Global oil prices dropped sharply on Monday after signs of progress in talks between the United States and Iran. Brent crude fell 5.5% to around $97 a barrel after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a possible agreement could be reached soon. President Donald Trump said negotiations were “proceeding nicely” but warned there could still be “no deal.” Iran also said progress had been made, though a final agreement was not close yet. Markets hope the deal could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for global oil supplies. Experts, however, warned that supply chains may take months to recover fully. (PC: Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

A new immigration policy by the Trump administration has created concern among Indian students and H-1B workers in the United States. Under the new approach, many Green Card applicants may have to return to their home countries to complete the process. USCIS said temporary visa holders are expected to leave the US after their stay ends. Experts fear the policy could disrupt careers and family life for thousands of Indians waiting for permanent residency. “Immigration pathways are getting tougher and tougher,” education expert Mayank Kumar said. The move has also raised doubts about the US as a stable long-term destination for Indian students. (PC: AP)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government is closely monitoring the impact of the West Asia crisis on India’s economy. She said rising fuel and fertiliser prices have become major concerns. “India cannot afford fearmongering. We need to give confidence to the people with our words and actions,” Sitharaman said at a SIDBI event. She added that the government is focusing on the “3Fs” — fuel, fertiliser and foreign exchange reserves. The minister also warned about delayed MSME payments and said India’s economic challenges are mostly being driven by global events, not domestic weakness. (PC: X/@nsitharamanoffc)

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday declined urgent hearing on petitions linked to the viral Cockroach Janta Party movement and urged lawyers not to react “so sentimentally” to the controversy. A Supreme Court bench led by the CJI said there was no grave urgency in the matter. The petitions sought action against alleged misuse of courtroom remarks and a probe into activities linked to the satirical online campaign. The controversy began after Justice Kant’s remarks comparing some unemployed youth to “cockroaches” during a hearing on fake law degrees triggered backlash on social media. (PC: HT)

The United States and Iran are holding talks to formally end the war in West Asia. U.S. President Donald Trump said the agreement would either be “great and meaningful” or there would be “no deal.” He also told negotiators not to rush the process. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a breakthrough could happen soon and added that Israel has the right to defend itself. Iran confirmed that progress had been made in discussions but warned that a final agreement was not immediate. The proposed deal reportedly includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Turkiye and Pakistan also joined discussions on the crisis. Meanwhile, two Israeli ministers demanded stronger military action in Lebanon after Hezbollah drone attacks.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said any agreement with Iran would either be a “great and meaningful” deal or there would be no deal at all. Posting on Truth Social, Trump said negotiations to formally end the conflict with Iran were still ongoing and no final agreement had been reached. He criticised Democrats and Republican critics, accusing them of spreading misinformation about the talks. Trump also repeated his opposition to the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated under former US President Barack Obama, calling it a “disaster” that gave Iran a path to nuclear weapons. (PC: X)

Singapore authorities have charged 26-year-old Indian national Kanojiya Riken for allegedly harbouring 13 Indian immigration offenders whose visit passes had expired. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said officers raided a flat on March 3 and found 11 men and two women aged between 19 and 44 staying illegally in the country. Investigators said Riken allowed them to stay between December 2025 and March 2026 without verifying their immigration status. Two Singaporeans, Song Yi Da and Suba Priyadarshini, were also charged for employing Indian nationals without valid work permits. The overstayers were later deported from Singapore. (PC: HT)

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said India must closely monitor fuel, fertiliser and foreign exchange reserves as the US-Iran conflict pushes up global prices and affects domestic markets. Speaking at the SIDBI anniversary event in Mumbai, Sitharaman said fertiliser prices had reached “unimaginable levels” while rising crude oil prices were increasing pressure on India’s economy. Petrol and diesel prices have been raised four times in less than two weeks. The finance minister said the Centre had absorbed a revenue impact of over Rs 1 lakh crore through excise duty cuts. She also urged timely payments to MSMEs facing working capital stress. (PC: NDTV)

In a fresh setback for the AIADMK, three party MLAs resigned from the Tamil Nadu Assembly and joined Chief Minister Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Monday. Maragatham Kumaravel, Jayakumar and Sathyabama submitted their resignations to Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar, who accepted them. The three legislators were part of the rebel AIADMK faction that had earlier backed the TVK government during the May 13 floor test. AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami’s camp regained support from five rebel MLAs, taking his backing in the Assembly to 27. AIADMK had won 47 seats in the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. (PC: India Today)

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has directed district magistrates to establish holding centres for suspected illegal immigrants as part of the state government’s “detect, delete and deport” policy. The order follows the BJP government’s election promise to act against illegal infiltration. Officials said detained foreign nationals and released foreign prisoners awaiting deportation will be housed in these facilities temporarily. The move has drawn comparisons with immigration policies promoted by Donald Trump during his US election campaign. Opposition leaders are expected to raise concerns over implementation and detention procedures. (PC: HT)