Independent News & People Network Desk of News

As cotton prices rise, textiles industry seeks removal of 11% duty on imports

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-04-21T15:02:59+00:00

Industry stakeholders warn that the sustained price surge is eroding margins, particularly for exporters operating on long-term contracts with limited flexibility to absorb input cost increases

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Student allegedly jailed in China for six years after taking part in pro-democracy protests in Australia

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-21T15:00:54+00:00

Exclusive: The Australian government has been urged to take stronger action to protect overseas students from political repressionThe Australian government has been urged to take stronger action to protect Chinese international students from political repression by authorities on their return after a Chinese student was allegedly sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for joining pro-democracy protests in Australia.The student, who the Guardian has chosen not to name, lost contact with his friends in Sydney after returning to China in December 2024. Continue reading...

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Uber driver Michael was assaulted by passengers. He says the platform’s response added insult to injury

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-21T15:00:54+00:00

Drivers booted off the platform say they have little recourse to appeal as rideshare giant increasingly relies on automated systemsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMichael Thorn thought he’d suffered enough after his Uber passenger punched him in the head, sending him to hospital. But then the ride-share platform deactivated his account.“It’s even worse than getting belted,” Thorn said. Continue reading...

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‘Not a personal attack’: gun lobby targets marginal Labor seats at NSW election over post-Bondi reforms

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-21T15:00:54+00:00

Exclusive: Australian Recreation Union says it plans to support candidates and parties that oppose gun control laws brought in after terror attackGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA gun users’ group targeting marginal Labor seats in next year’s New South Wales election plans to campaign for candidates who oppose the government’s firearm laws enacted after the Bondi terror attack.In an email sent to the electorate offices of 15 Labor backbenchers last week, the Australian Recreation Union (ARU) said it had recruited campaign managers across 17 “vulnerable” electorates,

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Timor-Leste parliament questions president over proposed resort’s links to ‘scam’ empire

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-21T15:00:53+00:00

Jose Ramos-Horta urged by opposition to explain diplomatic passport given to businessman behind resort project, who denies any involvement with organised crimeTimor-Leste’s opposition has questioned how foreign investors in a proposed cryptocurrency resort obtained prime beachfront real estate in the country’s capital, and has called on the president to explain why he issued a diplomatic passport to a Chinese businessman involved in the project.Speaking in parliament in Dili on Monday, Fretilin opposition party MP Florentino Ximenes da Costa “Sinarai” raised concerns about the proposed AB Digi

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Death of Sydney’s ‘birdman’ described as ‘beyond tragic’ by Albanese government

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-21T15:00:53+00:00

NSW housing and homelessness minister says Bikram Lama’s death shows the ‘gaps’ that people without residency can fall throughGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFederal and state housing ministers have described the death of a young homeless man in Sydney’s Hyde Park as “beyond tragic” and say it reinforces the need to stop vulnerable rough sleepers from falling through the cracks.Bikram Lama, 32, was found dead on 7 December last year near the entrance to St James tunnel where he had been sleeping rough. Continue reading...

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Ketamine, psychedelics, GHB: is the US falling out of love with cocaine?

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-21T15:00:52+00:00

Use of the illicit drug has plummeted in recent years among gen Zers, compared with their parents’ generationEver since cocaine first emerged as a popular party drug via the shores of Miami in the early 1970s, use of the stimulant has been inextricably entwined with the very essence of capitalist excess and what it is to be American: brash, bombastic and brazen.The wide-scale use of cocaine in the US has left a trail of destruction in its wake, largely thanks to the illegal nature of the trade and the resultant US government policy of a “war on drugs”. Continue reading...

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Après sa condamnation pour « vol de données informatiques », un ex-détenu français au Qatar dénonce le « silence » de l’Elysée

Source: Le Monde - International · Published: 2026-04-21T15:00:11+00:00

André, spécialiste français de la cybersécurité, a été emprisonné durant deux cent soixante-quatre jours au Qatar. Il dénonce, auprès du « Monde », le système judiciaire « partial », ses conditions d’incarcération et l’« inaction » d’Emmanuel Macron.

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US military service members will no longer be required to get annual flu shot

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-21T14:54:58+00:00

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth makes announcement and calls military’s flu vaccine mandate ‘broad’ and ‘not rational’Members of the armed services will no longer be required to have an annual flu vaccination shot under a new policy announced Tuesday by Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary.In a video statement posted to social media, Hegseth described the mandate as “overly broad” and “not rational” and the decision to drop the vaccine requirement as “seizing this moment to discard any absurd overreaching mandates that only weaken our war fighting capabilities”. Continue reading...

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Mark Ruffalo: “C’è speranza contro Trump, la gente scende in piazza ma servono leader dem più forti”

Source: Repubblica Homepage · Published: 2026-04-21T14:53:15+00:00

L’attore incontra gli studenti a Roma per presentare il film “Tutto quel che resta di te” della palestinese Chierien Dabis. “C’è stato uno sforzo concertato dagli israeliani per tenere la storia palestinese fuori dai media occidentali. Anche con questo film stiamo bucando quella barriera”

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ICICI Bank sees major ownership shift as FPIs, MFs cut stake

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-04-21T14:47:02+00:00

Foreign Portfolio Investors cut their stake sharply to 34.48%, while pension and provident funds increased their footprint in the bank

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Druzhba oil pipeline fixed, Zelenskyy says, as he links repair to EU’s €90bn loan package – Europe live

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-21T14:45:49+00:00

Ukrainian president says pipeline linking Russia and Hungary can now resume operations but adds ‘we connect this with the unblocking of the European support package’German foreign minister Joseph Wadephul also makes it very clear that he is relieved with the change of government in Hungary, calling it “a breath of fresh air” and a promise of hope for Ukraine.He urged Hungary to drop its “unusual blockade” for policies for Ukraine “as quickly as possible,” pointing to what he argued was a clear pro-European mandate from the electorate in Hungary (it’s a bit more complicated than that, though).

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Matthew Doyle claims he never sought ambassador role, after Olly Robbins said he was asked to find him one – UK politics live

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-21T14:43:16+00:00

Olly Robbins told MPs he had been asked to get the ex-No 10 aide a role and not mention it to then Foreign Secretary David LammyRobbins v Starmer: the key Mandelson points they disagree onThe hearing has started.Emily Thornberry, the chair, started by saying that Robbins did not tell the whole truth about this process when he gave evidence to it in November. Continue reading...

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Kevin Warsh tells Congress he will maintain Fed independence despite Trump pressure - US politics live

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-04-21T14:42:19+00:00

Trump nominee faces questions in hearing to succeed Jerome Powell when his term ends on 15 MayKevin Warsh: Trump’s ideal choice to push Fed to cut interest ratesSign up for the Breaking News US emailDonald Trump said that he does not want to extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran, in an interview with CNBC. “I dont’ want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” the president said. The pause is set to expire tomorrow, and vice-president JD Vance will lead last-ditch talks in Islamabad today, in the hopes of striking a deal with Tehran.However, speaking to Joe Kernen, Trump said that he plans

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Cognizant and OpenAI partner to take Codex to enterprise clients

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-04-21T14:40:05+00:00

Cognizant is embedding Codex directly into its engineering workflows across its Software Engineering Group, with the goal of making it a standardised capability

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Українські дрони рекордно обвалили видобуток нафти в Росії

Source: UNIAN (General) · Published: 2026-04-21T14:34:50+00:00

За оцінками експертів Міжнародного енергетичного агентства, відновлення нафтовидобутку до рівня першого кварталу 2026 року може стати для Кремля непростим завданням.

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