Bs Reads

Trump arrives in China for talks with Xi; focus on tariffs, West Asia

US President Donald Trump arrived in China on Wednesday for a three-day state visit during which he will discuss a host of global issues, including the Iran war, with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump, who is visiting China at the invitation of President Xi, was received by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng at the airport. The leaders of the world's two largest economies will hold their seventh face-to-face talks. They last met face-to-face in October 2025 in Busan, South Korea. The US President arrived in China on his second visit in nine years to clinch a trade deal, to end the frictions over tariffs that affected its over USD 525 billion exports to the US. Trump, who is accompanied by top CEOs, was the last US president to visit China in 2017, during his first term. President Trump would have a bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday, US Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said on Sunday. The two leaders will meet again on Friday for a bilateral tea and working lunch, s

India, Russia in advanced talks for critical minerals agreement: Report

New Delhi has signed critical minerals agreements with Argentina, Australia and Japan, and is in talks with Peru and Chile on broader bilateral agreements that also include critical minerals

India has ample fuel stocks, but OMC losses may hit ₹1 trillion: Puri

With two months of fuel stockpiles, India faces no supply concerns despite disruptions to global energy flows, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said, while warning that state-run fuel retailers face losses of as much as Rs 1 lakh crore in a single quarter if elevated crude prices persist and retail fuel prices remain unchanged. He said that at some stage an assessment needs to be made on how long retailers can sustain losses from selling petrol, diesel and cooking gas LPG below cost, but refused to speculate if rates would be raised anytime soon. "We have no supply-side problems," the minister said at CII's Annual Business Summit here, adding that India began the crisis with "more than enough" crude oil and LPG inventories and had since ramped up domestic LPG production to 54,000 tonnes per day from about 36,000 tonnes previously. At the same time, the minister acknowledged growing fiscal stress from keeping retail fuel prices unchanged. "My oil companies are losing Rs 1,

Revamped survey looks to finally crack India's household income puzzle

India's first dedicated household income survey aims to fill a decades-old statistical gap, but experts warn that under-reporting, informal work and non-response could still distort the picture

James McDougall's 'Worlds of Islam' celebrates rich heritage and diversity

One recurring theme that unites this book is Sufism

Our 'screenified' future: How screens turned people into performers online

The book is at its strongest when Garber gets hyperspecific, forcing the reader to wrestle with the fact that the far-reaching power of the screen has touched all parts of life

DRDO achieves breakthrough in hypersonic missile programme: Govt

In a major leap for India's hypersonic missile programme, the DRDO on Saturday announced the successful long-duration test of an actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor. The "extensive" long-duration test of the "actively cooled full scale scramjet combustor" has put India at the forefront of advanced aerospace capabilities, the defence ministry said. For any hypersonic missile programme, this technology is considered extremely crucial as active cooling allows the weapon to travel hundreds of miles at incredible speed. The test, conducted at the Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), achieved a continuous run-time of over 1,200 seconds (20 minutes), validating the engine's ability to sustain extreme thermal loads required for hypersonic cruise missiles. The DRDL achieved a "path-breaking milestone in the development of hypersonic missiles by successfully conducting an "extensive long-duration test of its actively cooled full scale scramjet ...

How China's evolving consumer habits may protect the Amazon rainforest

Xing is no ordinary tourist. She leads the Tianjin Meat Industry Association, representing importers responsible for around 40% of China's beef purchases from Brazil

Test Cricket: Tim Wigmore's masterly history of the game and empire

A sweeping review of Tim Wigmore's Test Cricket: A History, exploring how empire, race, class and politics shaped the game's longest format

The Rules That Make Us: Anthropology meets corporate strategy in this book

This book offers a fascinating look at the intersection of big business and the humanities, offering a glimpse into a unique career, though it can sometimes feel self-promoting

Reimagining Government: Handy AI guide for govt, but falls short on detail

While the book is written obviously for policymakers in the United States, it can actually pretty well be used by most governments in both developed nations and fast-developing nations like India

CEA sees West Asia conflict widening India's CAD above 2%, urges investment

The CEA argued that India's substantial refining capacity significantly mitigates the challenges of its high crude oil import dependence

India's digitalisation reforms improved productivity in MSMEs: IMF paper

India's digitalisation reforms in public administration have improved productivity in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in states that have embraced such changes, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a working paper. The authors compared the productivity of unincorporated manufacturing firms in states that have undertaken more digitalisation reforms with those having fewer such changes in public administration. "We find that states that undertake more public administration digitalisation experience higher productivity growth and lower productivity dispersion among firms," economists Somnath Sharma and Kenichi Ueda. MSMEs contribute around 35 per cent of manufacturing output in India, employ around 110 million workers and contribute about 45 per cent of the overall exports from India. Most MSMEs are not formally registered as companies under India's Companies Act of 1956 and only a few studies have been done on the impact of the business environment reforms on the

Finance Ministry notifies 100% FDI in insurance sector, amends Fema rules

The Finance Ministry on Saturday notified 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the insurance sector under the automatic route. While 100 per cent foreign investment will be allowed in insurance companies and intermediaries, including brokers, under the automatic route, the cap is 20 per cent for Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), said the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026. The Parliament had passed the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (amendment of insurance laws) Bill, 2025, in December, 2025, paving the way for hiking the FDI cap in the insurance sector to 100 per cent under the automatic route, from 74 per cent earlier. Subsequently, after the President's assent, the Bill became law. Thereafter in February, 2026, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Commerce and Industry Ministry had notified 100 per cent FDI in the insurance sector.

Berkshire shareholders gather for Greg Abel's first annual meeting

Prior to the meeting, thousands of people lined up outside a downtown arena before doors opened at 7 a.m., though the lines were considerably shorter than in recent years

Punjab Police book ex-AAP MP Sandeep Pathak after BJP switch: Reports

Punjab Police is learnt to have booked Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who recently defected to the BJP, sources said on Saturday. Two FIRs have been lodged against Pathak under non-bailable sections, they said. No further details about the FIRs have been disclosed yet. Pathak was among the seven Rajya Sabha MPs who had quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and joined the BJP. On April 24, the AAP suffered a jolt when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs quit, alleging that Arvind Kejriwal's party has strayed from its principles, values and core morals. Of the seven MPs -- who were Pathak, Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- six were from Punjab. Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan later officially accepted their merger with the BJP, reducing AAP's strength in the Upper House to three. Meanwhile, the BJP on Saturday has reacted to the FIRs on Pathak, accusing AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal of indulging in vendetta politics and

Anthropic announces Claude Security beta for enterprise customers

AI-powered tool enables enterprises to scan codebases for vulnerabilities and generate patches, with global tech and consulting partners supporting deployment

Rasputin: Beevor's nuanced account of the Romanovs debunks mystic's myth

Antony Beevor's book casts a cool academic eye on this controversial faith healer, arguing that despite the mystique, Rasputin's influence on the fall of the Romanovs has been exaggerated

Rupee falls 0.5% to record low of 95.33 as oil price surge sparks worries

The reversal has prompted traders and analysts to suggest that fresh regulatory measures could be on the cards

Under Grey Smoggy Skies reveals India's urban homelessness problem

Invisible to most, Harsh Mander's latest book peels back the layers of injustice and neglect that the urban homeless experience in our cities