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New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) The X account handles of Chinese media houses Global Times and Xinhua on Wednesday morning showed that they have been withheld in India in response to a legal request.

In the evening, however, the X account of Global Times was restored.

During the recent military conflict with Pakistan, the Indian government on May 8 ordered to block around 8,000 accounts on X, including those belonging to some media houses in "unfriendly" countries.

The handles of Global Times and Xinhua were also blocked as part of the excercise.

While the Global Times account was seen working on Wednesday evening, the X handle of Xinhua continued to remain blocked.

The exact time of unblocking the Global Times account could not be ascertained.

The Xinhua account continued to display a message that it has been withheld in India in response to a legal request.

Government sources said that certain issues have been communicated to the blocked account, which will be restored once the concerns are addressed.

The sources, however, did not elaborate on the conditions put in place by the government for unblocking the Global Times account. PTI PRS ARI

New York/Washington, May 14 (PTI) The International Monetary Fund said Wednesday that Bangladesh sought an increase of about USD 762 million in financial support amid significant macroeconomic challenges, bringing the total financial assistance for the country under various arrangements to about USD 4.1 billion.

The IMF staff and the Bangladesh authorities have reached a staff-level agreement on the policies needed to complete the combined third and fourth reviews under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF), Extended Fund Facility (EFF), and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).

The staff-level agreement awaits IMF Executive Board approval and depends on prior actions, including tax reforms and full exchange rate liberalisation, the Fund said in a statement.

“Amid significant macroeconomic challenges, the authorities requested an augmentation of SDR (Special Drawing Rights) 567.2 million (approximately USD 762 million) in IMF financial support to Bangladesh under the ECF and EFF arrangements," IMF Mission Chief for Bangladesh Chris Papageorgiou said.

"This increase would bring the total financial assistance under the ECF and EFF arrangements to SDR 3,035.65 million (about USD 4.1 billion), alongside concurrent RSF arrangements of SDR 1 billion (about USD 1.3 billion),” Papageorgiou added.

Upon completion of the combined third and fourth reviews, SDR 983.8 million (about USD 1.3 billion) will be made available, comprising SDR 650.5 million (about USD 874 million) under the ECF and EFF and SDR 333.3 million (about USD 448 million) under the RSF.

IMF noted that the Bangladeshi economy remains under pressure from ongoing challenges and rising external financing requirements.

As announced in December 2024, the authorities have requested an augmentation of IMF support of about USD 760 million to help preserve macroeconomic stability and enhance the country's resilience to external shocks, it said.

“Impacted by disruptions from the popular uprising, real GDP growth slowed to 3.3 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in the first half of FY25; however, it is projected to rebound in the second half reaching 3.8 per cent for the full fiscal year," it said.

"Inflation, which has approached double digits, has begun to decline and is projected to be around 8.5 per cent (y-o-y) by end of FY25. Nonetheless, domestic factors such as stress in the banking sector and elevated global uncertainty tilt risks to the downside,” IMF said.

It said that to address the emerging external financing gap and support a continued decline in inflation, near-term policy tightening is essential.

IMF said strengthening governance and promoting greater transparency are essential to improving the business environment, attracting foreign direct investment, and broadening the export base beyond the ready-made garment sector.

“Institutional reforms to bolster the independence and governance of Bangladesh Bank will be essential for ensuring long-term macroeconomic and financial stability and for the effective implementation of broader financial sector reforms,” the agency said. PTI YAS GRS

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New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) LIC Mutual Fund on Wednesday said it has reintroduced five of its flagship equity schemes to align with evolving market conditions and investor needs.

The move is part of its 'Funds in Focus Q1 FY25' initiative. These schemes are Value Fund, Small Cap Fund, Multi-Asset Allocation Fund, Dividend Yield Fund and Focused Fund.

LIC Mutual Fund's (LIC MF) assets under management rose 11 per cent to Rs 37,554 crore in April this year from Rs 33,854 crore in March.

"We are re-introducing these five flagship equity schemes, which have the potential to generate significant wealth for investors with diverse financial needs over the long term," Yogesh Patil, Chief Investment Officer - Equity at LIC Mutual Fund, said. PTI HG HG BAL

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Chandigarh, May 14 (PTI) The Punjab government on Wednesday said it has set a target of bringing five lakh acres under direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique this kharif season to promote sustainable agriculture and conserve groundwater.

State Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said farmers can begin paddy cultivation using the DSR technique from Thursday.

The state government offers financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per acre to farmers who opt for the DSR.

A budgetary allocation of Rs 40 crore has been made in the current financial year.

Basmati rice growers are also eligible to adopt the DSR technique and avail a financial incentive of Rs 1,500 per acre from this season, the minister said in a statement.

He informed that last year, the state government had disbursed Rs 29.02 crore to 21,338 farmers, who adopted the water-saving DSR technique.

Paddy using DSR technique was sown over 2.53 lakh acres in 2024, marking a significant 47 per cent increase from 1.72 lakh acres in 2023.

Khuddian said the DSR method offers several benefits over traditional paddy cultivation, including 15-20 per cent water savings, which is crucial for Punjab's depleting groundwater levels, and reduced labour costs of about Rs 3,500 per acre.

He urged farmers to adopt this eco-friendly method and avail the benefits of the scheme. PTI CHS TRB

Mumbai, May 14 (PTI) Multi-modal logistics operator Transport Corporation of India (TCI) on Wednesday reported an 11.4 per cent year-on-year increase in its profit after tax at Rs 115.1 crore in the March 2025 quarter.

The company had posted a PAT (profit after tax) of Rs 103.3 crore in the fourth quarter of FY24.

The consolidate revenue for the period under review increased 9.3 per cent to Rs 1,197.2 crore from Rs 1,095.4 crore in the January-March period of the 2023-24 financial year, TCI said in a statement.

The company's earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) stood at Rs 140.1 crore as compared to Rs 125.9 crore recorded in FY24, registering an 11.3 per cent year-on-year growth.

"FY2025 has been a year of systemic growth at TCI. Despite global uncertainties and evolving supply chain dynamics, our focus on multi-modal integration, sustainability and digitalisation have propelled decisive advancement," said Vineet Agarwal, Managing Director at TCI.

Driven by consumption-led warehousing demand, spanning quick commerce, retail and consumer durables sectors, the company also strengthened its niche logistics and multi-modal solutions for bulk goods, heavy machinery and large equipment, he said.

"By deploying smart assets in rail and coastal transport, we have deepened our capabilities with high-capacity 40-foot, 40-tonne containers, fixed chassis units and ISO containers, ensuring efficiency and scalability in operations," Agarwal stated.

Sustainability remains intrinsic to TCI's innovation roadmap, marked by the induction of electric vehicles and LNG trucks in its fleet and the transition to renewable energy-powered warehousing, he added.

Further strengthening our digital capabilities, we have successfully piloted AI-driven analytics, bot-based service operations and are testing Agentic AI solutions to elevate customer experience and operational precision, he said.

He further added, "As we look ahead, we are investing in up-skilling talent, green logistics, automation and strategic partnerships, aligned with our vision to be a key enabler in positioning India as a global logistics hub." PTI IAS HVA