Oil prices rose sharply on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump ordered “a total and complete” blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, stoking fresh geopolitical tensions at a time when markets are already wary about weak global demand.Brent crude futures climbed 57 cents, or 0.9%, to $59.50 a barrel by 0135 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 59 cents, or 1%, to $55.86 a barrel.

The rebound came a day after oil prices settled near five-year lows, pressured by progress in Russia-Ukraine peace talks. A potential deal could lead to easing of Western sanctions on Moscow, increasing supply in an already well-supplied market.Earlier on Tuesday, Trump ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela and said he now regarded the country’s rulers as a foreign terrorist organisation. The move could disrupt about 0.4–0.5 million barrels per day of supply and lift prices by $1–2 per barrel, according to a US oil trader.“In regard to pricing impacts, we should see the prompt physical premiums reacting more than flat price, especially natural Merey replacements in the Gulf Coast like Canadian and Colombian Castilla blends, though the total loss of supply would be less than 200,000 barrels per day for the Chevron equity cargoes,” Matias Togni, analyst at oil market insights firm Next Barrel, told Reuters.Another analysts said that the oil market is currently well supplied, but warned that if the blockade remains in place for an extended period, crude prices could move higher.It remains unclear how the US will enforce the blockade or whether it will deploy the Coast Guard, as it did last week. In recent months, Washington has moved warships into the region.Trump’s latest move follows the US seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast last week, stepping up pressure on the government of President Nicolas Maduro, whom Trump has accused of allowing drugs to enter the US.Since the seizure, Venezuela’s crude exports have fallen sharply. While many tankers lifting oil from the country are under sanctions, others transporting Venezuelan crude, as well as oil from Iran and Russia, remain unsanctioned. Tankers chartered by Chevron are also shipping Venezuelan crude to the US under a prior authorisation from Washington.

Is the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill dissolving federalism in education?

Few pieces of legislation put forth brimming ambition on the table and evoke deep constitutional unease. Such is the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025. It has been introduced in the Lok Sabha amid vocal opposition resistance, the bill seeks nothing less than a full-scale demolition and reconstruction of India’s higher education regulatory architecture. By repealing the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, the All India Council for Technical Education Act, 1987, and the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993, the government is proposing a singular, centralised command structure in the name of efficiency, coherence, and reform.On paper, the bill aligns itself firmly with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, a document that promised transformation, autonomy, and innovation. In practice, however, the legislation raises a more uncomfortable question: Does this reform strengthen India’s higher education system, or does it hollow out the federal compact that underpins it?

The new architecture: One apex, three councils, absolute authority

At the heart of the bill lies the creation of an umbrella regulator, the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan, tasked with providing direction for the “comprehensive and holistic growth” of higher education. Beneath it will operate three distinct bodies: A regulatory council, an accreditation council, and a standards council.The design appears streamlined, even elegant. Years of complaints about overlapping mandates, duplicative inspections, and bureaucratic gridlock have given policymakers a compelling case for simplification. The bill’s Statement of Objects and Reasons explicitly cites overregulation and duplication as systemic failures requiring urgent correction.Yet the devil, as always, is in the detail.

Appointments, accountability, and the concentration of power

Every significant authority under the proposed framework, the chairperson of the apex body, its 12 members, and the presidents and members of all three councils, will be appointed by the President of India, based on recommendations from Union government-led search-cum-selection committees.Formally, this adheres to the constitutional process. Substantively, it places the entire higher education regulatory ecosystem firmly within the Union government’s sphere of influence. There is no institutionalised role for state governments in appointments, despite education being a subject that has long occupied a delicate space between the Union and the states.This centralisation becomes starker under Clauses 45 and 47, which grant the Union government overriding policy authority. Any disagreement over whether a matter constitutes “policy” will be resolved unilaterally by the Centre, its decision final and binding. The government may also direct the bodies to perform “such other functions as it deems fit,” an open-ended clause that leaves little room for autonomous regulatory judgment.

The power to supersede: Regulation by remote control

Perhaps the most contentious provision is the Union government’s power to supersede the commission or councils. If the Centre forms the opinion that a body has defaulted in its functions or failed to comply with its directions, it may dissolve that body, force its members to vacate office, and assume full control until reconstitution.This is not merely administrative oversight, it is executive dominance. Regulatory independence, a cornerstone of credible academic governance, is rendered fragile when the regulator exists at the pleasure of the government it is meant to advise, audit, or occasionally resist.

Funding flows and fiscal dependence

Financial autonomy, too, appears limited. The proposed Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Fund will be financed primarily through Union government grants, along with receipts and deposits from states or other authorities. While pooled funding can enhance coordination, it also deepens fiscal dependence on the Centre, further narrowing the operational space for dissent or decentralised decision-making.

Federalism at stake: A structural, not symbolic, concern

Opposition parties have framed their objections around two axes: Overcentralisation and federal erosion. These concerns are not rhetorical flourishes. Higher education institutions, particularly state universities, operate within diverse linguistic, social, and economic contexts. Regulatory uniformity imposed from New Delhi risks flattening this diversity in pursuit of a one-size-fits-all model.The criticism of the bill’s Hindi nomenclature may seem cosmetic to some, but it feeds into a broader anxiety: Whose vision of “Viksit Bharat” is being institutionalised, and at whose expense? In a federal polity, symbolism and structure often travel together.

‘Light but tight,’ or tight and heavy?

The government insists that the bill reflects the NEP’s promise of a “light but tight” regulatory framework, minimal interference combined with strict accountability. Yet the expansive discretionary powers vested in the Union government complicate this claim. Autonomy without institutional safeguards quickly becomes conditional autonomy, granted and withdrawn at the Centre’s discretion.Efficiency, undeniably, is a legitimate policy goal. India’s higher education system has long suffered from regulatory congestion. But efficiency achieved through excessive central control carries its own democratic cost.

Reform or rupture?

The decision to send the bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee is both prudent and revealing. It acknowledges, implicitly, that the legislation’s implications extend beyond technical reform into constitutional terrain. The committee’s deliberations will determine whether this bill evolves into a balanced reform, or hardens into a blueprint for centralised command.The question, ultimately, is not whether India’s higher education system needs reform, it does. The real question is whether reform must come at the expense of federalism, pluralism, and institutional autonomy.If the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill redraws the lines of educational governance too sharply, it risks converting cooperative federalism into administrative compliance. And that would be a transformation far more consequential than any regulatory overhaul.

A brief moment from a diplomatic meeting in Rome has taken social media by storm after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s reaction to meeting Mozambique President Daniel Francisco Chapo was caught on camera.The video, dated December 11, shows Meloni greeting the towering Mozambican leader at Palazzo Chigi.As she looks up at the nearly 6’8” president, her visibly surprised expression quickly became the highlight of the clip. The two leaders then shook hands and posed for photographs, but not before the striking height difference stole the spotlight online.

The moment sparked a flood of memes and humorous reactions, with several users noting the logistical challenge it posed for photographers. According to social media posts, some journalists were reportedly forced to squat, while others even lay flat on their stomachs to capture both leaders within the same frame.Social media users were quick to react. One wrote, “When Mozambican President Daniel Francisco Chapo met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, journalists, especially photographers, struggled to frame their shots because of the significant height difference.”Another joked, “Haha! Meloni’s neck must be aching.” A third quipped, “At first I thought she was kneeling.”Beyond the viral moment, the meeting itself focused on substantive diplomatic issues. In a post on X, Meloni said she had received President Chapo to mark the 50th anniversary of Mozambique’s independence and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. She said the talks reaffirmed the importance of the bilateral partnership and the shared commitment to joint initiatives under Italy’s Mattei Plan.According to Meloni, discussions covered cooperation in key areas including access to energy, sustainable agriculture, vocational training, digitalisation and strengthening healthcare services. The two sides also agreed to work towards boosting trade ties, citing the complementary nature of their economies and the role of Italian energy major ENI in Mozambique’s liquefied natural gas sector.Agreements were also concluded to strengthen cooperation in judicial assistance, civil protection and digitalisation.

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It’s crunch time in Lucknow! Team India walks into the Ekana Stadium with a 2-1 lead and a golden opportunity to wrap up the five-match T20I series right here, while South Africa have their backs against the wall – fighting to keep the contest alive for a final showdown.

India have all the momentum after that gritty win on a fast pitch in Dharamsala, and cricket enthusiasts know how tough they are to beat at home. South African batters have looked a bit shaky against India’s attack, and if they slip up again on Wednesday (December 17), the series is over. The big question is: Can they handle Arshdeep’s swing and Hardik’s all-round game?  With the Lucknow pitch likely to offer some grip, expect Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav to be the key weapons. If they can tie down Aiden Markram and Dewald Brevis, India will likely be lifting the trophy at Ekana.

Ekana Cricket Stadium Pitch Report

The fourth T20I between India and South Africa at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow is expected to be contested on a typically slow, spin-assisting pitch where free-flowing stroke play is challenging and totals in the region of 170 are often match-winning.

The venue’s black-soil surface is known for its low bounce and sharp grip, creating a two-paced track that tests batters, particularly in the early stages. Players usually need time to settle before shifting gears, while bowlers who rely on variations – spinners and seamers using cutters and slower deliveries – are likely to be effective during the middle overs and in the closing stages.

Also READ: Fans react as India lights up Dharamsala with clinical win over South Africa in the third T20I

Ekana Cricket Stadium T20I Stats and Records

• Total matches played: 9
• Matches won batting first: 5
• Matches won bowling first: 4
• Average 1st innings score: 151
• Average 2nd innings score: 126
• Highest total recorded: 199/2 (20 Overs) by India vs Sri Lanka
• Lowest total recorded: 99/8 (20 Overs) by New Zealand vs India
• Highest score chased: 159/4 (20 Overs) by South Africa Women vs India Women
• Lowest score defended: 156/8 (20 Overs) by Afghanistan vs West Indies

Also READ: Mahieka Sharma reacts with a touching story on social media as Hardik Pandya creates T20I history

HYDERABAD: Terror suspect Sajid Akram, the 50-year-old Indian-origin man shot dead by Australian police after Sunday’s deadly attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead, had limited contact with his family in Hyderabad since moving to Australia in November 1998.According to cops, Sajid Akram did not attend his father’s funeral in Hyderabad in 2009. Telangana Police and intelligence agencies traced his roots to Al Hasnath Colony in Toli Chowki, where his father, a retired armed forces officer, and his elder brother, a doctor, live. “We are told Sajid visited India six times after migrating 27 years ago, mainly for property matters. Notably, he did not travel to India when his father passed away in 2009,” Telangana DGP Shivadhar Reddy said. The family told police they had no knowledge of when or how Sajid and his 24-year-old son Naveed, the second suspect, were allegedly radicalised.“Reports indicate that they were inspired by ISIS ideology. Factors leading to their radicalisation appear to have no connection with India,” Reddy said. He also confirmed that Sajid had no adverse record in India before emigrating. Sajid graduated in commerce from Hyderabad’s Anwar-Ul-Uloom College and later married Australian Venera Grosso, with whom he had a son and daughter. Sources said he had brought his wife to Hyderabad around 2001 to meet his parents and had a traditional nikah in the city. During later visits, he sold his share of ancestral property in Sha Ali Banda. Australian authorities suspect both father and son were radicalised in Sydney. Naveed attended Arabic and religious courses in Sydney between 2019 and 2022. Media reports say the pair travelled to the Philippines in November 2025, where they may have received military-style training, before returning to Sydney. Mal Lanyon, New South Wales police commissioner, said Naveed’s vehicle contained improvised explosives and two homemade ISIS flags. Meanwhile, three Indian students were among the 40 injured in the attack, two of whom remain hospitalised.

NEW DELHI: Dense smog continued to blanket the national capital on Wednesday, sharply reducing visibility and keeping air quality in the very poor to severe range, even as authorities stepped up curbs to rein in pollution. Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood near 350, a marginal improvement from day earlier, but conditions remained hazardous. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed that 11 of the city’s 40 monitoring stations — including Jahangirpuri, Mundka and Wazirpur — recorded ‘severe’ AQI levels.

The Delhi government announced that vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate will not be allowed to purchase petrol or diesel in the city. It also said only BS-VI–compliant vehicles will be permitted to operate in Delhi, with older vehicles facing restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Fog disrupts flights, airlines issue advisories Poor air quality combined with dense fog continued to disrupt air traffic. IndiGo issued a late-night travel advisory, warning of reduced visibility and slower flight movements across parts of North and East India on Wednesday morning. “In the interest of safety, some flights may experience delays or adjustments,” the airline said, advising passengers to plan ahead, allow extra time to reach airports and check flight status before leaving home. IndiGo also cautioned that foggy conditions could slow road traffic, affecting access to airports. Earlier, Indira Gandhi International Airport issued a fog advisory, saying operations were steadily recovering but warning that disruptions could persist for certain arrivals and departures due to low visibility. Non-BS VI vehicle ban sparks commuter anxiety The Delhi government’s decision to bar non-BS VI vehicles from entering the city from Thursday has triggered concern across the NCR, where lakhs depend on daily cross-border travel. Official data indicates that over 2 lakh vehicles in Gurgaon, more than 4 lakh in Noida and around 5.5 lakh in Ghaziabad fall below BS-VI standards and could be affected. Traffic police teams have been deployed at Delhi-NCR borders, with violators facing fines and vehicle seizure. Residents described the move as abrupt and impractical, arguing that Delhi and its neighbouring cities function as a single economic unit. They warned the restrictions could disrupt daily work, strain public transport and add pressure on already crowded metro services. Officials defended the decision, saying it was necessary to tackle toxic air. “The restrictions are in line with GRAP norms. Our aim is to reduce emissions during severe pollution episodes,” an NCR transport official said. Slight relief, but pollution to persist Meteorological factors brought limited relief on Tuesday, with higher wind speeds helping disperse pollutants and push AQI down from the severe zone. The India Meteorological Department reported shallow fog across most parts of the city, though visibility remained poor in the early morning. Experts said stronger winds over the next few days could further improve air quality, but warned that AQI is likely to remain in the ‘very poor’ category till the end of the week, according to the Centre’s Air Quality Early Warning System. With fog, pollution and travel disruptions expected to continue, authorities have urged residents to limit outdoor activity, use public transport where possible, and stay alert to official advisories.