US President Donald Trump declared any country purchasing oil or gas from Venezuela will face a 25 per cent tariff on all trade with the United States from 2 April 2025.

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In other news, more than 1,100 people, including journalists, have been detained by Turkish police after mass protests broke out following the arrest of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival.

Meanwhile, Russia and the United States are holding discussions in Riyadh for a possible ceasefire in Ukraine.

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'Very hostile': Trump vows 25% tariff on countries buying oil from Venezuela

US President Donald Trump Photograph: (AFP)

US President Donald Trump has declared that from 2 April 2025, any country purchasing oil or gas from Venezuela will face a 25 per cent tariff on all trade with the United States. The move marks a further escalation in Trump’s trade disputes with both rivals and long-standing allies.

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What triggered mass protests in Turkey? Over 1,100 detained after opposition leader Imamoglu arrested

The unrest, described as the most serious in years, began in Istanbul after the detention of Ekrem Imamoglu, and has since spread to over 55 of Turkey’s 81 provinces. Photograph: (AFP)

More than 1,100 people, including journalists, have been detained by Turkish police after mass protests broke out following the arrest of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, according to a government minister on Monday.

Russia wants to restore 'Black Sea Grain deal' with Ukraine: What is it and why did Moscow back out the first time?

Russia wants to restore 'Black Sea Grain deal' with Ukraine: What is it and why did Moscow back out the first time? Photograph: (AFP)

Russia and the United States are holding discussions in Riyadh for a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. Aside from truce talks, both parties are set to discuss restarting a key agreement aimed at protecting merchant shipping in the Black Sea, the Kremlin announced on Monday (March 24). Moscow said that it believes important parts of the original deal were never fulfilled.

Who are Houthis, directly challenging Trump's mighty military? Leaders taken out, missiles fly, war to expand?

Houthis in direct confrontation with the US (File picture)

Houthis vs Trump confrontation could expand to regional war? Houthis, the Iran-backed rebels of Yemen, are in direct confrontation with the US military in a fight that has intensified since President Donald Trump ordered air strikes on March 15. In the latest developments, the US national security advisor Mike Waltz said the strikes on Yemen have taken out some key Houthi leaders including their top missile specialist.

‘Not being a good ally’: JD Vance’s remarks on Denmark resurface as Second Lady set to visit Greenland

US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance. Photograph: (AFP)

US Vice President JD Vance’s comments attacking Denmark for not being a “good ally” have resurfaced again as his wife is set to visit the island country this week.

India vs Grok 3: Will Modi govt ban the sharp-tongued AI bot of Elon Musk's X? Your questions, answered

Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok has gained massive attention in India and elsewhere since its launch. Internet users on social media platform X were seen asking not-so-normal questions to the chatbot. Photograph: (Reuters )

There has been intense debate in India on Grok 3, the sharp-tongued AI chatbot of Elon Musk's social media platform X, which has been churning out answers to controversial and often politically sensitive questions. Depending on their political leanings, both the right-wing and left-wing observers and politicians have been interpreting Grok 3's responses to suit their narratives. 

A 130-year-old Hindu temple in Malaysia faces demolition threat, to make way for a mosque

Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photograph: (Facebook/Yuefo Amulets)

A 130-year-old Hindu temple in Malyasia’s capital is facing the threat of being razed and relocated as the prime land it occupies in the heart of Kuala Lumpur has been sold to textile giant Jakel, which plans to build a mosque on the site.

Getting a US student visa just got harder: F-1 rejections hit 10-year high with 40% of applicants denied

Representative image. Photograph: (Freepik)

Amid US President Donald Trump’s crackdown against immigration and tariffs, a recent analysis of State Department data revealed that US F-1 visa denials have soared high at 41 per cent in the last fiscal year. According to The Indian Express, the rejection rate has nearly doubled to that of the 2014 fiscal year.

New parents alert! KL Rahul and Athiya Shetty welcome baby girl

Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul Photograph: (X)

Good news as we have another Bollywood couple become parents this year. Actor Athiya Shetty and her cricketer husband KL Rahul have become parents to a baby girl. Making the announcement, the couple took to Instagram.

MS Dhoni on his relationship with Kohli - ‘We are friends but there’s still a line…’

MS Dhoni on his relationship with Kohli - ‘We are friends but there’s still a line…’ Photograph: (Others)

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are two cult figures in Indian cricket. While one is the most successful Indian captain, winning three out of the four ICC trophies, the other is the country's most prolific ODI run-scorer, having hit 51 centuries and counting. The two have shared the dressing room for over a decade, playing alongside and against each other since 2008.