Monday, August 24
Guwahati, The mysterious death of Assam's cultural icon Zubeen Garg cast a long shadow over the state in 2025, eclipsing major political and administrative developments and triggering an unprecedented public outcry that reverberated through the corridors of power.The year was also marked by political sparring ahead of the 2026 assembly elections, which included allegations involving national security, campaigns against infiltration, and the passage of a bill banning polygamy. The birth centenary celebration of another iconic son of Assam, Bhupen Hazarika, was also launched this year.Also Read: An oversized lifejacket and the Singapore Sea: Zubeen Garg’s final melodyGarg, who had travelled to Singapore to attend the North East India Festival, died while swimming in the sea on September 19
It was a glittering Friday for precious metals as gold and silver prices scaled yet another new record high, with investors rushing to the safety of bullion amid growing expectations of US interest rate cuts next year. Gold February futures on the MCX surged by Rs 800 to a new all-time high of Rs 1,38,991 per 10 grams.Meanwhile, silver March futures contracts shot up by over Rs 8,000 in early trade to touch a new peak of Rs 2,32,741 per kg.Gold soared as high as $4,530.60 per oz before cooling slightly to $4,502.75 in spot trade by 0225 GMT. US gold futures for February did not disappoint either, touching a record $4,533.60 per oz, up 0.7%. Meanwhile, silver stole the spotlight, surging 3.4% to $74.35 per oz and hitting an all-time peak of $75.14 per oz.So far in 2025, gold has jumped 72%,
Brokerage insights from Nuvama and Motilal Oswal point to a selective but constructive stance on India’s key cyclical sectors—real estate and financials.While the property market is navigating softer sales and a slowdown in new launches, healthy inventory levels are supporting price hikes, keeping well-positioned developers in focus.At the same time, the financials space is seeing a reset in unsecured lending and credit growth, with PSU banks gaining share in MSME loans and large private banks tightening risk controls.In this evolving environment, both brokerages are backing market leaders with strong balance sheets and execution capabilities, with Prestige and Brigade emerging as preferred real estate plays, and HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI and AU Bank standing out as top picks in finan
New Delhi: Air pollution is arguably the biggest public health crisis India has faced since the pandemic and will continue to worsen each year unless urgent action is taken, a UK-based Indian-origin pulmonologist warned, noting that a looming tsunami of airway disease remains largely underdiagnosed and untreated.Speaking to PTI, multiple senior doctors practising in the UK asserted that a vast, hidden burden of undiagnosed airway disease is "building beneath the surface" and its incoming wave will exact a heavy, lasting toll on Indian citizens and its healthcare system.They linked the global rise in cardiovascular diseases over the past decade to increasing exposure to toxic emissions from urban transport, including automobiles and aircraft, particularly in cities across India, the UK and
Gold and silver climbed to record highs on Friday, driven by safe-haven demand and increased bets of further U.S. interest rate cuts next year, while precious metals platinum and palladium were on the upswing as well. FUNDAMENTALS * Spot gold rose 0.5% to $4,502.75 per ounce, as of 0225 GMT, after hitting a record high at $4,530.60 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures for February delivery climbed 0.7% to a record high of $4,533.60 per ounce. * Spot silver jumped 3.4% to $74.35 per ounce, before hitting an all-time high at $75.14. * The U.S. dollar hovered near the two-month lows it reached on Wednesday. * Bullion has staged a stellar rally in 2025, climbing 72% so far and shattering multiple record highs. * Gold has been helped by a cocktail of factors, includin
Indian government bonds may continue their winning streak in early deals on Friday, as the central bank's jumbo liquidity infusion package has lifted sentiment and put bullish investors in command before the year ends. The benchmark 10-year yield is likely to drift in a 6.50% to 6.54% band till the debt auction, a trader with a private bank said. It ended at 6.5398% on Wednesday. Bond yields rise when prices fall. Wednesday saw the 10-year bond yield post its biggest single session drop in over seven months as the Reserve Bank of India said it will infuse about 2.90 trillion rupees ($32.35 billion) into the banking system over the next one month. This will include four tranches of open market bond purchases worth 500 billion rupees each for the next four weeks and a $10 bill
