Amid reports of increasing cases of SARS-CoV-2 virus in India, data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), set up under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, showed the presence of NB.1.8.1, LF.7 -- descendants of JN.1 Covid variant in the country.

Data from the INSACOG, a consortium of 64 laboratories to monitor genomic variations of Covid virus, showed one case of NB.1.8.1 and four instances of the LF.7 type.

While NB.1.8.1 was identified in April in Tamil Nadu, four cases of LF.7 were detected in Gujarat in May.

Currently, both LF.7 and NB.1.8 have been classified as Variants Under Monitoring (VUM) by the World Health Organization (WHO). A VUM is a term used to signal to public health authorities that a SARS-CoV-2 variant may require prioritised attention and monitoring.

Personnel of CISF will be entitled to enhanced personal accident insurance of up to Rs 1 crore as part of new benefits introduced by the Force as part of an MoU with the State Bank of India for managing salary accounts, said an official on Saturday.

The MoU with the State Bank of India (SBI) for managing salary accounts of serving and retired CISF personnel under the Central Armed Police Salary Package (CAPSP) was formalised at a function held at CISF Headquarters, the official said.

The agreement introduces a host of enhanced financial benefits for CISF personnel, marking a major milestone in CISF's ongoing commitment to the welfare and financial security of its members. These benefits come at zero cost to Force members and are in addition, said an official statement.

In a significant development amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, a man from Gujarat has been arrested for sharing sensitive information related to the Indian Navy and the Border Security Force (BSF) with a Pakistani agent, Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officials confirmed on Saturday.

The accused, Sahdev Singh Gohil, a 28-year-old health worker and resident of Kachchh district, came under the scanner of the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for his suspicious activities.

According to senior ATS officer K. Siddharth, Gohil came into contact with a Pakistani agent who identified herself as Aditi Bharadwaj through WhatsApp in 2023.

During an initial inquiry, it was discovered that Gohil had been sending photographs and videos of sensitive Indian Navy and BSF installations -- some completed and others under construction -- to the alleged agent.

Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth advanced to his first men’s singles final at a BWF event in six years with a straight-game victory over Japan’s Yushi Tanaka at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 badminton tournament on Saturday.

The 32-year-old, a silver medallist at the 2023 World Championships, produced a stellar performance, displaying flashes of his vintage form with sharp net play and aggressive shot-making to overcome world No. 23 Tanaka 21-18, 24-22 in a gripping encounter.

This marks Srikanth’s first BWF World Tour final appearance since he finished runner-up at the 2019 India Open. His last title came in 2017, a year which saw him lift four silverwares.

Beloved dance reality show, "Super Dancer" is gearing up to return with season five.

The latest season will have 12 talented young contestants. Each of these contestants will be handpicked by 12 renowned choreographers.

Actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra and choreographer Geeta Kapur aka Geeta Maa are on board the show as judges, and joining them this time is choreographer Marzi Pestonji. Taking on the host duties for the latest season will be Paritosh Tripathi.

Sharing her excitement about the show, Shilpa added, “It’s every mother’s dream to see her child shine. Being a mother myself, I understand the deep, unconditional love and endless support that a mother gives her child. As a judge, I always look for that impact — a performance that not only impresses me with technique but touches my soul. I am extremely excited about the new season and look forward to seeing all the superstars along with their extraordinary mothers.”

The record Rs 2.69 lakh crore dividend bonanza by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to the government is driven by robust gross dollar sales, higher foreign exchange gains, and steady increases in interest income, according to a new report.

Notably, the RBI was the top seller of foreign exchange reserves in January among other Asian central banks. In September 2024, foreign exchange reserves peaked to $704 billion and the RBI has sold truck-loads of dollar to stabilise the currency.

Simultaneously, in a prudent move, the RBI has increased the risk buffer, otherwise the dividend transfer could have topped Rs 3.5 lakh crore,” according to SBI Research’s ‘Ecowrap’ report.

Right-handed batter Shubman Gill has been appointed as India’s 37th Test captain as chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the 18-member squad on Saturday for the crucial five-match tour of England, starting on June 20.

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been named as the vice-captain. The Agarkar-led selection committee, along with BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia as the meeting convener, picked the squad in a meeting at the BCCI HQ in Mumbai, before announcing it in a formal press conference addressed by him and Shiv Sunder Das.

"We discussed every option that's there, over the last year or so, we've looked at Shubman at various times. Taken a lot of feedback from the dressing room. Very young, but there's been improvement.”

With a focus on simplifying the indirect tax regime and addressing anomalies in the existing Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate structure, the GST Council is likely to take up rate rationalisation and the future of compensation cess in its next meeting.

The meeting in New Delhi is anticipated to be convened soon, with states also pushing for clarity on their revenue outlook ahead of the next fiscal planning cycle.

According to a report, citing sources, the issue of compensation cess — a levy initially introduced to offset revenue losses of states post-GST rollout — is also on the table, especially as its continuation beyond 2026 becomes a point of debate.

The Indian stock markets concluded the week on a subdued note, as investors grappled with global uncertainties and awaited key domestic developments.

The benchmark indices experienced volatility, with the Sensex and Nifty oscillating within a narrow range before closing marginally lower. The Nifty settled at 24,853.15, while the Sensex ended at 81,721.08, reflecting cautious investor sentiment.

According to market watchers, the muted performance was driven by a combination of global and domestic factors.

“On the global front, rising US bond yields and concerns over the United States' mounting debt burden triggered foreign portfolio outflows, putting pressure on emerging markets, including India,” said Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd.

Security forces in Manipur arrested two drug peddlers, including a woman in Churachandpur district and recovered drugs worth over Rs 2.84 crore and cash amount of Rs 37.5 lakh from their possession, officials said on Saturday.

A police official said that the security forces arrested a drug smuggler, identified as Doukholet Hanghal (52), from his residence at Mongkot Khopi village under Churachandpur district on Friday night.

The security personnel, after a thorough search of his residence, recovered 870 grams of brown sugar valued at Rs 1.74 crore, 20 soap cases containing heroin weighing 260 grams valued at Rs 52 lakh. Rs 29.5 lakh, acquired by the individual from drug deals, two radio sets and a mobile phone were also recovered from the possessions of the detainee.