The Sen Times

Mumbai, Sep 21 (PTI) Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty climbed in early trade on Monday amid cooling crude oil prices, fresh foreign fund inflows and a positive trend in Asian equities. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 448.32 points to 74,743.28 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty was up 50.3 points to 23,396.70. Among the 30 Sensex firms, UltraTech Cement, InterGlobe Aviation, Asian Paints, Sun Pharma, HCL Tech and Trent were the major winners. Infosys, Adani Ports, Bharti Airtel and P

New Delhi, Sep 20 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday flagged the issue of lack of hostels for female students and sought answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the problem being faced by them. Gandhi cited the remarks by a female student during his Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Indore on Saturday to corner the government. ? , PG

New Delhi, Sep 20 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday flagged the issue of large-scale deletions during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls being carried out by the Election Commission, alleging that the SIR is actually a massive Shah Instigated Removal of voters and an assault on the Constitution. The opposition party said there is abundant evidence to prove that large-scale deletions across states are overwhelmingly those of voters belonging to the most economically and socially

Aarhus, Denmark, Sep 20 (The Conversation) We live in Denmark, which consistently ranks as one of the worlds healthiest countries. The modern Danish diet, however, may not be quite so world-leading with many Danes consuming high levels of sugar, salt and convenience food. Yet, go back a few generations and science is increasingly showing that many of the staple foods of our grandparents generation. Think homemade rye bread, herring, root vegetables and berries can significantly reduce your ris

Mumbai, Sep 18 (PTI) Democracy is in danger in India if the Election Commission is issuing decisions under duress, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged on Friday after the poll body ordered freezing of the Trinamool Congresss name and symbol. Speaking to reporters, Raut asserted that the TMC belongs to former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, and accused the BJP of engineering a split in the party. In its interim order issued on Thursday night, the Election Commission, after hear

New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) Gold prices on Friday rose by Rs 1,309 to Rs 1,54,290 per 10 grams in futures trade as speculators created fresh positions on firm spot demand. On the Multi Commodity Exchange, the yellow metal contract for October delivery traded higher by Rs 1,309, or 0.86 per cent, at Rs 1,54,290 per 10 grams in a business turnover of 2,156 lots. Fresh positions by market participants led to a rise in the precious metals prices, analysts said. Gold futures rose 1.16 per cent to USD 4,3

New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) Gold prices fell by Rs 600 to Rs 1.55 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Thursday as weak domestic demand weighed on the precious metal. The yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity had closed at Rs 1,55,600 per 10 grams on Wednesday. Silver, however, held steady at Rs 2.42 lakh per kilogram, inclusive of all taxes, according to local traders. Traders said weak demand in the domestic market weighed on gold prices. Gold edged lower on Thursday, tracking overnight wea

New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh over the death of more than 30 tribal children due to various diseases in Balaghat district, claiming that the state government is Indias most corrupt and incompetent. Gandhi also slammed Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and said if he finds time after lighting lamps and holding celebrations, he must take a look at the ground reality in the state. In Balaghat, more than

Mumbai, Sep 17 (PTI) The rupee depreciated 19 paise to breach the 96 level against the US dollar for the first time in over two months in early trade on Thursday following weak investor sentiments amid global uncertainties. The currency, however, pared losses and traded with a gain of 10 paise following suspected RBI intervention. According to forex analysts, the rupee is expected to see high volatility pressured by elevated crude oil prices hovering at USD 105 per barrel and the broad strength

Mumbai, Sep 16 (PTI) Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded on Wednesday on value buying after falling sharply in the previous session, with bank stocks driving the rally in equities. The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 332.63 points, or 0.45 per cent, to settle at 74,336.45. During the day, it jumped 502.04 points, or 0.67 per cent, to 74,505.86. The 50-share NSE Nifty was up 99 points, or 0.43 per cent, to end at 23,217.60. Among the 30 Sensex firms, ITC, State Bank of India, Axis Ban

WASHINGTON, September 16, 2026 (AP) Barely four months into the job, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is stuck between two strong and opposing forces: Financial markets that anticipate the central bank will raise interest rates, and President Donald Trump, who wants the Fed to cut them or leave them unchanged. Economists expect that on Wednesday, Warsh and his fellow policymakers will side with the markets. Warsh, economists say, has largely boxed himself into a rate hike after delivering a hi

September 16, 2026 (Conversation) This year, the European summer has been sweltering. It is unprecedented in many ways, marked by extreme heat, drought and record-breaking fires. Across the continent, fires have consumed hundreds of homes and demanded the evacuation of thousands of people. Europes wine regions have been particularly hard hit, including around Frances Bordeaux region. Aside from the direct dangers of fires, exposure to smoke can give grapes a burnt or ashy flavour, and this smoke

Youre standing in the skincare aisle and pimple patches are everywhere clear ones, flesh-coloured ones, stars, hearts. They promise to flatten a pimple overnight. Then there are those satisfying social media videos where someone peels off a pimple patch to reveal a much calmer-looking pimple underneath. But do pimple patches actually work? And what are they really doing to your skin? Whats a pimple? A pimple forms when a hair follicle gets clogged with oil, dead skin cells and bacteria, causing

Mumbai, Sep 16 (PTI) The rupee fell 3 paise to 95.91 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday, facing pressure from a strong American currency and outflow of foreign funds. Positive domestic equity markets, however, supported the local currency, even as crude oil prices remained elevated amid heightened tension in West Asia, forex traders said. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95.89 against the US dollar and fell further to 95.91, trading 3 paise lower from

Indore, Sep 15 (PTI) The Congress on Tuesday claimed nearly 2 lakh students have registered for its September 19 Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Indore, to be addressed by Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi, and the party has been allotted a plot of land in front of a park for Rs 10 lakh fee for the programme. Amidst a political war of words, a Madhya Pradesh government body on Tuesday allocated 12,000 square meters of land on a temporary lease for the Opposition partys student outreach programme, whose fifth

WASHINGTON, September 15, 2026 (AP) The Federal Reserve is widely expected to lift its short-term interest rate Wednesday for the first time in three years to fight stubbornly high inflation, a move that would put the central bank at odds with President Donald Trumps support for a cut. A quarter-point increase in the Feds rate, currently about 3.6%, isnt guaranteed because Fed Chair Kevin Warsh doesnt provide the signals about next moves that his predecessors did. Still, most analysts and econo

THE ESSENTIALS September 15th is International Democracy Day. There are forms of direct democracy in the world: in Switzerland, in Uruguay, in a dozen American states or even in the state of Bavaria in Germany, for example. Citizens do not make all political decisions, but no institution can wield power beyond their control. Petitions and referendums are the tools that allow for the direct expression of the people in modern democracies . At a time when direct democracy is generating increasing i

New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) Gold prices fell by Rs 1,000 to more than a months low of Rs 1,54,400 per 10 grams in the national capital on Tuesday amid weak global trends and a strong US dollar. The precious metal previously traded around these levels on August 7, when it stood at Rs 1.54 lakh per 10 grams in the local market. Silver pries, however, remained unchanged for the second consecutive day at Rs 2,34,600 per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes), according to local traders. Gold edged lower on T

Mumbai, Sep 15 (PTI) Benchmark Sensex tanked 778 points while the broader stock index Nifty closed at a five-month low on Tuesday amid surging oil prices, geopolitical tensions and weak trends in global markets. The 30-share BSE Sensex tumbled 777.94 points, or 1.04 per cent, to settle at a three-month low of 74,003.82, dragged by losses in blue-chip banking, auto and oil & gas shares. The index opened higher but lost steam in late-morning deals as selling gathered pace. The barometer later tank

Mumbai, Sep 15 (PTI) The rupee depreciated 38 paise to close at 95.92 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, weighed down by escalating Middle East conflict and soaring Brent crude oil prices, which hit USD 108 per barrel. Forex traders said surging dollar demand from oil importers has sparked fresh concerns over inflation and Indias external trade balance. Moreover, weak domestic markets, a strong US dollar and worries over rising global treasury yields further dented investor sentimen

September 15, 2026 (Conversation) The way a product is labelled can change how consumers think about it. No added sugar or 99% fat free can make food sound healthier than it really is. The same might apply to buy now, pay later schemes. Marketed as a convenient way to pay for purchases over time, they are fundamentally still a form of debt. Products such as Afterpay, Klarna and Zip (which recently exited the New Zealand market) offer consumers access to items they may not be able to immediately

New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) The government has directed banks and payment system providers not to levy charges on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions of up to Rs 2,000 or on payments made through RuPay debit cards. However, the government has not specified whether charges would be applicable to transactions above Rs 2,000, to be paid by merchants. So far, there has been no charge on UPI transactions, irrespective of the amount. As per a gazette notification dated September 14, no bank or s

BOSTON, Sept 15 (Reuters) A federal judge on Monday blocked U.S. President Donald Trumps administration from implementing a new rule that would limit how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the U.S. without applying for extensions. U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor in Boston in favor of a coalition of unions and higher education advocacy groups a day before the Department of Homeland Securitys rule was set to take effect. Saylor said DHS adopted the policy based on exceptiona

Mumbai, Sep 15 (PTI) The rupee depreciated 30 paise to 95.84 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday on elevated Brent crude oil prices and heightened Middle East tensions. With Brent crude touching USD 106 per barrel, increased dollar demand from oil importers raised concerns over Indias external balance and inflation, forex traders said. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95.84 against the US dollar, registering a loss of 30 paise from its previous close. On

New Delhi, Sept 15 (PTI) Meta has agreed to report child safety-related matters to appropriate law enforcement agencies, government sources said on Tuesday, asserting that online safety of children is a fundamental principle for any social media platform operating in India and absolutely non-negotiable. The government will take action against platforms that fail to take proactive steps to ensure childrens safety online, the sources said, underlining its tough stance on platforms responsibility t

NEW DELHI/BEIJING, Sept 15 (Reuters) Every day since a torrent of mud and rocks destroyed a Nepal-China border crossing high up in the Himalayas last month, Arushi Guptas parents have called and messaged their missing daughter hoping she somehow survived. The last photo she sent on the day of the flood was the facade of the Gyirong Port immigration post. But the calls and messages from her parents, who are among many families in Nepal and abroad awaiting news of loved ones, have gone unanswered

September 14, 2026 (Conversation) September is traditionally the time of year when many young people go to university or college, often leaving parents and carers facing an empty nest. But an empty nest doesnt just mean a quiet home. Sometimes for the older generation there are also difficult questions about the next phase of their life. The term empty nest was popularised by US author and activist Dorothy Canfield Fisher in her 1914 book Mothers and Children. It described the emotional challeng

New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said his Chhatron Ki Goonj initiative is an opportunity for those students who are tormented by the education system to bring about a change in it. Im coming to Indore on 19 September to meet students, to hear you, to talk to you. If you or your loved ones are tormented by the education system and want these conditions to change, you know Chhatron Ki Goonj is your collective voice, an opportunity to start the change, Gandhi said in

September 14, 2026 (Conversation) Russian mathematician Yurii Nesterov was recently awarded the Gauss Prize for outstanding mathematical contributions for his groundbreaking work on optimisation. The award cited his work on gradient descent methods and in particular, the efficiency gains [they] provide to AI technologies. Everyone using large language model (LLM) chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini for any purpose depends on Nesterovs methods. They may speak like humans and be personi

September 14, 2026 (Conversation) Over the weekend, Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei called for artificial intelligence (AI) companies, including his own, to slow down their work. Sam Altman and Elon Musk, heads of rivals OpenAI and xAI respectively, agreed. The move reflects concern across the AI industry and more broadly about the dangers of new, rapidly improving systems. Recent high-profile incidents such as OpenAI AI agents hacking another company and hijacking a public website have s

New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) Retail inflation increased to 4.82 per cent in August, largely driven by higher food prices, according to government data released on Monday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation was 4.45 per cent in July. Food inflation in August increased to 5.95 per cent compared to 5.52 in the preceding month, according to CPI data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO). Reserve Bank has projected the CPI inflation for 2026-27 at 5 per cent, with Q2 at 4.7 per cent

THE ESSENTIALS Hearing loss, which occurs with age, remains insufficiently detected and treated. However, the data clearly shows that wearing hearing aids prevents falls as well as cognitive decline. Failing to adequately address the issue of hearing in policies for the elderly has a health cost, but also an economic one. Long relegated to the status of a minor ailment of aging, hearing loss is still too often perceived as an unavoidable inconvenience. Yet, in older people, its effects go far be

September 14, 2026 (Conversation) Every month, around 2.7 million Australians have a statin dispensed to lower their risk of heart attack and stroke. Statins reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the collective term for conditions involving the heart and blood vessels. Now, two recent studies have investigated if statins could be used preventatively in healthy people to protect against dementia and promote healthier ageing. Lets take a look at the evidence. What are statins? Statins have b

DUBLIN, September 14, 2026 (AP) President Donald Trump on Sunday played down the need for his administration to check the development of artificial intelligence, saying he worried about ceding Americas edge over China in a global competition and that winning would help address the risks from the advancing technology. While acknowledging the need for some regulation, Trump provided no specifics about potential rules and attributed warnings about the technology moving too quickly and with little

September 14, 2026 (Conversation) Youre likely familiar with the idea of a circadian rhythm your bodys 24-hour cycle that governs sleep and wakefulness. It turns out that resting heart rate also follows mysterious, long rhythms that run independently of the outside world. Resting heart rate is measured by how many beats per minute your heart makes while youre calm and inactive. This measure is linked to stress, fatigue and fitness. Our new study, published in EBioMedicine, looked at years of sm

Mumbai, Sep 11 (PTI) Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended marginally lower on Friday after registering sharp losses during the day following a drop in crude oil prices and buying in blue-chip HDFC Bank and IT stocks. The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 120.83 points, or 0.16 per cent, to settle at 74,781.76. During the day, it fell 742.43 points, or 0.99 per cent, to 74,160.16. The 50-share NSE Nifty dipped 79.70 points, or 0.34 per cent, to end at 23,398.10. Intraday, the bemchmark tanked 246.

September 11, 2026 (Conversation) Earlier this week, researcher Jacob Coxon quit Anthropic, saying the firm and its competitors are gambling with our lives. We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans, added current Anthropic researcher Evan Hubinger in a post on X. Coxon isnt the first to down tools over fears of AI doom. The idea that AI could wipe out humanity, advanced in Nick Bostroms 2014 book Superintelligence and the influential LessWrong forum, has long circulated among rese

NEW DELHI, Sept 11 (Reuters) Indias Supreme Court has ordered the federal government to provide a clear pathway for the implementation of food warning labels on packaged products within 10 days, ratcheting up pressure on New Delhi to implement the public health measure. The Supreme Court has piled pressure on New Delhi to implement stricter warning labels following complaints from a health non-profit, amid a crackdown on food safety which has seen regulators raid eateries nationwide. The food r

NEW DELHI, September 11, 2026 (AP) NEW DELHI (AP) Leaders of the BRICS nations will meet in New Delhi this weekend as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and U.S.-China tensions test the groups ability to act together. Host India will seek to balance its ties with China and Russia against its growing partnerships with the United States and other Western powers. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among the leaders expected

NEW DELHI, September 11, 2026 (AP) Bad traffic is a fact of life in New Delhi, but its often at its worst when foreign dignitaries come to town. As Indias capital prepares to host a summit of the BRICS grouping of countries this weekend, parts of one of the worlds busiest urban centers have been turned into tightly controlled security zones. Even as many Delhi residents are proud to play host to a gathering of world leaders, the traffic chaos is testing their patience and prompting widespread c

September 11, 2026 (Conversation) Recent reports of a 16-year-old Sydney girls tragic death by sexual choking have understandably been met by calls for increased safety education for young people. International research shows parents play a vital role in educating young people about sex, sexuality and pornography. Starting these discussions early is vital. So how should parents discuss pornography with their children, including risky practices such as choking? What are some of the barriers paren

Mumbai, Sep 11 (PTI) Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty tumbled in early trade on Friday on soaring crude oil prices amid escalating tensions in West Asia. Weak trends in global markets and foreign fund outflows also dented investors sentiment. The 30-share BSE Sensex fell 628.24 points to 74,257.69 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty dropped 221.20 points to 23,255.10. Among the 30 Sensex firms, Bajaj Finance, InterGlobe Aviation, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Steel, UltraTech Cement and Axis Ba

September 11, 2026 (Conversation) In August 2026, government investigators subjected roughly 50 military officers and civilian employees on the Joint Staff to polygraph tests as part of an inquiry into press leaks about the Iran war and depleted U.S. munitions, according to The New York Times. The newspaper described the scope of the investigation as unprecedented in the modern military. This is not the first time the Trump administration has used polygraphs in this way; in 2025, it directed tha

New Delhi, Sep 10 (PTI) Gold prices rebounded after three sessions of losses, rising Rs 600 to Rs 1,58,600 per 10 gram in the national capital on Thursday on fresh buying by retailers and stockists. The yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity closed at Rs 1.58 lakh per 10 gram in the previous session. Silver also extended its rally for the third consecutive session, climbing by Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,44,600 per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes) from Wednesdays closing level of Rs 2,43,400 per kg, accordi

NEW DELHI, Sept 10 (Reuters) India will host the BRICS Leaders Summit this weekend, seeking to lift the blocs global profile even as the U.S.-led war on Iran splits its membership, with Tehran and Abu Dhabi on opposing sides of the conflict. The September 12-13 summit in New Delhi comes more than six months after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran, a BRICS member since 2024. The conflict has led to a virtual shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the worlds key choke points in the o

Sept 10 (Reuters) When hijacked planes brought down the World Trade Centers twin towers on September 11, 2001, roughly 25,000 children were living or attending school nearby in lower Manhattan, and thousands more were in surrounding neighborhoods. Some were infants and toddlers, while others were still in the womb. Even though they were exposed to the massive toxic cloud and settling dust containing pulverized concrete, glass fibers, asbestos, and other pollutants in the days and weeks after th

Mumbai, Sept 10 (PTI) The rupee depreciated 38 paise to close at 95.46 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday, as Brent crude breached the USD 102 threshold, mounting concerns over the countrys import cost trajectory. Forex traders said the currency is currently facing opposing forces, with downside pressure driven by a resumption of foreign portfolio outflows, following positive flows in July and August and crude oil trading above USD 102 per barrel. At the interbank foreign exchange m

Mumbai, Sep 10 (PTI) Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended higher on Thursday, snapping three days of decline, on fag-end buying in blue-chip HDFC Bank and Axis Bank. However, elevated crude oil prices above USD 100-per-barrel mark, amid persistent geopolitical tensions, kept risk appetite subdued throughout the day. The 30-share BSE Sensex advanced 138.36 points, or 0.19 per cent, to settle at 74,902.59 on last minute buying. During the day, it hit a high of 74,910.96 and a low of 74,

New Delhi, Sep 10 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a petition seeking a direction to the Centre to formulate a comprehensive national policy and appropriate statutory framework for ensuring the welfare, social security and post-retirement protection of private school teachers in the country. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the Centre, all states and Union Territories and others, including the National Council For Teacher Education, seeking the

Dallas, September 10, 2026 (AP) President Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, an extraordinary gambit to reverse his partys sagging fortunes in November. The dubious promise would likely cost more than $1 trillion and require congressional approval, and would further exacerbate the countrys nearly $1.8 trillion annual budget deficit and concerns about inflation. If the Republicans win,