The rupee slipped again below the psychologically important 90 level and settled 22 paise lower at 90.20 (provisional) against the US dollar on Friday, weighed down by disappointing domestic macroeconomic data and a stronger greenback in overseas markets, PTI reported.At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 89.95 and moved between an intra-day low of 90.25 and a high of 89.92 before closing at 90.20, down from its previous close of 89.98. On Thursday, the local unit had already weakened by 10 paise.Forex traders said persistent foreign fund outflows and strong dollar demand from importers continued to pressure the currency. However, softer crude oil prices and a sharp rally in domestic equities helped limit the extent of losses, while possible intervention by the Reserve Bank of India at lower levels offered some support.“Indian rupee fell on Friday, breaching the 90-mark once again amid disappointing macroeconomic data and a positive US dollar index… FII outflows too weighed on the rupee. However, weak crude oil prices and a surge in the domestic equities cushioned the downside. RBI reportedly sold dollars via state-owned banks, which also prevented the pace of fall,” said Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst, Commodities, Mirae Asset Sharekhan.On the macroeconomic front, India’s manufacturing sector showed its weakest improvement in two years in December, driven by slower growth in new orders. The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 55 in December from 56.6 in November, though it remained above the 50-mark that separates expansion from contraction.Meanwhile, the dollar index, which tracks the US currency against a basket of six major currencies, was trading 0.07 per cent higher at 98.38. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, declined 0.58 per cent to $60.52 per barrel in futures trade.Domestic equity markets ended sharply higher, with the Sensex jumping 573.41 points to close at 85,762.01 and the Nifty rising 182 points to 26,328.55. Foreign institutional investors, however, sold equities worth Rs 3,268.60 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.

Representative image (Picture credit: AP)

Iran on Friday issued a sharp warning against any US intervention, vowing a response after President Donald Trump said Washington would come to the aid of protesters in the Islamic republic.“Any intervening hand-nearing Iran security on pretexts will be cut off with a regret-inducing response,” Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wrote on X. “Iran’s security is a red line,” he added. Shamkhani also referred to past US actions in the region, saying Iranians were familiar with the experience of being “rescued” by Americans, citing conflicts from Iraq and Afghanistan to Gaza.The warning came amid rising tensions as protests over economic hardship spread across parts of the country.Trump had earlier warned Tehran against using violence against demonstrators. In a post on Truth Social, he said that if Iran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” the United States would “come to their rescue,” adding that Washington was “locked and loaded”. His remarks followed days of demonstrations sparked by worsening economic conditions and the sharp fall of Iran’s currency.The exchange of threats comes as protests enter their sixth day, with unrest reported in several provinces. Demonstrations have been driven largely by economic grievances, including soaring prices and the collapse of the rial, though chants against Iran’s ruling system have also been heard, according to news agency AP. At least seven people have been killed so far in violence linked to the protests.Iranian officials have accused external forces of fuelling the unrest. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, alleged on X that the US and Israel were stoking the demonstrations, warning that American intervention would lead to “chaos in the entire region”.“With statements from the Israeli officials and @realDonaldTrump, what was happening behind the scenes has become clear. We distinguish between the stance of the protesting traders and the actions of the saboteurs, and Trump must realise that United States intervention in this internal matter will lead to destabilising the entire region and destroying American interests”, Larijani wrote.“The American people must know that Trump is the one who started this misadventure, and they should pay attention to the safety of their soldiers”, he added.The protests mark the most significant unrest since 2022, when the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations.

Errol Musk, father of Elon Musk, has triggered widespread controversy after remarks he made in a CNN interview on demographic change in the United States, warning that a decline in the white population would have severe consequences for the country’s future.Speaking to CNN correspondent Donie O’Sullivan for a documentary segment examining conspiracy theories around “white genocide,” Errol Musk reacted to US Census Bureau projections showing that non-Hispanic White Americans are expected to fall below 50% of the population by the mid-2040s. Musk described this projected shift as “a very, very bad thing to happen” and claimed that the United States would be “doomed” if whites became a minority.

“You want to see the US go down? Why?” Musk asked during the interview. “You don’t like electric cars, and you don’t like technology? What is it, you want to go back to the jungle?” The remarks were widely criticised for implying that technological progress is dependent on racial demographics.

Comments on South Africa and apartheid

Musk went on to draw comparisons with South Africa, where he lives. He argued that the country’s small White population had historically projected “European culture” and values that contributed to national development. During the exchange, Musk denied that Black South Africans had been systematically oppressed under apartheid, dismissing such claims as “nonsense.”These assertions were directly challenged on air by CNN, and have been widely condemned by historians and commentators. Apartheid, which lasted until the early 1990s, is internationally recognised as a system of institutionalised racial segregation and oppression, documented by courts, governments, and human rights organisations worldwide.

Political context and reaction

Musk’s comments have sparked backlash across social media and international media outlets, with critics arguing that his views echo long-discredited racial and civilisational theories. The controversy comes amid heightened global sensitivity around race, migration, and identity politics.The remarks also intersect with recent political tensions involving South Africa, following earlier claims by Donald Trump alleging “white genocide” in the country, claims that have been repeatedly rejected by South African authorities and independent investigations.

What the data actually show

US Census Bureau projections indicate that demographic change in the United States is being driven by long-term trends, including lower birth rates among non-Hispanic Whites, higher birth rates among other groups, and immigration. Demographers note that becoming a “minority-White” country does not mean any group becomes numerically dominant, nor does it imply economic or technological decline. Historically, periods of immigration and demographic transition in the US have coincided with innovation and growth.Errol Musk’s CNN interview has nonetheless placed him at the centre of an ongoing global debate on demographics, culture, and identity, highlighting how population data is increasingly being interpreted through political and ideological lenses rather than empirical evidence.

Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami (AP | PTI)

Mumbai: Having recovered from a serious abdominal injury, India’s ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer is racing against time to make a comeback into the ODI set-up when the national selection committee, led by former India pacer Ajit Agarkar, picks the team for the upcoming three-match series against New Zealand at home.The series will begin in Vadodara on January 11, with the next two matches being played in Rajkot on January 14 and Indore on January 18. It remains to be seen if Iyer is picked under the ‘subject to fitness’ clause, just like India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill was for the home five-match T20I series against South Africa in December after undergoing rehabilitation for a neck injury. In fact, if Iyer makes the cut, the series could see both India’s ODI captain and vice-captain return to the fold after missing the previous series against South Africa due to injuries.

Gill, who is set to feature in the next two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Punjab along with India pacer Arshdeep Singh, is expected to return to the ODI fold after missing the South Africa series due to injury.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!TOI has learnt that Iyer underwent a match simulation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Friday and will go through another on January 5 before obtaining a ‘Return to Play’ certificate from the medical team. The 31-year-old could turn out for Mumbai in their final Vijay Hazare Trophy match in Jaipur on January 8 before joining the Indian team in Vadodara for the first ODI.“Shreyas reported to the Centre of Excellence on December 25. Since his arrival, he has shown significant improvement in strength and conditioning and has successfully completed four high-intensity skill sessions encompassing both batting and fielding. Based on his current physical status and achievement of rehabilitation milestones, he undertook a match-simulation session on January 2 and will undertake another on January 5 before obtaining clearance for white-ball formats,” a BCCI source told TOI.

Shreyas Iyer of India looks on from the team bench before game three of the One Day International series between Australia and India at Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ayush Kumar/Getty Images)

Iyer last featured in the ODI series against Australia in October, where he suffered a severe spleen injury during the third and final match in Sydney, forcing hospitalisation. The injury ruled him out of the ODI series against South Africa at home, as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai.In his absence, Ruturaj Gaikwad was tried at No. 4 and repaid the faith with an 83-ball 105 against South Africa in the second ODI at Raipur.

Will Pant be dropped without a chance?

The selection of India’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against a second-string New Zealand side just before the T20 World Cup would ordinarily attract limited attention. However, the ‘virtual’ selection meeting of Agarkar & Co has gained significance amid speculation that India’s Test vice-captain and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant could be dropped despite not having played a single ODI in the last 18 months.

Bengaluru: Delhi’s captain Rishabh Pant plays a shot during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 cricket match between Gujarat and Delhi, at BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground, in Bengaluru. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)(PTI12_26_2025_000117B)

Pant’s form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy has been patchy, with 121 runs in four matches at an average of 30.25, including one fifty. Still, dropping him even as the second wicketkeeper could be considered harsh, given that he last played an ODI on August 7, 2024, against Sri Lanka in Colombo. For over a year, Pant has warmed the bench in ODIs, with KL Rahul the first-choice wicketkeeper for the 2025 Champions Trophy and the recent home series against South Africa.

If Pant is omitted, selectors may consider in-form Dhruv Jurel, who has scored 307 runs in three matches at an average of 153.50, including an unbeaten 160 off 101 balls against Baroda. There is also a strong case for recalling Ishan Kishan, who recently returned to India’s T20I side after topping the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy run charts with 517 runs at 57.44, including two hundreds.

Shami in line for a comeback?

With workload management in mind, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to be rested for the New Zealand series. In their absence, veteran pacer Mohammed Shami could stage a comeback. Shami was India’s standout bowler in the last two ODI World Cups, claiming 14 wickets in four matches in 2019 and finishing as the leading wicket-taker in 2023 with 24 wickets in seven games.

India’s pacer Mohammed Shami engages in a discussion with Bengal team members during a training session at the Maharaja Bir Bikram Stadium, in Agartala, Tripura. (PTI Photo)(PTI11_04_2025_000253B)

Since returning from ankle and knee issues, Shami has impressed in domestic cricket, taking 20 wickets in four Ranji matches this season, along with strong returns in SMAT and VHT. While selector Agarkar had earlier insisted Shami was not fit, relations have improved, with selector RP Singh holding discussions with the pacer during a Ranji match in Kolkata.Devdutt Padikkal’s name may also come up for discussion after his prolific Vijay Hazare Trophy run, but with Shubman Gill returning and Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal in form, the Karnataka opener may have to wait.

Errol Musk, the father of Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reignited a controversy with the latest comments about the projected demographic transformation in the United States. Speaking in a recent interview, Errol Musk warned that America would ‘collapse’ if the white population becomes a minority within the next two decades, calling the shift “a very, very bad thing to happen.”Musk raised questions about the implications of the demographic change, asking, “You want to see the U.S. go down? Why? You don’t like electric cars, and you don’t like technology? What is it, you want to go back to the jungle?” Along with this, he also spoke about South Africa, claiming that the “small white population that projects the European culture” has contributed significantly to the growth and development of the Black African population. He dismissed the notion of systemic oppression in South Africa as “nonsense.”

When Elon Musk called his father ‘Evil’

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has not shared an amicable relationship with his father. In an interview with Rolling Stone a few years ago, Elon Musk characterised his father as someone who “will plan evil”.Tesla CEO Elon Musk has frequently expressed his disapproval of his father, who had ties to the apartheid regime of South Africa and has faced multiple criminal accusations. Musk described Errol as “such a terrible human being” and claimed that his father had committed “almost every crime you can possibly think of.” He added, “My dad will have a carefully thought-out plan of evil. He will plan evil. Almost every evil thing you could possibly think of, he has done. It’s so terrible, you can’t believe it.”

Past controversies around Errol Musk

In 1998, Errol Musk admitted that he killed three people insisting that it was an act of self-defence. Initially he was arrested but was later released after the charges were dropped. The incident was dded to the long list of controversies surrounding him which further fulled Elon Musk’s distrust.Elon Musk has repeatedly emphasised that his father’s words cannot be trusted. Reflecting on his attempts to mend their relationship, Musk said, “In my experience, there is nothing you can do. Nothing, nothing. I wish. I’ve tried everything. I tried threats, rewards, intellectual arguments, emotional arguments, everything to try to change my father for the better, and he, no way, it just got worse.”Tesla CEO Elon Musk had a started relationship with his father Errol Musk. The their relationship has long been a topic of public interest. The controversial statements made by Errol in the past still continue to cast a shadow over their family dynamics offering insight into the personal challenges faced by one of the world’s most influential tech entrepreneurs.

On December 29, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) published its tentative examination calendar for 2026, covering tests scheduled between January and June. Almost every major exam under its mandate was accounted for — diploma finals, FMGE, DNB and DrNB examinations, GPAT, FET.One conspicuous absence stood out: NEET-PG.For an exam that determines postgraduate medical careers for more than two lakh candidates annually, the omission was not read as routine. It was read as a signal.Within hours, aspirants began flagging the gap on X (formerly Twitter). One of the earliest widely circulated posts came from @bheekamkurmi27, who wrote that NBEMS had released the schedule but made “no mention of NEET-PG 2026.”The post was reshared repeatedly by resident doctors and aspirant groups, echoing a common fear rather than isolated panic.Another post, amplified by resident associations, used starker language: “NO NEET PG 2026 TILL JUNE.” Similar phrasing appeared across multiple accounts, including @DrMeet_Ghonia, whose post summarising the schedule omission was widely circulated among aspirants.This was not noise. It was memory, pattern recognition.

NEET-PG in the last five years: A calendar that refuses to settle

The anxiety around the omission of NEET PG in the NBEMS calendar is easier to understand when placed against the recent exam record.

What was once a relatively predictable spring examination has migrated steadily towards late summer. More critically, the movement has not followed a transparent arc. It has been marked by postponements, litigation, and last-minute reversals.For aspirants planning internships, rural bonds, gap years, finances and mental-health pacing, this is not an abstract shift. It alters life timelines.

NEET PG 2024: The last-minute postponement that broke confidence

The current distrust traces directly to June 22, 2024. NEET-PG 2024 was scheduled for June 23. Admit cards had been issued. Travel plans were locked in. Candidates were in peak revision mode. Then, barely hours before the exam, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, along with NBEMS, announced that the test was being postponed as a “precautionary measure.”Crucially, no NEET-PG–specific breach was disclosed.The official explanation referred broadly to the “integrity of certain competitive examinations” and the need for a “robustness assessment of examination processes.” In effect, the postponement was a preventive integrity audit, triggered by the wider national uproar around exam credibility unfolding at the time — not by a publicly identified problem in NEET-PG itself.The exam was eventually rescheduled for August 11, 2024, to be conducted in two shifts. Administratively, the crisis passed. Psychologically, it did not.For candidates, this moment rewired expectations. From then on, even announced dates stopped feeling real.

NEET 2025: When Supreme Court entered the exam calendar

If 2024 shattered trust, 2025 institutionalised uncertainty. NEET-PG 2025 was initially scheduled for June 15. It was later deferred to August 3, with the matter reaching the Supreme Court, which permitted the postponement while reportedly questioning the need for such an extended delay.The trigger, this time, was not security, but fairness.The Supreme Court directed that NEET-PG 2025 be held in a single shift, rather than multiple shifts, to avoid score normalisation disparities. NBEMS told the court it required additional time to arrange more test centres and infrastructure to conduct such a large exam in one sitting.The court allowed the postponement — while questioning the length of the delay.The key issue was not merely the deferment. It was the optics. When courts begin arbitrating exam timelines — rather than just disputes — the calendar stops being an academic planning document and becomes a legal contingency plan. This is how uncertainty becomes structural.

Eligibility churn in NEET PG: When rules change mid-journey

Date uncertainty might be survivable on its own. What magnifies distress is how often it collides with eligibility criteria.In 2022, NEET-PG aspirants faced litigation over internship completion cut-off dates, with NBEMS notices extending timelines becoming subject to judicial scrutiny. The grievance was simple: Candidates had planned eligibility and preparation based on one framework, only for it to shift during the cycle.This dual instability—when will the exam be held, and who will be eligible when it is—remains deeply unsettling.That memory resurfaced after December 29. Several aspirant posts explicitly linked the calendar silence to internship uncertainty, warning that without dates, candidates cannot even assess whether they fall in the 2026 eligibility bracket.

Counselling overlaps: Preparing for two cycles at once

There is another fear that resurfaces every time timelines blur: Overlap chaos.In 2022, the timelines began to spill into each other. The exam clock and the counselling clock stopped staying in their own lanes. Some candidates were revising for the next NEET-PG while still chasing paperwork, options and seat decisions from the previous round. The issue even reached the courts. For aspirants, it wasn’t just delay — it was two cycles collapsing into one long, exhausting limbo.

When silence breeds rumours and scams

There is also a quieter, more dangerous consequence of date vacuums: Misinformation.NBEMS has repeatedly warned candidates against fake notices, fraudulent messages, and unauthorised announcements circulating in its name, a problem that spikes when anxiety is high and timelines are unclear.When the official updates go quiet, the vacuum doesn’t stay empty. Telegram groups start buzzing, coaching centres hint at “likely dates”, and anonymous “insiders” suddenly have confident answers. In that fog, rumours travel faster than notices. A kind of shadow marketplace of information forms — not built on proof, but on panic, hope and the need to plan something, even if it’s wrong.

NEET PG 2026: Why this omission feels different

NBEMS did not forget NEET-PG. It left it out. A single line — “NEET-PG 2026 is tentatively expected in the second half of the year” — would have anchored expectations. Its absence allows the past to rush in and fill the gap. In a system shaped by last-minute postponements, court-approved delays, eligibility churn, counselling overlaps, and scam warnings, silence is no longer neutral.It is read as policy. By publishing a detailed exam map and omitting its most consequential exam, NBEMS has sent a message. Aspirants, trained by experience, are decoding it carefully.

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday launched a broadside against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his “vote chori” after a study by the Karnataka government found out that majority respondents in the state believe that elections in India are conducted freely and fairly and that EVM’s deliver accurate results.BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla cited the study report and claimed that the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha gets a “reality check”, each time he blames the EVMs or the Election Commission after losing the election.“Rahul Gandhi blames the EVMs and the Election Commission after losing the election,” Poonawalla said.“In Karnataka, a survey revealed that people consider EVMs safe and trust them… Each time Rahul Gandhi blames the EVMs or the system, he gets a reality check,” he added.This comes a day after Karnataka government body conducted a a survey across all four administrative divisions in the state titled “Lok Sabha Elections 2024 – Evaluation of Endline Survey of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of Citizens”.A total of 5,100 respondents were surveyed across 102 assembly constituencies, covering all 34 election districts in Karnataka, representing rural, urban, and reserved constituencies across the state’s four divisions — Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi and Mysuru.The findings assume significance amid the Congress’ campaign against ‘vote chori’ (vote theft), led by top party leader Rahul Gandhi, targeting the ruling BJP-led government at the Centre and the Election Commission of India.Also, they come at a time the Karnataka government has proposed holding all the future panchayat and urban local body polls in the state using ballot paper, citing alleged erosion of public confidence in Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).According to the report, 91.31 per cent of respondents across divisions agreed that elections in India are conducted freely and fairly, including 6.76 per cent who expressed neutral views.“Confidence was strongest in Kalaburagi division, where 84.67 per cent agreed and 10.19 per cent strongly agreed, followed by Belagavi division with 69.62 per cent agreeing and 19.24 per cent strongly agreeing. Mysuru division also showed high confidence, with 72.08 per cent agreeing and 15.08 per cent strongly agreeing,” it said.The Bengaluru division reported the lowest level of strong agreement at 7.17 per cent, though a substantial 67.11 per cent still agreed, the study said adding “neutral opinions were highest in the Bengaluru division at 12.50 per cent, compared to lower proportions in other divisions.” Disagreement was marginally higher in the Bengaluru division, with 9.67 per cent disagreeing and 3.56 per cent strongly disagreeing, though it remained very low in Kalaburagi division.As per the study, a large majority of respondents across all divisions trust EVMs, with 69.39 per cent agreeing and 14.22 per cent strongly agreeing overall that EVMs deliver accurate results.“Trust was highest in Kalaburagi division, where 83.24 per cent agreed and 11.24 per cent strongly agreed, followed by Mysuru division with 70.67 per cent agreeing and 17.92 per cent strongly agreeing. The Belagavi division also showed strong confidence, with 63.90 per cent agreeing and 21.43 per cent strongly agreeing,” it added.The Bengaluru division reported the lowest strong agreement at 9.28 per cent, though 63.67 per cent still agreed, the report added.The study also highlighted concerns about the influence of money in elections, with 44.90 per cent respondents agreeing that it is increasing and 4.65 per cent strongly agreeing overall.