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Pakistan world's most polluted country, followed by Bangladesh: Report

Pakistan is the most polluted country in the world, followed by Bangladesh and Tajikistan while India is at the sixth spot, according to the 8th World Air Quality report. The 2025 edition of the report published by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, is based on analysis of data from monitoring stations across 9,446 cities in 143 countries, regions and territories. The data has been sourced from more than 40,000 regulatory monitoring stations and low-cost sensors managed by a wide array of contributors, including government agencies, universities, non-profit organisations, private enterprises and engaged citizen scientists around the world. While China is at the 20th position amongst the most polluted countries in the world, the USA is at the 120th spot and the UK is at the 110th spot. According to the report, only 13 countries or territories -- French Polynesia, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Barbados, New Caledonia, Iceland, Bermuda, Reunion, Andorra, Australia, Grena

Govt says fuel stocks adequate, urges public to avoid panic buying

The government on Tuesday said India has adequate stocks of petrol, diesel and LPG, and that all refineries are operating at high capacity despite disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz situation. In an update on fuel availability, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said petrol pumps across the country remain fully functional, though panic buying triggered by rumours led to unusually high sales in some areas. She urged citizens not to engage in hoarding and to rely on official information. Sharma said domestic LPG production has been stepped up, with no reported dry-outs at distributorships, even as supply remains under pressure due to the prevailing geopolitical situation. Deliveries continue as normal, she added. Natural gas supplies to priority segments such as domestic PNG and CNG transport remain fully protected, while supplies to industrial and commercial users are being maintained at about 80 per cent of average consumption. The

Higher labour, input costs may push construction costs up 3-5%: JLL

The construction cost of real estate projects is likely to rise 3-5 per cent this calendar year on higher prices of inputs, including labour, according to JLL India. Real estate consultant JLL on Tuesday released 'Construction Cost Guide, India - 2026', which estimated that the construction costs are projected to rise 3-5 per cent across all asset classes in 2026. In 2025, material costs presented a mixed picture with divergent trends across categories. "Cement, steel and diesel prices showed a mild decrease of 1-2 per cent, 3-4 per cent and 5-6 per cent, while aluminium and copper costs experienced more significant increases of 8-9 per cent and 9-10 per cent respectively, driven by global demand pressures and supply chain dynamics," JLL said. Labour costs increased 5-6 per cent across all categories, driven by skilled labour shortages and infrastructure demand. The consultant noted that the government's GST 2.0 initiative delivered a critical 10 per cent tax relief on cement, ...

Policy response to heatwaves remains cool even as nationwide instances grow

An early March heat spike has raised concerns of a prolonged summer as El Niño risks grow. While preparedness has improved, gaps in planning, funding, and implementation persist

JICA signs ₹16,420 crore loan deals for several projects in India

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Tuesday signed four loan projects, including a project for promoting sustainable horticulture in Punjab and Mumbai Metro Line, aggregating to Rs 16,420 crore. The loan agreement was signed with the Government of India to provide Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan for four key projects, JICA said in a statement. The loan agreement was signed in New Delhi between Alok Tiwari , Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Takeuchi Takuro, Chief Representative of JICA India Office. The four projects include a project for strengthening the tertiary Healthcare Delivery, Medical Education System and Nursing Education System in Maharashtra (62,294 million Japanese Yen); a Project for Promoting Sustainable Horticulture in Punjab (18,684 million Japanese Yen), Bengaluru Metro Rail Project (Phase 3) (I) (102,480 million) and the Mumbai Metro Line 11 Project (I) (92,400 million Japanese Yen). The projects aim

JP Morgan appoints HSBC veteran Rahul Badhwar as senior country officer

American bank JP Morgan has appointed HSBC Group veteran Rahul Badhwar as its senior country officer for India. Sjoerd Leenart, J P Morgan's chief executive for Asia Pacific, made the announcement about Badhwar's appointment. Badhwar replaces Kaustubh Kulkarni, the senior country officer who quit in September to join rival Citigroup. "India is a critical market for our Asia Pacific franchise, and Rahul will play a central role in driving and executing our growth strategy across the country," the internal memo reviewed by PTI said. Badhwar's responsibilities will include getting the firm's entire set of offerings to clients, strengthening governance and controls, and supporting the talent base and community, as per the memo. He will join the firm in July and be based out of Mumbai, it said, adding that Badhwar will report to Leenart and also be a part of the Asia Pacific Management Committee. Badhwar has spent three decades in sales and trading roles at HSBC, and was last based in

'Moving beyond 10-minute race': Zepto launches Pay Later facility

Quick commerce platform Zepto on Tuesday introduced a suite of new in-app features, including a 'Pay Later' facility and real-time images of fresh produce, as it shifts its strategic focus from delivery speed to "behaviour-led commerce." The company stated that the quick commerce sector is moving beyond the "race to the fastest 10 minutes" to focus on reducing everyday shopping friction and serving customers more intelligently. The newly rolled-out 'Pay Later' feature offers a 15-day, interest-free repayment cycle embedded directly within the app. Designed for high-frequency, low-value orders, the facility allows for a one-tap checkout without One-Time Passwords (OTPs) or third-party redirects. According to the product interface shared by the company, the service provides instant credit of up to Rs 10,000. "Meet Zepto Pay Later, a BNPL experience built completely inside the Zepto app. Shopping is now going to be smoother than ever. It's already live for a small percentage, and we p

Trump administration bans new foreign-made routers over security risks

The Trump administration has banned imports of new, foreign-made routers, citing supply chain vulnerability and cybersecurity risks. The newest addition to the US "covered list" targets consumer-grade routers, the boxes that connect home computers, phones and smart devices to the internet. The list is a catalogue of communications equipment and services considered "to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the US or the safety and security of Americans," the Federal Communications Commission said. "Malicious actors have exploited security gaps in foreign-made routers to attack American households, disrupt networks, enable espionage, and facilitate intellectual property theft," the FCC said this week, citing several examples of foreign-made routers that were involved in cyberattacks targeting US infrastructure. Although some routers are sold by US hardware companies such as Netgear and eero, their production is almost exclusively handled overseas. It is unclear if any

Daktarin Jamini Sen: The journey of an imperial lady doctress remembered

Ms Chakraverti also draws from Dr Sen's short biography written by her sister, Kamini Roy, which included extracts from the doctor's journals

Nitish Kumar, 75, re-elected JD(U) president unopposed for fourth term

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was on Tuesday elected JD (U) president unopposed with no other candidate filing nomination for the party's top post. This is the fourth time Kumar, 75, has become the party chief. Already helming the party since Lalan Singh resigned from the post ahead of Lok Sabha polls in December 2023, Kumar was recently elected to Rajya Sabha. Returning officer Aneel Prasad Hegde, a former Rajya Sabha member, announced the name of Kumar, who was not present as he was participating in the ongoing Samriddhi Yatra in Bihar. "I declare Nitish Kumar as the party's national president since no other nomination has been filed," Hegde announced and handed over the certificate of his election to JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh at the party's central office here. Asked about Kumar's absence, Jha said he is participating in the ongoing Samriddhi Yatra. "We have come here to receive the election certificate

Mamata Banerjee quits 23 posts across bodies ahead of Bengal polls

Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday resigned from 23 offices and positions she held across departments and affiliated bodies, according to an official communication. In a letter from the state's home department, its counterparts in the state government were directed to initiate necessary steps for the acceptance of her resignation from the posts, as well as from any other positions that may not have been explicitly listed in her communique. Banerjee is fighting the Assembly polls from the Bhabanipur seat in south Kolkata against the state's Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.. "I am directed to forward a copy of the communication which would reveal that Mamata Banerjee has, with immediate effect, resigned from the offices/posts as mentioned in the enclosed list," the letter stated. The incumbent CM resigned as head of state health mission, and as chairperson of the state wildlife board, ecotourism advisory board, committee for the .

AIADMK, if voted to power, will give free fridges to ration cardholders

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday announced free refrigerators for all rice ration cardholders if his party is voted to power in the 2026 Assembly election. Also, he assured to provide one kilo dal and one litre of cooking oil for free to rice category ration cardholders in Tamil Nadu. His announcements toe the line of the party leader and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who had announced the populist scheme to provide free fans, mixies, and grinders as part of the AIADMK election manifesto ahead of the 2011 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. After coming to power, she launched the distribution of these freebies on September 15, 2011, coinciding with former Chief Minister C N Annadurai's birth anniversary. Releasing the party's poll manifesto for the April 23 election, at the AIADMK state headquarters here, Palaniswami said, "The free fridge is meant to reduce the household workload of homemakers.

Iran conflict hits global economy as surveys show rising inflation risks

The ensuing leap in the price of oil, gas and other related products is a potential double whammy for economies around the world, feeding through into wider inflation and stunting growth

India ready for peak power demand, but supply, transmission risks remain

India is better prepared to meet a record 270 Gw peak power demand this summer, supported by strong coal stocks and renewables, though geopolitical tensions and grid constraints pose risks

Saudi Prince is said to push Trump to continue Iran war in recent calls

Prince Mohammed, the people familiar with the discussions said, has argued that Iran poses a long-term threat to the Gulf that can only be eliminated by getting rid of the government

Aditya Birla Fashion names Suraj Bahirwani as Pantaloons' CEO-designate

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd on Tuesday announced its top leadership succession plan for the Pantaloons brand, with the appointment of Suraj Bahirwani as CEO Designate. Bahirwani will succeed incumbent Sangeeta Tanwani from October 1, 2026, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL) said in a regulatory filing. The company's board at its meeting held on March 24, 2026, has appointed Suraj Bahirwani as CEO (Designate) - Pantaloons and senior managerial personnel (SMP) of the company with effect from April 1, 2026, and as CEO - Pantaloons and SMP with effect from October 1, 2026, it added. Sangeeta Tanwani, CEO - Pantaloons and whole-time director (WTD) and key managerial personnel (KMP) of the company, will oversee a planned and phased leadership transition of her role as CEO-Pantaloons and will continue to be CEO-Pantaloons till September 30, 2026, the filing added. The company further said that from October 1, 2026 till her retirement on January 31, 2027, she will support

Archaic tree-felling laws, policy gaps curb India's agroforestry potential

Experts flag outdated tree-felling rules and policy gaps as key hurdles to India's agroforestry growth, warning of rising import dependence despite strong domestic demand and export potential

Iran strikes Israel with fresh wave of missiles, mocks Trump's talks claim

Three senior Israeli officials said Trump appeared determined to reach a deal, but that they thought it highly unlikely Iran would agree to US demands in any new round of negotiations

Indian brewers warn of shortages as Iran conflict hits packaging makers

Iranian attacks have partially disrupted Qatar's export capacity, tightening gas availability for Indian manufacturers

RBI developing AI-led digital payments platforms to boost user experience

The Reserve Bank is developing more digital public infrastructure and payments intelligence platforms by leveraging artificial intelligence and application programming interfaces to enhance customer experience and strengthen the payments ecosystem, according to a senior central bank official. "We are also creating more and more DPIs. We are talking about the use of AI to create all those DPIs and APIs. Of course, AI and APIs are going to be the future of all these DPIs and for all your online activities," P Vasudevan, executive director of RBI, said while addressing at MPAI Merchant's Day 2026. He said the central bank is considering deploying artificial intelligence to enhance customer journeys and automate grievance handling as digital transaction volumes continue to increase. "For example, let us say I make a UPI transaction and I have an issue, the transaction doesn't get completed. It automatically picks up this as a grievance and tries to complete the journey. That's what UPI