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India's energy outlook brightened on Wednesday after a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US triggered a sharp drop in crude prices and reopened hopes of supply normalization through the world's most critical energy corridor. India, the world's third-largest energy consumer and fourth-biggest gas user, imports about 88 per cent of its crude oil, around half of its natural gas requirements and roughly 60 per cent of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) needs, underscoring its heavy reliance on overseas supplies. More than half of these crude imports, about 40 per cent of natural gas and as much as 85-90 per cent of LPG shipments are sourced from Gulf countries and transit through the Strait of Hormuz - the world's most critical energy corridor that was shut because of the West Asia conflict. The US and Iran have agreed to a conditional two-week ceasefire that included the opening of Strait of Hormuz for shipping. With energy supplies from Gulf countries impacted, India initially c
Global hospitality major Hilton on Wednesday announced the signing of a strategic agreement with Regenta Hotels Private Limited, owned by Royal Orchid Hotels Limited, for opening 125 'Hampton by Hilton' hotels across western and southern India by 2035. The partnership accelerates Hilton's upper mid-scale expansion in India, where rising domestic travel and growing demand from the country's expanding middle class are driving strong opportunities in the mid-market segment. The franchised hotels will primarily be developed across western and southern markets, including Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, joining more than 3,100 Hampton by Hilton properties operating globally. Alan Watts, President, Asia Pacific, Hilton, said, "India's economic growth, expanding middle class and rapid infrastructure development are reshaping the country's travel landscape, creating significant opportunities for our brands. Our new strategic partnership with the Regenta
Takedown and blocking powers are already provided for under the existing provisions, and the proposed amendments to the IT rules are not linked to content takedown actions, MeitY Secretary S Krishnan said on Tuesday. He said the proposed amendments do not give the government wider powers nor expand those, and are "merely clarificatory in nature". Fielding a question on the significant rise in blocking action seen over the last three-four months, Krishnan attributed the increase to synthetically-generated content. "There has been a sudden explosion across the board.... This is not to do with any one political party.... So, a sudden explosion of so-called 'deepfakes' has meant that further action has been taken," he said at a media briefing. To a question on whether there will be a provision for giving specific reasons behind recent takedowns of certain posts, Krishnan asserted that "these changes (IT rule amendments) have nothing to do with what are the takedowns...." Takedowns hap