Savings Effect

Kerala is on high alert after the preliminary test of a 43-year-old man for Nipah virus infection at the Government Medical College here returned positive, officials said on Thursday. Officials said samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for confirmation, and the results are expected shortly.

Bill Gates said that he made a "grave error in judgment" by ever meeting with Jeffrey Epstein as the Microsoft co-founder faced questions behind closed doors from lawmakers about his relationship with the disgraced financier. "I hope my testimony is helpful to the work, the important work, of the committee, to find justice for the victims," he said.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday showed how he had learned to stop worrying about inflation and simply, in his own words, "love" it. Asked about the new report that the consumer price index in May had jumped 4.2% over the last year, the president took a surprisingly optimistic tack with the challenging news. "You know what I really love?" Trump said. "I love the inflation."

India reported an incident involving ​a vessel off Shinas port in Oman earlier Thursday, the Indian embassy in Oman said, in the third incident of its kind so far this week. On Wednesday, three seafarers from India were killed in a US-led attack on a separate ship. The ‌US military earlier said it attacked ​the MT Marivex and the ​Settebello. Both vessels had Indian seafarers on board.

After years of preparation, billions of dollars in investment and months of anticipation, the 2026 Fifa World Cup will kick off on Thursday night with an extravagant opening ceremony in Mexico before the hosts take on South Africa in the tournament opener. Conversations around the World Cup are not limited to tactics, title contenders or star players. Instead, immigration disputes, soaring ticket prices, political tensions and fan protests have emerged as dominant themes in the build-up to the tournament.

Investigators will miss Friday's one-year deadline to explain why an Air India jet crashed because an examination of the Boeing 787 plane's engines in the US still needs to be completed. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will likely issue a status report ​this week focused on the reasons behind the delay, the report added, citing people familiar with the matter.

Kuwait has closed its airspace and began diverting flights after its military engaged air defences in response to ongoing Iranian attacks. "This measure comes in light of the state of Kuwait being subjected to sinful Iranian aggressions and the potential risks that may result from this on civil aviation traffic in the region," Kuwait said.

The latest escalation between the US and Iran has brought the April ceasefire to its most difficult moment so far, with crude prices rising and financial markets, including US equities, falling, according to Rystad Energy. The Oslo-headquartered energy research and intelligence firm estimates that if hostilities were to resume in earnest, oil prices could move towards $150 per barrel. With 11.8 million barrels per day (bpd) shut in across six Gulf producers, the conflict has become the most severe supply disruption in the modern oil era.

Iran's IRGC said the Strait of Hormuz has been "closed to all vessels" following new US strikes on Iran, warning that any ship attempting to transit the waterway could be targeted.

Citi cuts Nifty target to 26,000 FROM 27000 Earlier on geopolitical risks; sees 12 percent upside from current levels Citi has cut 12-month target on Nifty to 26,000 on geopolitical risks, implying a 12 percent upside from the current levels. The brokerage is overweight on financials, telecom, healthcare and defence.