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Do you remember the first time you licked an ice-cold orange pop off a stick on a sweltering summer day? Or the first time you scraped your knee during a game of catch?Four days aboard the Disney Adventure, the conglomerate’s largest ship in their fleet and their first in Asia, sent me on philosophical trip about growing up. All while throwing my hands up in the air and snaking down a water slide somewhere in the Indian Ocean. At the Disney Discovery Reef with aquatic characters and nautical stories from Disney, including ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘Lilo & Stitch’, as…

There is, I’ll admit, a faint wariness that creeps up before travelling to Gujarat, which temporarily sharpened the moment my cab drove out of Rajkot Airport to find plainclothes policemen scanning luggage for the faintest whiff of contraband booze that an out-of-stater might have smuggled in to what remains India’s most infamously dry state. Still, the prospect of the bounties that lay ahead — of one of the subcontinent’s most remarkable biospheres and its regal inhabitants — was enough to dull my reflexive cynicism.At Sasan Gir, the West-kissing folds of the Saurashtra peninsula reveal themselves through texture and an air…

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson. File picture | Photo Credit: The Hindu Sanju Samson was arguably the face of Rajasthan Royals — much like M.S. Dhoni with Chennai Super Kings or Virat Kohli with Royal Challengers Bengaluru — and his departure is a significant moment for the franchise, given the impact he had, says former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis.Samson spent 11 seasons with Rajasthan Royals across two stints, emerging as their most-capped player and leading run-scorer. He has now been traded to Chennai Super Kings with Ravindra Jadeja joining the RR ranks.”If I look at the IPL and…

Two LPG carriers and one oil tanker — Shivalik, Nanda Devi and Jag Laadki — were evacuated earlier, escorted by the Indian Navy from the Gulf of Oman region. | Photo Credit: Reuters 22 India-bound vessels in the Persian Gulf region have been identified for evacuation and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz by the Indian government. Of these, 20 vessels have been assessed as critical to India’s energy security, carrying some 2.15 lakh metric tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG), 3.21 lakh tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and 16.76 lakh tonnes of crude oil. These vessels are…

A view of the Indian Oil Corporation refinery at Noonmati, in Guwahati. File. | Photo Credit: ANI The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has ordered oil and gas companies to share details ​on exports, imports and inventories with a government agency, as India seeks to shield consumers from shortages amid ​rising global prices triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war on ⁠Iran. India has designated the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) to collect and analyse the information, according to a government order issued late on Wednesday (March 18, 2026).The ‌companies must share information regardless of any “contract, agreement, commercial arrangement…

Today, trade is no longer just about economics. It is increasingly used as a geopolitical tool. Tariffs are imposed as pressure tactics, and economic dependence is sometimes used strategically. In this context, the World Trade Organization (WTO)’s Ministerial Conference (MC14), to be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Africa (March 26-29, 2026), comes at an important moment. The real issue is not whether the WTO needs reform, but whether it can adapt fast enough to stay relevant in a world moving toward more transactional and power-based trade relations.WTO in turmoilThe WTO is facing its biggest crisis since its founding in 1995. Its…

India’s brand of cricket at the 2026 World Cup was something to be proud of; the current flavour of the season will be Suryakumar and Gambhir, but it should be remembered that the ball was set rolling by Rohit and Dravid, under whom India ended their 17-year wait for a World Cup title Source link

Unlocking potential: Axar will have to rally his troops well. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR When the 19th season of the Indian Premier League gets underway on March 28, Delhi Capitals will renew its long-standing quest for the grand prize.It is part of the enduring essence of the annual summer spectacle that each of the teams can dare to dream of a campaign culminating in victory on the night of the finale.So far in DC’s existence, it has been an elusive dream. Royal Challengers Bengaluru was in the same boat until the beginning of the last edition, but finally…

RCB’s new signing Jordan Cox is all ears as Virat Kohli makes a point during practice on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR Virat Kohli was the star attraction in defending champion Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s first training session ahead of IPL 2026. Kohli, the long-serving RCB batter, was all business at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.The 37-year-old started the session with a pep talk to his teammates gathered in a circle, with head coach Andy Flower by his side. The former India captain then got into the thick of things with an hour-long batting stint.Facing Venkatesh Iyer, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the spinners group led by Krunal Pandya, Kohli took an aggressive approach. Some shots made sweet connection, with…

A file image of SRH’s Ishan Kishan. | Photo Credit: PTI Ishan Kishan has been appointed stand-in captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2026, with opener Abhishek Sharma named his deputy.The India wicketkeeper-batter will lead the side in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins, who is currently recovering from a back injury that also ruled him out of the recent T20 World Cup.“Pat Cummins will miss a few games while recovering from injury. Until he returns, Ishan Kishan will serve as captain and Abhishek Sharma as vice-captain,” the franchise posted on X on Wednesday (March 18, 2026).This marks…