Business
Baby sleeping bags being sold online ‘pose suffocation risk’, Which? warns
More than 30 baby sleeping bags found on online marketplaces including Amazon and eBay pose a suffocation risk, according to an investigation.
Which? said online marketplaces had been allowing the sale of baby sleeping bags similar or identical to products that were officially recalled by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) for suffocation risks.
A common characteristic of the products found by Which? were hoods which could cover a baby’s head and face and result in suffocation, the watchdog said.
The inclusion of hoods does not comply with the British Standards Institution’s safety standards for this reason.
Some of the sleeping bags Which? looked at, such as a teddy bear-style blanket on Amazon Marketplace, did not have arm holes, despite sleeping bags needing them to meet the safety standard.
Those without can cause a baby to slip down inside the sleeping bag, covering their face and risking suffocation.
Which? also found a sack-style sleeping bag listing on eBay which showed a baby being “positively swamped” by the item.
The consumer group also found five listings on Etsy that it was “concerned about”, with two appearing to be identical to recalled products, and the other three in a similar style and listed as sleeping bags.
Which? is urging shoppers to avoid baby sleeping bags with hoods or excess material, such as large bows or other novelty additions, which risk covering a baby’s head and face while they move around in their sleep.
It is best to always use a sleeping bag with arm holes as these help to stop babies slipping down inside the bag.
Other items to avoid included products sold as multipurpose items, such as a swaddle, stroller cover and baby cocoon as well as a sleeping bag, to ensure individual items conform to safety standards.
Which? said it was concerned the products continued to be sold despite market surveillance undertaken by the OPSS earlier this year.
The regulator undertook test purchasing for a range of items sold online, including baby sleeping products, and worked with online marketplaces to remove the listings.
However Which? said it found 35 potentially lethal sleeping bags still being sold just four months later.
Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer protection policy, said: “It’s outrageous that dangerous baby sleeping bags are still being sold on online marketplaces.
“Our previous investigations showed this is part of a wider pattern: unsafe products are removed, only to resurface. The only way to break this cycle is by holding online marketplaces legally accountable, with tough penalties for failures.”
An Amazon spokesman said: “We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies.
“The products flagged are not in scope of the safety alerts shared by Which?.
“If customers have concerns about an item they’ve purchased, we encourage them to contact our customer service directly so we can investigate and help resolve their issue.”
An eBay spokeswoman said: “Consumer safety is a top priority for eBay. We work diligently to keep our site safe and prevent prohibited listings through seller compliance audits, block filter algorithms for unsafe listings, and AI-supported monitoring by our team of in-house specialists.
“These proactive measures have prevented millions of potentially unsafe products from being listed every year. Listings that violate eBay policy, including those identified in this investigation, are swiftly removed.”
Etsy has been approached for comment.
Business
Gross GST collections for November stand at over Rs 1.70 lakh crore; up 0.7 per cent – The Times of India
GST collections: The Gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections for the month of November came in at over Rs 1.70 lakh crore. This is a rise of 0.7%, according to official data.SBI Research in a report in November had estimated that the gross domestic GST collections may come around Rs 1.49 lakh crore for November 25 (returns of October 25 but filed in Nov’25), a YoY growth of 6.8%.“Coupled with Rs 51,000 crore of IGST and cess on Import, the November GST collections thus could cross Rs 2.0 lakh crore, driven by the peak festive season demand led by lower GST rate and increased compliance while most of states experience positive gains,” SBI Research had said.This story is being updated
Business
Key Financial Deadlines That Have Been Extended For December 2025; Know The Last Date
New Delhi: Several crucial deadlines have been extended in December 2025, including ITR for tax audit cases, ITR filing and PAN and Aadhaar linking. These deadlines will be crucial in ensuring that your financial affairs operate smoothly in the months ahead.
Here is a quick rundown of the important deadlines for December to help you stay compliant and avoid last-minute hassles.
ITR deadline for tax audit cases
The Central Board of Direct Taxes has extended the due date of furnishing of return of income under sub-Section (1) of Section 139 of the Act for the Assessment Year 2025-26 which is October 31, 2025 in the case of assessees referred in clause (a) of Explanation 2 to sub-Section (1) of Section 139 of the Act, to December 10, 2025.
Belated ITR filing deadline
A belated ITR filing happens when an ITR is submitted after the original due date which is permitted by Section 139(4) of the Income Tax Act. Filing a belated return helps you meet your tax obligations, but it involves penalties. You can only file a belated return for FY 2024–25 until December 31, 2025. However, there will be a late fee and interest charged.
PAN and Aadhaar linking deadline
The Income Tax Department has extended the deadline to link their PAN with Aadhaar card to December 31, 2025 for anyone who acquired their PAN using an Aadhaar enrolment ID before October 1, 2024. If you miss this deadline your PAN will become inoperative which will have an impact on your banking transactions, income tax return filing and other financial investments.
Business
Stock Market Live Updates: Sensex, Nifty Hit Record Highs; Bank Nifty Climbs 60,000 For The First Time
Stock Market News Live Updates: Indian equity benchmarks opened with a strong gap-up on Monday, December 1, touching fresh record highs, buoyed by a sharp acceleration in Q2FY26 GDP growth to a six-quarter peak of 8.2%. Positive cues from Asian markets further lifted investor sentiment.
The BSE Sensex was trading at 85,994, up 288 points or 0.34%, after touching an all-time high of 86,159 in early deals. The Nifty 50 stood at 26,290, higher by 87 points or 0.33%, after scaling a record intraday high of 26,325.8.
Broader markets also saw gains, with the Midcap index rising 0.27% and the Smallcap index advancing 0.52%.
On the sectoral front, the Nifty Bank hit a historic milestone by crossing the 60,000 mark for the first time, gaining 0.4% to touch a fresh peak of 60,114.05.
Meanwhile, the Metal and PSU Bank indices climbed 0.8% each in early trade.
Global cues
Asia-Pacific markets were mostly lower on Monday as traders assessed fresh Chinese manufacturing data and increasingly priced in the likelihood of a US Federal Reserve rate cut later this month.
According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets are now assigning an 87.4 per cent probability to a rate cut at the Fed’s December 10 meeting.
China’s factory activity unexpectedly slipped back into contraction in November, with the RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI by S&P Global easing to 49.9, below expectations of 50.5, as weak domestic demand persisted.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 1.6 per cent, while the broader Topix declined 0.86 per cent. In South Korea, the Kospi dropped 0.30 per cent and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.31 per cent.
US stock futures were steady in early Asian trade after a positive week on Wall Street. On Friday, in a shortened post-Thanksgiving session, the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.65 per cent to 23,365.69, its fifth consecutive day of gains.
The S&P 500 rose 0.54 per cent to 6,849.09, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 289.30 points, or 0.61 per cent, to close at 47,716.42.
-
Sports1 week agoWATCH: Ronaldo scores spectacular bicycle kick
-
Entertainment1 week agoWelcome to Derry’ episode 5 delivers shocking twist
-
Politics1 week agoWashington and Kyiv Stress Any Peace Deal Must Fully Respect Ukraine’s Sovereignty
-
Business1 week agoKey economic data and trends that will shape Rachel Reeves’ Budget
-
Tech6 days agoWake Up—the Best Black Friday Mattress Sales Are Here
-
Politics1 week ago53,000 Sikhs vote in Ottawa Khalistan Referendum amid Carney-Modi trade talks scrutiny
-
Fashion1 week agoCanada’s Lululemon unveils team Canada kit for Milano Cortina 2026
-
Tech6 days agoThe Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop Punches Above Its Weight
