Stories from earlier this week and beyond.
State Bank of India has moved the Supreme Court seeking a review of a ruling that bars telecom spectrum from being treated as an asset during insolvency proceedings. SBI warns the decision could sharply weaken recovery prospects for lenders and disrupt infrastructure and telecom financing, arguing the judgment overlooks key issues banks rely on for resolution and recoveries.
FMCG firms say the Gulf war has sparked sharp, widespread jumps in raw material costs. To respond, companies are tightening budgets and moving to daily price surveillance, signaling frequent price changes across categories. Analysts warn this could strain the fragile consumer spending recovery that was boosted by recent tax reductions.
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Jannik Sinner rebounded from an early-season stumble to claim three consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles and regain the world No. 1 ranking. His sharper serve and relentless baseline play are reshaping matchups across the circuit. Now, the Italian is setting his sights on winning the French Open and completing the career Grand Slam.
Voting at Jitushol Primary School in Jhargram, West Bengal, was briefly interrupted when a wandering elephant named Ramlal entered the polling area and paused the process. Forest officials arrived quickly, guided the tusker away, and voting resumed smoothly. The incident once again spotlighted election-day challenges in wildlife-prone regions, with special teams deployed to manage such moments.
Imprisoned former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was convicted in a fresh corruption trial linked to the 1MDB scandal. The High Court found him guilty on three counts of abuse of power, following multibillion-dollar allegations of looting from the state investment fund. Najib, 72, is already serving a sentence from an earlier case, and the fallout contributed to his government’s defeat in 2018.
A senior university professor in Gurugram escaped after her SUV plunged into a deep, unmarked excavation pit in Sushant Lok-1, near Galleria Road. The incident has triggered outrage from residents, who accuse authorities of negligence and highlight persistent gaps in civic safety and road infrastructure in the city.
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Oil tankers from multiple countries are continuing to transit the Strait of Hormuz even as the Iran war escalates regional risks. Vessels carrying crucial oil and gas are reaching destinations across Asia and Europe, underscoring how persistent maritime traffic helps meet global energy demand and demonstrates the resilience of key international trade routes.
A West Asia ceasefire is expected to revive India’s luxury car market as executives at Mercedes-Benz, BMW Group, and Audi say customers who postponed purchases plan to return to showrooms. Companies have also pre-stocked parts to protect supply chains. With sentiment set to improve, sales are likely to strengthen in the coming months.
Raghav Chadha has quit the Aam Aadmi Party and is expected to join the BJP, a shift that could weaken AAP’s presence in the Rajya Sabha. Chadha said AAP has departed from its founding principles, calling it corrupt and compromised. Sources also suggest additional AAP Rajya Sabha members may follow, raising fresh questions for the party’s future in Parliament.
U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced an ambitious plan to grow US-India trade to $500 billion by 2030. The target was shared after a high-level strategy session with the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) India, representing major U.S. industrial interests in the country. The move signals an intensified push to expand investment, commerce, and economic cooperation.
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Asia is warming at nearly double the global average, according to a shift from the 1961–1990 period to 1991–2024. That faster rise is driving harsher heatwaves, glacier losses, and marine heatwaves, increasing risks to water supplies and destabilizing both economies and ecosystems across the region.
India’s Competition Amendment Bill targets delays in merger and acquisition approvals by pushing stricter, faster review timelines. Backers argue the updated approach is needed for today’s fast-moving markets, while companies may face tighter procedural deadlines for regulatory clearance. The bill’s changes aim to reduce waiting periods and accelerate decisions on M&A transactions.
New field research suggests octopuses, unlike humans, don’t rely on a single dominant arm. Instead, they tend to use their front four arms for exploring and their rear arms more often for movement. The findings point to a flexible, redundant limb system that helps octopuses adapt and multitask in their natural habitats.
Analysts expect India’s bank credit to expand faster than deposits in FY27, with credit projected at 12–14% versus deposits at 10–12%. The outlook continues a pattern seen for more than a decade, raising liquidity management challenges. Revised liquidity norms could help, but falling CASA ratios remain a key risk to profitability.
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India is set to fast-track flex-fuel vehicles that can run on higher ethanol blends, aiming to curb dependence on imported oil. The push comes as crude markets stay jittery due to geopolitical shocks, including conflicts affecting Middle East energy supplies. If adoption accelerates, ethanol could become a buffer against oil price spikes and import volatility.
Visa is reportedly set to appoint Suresh Sethi, the former CEO of Protean eGov Technologies, as its new India country head, succeeding Sandeep Ghosh. The move comes as Visa steps up focus on digital payments and deeper regional partnerships. With Sethi’s background across banking and technology, the leadership change signals a renewed effort to accelerate growth in India’s fast-evolving payments market.
In 2025, ISRO reportedly issued about 1.5 lakh close-approach alerts for its Earth-orbiting satellites, reflecting how crowded space has become. The agency carried out four collision avoidance manoeuvres for GEO satellites and 14 for LEO spacecraft, including an avoidance action linked to the joint NASA-ISRO NISAR mission.
Stocks closed lower on Friday as Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, and Infosys weighed on the benchmarks. Yet a handful of names bucked the trend. Yes Bank rose on expectations of new funding, CG Power gained after launching OSAT, and Relaxo Footwear surged amid renewed optimism around GST developments.
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Ahead of COP30, analysts warn that AI-generated disinformation is shaping what people think is happening at the summit. A widely shared clip claiming the host Amazon city is flooded has been flagged as fabricated, with its creator apparently making up not just the flood, but also the reporter, residents, and even the location itself.
West Bengal assembly voting began but faced immediate disruption as EVM glitches delayed polling at stations across districts including Murshidabad, Purba Medinipur, Cooch Behar, Malda, and Darjeeling. Overnight, reports of violence emerged, including crude bomb hurling and attacks on political workers. Security forces have been deployed as authorities respond to the incidents.
Andhra Pradesh is set to roll out a policy that allows large data centres to obtain power distribution licences. The move is aimed at securing reliable electricity for high-demand facilities. Firms that meet defined eligibility criteria could build and operate their own internal power distribution systems, reducing supply uncertainty as data needs surge.
Mango processors in Andhra Pradesh say large quantities of mango pulp are trapped because shipping lanes have been disrupted, blocking exports. The industry is urging the central government to intervene with equity capital, credit guarantees, loan payment moratoriums, and inclusion in export facilitation schemes to help firms manage cashflow and restart trade.
Indian opener Shafali Verma surged to sixth in the ICC Women’s T20I batting rankings after a strong half-century against South Africa. Smriti Mandhana slipped to fourth, while Harmanpreet Kaur fell to 11th and Jemimah Rodrigues dropped to 14th. South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, Annerie Dercksen, and Sune Luus also climbed in the updated list.
Indian markets extended their winning streak on the Nifty expiry day, closing higher for a sixth straight session. The Nifty ended near 25,083 and the Sensex around 82,000. IDBI Bank led gains with a sharp jump, while several notable stocks including Swiggy, Reliance firms and others saw mixed movement, with some names slipping.
TVS Motor’s CMD Sudarshan Venu says the company is readying ethanol powered models, with rollouts planned in phases. He points to India’s E20 blending milestone as proof of benefits like foreign exchange savings and rural support, but warns that E25 and later require ecosystem alignment. Ethanol, he argues, can complement EVs in a multi-technology transition.
Lebanon and Israel have agreed to extend their ceasefire by three more weeks after high-level talks in Washington hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump. Both ambassadors attended the Oval Office meeting, where Trump said the U.S. will help Lebanon protect itself from Hezbollah. The ceasefire targets reduced violence in southern Lebanon, with Trump expressing hope for a peace deal this year.
Collins Dictionary has named “brat” its Word of the Year for 2024, describing it as a cultural phenomenon resonating globally. The choice highlights how fast slang can move from online chatter to mainstream usage, reflecting shifting attitudes and youth-driven language trends worldwide.
Seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs who quit the party on Friday have officially joined the BJP. The defection includes Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Vikram Sahney, Swati Maliwal and Rajendra Gupta. BJP welcomed them at its Delhi headquarters with flowers and sweets, underscoring the political shift ahead of the next phase of campaigning and parliamentary battles.
India once dominated global large cardamom production from Sikkim, making the world’s most expensive flavours reliably available. But when supply faltered, the shock didn’t stay in warehouses. Biryani costs and restaurant margins felt it, while farmers in Sikkim lost their livelihood. The disruption shows how fragile spice economies can ripple fast.
India’s LPG consumption fell 13% in March, driven by West Asia conflict-related supply disruptions. While the government pushed to strengthen domestic production and support household demand, commercial and bulk LPG sales dropped sharply. Still, for the fiscal year ending March 2026, total LPG consumption rose about 6%, highlighting how short-term disruption contrasted with longer-term demand.
The US-Israeli war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are triggering a massive oil and gas supply disruption, hitting crude, natural gas, and refined fuels at once. The reported daily output lost is being described as unprecedented, surpassing earlier major shocks and raising concerns about rapid price and availability swings worldwide.
Iran’s central bank says it has received transit fees for ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz, with the amount reportedly deposited in cash. Iran’s deputy parliament speaker called the tolls a legitimate charge for use of Iranian territorial waters and warned of consequences if the US continues what he described as aggressive policies.
India has authorized 17 banks to import gold and silver for a three-year window beginning April 1, 2026, with validity until March 31, 2029. The government move is aimed at clearing a customs clearance bottleneck that had stalled shipments. Importers can now expect smoother processing and more predictable precious metals trade.
PhonePe has raised $350 million (about Rs 3000 crore) led by General Atlantic, valuing the startup at $12 billion (around Rs 98,000 crore). The company says it will invest in infrastructure such as data centers and expand into financial services including insurance, wealth management, and lending. The move follows recent Flipkart-PhonePe ownership separation.
Voter turnout is trickling in as polling begins for the 2026 assembly elections. West Bengal logged 18.8% turnout by 9:30 am, while Tamil Nadu stood at 17.7%. West Bengal is voting across 152 constituencies in 16 districts, whereas Tamil Nadu is in a single phase. Past elections saw consistently high participation, including over 82% in 2021 for Bengal.
The Indian Army’s air defence regiment in Gujarat marked the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor with a major field exercise. It combined L70 gun drills with unmanned aerial systems for surveillance, target acquisition and real-time intelligence across difficult terrain. The drills also highlighted waterborne capability, with specialised battle groups executing fast manoeuvres through shallow waters using assault boats.
Delhi’s Assembly will hold its 2024-25 Budget session from Feb 15 to 20, with Finance Minister Atishi presenting the budget on Feb 16. The session will proceed after seeking Lt Governor’s approval and is expected to center on health and education, including expanding healthcare infrastructure, reducing neonatal mortality, and improving institutional deliveries while pushing to complete existing projects.
The government has said it has not received reports from auto component makers about any serious LPG supply shortage so far. Speaking at an inter-ministerial briefing on West Asia developments, the Ministry of Heavy Industries said it is in constant contact with the automobile industry and is taking steps to address potential supply-chain disruptions.
MEXC has published a fresh independent Proof of Reserves audit by Hacken, completed Nov 26, 2025. The report says MEXC holds sufficient on-chain assets to cover all user liabilities, with major assets like BTC, ETH, USDT and USDC showing coverage above 100%. Hacken used Proof of Liabilities, ownership procedures, and Merkle-tree verification across multiple blockchain networks.
Renault says it will launch seven new models in India by 2030, betting the country will rank among its top three global markets. The automaker also plans to transform its Chennai plant into a global export hub, signaling a major push to expand its India footprint and capture more market share.
Maruti Suzuki India posted an all-time high production of 23.4 lakh passenger vehicles in FY26, setting it apart as the only maker in India to reach that milestone. The company also became the only Suzuki Motor Corporation facility worldwide to achieve such production levels, underscoring its scale and manufacturing execution.
HDFC Bank delivered a strong FY26 with net profit up 10.9% to Rs 74,700 crore, backed by 12.1% loan growth, steady deposits, and best-in-class asset quality. Even after recent governance-related headlines and leadership changes, CreditSights expects no meaningful impact on the bank’s credit profile or stability. Gross NPAs eased to 1.15% and CET1 stayed robust at 17.3%.
President Trump has extended a ceasefire with Iran to try to end a costly conflict, but negotiations appear stuck. Iran’s top condition: the U.S. must lift the naval blockade before any agreement is even considered. With Iran’s leadership showing no signs of collapse, Trump’s path to peace looks increasingly difficult and politically risky.
Mitchell Starc has been cleared by Cricket Australia to play in the IPL, ending a recovery spell from elbow and shoulder injuries. The fast bowler is expected to link up with the Delhi Capitals squad ahead of their May 1 match against the Rajasthan Royals, giving DC a potential pace boost right when the season demands form.
West Bengal’s election battleground remains dominated by Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, while the BJP tries to convert national momentum into local victories. Despite its growth, the BJP struggles with the “outsider” perception, weaker grassroots reach, and incomplete leadership depth. TMC holds an edge through deep organisational networks, emotional voter connect, and welfare-linked support, especially among women and rural communities.
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra told financial leaders in New York that the central bank is closely monitoring short-term economic fluctuations, including FDI outflows. He outlined reforms to strengthen foreign investment and deepen market integration, while pointing to India’s low inflation and strong foreign exchange reserves as proof of resilient fundamentals.
UK inflation climbed to 3.3% in March from 3.0% in February, driven by higher fuel prices linked to intensifying Middle East tensions. The reading came in slightly above expectations, raising concern about additional inflation pressure ahead. Even so, the Bank of England is widely expected to keep interest rates steady in the near term.
Aegis Vopak Terminals, led by the centuries-old Dutch group Vopak, is racing to expand India’s LPG and liquid product storage footprint. With $1.2 billion earmarked for capacity additions across six ports, the real growth lever is building connections to LPG pipelines—an infrastructure bet that could decide its lead in a surging market.
Global development banks are stepping up coordination to help countries face intensifying economic uncertainty. By combining funds, expertise and risk-management tools, they plan to deliver faster support for immediate pressures while strengthening long-term resilience. The push will prioritize protecting vulnerable populations and accelerating private sector growth, jobs and sustainable development.
NASA has launched the Artemis II mission with four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon. The flight is designed to validate key spacecraft systems needed for future lunar landings and help NASA execute its long-term plan to return humans to the lunar surface. The push also carries geopolitical pressure as the US aims to stay ahead of China’s planned crewed mission.
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