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Saudi, Iraqi companies halt crude sales to Indian refiner, say sources

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Saudi, Iraqi companies halt crude sales to Indian refiner, say sources


Logo of Nayara is seen at its fuel station on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, November 16, 2022. — Reuters 
  • Nayara misses 3m barrels monthly supply from Gulf exporters.
  • Sanctions create payment issues for Iraqi crude oil purchases.
  • Nayara refinery runs at 70–80% capacity amid sanctions. 

Saudi Aramco and Iraq’s state oil company SOMO have stopped selling crude oil to India’s Nayara Energy in the aftermath of sanctions imposed in July by the European Union on the Russian-backed refiner, three sources familiar with the matter said.

The halting of supply from the two Gulf exporters means Nayara, majority-owned by Russian entities including oil major Rosneft, relied entirely on Russia for its crude oil imports in August, according to sources and LSEG shipping data.

Nayara typically receives around 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude and 1 million barrels of Saudi crude each month, but did not receive shipments from either of the two suppliers during August, shipping data from Kpler and LSEG showed.

SOMO and Nayara did not respond to requests for comment. Saudi Aramco declined to comment.

Two of the sources said that the sanctions had created payment problems for Nayara’s purchases from SOMO, without providing further details.

The most recent cargo of Basra crude from SOMO was discharged for Nayara by the Kalliopi, a very large crude carrier (VLCC), at Vadinar port on July 29, according to Kpler and LSEG data as well as data obtained from industry sources.

The private refiner received 1 million barrels of Arab Light carried by the VLCC Georgios co-loaded with a similar quantity of Basrah heavy on July 18, its last Saudi delivery, according to LSEG data.

Nayara is receiving direct supplies from Rosneft, an official from the Russian Embassy in New Delhi said last month.

The private company is operating its 400,000 barrel-per-day refinery at Vadinar in western India at about 70-80% capacity due to difficulties in selling its products resulting from the sanctions, sources have said.

Nayara Energy, which controls about 8% of India’s 5.2 million barrel-per-day refining capacity, has been struggling to transport fuel since the EU sanctions, relying on so-called dark fleet vessels after other shippers backed out, according to shipping reports and LSEG data.

The company’s CEO resigned in July. Last week, Nayara announced the appointment of a senior executive from Azerbaijan’s national oil company SOCAR as its chief executive.





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Here’s all we know about Humane AI-like pin

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Here’s all we know about Humane AI-like pin


Apple developing AI wearable: Here’s all we know about Humane AI-like AI pin

Apple, the iPhone maker, is working on its own AI wearable, reportedly a pin that users can attach to their clothing, equipped with two cameras and three microphones.

The information about Apple’s upcoming AI gadget was brought to light in a report by The Information on Wednesday.

As the rumour is spreading in the vast AI wearable market, it is expected to intensify the competition in the sector.

The development was originally disclosed by OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane, who stated at a Davos event that the company is going to announce its highly anticipated first AI hardware device in the second half of 2026.

It’s also being speculated that it may be a pair of earbuds, TechCrunch reported.

Apple’s upcoming AI device is described as a “thin, flat, circular disc with an aluminium-and-glass shell,” designed to be roughly the size of an AirTag, but slightly thicker.

The device is tipped to bring two cameras—one with a standard lens and another with a wide-angle lens—for capturing pictures and videos.

It might as well include a physical button, a speaker, and a Fitbit-like charging strip on its back.

There’s a fair degree of chance that the tech giant is expediting the development of this product, given that OpenAI, too, is working on its own AI gadget. The device is likely to debut in 2027, with an initial launch of 20 million units.

Despite all that’s been said, time will confirm how well this type of AI device will be received by consumers.

It reminds us of a similar AI pin, Humane AI, launched last year by two former Apple employees, but it struggled to gather acclaim and consumer interest and eventually shut down.





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FCC says TV talk shows must offer equal time to political candidates

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FCC says TV talk shows must offer equal time to political candidates


The Federal Communications Commission warned TV broadcasters Wednesday that daytime talk shows and late-night programs must give equal time to opposing political candidates.

The move addressed a genre of TV that President Trump has long argued is politically biased, leading to calls from the president to revoke broadcasters’ FCC licenses. 

The announcement hinges on a decades-old federal law requiring any FCC-licensed broadcaster that lets a political candidate appear on its airwaves to also offer “equal opportunities” to all other candidates running for the same office. The law exempts “bona fide newscasts” and news interviews from the equal time rule. 

In 2006, the FCC said the news exemption applied to an interview on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” meaning the late-night comedy show could feature then-California gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger on-air without also inviting his Democratic opponent.

But in a four-page notice on Wednesday, the FCC said it is “not the case” that all late-night and daytime entertainment shows are exempt. The regulator said it decides whether the exemption applies on a case-by-case basis, and it “has not been presented with any evidence” that interviews on those shows qualify for the news exemption.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Trump ally, wrote on X: “For years, legacy TV networks assumed that their late night & daytime talk shows qualify as ‘bona fide news’ programs – even when motivated by purely partisan political purposes. Today, the FCC reminded them of their obligation to provide all candidates with equal opportunities.”

The FCC did not call out any specific shows by name. But Mr. Trump reposted a news headline on Truth Social that said the FCC is taking “aim” at two ABC shows that have long drawn the president’s ire — “The View” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Carr shared a screenshot of Mr. Trump’s post on X.

ABC did not respond to a request for comment from CBS News on the FCC’s notice. NBC and CBS, which also air late-night shows criticized by Mr. Trump, declined to comment.

Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez sharply criticized the FCC’s announcement, calling it “an escalation in this FCC’s ongoing campaign to censor and control speech.” She also argued the notice was “misleading” since the FCC hasn’t formally changed any of its rules, a process that typically involves a public comment period and a vote by the commissioners.

“Broadcasters should not feel pressured to water down, sanitize, or avoid critical coverage out of fear of regulatory retaliation,” Gomez said in a statement. “Broadcast stations have a constitutional right to carry newsworthy content, even when that content is critical of those in power. That does not change today, it will not change tomorrow, and it will not change simply because of this Administration’s desire to silence its critics.”

Mr. Trump has feuded with critical talk show hosts for years. He celebrated CBS parent company Paramount’s decision to end “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” last summer, and he hailed ABC’s decision in September to temporarily preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following comments Kimmel made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. And he’s publicly called on NBC to fire late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

The president has also long argued that the FCC should revoke TV broadcast licenses for networks that consistently criticize him. The FCC has traditionally exerted limited influence over the content aired by TV networks, partly due to First Amendment constraints.

“They give me only bad publicity or press,” Mr. Trump told reporters in September. “I mean, they’re getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away. It will be up to Brendan Carr.”

The issue has drawn the attention of Carr, who has regularly pointed to laws requiring broadcasters to operate in the “public interest.” 

Hours before ABC temporarily took Kimmel off the air, Carr publicly urged the Disney-owned TV network to “take action” in response to the comedian’s remarks on Kirk, saying in a podcast interview that “there are avenues here for the FCC.”

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said at the time.

Those comments drew bipartisan criticism, with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas arguing Carr overstepped and could set a bad precedent the next time there’s a Democratic president.

“I gotta say, that’s right out of ‘Goodfellas.’ That’s right out of a mafioso coming into a bar, going, ‘nice bar you have here, it’d be a shame if something happened to it,'” Cruz said of Carr’s remarks on Kimmel, mimicking a mob boss’s accent.



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Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith meet up at Paris Fashion Week 2026

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Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith meet up at Paris Fashion Week 2026


Will Smith and Jada Pinkett meetup at Paris Fashion Week 2026

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith stepped out together at Paris Fashion Week, drawing attention as they reunited publicly to support their son Jaden Smith’s latest career milestone. 

The former couple appeared united on Jan. 21 as they attended the debut of Jaden’s first collection as men’s creative director for Christian Louboutin, marking a rare joint appearance months after they were last seen together.

The outing was centered on family rather than fashion headlines, but the style was hard to miss. 

Will, 57, arrived in a thick black coat layered over a matching sweater, paired with tweed windowpane plaid trousers. He finished the look with black boots and dark sunglasses. 

Jada, 54, complemented him in an all-black outfit of her own, wearing a blouse and leather pants under an oversized fur coat. 

She accessorized with silver jewelry, including a chain necklace featuring an Om pendant, and spiked Louboutin heels. 

The couple also share daughter Willow Smith, 25.

This marked their first public appearance together in about four months. The last time they were spotted side by side was in September, when Will joined Jada for her birthday dinner at E Baldi in Beverly Hills. That same month, they were also seen having lunch at Nobu in Malibu.

Although Will and Jada quietly separated in 2016, they have repeatedly said they do not intend to legally divorce. 

She has emphasized that there is still “deep love for each other,” and that their children have played a meaningful role in shaping that understanding.

Their Paris appearance reinforced that message, showing that while their relationship has changed, their commitment to family remains very much intact.





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