The immune systems of cancer patients may play a significant role in their treatment outcomes, according to a study on Tuesday.

In the study, researchers at the University College London and the Francis Crick Institute found that cancer patients with a higher number of immune cells in their blood have a better survival rate.

They used a pioneering technique -- Immune Lymphocyte Estimation from Nucleotide Sequencing (ImmuneLENS), which enables researchers to calculate the proportion of T cells and B cells (types of immune cells) from whole genome sequencing (WGS) data.

The team analysed over 90,000 WGS samples -- both of healthy individuals and cancer patients. The findings described in the journal Nature Genetics showed that cancer patients had a lower proportion of T cells circulating in the blood compared to healthy individuals.

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday expressed its deep concern about the huge increase in drugs-related cases in the state.

A bench of Justice V.G. Arun said that this issue was even discussed in the state Assembly recently.

"We have reached a stage where the state Assembly had to suspend its regular business to consider this social menace. I read in the newspaper that on February 8th, the session was suspended to consider this issue because it has now reached the schools. This is the reality we have to deal with. We have been pushing it off saying that in Kerala it is not happening," the judge said in an oral observation.

The court made this observation while hearing a bail application filed by a person arrested for offences punishable under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The Nifty index could reach 25,000 by December 2025, driven by a revival in consumer spending, improved employment trends and easing foreign investor selling, a new report said on Tuesday.

According to Emkay Institutional Equities, the Indian stock market is expected to remain volatile in the near term, but a recovery is likely in the second half of 2025.

The research firm has projected that the first quarter of 2025 is likely to witness increased market fluctuations due to weak demand and global uncertainties.

Mobile phone exports from India are projected to exceed approximately Rs 1,80,000 crore this fiscal (FY25), representing approximately 40 per cent growth over the previous fiscal year, industry data showed on Tuesday.

In the 10 months this fiscal (April-January), India reached Rs 1,50,000 crore in mobile exports, with January alone surging past Rs. 25,000 crore in exports, according to data shared by the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA).

There has been estimated over 680 per cent growth since the inception of the PLI scheme in FY20-21.

Mobile phones export is the largest growth driver within electronics, with the U.S. standing out as a key market for India’s smartphones.

In a step towards digital transformation, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday inaugurated three IT-based financial modules, aimed at bolstering financial transparency and efficiency, besides ensuring the welfare of pensioners.

While inaugurating the Pensioner Sewa Portal (PSP), the Finance Minister highlighted the government’s commitment to its pensioners and emphasised this digital platform is designed to provide a comprehensive range of pension-related services.

"This portal will facilitate the seamless processing of pension disbursement cases from treasuries to banks, reduce delays in pension payments, offer real-time case tracking, and ensure efficient grievance handling," said Cheema, while adding the extensive database within PSP will further assist in making informed decisions for the welfare of pensioners.

The Minister also unveiled the Non-Treasury Integrated Financial Management System (NT-IFMS), a pioneering non-treasury accounting system to streamline the accounting processes of deposit works managed by the Forest and Works Departments.

In a shocking incident, a 10-year-old boy named Kshitij was kidnapped and brutally murdered in Jharkhand's Latehar district. The accused, identified as Chandrakishore Yadav, a policeman, has been arrested in connection with the heinous crime, officials said.

The tragic event unfolded when Kshitij mysteriously disappeared from his home at 8 p.m. on Sunday. The following day, his mutilated body was discovered in the bushes behind Netarhat Hospital. The boy had been subjected to extreme brutality -- both of his eyes were gouged out, his arm was broken in several places, and he had been stabbed multiple times in the abdomen and neck with a sharp weapon.

Kshitij's father, Prabhat Kumar, a bus agent and grocery shop owner, had a prior dispute with Chandrakishore Yadav. This altercation occurred when Yadav was undergoing training at the police's Junglewar Fair School in Netarhat. Following the training, Yadav was sent back to Bokaro.

Former India all-rounder Suresh Raina shed light on how the world saw the birth of the 'Dhoni Review System' during their 2013 Champions Trophy winning campaign.

India's 2013 Champions Trophy win saw them comprehensively outclass the best teams en route to an unbeaten tournament triumph. Their second game against the West Indies showcased their dominance in all aspects, as India secured an eight-wicket victory over a dangerous opponent.

On a special episode of JioHotstar's The Suresh Raina Experience: Champions Trophy Special, Raina highlighted MS Dhoni’s tactical brilliance in managing bowling innings, emphasising how the wicket-keeper batter maximized the team's success with accurate DRS calls, an aggressive field setup, and bold decisions.

"The Oval is a batting-friendly surface. But if you consider the weather in Wales, you need to look up at the skies as well as down at the pitch. This is where the Dhoni Review System started. Every DRS he called was correct," Raina remarked.

Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil said on Tuesday that the Union government is committed to making India a 'water-secure nation' by 2047.

He also cited Prime Minister Modi’s focus on sanitation, which led to the construction of 12 crore toilets, benefiting 60 crore people and significantly reducing waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea.

“Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, 15 crore households now have access to clean drinking water, and 25 lakh women have been trained in water purity testing. The Union government is committed to making India a water-secure nation by 2047,” said the minister while addressing the second All India Conference of State Water Ministers in Udaipur.

Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in India’s urban areas among persons of age 15 years and above has risen to 50.4 per cent in the October–December quarter in 2024 -- from 49.9 per cent in the same quarter of the previous year, reflecting an increase in employment in the country, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics on Tuesday.

LFPR for males of age 15 years and above in urban areas increased to 75.4 per cent during October-December period, from 74.1 per cent during the same quarter in 2023, reflecting overall increasing trend in male LFPR.

LFPR among females of age 15 years and above for urban areas increased to 25.2 per cent during the quarter from 25 per cent in the same period of the preceding year.

The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which is another indicator of employment, also went up in urban areas among persons of age 15 years to 47.2 per cent in Oct-Dec, 2024 from 46.6 period in the same quarter of 2023, according to the government data.

The Gurugram Traffic Police have issued 147 challans worth Rs 14.70 lakh for modified silencers mostly by Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles and pressure horns from January 1 to January 31, officials said on Tuesday.

Out of 147 challans 56 challans were issued for modified silencer and 91 challans for pressure horns.

Earlier the traffic police had issued 753 challans worth Rs 75.30 lakh in the previous year. ‘Silencer blast’, technically an offence called ‘silencer making noise’ under Sections 120 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules and 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, is usually performed by switching the engine off and suddenly on again when the motorcycle is at a high speed and a sound like that of a firecracker is produced. It is usually done in very heavy-engine motorcycles like the Bullet, police said.