A new workplace 'soft off day' is gaining attention as it allows employees a way to mentally unplug without taking leave. It involves showing up at work but doing only the bare minimum required to conserve energy. The employee can attend meeting and use AI to summarise meeting details or answer urgent messages, but refuse to take up new tasks.

Elon Musk drew attention towards LinkedIn Co-founder Reid Hoffman's remark about US President Donald Trump. Sharing a post, Musk wrote "Just a reminder that Reid Hoffman really did say in a public forum that he wished President Trump had been killed in the assassination attempt." Hoffman had said, "I wish I had made him (Trump) an actual martyr."

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Punit Garg, former Director of Reliance Communications Ltd, under PMLA in the alleged ₹40,000-crore RCOM bank fraud and money laundering case. The probe showed that he allegedly diverted proceeds of crime to offshore entities and used POC for his children's overseas education. The court has sent him to nine days ED custody.

Deckers Brands (DECK) jumped 11% after the company reported better-than-expected Q3 results. Revenue and profits beat estimates, driven by strong performance from brands like HOKA and UGG. While some analysts raised price targets, others remained cautious on demand, even as retail investors took a bullish, contrarian view.

US Senator Thom Tillis said he will not back President Donald Trump Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh until the DOJ probe into outgoing chair Jerome Powell is resolved. Tillis said protecting the Federal Reserve independence is non-negotiable, raising the risk of a Senate stalemate despite mixed reactions to Warsh nomination.

Groww Asset Management and Edelweiss AMC have submitted bids to acquire PGIM India Asset Management from Prudential Financial Inc as the US firm seeks to exit its India business. The asset manager’s portfolios include equity, alternatives, real estate and fixed-income funds. Talks are ongoing and no final deal has been announced yet.

ITC is launching a new range of fresh packaged foods including cookies, cakes, chutneys, namkeens and chapatis through its food-tech and cloud kitchen network. The shorter shelf-life products are being piloted in Bengaluru and sold via e-commerce platforms to tap growing demand for fresher, premium convenience foods.

Apple has bought Q.ai, an Israeli startup focused on advanced audio and AI tech, in deal valued near $1.6–2 billion, one of its largest ever. The secretive company builds machine-learning tools that help devices understand whispered or silent speech and improve audio in tough conditions. Around 100 Q.ai employees including the founders, will join Apple as part of the deal.

Hudson Technologies fell after a key US government contract worth $210 million was temporarily put on hold. The Defense Logistics Agency paused the deal following a legal challenge from a rival company. Hudson said its current operations are unaffected and remains confident of eventually securing the contract.

Kazia Therapeutics Inc. rose over 6% in pre-market trading after the company shared encouraging early-stage data for its cancer drug NDL2. The treatment showed strong tumor reduction in multiple preclinical models, especially when combined with existing immunotherapy drugs, boosting investor optimism around its future potential.