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Centre cracks down on fertiliser black-marketing, reviews MSP procurement

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday chaired a virtual meeting with state agriculture ministers, flagging gaps in farmer registration, fertiliser distribution, and pulse procurement under PM-AASHA. With 9.25 crore farmer IDs created across 19 states so far, Chouhan directed state governments to mount a joint campaign between agriculture and revenue departments to hit 100 per cent coverage of the scheme within six months. He stressed that registration must go beyond PM-Kisan beneficiaries to include all eligible farmers, an official statement said. On fertilisers, the minister came down hard on hoarding and black-marketing, asking states to enforce strict checks -- particularly in border areas, where he flagged illegal movement of inputs as a pressing concern. He called for a technology-based distribution system to ensure equitable access and nudged states towards promoting organic and natural farming to curb imbalanced fertiliser use. Haryana's 'Meri Fasal

Claude Code leak: Anthropic cites human error, works to limit damage

Thousands of copies of the code were removed from GitHub in response to copyright takedown requests from Anthropic, according to a notice on the popular developer platform

Zoramthanga's memoir traces Mizoram's political transformation from chaos

Zoramthanga describes the IAF bombing and its aftermath

Russia's GDP falls 1.5% year-on-year in February amid weak growth outlook

In the first two months of the year, GDP fell by 1.8 per cent

India's telecom imports from China rose to $6.37 billion in FY24: Govt

India's imports of telecom instruments from China climbed to USD 6,371 million (about Rs 59,500 crore) in 2023-24, up from USD 5,553 million in 2019-20, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, in a written reply to Lok Sabha, said that total imports in the telecom instruments category rose from USD 13,333 million in 2019-20 to USD 17,010 million in 2023-24. "The imports under the principal commodity 'telecom instruments' have increased from USD 13,333 million in 2019-20 to 17,010 million in 2023-24. Further, the import from China during the period has increased from USD 5,553 million to 6,371 million," the minister said. To boost domestic manufacturing of telecom instruments, he said the government has introduced the Public Procurement order to give preference in government procurement for goods and services which meet the minimum domestic value addition criteria. He also noted the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme

Iran's 'new regime' seeks ceasefire, 'will consider if Hormuz opens': Trump

Trump claimed that an Iranian leader had sought a ceasefire. He added that the United States would consider it only when the Strait of Hormuz was open, free, and clear

In a first, Trump attends US Supreme Court arguments on citizenship

Trump was driven by motorcade from the White House and arrived before the arguments, wearing a red tie and dark suit

FCRA amendment bill unlikely to be taken up in Lok Sabha amid protests

A bill to amend the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) is unlikely to come up before the Lok Sabha in the ongoing Budget session for consideration amid opposition's concerns over some of its provisions, sources said on Wednesday. In the Lok Sabha, the FCRA (Amendment) Bill was listed for consideration and passage. But as soon as the Question Hour began at 11 am, opposition members, mainly from Kerala, started raising slogans against the provisions of the Bill. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill, introduced in the House last month, seeks to protect national security and interest and asserted that it was not aimed against any religion or organisation. It was aimed at preventing misuse of foreign contributions, Rijiju said to placate the opposition. The minister accused the Congress and Left parties of misleading people of Kerala, the state which faces assembly polls on April 9. He said that though the Bill had been listed in Wednesday's official agenda

Indigo to raise ticket prices again starting April 2 as ATF costs surge

For domestic routes, the airline said it has adjusted fuel charges based on distance bands after the government allowed only a partial pass-through of rising costs

Circulate Capital raises $220 million in first close of Asia-focused fund

Circulate Capital on Wednesday said it has raised USD 220 million (approximately Rs 2,000 crore) in the first close of its second Asia-focused fund to scale circular supply chains across South and Southeast Asia. The fund has drawn backing from investors, such as Builders Vision and Emerging Market Climate Action Fund (EMCAF). "The fund will now deploy growth capital to scale circular supply chains and recycling businesses across South and Southeast Asia, with a focus on plastic solutions and packaging, as well as electronics and apparel," Circulate Capital said in a statement. It will execute high-growth investments in key markets, such as India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The fundraising comes amid growing recognition of circular supply chains as a strategic priority, driven by tighter regulations, volatile raw material markets and increasing sustainability commitments by global companies. Industry estimates suggest that while the global economy

Meghalaya signs pact with Starlink to expand digital connectivity: CM

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday said the state government is taking major steps to enhance digital connectivity through its collaboration with Elon Musk-owned Starlink. Meghalaya has seen credible transformation through technology, and "we are hopeful that this collaboration will help us reach the remotest corners of our state and make a real difference in people's lives", Sangma said in a post on X. The CM said he was glad to witness the MoU signing between the Meghalaya government and Starlink India. "Over the past 8 years, we have strengthened infrastructure, embraced technology, and improved governance, reducing processes that once took 30 days to just 3 days. Yet, connecting our remotest schools, health centres, and communities remains a challenge. "Our partnership to introduce advanced satellite connectivity technology marks an important step toward bridging this gap. This initiative will help save lives through better healthcare access, improve learning

Explosion outside Punjab BJP's office in Chandigarh, no casualties

An explosion outside the office of the Punjab BJP office here on Wednesday evening led to panic and police cordoning the area. There were no reports of any casualties. Sounds of the explosion were heard around 5 pm, said head of the state BJP's media cell Vineet Joshi. A scooter parked outside the building in Sector 37 was damaged. Senior police officers, including Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwardip Kaur, as well as a team of the Central Forensic Laboratory rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. "We heard the sound of the explosion. How did it take place? We could see some signs on the boundary wall. Only police can provide details," Joshi told reporters. "It is a matter of concern if a blast took place outside the party office," he added. There was little clarity on what had happened. Further details are awaited.

Maruti Suzuki may raise prices as Iran conflict drives up commodity costs

The carmaker, majority-owned by Japan's Suzuki Motor, said it has not faced any supply disruptions, but acknowledged potential disruptions in the future

Experts cut Germany's growth outlook for 2026, 2027 due to Iran conflict

German growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027 were cut by experts on Wednesday as governments across Europe implement measures aimed at reducing the price impact of the Iran war. A group of five economic institutes predict German gross domestic product will expand by 0.6 per cent this year - less than half the 1.3 per cent they forecast in September - and by 0.9 per cent in 2027, down from 1.4 per cent. The economic outlook was below the government's own forecast, issued two months ago, of 1 per cent and 1.3 per cent growth, respectively. The Iran war has created an unwelcome new obstacle to growth across Europe. The annual inflation rate in the 21-nation euro area sped up to 2.5 per cent in March from 1.9 per cent the previous month. It was powered by a 4.9 per cent increase in energy prices as the war and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz sent fuel costs higher. "This energy price shock is hitting a German economy in which a recovery set in last year after a several-year downturn,"

India's realty investment falls 62% in Q1 amid West Asia tensions: Vestian

Institutional investment in Indian real estate sector fell 62 per cent during January-March period to USD 1.41 billion from the previous quarter amid negative sentiments because of the West Asia conflict, according to Vestian. The investment in real estate stood at USD 3.73 billion in the October-December quarter of the 2025 calendar year. However, real estate consultant Vestian said investments rose 74 per cent from USD 0.81 billion in the year-ago period and this highlights strong investor confidence in India's real estate sector, even as global headwinds continue to intensify. Driven by strong demand from GCCs, commercial assets dominated investment activity in Q1 2026 with 80 per cent share. Investment in commercial assets fell to USD 1.12 billion in January-March from USD 2.28 billion in the preceding quarter. The inflow of fund jumped more than three times from USD 307.2 million in the January-March period last year. Commercial assets include office, retail, co-working, and

Power sector leads rating upgrades in FY26 on stable operations: Icra

The power sector has led rating upgrades in the fiscal year 2025-26 on improved execution as well as stable operations, said rating agency ICRA on Wednesday. The power sector emerged as one of the key drivers of rating upgrades in FY2026, supported by improved project execution, stable operating performance and strengthening parent profiles, according to the ICRA statement. The sector witnessed a significant improvement in credit metrics during the year, with its credit ratio rising to 5.2 in FY2026, compared to 3.4 in FY2025 and 2.9 in FY2024, indicating a sustained increase in upgrades relative to downgrades. This improvement reflects easing project risks, stabilisation of operations for commissioned assets and steady cash flow generation. Rating upgrades in the sector were driven by factors such as project completion, track record of stable operating performance and strengthening of parent credit profiles. The sector also benefited from continued policy support, infrastructure p

G+D to scale passkey authentication push in India over next two years

German firm Giesecke+Devrient plans to scale passkey-based biometric authentication in India, partnering with banks and card networks to boost trust and improve transaction success rates

Rediff opts for confidential route, files IPO draft papers with Sebi

Rediff.com India Ltd, a subsidiary of AvenuesAI Ltd, has filed preliminary papers with markets regulator Sebi through the confidential route to float an initial public offering (IPO). The company has opted for the confidential pre-filing route, which allows it to engage with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for initial feedback on its draft document without it being publicly disclosed. Companies increasingly prefer this route because it offers more flexibility in IPO preparations and allows them to respond to market conditions before a public filing. In a stock exchange filing on Tuesday, AvenuesAI said, "Rediff.com India Ltd, a subsidiary of AvenuesAI Ltd, has filed the Pre-Filed Draft Red Herring Prospectus (Pre-DRHP) with the Sebi, the BSE Ltd and the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd in relation to the proposed initial public offering of its equity shares...on the main board". AvenuesAI, formerly known as Infibeam Avenues, is a multinational financial ...

Oil drops 1% as West Asia uncertainty offsets Trump's war-end hopes

Prices rose earlier on Wednesday but then uncertainty over the Middle East conflict prompted investors to lock in gains

UK to host global meet on reopening Strait of Hormuz, says Starmer

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday said the UK will host an international diplomatic conference this week on ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Starmer says 35 countries have signed a statement committing to work together on restoring maritime security to the key oil transport route. He said Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will lead a conference on the issue, and military planners are also working on plans for security once the Iran war ends. Starmer said "a united front of military strength and diplomatic activity" is needed to restore stability.