India’s fiscal dynamics have improved at the aggregate level post-pandemic, with a most notable shift in the quality of spending, which is reflected in the higher capital expenditure by the government over the last five years, according to a Morgan Stanley report.

The report highlights that the improving fiscal dynamics bode well for the growth mix and inflation management of the Indian economy.

The faster pace of consolidation in revenue deficit is reflective of an improved spending mix, not only by the Centre but also by the states. Indeed, a key change post-pandemic has been the shift towards higher capex by the centre, with Central government capex doubling to 3.2 per cent of GDP in FY2025 from 1.6 per cent of GDP in FY2020 (pre-pandemic), the report further states.

Similarly, states' capex is tracking at 2.3 per cent of GDP in F2025 from 1.9 per cent of GDP pre-pandemic.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has raised serious concerns over "ongoing infringements" on the rights of people living in Tibet and called to align legislation and policies with international human rights law.

Addressing the 59th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the UN Human Rights Commissioner (OHCHR) detailed a grave assessment of the current global landscape.

He asserted that he has continued to engage directly with China on a wide range of issues.

Raising concerns about the human rights violations in China, Turk highlighted the lack of progress on much-needed legal reform to ensure compliance with international human rights law.

"In Tibet, there are ongoing infringements on cultural and other rights. I call for the release of all individuals detained for exercising their rights and to align legislation and policies with international human rights law," the UN human rights chief stated.

India has been drawn alongside Pakistan, Australia, South Africa and two yet to be known qualifying teams in Group 1 of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup, set to be played from June 12 to July 5 in England.

The tenth edition of the tournament, running across 24 days, will open with hosts’ England taking on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston on June 12. Apart from Edgbaston, Hampshire Bowl, Headingley, Old Trafford, The Oval, Bristol County Ground and Lord’s are the other tournament venues. Edgbaston will also be the venue for India’s campaign opener against Pakistan on June 14, before playing against a qualifying team at Headingley on June 17.

India will face South Africa at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground on June 21, and then play against another qualifying team at the same venue on June 25. India’s group stage will come to an end with a high-stakes clash against multiple times champions Australia at the Lord’s Cricket Ground on June 28.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is holding its board meeting on Wednesday, and some important decisions related to startups, public sector companies, and foreign investors are likely to be on the agenda.

One of the key topics expected to be discussed is whether startup founders can continue to hold employee stock options (ESOPs) after their company goes public.

Currently, once a startup founder is classified as a promoter during the IPO process, they are no longer allowed to receive ESOPs.

However, SEBI believes the rules are not clear about whether founders who were granted ESOPs before being labeled promoters can still exercise their stock options -- both vested and unvested -- after the IPO.

At least two people were killed, one remains missing, and three others, including a woman, were injured after large boulders rolled down from the mountaintop near Junglechatti ghat along the Kedarnath Yatra trekking route in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district on Wednesday.

The incident occurred around 11.20 a.m. Wednesday, when a landslide sent boulders crashing onto the pathway, striking pilgrims, porters, and palanquin operators amid heavy foot traffic on the sacred trail, rescue officials said.

Rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the police swiftly reached the site to begin evacuation and medical assistance.

While social isolation has long been known a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, a new study showed that being more sociable can be an early sign of the neurodegenerative disease.

The study examined the social habits and genetic data of half a million British people whose average age was 56.

Researchers from the University of California San Francisco and Boston University found that Alzheimer’s may make people more sociable rather than less -- at least in the early stages.

The study shows that at its earliest stage Alzheimer’s doesn’t make people less socially engaged.

“Their social lives may even expand,” said co-senior author Ashwin Kotwal, from USCF. “We don’t know for sure if they are engaging more with others, or if those around them are noticing subtle changes and giving them more support," he added.

Former England batter Geoffrey Boycott believes that more than Rohit Sharma’s retirement, Virat Kohli’s absence is a devastating blow to India ahead of the starting five-match Test series in Leeds, saying that the right-handed batter was their key player.

Both Rohit and Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket in May, leaving India with a big void to fill in the longer format at opening and number four positions respectively. Kohli, 36, scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests and was at fourth place in India's all-time list of run-scorers in the longer format.

“The retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hurts the chances of India beating England. Kohli is the biggest loss as he has been their best batsman and talisman in all three formats. With so much international cricket played by India, and so little rest, it takes its toll and the mind becomes fatigued.

India's small-cap segment has seen a fivefold rise in market capitalisation over the last seven calendar years, a new report said on Wednesday.

The data compiled by Bajaj Finserv AMC said that the market capitalisation of small-cap companies grew from Rs 17 lakh crore in 2017 to Rs 92 lakh crore by the end of 2024 -- registering a strong Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 27.6 per cent.

In comparison, large-cap stocks saw a CAGR of 14.5 per cent and mid-caps grew at 21.6 per cent during the same period.

This highlights the outperformance of small caps and their growing importance in the Indian stock market.

The report also shows that the contribution of small-cap companies to the total market capitalisation has increased 1.4 times in the last three years.

When Air India Flight AI-171 crashed shortly after take-off on June 12, the tragedy was not just India’s deadliest air disaster in recent memory — it was also major heartbreak for Diu and a small coastal village there, in particular.

While 14 people from Diu died in the crash, Bucharwada, a quiet hamlet in the Union Territory is mourning the loss of nine of its residents who were among the 241 victims aboard the London-bound Air India flight. The village is now preparing for their funerals.

All 14 of those who died had strong ties to Diu, a former Portuguese colony known for its diaspora that stretches from the Arabian Sea to Europe. Most had settled in the UK or Portugal over the years, acquiring foreign citizenship but never cutting ties with their homeland.

They returned frequently — to visit aging parents, celebrate weddings, attend festivals, or simply reconnect with their roots.

“The pain is unimaginable,” said Dinesh Bhanu, a panchayat member in Bucharwada.

A youth accused of raping and murdering a minor girl in Bankura district of West Bengal, was reportedly lynched by the local people in the wee hours of Wednesday.

The cops of Patrasayar Police Station have opened two separate investigations in the matter, the first on the alleged case of rape and murder and the second on the lynching of the accused.

The youth reportedly lynched by the local people has been identified as Lalu Prasad Lohar. The reported victim, a minor girl, was just eight years old.

According to statements given by the local people to the Investigating Officer, the youth called the minor girl to a secluded place in the wee hours of Wednesday. Thereafter, he dragged the victim to a nearby forest area and raped her.