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Fire at Kuwait airport after drones strike

1 week 1 day ago
Drones hit a fuel tank and sparked a fire at Kuwait International Airport, the Gulf state's civil aviation authority said on Wednesday, reporting no casualties.Citing preliminary information, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement posted online that the attack had caused only "limited" damage.Also Read | Iran's 'nuclear' option"The relevant authorities immediately implemented the approved emergency procedures" and firefighters had been deployed to bring the blaze under control, said agency spokesman Abdullah Al-Rajhi.The Kuwait airport has come under attack several times since the regional war began on February 28, when Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran.On March 14, the civil aviation authority said an attack with "several drones" targeted the airport and "struck its radar system". No casualties were reported.Drones hit fuel tanks at the airport on March 8, and an earlier attack on a passenger terminal left several people mildly wounded and caused some damage.

Sebi’s new proposal enables mutual fund gifting through PPIs

1 week 1 day ago
Mumbai: Investors may soon be able to gift mutual fund investments, with Sebi proposing to allow the use of prepaid payment instruments (PPIs), or gift cards, for subscribing to mutual fund units. Under the proposed framework, an individual can purchase a gift PPI - either digitally or in physical form - through banking channels and transfer it to a recipient. The recipient, after claiming ownership, can redeem the instrument to invest in mutual fund schemes via an asset management company (AMC) platform. The move is aimed at attracting first-time investors and improving access to financial products. The issuance and operation of PPIs will continue to be governed by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rules, while mutual fund transactions will fall under Sebi regulations. Gift PPIs will be capped at ₹10,000, will be non-reloadable, and valid for one year, Sebi said in a consultation paper on Tuesday. The regulator has proposed a series of safeguards, including mandatory third-party validation checks to confirm ownership, compliance with 'no third-party payment' norms, and an investment cap of ₹50,000 per investor per mutual fund per financial year across PPIs, e-wallets, and cash. To prevent idle balances, the entire value of the gift PPI must be invested. If the instrument remains unclaimed after one year, the amount will be refunded to the purchaser's bank account, Sebi said. While the purchaser may suggest a mutual fund scheme, the recipient will retain full discretion over the final investment choice. Investors can also choose to invest directly or through distributors. Sebi has sought public comments on the proposal by April 14.
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