After rising for four straight sessions, the Indian stock markets took a breather on Monday as investors booked profits amid the absence of strong domestic cues.

The Sensex dropped 452 points, or 0.54 per cent, to close at 83,606.46. During the day, it moved between an intra-day high of 84,099.53 and a low of 83,482.13.

Nifty also followed suit. The 50-share index opened at 25,661.65, touched a high of 25,669.35, and closed at 25,517.05, down by 120.75 points or 0.47 per cent.

In contrast, the broader markets performed better. The Nifty Midcap100 rose 0.6 per cent while the Nifty Smallcap100 gained 0.52 per cent -- indicating continued investor interest in mid- and small-cap stocks.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said the government is taking concrete steps to make the national capital pollution-free and green.

“Public transportation is being rapidly converted to electric vehicles, which will not only reduce pollution but also provide Delhi residents with clean and affordable transportation,” said CM Gupta in a post on X.

Elaborating on steps being taken to clean the city’s air, she said, “Dust pollution is being effectively controlled at construction sites and major roads through technologies like smoke guns and sprinklers.”

The CM also highlighted the government’s tree plantation efforts under the campaign 'Ek ped, Maa ke Naam (One tree in the name of Mother)'.

“Tree plantation has been given the form of a social movement. We are moving forward with a commitment to making Delhi a healthy, green, and environmentally friendly global city,” she said.

The Indonesian government has evacuated its 97 citizens from Iran and 26 from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and the Arabah area, following tensions in those regions, Foreign Minister Sugiono said on Monday.

"The government has established a crisis response team and will continue the evacuation process while monitoring the condition of Indonesians amid the ongoing conflict," Sugiono said during a hearing with members of the House of Representatives on Monday.

The evacuation was carried out via Azerbaijan and involved the Indonesian embassies in Tehran and Amman.

According to him, there were 386 Indonesian citizens in Iran. In addition to those who have been evacuated, some chose to stay in the country.

 Actress Neha Dhupia decided to relive her childhood memories as she embarked on a train journey from Mumbai to Surat.

Neha used the stories section of her Instagram handle to drop a couple of glimpses from her primary journey in the Vande Bharat Express.

We could also see her complete journey on Dhupia's official YouTube channel.

The video opened with Dhupia boarding the train with full enthusiasm.

Recalling her younger days when she used to travel on the train with her parents. She said, “As a child, I would travel with my mom and dad by train... and today, I feel exactly the same. This ride brought back so many beautiful memories."

A new political front called the ‘People’s Alliance for Change’ was announced here on Monday by leaders of the Peoples Conference (PC), Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) and the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Justice and Development Front.

The announcement about the formation of the new coalition was made at a press conference here by PC chief Sajad Gani Lone, PDF leaders, and leaders of the Justice and Development Front.

He said the new alliance offers a viable alternative to the people, as they have endured immense suffering.

Senior Shia Muslim leader and prominent leader of the PC, Imran Raza Ansari, was also present during the announcement.

Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has raised sharp questions on the Election Commission’s move to revise the voter list ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, alleging it is creating confusion among voters.

Speaking to reporters at Patna Airport, Gehlot said: “Before the Bihar polls, the Election Commission is adopting new tricks. What is the need to take such steps just before the elections?”

Gehlot questioned the urgency and transparency of the voter list revision of nearly 8 crore voters within 25 days, stating that people are confused about the requirement of documents such as birth certificates.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST), widely hailed as one of the biggest economic reforms in post-Independence India, will on Tuesday complete eight years of its success story, with collections soaring to a record Rs 22.08 lakh crore in 2024-25, marking a year-on-year growth of 9.4 per cent, with the number of taxpayers in its ambit surging past 1.51 crore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called GST “a path-breaking legislation for New India” at its launch on July 1, 2017.

Eight years on, the numbers speak for themselves, reflecting India’s strong fiscal position.

The average monthly collection stood at Rs 1.84 lakh crore in 2024-25, a blockbuster year. In 2020–21, the total collection was Rs 11.37 lakh crore, with a monthly average of Rs 95,000 crore.

After a hoax bomb threat was sent via email to the Jabalpur Airport last week, operations at the airport have resumed now, authorities said on Monday.

The threat triggered a full-scale emergency response, leading to the evacuation of the terminal and a three-hour-long security sweep.

The email, received by an airport official, claimed that powerful explosives had been planted in bags around the premises and warned of mass casualties if the buildings were not evacuated immediately.

The message was signed by groups identifying themselves as "Road Kill" and "Kyon".

Airport authorities promptly activated emergency protocols.

The Khamaria police station in-charge Sarojini Chouksey said the bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS), along with a police team from the station, fire brigade units, and ambulances, were deployed to the site.

Mumbai city (under BMC jurisdiction) registered 75,982 property sales in the January-June period (H1 2025), marking a 5 per cent (on-year) increase, according to a report on Monday.

Revenue from these registrations rose by 15 per cent (on-year) to Rs 6,727 crore, with both metrics recording their strongest half-yearly performance since 2013, said the report by Knight Frank India.

The month of June recorded registration of 11,521 properties, denoting a moderation of 1 per cent, while revenue from these registrations totalled Rs 1,031 crores, reflecting a 2 per cent rise versus the same month last year. Registrations were primarily residential with 80 per cent registrations in the segment.

North Korea has informed the US-led United Nations Command (UNC) of its plans to build fortifications inside the border between the two Koreas, Seoul's Defence Ministry said on Monday, marking the first notification of its kind in more than six months.

The North notified the multinational command tasked with monitoring inter-Korean border activities on Wednesday that it would resume construction of barriers and barbed wire fences on its side of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), according to a local newspaper.

When asked about the report, a ministry official confirmed the notification did take place, while a UNC official declined to comment about its communication with the North Korean military, reported news agency.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday announced that Ukraine is aligning with the European Union's sanctions package targeting the Iranian administration, describing them as "the most brutal regimes in the world."

"Our institutions are working on the synchronisation of European and Ukrainian sanctions. We are also fully aligning the European sanctions package targeting the regime in Iran, which includes numerous individuals, companies, and entities not only involved in military production and external terror schemes against neighbouring countries in the region but also in internal repression within Iran itself," he said in a video statement posted on X on Monday.

Bollywood’s Khiladi Akshay Kumar showcased his philosophical side as he shared a heartfelt message on the true essence of life.

The actor shared a thoughtful note where he emphasized the importance of cherishing small and joyful moments. Kumar also reminded fans that real wealth lies not in material possessions but in the stolen moments of happiness. Sharing his throwback image, the 'Kesari Chapter 2' actor wrote, “In life, we accumulate stolen moments of happiness. That’s your real wealth.”– A reminder to laugh loud, love deep, and cherish the pauses. #Timeless.”

In the monochrome picture, a young Akshay Kumar is seen sitting and posing with a playful, goofy expression. Dressed in a classic black suit, the photo captures a candid moment from his early days, offering a glimpse into his youthful charm and spirited personality.

Serious concerns continue to mount over the impact of HIV in Fiji, as eight children were among the 126 people who died from HIV-related illnesses last year.

The grim figures were shared by UNAIDS Pacific Adviser Renata Ram during the Fiji Medical Association's 2025 North Mini-Conference held in Labasa over the weekend, according to news agency.

Her message underscored the urgent need for stronger, more accountable, and innovative health systems.

Ram described Fiji's HIV situation as worsening, making this year's conference theme -- Future-Proofing Healthcare Standards in Fiji: Accountability, Ethics and Innovation -- especially timely.

In a rare and significant weather event, Churu -- a district in Rajasthan renowned for its extreme temperatures -- recorded 85.1 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours. This marks the highest single-day rainfall ever recorded in June for the city, according to Radheshyam Sharma, Director of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Jaipur Centre.

According to the IMD, this surpasses the previous record of 81.9 mm, registered on June 24, 1988. The data is based on records maintained from 1956 to the present. This exceptional downpour not only highlights the increasing variability in monsoon patterns but also adds to Churu's unique weather history.

Churu is famously unpredictable in terms of climate. Despite being located near the Thar Desert, one of India’s hottest regions, the district has experienced extreme cold spells in winters.

Six workers were feared killed and 20 others injured in a massive reactor blast at an industrial unit at Pashamailaram near Hyderabad on Monday.

The incident occurred at a chemical factory in the industrial area in Sangareddy district around 9 a.m.

The explosion triggered a huge fire, which engulfed the premises of Sigachi Chemicals. Firefighters rushed to the spot to douse the fire. Eleven fire engines were pressed into service to control the fire.

Police, fire services and other personnel launched rescue and relief operations. Ambulances were also seen at the spot to shift the injured to hospitals.

The injured were admitted to government and private hospitals. The condition of some of the injured is stated to be critical.

Three children from the same family drowned in a tragic incident in the Utavali village, located under the Pipat police station limits of Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh.

The siblings -- identified as 12-year-old Hari Yadav, 10-year-old Sunita Yadav, and 7-year-old Bhanu Pratap Yadav -- had gone to bathe in the Ghuvau pond on Sunday when the accident occurred.

Bijawar Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ajay Kumar Rithoriya confirmed the details and stated that the bodies have been sent for post-mortem.

An investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances of the drowning. According to the official, all three children were siblings from a family. They went to take a bath during the rain in a pond. One of the children began to struggle in the water, prompting the other two to attempt a rescue.

With xenotransplantation -- animal-to-human transplantation -- poised to address the global organ shortage crisis, a pioneering study has outlined how human immune cells interact with pig kidney tissue in transplanted organs, revealing critical early markers of rejection and potential intervention strategies.

Led by French and US researchers, the study deployed cutting-edge spatial molecular imaging to find key molecular mechanisms that could help overcome the biggest challenge in xenotransplantation: rejection by the human immune system.

The team led by Dr. Valentin Goutaudier from the Paris Institute for Transplantation and Organ Regeneration & NYU Langone Transplant Institute) found that human immune cells were found in every part of the pig kidney's filtering system after the transplant.

In a major boost to connectivity in the Northeast, the construction of the much-awaited Bairabi-Sairang railway line in Mizoram has been completed. The 51.38 km-long railway line will soon be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vinod Kumar, Chief Engineer of the project, said, “This has been one of the most challenging projects undertaken by Indian Railways. Every segment of this line posed unique difficulties. Due to heavy rainfall in the region, the working season is limited to just four months a year.”

The Bairabi-Sairang line connects the Mizoram capital, Aizawl, directly to the Indian railway network. Previously, the railway line extended only up to Bairabi, and further travel to Aizawl was only possible via road, a route often affected by landslides and weather disruptions.

Filmmaker-producer Subhash Ghai, who is known for films such as ‘Karz’, ‘Hero’, ‘Taal’, ‘Ram Lakhan’ and others, has announced the actor for his upcoming film.

On Monday, the veteran filmmaker took to his Instagram, and shared a picture of Riteish Deshmukh, in which the actor appears cross-dressed. The veteran filmmaker wrote in jest that he has locked in the “heroine” for his next film.

He wrote in the caption, “She is our next heroine in our forthcoming film under mukta arts. A classic beauty. Can u guess the name of this beautiful girl ? Please do write (sic)”.

The picture appears to be from the 2006 comedy film ‘Apna Sapna Money Money’, in which Riteish essayed the role of a conman, and cross-dresses as part of his act.

Supported by favourable weather conditions, inflation is projected to average 2.5 per cent over the next six months. According to an HSBC report released on Monday, a high base effect from the past three years, coupled with robust cereal production, is expected to keep food inflation in India subdued for an extended period.

Core inflation, too, remains contained, led by a stronger Indian rupee, falling commodity prices, imported disinflation from China, and softer growth than a year ago, said HSBC Global Investment Research in its report. It said it expects inflation to average 3.2 per cent in FY26.

FY25 concluded on a strong note for India's granaries, with robust cereal production ensuring ample stock levels. This abundance is expected to help contain cereal inflation in the near term.

“But what matters a bit more is how rains, reservoir levels, and sowing will pan out in FY26,” said the report.

In a significant achievement for identifying neurodegenerative diseases early, a team of US researchers has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that helps clinicians detect brain activity patterns linked to nine types of dementia using a single and widely available scan.

The tool, StateViewer, not only helped in early detection but also provided accurate diagnosis -- it identified the dementia type in 88 per cent of cases, including Alzheimer's disease.

It also enabled clinicians to interpret brain scans nearly twice as fast and with up to three times greater accuracy than standard workflows, according to the research, published online in the journal Neurology.

Anshula Kapoor, who recently got evicted from Karan Johar’s show “The Traitors,” has opened up about her experience on the reality show.

She revealed that having ‘chachi’ Maheep Kapoor by her side brought her a much-needed sense of normalcy and safety. When asked how important Maheep Chachi’s presence was to her emotional strength, Anshula revealed that it made a world of difference. She shared, “She gave me emotional support. I had never done reality TV or any long-format project before. Usually, when you shoot something, you go home and decompress. But here, we were locked in. All the other contestants were strangers to me. Having Chachi there gave me a sense of normalcy and safety.”

For the unversed, Maheep Kapoor and Ashish Vidyarthi were voted out during a tense and dramatic Circle of Shaq, while the Traitors targeted and eliminated Mukesh Chhabra. The episode also saw Raftaar's unexpected exit, which came on the heels of an emotional breakdown by Sufi Motiwala.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) said on Monday it has dispatched an auto parts delegation to the US state of Georgia to help domestic manufacturers explore investment opportunities amid rising protectionist trade measures from Washington.

Jointly organised by the Gyeonggi Province government, the auto parts investment delegation visited the cities of Atlanta and Savannah for three days from Wednesday, with 10 South Korean auto parts firms participating.

The programme included investment seminars, consultations with Georgia state officials and on-site visits to existing South Korean manufacturing operations, including Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, which was completed in March, reports news agency.

Georgia has emerged as a major hub for Korean automakers, including Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., whose large-scale investments in the region have encouraged related auto parts suppliers to follow suit.

Ayush Shetty clinched his maiden title on the BWF World Tour after he defeated Canada’s Brian Yang in the US Open, a BWF Super 300 badminton tournament, final here at the Mid-America Center on Monday (IST).

World Junior Championships 2023 bronze medallist Ayush registered a 21-18, 21-13 over World No. 33 Yang in 47-minute to cap off a stellar week with.

"Ayush Shetty clinches maiden BWF Super300 title, winning the US Open 2025! He dismantled Brian Yang in straight games 21-13, 21-18 with commanding flair right from start to the end. A breakthrough triumph that cements his arrival among badminton’s elite and marks the rise of a new Indian powerhouse," BAI posted on X.

The fourth-seeded Ayush began the tournament with a 21-17, 21-19 win over Danish World No. 85 Magnus Johannesen, before beating compatriot Tharun Mannepalli 21-12, 13-21, 21-15 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, he registered a 22-20, 21-9 win over World No. 70 Kuo Kuan Lin.

In a tragic road accident on National Highway 75 near the Kunigal bypass in Karnataka's Tumakuru district, four members of the same family lost their lives after the car they were travelling in was hit by a speeding canter truck.

The deceased have been identified as residents of Mattikere village in Magadi taluk -- Seebe Gowda, his wife Shobha, and their children Dumbishree and Bhanukiran Gowda.

The accident occurred while the family was on their way to drop their son off at his school hostel. Seebe Gowda, who lived with his family in Magadi town, had come to Kunigal to drop off his son Bhanukiran Gowda, a Class 8 student at Valley School near Bidanagere on the outskirts of Kunigal.

The financialization of household savings in India has gained significant momentum as equities as percentage of household savings in the country has increased from 2.5 per cent in FY20 to 5.1 per cent in FY24, an SBI Research report said on Monday.

The Indian credit market is witnessing some structural shifts with headline bank credit growth. Thus, arithmetic average possibly hiding more things than it reveals, the report mentioned.

In future, sources of credit origination through bank deposits (primarily household savings in bank deposits) needs to be keenly watched, it added.

According to the report, public sector Banks/PSBs show stable growth of 12.2 per cent in FY25 compared to FY24 growth of 13.6 per cent.

A mild earthquake of magnitude 3.9 struck Nepal on Monday morning, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).

The tremor was reported at 8:24 a.m. IST with a depth of 14 kilometres, and its epicentre was located at latitude 29.24 degrees North and longitude 81.77 degrees East.

"EQ of M: 3.9, On: 30/06/2025 08:24:21 IST, Lat: 29.24 N, Long: 81.77 E, Depth: 14 Km, Location: Nepal," National Center for Seismology posted on X.

There have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the earthquake. However, mild tremors were felt in parts of western Nepal, causing temporary panic among residents.

This is the second seismic event to hit Nepal in the last two days. On Sunday, the NCS reported a 4.2 magnitude earthquake that also struck Nepal. That quake occurred at a shallower depth of just 10 kilometres, which experts say increases the likelihood of aftershocks.

Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) on Monday said it has achieved a significant milestone by surpassing 15,000 megawatts (MW) of operational capacity, specifically reaching 15,539.9 MW.

The accomplishment marks the fastest and largest capacity addition in India to date.

The operational portfolio includes 11,005.5 MW of solar, 1,977.8 MW of wind, and 2,556.6 MW of wind-solar hybrid capacity, said India's largest renewable energy company.

“Delighted to share that Adani Green has surpassed 15,000 MW of renewable energy capacity, marking the largest and fastest green energy build-out in India's history,” said Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group.

The Indian benchmark indices opened flat on Monday amid positive global cues, as buying was seen in the PSU bank and IT sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.27 am, Sensex was trading 1.35 points up at 84,057.55 while the Nifty added 6.50 points or 0.03 per cent at 25,644.30.

According to analysts, decline in geopolitical tensions in West Asia, the sharp pull back of Brent crude to $67 and reports of positive developments on the trade front with possibilities of trade deals between US-China and US-India augur well for equity markets.

"Significant contributors to the rally in India in recent days have been largecaps like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, RIL and L&T which have seen accumulation by institutions," said Dr VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.