In yet another significant achievement for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, India's Gini Index now stands at 25.5, making it the fourth most equal country in the world, after the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Belarus, according to a World Bank report.

The Gini Index is a simple yet powerful way to understand how equally income, wealth or consumption is distributed across households or individuals in a country.

It ranges in value from 0 to 100. A score of 0 means perfect equality. A score of 100 means one person has all the income, wealth or consumption and others have none, hence absolute inequality. The higher the Gini Index, the more unequal the country.

India's score is much lower than China's 35.7 and far lower than the United States, which stands at 41.8. It is also more equal than every G7 and G20 country, many of which are considered advanced economies.

Assam Rifles and other security forces have seized contraband worth over Rs 1.44 crore and arrested 11 drug peddlers, including two women, in Mizoram during the past 24 hours, officials said on Saturday.

An official said that acting on specific intelligence inputs regarding the movement of contraband foreign cigars in Siaha District, an Area Domination Patrol (ADP) was launched by Assam Rifles along with Mizoram police at Tlangpuikawn areas.

The security personnel intercepted four vehicles and recovered 83 cartons of foreign Cigars (Burmese Cheroot) worth Rs 62.25 lakh from the vehicles.

Four people aged between 20 to 27 years were arrested in this connection.

In another incident, the Assam Rifles, along with officials of the Excise and Narcotics Department, established a check post at New Dawn to Hnahthial road in Siaha District and intercepted four suspects.

To mark the occasion of Van Mahotsav, DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh organized a Tree Plantation Drive on its campus on 5th July 2025. The event was held in collaboration with the Forest Department, Chandigarh, as part of a collective effort to promote environmental sustainability and awareness among students.
A total of 70 saplings were planted during the drive, including a diverse mix of flowering, medicinal, and fruit-bearingplants. The plantation aimed to enhance the college’s green cover while also educating students on the ecological importance of trees.

Crude oil prices may see a recovery in the near term as positive signals emerge from the supply side and geopolitical tensions show signs of easing, experts said on Saturday.

While demand concerns continue to weigh on global sentiment, market experts believe crude prices could bounce back if key technical levels are sustained.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude prices remained subdued on Friday, trading near the mid $65 range amid thin holiday trading and weak global demand.

However, analysts are pointing to a potential turnaround, especially with key events like the OPEC+ meeting and the US tariff deadline on the horizon.

Tejas Shigrekar, Chief Technical Research Analyst -- Commodities and Currencies at Angel One Ltd, said the crude oil outlook remains mixed, but there are reasons for cautious optimism.

After experiencing a significant bullish run, approaching the psychological threshold of $10,000, the copper price is poised to rally to Rs 980-Rs 1,020 per kg on the domestic front and $10,800- $11,000 per metric tonne on the London Metal Exchange (LME) in the near term, a report said on Saturday.

Favourable conditions, including a balance between surplus projections and persistent demand concerns, a decline in the US dollar, and expectations around rate cuts, are leading the upward trend path ahead for copper, according to the report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services.

“The US Dollar Index has retreated significantly, to its lowest level in three years, as Treasury yields have moderated and expectations for rate cuts and lower growth expectations. The combination of a softer dollar and rising risk appetite among investors is creating an environment favourable for further price appreciation," the report stated.

There is a shortage of Copper stocks, and this is causing strong backwardation in futures prices. The LME cash–3M spread has widened past $100, which shows a shortage of copper for immediate delivery.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red Alert for very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh on July 6, particularly in the districts of Kangra, Sirmaur, and Mandi. The forecast comes in the wake of an already challenging week marked by heavy rain and several cloudbursts that have claimed at least 69 lives and left 37 people missing in the hill state.

The Red Alert has been issued in anticipation of peak monsoon intensity on July 6 and 7. An Orange Alert has also been sounded for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Chamba, Solan, Shimla, and Kullu districts, warning residents and authorities to remain on high alert.

The IMD's Shimla centre stated earlier on Friday that the state is likely to witness intense rainfall activity from Saturday to Wednesday (July 5 to 9).

US President Donald Trump has signed tariff letters on exports from 12 countries, which are expected to be sent out on July 7 (Monday).

Speaking to the media aboard Air Force One, the US President said the names of the countries which will receive the letters would only be revealed on Monday.

"I signed some letters and they'll go out on Monday, probably 12. Different amounts of money, different amounts of tariffs,” he told reporters.

"The letters are better. It is much easier to send a letter," Trump added.

Trump has suggested that the reciprocal tariffs could go even higher, potentially reaching 70 per cent for some countries, and take effect from August 1.

The US President in April unveiled a base tariff of 10 per cent on most goods entering the country, along with higher rates for certain countries, including China. Those elevated tariffs were later suspended till July 9.

Heavy rains continued to lash eastern Madhya Pradesh for the second consecutive day, creating flood-like situations and severely disrupting normal life.

In several places, roads and bridges were either submerged or swept away, cutting off access and stranding residents.

Districts including Dindori, Balaghat, Jabalpur, Mandla, Rewa, and Sagar were among the worst affected by the relentless downpour over the past 30 hours. Rivers and streams in these areas are overflowing, adding to the crisis.

In Mandla, a landslide occurred on National Highway 30 on Friday, and a key bridge connecting the district to Jabalpur was washed away, impacting connectivity and emergency response efforts.

In Tikamgarh, panic gripped a tribal girls' hostel after floodwaters entered the premises. Fortunately, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams carried out a swift rescue, evacuating all students to safety.

The Indian equity markets closed lower for the week as investors turned cautious ahead of the crucial July 9 US-India trade deadline and the start of the corporate earnings season, experts said on Saturday.

Both benchmark indices -- the Sensex and the Nifty -- slipped 0.7 per cent each on a weekly basis, as broader market sentiment remained clouded by global uncertainty and profit booking after the recent rally.

The Nifty ended the week at 25,461, while the Sensex closed at 83,432.89. The indices had started the week with a strong breakout, but the momentum faded amid concerns over a possible delay in finalising trade agreements.

However, reports suggesting an interim deal between India and the US helped limit the downside in the latter half of the week.

According to Ajit Mishra of Religare Broking Limited, the pullback was largely driven by investors booking profits following recent gains.

In a series of anti-Semitic incidents in Australia overnight, the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation on Albert Street became the target of an arson attack. Additionally, a few hours later, about 20 protesters gathered outside an Israeli-owned restaurant in Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) in the state of Victoria, according to local media reports.

The Victoria Police further revealed details about another incident that occurred at a business in the Greensborough suburb in Melbourne early Saturday morning.

“It's understood that unknown offenders attended a business on Para Road and set fire to three cars. They also used spray paint on the cars and a building wall. One of the cars was destroyed, the other two were moderately damaged,” Australian state-run news agency ABC quoted the Acting Commander Zorka Dunstan as saying.

Commander Dunstan mentioned that the incident involved “some references of anti-Semitism”, and the business had witnessed pro-Palestinian activity over the past year, leading the police to believe that it may be linked to the other two incidents from Friday.