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Kerala Agricultural University releases new green chilli variety

The new variety promises high yield, quality fruits and field tolerance to major production constraints, according to the college authorities

Nepal backs bilateral path with India to resolve border row; calls for partnership unconstrained by anxieties of past

Nepalese foreign minister Shishir Khanal said Kathmandu refuses to see New Delhi through the "distorted, hyper-sensitive lens" of 21st-century geopolitics.

Let us build partnership not constrained by anxieties of past: Nepal foreign minister on India ties

Let us build partnership not constrained by anxieties of past: Nepal foreign minister on India ties

Jeff Bezos wants people to stop blaming Airbnb for high rents in New York city

Jeff Bezos argued on CNBC that government policies limiting housing supply, not Airbnb, are the primary drivers of high rents in New York City. He cited zoning and permitting restrictions as key factors, stating that subsidizing demand while constraining supply inevitably leads to soaring prices. Bezos also criticized corporate welfare and special tax provisions as forms of crony capitalism.

West Asia war fuels airline bankruptcy risks

Soaring jet fuel prices driven by conflict in the Middle East are likely to push more airlines into bankruptcy and spur more sector consolidation this year and next, the head of the global airline body said on Saturday. Global airlines are grappling with higher fuel costs driven by the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran, which has choked jet fuel supplies and disrupted key air corridors, forcing costly detours.Also read: Airbus delays XLR deliveries to IndiGo as war hits suppliers Budget carriers have been among ‌the hardest hit, ⁠lacking higher margin ⁠revenue streams such as premium cabins, high-paying travelers and credit card loyalty programs. The strain is already showing: U.S. budget airline Spirit Airlines collapsed last month, and it will not be the last, said Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, the industry's main trade body. "Unfortunately I think there will be some carriers that will find this high fuel price very difficult to cope with," Walsh told Reuters at IATA's annual summit in Rio de Janeiro, adding he expects some airlines to go out of business and others to be acquired by larger carriers. Even so, the pressure does not spell the end of the low-cost airline model, which continues to thrive outside the United States, where the big three carriers, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American ⁠Airlines, are squeezing ‌out budget competitors, Walsh said. "I don't see that the low-cost model is broken, in fact, quite the opposite," he said, highlighting Ryanair's strong performance in Europe as an example. There is one blockbuster deal Walsh does not see happening: United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby's audacious ⁠proposal to buy arch rival American Airlines and create a U.S. aviation behemoth. The idea, which surfaced earlier this year, failed to get done despite Kirby raising it with President Donald Trump. "I don't think that's going to happen. I think the regulatory hurdles would be very significant. I don't know whether that was a genuine effort to pursue consolidation or Scott just trying to stir up some media," Walsh said. MIDDLE EAST AIRLINE WOES The Iran conflict has upended traffic flows through Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, creating acute challenges for Gulf carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad. Walsh said he didn't think the conflict would do permanent damage to the Gulf as an aviation hub given its strategic geographic importance and the value of the popular Gulf carriers, which account for 14% of ‌global capacity. "That capacity cannot be replaced by airlines from other regions around the world," Walsh said. "Once things settle down, I would expect the Gulf carriers to regain their important position in the market." Adding to the strain is the slow pace of aircraft deliveries from Boeing and Airbus, along with engine delays from ⁠GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney, a unit of RTX, limiting airlines' ability to expand fleets and improve efficiency.Also read: Airline chiefs grapple with fuel shock, fare test at Rio summit Walsh said the industry is increasingly frustrated by the delays, particularly as engine makers post strong profits while airlines struggle. He estimates supply chain disruption cost airlines about $11 billion last year. "We're disappointed that they're not moving faster. We're disappointed that they're not sharing the pain that the airline industry is sharing," he said. Aircraft and engine makers have said that much of the delays are out of their control, stemming from post-pandemic supply chain disruptions and political trade disputes. As airlines come under financial strain and climate policies lose momentum in the U.S. under Donald Trump, industry leaders have grown more cautious about meeting a 2050 net zero emissions target. Walsh said IATA is not ready to abandon the goal. "I certainly believe it's more challenging to achieve net zero in 2050 because we've not made the progress that we had expected to see on the development of sustainable fuels," he said.

Obama casts a long shadow on Iran bill

US President Donald Trump has spent years attacking his predecessor Barack Obama for what he called a giveaway to Iran. The image of "pallets of cash" became one of his favorite political talking points, a symbol of what he portrayed as weakness in dealing with Tehran.Yet the irony of the current moment is becoming harder to ignore. As negotiations to end the latest US-Iran confrontation stall, Iran is demanding access to billions of dollars in frozen assets, and the success of any deal may depend on whether Trump agrees to some form of financial relief. The president who built his Iran policy around rejecting Obama's approach may now find himself confronting the same reality that faced previous administrations -- diplomacy with Iran often comes with a price tag.Pay $12 billion now, and $12 billion laterAn indication of how central money has become to the negotiations came from Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in an exclusive interview with CNN. According to Rezaei, the negotiations have reached a deadlock and the responsibility for breaking it lies squarely with Trump. He said Iran wants the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, with $12 billion to be made available immediately after an interim agreement is signed and another $12 billion at a later stage.Also Read | Iran says frozen funds key to progress in US talksRezaei termed the demand not a concession from Washington but as a test of American intentions. "If he wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust that Iran wants to have with Trump," he told CNN. "This is our own money, not America's money."The significance of the demand extends beyond the amount involved. By publicly linking the prospects of peace to the release of frozen assets, Iran has effectively made financial compensation the central political hurdle in the negotiations.Trump's Obama problemFor Trump, the issue is not as much financial as deeply political. CNN reported that Trump has repeatedly instructed his team that any agreement with Iran must be viewed as stronger than the 2015 nuclear accord negotiated by Obama. Equally important, he wants to avoid anything that resembles the controversial payments that became a focal point of Republican criticism a decade ago.Throughout his political career, Trump has portrayed the Obama administration's handling of Iran as evidence of weak leadership. Recently, he revived his criticism of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, describing it as a horrible deal and insisting that any agreement he reaches will be far better. That political history now threatens to constrain his negotiating options. A deal that includes billions of dollars flowing to Iran could invite immediate comparisons with the very agreement he spent years denouncing.Also Read | Iran retains about 22% of missile stockpile, says TrumpWhat Obama actually didThe comparison is unavoidable because financial relief was also a major feature of the Obama-era approach. The JCPOA, finalized in 2015 after negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 powers, imposed strict limits on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. The agreement capped uranium enrichment, reduced centrifuge capacity and established what experts described as one of the most intrusive inspection regimes ever negotiated.The deal also coincided with the release of $1.7 billion to Iran, a figure that Trump and other critics frequently cited as evidence of appeasement. Critics argued that sanctions relief and financial compensation rewarded Iranian behaviour across the region.Supporters of the agreement took a different view. They argued that much of the money involved consisted of Iranian assets that had already belonged to Iran and that the deal successfully halted Tehran's progress toward a nuclear weapon while providing unprecedented transparency into its nuclear program.Former US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, who helped negotiate the agreement, told CNBC that the JCPOA's most important achievement was its extraordinary verification system. Arms control experts similarly maintain that the deal effectively constrained Iran's nuclear ambitions before it unraveled.Why the current situation is more difficultThe irony for Trump is that negotiations now are taking place under conditions far less favorable than those that existed in 2015. After the US withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, Iran gradually breached many of the agreement's restrictions. It expanded uranium enrichment, accumulated a much larger stockpile of nuclear material and scaled back some transparency measures.Many think that any new agreement must address a more advanced Iranian nuclear programme and a more complicated political environment. There is also the added challenge of rebuilding trust after years of mutual escalation. That reality means economic incentives have become even more important. Tehran is demanding tangible benefits upfront rather than promises of future relief. From Iran's perspective, accepting new restrictions without immediate financial gains would be politically difficult.Trump's search for a political workaroundTrump's advisers are acutely aware of the political risks. According to CNN, administration officials are exploring mechanisms that would allow Iran to receive financial relief without creating the appearance of a direct US payment. One possibility involves third countries such as Qatar releasing funds. Another would permit access to frozen assets while restricting their use to humanitarian purchases such as food, medicine and agricultural goods. There have also been discussions about creating reconstruction funds financed largely by Gulf states rather than the United States.These proposals reflect an important reality. The debate is no longer about whether Iran should receive economic relief at some stage. It is increasingly about how that relief can be structured so that Trump can claim he has not repeated Obama's mistakes. In that sense, the dispute is becoming as much about political messaging as about financial policy.Leverage versus peaceThe White House remains reluctant to surrender what it views as one of its strongest bargaining tools. Trump has publicly insisted that the United States will retain control over frozen Iranian funds until Iran meets Washington's demands. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has similarly emphasised that sanctions relief should follow compliance rather than precede it.The administration's concern is straightforward. Once funds are released, Washington loses a major source of leverage. That leverage could prove critical during the highly technical second phase of negotiations focused on Iran's nuclear program. Iran, however, sees the issue differently. For Tehran, immediate access to frozen assets is evidence that the United States is negotiating in good faith. Without such a gesture, Iranian leaders appear unwilling to commit themselves to a broader settlement. That difference in perspective has created the current impasse.The choice facing TrumpThe strategic dilemma confronting Trump is becoming increasingly clear. He can maintain a hard line and refuse any significant financial concession, preserving political consistency but risking the collapse of negotiations. Or he can accept some form of economic relief for Iran, potentially unlocking a broader peace agreement but exposing himself to accusations that he has embraced a version of the same approach he once condemned.Rezaei's comments to CNN show how central that decision has become. By presenting the release of $24 billion as a test of trust, Iran has effectively challenged Trump to choose between ideological purity and diplomatic pragmatism. For a president who built his Iran policy in opposition to Obama's legacy, that may be the most uncomfortable choice of all. If peace ultimately requires releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, Trump would be seen as eating his words when he had asked Iran for complete surrender.

'Rising fuel prices strain household budgets'

Pocket-friendly packets: Why Indians are swapping big snack packs for smaller ones

Consumers are increasingly opting for smaller pack sizes of everyday goods, from edible oils to soaps, as rising costs strain monthly budgets. This shift, driven by economic stress and geopolitical factors, is leading FMCG companies to reduce grammage in popular low-priced packs to maintain affordability and protect profit margins.

Manoj Bajpayee Exclusive On ‘Governor’, 1991 Economic Crisis And Playing RBI Chief | #therightstand

In an exclusive interview, Manoj Bajpayee opens up about his role in the film ‘Governor’, inspired by India’s 1991 economic crisis.The actor reflects on the challenge of portraying a silent yet impactful RBI governor navigating one of the most defining moments in India’s economic history. Bajpayee speaks about building character depth, understanding restraint in performance and bringing dignity to a role rooted in policy, pressure and national responsibility.He also highlights why economic stories matter in cinema, especially when they reveal the unseen figures and difficult decisions that shaped the country’s future.Watch the full exclusive conversation for Manoj Bajpayee’s insights on ‘Governor’ and the story behind India’s economic turning point. n18oc_the-right-stand n18oc_india News18 Mobile App - https://onelink.to/desc-youtube

Taylor Swift–Travis Kelce wedding rumours swirl over Blake Lively

Reports surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s rumored summer wedding have sparked fresh speculation about Swift’s friendship with Blake Lively. Sources claim Swift wants distance from the ongoing legal battle involving Lively and Justin Baldoni before wedding celebrations begin. Fans also noticed Lively’s absence from reported bachelorette party plans, fueling rumors that the once close friendship may now be strained behind the scenes.

'It's possible': Trump hints at meeting Iran's Khamenei amid deal talks

In a bold statement, President Trump declared that Iran's military capabilities are severely diminished, stating that the country’s naval and aerial forces have become largely ineffective, leaving its leadership under significant strain. He criticized the media for exaggerating Iran's military strength and issued a warning about potential consequences if any US troops are endangered.

Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and OpenAI, 'your datacenter problems just got bigger '

Nine major industry trade groups have warned the Trump administration that the rapid expansion of AI data centers is severely straining global memory chip supplies. This surge in demand is driving up prices and reducing availability for critical sectors like automotive, healthcare, and consumer electronics, posing risks to US supply chains and the broader economy.

‘Challenging cost environment’: IndiGo pauses services to Hong Kong, Shanghai and 4 others

Earlier this week, IndiGo announced that it will temporarily pause flights to Manchester citing continued international airspace constraints.

LPG supply stable, but oil firms still losing nearly Rs 700 on every cylinder sold

Oil Marketing Companies are still facing significant under-recoveries of nearly Rs 700 per domestic LPG cylinder. Despite government efforts to boost domestic production and secure imports, this financial strain persists. Meanwhile, LPG demand has moderated due to reduced commercial use and improved delivery systems, ensuring stable supplies.

DMK Opts Out Of INDIA Bloc June 8 Gathering In Setback To Opposition Unity

Signs of the strain had emerged earlier when DMK Lok Sabha leader K. Kanimozhi wrote to Speaker Om Birla seeking separate seating arrangements.

Delhi HC protects personality rights of actor Naga Chaitanya

Justice Jyoti Singh, in an interim order, restrained third parties from selling merchandise bearing Mr. Chaitanya’s name and image without consent, and directed the removal of the objectionable content from online platforms

Eviction of Malayidamthuruth Dalit families: Kerala HC grants govt two more weeks to resolve impasse

HC restrains Perumbavur munsiff court from passing orders till June 16 on the families’ eviction from 2.5 acres of land, the ownership of which has been claimed by a private individual

Kerala faces burden of ₹5.07-lakh crore liabilities; fiscal structure under ‘serious’ strain, says White Paper tabled by CM

Kerala faces a ‘large burden’ of outstanding liabilities (₹5.07 lakh crore), committed expenditures (77% of total revenue receipts - TRR), and interest payments (20.9% of TRR), notes the document titled ‘Kerala’s Fiscal Health: A Status Report’

Winds of change in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu may steady NDA's ship in Parliament

The BJP-led NDA sees a smoother legislative path as key opposition rivals TMC and DMK face internal challenges. A split within TMC and DMK's strained ties with Congress create opportunities for the ruling coalition to advance its agenda, including simultaneous elections, with renewed vigor.

Info panel rejects claim that CCTV footage in police station got auto-deleted

Says not preserving the data citing space constraints defeats the purpose of installing CCTV in police stations