???? New twist in Porsche crash | ?????????? Putin ready for ceasefire "on current frontlines"|

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Market Watch

• Indian benchmark indices ended the day flat with the Sensex down 7.65 points at 75,410.39, and the Nifty down 10.55 points at 22,957.10.
• Sectorally, Nifty Media and Nifty Financial Services were the biggest gainers, while Nifty FMCG shed the most.

New twist in Porsche crash: Pune teen, father claim family driver was behind the wheel

The 17-year-old boy accused of driving the Porsche that collided with a motorbike and killed two people, claims his family driver was behind the wheel.

The intrigue: Many had already speculated that the case would take a turn similar to what happened in the Salman Khan hit-and-run case where even after finding the actor guilty, he was acquitted after the driver took the fall.

The details: The 17-year-old boy claimed that his family driver was driving the Porsche during the accident, a claim supported by his two friends who were with him.

• Both the driver and the teenager's father asserted that the driver was at the wheel when the accident occurred.
• However, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar stated they have video footage proving the 17-year-old was driving the Porsche Taycan during the crash.
• The teen's parents gave him the car keys, and he was seen drinking at a pub before the incident, fully aware of his actions.
• The police are aiming to build a watertight case, considering all evidence beyond the blood report, including CCTV footage.

Grandfather questioned: Pune Police questioned the teenager’s grandfather, who reportedly handed over the car keys to his grandson.

• Reports allege that the grandfather has underworld connections and was implicated in a past murder plot involving Chhota Rajan's gang.

Mother's appeal: The mother claimed the viral video showing her son boasting about escaping police was fake, stating he was in a detention centre.

No special treatment: Pune Police are investigating allegations of preferential treatment, including claims that the teen was served burgers and pizza during detention.

The big picture: The Juvenile Justice Board initially granted bail but later remanded the teen to an observation home due to public outrage.

Give me the good news:

• ?????? Indian household savings are going up, at least that's what two analyses by Crisil, and Goldman Sachs say. Indian households continued to invest in real estate in FY24, a slowdown in private consumption during the fiscal year, despite high GDP growth, hinted at increased household savings.
• ?=?? AI isn't all bad. Generative AI will enable Indians to save up to 51 million hours a week by 2026 according to a study by Pearson. It helps boost productivity by handling routine tasks, reducing burnout.
• ?? ?? An 18-year-old rickshaw driver from a village in Uttar Pradesh met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace after she collected the Amal Clooney Women's Empowerment Award in London this week. “I take pride in being able to inspire other girls who face similar challenges,” Arti said.
• ?????????Did you know a Chinese family built the famous Chinese Kali Mandir in Kolkata's Tangra, after their dying son was miraculously cured after they prayed at the spot where the temple stands? The temple still serves chow mein as the prasad there.
• ?? Giving teenagers the HPV vaccine is cutting cases of cervical cancer by 90%, figures for England show. Scientists say it works so well that this type of cancer could be eradicated in the near future.
• ?????? Yes, cities are polluted. But did you know that in Paris, cycles are now the preferred mode of transport? Parisians use bicycles for 11.2% of their trips inside the city centre whereas people use cars for just 4.3% of journeys.

Clip du jour

What if Pixar made Lord of The Rings? GenAI can now show you that as well.

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Putin willing for Ukraine ceasefire "on current frontlines": Reports

Vladimir Putin is reportedly “ready to halt the war in Ukraine with a negotiated ceasefire that recognises the current battlefield lines”, according to sources close to the negotiations inside the Kremlin.

• Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in response to a request for comment by Reuters, said the Kremlin chief had repeatedly made clear Russia was open to dialogue to achieve its goals, saying the country did not want “eternal war.”
• Ukraine's foreign and defence ministries did not respond to questions.

Yes, but: Putin has expressed frustration over Western attempts to stymie negotiations, and at Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to rule out further truce talks.

• This is concerning because Russia can continue to fight for as long as is required, however, for Ukraine, continuing the fight would require more assistance in terms of weapons and finance from the West.
• He is reportedly frustrated with Western efforts to block negotiations and Ukraine's refusal to engage in further truce talks.

Where are current battlefronts:

Also read, CIA aware of Zelensky's massive corruption scheme inside Ukraine; and Ukrainians blame Zelenskyy for corruption: Poll.

ICYMI

• ???? Iran has released the probe report into the crash that killed late President Ebrahim Raisi.
• ???? The recent steep increase in H-1B visa fees by the USCIS could force Indian IT companies to exit the program due to significant financial strain.
• ?? Kabosu, the Shiba Inu known for the Doge meme, has passed away.
• ?? Gruesome details have emerged over the killing of a Bangladeshi MP in Kolkata.
• ?? Google looks likely to make its biggest acquisition ever - HubSpot - which will position the company as a competitor to Microsoft.
• ?? Hyderabad’s Rameshwaram Cafe was raided by civic officials who found several expired items in their kitchen.
• ?? 86 people including famous Telugu actors tested positive for drugs after a rave party was busted in Bengaluru.