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India Detains Three Sanctioned Tankers Linked to Iran

India has detained three oil tankers tied to Iran and already under U.S. sanctions, marking a notable escalation in its maritime enforcement efforts. The vessels were intercepted in Indian waters earlier this month after authorities identified irregularities in their operations and documentation. Officials familiar with the situation say the tankers were suspected of participating in ship‑to‑ship transfers designed to obscure the origin of their cargo. Such practices have drawn increasing scrutiny as India strengthens monitoring of its coastal zones and aligns more closely with global efforts to curb sanctions evasion. The detentions also come at a moment of deepening strategic cooperation between New Delhi and Washington. While India maintains an independent foreign policy, the move signals a firmer stance on illicit maritime activity and a willingness to enforce international compliance standards within its jurisdiction.

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U.S. Markets Tumble on Earnings, Bond Yields

U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, as investors digested mixed earnings reports from Microsoft and Alphabet while Treasury yields pushed higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.32% to 33,035.93 points, the S&P 500 index slid 1.43% to 4,186.77 points, and the Nasdaq composite index plunged 2.43% to 12,821.22 points.

Alphabet shares slid more than 9% after the Google parent beat on earnings and revenue but fell short in its cloud business. Microsoft shares rose 3% after its own double beat showed its bets on AI were paying off for its cloud segment. Other tech giants such as Amazon and Meta also declined ahead of their earnings reports.

The earnings season also coincided with a surge in bond yields, as the Bank of Canada and the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled their readiness to fight inflation by keeping interest rates high. The BoC held its key rate at 5.0%, but lowered its 2023 growth forecast to 1.2%. The Fed is expected to announce its tapering plans next week.

The higher yields weighed on rate-sensitive sectors such as technology and real estate, but boosted energy and financial stocks. The Canadian dollar traded for 79.23 cents US compared with 79.28 cents US on Tuesday.



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