Author: Rasmita Jena

  • U.S. and Israel’s Controversial Plan to Resettle Palestinians in East Africa

    U.S. and Israel’s Controversial Plan to Resettle Palestinians in East Africa

    The U.S. and Israel are talking to leaders in three East African countries: Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland. They want to find places to move Palestinians from Gaza because of a plan suggested by former President Donald Trump. This plan has faced a lot of criticism and many people think it is wrong. Most people from Gaza don’t want to leave their homes.

    Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland are poor and sometimes dangerous places. Officials in Sudan have said no to the idea, while officials in Somalia and Somaliland say they haven’t been contacted about it.

    Trump’s plan suggests moving over 2 million people from Gaza to different countries and turning the area into a real estate project. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports this idea, but Palestinians see it as a forced relocation. Many Arab countries oppose the plan and are suggesting other ways to rebuild Gaza without moving people away.

    Some officials from the U.S. and Israel confirmed they reached out to these countries last month, seeking ways to make this plan happen. They can offer money, weapons, and support to entice these countries.

    Here is a closer look at the three places being considered:

    – Sudan: Sudan agreed to be friendly with Israel in 2020 but has been in civil war since. Sudan’s leaders said they will not accept Palestinian refugees.

    – Somaliland: This area broke away from Somalia over 30 years ago and wants international recognition as a separate place. Officials here say they have not been contacted about taking in Palestinians.

    – Somalia: This country often supports the Palestinian cause and has me0mbers in opposition to the plan. It seems unlikely that Somalia would agree to host Palestinian refugees.

    In summary, the idea of moving Palestinians out of Gaza has been met with strong resistance from several regions, and it’s uncertain if these talks will go anywhere.

  • Stocks Plunge: Trade Worries Spark Market Correction

    Stocks Plunge: Trade Worries Spark Market Correction

    Global stock prices fell sharply on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 index officially entering a correction. This means it’s more than 10% lower than its highest point. Investors are worried that trade issues might cause prices to rise and slow down growth after recent threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to impose heavy tariffs on European drinks if they don’t remove extra fees on American whiskey. Additionally, Trump recently raised tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum.

    While price data from the U.S. showed producers’ prices stayed the same and consumer prices went up more slowly than expected in February, these numbers didn’t calm investors. Many believe the trade disputes will lead to future problems. Tim Ghriskey from Ingalls & Snyder in New York noted that without the trade war worries, the market would likely be doing well.

    On Wall Street, the S&P 500 dropped 77.78 points, or 1.39%, ending at 5,521.52. The Dow Jones also fell, down 537.36 points, or 1.30%, hitting 40,813.57, about 9.4% lower than its recent high. The Nasdaq Composite fell even more, down 345.44 points, or 1.96%, sitting at 17,303.01, which is more than 14% lower than its recent peak.

    Market corrections like this happen regularly; since 1929, the S&P 500 has had corrections 56 times. Out of these, only 22 led to bear markets, which is when a market drops by 20% or more.

    Globally, stock markets also faced declines, with MSCI’s index dropping 1.12% to 821.52. In Europe, the STOXX 600 index dipped 0.15% after a previous rise. The S&P 500 is now more than 6% down this year, while European stocks are faring better, gaining 6.5% as governments support defense spending and a possible peace deal in Ukraine.

    U.S. Treasury bonds saw increased demand, causing their yields to drop. The yield on a 10-year Treasury note fell to 4.27%. Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar showed mixed results against other currencies—falling against the yen but gaining against the euro and Canadian dollar.

    Oil prices dropped despite a previous rise due to lower gasoline stocks. U.S. crude prices fell by 1.67% to $66.55 a barrel, while Brent crude dropped 1.51% to $69.88.

    Gold prices climbed, reaching close to $3,000 an ounce, driven by fears over tariffs and expectations for the U.S. Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. Spot gold rose to $2,982.84, and U.S. gold futures increased to $2,983.50.

  • Columbia University Expels Students for Hamilton Hall Protest Actions

    Columbia University Expels Students for Hamilton Hall Protest Actions

    On Thursday, Columbia University took action against some students involved in a protest last spring. These students had occupied Hamilton Hall as part of a pro-Palestinian protest. The university decided to expel some students, while others got suspensions or had their diplomas revoked. Columbia did not share the exact number of students affected but said the actions were based on how serious the students’ behaviors were.

    In an official statement, Columbia University said, “The Judicial Board made decisions based on how severe the actions were during the protests and earlier behavior.” They also mentioned that these decisions came after investigations and hearings.

    Columbia University has been under a lot of pressure about how they handle protests. Recently, the Trump administration took away over $400 million in federal funding because of worries about antisemitism on campus.

    The protests started as part of a broader movement against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. While most protests were peaceful, things changed on April 30, 2024, when a group of students locked themselves inside Hamilton Hall using furniture to block the doors. The police entered the campus on May 1 and arrested many protesters tied to both the tent camp and the building occupation.

    Even though the District Attorney dropped charges for some of the arrested students, Columbia still moved forward with their disciplinary actions. The NYPD confirmed in a letter that some people involved in the building occupation were not students at Columbia. They stated, “Those who occupied Hamilton Hall damaged university property and were trespassing.”

    A university official said that holding students accountable for breaking rules is a crucial step in focusing back on the main goals of teaching and research.

  • Delhi Metro Adjusts Schedule for Holi: Key Changes You Need to Know!

    Delhi Metro Adjusts Schedule for Holi: Key Changes You Need to Know!

    The Delhi Metro will change its schedule for Holi! Trains will start running from 2:30 PM today on all lines, as announced by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Normally, the Metro runs from 5 AM to 11:30 PM on weekdays, while the Airport Express train operates from 4:40 AM to 11:40 PM.

    This year, even the Airport Express will begin at 2:30 PM for Holi. You can find the full schedule on the DMRC website. The DMRC encourages everyone to plan their trips keeping these new times in mind. If you have any questions, you can reach out to DMRC or follow their social media for quick updates.

    The DMRC also requests that passengers avoid carrying colors, water guns, or balloons, as these might upset other travelers.

    In addition to Metro travel, the Delhi Traffic Police have shared advice about road congestion due to Holi celebrations and ongoing construction projects like the Airport Drain extension. Police teams will be out in full force to help keep everything safe, especially as there will be about 25,000 police and paramilitary personnel on duty. They will check for drunk driving and monitor traffic to ensure everyone can enjoy the festival safely.

  • UAE Aluminium Exports to U.S. Surge Ahead of New Tariffs

    UAE Aluminium Exports to U.S. Surge Ahead of New Tariffs

    DUBAI, UAE – In early March, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sent a lot of aluminium to the U.S. before new tariffs started on March 15. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the UAE shipped over 68,000 metric tons of aluminium in just the first 11 days of the month. This is a huge increase compared to only about 16,000 metric tons sent in all of March last year.

    These exports are the highest they’ve been in nearly two years! The move comes after President Donald Trump put a 25% tariff on all foreign steel and aluminium imports to boost U.S. production. Last year, Canada was the top supplier, providing 70% of the aluminium used in the U.S., while the UAE was second, supplying 8%.

    After Canada announced its own 25% tariffs on U.S. imports, including aluminium, American buyers might seek out other suppliers due to the rising tensions. Yulia Buchneva, a director at Fitch Ratings, mentioned that UAE producers have lower costs compared to Canadian ones, making it still profitable to send aluminium to the U.S. even with tariffs.

    Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), one of the largest aluminium producers, expects there will be ups and downs in aluminium prices throughout 2025 because of global trade issues. Demand for aluminium from U.S. users is likely to rise as they seek alternatives. Right now, aluminium prices are around $2,675 per metric ton, after peaking in February.

    This news comes from an automated news agency feed.

  • Jubin Nautiyal Wins IIFA Award, Celebrates with Fans in Dehradun

    Jubin Nautiyal Wins IIFA Award, Celebrates with Fans in Dehradun

    Singer Jubin Nautiyal came back to his hometown, Dehradun, on Thursday after winning an IIFA award. His fans gave him a warm welcome at the airport. Jubin won the Best Playback Singer (Male) award for his song “Dua,” from the movie “Article 370.”

    Speaking to the media, Jubin said, “This award is not just for me; it’s for all of Uttarakhand. This is my second IIFA win. Seeing so much love makes this homecoming special. I’m really happy that everyone is celebrating together.”

    The IIFA 2025 Awards also honored famous filmmaker Rakesh Roshan with an award for his contributions to Indian cinema.

    Here are some other winners from the night:
    – Best Picture: “Laapataa Ladies”
    – Best Male Actor: Kartik Aaryan (“Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3”)
    – Best Female Actor: Nitanshi Goel (“Laapataa Ladies”)
    – Best Director: Kiran Rao (“Laapataa Ladies”)
    – Best Negative Role: Raghav Juyal (“Kill”)
    – Best Supporting Male: Ravi Kishan (“Laapataa Ladies”)
    – Best Supporting Female: Janki Bodiwala (“Shaitaan”)
    – Best Music Director: Ram Sampath (“Laapataa Ladies”)
    – Best Female Singer: Shreya Ghoshal (“Ami Je Tomar 3.0” from “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3”)
    – Best Male Singer: Jubin Nautiyal (“Dua” from “Article 370”)

    The IIFA Digital Awards took place on March 8, giving recognition to talents like Kriti Sanon and Jitendra Kumar. The main awards show, hosted by Kartik Aaryan and Karan Johar, featured a memorable performance by Kareena Kapoor Khan in honor of her grandfather, filmmaker Raj Kapoor.

  • Zheng Qinwen’s Bizarre Warm-Up Stunner at Indian Wells Open!

    Zheng Qinwen’s Bizarre Warm-Up Stunner at Indian Wells Open!

    Zheng Qinwen’s fourth round match against Marta Kostyuk at the Indian Wells Open didn’t go as smoothly as expected on Wednesday. During the warm-up, Kostyuk was practicing her volleys, but Zheng suddenly stopped and wanted to start serving, even though there was still time left. This surprised Kostyuk, leaving her confused and a bit rattled. In the end, Kostyuk lost the match with a score of 3-6, 2-6.

    The strange warm-up moment happened with one minute and 40 seconds still on the clock. Zheng began sending lob shots to Kostyuk, but then abruptly decided to start serving instead. Kostyuk didn’t understand what was happening and asked the chair umpire for help. The umpire reset the warm-up clock and told Zheng to finish warming up.

    Tennis legend Boris Becker was taken aback by the incident and simply tweeted, “What ?!?” in response to the news.

    Now, Zheng is set to play against Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals. Swiatek is a two-time champion at Indian Wells and has been performing very well this tournament. She has only lost six games so far, beating tough players like Caroline Garcia, Dayana Yastremska, and Karolina Muchova.

    Zheng is excited about reaching her first quarter-final this year. She hasn’t lost a single set during the tournament, having defeated Victoria Azarenka, Lulu Sun, and now Kostyuk. A big reason for her great performance is the return of her coach, Pere Riba, who just had hip surgery in November. He couldn’t train with her during recovery, but he was there when she won gold at the Paris Olympics last year and even beat Swiatek in the semi-finals back then. However, Swiatek still has a strong advantage over Zheng, leading their head-to-head record 6-1.

  • Supreme Court to Decide on Debarring Candidates with Criminal Charges

    Supreme Court to Decide on Debarring Candidates with Criminal Charges

    The Supreme Court will hear an important case on March 18 about whether candidates with serious criminal charges should be allowed to run in elections. A group of judges, Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh, will look into this issue.

    Last September, the Supreme Court asked the government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) to respond to a request from lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. This request wants to stop candidates who have serious criminal charges against them from participating in elections.

    The lawyer’s plea claims that despite past recommendations from the Law Commission of India and previous court orders, the government and ECI have not taken any action. The plea highlights that out of 539 people who won in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, about 233, which is 43%, have declared they are facing criminal cases.

    According to a report from the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms, the number of Members of Parliament (MPs) with serious criminal cases has increased by 109% since 2009. In fact, one MP has declared 204 criminal cases against himself, including serious charges like homicide and robbery.

    The plea argues that political parties are competing to choose candidates with criminal records to stay in power. This criminalization of politics harms the public, yet parties continue to nominate candidates with serious criminal backgrounds.

  • Market Dips but Stocks Soar: Find Out the Top Gainers Today!

    Market Dips but Stocks Soar: Find Out the Top Gainers Today!

    NEW DELHI: Many stocks saw big jumps of 5% or more on Thursday, even though the stock market closed lower. The Sensex, which is a big measure of the market, dropped by 200.85 points to end at 73,828.91. Some of the top winners in the market today were Ontic Finserve, Soni Medicare, and Jupiter Infomed, all rising by 10%. Others like GRP Ltd, Indo Euro Ind, and Quantum Digital also had gains close to 10%.

    In the Nifty 50 index, which includes 50 of India’s main companies, stocks like BEL (up 1.18%), SBI (up 0.67%), and NTPC (up 0.54%) were among the few to rise. The Nifty 50 ended 73.3 points lower at 22,397.2. Out of the 50 companies in the Nifty, 15 saw their prices go up, while 35 went down.

  • Akhilesh Yadav: Yogi Adityanath’s Governance Under Fire Ahead of Holi

    Akhilesh Yadav: Yogi Adityanath’s Governance Under Fire Ahead of Holi

    Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, criticized Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, calling him a “Tees Maar Khan,” which means someone who shows off but doesn’t deliver results. Yadav made this comment after it was reported that some mosques were covered with tarpaulin sheets before the Holi festival. The government said this was to keep everyone safe and to maintain peace during the celebrations.

    Yadav said it is important for people from all backgrounds to celebrate festivals like Holi together because it brings joy and happiness. He wished everyone a happy Holi and emphasized that traditions connecting various communities should remain strong.

    Yadav also pointed out that the Chief Minister seems to care too much about the number 30, referencing a recent incident where 30 people died and economic activities were reported to be worth Rs 30 crore. He said the Chief Minister should explain these numbers.

    On the topic of demolitions happening in the state, Yadav mentioned that the Supreme Court has given guidance, but the government is not following it. He hopes the court will ensure fairness for everyone. Yadav believes many people are concerned that the Constitution is not safe under the BJP government.

    He also predicts that the BJP will face a big loss in the 2027 state elections. He said that the Chief Minister’s claim that young people found jobs simply by riding their bikes is unrealistic and directly questioned the truth behind BJP’s promises. He believes the BJP also lost in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and will do even worse in 2027.