Mumbai, Feb 21 (PTI) Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended lower on Friday (February 21, 2025), dragged by auto stocks and relentless foreign fund outflows. Weak U.S. markets and tariff threats also dented investor sentiment. The 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex dropped 424.90 points or 0.56% to settle at 75,311.06. During the day, it tanked 623.55 points or 0.82% to 75,112.41. The NSE Nifty declined 117.25 points or 0.51% to 22,795.90. In four trading days, the BSE bellwether gauge tumbl

New Delhi, February 21, 2025: Despite widespread reports, neither Elon Musk, chief of the United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) nor US President Donald Trump has provided evidence that USAID (United States Agency for International Development) gave India $21m for voter turnout. The Election Commission of India has not responded, but former chief election commissioner SY Qureshi on Sunday denied receiving such funding during his tenure, which ran from 2010 to 2012. The report i

Melbourne, Feb 21 (The Conversation) Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain and disability, affecting more than two million Australians. Routine x-rays arent recommended to diagnose the condition. Instead, GPs can make a diagnosis based on symptoms and medical history. Yet nearly half of new patients with knee osteoarthritis who visit a GP in Australia are referred for imaging. Osteoarthritis imaging costs the health system A$104.7 million each year. Our new study shows using x-rays t

Mumbai, Feb 20 (PTI) The rupee appreciated 33 paise to close at 86.65 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday, supported by the weakening of the American currency in the overseas market. Forex traders said there is a negative bias for the USD/INR pair amid a muted trend in domestic equities and the unabated foreign fund outflow is weighing on investor sentiments. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.88 and touched the high of 86.58 and a low of 86.88 against the gree

Nashik, Feb 20 (PTI) A court in Nashik in Maharashtra on Thursday sentenced state agriculture minister and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate to two years in jail and fined him Rs 50,000 in a 30-year-old case of cheating and submitting fake documents to get flats under government quota. His brother Sunil Kokate was also convicted in the case registered in 1995 on the complaint of former minister late TS Dighole. The Kokate siblings had got two flats on College Road in Yeolakar Mala here under the chief

New Delhi, Feb 20 (PTI) Amid a row over alleged funding by USAID for raising voter turnout in India, the Congress on Thursday demanded that the Indian government should bring out a white paper on the US agencys support to both governmental and non-governmental institutions in India over the decades. The Congress also dubbed US President Donald Trumps claims related to USAID as nonsensical. The opposition partys assertion comes after President Donald Trump questioned the purpose of providing USD

WASHINGTON, February 20, 2025 (AP) President Donald Trumps restrictions on foreign aid and targeting of a key agency funding programs around the world may be offering an opening to Americas biggest adversary China. From the dismantling of the USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) to quitting international groups, Trumps drastic America First moves have raised concerns among some lawmakers and experts about whether the U.S. is ceding global influence to its rivals, especially at a t

NEW DELHI, February 20, 2025 (AP) A famous YouTuber in India is facing public outrage and a police investigation after he made an allegedly obscene remark on a YouTube show, raising questions about freedom of speech in a country where digital creators in the past have come under fire for their content. The controversy began last week when social media influencer and YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia made remarks to a participant on a comedy show about his parents personal relationship. The joke was q

MUMBAI, Feb 20 (Reuters) The Indian rupee strengthened on Thursday aided by a rise in the Chinese yuan after U.S. President Donald Trump said a new trade deal with Beijing was possible, while dollar sales from foreign banks also aided the local unit. The rupee was up nearly 0.3% at 86.7125 as of 12:30 p.m. IST, largely in line with gains in most regional peers. The offshore yuan was up 0.2% at 7.26 which helped lift regional currencies, while the dollar index declined to 106.9. The yuan, a clos

Feb 20 (Reuters) Gold prices rose to a record high on Thursday as investors turned to bullion for safety on fears U.S. President Donald Trumps tariff plans would stoke inflation and a global trade war. Spot gold was up 0.5% at $2,945.83 an ounce, as of 0621 GMT, after hitting a record high of $2,947.11 earlier in the session. Bullion has risen 12% so far this year and hit a fresh peak for the tenth time on Trump tariff fears. U.S. gold futures gained 0.9% to $2,963.80 on Thursday. Uncertain out

New Delhi, Feb 20 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday stressed the need for professional regulation of financial markets with a total overhaul of SEBI and called for a relentless focus on global manufacturing ecosystems across the technology spectrum to carve out niches for India. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared a media report on X which quoted founder and director, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Uday Kotak, as saying that over-financialisation can hurt the Indian econo

New Delhi, Feb 19 (PTI) Gold prices on Wednesday rose by Rs 61 to Rs 86,174 per 10 grams in futures trade as speculators created fresh positions on a firm spot demand. On the Multi Commodity Exchange, gold contracts for April delivery traded higher by Rs 61 or 0.07 per cent at Rs 86,174 per 10 grams in a business turnover of 16,537 lots. Fresh positions built up by participants led to a rise in gold prices, analysts said. Globally, gold futures rose 0.08 per cent to USD 2,933.54 per ounce in New

Feb 19 (Reuters) Indias benchmark indexes ended flat on Wednesday as gains in heavyweight financials countered losses in pharma and IT stocks on concerns that President Donald Trump would impose more tariffs on U.S. imports. The Nifty 50 ended the day 0.05% lower at 22,932.9, while the BSE Sensex fell 0.04% to 75,939.18. On Tuesday, Trump said that he intends to levy auto tariffs in the neighbourhood of 25% and similar duties on semiconductors and pharmaceutical imports. This resulted in Indian

Washington, Feb 19 (PTI) US President Donald Trump has said that he made it clear to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India will not be spared from Washingtons reciprocal tariffs, emphasising that nobody can argue with me on tariff structure. Trump made these remarks during an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity recently. Fox News aired a joint television interview with President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday night. On February 13, hours before Prime Minister Modis bilateral meeti

SRINAGAR, India (AP) Police in Jammu and Kashmir raided bookstores and seized hundreds of books linked to a major Islamic organization in the disputed region, where strict controls on the press have escalated in recent years. The raids began on Friday in Srinagar, the regions main city. Police said in a post on the social media platform X that they acted based on credible intelligence regarding the clandestine sale and distribution of literature promoting the ideology of a banned organization a

NEW DELHI, Feb 18 (Reuters) The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has asked Indian authorities for help in its investigation of Adani Group founder Gautam Adani and his nephew over alleged securities fraud and a $265-million bribery scheme, a court filing showed on Tuesday. The regulator told a New York district court it was making efforts to serve its complaint on the founder and his nephew, Sagar Adani, and was seeking help from Indias law ministry to do so. Neither individual is in U.S

New Delhi, Feb 19 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday claimed that the talk of reciprocal tariffs by US President Donald Trump is calling into question a consumption tax like GST, and wondered whether his good friend in New Delhi would stand up to it when national sovereignty is at stake. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said his party has long been calling for a GST 2.0 that will make GST a truly Good and Simple Tax, as it was intended to be. It has called for the b

Nainital, Feb 18 (PTI) The Uttarakhand High Court has questioned a plea challenging the mandatory registration of live-in relationships under the states Uniform Civil Code and asked how was it an invasion of privacy when couples were brazenly living together without marriage. A division bench of Chief Justice G Narender and Justice Alok Mehra, while hearing a petition challenging the mandatory registration of live-in relationship in the state, asked, You are living in society, not in a far off c

Mumbai, Feb 18 (PTI) Rupee depreciated 8 paise to close at 86.96 (provisional) against US dollar weighed down by sustained foreign fund outflows and an uptick in the US Dollar index. Forex traders said there is a negative bias for the USD/INR pair as foreign investors continue to sell domestic equities and the RBI support is tapering off slowly. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 86.94 and touched the high of 86.91 against the greenback during intraday. It also touched the lo

New Delhi [India], February 17 (ANI):The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the hearing of pleas filed challenging the validity Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991, which preserves the character of religious places as they existed on August 15, 1947. A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar told the advocates appearing in the case that it is a three-judge bench matter whereas the sitting bench was a two-judge combination so it would be heard some oth

NEW DELHI, February 17, 2025 (AP) A court in Indias western Goa state on Monday sentenced a 31-year-old man to life in prison for raping and murdering an Irish woman at a popular tourist resort nearly eight years ago. The body of 28-year-old Danielle McLaughlin was found by a farmer on a beach popular with holidaymakers in Goa in March 2017. An autopsy showed that cerebral damage and constriction of the neck caused her death. Vikat Bhagat was found guilty of the crime on Friday. McLaughlins fam

Sydney, Feb 17 (The Conversation) If your young child asks whats the meaning of life? you might laugh it off (how cute!) or freeze in panic (where do I even begin?). Its tempting to dismiss these big questions as too advanced for kids. Plato and Aristotle both believed children werent ready for philosophy. In fact, they didnt think people were ready to study philosophy until they turned 30. But children know otherwise. They ask big questions like Why are we here? and What does it mean to be fair

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) The Supreme Court will hear a batch of pleas relating to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, on February 17. As per the causelist for February 17 uploaded on the apex courts website, a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan is slated to hear the matter. The Act prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed o

Narendra Modi ducked a question about billionaire Gautam Adanis fraud indictment in the US during a joint press conference with Donald Trump on Thursday, a rare example of the Indian prime minister facing scrutiny from the media. Mr Modi was on a state visit to the US to meet Mr Trump for the first time since the Republican re-entered the White House. The interaction with US and Indian journalists marked a rare unscripted moment for the Indian leader, who has largely avoided interactions with th

New Delhi [India], February 14 (ANI): With Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar set to retire on February 18, the selection committee for appointing his successor is expected to meet next week, possibly on Sunday or Monday, as the notification for the fixed meeting date is yet to be issued. The committee, composed of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will deliberate on the appointment of the new CEC

SRINAGAR, India, February 14, 2025 (AP) There was guarded optimism among military experts in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump outlined plans to ramp up sales of defense systems to New Delhi, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, to deepen the U.S.-India strategic relationship. Defense sector is a big money, and India happens to be one of the top buyers in the world, said Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia, Indias director-general for military operations from 2012 to 2014.

NEW DELHI, February 14, 2025 (AP) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk during his visit to the U.S. to meet President Donald Trump. The exact nature of the meeting is unclear, although Modi said on X that the two men discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as space, mobility, technology and innovation. Had a very good meeting with @elonmusk in Washington DC. We discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as spa

New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) The Congress Thursday said it has been demanding imposition of Presidents rule in strife-torn Manipur for the past 20 months and the Central government did so only after the fabric of states society was allowed to be severely damaged. Presidents rule was imposed in strife-torn Manipur on Thursday and the state assembly was put under suspended animation, days after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned from his post that led to political uncertainty in the northeastern sta

Mumbai, Feb 13 (PTI) Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty pared early gains to close lower for the seventh straight day on Thursday, dragged by fag-end selling in select IT and banking shares and foreign fund outflows. The 30-share BSE Sensex dipped 32.11 points or 0.04 per cent to settle at 76,138.97. The index stayed in the positive zone for the most part of the session. The benchmark gyrated 751.1 points between the days high of 76,764.53 and low of 76,013.43. The NSE Nifty slipped 13.85 points

Mumbai, Feb 13 (PTI) The rupee settled almost flat with a gain of just 3 paise at 86.92 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday as the support from soft American currency and and easing crude oil prices overseas was negated by a lacklustre trend in domestic equities. According to forex traders, the unabated outflow of foreign funds weighed on the Indian currency and capped its recovery even though the greenback weakened after the US data showed higher-than-expected inflation, trimming ho

WASHINGTON, February 13, 2025 (AP) President Donald Trump is meeting Thursday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has heaped praise on him and is hoping to avoid tariffs that the new administration has slapped on other countries in its opening weeks. Modi is a nationalist and has talked up his warm relationship with Trump during his first term while cheering his winning back the White House. The Indian leader is looking to improve relations with Washington and the West overall, which

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump and visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a press conference on Thursday when they meet in Washington, the White House said, a rare press briefing by the Indian leader. Modi held a press conference with former President Joe Biden during a 2023 visit, but it is unusual for him to take questions from the media beyond occasional interviews, mostly around the time of elections. He has not held a single press conference in India sinc

MUMBAI, Feb 12 (Reuters) The RBIs unexpected and decisive intervention in the foreign exchange markets over the past two days, worth as much as $11 billion by one estimate, has reduced the bearish bias on the currency. The Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) intervention was brought on by a build-up in bearish bets against the rupee and the currencys sharp slide over the past four months, analysts said. DBS Bank estimates the RBI sold $10 billion, while Goldman Sachs estimate is near $11 billion a sc

HANOI, Vietnam, February 12, 2025 (AP) Everyone loves a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, too often our air is anything but fresh. While air quality varies dramatically from place to place and day to day, nearly the entire world about 99% of the global population is exposed to air at some point that doesnt meet the strict standards set by the World Health Organization, the agency has reported. Polluted air, laden noxious gasses or tiny, invisible particles that burrow into human bodies, kil

MUMBAI, Feb 11 (Reuters) The Indian rupee rallied on Tuesday on the back of strong intervention by the RBI (Reserve Bank of India), which traders said could deter heavy speculative positioning against the currency in the near term. The rupee closed 0.7% higher at 86.8275 against the U.S. dollar, logging its biggest one-day gain since March 2023. The RBI likely sold between $4 billion and $7 billion to shore up the currency on Monday to help it hold above the 88 handle and the intervention conti

New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) Snapping the seven-day winning run, gold prices declined by Rs 200 to Rs 88,300 per 10 grams in the national capital following selling by stockists amid a bearish trend in global markets. Gold of 99.5 per cent purity also dropped Rs 200 to Rs 87,900 per 10 grams from the previous close of Rs 88,100 per 10 grams. Additionally, silver prices decreased Rs 900 to Rs 96,600 per kg from the previous trading close of Rs 97,500 per kg on Monday. Traders said the yellow metal pric

Feb 11 (Reuters) Indian stocks have lost about $180 billion in market value in the two days since U.S. President Donald Trump said he would slap reciprocal tariffs on several countries, with many analysts saying the worlds fifth-largest economy could be worst hit. The blue-chip NSE Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex indexes sank 1.32% on Tuesday and have tumbled a shade over 2% in the past two sessions. The broader, more domestically focused mid-cap and small-cap indexes have slid a steeper 5%. About 87%,

New Delhi [India], February 11 (ANI): After subsequent disappointments faced by major INDIA bloc parties in the recent assembly elections, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Tuesday said that the alliance will have to sit together and work meticulously to make things out. Speaking about the Congress, Sibal stated that the party always tries to work together and to move ahead with consent. He however, also admitted that sometimes the alliance faces problems citing the example of 20

New Delhi [India], February 11 (ANI): Congress Lok Sabha MP Vijay Kumar alias Vijay Vasanth on Tuesday gave notice to move a motion for the adjournment of the Business of the House in the House seeking a discussion to control the price rise. In his notice, Vijay Kumar said that the continuous rise in the prices of essential goods, especially milk, vegetables, cooking oils, und other daily-use items is affecting millions of ordinary citizens across India. The rising cost of living has become a si

Feb 11 (Reuters) Gold prices soared to a record high on Tuesday, as investors flocked to the safe-haven asset after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed new 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, fuelling concerns over a potential trade war and inflation. Spot gold was up 1.1% at $2,939.80 per ounce, as of 0229 GMT, after hitting a record high of $2,942.70 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures also climbed 1.1% to $2,966.00. Trump substantially raised tariffs on steel and aluminum impor

New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) Five hundred crore people, which is nearly two-thirds of the worlds population, lack access to medical oxygen, with the highest inequities in low-and middle-income countries, estimated a new Lancet Commission report. Medical oxygen is essential in a healthcare system for treating patients, including those with surgery, asthma, trauma and maternal and child care. It is also critical to a countrys pandemic preparedness by helping prevent a repeat of the COVID-19 oxygen shor

Chandigarh, Feb 10 (PTI) A Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed to probe the issue of illegal human trafficking following the deportation of Indian citizens domiciled in Punjab from the US, has registered eight FIRs against fraudulent immigration consultants, the state police said on Monday. Acting on complaints from the victims, police have registered eight first information reports (FIRs) against travel agents based on the statements of the deportees. A US military aircraft carrying 104 il

New Delhi, Feb 10 (PTI) Flagging criminalisation of politics as a major issue, the Supreme Court on Monday asked how could a person return to Parliament after being convicted in a criminal case. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan therefore sought the assistance of the attorney general of India on the issue. It was hearing a PIL filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay seeking a life ban on convicted politicians aside from the expeditious disposal of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs in

New Delhi, Feb 10 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday questioned Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravis silence before withholding assent to the bills passed by the legislative assembly and wondered how could he refer the re-passed bills to the President. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan posed questions to the Governor, represented by attorney general R Venkataramani, and reserved its verdict on the dispute. Why was the Governor silent for years? Why did he not make any communication with

New Delhi, Feb 10 (PTI) Claiming that the budgetary allocation of the Ministry of External Affairs has been reduced every year, Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday wondered if Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is doing an Elon Musk on the external affairs minister S Jaishankar. Initiating discussion on the Union Budget 2025-26, Chidambaram sought to know the reasons for the reduction in allocations for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and if the government is closing down emba

PARIS, February 10, 2025 (AP) Major world leaders are meeting for an AI summit in Paris, where challenging diplomatic talks are expected as tech titans fight for dominance in the fast-moving technology industry. Heads of state, top government officials, CEOs and scientists from around 100 countries are participating in the two-day international summit from Monday. High-profile attendees include U.S. Vice President JD Vance, on his first overseas trip since taking office, and Chinese Vice Premie

New Delhi [India], February 9 (ANI): Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh resigned amid mounting pressure from public, Supreme Court and Congress. Gandhi also accused Biren Singh of instigating division in Manipur and blamed PM Narendra Modi for allowing him to continue. For nearly two years, BJPs CM Biren Singh instigated division in Manipur. PM Modi allowed him to continue despite the violence, loss of life, and the destruction of the idea of

Agra (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 9 (ANI): After BJPs win in the Delhi assembly polls, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday stated that defeats are lessons, asserting that the INDIA bloc will gain more strength in the future. Akhilesh Yadav has campaigned for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates in the Delhi assembly polls, but AAP suffered a massive setback, securing only 22 seatsa huge drop from its previous tally of 62 in 2020 polls, while the BJP won a historic mandate on Saturday

Imphal, Feb 9 (PTI) Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Sunday tendered his resignation to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal, officials said. In a letter to the governor, Singh said, It has been an honour to serve the people of Manipur thus far. I am extremely grateful to the central government for time actions, interventions, developmental work, and implementation of various projects for safeguarding the interests of every single Manipuri. My sincere request to the Cent

NEW DELHI, Feb 8 (Reuters) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis party on Saturday regained power in the nations capital for the first time in 27 years, a boost for the Hindu-nationalist leader after a disappointing national election last year. Modis Bharatiya Janata Party won 48 of the 70 seats in the Delhi capital district, well ahead of the 22 for the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of Arvind Kejriwal, a fierce critic of Modi, data from the Election Commission of India showed. It is our guar