Rupee rises 8 paise to 88.62 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee appreciated 8 paise to 88.62 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday amid a weak American currency and lower level of crude oil prices overseas.
Positive sentiment in domestic equity markets also supported the Indian currency even though selling pressure from foreign investors prevented a sharp gain, forex traders said.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 88.51 and went up to 88.49 before trading at 88.62 against the greenback in early deals, up 8 paise from its previous closing level.
The domestic unit had settled with a gain of 7 paise at 88.70 against the dollar on Tuesday. The foreign exchange markets were closed on Wednesday on account of the Prakash Gurpurab holiday.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.16 per cent to 99.90.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose marginally by 0.17 per cent to USD 63.63 per barrel in futures trading.
In the domestic equity market, Sensex climbed 321.81 points or 0.39 per cent to 83,780.96 in early trade while Nifty rose 57.05 points or 0.22 per cent to 25,654.70.
Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 1,067.01 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
