The Nifty delivered a strong annual return of 10.51 per cent, even as broader markets remained largely flat in December, a new report said on Saturday.

The data compiled by latest Global Market Snapshot report by Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund showed that while short-term market movement was mixed, select sectors such as metals and automobiles continued to outperform over longer periods.

The government should consider enhancing standard deduction for salaried employees, allowing more time for belated tax returns and several measures to improve ease of doing business in the upcoming Union Budget, a report has said.

 Pakistan will vaccinate more than 45 million children during its first nationwide polio eradication campaign of 2026, scheduled to run from February 2 to February 8, health authorities said on Saturday.

The country's emergency operations centre said the week-long campaign will be conducted across the country, with vaccination teams administering oral polio vaccine to children under the age of five.

Domestic telecom equipment maker Tejas Networks has reported a consolidated loss of Rs 196.55 crore for the October–December quarter (Q3 FY26).

This marked its second straight quarterly loss, mainly due to weak sales and a delay in orders from state-owned BSNL, according to its stock exchange filing.

The company had posted a profit of Rs 165.67 crore in the same quarter last financial year.

Madhya Pradesh continues to reel under a biting cold wave, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing "another orange alert" for the Bundelkhand region, including districts like Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Panna, and Datia.

The alert warns of persisting severe cold conditions, dense fog, and cold day/severe cold day scenarios for the next 48 hours, prompting residents to take precautions against the icy winds sweeping in from North India.

Three more accused have been arrested in the Turkman Gate stone-pelting case, bringing the total number of arrests to 16, Delhi Police said on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Mohammad Naved, Mohammad Faiz and Mohammad Ubaidullah. All three are residents of Turkman Gate.

Earlier on Friday, two people were arrested in connection with the case.

The case dates back to January 7, when the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out a demolition drive against the encroachments near the Faiz-e-Elahi Mosque in Turkman Gate. The authorities claimed that the demolition drive was carried out as per the orders of the court.

The ongoing cold spell in West Bengal intensified on Saturday as temperatures dropped further in Kolkata and several districts, and the chill is expected to continue for the next few days.

According to the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata's Alipore, the temperature dropped as cold northerly winds are freely entering the state, resulting in biting cold. There is also a significant presence of fog at several places.

Veteran filmmaker Rakesh Roshan has shared a heartwarming birthday note for his superstar son Hrithik Roshan, fondly known as the Greek God of Bollywood, as he turned 52 on Saturday.

Rakesh took to social media to wish his son, fondly nicknamed as ‘Duggu,’ a very happy birthday. He also shared an art creative featuring Hrithik from his younger days and now.

For the caption, Rakesh wrote: “Duggu love you more every year. Happy birthday! Creative by @art_ofroshans. Thank you”.

The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue was inaugurated on Friday at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, by Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya, along with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, marking a significant step towards empowering India’s youth to actively participate in nation-building.

Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse, and Youth Affairs Secretary Pallavi Jain Govil were also present at the event.

On his father Allu Aravind’s 77th birthday, superstar Allu Arjun penned an affectionate note, calling the renowned producer “the closest thing to God” in his life.

Arjun took to Instagram, where he shared a picture posing with his father in front of his newly launched Allu Cinemas.

Controversies erupted after an Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO), engaged in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, tendered resignation from the said exercise, accusing that attempts are being made to delete names of several genuine voters from the voters' list by unnecessarily categorising them as "logical discrepancy" cases.

Markets regulator Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) has proposed a comprehensive overhaul of trading‑related rules at stock exchanges to consolidate overlapping provisions and ease compliance for market participants.

The consultation paper recommended merging overlapping provisions on trading, price bands, circuit breakers, bulk and block deal disclosures, call auctions and liquidity enhancement schemes, according to an official statement.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez discussed the Mercosur-EU free trade agreement and the situation in Venezuela, Brazil's presidential office said.

During their telephone conversation on Friday (local time), Lula thanked the Spanish government for supporting the agreement and called the deal "a very positive signal in defence of multilateralism and predictable, stable trade rules."

Actress Shweta Tiwari is embracing the good life as she enjoys a serene break in Marbella, Spain.

Sharing moments from her getaway, the actress exuded a quiet sense of calm and balance. She posted a series of pictures from the sun-lit streets of Marbella, a destination famed for its chic Mediterranean charm.

 One pedestrian lost his life, and 14 others sustained injuries after a speeding Audi car rammed into them in Rajasthan's Jaipur, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place on Friday night when the luxury car allegedly went out of control. The vehicle first struck a divider and then crashed into roadside stalls and food carts over a stretch of nearly 30 metres before hitting a tree and coming to a halt, the police officials said.

As he is all set to be seen in three films as different as chalk and cheese such as “O Romeo”, “Ginny Weds Sunny 2” and “O Saathi Re”, actor Avinash Tiwary says 2026 year marks a phase of deep creative exploration for him as he juggles diverse projects that push his acting boundaries.

“I'm constantly recalibrating as an actor while switching between these three projects that have pushed me to work my creative muscle like never before. And it's an exhilarating ride!” Avinash told.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is unhappy over the low number of private housing complexes with 300 or more residents identified so far in Bengal for setting up polling booths for the crucial Assembly elections scheduled later this year.

Sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said that so far, only 69 such private housing complexes with 300 or more residents have been identified in West Bengal, far less than the estimated requirement.

A man has died, and a state of disaster has been declared amid the ongoing bushfire crisis in the southeast Australian state of Victoria.

Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan said at a press conference that a man aged in his 60s was found deceased in his car near the town of Harcourt, 110 km northwest of Melbourne, on Friday afternoon.

His death was not directly related to the fires, Allan said, but occurred in close proximity to a fire ground, reports news agency.

The minimum temperature remained several degrees below the freezing point in the Valley on Saturday as the famous Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar city was partially frozen.

Srinagar city recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.7 degrees Celsius on Saturday, against minus 6 degrees Celsius the previous day.

The famous Dal Lake in Srinagar city froze partially as boatmen faced a tough time rowing their boats in the waterbody.

The stock market focus in the coming week will shift firmly to third-quarter (Q3) earnings from India Inc, with heavyweight IT companies set to take centre stage and drive index-level direction, analysts said on Saturday.

HCL Tech, TCS, Infosys, Tech Mahindra and Wipro— together accounting for nearly 13 per cent of the Nifty’s weight — are scheduled to report, making their results and management commentary critical for broader market sentiment.

Ace Indian shuttler P V Sindhu’s campaign in the season-opening Malaysia Open BWF World Tour Super 1000 came to an end on Saturday after she suffered a defeat to China’s Wang Zhiyi in straight sets in the women’s singles semifinals.

The two-time Olympic medallist struggled to maintain consistency against the world No. 2, going down 16-21, 15-21 in a match marked by unforced errors at crucial moments. The loss also brought the curtains down on India’s challenge in the tournament.

Anti-government protests continue to flare up across Iran, leaving several protesters dead and triggering a communication blockade in parts of the country, as unrest shows no signs of abating.

According to multiple media reports, at least 62 people have been killed since the demonstrations began in December last year.

As Iran remains gripped by widespread protests, state media on Friday accused “terrorist agents” linked to the United States and Israel of fuelling the violence.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for four districts of Tamil Nadu, warning of very heavy rainfall over the next two days as a deep low-pressure system continues to influence weather patterns over the region.

According to the IMD, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, and Kancheepuram are expected to receive intense rainfall on Saturday and the day after, with the possibility of waterlogging, traffic disruptions, and localised flooding, especially in low-lying and urban areas.

Residents have been advised to remain vigilant and follow official weather advisories.

The Indian equity benchmarks closed this week down around 2.5 per cent, continuing decline through five sessions amid persistent uncertainty over the US-India tariff talks and escalating geopolitical tensions.

Profit-booking in autos, metals, and oil and gas weighed on indices during the week, while selective buying in consumer durables, on hopes of a demand revival, offered brief respite.

Nifty dipped 2.45 per cent this week and 0.75 per cent on the last trading day to end at 25,638. At close, Sensex was down 604 points or 0.72 per cent at 83,576. It dipped 2.55 per cent during the week.

Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Saturday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 358 at 6:05 a.m., according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Sameer app. The national Capital continued to experience harsh cold wave conditions, with the minimum temperature dropping to 5.4 degrees Celsius.

On Friday morning, the AQI stood at 318, which was also classified as ‘very poor’. Delhi has been reeling under deteriorating air quality over the past several days, with many areas reporting AQI levels ranging from ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’, as per CPCB data.