MUMBAI — The Indian rupee opened lower on Thursday morning, dropping 7 paise to trade at 95.40 against the US dollar as sustained pressure from elevated crude oil benchmark prices and persistent geopolitical friction in the Middle East weighed heavily on investor sentiment.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local currency commenced trading at 95.40 against the greenback, registering a loss of 7 paise compared to its previous session's close of 95.33.

Currency traders attributed the downward pressure to fragile risk appetite across global markets. Geopolitical anxieties have mounted following renewed friction between Washington and Tehran, highlighted by Iran's warning to maintain restrictions across the strategic Strait of Hormuz through 2029 while the United States asserts naval oversight over the critical oil transit route.

Meanwhile, the US dollar index—which measures the strength of the greenback against a basket of six major world currencies—hovered near 100.01. In energy markets, global benchmark Brent crude futures pulled back slightly by 1.22 percent to USD 87.89 per barrel, remaining near multi-month elevated levels.

Analysing market dynamics, Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director at Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, noted that the rupee faced headwinds despite moving briefly higher to 95.25 during Wednesday's session. He added that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has consistently stepped in to support the currency around the 95.41–95.45 band as elevated crude demand continues to pressure the exchange rate.

Domestic equity markets also mirrored the cautious tone. The BSE Sensex slipped 152.97 points to trade at 77,813.38 in early moves, while the NSE Nifty declined 84.80 points to 24,351.15. Official exchange data showed foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers on Wednesday, offloading equities worth ₹1,002.50 crore.

Article 2: Health / Medical Science News

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  • SEO Title (Under 60 chars): Men More Likely to Catch TB Than Women, Study Reveals

  • Second Title (Under 100 chars): Global UCL Study Explains Why Men Account for Two-Thirds of Worldwide Tuberculosis Cases

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  • Excerpt: A global study led by University College London reveals that men are more likely to contract tuberculosis than women due to higher lifetime exposure to the bacteria rather than increased biological susceptibility.

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LONDON — Men are significantly more likely than women to contract tuberculosis (TB), according to new landmark research led by scientists at University College London (UCL). The findings shed crucial light on a long-standing epidemiological puzzle: why men consistently account for nearly two-thirds of all diagnosed tuberculosis cases worldwide.

The comprehensive study, published in the medical journal eClinicalMedicine, set out to determine whether the stark gender disparity stems from higher rates of bacterial exposure or if men possess a biological predisposition that makes them more vulnerable to developing active TB disease once infected.

To investigate, the research team analyzed extensive data encompassing over 22,000 participants across 11 prospective cohort studies conducted in 14 countries spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.

Their findings revealed that men were far more likely than women to be infected with the TB bacterium at the outset of the studies, reflecting significantly higher cumulative exposure to the pathogen over their lifetimes. However, once existing infection rates were factored in, men demonstrated no statistically significant higher likelihood of progressing from infection to active disease compared to women.

The results strongly suggest that environmental and social exposure factors—rather than inherent biological weaknesses—drive the disparity in TB numbers between sexes.

"Our findings improve our understanding of why TB disproportionately affects men," stated Dr. Yohhei Hamada, co-first author from the UCL Institute for Global Health. "Reducing inequalities in TB exposure among men may have a greater impact on narrowing the sex gap in TB burden than interventions focused solely on progression from infection to disease."

Tuberculosis remains a major global public health concern. Caused by bacterial infection, it primary attacks the lungs, producing symptoms such as prolonged coughing, fever, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, and severe fatigue. The bacteria spread through airborne droplets when an individual with active lung infection coughs, sneezes, or speaks—particularly in crowded or ill-ventilated environments.

Following the published findings, researchers are urging public health organizations to direct future studies toward social, occupational, and lifestyle environments that expose men to higher infection risks.

Co-first author Sujen Surenthirarajah added: "We hope that our research will help inform future investigations into the biological and social mechanisms underlying sex differences in TB, leading to more targeted prevention strategies globally."