The Nifty Pharma index climbed 1.65% on Monday even as the wider market slid, with Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Mankind Pharma gaining over 3% and Cipla, Divi's, Laurus Labs and Alkem more than 2%. Tatva Chintan Pharma Chem surged 20% to a 52-week high of Rs 1,714.10 on strong Q1 results. The Sensex was down 671 points as crude climbed.
After Vikram-1 reached a 450km orbit on July 18, Skyroot has become India's first spacetech unicorn at a $1.1 billion valuation, pricing launches at $5-10 million and targeting quarterly flights this year rising to monthly by 2027. India's space economy is projected to climb from $8.4 billion to $44 billion by 2033, with Agnikul, Pixxel and Bellatrix chasing commercial contracts.
ZEE5 has picked up Pooja Meri Jaan, the Mrunal Thakur and Huma Qureshi thriller on stalking and cybercrime that finished post-production in late 2022. Commissioned for JioCinema, it stalled when that service merged with Disney+ Hotstar. Director Navjot Gulati has described the delay as career-damaging and blamed a pricing dispute with Maddock Films. No premiere date has been announced.
The BSE Sensex fell 523.22 points to 77,628.23 and the Nifty dropped 134.10 to 24,198.25 in early Monday trade, weighed down by heavy selling in HDFC Bank and a jump in crude prices driven by US-Iran tensions. Kotak Mahindra Bank, InterGlobe Aviation, Maruti and Bajaj Finance also lagged, while Reliance gained about 1% on record June-quarter core profit.
Candidates have alleged score and OMR discrepancies following the NEET UG 2026 re-test. Kanpur aspirant Arya Singh says her total showed 540 before dropping to 167 within hours, against the 609 her answer sheet suggested. The NTA counters that many sheets circulating online are fake or AI-generated and has warned of legal action. The re-test followed the exam's cancellation over a leak.
Delhi's Central district police registered 10 FIRs and arrested 10 men aged 25 to 30 between July 13 and 18 under the POCSO and IT Acts for storing and circulating child sexual abuse material. The leads came from the US-run NCMEC CyberTipline, fed by Google's hash-matching and AI detection. Seized devices are with forensics and further arrests are expected.
Luis de la Fuente turned the praise on his players after Spain edged Argentina 1-0 in extra time at the New York New Jersey Stadium, saying he had never imagined anything like it and would have achieved nothing without them. The Spain coach framed the second world title as the work of a generation built on collective sacrifice.
In Sokoto, Maryam Aminu's 18-month-old was diagnosed with malnutrition for a second time in April, one of many children relapsing across northern Nigeria. The family's position worsened after February, when her husband Shehu lost his taxi-driving work as petrol prices spiked because of the war in Iran. Health and aid workers link rising cases directly to those knock-on costs.
Andy Burnham, 56, becomes Britain's seventh prime minister in just over a decade once Keir Starmer formally tenders his resignation to King Charles. The former Greater Manchester mayor called his election the most significant shift in British politics in 40 years and pledged to target the cost of living. Shabana Mahmood has overtaken Ed Miliband as favourite for finance minister.
Under the Digital Markets Act, the European Commission is ordering Google to open 11 Android features to competing AI assistants, most of them in Android 18 by August 2027, and to share anonymised Search ranking and query data with rivals by January 2027. Google warns of security gaps, while Apple has delayed Siri AI in the EU for iOS 27.
Santosh Mitra Square, whose Operation Sindoor pandal drew crowds last year and was inaugurated by Amit Shah, has chosen Vande Mataram as its 2026 Durga Puja theme, marking the song's 150th anniversary. Committee president and BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh said the pandal will trace its role in the freedom movement through lighting, sound and installations.
Thousands of fans filled Madrid's Plaza de Cibeles after Spain beat Argentina in Sunday's World Cup final, roaring out Queen's 'We Are the Champions'. The celebrations broke out close to midnight and looked set to run until dawn, leaving little prospect of sleep in the capital. Passengers aboard an Iberia flight were treated to the same anthem.
A News18 analysis argues Pakistan faces compounding strain: Imran Khan's PTI in open confrontation with the military, JUI-F's Fazlur Rehman criticising Field Marshal Asim Munir, Baloch Liberation Army attacks near Gwadar, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement agitation, and protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Disputed February 2024 election results plus inflation and unemployment feed the anger, with analysts warning of wider unrest.
Private lenders sold off in early Monday trade after first-quarter results, dragging the Nifty Private Bank index down about 2.72%. HDFC Bank and Axis Bank led the decline with losses exceeding 5% each, while Kotak Mahindra Bank and Yes Bank each shed more than 3%. ICICI Bank ran counter to the selling, climbing as much as 2.47%.
The Reserve Bank has invited global expressions of interest for polymer substrate sheets, signalling a pilot for Rs 10 and Rs 20 notes, the denominations that circulate hardest and wear out fastest. Polymer lasts two to four times longer than cotton paper and allows transparent windows that resist forgery. Earlier trials in 2013 and 2015 never reached nationwide circulation.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni wept and left his press conference after the 1-0 loss to Spain, conceding the opponents were better while defending his players' effort and their conduct in defeat. The 48-year-old, whose contract expires in December, said he would honour it and then decide, casting doubt on reports of a verbal deal to stay through 2030.
The Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Liberation and Exorcism in Makati, Metro Manila, is Asia's only dedicated exorcism centre, training Filipino priests alongside clergy from neighbouring countries. Rooms for visiting priests line its halls, leading to a chapel where the 400-year-old rite is performed. Father Jose Francisco Syquia said clergy from Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and India were already queuing for training.
Sargun Mehta posted an emotional Instagram note after Saturday's Ramayana trailer preview in Delhi, saying she could not stop crying watching husband Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and thanking casting director Mukesh Chhabra. It marks Dubey's first major film role after a decade in television. The trailer arrives on July 24, with the first instalment due in cinemas at Diwali 2026.
With blood banks struggling to find willing donors, Chennai families are proving a quiet answer. Shaikh Shamsudeen, 29, of George Town first gave blood in 2016 after an urgent call for AB Negative reached his New College classroom, following his father Shaikh Sadaqathullah. He now donates through the Madras Voluntary Blood Bureau, which marked its golden jubilee in April.
After handing the trophy to captain Rodri, Donald Trump stayed on the podium while Spain celebrated their 1-0 win over Argentina, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino visibly trying to steer him away before he stepped off. Clips spread widely online. A similar scene played out at last year's Club World Cup final at the same New Jersey venue with Chelsea.