New BIS standard for incense sticks: Govt bans certain substances; flags ‘potential impact on human health’

NEW DELHI: The government issued a notification announcing a new Indian Standard for incense sticks (agarbatti), laying down quality norms and specifying a list of substances prohibited for use in their manufacture.The standard has been developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to ensure safer products and promote responsible and sustainable practices in the…

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Gold, silver, platinum hit record highs! Silver tops $75 per ounce for the first time — what’s fueling the rally?

Gold, silver and platinum surged to fresh record highs on Friday, driven by strong speculative momentum, and expectations of further US rate cuts amid rising geopolitical tensions.Silver crossed the $75-per-ounce mark for the first time, as both precious and industrial metals climbed to unprecedented levels amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty, Reuters reported. Major precious metals…

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Bullion at record highs: Gold price tops Rs 1.39 lakh, silver hits Rs 2.32 lakh — what lies ahead?

Bullion hits new highs: It was a shiny session for precious metals on Friday, with gold and silver scaling fresh lifetime highs as investors rushed to the safety of bullion amid expectations of US interest rate cuts and rising global tensions.Silver led the rally, extending gains for a fifth straight session. On the Multi Commodity…

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Your money in 2026: Maintain allocation to gold and silver in 2026 – here’s why

Whenever global risks rise, investors seek assets that preserve value, and bullion has historically played that role well. (AI image) Gold and silver dazzled investors in 2025. Gold prices surged close to 80% while silver outshone all asset classes with gains of nearly 150%. Such spectacular returns naturally lead to the question: should one load…

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‘Santa Claus rally’: Asian markets edge higher amid thinned holiday trade; silver hits record high

Asian markets inched higher on Friday amid holiday-thinned trading, with several exchanges remaining closed for the Boxing Day holiday. Regional stocks extended gains after Wall Street ended the week at record highs, while most global markets were shut on Thursday for Christmas.Markets in Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul and Taipei all posted gains. Japan’s Topix climbed to…

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