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IOC's new policy bars transgender athletes from women's Olympics events

Transgender women athletes are now excluded from women's events at the Olympics after the IOC agreed to a new eligibility policy on Thursday which aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order on sports ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games. "Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females," the International Olympic Committee said, to be determined by a mandatory gene test once in an athlete's career. It is unclear how many, if any, transgender women are competing at an Olympic level. No woman who transitioned from being born male competed at the 2024 Paris Summer Games, though weightlifter Laurel Hubbard did at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 without winning a medal. The eligibility policy that will apply from the LA Olympics in July 2028 "protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category," the IOC said. "It is not retroactive and does not apply to a

PM Modi to interact with CMs on preparedness amid West Asia conflict

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact on Friday with the chief ministers of all states, barring those which are going to polls, to review their preparedness and plans in the wake of the West Asia conflict, sources said. This is the first time that the prime minister will hold a meeting with the chief ministers on the West Asia conflict which started on February 28 with the attack by the US-Israel on Iran. The Persian nation has also retaliated by firing on its Gulf neighbours and Israel. "The prime minister will interact with the CMs tomorrow evening through video conferencing on the West Asia conflict to review preparedness and plans of states. The meeting will focus on ensuring synergy of efforts in the spirit of Team India," the sources said. The chief ministers of election-bound states will not be part of this meeting due to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The Cabinet Secretariat will hold a separate meeting with the chief secretaries of poll-bound Tamil Nadu, West Bengal

UltraTech settles dispute with Jaiprakash over Dalla Super unit and mines

Leading cement maker UltraTech Cement on Thursday said it has settled with Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) in the ongoing arbitration over the Dalla Super unit and associated mines. In a regulatory filing, UltraTech Cements said it will redeem 1,00,000 Series A Preference Shares of face value Rs 1,00,000 each totalling Rs 1,000 crore. This settlement will also help in monetisation of the assets of JAL in its ongoing Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP), in which rival Adani Group has emerged as the successful resolution applicant (bidder). With this, a long-standing dispute between UltraTech and debt-ridden JAL, which is currently going through insolvency resolution, has come to an end. "Subsequent to the Parties reaching a settlement in respect of the arbitration and the Arbitral Tribunal passing a final award today viz. 26th March, 2026, all rights and interests in the Dalla Super unit and mines have fully vested in the company, and all claims/proceeds and liabilities .

India asks auto industry to optimise output as Iran conflict hits supplies

The government has already prioritised use of gas for households over industries, which get only about 80 per cent of their average needs

India, China ties on correct path of improvement: Chinese FM Wang Yi

India, China relations have embarked on a "correct path" of improvement, and their shared interests far outweigh differences, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, China-India relations have embarked on a correct path of improvement and development, Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), said. Facing a complex and turbulent international situation, China is willing to work with India to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, uphold the principle of viewing each other as development opportunities rather than threats and treat each other as partners rather than competitors, he said during a farewell call on the outgoing Indian Ambassador Pradeep Rawat. India, China relations, which were frozen for over five years following the military standoff in Ladakh, improved after the meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Mo

European Parliament approves US trade deal but adds safeguard clauses

The European Parliament voted Thursday to approve a trade deal between Washington and Brussels but with amendments added to protect European interests should the United States fail to hold up its end of the bargain. The deal was negotiated last July in Turnberry, Scotland, by US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It set a 15 per cent tariff on most goods in an effort to stave off far higher import duties on both sides that might have sent shock waves through economies around the globe. New language now says that the deal can be suspended if Washington "undermined the objectives of the deal, discriminated against EU economic operators, threatened member states' territorial integrity, foreign and defence policies, or engaged in economic coercion." That clause was forged because of the tensions over Greenland, said Bernd Lange, a German lawmaker and head of the EU's parliamentary trade committee. Trump drew widespread condemnation across th

US weekly jobless claims edge up to 210,000; labour market remains stable

Claims have been tucked in a 201,000-230,000 range this year amid low layoffs

AM/NS India CEO Dilip Oommen to retire; Amit Harlalka named successor

AM/NS India CEO Dilip Oommen will retire on June 30 after 22 years with the company. CFO Amit Harlalka will take charge from July 1, marking a leadership transition at the steelmaker

India has about 60 days of fuel stocks, govt dismisses shortage claims

India has about 60 days of fuel stock cover, the government said on Thursday, adding that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel, or LPG as it dismissed reports of shortages as a "deliberate misinformation campaign" aimed at triggering panic buying. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said all petrol pumps across the country are adequately stocked and operating normally, with no rationing of petrol or diesel. India, the world's fourth-largest refiner and fifth-largest exporter of petroleum products, has structurally assured domestic fuel availability and continues to supply refined fuels to over 150 countries, the ministry said in a statement. "Every Indian refinery (which turn crude oil into fuels like petrol and diesel) is running at over 100 per cent utilisation," it said. "Crude oil supplies for next 60 days have already been tied up by Indian oil companies. There is no supply gap." India, it said, has 74 days of total crude oil and fuel stocking capacity. "Actual stock

Thyssenkrupp, Jindal Steel sale talks falter on pension and energy costs

The companies could decide to officially stop negotiations as soon as next month, one of the people said

Canvas to capital: How art is becoming India's new investment asset

Indian art is moving beyond aesthetics into portfolios, as wealthy investors seek diversification, cultural capital, and long-term value in an asset class once seen as niche

Sebi begins review of former HDFC Bank chairman Chakraborty's exit letter

In his resignation letter, Chakraborty cited "certain happenings and practices within the bank" that he said were "not in congruence" with his personal values and ethics

SBI fraud case: CBI conducts searches at Reliance Telecom, ex-directors

The CBI has conducted searches at the residences of two former directors of Reliance Telecom and the company office after registering an FIR against them in connection with an alleged fraud of Rs 114.98 crore in State Bank of India, officials said on Thursday. "The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against M/s. Reliance Telecom Ltd., Sh. Satish Seth (then Director), Sh. Gautam B Doshi (then Director), unknown public servants and unknown others for offences of conspiracy, cheating under IPC and criminal misconduct and abuse of official position under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988," a CBI spokesperson said in a statement here. The agency acted on a complaint from SBI about it being defrauded and suffering a wrongful loss of Rs 114.98 crore, she said. "SBI was a member of the consortium of 11 banks which had sanctioned a total of Rs 735 crore Term Loan facility to Reliance Telecom Ltd," the CBI said. The agency has conducted searches in Mumbai at the

UK plans ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties: PM Starmer

British political parties will be banned from accepting donations in cryptocurrencies, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Wednesday, saying illicit finance poses a "stark" danger to the country's democracy. Starmer told lawmakers that "we will act decisively to protect our democracy" from outside meddling. "That will include a moratorium on all political donations made through cryptocurrencies," he said during the weekly Prime Minister's Questions session in the House of Commons. The move could be a financial blow to the hard-right party Reform UK. The party led by Nigel Farage is one of the few in Britain to accept cryptocurrency donations. The government also said it will put an annual cap of 100,000 pounds (USD 134,000) on donations by British voters living abroad. Reform has received 12 million pounds in the past year from Christopher Harborne, a British businessman based in Thailand, according to Electoral Commission figures. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said the ..

US court questions Trump administration's ban on Anthropic AI's usage

Anthropic sued last month to block the Pentagon's declaration, escalating a high-stakes dispute over safeguards on AI technology used by the military

FCRA amendment Bill proposes new authority to manage NGOs that lose licence

A legislation brought by the government to amend the FCRA will significantly tighten its oversight of foreign-funded organisations, proposing the creation of a powerful new authority to seize and manage the assets of non-profits that lose their licence. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced in Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Wednesday, also sought a comprehensive statutory framework for vesting, supervision, management and disposal of foreign contributions and assets through a 'designated authority', including provisional and permanent vesting. At present, approximately 16,000 associations are registered under the Act and receive around Rs 22,000 crore annually, the statement said. According to the statement of objects and reasons, the proposed law seeks to provide timelines for receipt and utilisation under prior permission. It provides for the cessation of certificate, regulating of handling of assets during ...

Infra projects above ₹150 cr report ₹5.66 trillion cost overrun: Govt

Several infrastructure projects worth above Rs 150 crore each registered a cumulative cost overrun of Rs 5.66 lakh crore, according to a monthly government report for February 2026. The latest 'Flash Report on Central Sector Infrastructure Projects' showed that the revised cost of all 1,948 projects, each valued at Rs 150 crore or higher, monitored by the statistics ministry stood at Rs 41,98,684 crore compared to their original cost of Rs 36,32,088 crore. The report did not specify the actual number of projects that are facing cost overrun. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) stated, in a press release on Wednesday, that as of February 2026, 1,948 ongoing infrastructure projects, with a total revised cost of Rs 41.98 lakh crore, are being monitored across 17 central ministries/departments. The cumulative expenditure incurred on these projects stands at Rs 19.71 lakh crore, accounting for approximately 46.95 per cent of the revised project cost, indicati

Trump names Huang, Zuckerberg to 13-member science and tech council

Trump has made securing US leadership in artificial intelligence a priority of his second term, framing the technology as a defining arena of strategic competition with China

US jury finds Google, Meta liable in social media addiction trial

Snap and TikTok were also defendants in the trial. Both settled with the plaintiff before it began. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed

IndiGo plans to build integrated campus on 4.5-acre land in Gurugram

Leading airline IndiGo will develop an integrated campus in a land parcel of more than 4.5 acres in Gurugram, Haryana, over the next 3-5 years. The carrier is headquartered in Gurugram, and the unified campus will bring together the IndiGo Support Centre (ISC) and learning centres, Ifly, under one roof. In an internal message to staff on Wednesday, the airline's Group Chief Human Resources Officer Sukhjit S Pasricha said it has secured the right to a 4.5-acre land parcel in Sector 29, Gurugram, and plans to develop an integrated campus at the site. "This future campus, to be developed over 3-5 years from possession, will bring together our ISC (IndiGo Support Centre), i.e. our headquarters and Ifly (learning centres), currently spread across Gurugram. Consolidating these under one roof will strengthen collaboration, improve organisational cohesion, and support our long-term growth plans," he said. IndiGo is the country's largest airline with a domestic market share of 63.6 per cent