Business
China plans strict AI rules to protect children and tackle suicide risks
Osmond ChiaBusiness reporter
Getty ImagesChina has proposed strict new rules for artificial intelligence (AI) to provide safeguards for children and prevent chatbots from offering advice that could lead to self-harm or violence.
Under the planned regulations, developers will also need to ensure their AI models do not generate content that promotes gambling.
The announcement comes after a surge in the number of chatbots being launched in China and around the world.
Once finalised, the rules will apply to AI products and services in China, marking a major move to regulate the fast-growing technology, which has come under intense scrutiny over safety concerns this year.
The draft rules, which were published at the weekend by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), include measures to protect children. They include requiring AI firms to offer personalised settings, have time limits on usage and getting consent from guardians before providing emotional companionship services.
Chatbot operators must have a human take over any conversation related to suicide or self-harm and immediately notify the user’s guardian or an emergency contact, the administration said.
AI providers must ensure that their services do not generate or share “content that endangers national security, damages national honour and interests [or] undermines national unity”, the statement said.
The CAC said it encourages the adoption of AI, such as to promote local culture and create tools for companionship for the elderly, provided that the technology is safe and reliable. It also called for feedback from the public.
Chinese AI firm DeepSeek made headlines worldwide this year after it topped app download charts.
This month, two Chinese startups Z.ai and Minimax, which together have tens of millions of users, announced plans to list on the stock market.
The technology has quickly gained huge numbers of subscribers with some using it for companionship or therapy.
The impact of AI on human behaviour has come under increased scrutiny in recent months.
Sam Altman, the head of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, said this year that the way chatbots respond to conversations related to self-harm is among the company’s most difficult problems.
In August, a family in California sued OpenAI over the death of their 16-year-old son, alleging that ChatGPT encouraged him to take his own life. The lawsuit marked the first legal action accusing OpenAI of wrongful death.
This month, the company advertised for a “head of preparedness” who will be responsible for defending against risks from AI models to human mental health and cybersecurity.
The successful candidate will be responsible for tracking AI risks that could pose a harm to people. Mr Altman said: “This will be a stressful job, and you’ll jump into the deep end pretty much immediately.”
If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide: www.befrienders.org.
In the UK, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Readers in the US and Canada can call the 988 suicide helpline or visit its website.
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Indian commercial banks showed resilience in 2024-25, with double-digit growth, improved asset quality, and strong profitability, as highlighted in the RBI report.
Banks, NBFCs, Co-ops Show Broad-Based Strength in 2024–25: RBI Report
Despite global headwinds, the Indian commercial banking sector remained resilient during 2024-25, supported by double-digit balance sheet expansion, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 2024-25.
Deposits and credit of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) grew in double digits, albeit with a moderation from the previous year, the report highlighted.
The Indian banking system saw an improvement in asset quality, with the gross non-performing assets (GNPA) ratio declining to a multi-decadal low of 2.2 per cent at end-March 2025 and 2.1 per cent at end-September 2025.
Not only the asset quality but the profitability of SCBs remained robust with the return on assets (RoA) at 1.4 per cent and return on equity (RoE) at 13.5 per cent in 2024-25. The RBI report added that During H1: 2025-26, RoA and RoE of the SCBs stood at 1.3 per cent and 12.5 per cent, respectively.
The growth didn’t remain at the Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs). The consolidated balance sheet of urban co-operative banks recorded higher growth in 2024-25 than that in the previous year. Their asset quality improved for the fourth consecutive year, alongside strengthening of their capital buffers and profitability, the report added.
The non-banking financial companies continued to record double-digit credit growth along with robust capital buffers. Their asset quality also improved during the year.
Plans To Build Robust Financial System And Consumer Protection
In the report, the Central Bank said the climate risk poses a threat to financial stability. It plans to include climate risk disclosure norms and RBI Climate Risk Information System (RB-CRIS).
Banks were told to build climate risk into strategy and lending.
Reflecting policy efforts across the financial system, the Reserve Bank’s financial inclusion index improved to 67.0 in March 2025 fromb43.4 in March 2017, the report added.
To strengthen the system, the Central bank is planning to shift to the Expected Credit Loss (ECL) framework from April 1, 2027, with the proposal to implement new Basel III norms, such as credit risk, counterparty risk, and capital market exposure. It aims to alert to early stress signs and allows stronger balance sheets for banks.
In order to protect consumers, RBI has taken various measures against the mis-selling of financial products and loan recovery products. Moreover, it has strengthened Internal Ombudsman framework, with a special drive from January 1, 2026, to clear pending complaints.
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December 30, 2025, 11:34 IST
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Silver Prices Sink Sharply To Rs 2.25 Lakh/Kg On MCX, Log Biggest One-Day Fall In 4 Years; Know Why
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Silver is the big mover in trade overnight. Prices have finally stabilised after slumping 8.7% in the biggest one-day fall since August 2020
Silver Prices Fall
Silver Prices Crash: Silver is the big mover in trade overnight. Prices have finally stabilised after slumping 8.7% in the biggest one-day fall since August 2020. In fact, the year-end is proving to be highly volatile for silver. On MCX too, silver prices plunged to the Rs 2.25 lakh/kg level from a high of Rs 2.54 lakh/kg.
Most analysts believe that this correction in prices may have helped bring down some of the speculative trade in silver.
Let us look at the price rates of silver in different cities of India
Prices in India correct in sync with global trend
MCX silver prices generally follow global silver prices, moving in line with COMEX trends and currency changes.
Currently, silver prices in India are down 0.04%, with one kg trading at Rs 2,33,480/kg, while the price of 10 gram silver today is Rs 2,334.80.
For city-wise rates, the white metal is trading at Rs 233.76 per gram in Mumbai, followed by Delhi, where the silver rate is Rs 223.21 per gram, which is Rs 10.27 lower than the silver rate in Mumbai.
The silver rate in Chennai is Rs 224.25 per gram, while the silver rate in Hyderabad is Rs 223.95 per gram. The silver rate in Ahmedabad is Rs 223.89 per gram.
These differences in city-wise prices mainly arise from local taxes, transportation costs and demand levels.
So what exactly is driving these prices? Let’s take a look at the key triggers for the sharp correction in silver prices:
1. Aggressive profit booking
Analysts added that aggressive profit booking by traders led to a crash in the prices of the white metal. Traders sold silver to lock in gains as prices had spiked. Further, trading volumes in the markets are relatively low because of the holiday season, which made silver rally higher than usual.
Commenting on the volatility, Jigar Trivedi, Senior Research Analyst at Reliance Securities, said, “Silver rose 2.6% to $73.9/oz, stabilizing after a steep drop in the previous session, as traders adjusted positions following aggressive profit-taking. The rebound follows a sharp retreat from record highs above $80 an ounce, with holiday-thinned liquidity amplifying recent price swings.”
2. CME raises margins
Margin costs raised by the CME Group compelled traders to reduce their market positions, triggering a sell-off. The exchange hiked margins for the March 2026 derivatives contract to $25,000 from $20,000 earlier.
This essentially means traders now have to pay more to keep their contracts. Often, margin hikes are used by exchanges as a risk-control tool to manage volatility.
“Stricter margin rules may keep price gains measured in the short term. MCX Silver March may appreciate to Rs 226,000/kg as the undertone is bullish in the international markets,” Trivedi added.
3. Easing geopolitical tensions
The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has eased geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine, as both leaders said an end to the war is close. The Ukrainian president views the peace plans as 90% agreed following talks with Trump.
Easing geopolitical tensions ultimately reduce safe-haven demand for precious metals, thereby lowering demand.
Silver rally: Next target?
According to MOSL, silver price rally is rooted in real metal scarcity and is not just speculative.
It explained that beyond supply constraints, sustained industrial and investment demand has reinforced silver’s price strength. Its growing use in electronics, renewable energy and other technology-driven sectors has ensured steady industrial offtake, while investors have increasingly viewed silver as a strategic hedge amid macroeconomic uncertainty.
Navneet Damani and Manav Modi, Commodities Analyst at MOSL noted, “Silver’s 2025 rally is being shaped by real metal scarcity rather than speculative positioning. Physical deficits, policy-driven supply restrictions, and concentrated inventories are increasingly dictating prices, signalling a durable shift in how the silver market is priced and traded.”
From an investment perspective, MOSL said it continues to maintain a buy-on-dips approach with a staggered investment strategy. While its initial target of $75 on COMEX has already been achieved, the brokerage reiterated its next target of $77 on COMEX, equivalent to around Rs 2,46,000 in the domestic market. Any further revisions to this outlook, the report noted, will depend on how supply dynamics, inventory trends and policy developments evolve over time.
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December 30, 2025, 10:52 IST
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Stock market today: Nifty50 opens below 25,950; BSE Sensex down over 100 points – The Times of India
Stock market today: Indian equity benchmark indices, Nifty50 and BSE Sensex, opened in red on Tuesday on weak global cues. While Nifty50 went below 25,950, BSE Sensex was down over 120 points. At 9:19 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 25,902.85, down 39 points or 0.15%. BSE Sensex was at 84,567.40, down 128 points or 0.15%.According to experts, the stock market is expected to remain range bound in the near term, with investors closely tracking macroeconomic cues and institutional fund flows for direction.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “The year-end trend, though weak, doesn’t indicate a directional change in the market. The advance-decline ratio was far in favour of declines and this led to decline in Nifty by 100 points yesterday. But it is important to note that this decline happened on thin volumes. A clear directional change will happen only early in the new year when large institutions are back in action.”“It would be better for investors to watch the market now and wait for new triggers and new directional moves. However, weakness in the market can be used to nibble at high quality large caps. The auto sales numbers expected in two days will give an indication of the sustainability of the consumption boom in the economy. This is significant from the economic growth perspective, too.”Global cues were mixed as Wall Street’s key indices ended lower on Monday, starting the final week of the year on a weak note. The decline was led by heavyweight technology stocks, which retreated after last week’s rally had pushed the S&P 500 to record highs.Asian markets on Tuesday mirrored the cautious sentiment, with a seven day rally in regional stocks coming to a pause as technology led losses in the US spilled over. Precious metals also showed volatility, with gold and silver fluctuating after slipping from fresh all time highs.In currency markets, the US dollar traded steady on Tuesday ahead of the Federal Reserve’s release of minutes from its December policy meeting. On the domestic front, foreign portfolio investors continued to pare their exposure, selling equities worth Rs 2,760 crore on Monday. Domestic institutional investors, however, provided support to the market, emerging as net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,643 crore.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)
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