Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) has announced the formation of an Integrated Petrochemicals Marketing & Trading Joint Venture Company in partnership with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and ONGC Petro additions Limited (OPaL).

The Board of Directors of ONGC has approved the creation of the new Joint Venture Company (JVC), with shareholding structured at 50:25:25 between ONGC, MRPL and OPaL respectively. MRPL will contribute ₹12.5 crore towards the equity share capital of the proposed company, subject to approval from the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), Ministry of Finance.

MobiKwik Group has received an approval from the Reserve Bank of India for a non-banking financial company (NBFC) licence, One MobiKwik Systems said on April 27 following which the shares of the company rose up to 15%.

The RBI approval, MobiKwik said, marks "a significant milestone in the Group’s journey to deepen its financial services offerings".

At 1:35 pm on April 27, MobiKwik shares were trading 14.7% higher at Rs 231.7 apiece.

India and Kenya on Monday strengthened their economic partnership with the signing of a key customs cooperation agreement on the sidelines of the 10th India-Kenya Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting, which was held after a gap of seven years at the Commerce Secretary level.

According to a statement issued by the High Commission of India in Nairobi, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the exchange of pre-arrival information for goods was signed between the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).

The agreement was signed by CBIC Member Yogendra Garg and KRA Commissioner General Lilian Nyawanda in the presence of Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal and Kenya's Principal Secretary for Trade Regina Akoth Ombam.

UNESCO has added 12 new sites to its Global Geoparks network. The expansion marks another significant milestone in the agency's global effort to preserve Earth's geological heritage while promoting sustainable development. The designated geoparks are located in China, France, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Portugal, Russia, Tunisia and Uruguay. The total number of UNESCO Global Geopark sites is now 241, spanning across 51 countries, covering an area of over 882,000 sq km. 

In a significant step toward strengthening international cooperation on sustainability and resilience, Jordan has formally confirmed its membership in three major global initiatives spearheaded by India — the International Solar Alliance (ISA), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA).

The Ambassador of Jordan to India, Yousef Abdelghani, formally handed over the membership documents to Neena Malhotra, Secretary (South), during an official ceremony.

The move signals Jordan’s commitment to expanding collaboration in renewable energy, climate resilience, and sustainable fuels.

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has released a Niti Aayog report titled Moving Towards Effective City Government – A Framework for Million-plus Cities in New Delhi. The report outlines a focused roadmap for million-plus cities to address key urban governance challenges. In a social media post, NITI Aayog said that the report calls for a shift towards empowered city governments through better alignment of functions, finances, and responsibilities. The key recommendations of the report include directly elected Mayors with fixed tenure and stronger executive authority, and integration of core urban services under city governments. On the Occasion, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu, Urban Development Ministers from over 10 States and NITI Aayog member Rajiv Gauba, along with other senior officials, were also present.

India has steadily expanded its global trade partnerships to strengthen economic growth, create jobs, and enhance its global standing. In the past few years 9 Free Trade Agreements have been signed spanning 38 developed countries. The latest is a forward-looking FTA signed with New Zealand today, marking a historic milestone in bilateral economic relations. It is a comprehensive framework encompassing market access, agricultural productivity, investment, talent mobility, collaboration in sports, tourism, and people-to-people ties. The FTA is designed to benefit manufacturers, farmers, MSMEs, women entrepreneurs, students, and skilled professionals across both nations.

India and New Zealand announced negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA)on 16 March 2025and concluded in a record 9 months, making this the fastest concluded free trade agreement. The signing of FTA enhances market access and tariff preferences for Indian exports to New Zealand, while serving as a gateway to the wider Oceania and Pacific Island markets. The agreement opens opportunities for India to emerge as a key supplier of skilled workforce, alongside prospects for future cooperation in areas such as AYUSH and services such as Yoga Instructors, Indian Chefs, and Music Teachers, and services under sector of interests like IT, Engineering, Healthcare, Education, and Construction.

Veteran photographer Raghu Rai died today after a two-year-long battle with cancer. He was 83. Born on December 18, 1942, in Jhang (now in Pakistan), Rai became one of the most respected photographers not just in India, but across the world. Rai’s photography is often described as a “visual record” of modern India.

He captured powerful images after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, one of the worst industrial disasters in history. He received the Padma Shri in 1972 for his powerful photography during the Bangladesh Liberation War. In 1992, he was named “Photographer of the Year” in the US. In 2019, he won the Académie des Beaux-Arts Photography Award, one of the top international honours in photography. He was also given a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

International Chess Federation joined the International World Games Association (IWGA) at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne yesterday. The decision raises IWGA membership to 40 federations and expands the range of sports in the World Games movement.

FIDE President, Arkady Dvorkovich, stated that Chess is a global sport that unites millions of players across all continents through strategy, discipline, and creativity. Its inclusion within the IWGA reflects the growing recognition of mind sports alongside traditional athletic disciplines.

Sabastian Sawe made history at the London Marathon by becoming the first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race. The 31-year-old Kenyan crossed the line to win in one hour 59 minutes 30 seconds, more than one minute faster than the late Kelvin Kiptum’s previous record of two hours and 35 seconds, set in 2023.

Already on world record pace as he crossed the halfway mark in one hour and 29 seconds, Sawe was able to speed up over the second half of the race to run even faster than Kipchoge’s time. Sawe made his decisive move before the final 10km, with only debutant Yomif Kejelcha able to cover his surge off the front. Remarkably, Kejelcha, making his marathon debut, became the second man to run under two hours in race conditions, finishing runner-up in one hour 59 minutes and 49 seconds.