India's gold demand surged past 800 tonnes in 2024, driven by a rise in jewellery consumption and increased investments in gold exchange traded funds (ETFs), according to a new report released on Tuesday.

The report by Zerodha Fund House revealed that India was the world’s largest consumer of gold jewellery in 2024, with total consumption reaching 563 tonnes.

The value of this consumption was estimated at around Rs 3.6 lakh crore. Gold continues to hold a significant place in Indian culture, particularly during weddings and other auspicious occasions, where its use is widespread.

Apart from jewellery, Indians are also investing heavily in gold in the form of bars and coins. In 2024, the country purchased 239 tonnes of gold in bar and coin form, valued at approximately Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

Raebareli MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday visited his parliamentary constituency for the first time after General Elections and took stock of development projects and interacted with residents and party workers.

While attending the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committees (DISHA), LoP Gandhi discussed future plans with 78 departments’ officials, who had assembled at the collectorate’s Bachat Bhawan with updates on the agenda discussed earlier.

A party worker said Tuesday’s meeting focussed on implementation of Centre-funded programmes.

LoP Gandhi also inaugurated a solar project and EV charging facility, unveiled a statue, interacted with local residents and energised party workers in his parliamentary constituency.

A team of Brazilian researchers has developed an innovative CAR-T cell therapy that showed positive results in patients with a refractory type of lymphoma -- cancer in lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow.

HSP-CAR30 is the first European CAR-T30 study to successfully complete its initial phase.

The results of the Phase I trial, published in the journal Blood, trial revealed that the new therapy which targets the CD30 protein has shown high efficacy in patients with refractory CD30+ lymphoma.

The therapy also promotes the expansion of memory T cells, leading to long-lasting responses and improved clinical outcomes in treated patients.

On the death anniversary of the late legendary actor Irrfan Khan, Tisca Chopra took to social media to share heartfelt memories of their time together.

The actress fondly reminisced about their friendship, recalling the moments they shared both on and off-screen. Known for their camaraderie and mutual respect, Tisca’s post was a tribute to the iconic actor, whose legacy continues to inspire many in the film industry. Taking to her Instagram handle, Tisca shared a scene featuring her and Irrfan Khan from their show “Bestsellers: Ek Shaam Ki Mulakaat,” offering fans a glimpse of their powerful on-screen chemistry and the deep connection they shared.

The ‘Taare Zameen Par’ actress, who knew Irrfan for 20 years, also posted candid photos of herself and Irrfan Khan, where the two are seen smiling, capturing a warm and joyful moment from their time together. For the caption, Tisca wrote, “The memories don’t fade, they become sharper and more acute..Much left unsaid and much more undone. Till we will meet again and make new stories dearest Irrfan.”

Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra has wrapped up the shoot for her upcoming Netflix series and shared a heartfelt note reflecting on her experience.

The actress spent two months in the mountains, describing the time as peaceful and quiet—contrasting sharply with the intense and emotionally charged scenes she filmed. Calling the project both a “lovely vacation” and an “acting workshop,” Parineeti expressed gratitude to her co-stars, director Rensil D’Silva, and producers Siddharth and Sapna Malhotra for making the journey memorable.

The Central government on Tuesday blocked the X account of Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif following the barbaric terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that left 26 people dead, most of them tourists.

The action came as Pakistan's role as a "rogue state fuelling global terrorism" was laid bare by the public admission made by Asif.

A Sky News interviewer last week asked Asif if Pakistan had a long history of "backing and supporting and training and funding" terrorist organisations. He candidly admitted that it had.

In the interview, Asif had said, "We have been doing this dirty work for the United States (US) for about three decades... and West, including Britain," when questioned about Pakistan's ties with terror outfits.

Iran's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the US deadly airstrikes on Yemen's capital of Sanaa and Saada province, including a centre where African migrants were kept.

In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denounced Sunday's bombings, which killed at least 78 people, including 68 African migrants held at a detention centre in Saada, and wounded dozens of others.

Baghaei described the US military attacks against civilian targets, vital infrastructure and people's houses in different parts of Yemen as "war crimes," "which have killed hundreds of innocent people."

He criticised the United Nations and international human rights organisations for their "silence and indifference towards this flagrant law-breaking and the frequent violations of Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on Tuesday welcomed the government's decision to step in and address the growing menace of spam and scam calls originating from Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has decided to take the lead on this issue, as was conveyed during a recent meeting of the Joint Committee of Regulators (JCoR).

The industry sees this as a much-needed move, especially since spam and scam activities are increasingly shifting to OTT communication apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and others.

While the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), along with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), has been tightening regulations around Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC) on traditional telecom networks, similar control over OTT platforms has been missing.

Gold has continued to shine bright for investors, delivering a return of over 30 per cent since last year's Akshaya Tritiya, according to brokerage firm Ventura.

As the festival approaches this Wednesday, the price of 24-carat gold has surged from Rs 73,240 per 10 grams in 2024 to nearly Rs 94,000-Rs 95,000 per 10 grams this year.

Akshaya Tritiya is considered one of the most auspicious days to buy gold. It is believed that purchases made on this day invite prosperity and good fortune.

With this belief deeply rooted in tradition, millions across the country turn to gold not just for adornment but also as a time-tested investment -- especially during uncertain times.

Over a longer horizon, gold has delivered even more impressive returns. In the past six years, gold prices have more than tripled. On Akshaya Tritiya in 2019, 24-carat gold was priced at Rs 31,729 per 10 grams, the firm said.

Rajasthan is experiencing harsh summers in the month of April itself, with the mercury breaching the 46-degree Celsius mark in Jaisalmer to break a six-year record and the temperature in Barmer touching 46.4 degrees Celsius already.

The state, as per Met officials, is in the grip of a heat wave right now, however respite is expected in the form of storms and rain after two days.

In the last 24 hours, many of Rajasthan's districts smashed past temperature records with the maximum temperature in Jaisalmer being recorded at 46.2 degrees Celsius.

Jaisalmer recorded the maximum temperature at 46.1 degrees Celsius six years ago on April 30, 2018.

However, the highest maximum temperature in the state was recorded at 46.4 degrees Celsius, which was 4.3 degrees Celsius more than normal, in Barmer.

Meanwhile, the lowest minimum temperature in the state was recorded at 20.4 degrees Celsius in Fatehpur (Sikar).