India's state-run Bharat Petroleum Corp has appointed its international trade head, Manoj Heda to ‌lead its Singapore-based trading unit, company sources said.

Bharat Petroleum Global Energy Services (Singapore) Pte is expected to start operations in April with a staff of four, they said, adding that Manish Parikh will be the chief financial officer.

Amit Bilolikar and Vaibhav Gandhi will join as crude traders, they also said.

BPCL did not immediately ‌respond to a request for comment. The sources declined to be identified as the appointments have not been publicly announced.

Heda, who joined BPCL in 1999 as a senior manager for finance, has been an executive director for international trade and risk management since May 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile.

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has launched a new smallcap-focused index fund under its unit-linked insurance plans (ULIPs), offering policyholders exposure to a broad set of emerging listed companies.

The ICICI Prudential Life Smallcap 250 Index Fund tracks the Nifty Smallcap 250 Index, which comprises companies ranked between 251st and 500th within the Nifty 500 Index universe. The fund follows a passive, index-mirroring strategy rather than active stock selection.

According to the company, the fund aims to provide diversified exposure to 250 smaller companies across sectors such as financial services, healthcare and capital goods. These firms are typically at relatively earlier stages of growth and may offer long-term expansion potential.

Los Angeles, Mar 24 (AP) The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has announced its official look, and it's a blast of bold colors.

The graphic patterns and color palettes will be used to identify everything from credentials to staff uniforms to signage to competition venues and the athletes village.

The concept announced Monday is based on a California superbloom, a phenomenon that occurs every 10-15 years in the spring and results in a vibrant explosion of wildflowers across hills, valleys and deserts.

Olympic and world champion swimmer Cameron McEvoy has broken the men's 50-meter freestyle world record which had stood for 17 years.

The 31-year-old Australian posted a time of 20.88 seconds on Friday at the China Open in Shenzhen, taking 0.03 second off Brazilian Cesar Cielo's previous mark.

Cielo set his world record of 20.91 during swimming's so-called "super suit" era in 2009. Those suits were later banned because they increased buoyancy and reduced drag, resulting in nearly 150 world records falling in 2009 before being prohibited in 2010.

"I knew I had a chance to do a PB (personal best)," McEvoy said. "My old PB was 21.06, so maybe 20.99? But doing ?20.88 is unreal. It's crazy."

In a significant push to strengthen India's manufacturing and innovation ecosystem, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a leading air conditioning company, aimed at supporting startups and entrepreneurs across the country.

According to a government release, the collaboration is designed to accelerate the growth of product-based startups, particularly in areas such as HVAC technologies, digital solutions, advanced manufacturing, and supply chain innovation. The initiative seeks to create a robust framework for industry-driven innovation by enabling startups to develop scalable and market-relevant solutions through structured engagement with industry stakeholders.

Continuing the nationwide rollout of reform linked implementation under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0; the States of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha today signed MoUs with the Union Government, committing to a structured reform framework for sustainable, transparent and community-led rural drinking water service delivery.

In the presence of the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C. R. Patil, who attended the meetings physically at DDWS, Ministry of Jal Shakti, along with other senior officials.

The MoU with Andhra Pradesh was signed in the presence in of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu, and Shri. K. Pawan Kalyan, Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and Minister for Panchayat Raj, Rural Development, Environment, Forest, and Science & Technology joined the event virtually along with senior officials from the state.

Iran has named Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as the new head of its top security body. He replaces Ali Larijani, who was killed in an attack last week. The decision was announced by the government and reported by state media. Zolghadr will now lead the country’s Supreme National Security Council.

Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr is a senior figure in Iran’s security system with a long career in both military and government roles. He earlier served in the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), where he rose to the rank of brigadier general. Over the years, Zolghadr has handled several important responsibilities linked to national security. He worked as a deputy interior minister focusing on security matters, a role that involved dealing with internal stability and law enforcement.

The air we breathe just got deadlier and India is at the very centre of the crisis.

The 2025 World Air Quality Report, released Tuesday by Swiss firm IQAir, delivered a gut punch, ranking India sixth amongst the world's most polluted countries, with a national average PM2.5 concentration of 48.9 g/m. That is nearly ten times the WHO's safe limit of 5 g/m.

PM2.5 refers to microscopic particles that are smaller than 2.5 micrometres and often come from vehicles, factories, crop burning, and construction, and are invisible to the naked eye but devastating to human health. They penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, contributing to cardiac and respiratory diseases and premature deaths.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday (March 24, 2026) declared a state of ‌national energy emergency in response to the West Asia conflict and what ⁠he called an “imminent danger” posed to the country’s energy supply.

Mr. Marcos said a Committee has been formed ‌to ensure the orderly movement, supply, distribution and availability of fuel, food, ‌medicines, agricultural products and other essential goods.

The Lok Sabha has passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026. The Bill aims to amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. Under the Act, a transgender person may apply to the District Magistrate for issuing a certificate of identity as a transgender person. The Bill adds that the District Magistrate will issue the certificate after examining the recommendation of a designated medical board. The board will be headed by a Chief Medical Officer or a Deputy Chief Medical Officer. The District Magistrate may take the assistance of other medical experts. The Bill also provides that transgender persons will be entitled to change the first name in the birth certificate and other official documents based on the certificate of identity.

Replying to the debate on the Bill, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Virendra Kumar said, ‘Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve is Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas, and the NDA government has worked for the welfare of all.’ He said the Government’s goal is to build a strong, prosperous and developed India, a modern, compassionate, and inclusive society in which everyone can live with respect and dignity.