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SC to begin hearing anti-CAA pleas from May 5, pan-India matters first

The bench said it will hear the pleas related to pan-India application of the CAA first and then take note of the petitions pertaining to Assam and Tripura later

Bombay HC asks govt to fix systemic failures in land acquisition cases

The Bombay High Court has slammed the Maharashtra government for its "large and systemic failure" in dealing with land acquisition matters, depriving owners of compensation, and directed it to adopt a "mission-mode" to resolve them. A bench of Justices Vibha Kankanwadi and Hiten Venegavkar of the HC's Aurangabad bench on Tuesday said the continued failure to complete acquisition proceedings, even after possession and completion of projects, amounts to a continuing wrong and breach of constitutional duty. Its remarks came on a plea filed by a bunch of residents in Beed district whose lands were acquired by the irrigation division in 1996 for a village water tank construction, but the acquisition proceedings were not yet completed due to which they had not received the compensation. The bench noted that many of the affected landowners are agriculturists, illiterate or rustic persons who may not even be aware of the formal acquisition proceedings or that they are entitled to compensati

Big Food pours millions into rebrands as obesity drugs reshape US demand

Peter ter Kulve, CEO of Magnum Ice Cream, said GLP-1 users continue to eat treats, but they exhibit "a stark reduction of mindless munching and binge eating"

Apple drops ESG performance metrics from executive pay packages

The retreat is a setback for a mechanism once viewed as a promising driver of corporate action on climate and water conservation, among other issues

Island on Edge questions the cost of Great Nicobar development push

The NGT's clearance for the Great Nicobar project highlights a widening gap between procedural environmental safeguards and the lived ecological and cultural costs on the ground

Budget 2026 shifts focus to allied sectors as farm economy diversifies

Despite criticism over gaps in farm support, Budget FY27 sharply raises allocations for fisheries, animal husbandry and cooperation, underlining the growing role of allied sectors

B'desh PM Tarique Rahman chairs first cabinet meeting, sets 180-day agenda

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday chaired the first meeting of his newly formed cabinet, which set a 180-day priority plan with a focus on controlling commodity prices, maintaining law and order and stabilising supply chains. Rahman, the 60-year-old chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sworn in as the 11th prime minister on Tuesday after leading his party to a forceful victory in the 13th Parliamentary polls held on February 12. The first meeting of the new cabinet was held at the Cabinet Division in the Secretariat. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said it is customary for a newly formed government to hold a session on its first day in office. The government has set a 180-day priority plan, with initial focus on controlling commodity prices, maintaining law and order, stabilising supply chains, and ensuring uninterrupted gas and electricity supply, Ahmed was quoted as saying by The Daily Star newspaper. He ad

NYC Mayor Mamdani threatens 10% property tax hike as last-resort option

What's more, City Council leadership is adamant they oppose a property-tax increase. The proposal would need approval from the council to be implemented

ICAI to roll out information systems audit standards this month

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) will come out with the information systems audit standards later this month. The Information Systems Audit Standards (ISAS) seek to strengthen the audit process within the country's digital ecosystem. The institute will be coming out with 11 ISAS. ICAI President Prasanna Kumar D on Wednesday said it would be the first time that a professional institute would be coming out with such standards, and added that its central council approved the standards earlier this month. According to the institute, ISAS would establish a direct linkage between system controls and financial reporting integrity. "In an environment where financial statements are ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)-generated, system-processed, algorithm-driven, and cloud-hosted, strong information systems controls are essential. "By strengthening assurance over automated entries, revenue systems, core platforms, and technology-based processes, ISAS enhances the ...

Markets calm as ECB President Christine Lagarde's exit buzz grows

An ECB spokesperson said Lagarde was focused on her job and had not taken any decision regarding the end of her term

Case filed against Blinkit for selling knives beyond legal blade size

Delhi Police has registered a case against instant delivery app, Blinkit, for allegedly selling illegal knives, an official said on Wednesday. Police recovered 50 knives that were available for sale on the platform that violated government notifications regulating blade size and specifications. Objects up to a maximum blade length of 7.62 cm and a width of 1.72 cm are allowed as per the rules; anything more than that is illegal. No immediate reaction was available from Blinkit on the matter. A case was registered on February 14 under relevant sections of the Arms Act after police found that certain knives were being sold through an online platform that violated prescribed specifications. During scrutiny of online platforms, police found that a 'Stanley knife' could be ordered through the delivery app. As part of the verification process, the police placed an order and examined the knife after delivery. The knife was found to be manually foldable and exceeded the permissible ...

India allows limited Chinese equipment imports for key sectors

The Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has forecast output at 30.95 million tons for the year

Deep-tech, AI bets gather pace as investor appetite strengthens: VCs

Venture capitalists say stronger IPO exits have boosted LP confidence in long-gestation deep-tech and AI ventures, with family offices also stepping up bets in the sector

India allows limited Chinese equipment imports for key sectors

This is the first significant easing of ‌five-year-old curbs that have largely shut Chinese firms out of India's $700 billion-$750 billion government contract market

MP Budget 2026-27 sets ₹4.38 trillion outlay, big push for women

Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jagdish Devda on Wednesday tabled the state's "women-centric" budget for 2026-27 with an outlay of Rs 4,38,317 crore, and said no new taxes would be imposed. Devda presented the Mohan Yadav government's third consecutive budget amid interruptions from the Opposition, which raised concerns over the "mounting debt" burden on the people of the state. In his nearly 90-minute speech, the finance minister said the budget is framed on the model "GYANII - Garib Kalyan (poor), Yuva Shakti (youth), Annadata (farmers), Nari Shakti (women empowerment), Infrastructure and Industry". Allocations of about 3 lakh crore have been made for these areas, he said. Devda announced provisions of Rs 1,27,555 crore for various women welfare schemes, including self-help groups and the Ujjwala Yojana. He said 5,700 hostels would be constructed for working women. The budget has provisioned Rs 23,883 crore for the 'Ladli Behna Yojana' under which over 1.25 crore women receive .

Delhi Police identifies person involved in theft at India AI Summit

Delhi Police has identified a person involved in theft of devices at India AI Impact Summit that took place after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the expo, a senior official said on Tuesday. Homegrown wearables startup NeoSapien Co-founder and CEO Dhananjay Yadav had complained about theft of his devices that he left at his booth allegedly under instruction of security personnel. Yadav said that the theft of his products was "difficult and painful," noting it occurred during a security shutdown for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit. Manish Kumar Agrawal, Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence Division) said the local police are investigating and there are CCTV cameras in place. "There was a time when the gentleman left the items unattended, this was despite the fact that a locker was provided. It was expected that the exhibitor would put the items in the locker. "But nevertheless for whatever reasons he left (it) unattended, but we have proof, the local police ha

Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader who sought US presidency, dies at 84

An impassioned orator, he was a moral and political force who formed a "rainbow coalition" of poor and working-class people. His mission, he said, was "to transform the mind of America"

Warner Bros rejects revised Paramount bid, but is open to a final offer

Paramount informally broached an even higher per-share price of $31, Warner Bros said, apparently enticing the board to the table

IBA appoints Gunveena Chadha as Secretary General

Indian Beverage Association (IBA), the apex body for the non-alcoholic beverage industry on Tuesday announced appointment of Gunveena Chadha as its new Secretary General. Chadha, prior to joining IBA, served as Deputy Secretary General at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). She has also held leadership roles at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the World Economic Forum (WEF), said an IBA statement. Commenting on the development President C K Jaipuria said: "We are delighted to welcome Gunveena Chadha as the new Secretary General of IBA. The non-alcoholic beverage industry is navigating a dynamic policy and business environment, and Dr. Chadha brings a rare blend of policy depth and global industry experience. As the beverage sector engages with increasingly complex regulatory and market realities, her leadership will help IBA engage more effectively with policymakers and stakeholders." * * * * Panasonic India launches Co.lab ...

CCPA fines Snapdeal ₹5 lakh for selling toys violating BIS standards

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on e-commerce platform Snapdeal for selling toys that do not comply with mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards certification, violating the Toys (Quality Control) Order, 2020. A final order against Snapdeal (Ace Vector Limited) has been issued after taking suo-motu cognizance of the matter, CCPA Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare told PTI. The CCPA has also issued notices to other e-commerce entities including Amazon and Flipkart, along with sellers such as Stallion Trading Company and Electronics Bazar Store, she said. Besides the penalty, the CCPA has directed Snapdeal to ensure future compliance by guaranteeing that no non-compliant BIS standard toy is listed, hosted, or advertised on its platform. The platform has also been asked to prominently display contact numbers, e-mail addresses, and Grievance Officer details to facilitate prompt consumer redressal. The Toys (Quality Control) Order, 2020 beca