At least seven miners were killed and seven others injured in a severe blast at a coal mine, owned by a private entity, at Khayrasole in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Monday afternoon, officials said.

The local administration suspects that more miners are likely to be trapped within the mines after landslides due to the blast.

Eyewitnesses said that the bodies of some of the killed were blown into pieces in the blast.

As per the latest information available, the injured miners, many of whose conditions are extremely critical, have been shifted to a local hospital for treatment there.

Denying "unfounded rumours" of ill health, industrialist Ratan Tata on Monday said he was in "good spirits".

His comments came as several media reports claimed that the 86-year-old was rushed to a hospital and was admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) after his blood pressure dropped.

Denying the reports, the former Tata Sons Group Chairman said the visit was part of a routine check-up due to his age.

He said: "Thank you for thinking of me."

"I am aware of recent rumours circulating regarding my health and want to assure everyone that these claims are unfounded," Tata wrote in a post on social media platform X.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant commemorated the one-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack, labelling the group as "satanic killers."

The attack, which occurred during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. It led to the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of over 100 hostages by Hamas, a Palestinian militant group.

In a post on X, Gallant described the past year as one of "hard and continuous war," as Israel continues its efforts to bring hostages home and defend the nation.

"A flourishing and prosperous region was harmed by satanic killers with only one thing in their eyes - the destruction and destruction of Israel," he said.

Russia's first hydrogen-powered vessel, named Ecobalt, is scheduled to undergo sea trials this month, local media reported on Monday.

The vessel, designed as a 12-passenger recreational boat, is equipped with an electrochemical generator powered by hydrogen fuel, said Oleg Savchenko, General Director of the Krylov State Research Center (KSRC), reports news agency, quoting state media.

"This will be Russia's first vessel with a domestically-produced electrochemical hydrogen generator, representing a fully-import-substituted technology," RIA Novosti quoted Savchenko as saying.

India Inc saw 551 deals worth $19 billion in the July-September period, clocking highest quarterly deal volumes in two years, a report showed on Monday.

The three-month period (Q3 2024) also saw 25 initial public offerings (IPOs) valued at $4.1 billion, according to Grant Thornton Bharat Dealtracker.

There were 214 mergers and acquisitions valued at $11.4 billion, a 57 per cent increase in volume and 65 per cent in value from Q2 2024, which is a testament to India's resilience and growing confidence.

“India's deal-making environment has been on the upward trend in volumes since Q1 2023, with Q3 2024 marking its highest, reflecting domestic market resilience, driven by domestic and cross-border transactions and breeding confidence among investors,” said Shanthi Vijetha, Partner, Growth at Grant Thornton Bharat.

Iran and the Netherlands exchanged views on recent developments in the Middle East and the development of Iran's ties with European countries.

In a phone call with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pointed to the stances adopted by some Western countries on Israel's "crimes" in Gaza and Lebanon, noting that these countries, instead of condemning Israel's "crimes and terrorist actions," constantly called on Iran to exercise self-restraint, as reported by news agency.

Pezeshkian said that Iran, hoping to see the coming to fruition of the efforts to achieve a truce in Gaza, had refrained from giving an immediate response to Israel's "terrorist crime and violation of its national sovereignty."

Junior shooters capped off a dominant performance with a gold medal in the men’s 50m pistol team event at the ISSF Junior World Championship Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun, as India topped the medal tally with 13 gold, three silver and eight bronze medals. Italy was second with five gold and four silver and bronze medals each, while Norway placed third with four gold and a total of 10 medals.

The junior men’s 50m pistol team of Deepak Dalal (545), Kamaljeet (543) and Raj Chandra (528) combined for a tally of 1616, to put it across Azerbaijan by a point. Armenia was third.

Mukesh Nelavalli also won an individual bronze in the event, his sixth medal of the competition, shooting a total of 548 over 60-shots. Azerbaijan’s Imran Garayev won gold with a score of 552.

With the festive season in full swing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), quick-commerce, and the rise of micro-influencers are some factors playing a leading role in influencing festive purchases this year, finds a report on Monday.

The report, commissioned by social media giant Meta and conducted in September by consumer insights platform GWI, indicates an optimism in consumer sentiment with half of respondents planning on spending more than last year.

It noted that festive shopping trends continue to see disruption with 96 per cent of shoppers expecting their shopping pattern to change this year on the back of online shopping, e-commerce penetration, and the rise of quick commerce.

Two Chinese were among three killed and around a dozen other people injured in a massive explosion near Karachi airport late Sunday night.

Confirming the death of Chinese nationals on Monday, the country's embassy in Islamabad severely condemned the attack.

The explosion occurred when a convoy transporting Chinese staff from Port Qasim Electric Power Company (Private) Limited was attacked near Jinnah International Airport in the Pakistani port city.

In a statement, the Chinese Embassy strongly condemned the "terrorist attack," expressing condolences to the victims from both countries and extending sympathies to the injured and their families.

Actor Sunny Kaushal has spoken about how the OTT has been a game changer but at the same time said that its success is not just because of the pandemic.

"After the pandemic happened, there was no way to get your money back as so many films were stuck in the middle of production," Sunny, who is the younger brother of Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal said.

He shared that OTT has become the main space for “content consumption.”

"That's when OTT really came into the picture. Years ago, pre-pandemic, nobody could have imagined OTT becoming such a major player in the industry. Today, it’s the main space for content consumption. The platforms have revolutionised the way stories are told, and the variety is immense."