJP, but party leaders remain optimistic about their role within the state government.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has handed his final budget blueprint to lawmakers that includes a rosy picture based largely on his state’s success in extracting near-record levels of oil and gas from the ground

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson allegedly left a cryptic message engraved on the bullet used to murder him, according to a report by the New York Post. The masked gunman, who fatally ambushed Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk, disappeared into Central Park and remains at large. The 50-year-old executive was killed early Wednesday morning while walking to the company’s annual investor conference at a Midtown Hilton hotel, located near prominent landmarks like Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art. Sources cited by the New York Post claimed that the words “deny,” “depose,” and “defend” were engraved on live rounds and shell casings left behind. Police recovered three live 9-millimeter rounds and three discharged casings from the crime scene.

Myntra, India’s largest online lifestyle and fashion retailer, has joined the quick-commerce bandwagon, launching a 30-minute delivery service called M-Now in Bengaluru that it plans to expand to cities like Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune in the coming months. Myntra is entering the segment with an extensive assortment — about 10,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs) to start with — compared with a limited number of lifestyle and fashion products like regular t-shirts and innerwear offered on quick-delivery platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart. It started a pilot project last month and the service is now live in some areas of Bengaluru. M-Now will deliver fashion and beauty products and accessories within 30 minutes using dark stores, or micro warehouses, run by third parties as well as retail stores of fashion brands, Myntra chief executive Nandita Sinha told ET.

real estate data analytic firm PropEquity, Jaipur saw the maximum 65 per cent rise in weighted average prices to Rs 6,979 per square feet in the housing projects launched during January-September this year. In the last calendar year, the average rates in Jaipur stood at Rs 4,240 per square feet. Samir Jasuja, Founder & CEO of PropEquity said, "Tier II cities have seen renewed interest from developers, corporates, financial institutions and investor community." The cheap availability of land in these cities followed by the massive development of connectivity infrastructure and strong demand has led to an increased supply of premium and luxury housing, he added.

Rajya Sabha on Thursday witnessed uproarious scenes in the morning when BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged attacks by foreign forces on India's national interests and demanded a thorough probe besides asking all MPs to discuss the serious issue. Speaking on 'Concerns over Suspicious and Conspicuous Attacks on National Interest from Abroad' during Zero Hour, Trivedi cited instances during the past three years wherein issues concerning India were raised by international entities just before or during Parliament sessions. He cited examples of the Hindenburg report, Covid vaccine report and one on Indian farmers, a BBC documentary, Pegasus issue and a video on violence against women in Manipur during the past three years. He also cited the recent report on the indictment of an Indian business house by a US attorney just ahead of the Winter Session. «Ever since India is emerging as a strategic, economic and diplomatic power, it has been seen that in the last three years there have been attempts to attack India's established systems and interests on economic and social fronts through activities from abroad,» he said.

Ericsson is working to introduce artificial intelligence agents in its telecom products and services, with the aim to make network operations autonomous. The company has established a global AI accelerator hub in North America, Sweden and India, where engineers are working to address gaps in its telecom products using AI, a top company executive told ET. “The initial struggle was to have the right kind of data, and mostly about proving that AI could add value. But over the last several years, we have moved past that and our focus has been on bringing AI into our products,” said Chandru Sargor who heads the Global AI Accelerator India team.

The launch took place at 4:04 PM IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota after a smooth countdown. On Wednesday, space agency had rescheduled it's launch to today following an anomaly detected in the satellite propulsion system. The Proba-3 mission consists of two satellites, Coronagraph (310 kg) and Occulter (240 kg), designed to study the Sun’s corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere.

finished steel imports from China reached an all-time high during the first seven months of the current financial year from April, according to provisional government data reviewed by Reuters, rattling hundreds of small Indian steel producers. China, the world's biggest steel producer, shipped 1.7 million metric tons of finished steel to India during April-October, a 35.4% increase year-on-year, the data showed. This has exacerbated the deteriorating financial health of Indian steel producers struggling with cheap Chinese imports and falling domestic prices despite robust demand driven by rapid economic growth and rising infrastructure spending in the world's fastest growing major economy.

World Pickleball League (WPBL) has officially introduced Pune United, a new franchise team representing the city of Pune. The team’s ownership comprises Bollywood stars Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh, alongside corporate leaders Sudhir and Sunanda Mehta of EKA Mobility and Pinnacle Industries, and Ajeenkya D Y Patil and Pooja Patil of Ajeenkya DY Patil University. Riteish Deshmukh said, “Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the world. Its craze and popularity are unmatched amongst all ages. We are excited to be part of the World Pickleball League which will surely take pickleball to newer heights across India. Our endeavor at Pune United is to champion a team that will inspire players to give their best and couples, families, and communities to come together and embrace this wonderful game and lead healthier and fitter lives.” Genelia Deshmukh added, “Pune United is serving up a storm. We are excited to be part of the World Pickleball League. Pickleball has the power to unite, inspire, and transform. Our mission at Pune United is simple: to ignite a love for Pickleball that goes beyond the court. We're committed to fostering a culture of camaraderie, wellness, and fun that will enrich the lives of our players, families, and community.”

immediate financial needs. These range from working capital expenses, purchasing raw materials and consolidating debt. Consumers suggested that they need working capital to cover salaries and rent, pay utility bills, vendors and suppliers, and to manage routine day-to-day operations. The report by Paisabazaar shows that less than 30% of businesses applied for loans on future growth initiatives like marketing, brand building, upgrading machinery, or acquiring additional office space for expansion. The study revealed that nearly 45% of business loan applications were driven by the need for working capital expenses, highlighting the persistent liquidity challenges and short term cash flow gaps faced, especially by small businesses, in managing their day-to-day operations.

ITC is expanding its network of FPOs, further aiming to connect one crore farmers in the next 4-5 years and scaling up sourcing of fruits and vegetables through this platform, said its Agri Business Division CEO S Ganesh. ITC, present in around 22 states through FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations) and working on 20 crops, has plans to expand and deepen it further in states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Bihar. Besides, ITC is working on expanding the reach of its super app MAARS — a 'phygital' initiative with FPOs through which it is providing personalised advisories to farmers from weather forecast to sales of crops at mandi prices, supply of seeds and fertiliser and services as soil testing to helping them get credit from banks. Through MAARS (Metamarket for Advanced Agriculture Rural Services), ITC is also enhancing agricultural practices to small farmers through technology aggregation, AI-enabled solutions, AgTech and an e-marketplace for commodities and inputs.

recently issued a «full and unconditional» pardon to his son Hunter Biden for gun crime and tax convictions, a decision that was widely criticised by Republicans and Democrats alike. Biden, who earlier said he would not interfere with the proceedings, said his son was “unfairly prosecuted" by political opponents. This has brought renewed attention to the US Constitution's provision granting the president the authority to offer clemency, a power wielded by every president since George Washington. Biden's senior aides in the White House are now actively considering whether to issue 'preemptive pardons' to certain current and former public officials in the government as fears grow over the possibility of politically motivated prosecutions under Donald Trump’s return to the presidency.

Pacer Megan Schutt was the pick of the Australian bowlers with a five-wicket haul for 19 runs. The home side chased down the target with 33.4 overs to spare, with opener Georgia Voll remaining not out on 46 off 42 balls, reaching 102 for 5 in 16.2 overs.

President Yoon Suk Yeol faces an impeachment vote this Saturday after briefly imposing martial law in South Korea. AFP looks at how the dramatic events of the past few days unfolded in a country where democracy had been assumed to be firmly anchored — and what might happen next.

From Austria’s Vienna to Sweden’s Gothenburg, a CNN travel report lists European towns and cities that revel in Christmas like no other place.

Bryan Johnson, an American entrepreneur renowned for his anti-ageing endeavours, is currently on a six-day trip to India. From meeting the Ambanis to Bollywood celebrities like Sonam Kapoor, Bryan has shared his numerous experiences- not to forget how he felt the severity of air pollution in Mumbai soon after he landed in the city for an event held in collaboration with Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal. He attended an intimate gathering at Soho House, where he met Deepinder Goyal and comedian Tanmay Bhat, engaging with a crowd of 50 for a candid conversation. Known for his groundbreaking 'Blueprint project' aimed at reversing ageing, the US tech billionaire is making waves during his visit to India. Johnson has been travelling across time zones which can often lead to jet lags. But the US software engineer has devised a comprehensive strategy to combat it. ALSO READ: Tech millionaire Bryan Johnson's India visit sparks buzz. What’s his link to Poonam Pandey?