Average rentals across all six major markets in India have breached pre-pandemic levels for the first time in 2024, a report showed on Wednesday, clocking 2-8 per cent higher rentals compared to 2019.

Delhi-NCR and Pune saw the highest rise in average rentals at about 8 per cent each during the 2019-2024 period followed by Mumbai and Chennai with about 5-6 per cent rise in the same period.

With continued strong momentum, the six major office markets have witnessed a cumulative Grade A office space demand of 264 million square feet since 2019, according to a Colliers report.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged for a reformed international financial architecture, highlighting the need to extend stronger financial support to Africa to address the continent's development challenges.

In a joint briefing with African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat on the outcome of the AU-UN annual conference Monday at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, Guterres said Africa faces challenges that are deeply rooted in history and aggravated by climate change, conflict and debt burden.

The secretary-general said the current global institutions were built at a time when most of Africa was under colonial rule, and many of those institutions need to be reformed to help Africa meet UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reports news agency.

"The international financial architecture must be corrected to give more voice and power to developing countries in general, of course, African countries in particular," said Guterres, noting that more financial support should be made to help developing countries mobilise resources and meet SDGs.

The number of babies born in South Korea increased on-year for the second consecutive month in August, data showed on Wednesday, amid lingering demographic challenges caused by the ultra-low birth rate and rapid ageing.

According to data compiled by Statistics Korea, a total of 20,098 babies were born in August, up 5.9 per cent from a year earlier, news agency reported.

The growth followed 20,601 births recorded in July, marking a 7.9 per cent on-year rise.

The increase apparently occurred after more couples held weddings from the second half of 2022 through the first half of 2023, having delayed their marriages during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The total fertility rate, which refers to the average number of expected births per woman in her lifetime, however, stood at a record low of 0.71 in the second quarter of 2024.

Insurance sector in India grew at an impressive 15 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past two decades, with premiums reaching Rs 10.4 lakh crore in FY23, and there is immense potential for growth that remains untapped, industry experts said on Wednesday.

Despite the consistent growth, India’s insurance penetration at 4 per cent, which is significantly lower than the global average of 6.8 per cent, and protection gap of $40 billion indicate substantial room for further expansion and development, according to the report by KPMG in India, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Supportive government initiatives and a conducive regulatory environment have played a crucial role in pushing the insurance penetration upwards. Schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) have expanded coverage for the poor and vulnerable sections of the society.

Indian photographers on Wednesday said that to make this Diwali the most unforgettable bash of the year, it is time to put together some iPhone 16 camera tips to get that one-in-a-million snap.

Photographer and director Joshua Karthik said Diwali can be the most dynamic time of the year, where one moment feels unlike the other, so much so that it becomes impossible for a single camera lens to do justice to the entire tableau.

That is where iPhone 16 comes in with its 48MP Fusion, Telephoto and Ultra Wide cameras that equal having four lenses in your pocket at once.

“Go ultra-wide with your photos and videos. iPhone 16 Pro and Max shoot have four times the resolution this year, and the new 48MP sensor makes for fantastic images,” Karthik suggested.

The Indian stock market opened flat on Wednesday as buying was seen in the IT, financial services, FMCG and metal sectors in the early trade.

Sensex opened at 80,151.67 with a fall of 69.05 points or 0.09 per cent while Nifty opened at 24,437.70 with a slide of 34.40 points or 0.14 per cent.

The market trend remained mixed. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 1,126 stocks were trading in green, while 1,170 stocks were trading in red.

Nifty Bank was at 51,313.05 after rising 56.50 points or 0.11 per cent. Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 50,087.10 level after slipping 86.95 points or 0.15 per cent. At the same time, the Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 18,021.05 after slipping 39.95 points or 0.22 per cent.

Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, HDFC Bank, Nestle India, Tech Mahindra and TCS were the top gainers in the Sensex pack. At the same time, NTPC, Power Grid, M&M, Tata Motors and the SBI were the top losers.

A speeding sedan car carrying five people rammed into a parked 10-wheeler truck in Rizal province, east of Manila, killing one and injuring three, police said.

Police said the crash happened before 4 a.m. local time, before dawn on Tuesday, along a highway in Antipolo City, resulting in the death of one at the scene.

The injured were all taken to a hospital for treatment, reports news agency.

A man was killed after being trapped inside a Fortuner car that caught fire near Kot Pul Nagla in the Dadri police station area of Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

When the locals spotted the car in the blaze, they informed the police and tried to take him out of the Fortuner but were unable to do so, and the man died inside the car.

Police and fire tenders responded quickly to the scene upon receiving the information.

The car was found 100 meters inside a forest, and authorities suspect foul play, with the possibility that the man was murdered by deliberately setting the vehicle on fire, according to a police official.

Aston Villa continued their 100 per cent start to the UEFA Champions League courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Bologna at Villa Park.

Following a first half dominated by Unai Emery's side, captain John McGinn broke the deadlock ten minutes after the restart, evading everyone with a free-kick into the box and finding the bottom corner.

Shortly after, John Durán volleyed in on his first Champions League start to send Villa top of the table.

The hosts finally broke the Italian side’s resistance in the 55th minute as captain John McGinn’s inswinging free-kick evaded everyone in the penalty area and nestled in the far corner.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on Wednesday the government will collaborate with the National Assembly to promptly enact a law supporting the artificial intelligence (AI) industry.

Han underscored the importance of the proposed AI Act, which aims to establish a legal framework promoting the AI industry while ensuring the safe use of the technology.

"(The government) will closely communicate with the National Assembly to promptly pass the AI Act," Han said during a conference in Seoul. "The government will spare no investment and support to support research and investment, build infrastructure and foster professionals."

The proposed Act on Industry and Framework for Establishing Trustworthy AI, first introduced in 2021, has been pending for a long time due to disagreements between political parties. Once enacted, it would consolidate seven AI-related bills proposed since 2022, reports news agency.