Rush Hour: India slips to 157 out of 180 in Press Freedom Index, rupee sinks to record low and more

Apr 30, 2026 - 19:30

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The rupee fell to a record low of 95.3 against the US dollar on account of rising global oil prices and selling in the domestic equity markets. It had recovered to 94.2 against the dollar by the time the day’s trade session closed.

Global oil prices rose more than 7% on Thursday to a four-year high following a report that United States President Donald Trump was planning an extended US blockade of Iranian ports.

The benchmark Brent crude touched $126.4 per barrel before falling to $116 per barrel. The price of Brent was $78 per barrel on February 27, a day before the conflict started. Read on.

India’s rank in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index fell to 157 of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontières said. In 2025, the country was ranked 151st.

It remains in the “very serious” category, said the non-government organisation that has been publishing the World Press Freedom Index since 2002. “In India, judicial harassment of independent media is intensifying, driven by the growing use of criminal statutes...