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176 aircraft of non-scheduled, GA operators lack cockpit recorders: Govt

As many as 176 planes operated by non-scheduled and general aviation operators do not have flight data or cockpit voice recorders, the government told the Rajya Sabha on Monday. Under the norms, aircraft that have a take-off weight of less than 5,700 kilograms are required to mandatorily have CVRs only if they had received an airworthiness certificate on or after January 1, 2016. In a written reply, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said that a total 2,263 aircraft were registered and issued certificates of airworthiness (C of A) before January 1, 2016. "Aircraft operated by Non-Scheduled Operator's Permit (NSOP's) /General Aviation (GA) operators which are not equipped with Flight Data Recorder (FDR)/ Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) are 176," Mohol said. His reply was to a query on whether the government has data on the number of aircrafts without cockpit voice and flight data recorders. The nearly 40-year-old Beechcraft C90A aircraft that crashed in Jharkhand las

Ozempic patent expiry to trigger boom in weight-loss drugs in India

India is the first major country after Canada where Novo is losing patent on semaglutide and will see an onslaught of generic versions

SC appoints ex-CJI UU Lalit mediator in ₹500 crore UAE money decree row

The Supreme Court on Monday appointed former Chief Justice of India U U Lalit as the sole mediator to amicably resolve the dispute over the execution of a money decree of Rs 500 crore passed by the UAE court in favour of Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA) and against Hyderabad-based industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad. RAKIA is seeking to enforce a UAE civil judgment for AED 267,941,374 (approximately Rs 543 crore principal and Rs 643 crore with interest). The case stems from the 'Vanpic Project', a failed 2008 joint venture to develop ports and an airport in Andhra Pradesh. RAKIA alleges that Prasad, in collusion with former RAKIA CEO Khater Massaad, misappropriated USD 120 million intended for the project. On Monday, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was informed by senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, appearing for Prasad, that the industrialist has deposited Rs 125 crore as cash security as directed earlier. The senior lawyer also said

Govt to soon come out with revamped Stand-Up India scheme: Sitharaman

The government will soon come out with a modified Stand-Up India scheme to provide better benefits to SC/ST and women entrepreneurs looking to set up new projects, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. Launched in 2016, the Stand-Up India scheme aimed to empower Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and women entrepreneurs by facilitating bank loans for setting up new enterprises. The scheme expired on March 31, 2025. Replying to a supplementary question in the Lok Sabha, the Minister said the modified scheme will incorporate lessons learnt in implementation of the original Stand-Up India scheme. "With studies done by Niti Aayog and others, this scheme is being redrafted and sooner the Cabinet will be given a proposal with which we will launch a new scheme to continue with this Stand-Up which benefitted SC/ST and women all over the country," Sitharaman said. The scheme provided loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore at the lowest applicable rate of the bank f

IndiGo ties up with Adani Airport for airline's loyalty programme

Domestic carrier IndiGo on Monday said it has partnered with Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) for the airline's loyalty programme, BlueChip for duty-free shopping at AAHL-managed airports in the country. Under the partnership, members can earn five IndiGo BluChips for every Rs 100 spent on duty-free products pre-booked through the Adani platform. Travellers can browse, reserve and pay for products online before departure and collect their purchases conveniently at the airport, it said. AAHL operates eight airports at Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Lucknow and Ahmedabad. Duty-free stores under the programme are available at airports in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Jaipur, Mangaluru and Lucknow, with expansion planned at Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport (LGBIA) in Guwahati and the newly operational Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), it said.

Casual workers shifting to formal jobs as economy grows: Mandaviya

Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said increasing number of casual workers are getting into formal employment and with economic growth job opportunities are increasing day by day. "Day by day employment in increasing in the country, and unemployment is getting reduced. When any economy grows, employment is generated," he said during the Question Hour. To meet the rising demand of a growing economy, supply has increase for which manufacturing is required and that is where jobs are getting created, he said. The Minister further said that self-employment too has increased from 52 per cent in 2017-18 to 58 per cent. He said according to Periodic Labour Force Survey, average income of casual workers have increased from Rs 255 in FY'18 to currently Rs 418. Further, casual labourers are also shifting to formal employment. "People with regular salary have risen in the country. Casual workers are joining the formal workforce and the number of casual labourers h

India evacuates over 550 nationals from Iran via Armenia: Jaishankar

India has evacuated over 550 of its nationals from Iran through Armenia, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanking Yerevan on Monday for facilitating the land-border transit. New Delhi has been urging Indian nationals stuck in Iran to cross over to Armenia for subsequent travel to India in view of the escalating conflict in West Asia. "Thank the Government and the people of Armenia for facilitating the safe evacuation of over 550 Indian nationals from Iran so far," Jaishankar, currently on a visit to Brussels, said. "Appreciate their support in these challenging times," he said on social media. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week that around 9,000 Indians were staying in Iran, and the government of India is assisting those who want to travel to Azerbaijan and Armenia for their subsequent return to India. "These 9,000 Indian nationals comprise students; they also comprise seafarers, some business people, some professionals, and some ...

Days of Love and Rage recounts Manbij's turmoil in Syria's civil war

Anand Gopal's Days of Love and Rage chronicles the people of Manbij through Syria's civil war-revealing how ordinary citizens fought dictatorship, ISIS, and repression

American flag raised at US Embassy in Venezuela for 1st time since 2019

The US flag was raised Saturday over its embassy in Venezuela for the first time since 2019, a move that highlighted the recent shift in relations between the two countries since former President Nicolas Maduro was captured by American troops in January. The reopening of the American embassy comes after several statements from US President Donald Trump in support of Maduro's successor, acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who has tried to keep negotiations open with the American government. The flag was raised "exactly seven years after it was taken down," the US Embassy team said in a statement published on its social media channels. The reopening drew immediate attention from local residents. "It's a good thing, really, what a joy," said Caracas resident Luz Veronica Lopez. "Other countries must come back too because that's what we need; progress, to move forward with good relations with the rest of the world, as it should be." Alessandro Di Benedetto, another Caracas resident, not

India well placed to handle fuel supply risks amid West Asia crisis: Goyal

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said India is well-placed to deal with any situation on crude oil and fuel, as the West Asia crisis disrupts gas shipments and shipping routes, and highlighted that the government has ramped up kerosene production to provide an alternate option for the common man. Speaking at the CNBC-TV India Business Leaders Awards 2026 ceremony, Goyal said the government plans to come up with some "concrete agenda" next week to support exporters. "On crude oil, on fuel, we are pretty well placed. We have good stocks in hand. There's been absolutely no disturbance of any sort on the crude or the fuel front, petrol, diesel, aviation fuel," Goyal said. He said that India has ramped up kerosene production so that, in the event of any delays in LPG supplies, there will be an alternate cooking medium for the common man. "Incidentally, we are also covering through imports from diversified sources the requirements of LPG and LNG," he said. "The shipping times were

India condemns Pakistan's air strikes on Afghanistan, calls it aggression

India on Saturday condemned Pakistan's air strikes inside Afghan territory, asserting that Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be fully respected. "India condemns the air strikes by Pakistan in Afghanistan's territory, leading to the death of several civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "This is yet another act of aggression by a Pakistani establishment that remains hostile to the idea of a sovereign Afghanistan," he said. Jaiswal was responding to a media query on the Pakistani aerial raid on Afghanistan. "India reiterates that Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be fully respected," he said. The Pakistani military carried out air strikes inside Afghanistan in the last few weeks amid an escalating conflict between the two sides.

J-K Police form SIT to probe assassination attempt on Farooq Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Police have constituted a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the recent assassination attempt on former chief minister and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah during a marriage function here. Inspector General of Police, Bhim Sen Tuti ordered the setting up of the SIT, considering the "seriousness and sensitivity" of the case. On Wednesday night, Abdullah had a miraculous escape when a gunman opened fire on him after coming from behind while he was leaving a marriage function at Royal Park Banquet Hall in the Greater Kailash area. The 63-year-old accused, identified as Kamal Singh, was overpowered and arrested on the spot. A revolver used in the crime was recovered from his possession.

Greater Bengaluru Authority plans more biogas plants to process wet waste

Greater Bengaluru Authority Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao on Saturday said steps will be taken to establish more biogas plants within the GBA limits. Speaking to reporters after visiting the waste-to-energy (Kasa-Rasa) facility at Koramangala under the Bengaluru South City Corporation limits, he said a comprehensive study will be undertaken to produce biogas from wet waste in the city and to establish biogas plants in GBA city corporations. He said that for establishing decentralised centres in city corporations, around two-three acres of land will be required in each corporation. In the short term, existing facilities will be upgraded to produce biogas and steps will be taken to supply the gas to nearby hotels. Rao added that proper segregation of wet and dry waste at the local level will greatly help the process. Noting that citizens' cooperation will play a crucial role, he appealed to the public to segregate waste before handing it over. According to him, at present, biogas

Air China to resume flights to North Korea from March 30 after Covid halt

Air China will resume flights flying between Beijing and North Korea from March 30, the airline's website said Saturday, after passenger train services running between the two nations restarted earlier this week. According to the website of the stated-owned airline, flights from China's capital to Pyongyang, North Korea's capital will run every Monday until May 18, but would scale down to two Mondays in June. In 2020 with the start of the coronavirus pandemic, North Korea banned tourists, jetted out diplomats and severely curtailed border traffic in one of the world's most draconian COVID-19 restrictions. Two years later, Pyongyang started slowly easing curbs and reopening its borders. North Korean Air Koryo resumed flights between the two nations' capitals in 2023. In February 2024, North Korea accepted some Russian tourists for sightseeing visits, the first foreign nationals to visit the country. That development surprised many observers who thought the first post-pandemic tour

Islamabad airport to suspend flight operations for 2 hours on Mar 16

Flight operations at Islamabad International Airport will remain suspended for two hours on March 16, Pakistani authorities said on Saturday. In a social media post, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) advised passengers to check with their airlines for any updates. "Due to operational reasons, flight operations at Islamabad International Airport will remain temporarily suspended on 16 March 2026 from 08:30 am to 10:30 am PKT," it said. In a notice to airmen (Notam), the PAA specified segments of air traffic service (ATS) routes within the Lahore flight information region (FIR) that would not be available from ground to flight level 210 due to "operational reasons". The Notam stated that arrival and departure operations at Islamabad International Airport would remain closed, and urged arriving aircraft to "bring sufficient holding fuel to cater for delay". No reason was given for the closure of the airspace, but media reports suggested that it would be for the rehearsal of the .

Modi building false narrative about Bengal, acting as BJP campaigner: TMC

The TMC on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of building a "false narrative" about employment and the overall situation in West Bengal during his Brigade Parade Ground rally, alleging that he was acting as a BJP campaigner rather than the PM. TMC MP Saayoni Ghosh told a press conference that while Modi claimed to have sanctioned thousands of crores for the state's development, the Centre had actually withheld around Rs 2 lakh crore of dues to the state. "Modiji has claimed he has sanctioned Rs 18,000 crore to Bengal as a 'lollipop'. But in reality, he has blocked Rs 2 lakh-crore dues to the state for various projects, from the 100 days' work scheme to housing for the poor and drinking water supply," she alleged. "While Modi has failed to attend Parliament and address MPs for days, he is attending BJP meetings and coming regularly to the state before elections. He is behaving more as a BJP campaigner than the PM of the country," she claimed. Ghosh also rejected Modi's ..

Greek oil tanker damaged in suspected drone attack near Black Sea

A Greek-flagged oil tanker was damaged in a suspected drone attack in the Black Sea while approaching the Russian port of Novorossiysk, authorities said. Greece's shipping ministry said the attack occurred early Saturday, causing material damage, but the 24 crew members were unharmed and the vessel's seaworthiness was not under threat. The Maran Homer, chartered by US oil giant Chevron, was travelling from Thessaloniki in northern Greece to the Black Sea port and was due to sail on to Istanbul. It was struck by a missile or drone before picking up Kazakh oil, according to Greek government officials and the vessel's Greek operating company. Greek Maritime Affairs Minister Vassilis Kikilias said Athens would lodge a "strong complaint" with the country deemed responsible, without giving further details. He later identified Ukraine as carrying out frequent attacks in the Black Sea. "I consider the targeting of vessels flying the Greek flag - as well as those with Greek sailors and Gre

Two Indian LPG vessels cross Strait of Hormuz safely, head to Gujarat

Indian LPG carriers Shivalik and Nanda Devi crossed the Strait of Hormuz safely and are sailing towards Mundra and Kandla ports, officials said amid tensions in the Gulf region

Drone attack triggers fire, suspends some operations at UAE's Fujairah port

A drone attack triggered a fire and forced suspension of some oil loading operations at the UAE's Fujairah port, located just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments

Oil ministry issues advisory, warns petrol pumps against selling loose fuel

The ministry warned petrol pumps against selling petrol and diesel in loose containers and urged consumers not to store fuel improperly, citing serious safety risks