Indian equities ended the week on a strong note, with both benchmark indices registering sharp gains during Friday’s session. The Sensex climbed 769.09 points or 0.95% to close at 81,721.08, while the Nifty 50 advanced 243.45 points or 0.99%, settling at 24,853.15 – just shy of the 24,850 mark.
The broader market also participated in the uptrend. The BSE Midcap index rose 0.50% to end at 44,861.42, and the BSE Smallcap index advanced 0.45%, closing at 51,521.42, indicating widespread buying across market segments.
Leading the charge were shares of Eternal, which jumped nearly 4%, and Adani Enterprises, up 2%. Other notable gainers from the Sensex 30 pack included ITC, Power Grid, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv, and Adani Ports, lending significant support to the benchmarks.
On the downside, Sun Pharma was among the key laggards after posting a 19% year-on-year drop in Q4 net profit, primarily due to exceptional charges related to a U.S. settlement. Bharti Airtel also ended lower, capping some of the broader gains.
Sectorally, the momentum was broad-based. FMCG and IT stocks were standouts, each posting around 1% gains. Varun Beverages surged over 3.5%, while peers such as ITC, Hindustan Unilever, and Godrej Consumer Products also ended firmly in the green.
On the tech front, the Nifty IT index saw all ten constituents close higher. Persistent Systems, Infosys, LTI Mindtree, and Oracle Financial Services were among the top performers.
Non-alcoholic beverages, plastics, and auto stocks saw strong buying interest, rallying between 1–3%. Meanwhile, sectors such as textiles, packaging, fertilizers, and pharmaceuticals underperformed the broader market, ending either flat or in the red.
Eternal’s plan to cap foreign ownership at 49.5% aims to align with Indian regulations and enable Indian control, with strong shareholder backing. However, concerns linger over potential FII outflows and possible index exclusion in the near term.
ITC shares are up after the company reported a sharp surge in Q4 net profit driven by an exceptional gain from the hotel business demerger and announced a substantial final dividend, which outweighed concerns over muted core earnings and margin pressures.
Power Grid shares inch up as investors reacted positively to strong future capex guidance and robust earnings visibility, with recent analyst upgrades and buy recommendations supporting sentiment despite near-term operational challenges.
SBI Life shares are trading higher as strong recent momentum and solid monthly returns boost investor confidence, with the company outperforming peers in the life insurance space and drawing fresh buying interest.
Jio Financial Services is witnessing an upswing as traders latch onto bullish technical cues, with recent moving average crossovers fueling momentum-based buying, even in the absence of fresh fundamental triggers.
Sun Pharma shares are under pressure today as investors react to a 19% year-on-year drop in Q4 net profit, weighed down by exceptional charges from a U.S. settlement, overshadowing the company’s revenue growth and triggering a sharp sell-off.
M&M shares are trading in red mainly due to continued profit booking after a recent rally and concerns over slowing rural demand and rising input costs, which are impacting margins in the auto sector. 
On the opening bell, the Indian Benchmark Indices had a muted start. Sensex started at 80,967.34, 15 points (0.019%) higher than the last close of 80,951.99.Nifty 50 started at 24,636.30, an increase of 27 points (0.11%) from its last close of 24,609.70 in the opening first few minutes of trading.
However, as of 10.00 AM, the Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, are  trading on a strong footing up by about 0.70% each, aided by strong buying in the IT stocks. 
Asian equity markets are trading mixed on Friday, tracking varied signals from Wall Street overnight. Easing U.S. Treasury yields and dovish commentary from a Federal Reserve official – who reiterated a potential path for rate cuts later this year – are lending some support to sentiment. However, investor caution persists amid growing concerns over the fiscal implications of the U.S. Republican tax cut bill, which could significantly deepen the federal deficit.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the contentious legislation Thursday, sparking fresh worries about long-term debt sustainability and its potential to exacerbate stagflation risks, particularly in an environment already fraught with tariff uncertainty.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rebounded sharply in morning trade, reversing two days of losses. The index climbed above the 37,250 mark, buoyed by broad-based gains led by heavyweight exporters and tech stocks. By the midday break, the Nikkei stood at 37,280.84, up 294.97 points or 0.80%, after briefly dipping to an intraday low of 37,126.60. This follows a notable decline in the previous session.
U.S. equity markets ended slightly higher on Thursday, as investor sentiment found some support despite mounting fiscal concerns. The S&P 500 edged up 0.21% to close at 583.09, the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.71% to 514.00, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 0.05% to finish at 418.82. The uptick came as long-dated Treasury yields stabilized, following a sharp rise earlier in the week.
The rebound in yields offered some relief to equity markets, which have been under pressure from concerns over the fiscal trajectory of the U.S. government. The passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill”  –  a sweeping tax measure expected to add $2.4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade  –  has triggered a surge in long-term borrowing costs. Yields on the 30-year bond climbed to their highest level in 19 months.
Adding to the caution, Moody’s recent downgrade of the U.S. credit outlook has intensified market unease. The prospect of sustained higher interest rates is raising concerns over consumer borrowing costs, mortgage rates, and broader economic momentum heading into the year-end.
Gold prices firmed in early trade on Friday, supported by global safe-haven demand amid persistent worries over the U.S. fiscal outlook. On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), June 5 gold futures were trading 0.10% higher at ₹95,612 per 10 grams as of 9:10 AM IST. Gains, however, were capped by subdued buying interest in the domestic spot market.
Globally, the yellow metal is on track to log weekly gains, buoyed by a weakening U.S. dollar and heightened caution around the economic impact of Washington’s newly passed tax legislation. The dollar index has fallen over 1% this week and is poised for its steepest weekly decline since April 7.
A softer dollar typically boosts gold demand, as it makes the metal more affordable for holders of other currencies. Investors are increasingly turning to gold as a hedge against potential economic instability and rising debt risks in the US.
Oil prices eased in early Asian trading on Friday, pressured by a firmer U.S. dollar and market speculation that OPEC+ may move to ramp up output. Brent crude futures slipped 37 cents to $64.07 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped 39 cents to $60.81 as of 0015 GMT.
Both benchmarks are set to close the week lower, with Brent down about 2% and WTI off by 2.7%.
The U.S. dollar climbed on Thursday, buoyed by the House of Representatives’ approval of President Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill. A stronger dollar typically exerts downward pressure on oil prices, as it makes dollar-denominated crude more expensive for holders of other currencies.
Traders are also closely watching signals from OPEC+ regarding potential output hikes, which could further weigh on prices amid an already uncertain demand outlook.
The Indian rupee opened marginally higher on Friday, recovering slightly from its sharp fall in the previous session, as lower crude oil prices and a weakening U.S. dollar offered some support. The local currency began the day at 85.97 per dollar, up 3 paise from Thursday’s close of 86.00  –  its weakest level in over a month.
Despite the early uptick, the rupee remains under pressure and is on track to post a weekly loss for the third consecutive week. So far in May, the currency has declined by 1.8%, according to Bloomberg data.
Persistent foreign institutional outflows from Indian equities continue to weigh on sentiment, driven by a narrowing yield differential between Indian and U.S. 10-year government bonds. On Thursday, the rupee breached the key 86.00 mark, triggering stop-losses from importers and compounding the downward move.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) continued their selling streak, offloading equities worth ₹5,045 crore on Thursday  –  marking the third significant sell-off in the last four sessions.

Disclaimer: This news is solely for educational purposes. The securities/investments quoted here are not recommendatory.
To read the RA disclaimer, please click here
Vaishnavi Tech Park, South Tower, 3rd Floor
Sarjapur Main Road, Bellandur
Bengaluru – 560103
Karnataka
Contact Us

source

Legal arguments over potential evidence inconsistencies dominated Wednesday morning’s proceedings at the high-profile Hockey Canada sexual assault trial.
You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.
Hockey player Brett Howden didn’t return to testify at the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial as planned Wednesday, but his memory did.
Specifically, legal arguments took up most of the day at the high-profile trial of five 2018 Canada world junior hockey teammates, without the 27-year-old Vegas Golden Knights player present, and centred on some of the answers he gave the Crown during his testimony that began on Tuesday.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
The Crown began making an application under the Canada Evidence Act to seek permission for cross-examining their own witness, suggesting that what Howden couldn’t remember even after he was given opportunities to review his previous statements in 2018 and 2022 was feigned memory around issues that would be unhelpful for the defence.
Crown attorney Meghan Cunningham had pointed to 18 areas of potential inconsistency, many of them related to Howden’s earlier answers where he couldn’t remember specifics of the events. “His lack of recollection on those areas is not sincere,” she said.
The defence argued Howden’s memory lapses were genuine, considering the events occurred seven years ago. Defence lawyer Megan Savard pointed out Howden, who testified via remote link from Nevada, is “plainly unsophisticated.”
“He didn’t come dressed for court. He is inarticulate, a poor communicator, careless (with his) words,” she said.
For buyers, sellers, renters and dreamers — London’s complex, fascinating real estate market is brought into focus and into context with this newsletter.
By signing up, you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.
The next issue of Homes in London will soon be in your inbox.
We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again
Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.
“And if someone is deliberately feigning, you would expect a general trend towards being helpful, whereas I would say, if anything, we may all say at the end of the day, this witness is generally useless, but he’s certainly not helpful to the defence.”
At the end of the court day, Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia agreed with the defence.
“In my view I cannot find that Mr. Howden is feigning lack of memory or being insincere about whether he has a recollection of his earlier statements or particulars of the events he is asked to describe.”
“On more than one occasion, when given an opportunity to refresh his memory, Mr. Howden has testified that he has no present recollection, but was telling the truth when he answered questions previously,” she said and added he was “effectively adopting his earlier statements due to his lack of memory” and “not attempting to distance himself from his earlier statements.
“There is no basis upon which I can conclude that Mr. Howden is being untruthful about his lack of details,” she said.
However, there were four areas of evidence on which the Crown could still seek to cross-examine Howden, the judge said. That argument is set to continue on Thursday morning.
Howden, whose Las Vegas team was recently eliminated from the NHL playoffs by the Edmonton Oilers, was already a constant presence in photos and videos made exhibits before he started his testimony at the trial of five former teammates who were in London on June 18 and 19, 2018, for a Hockey Canada gala and golf tournament to celebrate the championship.
Michael McLeod, 27, Carter Hart, 26, Dillon Dube, 26, Alex Formenton, 25, and Cal Foote, 26, have all pleaded not guilty to sexual assault. McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to a second sexual assault count for being a party to the offence.
The trial, which has received widespread media attention, is focusing on what happened in Room 209 at the Delta Armouries hotel where McLeod and a woman, then 20, returned after meeting for the first time at Jack’s Bar on Richmond Row when some members of the team were there drinking and dancing.
McLeod and the woman, now 27, had consensual sex. But the issue at the trial is what happened after their first sexual encounter.
The woman, whose name is protected under a publication ban, testified that unbeknownst to her, McLeod had invited teammates into the room for what she described as unwanted sexual activities with them.
She was a Crown witness for more than a week. She testified to having memory lapses about what happened that night and being extremely drunk after a night in the bar. She also said she had what could best be described as an out-of-body experience – separating her mind from what was happening to her body – to cope with the unwanted sexual activities.
But the defence has collectively presented a counter-scenario that the woman asked McLeod to invite the team to the room for “a wild night” and that she initiated the sexual activities and invited the men to participate
Howden is one of the first players identified in the Jack’s dance floor security videos played during the trial and appeared to be the first contact the woman made with a player that night. The woman testified that Howden introduced her to McLeod while at the bar.
Howden testified that while he was in the hotel room, he didn’t want anything to do with what he described as her inviting all of them to have sex with her. He recalled the woman flirting, “taunting,” “egging” and “chirping” the players when they refused to engage with her.
“Everybody was kind of in disbelief or shocked this was happening,” he said.
At times, however, even after opportunities given to him by the Crown to refresh his memory by being referred to segments of his 2018 and 2022 statements to the London police and Hockey Canada, Howden had little memory about certain issues.
The trial has seen its share of hiccups.
Two juries chosen to hear the case have come and gone, and mistrials declared in both cases. The first mistrial involved an unexpected contact a juror said she made with a lawyer during a lunch at the Covent Garden Market.
The other, made on Thursday, was a complaint that one of the defence teams were whispering to each other when the jury walked into the courtroom, which was perceived as them commenting on the jurors’ appearance. The note to the judge called them “unprofessional.”
The defence team for Formenton denied any impropriety.
Carroccia dismissed the jury on Friday and the case is now continuing on as a judge-alone trial.
jsims@postmedia.com

365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4
© 2025 London Free Press, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.
This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can manage saved articles in your account.
and save up to 100 articles!
You can manage your saved articles in your account and clicking the X located at the bottom right of the article.

source

The widower of popular Nigerian gospel singer Osinachi Nwachukwu has been sentenced to death by hanging in connection with her death three years ago.
The 42-year-old singer was initially said to have died of throat cancer, before her family went public with allegations of domestic violence.
They accused her husband, Peter Nwachukwu, of abusing the music artist, which ultimately led to her death. A judge convicted him of 23 charges, including culpable homicide, and gave him the maximum sentence for the crime.
It is unclear if Peter Nwachukwu, who denied the charges, will be executed, as the authorities rarely implement the death sentence. He has the right to appeal.
The case, held in the High Court in the capital, Abuja, has drawn much attention in Nigeria because of the musician's prominence, and widespread concern about domestic violence.
The late singer, who is survived by four children, was featured on the 2017 hit gospel song Ekwueme, which has more than 136 million YouTube views.
Peter Nwachukwu, who was arrested in 2022, was also charged with emotional, verbal and psychological abuse, cruelty to children and criminal intimidation of them.
Seventeen people, including two of the couple's children, were called by the prosecution as witnesses during the trial.
Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme found the widower guilty of all the charges, saying the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
One of Agather Atuhaire's colleagues says she shows "indications of torture" after being detained in Tanzania.
The state department is imposing new sanctions on the country's government because of the findings.
Joseph Kabila faces the prospect of being tried in a military court for allegedly backing M23 rebels.
African culture is being brought to island schools as part of an awareness week.
US President Donald Trump says a genocide is taking place in South Africa, a claim a judge dismissed as "imaginary".
Copyright 2025 BBC. All rights reserved.  The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
 

source