In bid to bypass Hormuz chokepoint, Gulf countries scramble to ramp up infra

With Tehran weaponising the Strait of Hormuz and jeopardising global oil and gas flows, countries in the Gulf region led by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are scrambling to reduce their dependence and vulnerability on this chokepoint. From ports to pipelines, countries are hoping to ramp up infrastructure in the coming years.

Olympics bid near, athletics watchdog flags 'extremely high' risk of doping in India

In a move that could impact India's bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) Board, an autonomous body set up by World Athletics, has downgraded the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), flagging concerns over the "extremely high" doping risk among athletes in the country.

'Chips to ships': India and South Korea target $50 bn trade by 2030

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi met visiting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday, the two sides decided to restart negotiations on upgrading their Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Modi said the target was to increase bilateral trade from the current $27 billion to $50 billion by 2030.

The two sides signed pacts to strengthen cooperation across various areas - Artificial Intelligence, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), sports and culture.

10% of Indian households can rise to a higher economic class just by quitting tobacco: Study

Over 20.49 million house-holds-10.6% of all households in the country- could rise to a higher economic class just by stopping spending on tobacco and redirecting that money to other needs, as per a new study published in BMJ Global Health. The study led by researchers at ICMR National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (ICMR-NICPR), Noida, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, is the first to quantify at national scale the households using tobacco in different forms.

Finalising enhanced security cooperation with India: Zelenskyy

Days After Ukraine's Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov visited India and met NSA Ajit Doval, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Monday that the two sides are finalising an enhanced security cooperation. This assumes significance at a time when India and Russia have robust security and defence cooperation.

CJI: Shocking that mostly well-educated people are falling for digital arrest scams

The Supreme Court said Monday that it was "shocking" that many victims of digital arrest scams are well-educated individuals. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made the remark while presiding over a two-judge bench, also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, during a hearing on a suo motu case related to the rising number of such digital arrest scams.

Worker unrest shows cost-of-living crisis can no longer be ignored

The low earnings among the majority of workers are also responsible for the low demand in the economy, which has impacted private investment.

Reform agenda matters more than ranking

According to the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook, India has slipped to sixth place in the world GDP rankings, with Japan and the UK overtaking it in terms of nominal GDP in current US dollars. For 2026, the IMF has estimated the Indian economy at $4.15 trillion, up from $3.92 trillion the year before. In comparison, the size of the UK's economy has been pegged at $4.27 trillion and that of Japan at $4.38 trillion, marginally edging out India.

West Asia disruptions prompt fuel supply shift

The war has revealed the limited role big powers are willing to play in such crises

Reaching prewar levels of oil and gas production in West Asia could take months, thanks to the damage dealt to oil facilities.

Marine Spatial Plan: Odisha's bid to strengthen climate resilience

The Odisha government last week signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Centre for Coastal Re-search (NCCR) under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences to launch a Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) for integrated coastal and marine planning in the state.

Sustainable ocean planning has been underway in India since 2019, through a collaboration between India and Norway. In the first phase, it was undertaken in two Union Territories, Puducherry and Lakshadweep. Odisha has become the first state in the country to implement the MSP in the second phase.

Trump: We'll have nuke deal with Tehran; Iran does not submit to force: Pezeshkian

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he believed a nuclear deal the US is negotiating with Iran will be better than the international agreement agreed to in 2015 to curb Tehran's nuclear program.

"The DEAL that we are making with Iran will be FAR BETTER than the JCPOA, commonly referred to as The Iran Nuclear Deal,".

Japan scales back tsunami warning after 7.7 earthquake

A Magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan on Monday, prompting authorities to urge residents to stay away from coastal areas where tsunami waves of up to 3 metres (10 ft) were expected.

Israel-Lebanon talks in US may resume on April 23

Israeli and Lebanese representatives will hold talks in Washington on Thursday, a US State Department spokesperson and an Israeli source speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters on Monday.

The US will host the second round of ambassador-level talks between the two countries at the Department of State, the State Department spokesperson said.

War impact: Core industries' output dropped 0.4% in March

In one of the first signs of the adverse impact of the West Asia war on Indian industries, the output of the eight core industries contracted by 0.4% year-on-year in March, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said on Monday. Production of fertiliser suffered the most, dropping 24.6% compared to the same month last year.

India's exports to FTA partners fall for third straight quarter: NITI Aayog

Amid India's aggressive push for global trade integration, the existing free trade agreements (FTA) are not translating to higher exports, as a NITI Aayog report on Monday showed that India's exports to FTA partners contracted by 7% year-on-year during the October-December quarter of the last financial year.

The exports to FTA partners had slipped by 9% during the first quarter of FY26 and 7% during the second quarter.