The ongoing Middle East crisis is emerging as a significant external shock for India, with risks spreading across energy markets, trade flows and supply chains, according to a recent white paper by Dun & Bradstreet.The report shows that countries in the Gulf–Levant region account for nearly 15 per cent of India’s merchandise exports and about 21 per cent of imports, making the country particularly vulnerable to disruptions despite the region’s relatively small share in global output.A key concern is the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route through which roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade passes. Any disruption in the corridor is already feeding into higher freight, insurance and energy costs, with Brent crude prices having surged sharply in recent weeks.For Indian exporters, the impact is being felt unevenly across sectors and geographies. Discretionary segments such as gems and jewellery, apparel, automobiles and electronics are facing demand slowdown and order deferrals from Gulf markets. Labour-intensive clusters such as Tiruppur’s garment industry are particularly exposed to employment risks because of thin margins and short order cycles.Agricultural exporters are among the worst hit, especially those dealing in perishable goods such as grapes, bananas and meat, where shipping delays can lead to spoilage, price discounts and income losses for farmers.On the import side, India’s dependence on the region for key inputs such as fertilisers, limestone and gold compounds has raised the risk of supply disruptions. This could have cascading effects on agriculture, construction and manufacturing, particularly during peak demand cycles.
The report added that more than 4,500 Indian exporters and 1,800 importers relied on the Strait of Hormuz trade route in 2025, exposing them to shipment delays, payment uncertainties and working capital stress. Firms are also facing tighter trade credit conditions as banks reassess risk amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.Higher energy prices are adding to the pressure. Sectors such as aviation, chemicals, transport and metals, which are heavily dependent on fuel and power, are seeing input costs rise sharply, squeezing margins and potentially pushing up prices for end consumers.At a broader level, a prolonged crisis could trigger second-round effects on the Indian economy, including sustained inflation, tighter financial conditions and slower growth. A slowdown in Gulf economies may also dampen remittance inflows from Indian workers in the region, affecting household incomes.The report cautions that diversifying away from the region in the short term remains difficult due to limited alternative supply capacity and the global nature of energy and logistics costs.Overall, while a short-term disruption may act as a temporary shock, a prolonged crisis could have deeper structural implications for India’s trade, inflation dynamics and corporate balance sheets.
Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran recently shared that he had wrapped a schedule of his upcoming film, Varanasi, helmed by SS Rajamouli. The actor, who plays the antagonist in the film, celebrated the wrap with a “well-earned” cheat meal. He also announced the one-year countdown for the magnum opus, which will release on April 7, 2027. Varanasi features Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran in lead roles.
Prithiviraj wraps Varanasi schedule
On Tuesday, the actor took to his Instagram stories to share a photo and drop an update regarding the film`s shoot. He shared a picture of a scrumptious meal and thanked producer KL Narayana for the spread.
Sharing the announcement of schedule wrap, he wrote, “End of a schedule that I`ve worked immensely hard for! Cheat meal well earned (sic),” accompanied by three heart emojis.
Along with the schedule wrap announcement, Prithviraj also announced the one-year countdown for Varanasi`s release. SS Rajamouli`s time travel film is all set for a grand release on April 7, 2027. “See you in theatres April 7th 2027! Varanasi (sic),” the actor wrote.
Similarly, the official X (formerly Twitter) page of Varanasi also shared a post keeping in sync with the time-travel theme to mark a one-year countdown until the film`s release. Their post read, “If we`re time-trotting to a year, it`s Showtime…Varanasi (sic).”
About Varanasi
Varanasi is a Telugu time travel adventure drama helmed by SS Rajamouli, who has also co-written the film with V Vijayendra Prasad and SS Kanchi. The film is produced by Sri Durga Arts and Showing Business, and is believed to be made on a massive budget of Rs 1,200 crore.
While Mahesh Babu is expected to portray two roles as bounty hunter Rudhra and Lord Rama, Priyanka Chopra will be seen as Mandakini. Meanwhile, Prithviraj Sukumaran will be seen playing the role of Kumbha. The makers had earlier dropped the first look posters of the characters, in which Prithviraj is seen confined to a wheelchair, seemingly physically disabled, yet fierce as an antagonist. Similarly, Priyanka Chopra was seen performing an action sequence with a gun in her hand wearing a yellow saree.
Jasprit Bumrah and the crowd in Guwahati were taken aback when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi struck a six off the very first ball bowled by the Mumbai Indians pacer during the match between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians.
The contest between Bumrah and Sooryavanshi had been highlighted as a key duel ahead of the game, which was affected by rain and shortened to 11 overs per side. When Bumrah came on to bowl the second over, Sooryavanshi faced him without hesitation and launched a lofted shot over long on, sending the ball for a six. Bumrah did miss his mark and offered the delivery in the slot for the young opener, who flicked it away from his presence.
The audacious stroke set the tone early in the innings and put pressure on the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack. Bumrah, known for his precision and control, was caught off guard by the aggressive approach from Sooryavanshi.
Despite the early setback, Bumrah maintained his composure and walked back to his mark with a smile, showing no visible frustration. But that wasn’t the last of the assault from the 15-year-old as he hit Bumrah for another maximum in the same over.
This time around, the delivery was a shortish delivery down the leg side and Vaibhav just rocked back, swivelled, and pulled it high and deep into the stands over backward square leg.
SOORYAVANSHI FINALLY DISMISSED FOR 39
Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal started off the onslaught in the game, with the latter getting 22 off the first over. Bumrah conceded 14 runs in the second one and Boult went for 22 in the third. Sooryavanshi got to 39 off just 14 bals before Shardul Thakur provided the breakthrough for his side.
Sooryavanshi’s knock consisted of one boundary and five sixes.
Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke controversy: In March, a massive row erupted over the song, Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke, from the Kannada pan-India film KD: The Devil. The song, featuring Nora Fatehi and Sanjay Dutt, was slammed for its suggestive lyrics and choreography. The National Commission for Women went on to send summons to actors Nora Fatehi, Sanjay Dutt and others following the controversy over obscenity and vulgarity in the song.
Nora Fatehi in a still from the song Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke.
What the NCW said
As per the latest update on news agency PTI, The National Commission for Women (NCW) gave Nora Fatehi a final opportunity to appear before it in person in connection with the song Sarke Chunar Teri and fixed April 27 as the next date of hearing.
The commission, which took suo motu cognisance of the song over its allegedly objectionable lyrics, held a hearing in the matter on April 6. Fatehi’s counsel appeared before the commission during the hearing. However, the panel did not accept the representation through her lawyer and directed the actor to appear before it. “A final opportunity has been granted to Nora Fatehi to appear in person before the commission on April 27, 2026,” the NCW said. The hearing was chaired by NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar.
During the proceedings, lyricist Raqueeb Alam, director Prem and representatives of KVN Productions — Gautam K M and Suprith — appeared before the commission. Rahatkar expressed concern over the lyrics of the song and said they were against the dignity of women and rejected the contention of those summoned that they were unaware of the meaning of the lyrics.
The NCW said the persons present submitted a written apology and acknowledged that the song had a negative impact on society. They also told the panel that they would work for women’s empowerment over the next three months and submit a report to the commission.
About the song and the controversy
Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke is part of the pan-India Kannada film, KD: The Devil, directed by Prem. It is picturised on Nora Fatehi, with actor Sanjay Dutt also appearing. The song’s opening verse is a double entendre describing sex in rather graphic detail. As the first stanza progresses, it is revealed that the description is for a drink and bottle (most likely alcohol) and not genitalia, as the previous verses had suggested. The song’s choreography has also been criticised for being too suggestive and objectifying the dancer.
The U-23 Asian Championships bronze medallist Lalit dominated China`s Huoying Shi to enter the men`s 55kg Greco Roman gold-medal match at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Monday.
The 23-year-old Lalit outclassed Huoying Shi 11-3 in the semifinals. But Aman (77kg, Greco Roman) and former champion Sunil Kumar (87kg, Greco Roman) went down in their respective semifinals on a mixed opening day for the Indian contingent.
They will contest for bronze on Tuesday. Lalit, who had bagged the bronze medal in the Muhamet Malo Wrestling meet last month, will now take on 2025 Asian Championships bronze medallist Ikhtiyor Botirov of Uzbekistan after he defeated Ulan Uulu in the second semifinal 5-3.
In the 77kg Greco Roman semifinal, Aman went down against Zagreb Open old medallist Ali Oskou of Iran 13-3. The Indian, who had reversed a 1-4 deficit to win 6-4 against China`s Halishan Bahejiang in the quarterfinals, will now face Yeonghun Noh of South Korea in the bronze-medal match.
The 2020 Asian champion Sunil Kumar will be going for his fourth medal at the continental championship but it will not be the yellow metal after he lost his 87kg bout against Gholamreza Farokhisenjani of Iran 0-8.
In the 65kg Greco Roman weight category, Sunny Kumar went down in the qualification round against Saifulla Kurman of Kazakhstan and was eliminated.
In the men`s 130kg Greco Roman category, Joginder Rathee went down in the quarterfinals against South Korea`s Minseok Kim. The Korean then lost the semifinal against Mirzazadeh of Iran to end the Indian`s hope for a repechage round.
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No information has been provided specifying how the soldiers ended up fighting for Russia or the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Published On 7 Apr 20267 Apr 2026
Russia has confirmed that 16 Cameroonian soldiers have been killed while fighting in its four-year war against Ukraine, according to the West African country.
In a statement broadcast on state media late on Monday, the Foreign Ministry of Cameroon called on the families of the dead to make contact with officials in the capital city of Yaounde.
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It was the first time that Cameroon had discussed the involvement of its nationals in the Russia-Ukraine war. Moscow has pulled foreigners from numerous nations into its invasion forces over the course of the war.
A Cameroonian diplomatic note, dated Monday and seen by the Reuters news agency, referred to the deceased as “military contractors of Cameroonian nationality” operating in a special military operation zone, the term Russia uses to describe Ukraine since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Neither the statement nor the diplomatic note specified how the 16 men ended up fighting for Russia, nor did they provide details on the location, timing and circumstances of their deaths.
In an internal memo issued in March 2025 and seen by Reuters, Cameroon’s defence minister expressed concern that soldiers were leaving the country to join the war in Ukraine and instructed commanding officers to closely monitor their units.
Cameroon has said it does not officially deploy troops abroad outside of international or regional mandates, and has warned citizens against taking part in foreign conflicts.
Furthermore, several African countries have said some of their citizens have been tricked into fighting for Russia by offers of lucrative jobs or skills training.
An intelligence report presented to Kenya’s parliament earlier this year said that 1,000 Kenyans were recruited to fight for Russia after being misled with false promises of jobs in the country before being sent to the front lines.
Two Nigerians were killed late last year while fighting for Russia, Ukraine’s intelligence agency said this month.
Russian authorities have denied illegally recruiting African citizens to fight in Ukraine.
Young men from South Asia have also joined the Russian army in its war against Ukraine after they were promised lucrative salaries and benefits.
At least 202 Indian nationals have been recruited into the Russian army, with at least 26 killed, according to India’s Foreign Ministry.
Russia agreed in August 2024 to release all Indian nationals from its army and confirmed that recruitment of Indian nationals has ceased, following demands by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reports that 11,000-15,000 North Korean troops were deployed to Russia, with roughly 6,000 killed or wounded, earlier in the conflict.
After celebrating her 30th birthday on April 5, Rashmika Mandanna threw a wedding reception in her hometown, Kogadu, in Karnataka. Pictures and videos of her walking hand in hand with Vijay Deverakonda while dressed in a saree she draped in traditional Kodava style are circulating online. At the reception, Vijay even commented on how beautiful Coorgi women are.
Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna walked hand in hand at their reception.
Pictures and videos from the reception show Rashmika in a silk saree and Vijay in a suit. Fans couldn’t help but fawn over the couple who walked in while holding hands, and later cut a cake together. Their parents were also seen dressed to the nines and standing by the couple during the festivities.
Talking at her reception, Rashmika said, “I am this child of the soil. The love of the Kodava people is always special. Coming back to my hometown after my wedding brings me immense joy. Celebrating this together with our family members and friends is my fortune…Vijay also loves Kodava culture very much. I hope all of you continue to shower us with your blessings like this.”
Vijay tried his hand at speaking in Kodava Takk before switching to English. He revealed that this was his third visit to Kodagu, and the first time was before he even knew Rashmika. “Next time I come, I’d like to go around and see her childhood and life here,” he remarked, adding, “I’ve become so fond of this place, such a beautiful place. I always thought women here were super beautiful, even before I met her. I think Coorgi women are beautiful, and I’m married to one. I’m very happy.”
About Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda
Rashmika and Vijay got engaged in a quiet ceremony in Hyderabad in October last year. While they did not confirm the news, they were spotted wearing rings. On February 26, they tied the knot in Udaipur in a traditional Telugu wedding, with Kodava rituals thrown in. They hosted a reception in Hyderabad in March and have now hosted one in Coorg. They also visited the Igguthappa temple in Karnataka while they were there.
The actors first worked together in the 2018 hit Geetha Govindam and later in the 2019 film Dear Comrade. Rashmika was engaged to her Kirik Party co-star Rakshit Shetty in 2017, but they parted ways in 2018. Vijay was rumoured to be dating a Belgian national. After years, Rashmika and Vijay are gearing up to release their next work together, Ranabaali.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) will honour its cricketing stalwartson Thursday by unveiling the new Ravi Shastri Stand at the Wankhede Stadium and dedicating gates to Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar, and Diana Edulji.
MCA to unveil Ravi Shastri Stand on April 9. (PTI)
The unveiling ceremony will be graced by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. MCA President Ajinkya Naik will also be present, alongside Apex Council members, office bearers, and others from the cricketing fraternity.
The decision to honour these legends was approved by the MCA Apex Council at its meeting held in February.
As part of the initiative, the Level 1 Stand below the Press Box at the Wankhede Stadium will be named after former India captain and renowned commentator Ravi Shastri, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Mumbai and Indian cricket as a player, leader and coach.
In addition, Gate No. 3, Gate No. 5, and Gate No. 6 will be formally unveiled as the Dilip Sardesai Gate, Diana Edulji Gate, and Eknath Solkar Gate, respectively, paying tribute to Mumbai stalwarts who have made a lasting impact on Indian cricket.
MCA President Ajinkya Naik said: “This ceremony marks a proud moment for Mumbai cricket as we come together on 9th April to honour these iconic figures. The unveiling of the Ravi Shastri Stand, along with the dedication of stadium gates to Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar and Diana Edulji, reflects our deep respect for their invaluable contributions.
“We look forward to celebrating their legacy at Wankhede Stadium while inspiring future generations to uphold the same values and strive for greatness.”
The initiative underscores MCA’s continued commitment to preserving its rich heritage while strengthening the foundation for the future of the sport.
AI-generated images reimagining late actor Sushant Singh Rajput as Lord Ram have gone viral on social media, striking an emotional chord with his sister, Shweta Singh Kirti. Sharing the images on Instagram, Shweta opened up about why the visuals felt so powerful and deeply moving.
AI-generated images reimagining late actor Sushant Singh Rajput as Lord Ram have gone viral on social media, striking an emotional chord with his sister, Shweta Singh Kirti.Sharing the images on Instagram, Shweta opened up about why the visuals felt so powerful and deeply moving.
‘Ram Ji is not just a character, but what He stands for’
“Why does seeing Bhai as Ram Ji stir so many emotions? You know why?… Because Ram Ji is not just another person or a character, but what He stands for—those values, values we treasure: Maryada, compassion, dignity, courage, truth, and His pure love for Sita Maa. Just to keep His father’s word and His promise to His wife, Ram Ji left all worldly pleasures and went to the forest to live a life of penance. What does that prove to us? We worship and draw strength from the values these icons stand for.”She further shared how those very qualities reminded her of her brother.
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‘Still tying a rakhi on your wrist…in my heart’: Shweta Singh Kirti’s Rakhi tribute for Sushant
‘Bhai radiates the strength of character Ram Ji embodies’
“Bhai as Rama moves us because He doesn’t only look divine and graceful, but because He radiates the strength of character that Ram Ji embodies. The innocence and purity in His eyes, and the nobility in His expression, prove that nobody in the present day and age can play Rama as beautifully as Bhai would have played Him. Forever cherished, forever unforgettable.”The AI-generated images have since sparked widespread reactions online, with many echoing similar sentiments about Sushant’s screen presence. Ramayana, backed by producer Namit Malhotra and directed by Nitesh Tiwari, features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, alongside Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Arun Govil, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Sheeba Chaddha, and Indira Krishnan. Mounted on a reported budget of Rs 4,000 crore, the two-part epic is slated for a Diwali release, with the second instalment expected in 2027.
It is time for the next Nord chapter, the journey that began many years ago, in search of the true north for the company. Over the years, this has served OnePlus well in cornering a share of the upper mid-range price bands. The reason is simple—OnePlus managed to find a balance between specs and price, better than some rivals and on par with others. The OnePlus Nord 6, which effectively learns from five generations before it, is imbibing some design cues from the flagship too. If you notice some visual similarities with the OnePlus 15, don’t be surprised. It’s part of the growing up journey for Nord phones.
The OnePlus Nord 6 is not just well crafted, but also rather ruggedly built. (Vishal Mathur/HT Photo)
The OnePlus Nord 6 is priced at ₹38,999 onwards, with the options being 8GB memory and 256GB storage, or 12GB memory with the same amount of storage. The latter is certainly a good option to choose, for an additional ₹3,000 monetary outlay. The choice of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen4 chip very much defines the pricing of the new OnePlus Nord 6 with some competition including the Nothing Phone (3) that started out as a flagship last year and still delivers good value (this is now around ₹40,000), as well as the Poco F7 5G (that’s around ₹32,999).
Continuing with the chip discussion in the interim, this silicon sits a notch below flagship chips, and that’s just the ticket for the Nord 6 with its pricing in perspective. Performance is never really a doubt, but the biggest transition you’ll feel is how well thermals have been kept in check—and that aids performance in the longer term as well. OnePlus has done well with the choice of the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, which has more than a fair advantage in terms of performance over the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Extreme. It all comes together as apps respond quickly, and the system feels nimble on its feet.
OnePlus wants potential buyers to get a sense of the value from a broader feature set. The 165Hz refresh rate display (and that ties in with the chip choice, for gaming scenarios) is another one of those elements. In terms of overall specs, it is a very similar display real estate to that in the OnePlus 15, including the 6.78-inch AMOLED canvas, 2772 x 1272 resolution and 1800-nits high brightness mode. But this isn’t exactly same in all respects—while the OnePlus 15 was the first Android flagship to support 4K 120fps Dolby Vision video recording and playback, the Nord 6 doesn’t have Dolby Vision (but does support HDR10+).
In my book, the 9000mAh silicon-carbon battery is most likely the reason to buy the OnePlus Nord 6. Rare as it may still be despite efficiency improvements elsewhere, you’ll be looking at the Nord 6’s battery meter and calculating when you need to plug this in for a top-up charge (that itself is quick, at 80-watt wired charging, as well as bypass charging when gaming) in a matter of days, not hours. This is by far the largest battery capacity in a phone in this price band, and that’s equally been made best use of with optimisations across hardware and the Oxygen OS software. In my experience, the Nord 6 responds well enough to last 2 full workday usage scenarios, with still around 15% battery remaining.
Nord cameras, over the previous five generations of this particular device, have leaned more towards likeable, consistent photography. Instead of attempting major quality and processing leaps. OnePlus must have resisted the urge to draw on more of its years of experience with Hasselblad optimisations. In the fork consisting of a 50-megapixel main camera and an 8-megapixel ultra wide camera. And you’d be better off sticking with the 50-megapixel camera for most of your photos, for the sake of better detailing and colours in tricky lighting.
There is a clear sense that the Nord 6 has taken a big step forward as far as image processing algorithms are concerned. This is a combination of the silicon paired support, and the enhanced pipeline additionally. The main sensor has optical image stabilisation (OIS), which has a wholesale positive effect. In terms of what you’ll see, there is a fair amount of detailing to work with if you’re interested in running some photos through the Lightroom or Google Photos edits. Colours are very natural from the outset, and it’s not just about the accuracy, but also look pleasing within the overall frame.
It is not just the camera, but Oxygen OS’ building with a very useful artificial intelligence (AI) suite that helps with editing as well as fixing things rather well. More often than not, AI eraser will derive some value. And if you’re taking portrait photos often, the AI portrait glow will be useful too. One could argue that a lot of this functionality is already part of Google Photos, and why the duplication? There is very much substance to that, though I’d like to point out mileage may vary depending on the composition of photos and your preference of type of results.
The OnePlus Nord 6 is not just well crafted, but also rather ruggedly built. The IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K water and dust resistance ratings, as well as the use of the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ (that’s another key difference with the OnePlus 15 display), does lend credence to an assumption that the Nord 6 will hold up well in the face of rough usage. There are three distinct colour choices too, with the conventional black inevitably likely to find more takers, but silver and mint colour ways deserve attention too.
I’ve noticed that with every generation of the top-tier Nord phone, OnePlus tries to make a statement of intent. If you see hints of a good old flagship-killer, you’d be on the right path, for the most part.
This has the spec sheet very much on point for the price, and certainly sets a new benchmark with its battery capacity and build specifics. By using a display very, very similar to the flagship OnePlus 15, a user gets a feel of the full premium-esque experience every time they pick up the phone. For a value proposition, the Nord 6 also does the sensibility thing very well.
