Live Updates

• The Indian stock market saw a recovery as the Nifty reclaimed the 23,800 level and the Rupee strengthened to move below 96. • Gains were driven by the Nifty Bank and financial services indices, which rose by approximately 0.8% and 0.77%, while media, realty, and IT sectors experienced declines. • Honasa Consumer shares hit a 10% upper circuit following strong Q4 results, reporting a 177.9% increase in net profit to Rs 69.2 crore and revenue growth of 23.1% to Rs 657.1 crore.

• SpaceX scrubbed the launch of its upgraded Starship rocket from Texas on Thursday after multiple countdown pauses caused by fuel temperature and pressure issues. • The company plans to retry the launch this coming Friday following the technical delays that occurred seconds before the planned liftoff. • Separately, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Cuba that the U.S. remains focused on changing the island's communist system.

• GIFT Nifty indicates a positive start for the BSE Sensex and Nifty50 as they enter the final trading session of the week this Friday. • The market is currently navigating volatility driven by high crude oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty surrounding the US-Iran conflict. • Market analysts emphasize that the indices must sustain positions above key resistance levels to confirm a broader, stronger recovery trend.

• India and South Korea have officially exchanged agreements to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the critical field of Defence Cyber. • The deal includes a specific partnership to facilitate training and academic exchange between India's National Defence College and the Korea National Defence University. • This collaboration matters as it enhances the strategic security capabilities of both nations against evolving digital threats and cyber warfare.

Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson says his objective is to ‘defeat’ changes to capital gains and negative gearing. Follow today’s news liveSee all our Australia budget 2026 coverageGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Coalition said last night it would repeal changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing if elected as it tried to hit back at Labor’s budget measures.The shadow treasurer, Tim Wilson, told Sky News the prime minister promised not to touch the incentives during last year’s election campaign and that therefore Labor did not have a mandate for the reforms.We’ll repeal these measures if necessary, but our objective is to defeat them and to make sure that they’re never legislated. Because this government doesn’t have licence from the Australian community support these changes. Continue reading...

Deputy Liberal leader says Coalition should listen ‘very carefully’ to results of Farrer byelection. Follow the latest updatesFederal budget 2026: what we know so farSee all our Australia budget 2026 coverageGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAsked last night about a possible Liberal/National alliance with One Nation, Jane Hume refused to reject the idea outright.Pressed on the possible scenario, she said “only One Nation are in favour of that” and wouldn’t talk about “what is going to happen after the next election”.The most important is to get the primary vote up for the Liberal and National party … There are so many hypotheticals … I will say that the Coalition are determined and dedicated to present to the Australian public a platform that they can vote for …There is no-one in the Coalition party room today that is telling us we need to expand the Coalition to include One Nation.The message we sent in Farrer was that the teals vote with Greens, 70% of the time and for the people of Farrer that wasn’t going to represent their interests … We will always put our preferences where we think the national interests lies, where we think the interests of the electorate lies and that is what we did in Farrer.They wanted change. Standing on a booth with teals in orange on one side and One Nation in orange on the other, both of them were saying ‘vote for change’.This is … a byelection that nobody wanted. It occurred only a year after the election, after a local member had retired, after a quarter of a century which is a long time to have a seat … There was no love lost for the Labor party either. It is just that the Labor party didn’t have the balls to turn up … The Liberal party lost its way. The Coalition lost its way. We split twice in the last 12 months. There is frustration out there. We will take the result with humility. Continue reading...

The government has announced £25m to increase security for Jewish communitiesMorning. The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said she understands the fears faced by the Jewish community in the UK as the government announced extra funding to boost police patrols and protections around synagogues, schools and community centres.Speaking on BBC Breakfast, she was pressed on comments made by the chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, that people in the UK who are visibly Jewish are no longer safe, after two Jewish men were stabbed in an attack in Golders Green in north-west London. Continue reading...

Inquiry heard evidence about state involvement with Axel Rudakubana, who killed three young girls at a dance workshop in summer 2024Chairman Adrian Fulford, who will publish his report at midday, said the obligation was to provide answers to victims and their families.Concluding the hearings in November, he said:Our principal responsibility lies to them, to provide the best possible explanation as to why and how this terrible event occurred, and to be brave about suggesting the changes that ought to be made to prevent, if we can, a repetition.Sitting through the extensive list of failings exposed during the first phase of the inquiry provoked an understandably complex mix of emotions for our clients, who battle the daily consequences of survivors’ guilt.We hope the report will expose every entity that failed to act in time to prevent this catastrophic attack, and any agencies that are found to be at fault are committed to not just learning lessons but demonstrating, publicly, that they are committed to taking every step to prevent such an atrocity from happening again.There is no regulatory mechanism to ensure that recommendations are properly considered and acted upon at the end of an inquiry, which is why we are strongly urging the chair to implement a process to monitor the progress of all recommendations and provide evidence to support them, as happened at the Manchester Arena Inquiry.Since that harrowing day, our clients’ thoughts have remained with the bereaved and will remain so today. Continue reading...

Follow latest updates, including how to watch the launch, as four astronauts prepare to set off on a 685,000-mile journey with millions watchingA two-hour launch window for Artemis II opens at 6.24pm EST (11.24pm BST) after an almost four-hour fueling process. Nasa’s final weather briefing on Tuesday reported an 80% chance of favorable conditions for launch.Mission managers will be watching closely data from launchpad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, as well as real-time and forecast weather information. Any last-minute technical issue or weather violation can cause a scrubbed launch attempt, or a delay, right up to T-0 (the moment the countdown clock reaches zero). Continue reading...

Porepunkah fugitive, 56, had been on the run after killing two police officers in Australian alpine region in AugustFull story: Dezi Freeman shot dead by policeGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWayne Gatt, secretary of the Police Association Victoria, issued a statement a little earlier confirming the man fatally shot was Dezi Freeman.He said:Our members said they would find him. They did.Closure isn’t the right word. This represents a step forward for our members, for the families of our fallen members and for the community. It doesn’t lessen the trauma, give back the futures that were callously stolen or lessen the collective fear and grief that this tragic event has instilled in police and the wider public.They have worked tirelessly. During the emergency, in the operation that followed and the months thereafter, members across the state have devoted themselves to this singular pursuit. Days like today offer a sobering reminder that policing happens while you sleep, when the media spotlight on an investigation dims and when everything seems lost and forgotten.RIP Vadim and Neal. Today, we remember you. Continue reading...

More than 3,000 No Kings events scheduled in cities and towns in third set of protests since Trump re-electionWhat to know about the third No Kings protests happening in MarchGood morning. Today our US politics blog will cover the third No Kings march as millions of people are expected to protest against the Trump administration at more than 3,000 events across the United States.A flagship event will be held in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, where massive anti-ICE demonstrations broke out earlier this year after federal agents killed two residents. Continue reading...