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Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are becoming an essential part of diversified investment strategies in today's fast-changing financial landscape. As the property market evolves, REITs offer a way to benefit from real estate returns without the hassle of direct property ownership. The appeal of REITs lies in the stability and growth of the Indian real estate sector. REITs have delivered competitive returns, with consistent rental yields and potential for capital appreciation. Collectively, these REITs distributed ₹4,259 crores in the first nine months of FY25, marking a 15% YoY growth from ₹3,706 crores in 9M FY24 (Source: Indian REITs Association Data). This makes them a compelling choice, positioned between traditional fixed-income investments and full equity exposure, offering portfolio balance to investors.

tariff rate of 10% on countries across the globe, big and small. From the imposed reciprocal tariff rates, Asia and Europe on the higher end of the tariff scale. In Asia, the highest rate of reciprocal tariff is on Cambodia and Vietnam. India faces reciprocal tariffs of 27% while China faces reciprocal tariffs of 34%. Indonesia and Taiwan are facing higher tariffs than India at 32%. Mexico and Canada are exempted from new tariffs, while the previously announced 25% tariff on autos is to take effect from April 3, 2025. Reciprocal tariffs to the equivalent of ~50% of combined estimated rate of tariff and non-tariff barriers faced by US exports in the respective countries have been announced. A retaliation might put the global economy in a trade war. The efforts to reach a bilateral agreement between India-USA provides hope and scope to limit the impact of these reciprocal tariffs levied on India.

Public Provident Fund (PPF) is one of India's most popular long-term investment options. It offers tax benefits, safety due to sovereign backing, and guaranteed returns. PPF comes with a 15-year lock-in period and EEE tax status (Exempt-Exempt-Exempt). Many investors invest in PPF due to the tax-free interest and maturity amount.

Fake cosmetics, massage pillows and sex toys. Crude homemade explosives. A Russian known as Warrior. A code word: Mary. These are among the key elements of a suspected Russian-run sabotage plot that led to three parcels being detonated at courier depots in Britain, Germany and Poland last summer, a person with knowledge of the Polish investigation told Reuters. The pillows, packed into the parcels with the cosmetics and sex toys, contained hidden homemade incendiary devices made of a cocktail of chemicals including highly reactive magnesium, according to the person familiar with the case who provided the most granular account yet of the alleged plot. The chemicals were ignited by pre-timed detonators adapted from cheap Chinese electronic gadgets used to track items like lost keys, with the effect enhanced by the tubes of what looked like cosmetics but in fact contained a gel made of flammable compounds including nitromethane, according to the source. «The proceedings in this case concern criminal activities inspired by Russia's GRU,» this person said, referring to Moscow's foreign military intelligence agency.

Nissan Motor said on Thursday it will not take new orders from the U.S. for two Mexican-built Infiniti SUVs, following auto tariffs levied by President Donald Trump, in a drastic scale-back of its operations at a joint venture plant. The Japanese automaker said it would now maintain two shifts of production of the Rogue SUV at its Smyrna, Tennessee, plant after announcing in January it would end one of the two shifts this month. Nissan will not accept any additional orders of the Infiniti QX50 and QX55 SUVs for the U.S. market produced at the COMPAS plant it has run together with Mercedes-Benz in Mexico. Nissan said production is expected to continue for those models sold in other markets. It remained unclear how much of the production is sold in other markets. The two Infiniti models have only been exported from Mexico to the U.S., according to data from Mexico's national statistics agency. A Japan-based Nissan spokesperson said on Saturday the models are produced for and exported to markets such as Mexico, Panama, the Middle East and Canada, without providing details on its production plans for the vehicles.

The team, comprising of players of Pasifika heritage, have been dominant in the second half of their matches this season, scoring nearly 63% of their total points. The victory over Waratahs is Moana Pasifika’s first back-to-back wins since joining Super Rugby Pacific in 2022. The Waratahs remain winless away from home this season. Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea, an All Black player, expressed his pride in his team's resilience and highlighted the impact of their bench players. The team's focus on fundamental skills like set pieces, carrying, and cleaning contributed to their second-half dominance, he pointed out. The two halves of the match had dramatically different outcomes. The Waratahs capitalized on early Moana Pasifika errors, scoring tries through winger Triston Reilly (twice) and Andrew Kellaway. Teddy Wilson also contributed to the Waratahs' first-half lead. A wayward Moana Pasifika lineout throw provided the opportunity for Wilson's initial contribution, leading to Reilly's first try. A missed quick tap penalty inside the Waratahs' 10m further hampered Moana Pasifika. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii's strong run set up Reilly’s second try. Feleti Sae Ta’ufo’ou scored Moana Pasifika’s first try.

The SBI Amrit Kalash was a limited-period FD scheme that offered an attractive interest rate of 7.10% per annum for regular investors and a higher 7.60% for senior citizens on a 400-day deposit. Income Tax GuideIncome Tax Slabs FY 2025-26

A recent review of Kaur's security by central intelligence agencies has stipulated her to be placed under the Z category, the second-highest level of protection, according to the sources. Accordingly, the Union home ministry directed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) VIP security wing to scale down the number of personnel and protocol, according to the Z category, for Kaur, they said. She will have the protection of about a dozen armed commandos for her personal protection as well as for her home, the sources said. The change in categorisation of security has also led to the reduction of the number of Delhi Police personnel sanctioned for the Singhs, they said.

Financial services firm Tata Capital has filed preliminary papers for Rs 15,000 crore plus IPO under the confidential pre-filing route with markets regulator Sebi. The mega IPO will comprise both issuance of new shares as well as offloading of stake by Tata Sons, which owns 93% equity stake in Tata Capital. Tata Capital, identified as an upper-layer non-banking finance company (NBFC) by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), already received its board approval to float the IPO which may comprise 2.3 crore equity shares by way of a fresh issue and an offer of sale (OFS) by certain existing shareholders, according to a disclosure made to stock exchanges earlier.

Joel Kaplan, Meta’s chief global affairs officer, shared the news on X, stating, “By Monday afternoon, our fact-checking program in the US will be officially over. That means no new fact checks and no fact checkers.” He added, “In place of fact checks, the first Community Notes will start appearing gradually across Facebook, Threads & Instagram, with no penalties attached.”

mutual funds. To make the most of SIPs, it helps to follow a structured approach—and the 7-5-3-1 rule serves as a useful guideline for investors to manage their expectations and strategies over different time horizons.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Every once in a while, a car comes along that makes you sit up and take notice. That’s not something you’d typically expect from a model that’s been on the market for over 20 years, often playing the role of a backbencher.

Rockland, a town near Ottawa, prompting action by local authorities who have arrested a suspect in connection with the incident. The High Commission of India in Ottawa confirmed the death on Saturday and said it is closely working with Canadian authorities and community groups to assist the family of the deceased. In a statement issued on social media platform X, the Indian mission said, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in Rockland near Ottawa, due to stabbing. Police has stated a suspect has been taken into custody. We are in close contact through a local community association to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved kin."

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Financial crises come in all shapes and sizes—and occasionally as part of rescue packages. The International Monetary Fund’s austerity package after the 1997 Asian foreign exchange crisis sent many South-East Asian nations reeling, giving rise to multiple unintended consequences.

The penalties are set to include a fine and demands for product changes, said the people, who declined to be identified discussing an ongoing investigation. These are expected to be announced this summer and will be the first issued under a new EU law intended to force social media companies to police their services, they said. European authorities have been weighing how large a fine to issue X as they consider the risks of further antagonizing Trump amid wider trans-Atlantic disputes over trade, tariffs and the war in Ukraine. The fine could surpass $1 billion, one person said, as regulators seek to make an example of X to deter other companies from violating the law, called the Digital Services Act.

Laurence Fishburne, best known for his iconic portrayal of Morpheus in The Matrix trilogy, has shared candid thoughts on why he was missing from The Matrix Resurrections. The 2021 sequel of the Matrix franchise excluded Fishburne during its release period, although he remained a prominent figure in previous films of the franchise. He described that the offer never reached him, even though he was ready to bring back Morpheus while waiting for the chance to return.

University of Ottawa, said that patients incurring catastrophic costs are two to four times more likely to experience treatment failure. Therefore, mitigating treatment costs will not only benefit individuals, but also health systems and communities at large, they said. Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms include a persistent cough, chest pain, fever, fatigue, among others. Findings, published in the journal PLOS Global Public Health, also showed that costs were consistently higher among patients having drug resistant tuberculosis and those identified through 'passive case finding'. The researchers suggested that actively finding cases, along with improving access to tests for drug resistant tuberculosis, may help mitigate the burden of out-of-pocket expenditures incurred by patients.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) issued a framework for the Past Risk and Return Verification Agency (PaRRVA), designed to independently verify the risk and return metrics claimed by investment advisors (IAs), research analysts (RAs), and algorithmic trading providers. PaRRVA was introduced during Sebi's board meeting on 19 December to provide investors with independent verification of these services' risk and return characteristics before they invest.

India captain Rohit's form with the bat has put the MI team management in a tight spot. The same is for LSG skipper Pant whose extended dry run is not helping matters for the home side. With both the teams almost identically placed with a solitary win each in three games, the contest could boil down to who exploits the conditions better on the day. Given that the curators haven't been providing tailor-made pitches to the home sides — something that has caused frustration of the coaches and players in some franchises — the team that gets a head-start with the bat or ball in the power play overs could call the shots. The prolonged absence of MI pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah due to injury and the management maintaining a stoic silence on his return is only adding to the frustration of the Hardik Pandya-led side.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved four multitracking projects worth Rs 18,658 crore this week. Addressing journalists on Friday, Union Railways, Information Broadcasting, and Information Technology Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw said these initiatives will improve travel convenience, reduce logistic cost, decrease oil imports, and contribute to lower CO2 emissions. In another decision, the cabinet approved the second Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP-II) for improving infrastructure at bordering inhabited areas. The four multitracking projects cover 15 districts across Maharashtra, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh, increasing the existing network of Indian Railways by about 1247 kilometres (kms). They are expected to be complete by 2030-31. Vaishnaw said these new projects will operate similar to freight corridors. The projects aim to enhance logistical efficiency by increasing the line capacity along the key routes for coal, iron ore, and other minerals. Responding to a query on whether these new lines will be dedicated solely for freight operations, Vaishnaw said, “Networks work best when they are integrated, whether railway, highway, or telecom.” The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 88.77 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum).

Public Provident Fund (PPF), especially those who have opted for the new tax regime in FY 2025-26. The new tax regime has become more attractive than the old tax regime for a large number of taxpayers, as the new regime allows for zero tax payable on income of up to Rs 12 lakh. However, you must not forget that the interest income from PPF investments, as well as the maturity amount, are exempt from taxes. Your PPF investments should, therefore, continue at the maximum level permitted (Rs 1.5 lakh per FY), even if you opt for the new tax regime for FY 2025-26. This will help you earn tax-free interest while also keeping the PPF account active.