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Silver and gold prices snapped a two-day rebound and declined sharply up to 10% in the futures trade on Thursday (February 5, 2026) amid weak trends in the international markets and a strong U.S. dollar.On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), silver for March delivery dropped by ₹26,850, or 10%, to ₹2,42,000 per kilogram. In the previous session, the white metal had settled at ₹2,68,850 per kg.Similarly, gold for April contract depreciated by ₹2,310, or 1.51%, to ₹1,50,736 per 10 grams as compared with Wednesday’s (February 4, 2026) closing level of ₹1,53,046 per 10 grams. “Gold and silver erased recent gains,…

Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha (right) shakes hands with New Zealand’s captain Mitchel Santner (left) after the coin toss of the T20 World Cup cricket match between New Zealand and Pakistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 21, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP Pakistan skipper Salma Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bat against New Zealand in a T20 World Cup Super 8 match in Colombo on Saturday (February 21, 2026).Due to heavy rain in Colombo, the match has been delayed until further notice.Pakistan made one change, bringing in Fakhar Zaman in place of Khawaja Nafay.New Zealand made…

In a 1995 New York Times opinion piece which he authored, Donald Trump said that his ego plays a major role in his life. The title of the article was ‘What My Ego Wants, My Ego Gets’. Trump discussed the role of his ego in his business transactions.There can be no doubt that Trump’s ego also plays a big role in shaping his approach and policies as the President of the United States of America. His behaviour is characterised by inflated self-esteem, often projecting himself as superior or better than others.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADThe Board of Peace (BoP), formally…

Ram Janmabhoomi Temple construction work is under way in Ayodhya. | Photo Credit: ANI The Stamp and Registration department is an unlikely place to offer much joy. However, Yogendra Pratap Singh was ecstatic as Ayodhya topped Uttar Pradesh’s revenue receipt for November in terms of percentage hike among all the 75 districts, at 109.19%. “The major part of revenue comes from land registration in the district, primarily from the Sadar region,” said Mr. Singh, the assistant commissioner, Stamp and Registration department, Ayodhya.As the grand Ram temple in the city nears completion, and the consecration ceremony of lord Ram’s idol at…

Representative image. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The rupee appreciated 14 paise to close at 90.33 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar on Thursday (February 5, 2026), on trade deal optimism and overnight decline in commodity prices, even as the upside remained capped as investors look for more clarity on the India-U.S. trade deal. Forex traders said significant corporate dollar demand and a weak trend in domestic equities restricted the upside for the local unit.At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.52 against the U.S. dollar, then gained some ground to 90.40, registering a gain of 7 paise…

Quinton de Kock has been simply sensational against India. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI It was only a couple of months back that South Africa played a white-ball series in India after blanking the home side in the preceding Test series. That T20I series was not only a good warm-up for the World Cup but also gave both teams an idea about each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Don’t forget that South Africa are still smarting over that defeat in the World Cup final in Barbados in June 2024 and are thirsting for revenge.Since then, they have gone on to beat…

Picture this: China held the world’s largest forex reserves, totalling $3.3579 trillion, in December 2025. Amid uncertain ties with America, however, it is fast reducing its US Treasury holdings and diversifying its foreign exchange reserves towards gold, non-US currencies, and overseas equity investments. In just one month, its US Treasury holdings fell from $688.7 billion in October 2025 to $682.6 billion a month later, its lowest since 2008.In contrast, Japan’s holdings in the US Treasury rose by $2.6 billion to $1.2 trillion, while the UK’s pool rose by $10.6 billion to $888.5 billion.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADBeyond headlines and routine…

A Lanjia Saora tribe youth preparing traditional Saora paintings at Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) in Bhubaneswar on June 11, 2020. | Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT Last Thursday, 17 products from across six States/Union Territories got the Geographical Indications (GI) tag. The products ranged from handicrafts such as the Dongaria Kondh shawl from Odisha, to agricultural products such as the Sundarban Honey from West Bengal. A GI tag is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.What is a GI tag?In India, if…

Silver and gold prices extended their rally for the second consecutive day in futures trade on Wednesday (February 4, 2026), following a steep correction last week, amid strong gains in the global markets and a weak U.S. dollar. According to the Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX), silver for the March delivery jumped by ₹16,853, or 6.29%, to ₹2,84,868 per kg. The white metal snapped its three-day losing streak on Tuesday (February 3), soaring ₹31,754, or 13.4%, to close at ₹2,68,015 per kg. Gold futures also registered robust gains on the commodities bourse. The yellow metal for the April contract appreciated by ₹5,868,…

US President Donald Trump has begun rallying international support for what is being described as a “Board of Peace” aimed at rebuilding Gaza, a proposal that carries clear undertones of bypassing existing multilateral frameworks, including the United Nations, a concern that France has already flagged.The structure of the initiative is raising eyebrows, with provisions such as a reported one-billion-dollar financial commitment merely to participate, blurring the line between post-conflict reconstruction and an exclusive geopolitical club. This also makes the participation of states like Pakistan particularly difficult to explain. The initiative’s design, funding model, and implied hierarchy of participation suggest that…