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Union Minister Piyush Goyal met with luxury giants LVMH and L'Oreal to boost India's manufacturing, exports, and investments. Discussions centered on expanding production, nurturing local talent, and integrating Indian culture into global luxury supply chains. The talks also explored new avenues for India's beauty and personal care sector, leveraging L'Oreal's recent tech hub launch in Hyderabad.

Elon Musk is testifying against ChatGPT maker OpenAI. He claims the company abandoned its original mission. Musk stated he co-founded OpenAI to ensure AI benefited humanity. He expressed concerns about AI safety and misuse. Musk also revealed he warned former US President Barack Obama about AI dangers years ago. The case could impact AI governance and charitable trusts.

A distant Middle East conflict is now impacting Indian households, driving up costs for everyday essentials like LPG, cooking oil, and dry fruits. Furniture, electronics, and even paint are becoming pricier due to rising petrochemical and shipping expenses. Air travel and fuel prices are also climbing, with potential for further hikes as oil companies face significant losses.

Lower-cost, latest-generation immunotherapies from China are a shot in the arm for Indian cancer patients who have been priced out of treatment by expensive drugs from western MNCs

Elon Musk testified in a trial against OpenAI, accusing the AI company and CEO Sam Altman of abandoning their nonprofit mission. Musk stated he co-founded OpenAI to prevent AI from falling into the wrong hands, arguing the shift to a for-profit structure violated its original purpose. He emphasized that the case's outcome could impact charitable giving nationwide.

A diplomatic clash has erupted between Pope Leo XIV and US President Donald Trump over the Iran conflict. The Pope urged de-escalation and highlighted moral and international law concerns, while Trump dismissed his stance as "weak" and "liberal." This tension, reminiscent of historical papal-state conflicts, is also reflected in cinema, showcasing the enduring struggle between religious and political authority.

Global condom giant Karex Bhd is hiking prices by up to 30% due to Iran war-induced supply chain disruptions and soaring raw material costs. Naphtha shortages are crippling production, leading to a worldwide shortage of essential goods, from condoms to plastic packaging, impacting public health initiatives, especially in developing nations.

Donating clothes seems eco-friendly, but vast amounts of low-quality fast fashion end up as waste in places like Chile's deserts and Indonesia's shorelines. While second-hand markets offer benefits, the sheer volume overwhelms reuse and recycling systems. True solutions lie in reducing production and extending garment life, not just donation bins.

Rice farmers Siriporn and Amnat Taidee used to burn their paddy fields between plantings -- a common method of clearing crop residue partly blamed fortoxic smog that blankets much of Thailand every spring. "My life has changed," said Siriporn, 63, as she sloshed through a verdant paddy field in Chiang Rai.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow stretch which is important for global trade flows, and is alone responsible for the transit of a fifth of the world’s oil supply. Asian economies like India and China source a big chunk of their crude oil, LPG, and LNG requirements via this strait.

At the heart of this push lies a strategic concern long associated with Beijing: securing critical sea lanes, particularly through the Strait of Malacca, and reducing vulnerabilities in the event of a conflict that could threaten its energy and trade lifelines. This vulnerability has a direct bearing on India’s strategic calculus as well. Located astride key Indian Ocean routes and in proximity to the Malacca chokepoint.

Generations of Indian workers and businesses have turned the Arab side of the Gulf into a vital appendage of their own country.

India anticipates meeting peak summer electricity demand despite Middle East conflict, relying on coal, renewables, and battery storage. Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal stated limited gas dependence shields the system. A 4 GW imported coal plant and fast-tracked wind projects will bolster supply, while solar covers daytime needs and batteries address evening demand.

Indian exporters are navigating Middle East conflict fallout, facing rising freight, insurance, and transit times. Businesses are adapting by adjusting inventory and contracts, while shipping lines reroute vessels around Africa, adding significant delays and costs. The government is exploring support measures, including airlifting perishables and alternative port options.

The US trade representative's office has launched Section 301 investigations into 60 economies, including India, for failing to address forced labor in imports. This move follows a Supreme Court ruling and aims to determine if foreign governments are sufficiently prohibiting goods made with forced labor, impacting US workers and businesses. New tariffs on several countries are possible by summer.

Two crude oil tankers have successfully navigated the Strait of Hormuz, heading towards Indian ports. This offers some relief to energy supplies. Several tankers carrying Russian oil are also rerouting to India. Shipping operations in the Gulf remain challenging, with increased costs due to diversions and higher insurance premiums.

No city, no matter how go-go and glamorous, can buy its way out of the forces of history and geography. Any serious disruption — a hurricane, a wildfire, a pandemic, a terrorist attack, a popular uprising, a sudden change in tax law — can send the mobile and the unattached off seeking a new safe haven

In the past two editions of the T20 World Cups, Nepal's fans have flooded the stands, be it in Texas or in Mumbai. The cricketers have shown the spunk, stomach for a fight, and pushed teams like South Africa and England to the brink. The Rohit Paudel-led team registered their first World Cup win in their third appearance, when they defeated Scotland at Wankhede. Now they must aim higher, but to achieve the summit of Mount Everest, they will need help.

Mexico plans to deploy nearly 100,000 security personnel to protect fans during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The move comes after cartel violence in Guadalajara raised safety concerns. President Claudia Sheinbaum says soldiers, police, aircraft, and anti-drone systems will secure stadiums and fan zones. Despite recent unrest, authorities insist Mexico is ready to host millions of football fans safely.

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy route, is effectively blocked due to the escalating US-Israeli war on Iran, halting tankers traffic and forcing oil producers to cut the oil output. Damaged infrastructure and blocked shipping lanes are causing global supply shocks, leading to surging energy prices and economic strain worldwide.

India has clarified its energy policy is driven by affordability, availability, and sustainability, not external permissions. A government official says recent US waiver on Russian oil purchases merely eases trade, not dictates policy. Officials confirm secure fuel supplies with ample buffer stocks, highlighting India's diversified sourcing from around 40 nations, ensuring citizen interests remain paramount.

WASHINGTON: US President George W Bush has offered billions of dollars in aid to African countries to combat AIDS, poverty and improve educational facilities on condition that the nations are dedicated to good governance.

During the reign of Queen Victoria, the British Empire profited heavily from exporting opium from colonial India to China, fuelling addiction and sparking the First Opium War after Chinese official Lin Zexu destroyed large shipments. The episode reveals a stark contradiction between Victorian moral ideals and an empire deeply reliant on the global narcotics trade.

The war on Iran is pushing up oil prices and unsettling the Gulf. That is exactly where millions of Indians earn the dollars India depends on