Air India opens first flagship Maharaja Lounge at Delhi airport’s Terminal 3

Air India has unveiled its inaugural flagship lounge, The Maharaja Lounge, at Delhi’s Terminal 3, marking a significant enhancement to its premium travel offerings. This new space, designed with Indian heritage and modern aesthetics, will cater to Business and First Class passengers, elite club members, and eligible Star Alliance travelers.

In the past 24 hours, Bitcoin jumped 9.31% whereas Ethereum went up by 9.23% to trade at $2,083. Among the major altcoins, BNB, XRP, Solana, Tron, Dogecoin, Cardano rose 14% whereas Hyperliquid slid 6.77%.

Also Read | Thinking of pausing your mutual fund SIPs? A 6 month gap may cost you Rs 2 lakh additional lossRiya Sehgal, Research Analyst, Delta Exchange, said Bitcoin’s rebound from the $60,000 lows to above $70,000 and Ethereum’s recovery beyond $2,000 mark a potential turning point following the steepest two-week decline since mid-2022.Sehgal further added that this correction was largely macro-driven, triggered by risk-off sentiment, and leverage washouts, rather than any structural weakness within crypto. “Overall, the market appears to be shifting from panic to cautious optimism, signaling that the worst of the drawdown may be behind us, though volatility will likely remain elevated in the near term.”

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The global crypto market capitalisation jumped 8.6% to $2.42 trillion, according to CoinMarketCap.
In the past week, Ethereum and Bitcoin were down by 22.62% and 15.68% respectively. Among the major altcoins, BNB, XRP, Solana, Tron, Dogecoin, Cardano were down over 26% whereas Hyperliquid was up by 3.11%.Nischal Shetty, Founder, WazirX said over the last 24 hours, crypto markets have seen short-term volatility, driven largely by technical factors and cautious sentiment rather than any fundamental shift in the ecosystem.

Also Read | Radhika Gupta urges investors to ignore ‘cats’ and think like a goldfish amid market chaos

“Importantly, continued investments by financial institutions into crypto infrastructure reinforce the long-term conviction that this space is becoming an integral part of the global financial system, beyond short-term price movements,” Shetty said.

The investigation into the suspected abduction of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, has taken a high-tech and harrowing turn. Federal and local authorities confirmed Friday that multiple ransom notes, including a demand for millions of dollars in Bitcoin, are being treated as credible leads in the search for the missing octogenarian.

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home in the Catalina Foothills, north of Tucson, on Feb. 1 after failing to appear for a Sunday church service. Five days into the search, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI are racing against a ticking clock, complicated by the victim’s fragile health and the digital wall of a cryptocurrency ransom.

A ‘Credible’ Digital Ransom

The FBI’s Phoenix field office revealed that several media organizations, including TMZ and local station KOLD-TV, received messages purportedly from the kidnappers. According to FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke, these notes contained “specific details” about the Guthrie residence that had not been released to the public, including references to a floodlight and an Apple Watch.

The primary demand is for a “substantial amount” of Bitcoin, reportedly totaling millions of dollars. The kidnappers established a hierarchy of deadlines: an initial cutoff of 5 p.m. on Thursday, followed by a secondary deadline this coming Tuesday.

“Every transaction in Bitcoin is logged on an open public ledger,” noted Ari Redbord, a former Department of Justice official now with TRM Labs. While the semi-anonymous nature of cryptocurrency often appeals to criminals, experts say law enforcement’s ability to “follow the money” on the blockchain provides a digital trail that cash or gold cannot match.

Evidence of a Struggle

The case was upgraded from a missing person report to a criminal investigation early in the week. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed that DNA testing of blood found on the porch of Nancy Guthrie’s home matched the 84-year-old.

Additional forensic evidence paints a chilling timeline of the abduction:

• Saturday, 9:30 p.m.: Family members drop Nancy off at her home after dinner.
• Sunday, 1:45 a.m.: The home’s doorbell camera is physically disconnected.
• Sunday, 2:28 a.m.: Software monitors indicate that Nancy’s pacemaker disconnected from her personal device, suggesting she was moved out of range of her home network.

“We believe Nancy is still out there,” Sheriff Nanos said during a press conference. “Our protocol is to assume she is alive until we are told otherwise, and we’re going to continue thinking that way until we find her.”

The Family’s Heartfelt Plea

Savannah Guthrie, who has taken an indefinite leave of absence from NBC, released a poignant video alongside her siblings, Annie and Camron. In the footage, Savannah’s voice breaks as she addresses the captors directly.

“We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive.”

The plea for “proof of life” highlights the modern challenges of kidnapping in the age of AI. The family expressed fears that deepfake technology could be used to simulate Nancy’s voice or likeness to extract a ransom without her actually being safe.

The family also emphasized Nancy’s medical needs. The 84-year-old requires daily medication for heart issues and high blood pressure. “Her heart is fragile. She lives in constant pain,” Savannah said. “She needs her medicine to survive.”

Hoaxes and Red Herrings

The high-profile nature of the case has already attracted opportunists. On Thursday, authorities arrested Derrick Callella in Los Angeles. Callella is accused of sending “imposter” ransom notes to the Guthrie family demanding Bitcoin. Investigators clarified that Callella is a “scammer” attempting to profit from the tragedy and is not believed to be involved in the actual disappearance.

Ongoing Investigation

The FBI is currently offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie’s return. President Donald Trump has also reportedly directed federal resources to assist in the search, calling the circumstances “very unusual.”

As the Tuesday deadline approaches, the Catalina Foothills community remains on edge. Neighbors have turned the local Saint Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church into a site for continuous prayer vigils, with a large photo of Nancy Guthrie illuminated by hundreds of candles.

Authorities are asking anyone with information, or anyone who may have seen a white van reported in the neighborhood prior to the disappearance, to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s Department immediately.

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Spot gold rose 3.9% to $4,954.92 per ounce by 2:18 p.m. ET (1918 GMT), recouping losses ‌during a volatile Asia session following Thursday’s 3.9% decline. The yellow metal was headed for a weekly gain of about 2%.

U.S. gold futures for April delivery settled 1.8% higher at $4,979.80 per ounce.

CME Group had flagged a delay in publishing metals settlement, earlier in the day.

The U.S. dollar index fell 0.2%, making greenback-priced bullion cheaper for overseas buyers.

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“The gold market is seeing perceived bargain hunting ‌from bullish traders,” ‍said Jim Wyckoff, senior analyst at Kitco Metals.
Iran’s top diplomat ‍on Friday said that nuclear talks with the U.S. mediated ‌by Oman were off to a “good start” and set to continue. The remarks could help allay concerns that failure to reach a deal might nudge the Middle East closer to war. Wyckoff said gold’s rebound lacks momentum and the metal is unlikely to break records without a major geopolitical trigger.

Gold, a traditional safe haven, does well in times of geopolitical and economic ‍uncertainty.

Meanwhile, spot silver rose 8.6% to $77.33 an ounce after dipping below $65 earlier in the session, but was still headed for a weekly ‍drop, down ⁠over 8.7%, following steep ⁠losses last week as well.

“What we’re seeing in silver is huge speculation on the long side,” said Wyckoff, adding that after years in a boom cycle, gold and silver now appear to be entering a typical commodity bust phase.

CME Group raised margin requirements for gold and silver futures for a third time in two weeks on Thursday to curb risks from heightened market volatility.

Spot platinum added 5.4% to $2,093.50 per ounce, while palladium rose 6.2% to $1,717.05.

Thermal screenings have been reinstated at airports in Indonesia and Asia following Nipah virus cases in India’s West Bengal, prompting quarantine measures. The WHO warns the virus’s high fatality rate (40-75%) with no current cure or vaccine. Experts note that border screenings may be ineffective due to the virus’s incubation period of up to 45 days.

Increased Airport Screenings and Concerns

Passengers arriving in Bali and other Asian countries are experiencing thermal screenings at airports again, a precautionary measure to detect the Nipah virus. This virus, carried by fruit bats and other animals, has recently prompted health alerts, especially after cases were confirmed in eastern India. Awareness of such zoonotic diseases has heightened post-pandemic, emphasizing the need for vigilance. The recent detection of two cases in West Bengal has led to quarantine measures, affecting nearly 200 people to prevent further transmission.

Dangers of the Neper Virus

The Nipah virus is highly dangerous with a high mortality rate, estimated between 40% to 75%, according to the World Health Organization. It has no current cure, vaccine, or specific treatment, making management challenging. The virus was first identified in Malaysia in 1998, with sporadic outbreaks mostly contained in Bangladesh. Its ability to spread between humans, combined with a long incubation period that can reach up to 45 days, complicates efforts to control outbreaks.

Ongoing Public Health Challenges

While the Nipah virus has not shown signs of becoming more transmissible or spreading widely, it remains a significant health threat. Experts warn that traditional airport screenings may not be entirely effective due to the lengthy incubation period, underscoring the importance of ongoing vigilance and research. Public health organizations continue to monitor the situation closely, emphasizing preventive measures and the importance of awareness to curb potential outbreaks.

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The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.9% ‌at 617.12 points, ‌also bouncing back from a drop earlier in the session.

Stellantis tanked 25.2%, its biggest single-day drop on record and sent the broader auto ‌sector index down 3%.

The Franco-Italian company booked charges of around 22.2 billion euros ($26.5 billion) in the second half of last year as it scaled down electric-vehicle development plans.

Meanwhile, defence stocks were among top gainers with a 1.6% rise.

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Norway’s Kongsberg jumped 15.6% after reporting a bigger-than-expected rise in operating profit for the fourth quarter. It also won a $165 million order from Germany and Sweden for remote weapon stations.
The STOXX 600 closed the week with a 1% gain, as markets navigated ups and downs driven by the corporate ‌updates and ‍the European Central Bank’s interest rate decision. A surprising sell-off in technology and media stocks ‍also weighed on sentiment earlier this week. Global investors have been weighing the ‌repercussions of newer artificial intelligence tools that are likely to intensify competition for traditional software businesses.

On the other hand, AI majors such as U.S.-based Amazon.com and Alphabet have unveiled plans to boost their spending on the technology that analysts say could benefit hardware makers.

“In the U.S., they are seeing a dislocation between software and hardware, driven by an AI theme that is boosting demand for memory, while creating challenges for software companies, and that’s the dislocation currently being priced by the market,” said Sophie Huynh, portfolio ‍manager & strategist at BNP Paribas Asset Management, adding that much of this uncertainty was spilling over to the rest of the world.

Tech and media stocks gained 1.2% and 0.5%, respectively, ‍on the day, ⁠but both have been the ⁠biggest laggards on the benchmark index this week. The tech sector posted its biggest weekly drop in 11 weeks.

Banks, which had rallied for much of last year, were up 1.4% on the day.

Societe Generale edged 2.2% lower after the French lender reported a sharp drop in investment banking trading revenue that underperformed rivals and overshadowed an overall forecast-beating fourth quarter.

Among individual movers, weight-loss drugmaker Novo Nordisk gained 5.3% after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration threatened action on “illegal copycat drugs”.

Norwegian telecom operator Telenor climbed 7.2% after reporting fourth-quarter earnings above analysts’ expectations.

On the economic front, German production fell more than expected in December, tempering industrial recovery hopes.