The detection of two suspected Nipah virus cases in West Bengal has put health authorities on alert, prompting the Centre to deploy a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to support containment and public health measures.

Doctors said that the Nipah virus is rare, unpredictable and can be deadly.

On Wednesday, they said that awareness and early action are crucial to prevent its spread.

Indian passports jumped five places in global mobility rankings in 2026, offering visa‑free, visa‑on‑arrival or eTA access to 55 destinations, a report said on Wednesday.

The Henley Passport Index placed India at 80th spot sharing this rank with Algeria and Niger. Singapore, which topped the list, has visa-free access to 192 countries. Japan (188 destinations) and South Korea followed closely, highlighting the connection of travel freedom with the economic strength of the country.

Indian travellers enjoy visa free access across parts of Southeast Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and island nations. However, advance visas are still required for most of Europe, the UK, the US, Canada and large parts of East Asia.

 Billionbrains Garage Ventures, the parent company of stock broking platform Groww, on Wednesday reported a sharp fall in profits for the third quarter of financial year 2026 (Q3 FY26).

The company’s consolidated net profit declined 27.8 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 546.93 crore in Q3 FY26, compared with Rs 757.11 crore in the same quarter last financial year.

India’s inflation rate based on wholesale prices was estimated at 0.83 per cent for December 2025 compared to the same month of the previous year with the positive rate primarily due to the increase in prices of manufactured goods and minerals, according to figures released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Wednesday.

Food inflation was estimated at 0 per cent as there was no increase in the wholesale prices of food in December, compared to the same month of the preceding year.

Increasing taxes on fruit juices, sugary drinks, and alcohol is essential to curb the rising non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and injuries, especially in children and young adults, said the World Health Organization (WHO).

In two new global reports, the WHO flagged concerns that sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages are getting cheaper, due to consistently low tax rates in most countries.

While more than 100 countries tax sugary drinks like sodas, other high-sugar products, such as 100 per cent fruit juices, sweetened milk drinks, and ready-to-drink coffees and teas, escape taxation. The median tax for these accounts for only about 2 per cent of the price of a common sugary soda.

In a tragic incident on Wednesday morning that sent shockwaves through Kusua village in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district, four children drowned in a pond under the Puramufti police station limits, officials said.

According to police, the victims -- three minors and a 19-year-old youth -- had gone to bathe in a pond located around a kilometre away from the village.

They are believed to have accidentally ventured into a deeper portion of the water body, leading to the drowning of all four.

Bollywood's beloved mother and daughter duo, Raveena Tandon and Rasha Thadani, are often seen spending time together, from posing for the shutterbugs to going on a spiritual spree. However, this time these two were seen shooting together.

While it is not clear what exactly these two were shooting for, Raveena and Rasha were seen enjoying a fun gupshup session while working together.

Uploading a glimpse of their fun session in front of the camera, Raveena wrote on her Instagram, "Fleeting moments of emotions … (red heart emoji) The gup shup doesn’t end when @rashathadani and I are shooting together .. With my babies all (sic)."

Actor Ahan Shetty is all set to take forward the legacy of his father, Suniel Shetty, with his next, "Border 2".

In a wholesome moment, the father and son duo were seen grooving on the revamped version of the "Jaate Hue Lamhon" track from the sequel.

It must be noted that the original version of the song was picturized on Suniel in the 1997 drama "Border".

Two nurses from Barasat in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal who have tested positive for the Nipah virus are in a coma and in extremely critical condition, hospital sources said on Wednesday.

In both cases, the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores for eye opening, verbal response, and motor response are below five. The female nurse has tested positive for Nipah, with her samples confirmed by the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. Doctors said the male nurse, who is currently on ventilator support, is also likely to test positive.

Indian equity markets are entering 2026 on a firmer footing after a year of consolidation, with improving valuations, realistic earnings expectations and strong domestic fundamentals shaping a more constructive outlook, according to a report released on Wednesday.

While global events could be a source of uncertainty, India’s macro fundamentals remain strong, according to smallcase managers.

Actress Rani Mukerji, who is all geared up for the release of her “Mardaani 3”, was seen flying kites on the occasion of Makar Sankranti in Gujarat and was thrilled to see the love pouring in for her upcoming film.

Starting her promotional journey from Gujarat, Rani told people in Ahmedabad: “I’m so happy to be in Gujarat, to be in Ahmedabad on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. It is such an auspicious date, and I am thrilled to see the love for Mardaani here. Thank you so much for giving me my film this kind of love. It is really precious. Thank you.”

“I had a great time flying a kite,” she was heard saying on the mic.

Just five more minutes of sleep, and two minutes of moderate exercise like brisk walking or climbing stairs can add a year to your life, according to a study on Wednesday.

Adding half a serving of vegetables per day more could also lead to an extra year of life for people with the worst existing sleep, physical activity, and dietary habits, revealed the study that followed 60,000 people for eight long years.

Salman Khan and former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni joined singer AP Dhillon for an adrenaline-packed muddy adventure in Bollywood superstar’s farmhouse in Panvel, where the trio was seen tearing through slush on all-terrain vehicles.

Dhillon took to Instagram to share a series of photographs capturing the trio in high spirits during the muddy escapade. The images show the stylish men splattered with mud as they rode an ATV through the slush.

A passenger train travelling from Bangkok to Thailand’s northeastern region met with a major accident on Wednesday after a construction crane collapsed onto one of its coaches, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 people and injuries to over 55 others, according to Thai police officials.

The incident occurred at around 9:05 am in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, located nearly 230 km northeast of the Thai capital. The train was en route to Ubon Ratchathani province when the accident took place.

Three people, including two children, were killed in a road accident at Bharatipura Cross near Thirthahalli in Shivamogga district of Karnataka on Wednesday.

The deceased were identified as 15-year-old Rihaan, nine-year-old Rahil, and 76-year-old Fathima, all residents of Shringeri in Chikkamagaluru district.

According to police, the tragedy occurred following a head-on collision between a car and a Road Transport Corporation (RTC) bus. All the victims were car occupants.

Three other occupants of the car sustained serious injuries and have been shifted to a nearby hospital.

Gold hovered near fresh record high while silver touched new peak on Wednesday, as softer US inflation data and elevated geopolitical tensions boosted safe haven demand among investors.

MCX gold February futures rose 0.53 per cent to Rs 1,42,995 per 10 grams around 10.05 am, while MCX silver March futures climbed 4.53 per cent to Rs 2,87,640 per kg.

US core Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for December showed a 0.2 per cent month‑on‑month surge and 2.6 per cent year‑on‑year rise, below forecasts and reinforcing market bets that the Federal Reserve will cut rates in 2026, driving gold prices higher.

An extreme dry chill continued in Kashmir on Wednesday, with Srinagar city recording minus 5.2 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature.

Almost all water taps, road puddles, ponds and other small water bodies were frozen in the morning, while the Dal Lake was frozen in parts.

Roads have become slippery, especially in the mornings, and pedestrians and motorists avoid venturing out in the morning unless some emergency arises.

The clear night sky has led to further lowering of minimum temperatures in the union territory.

Delhi’s minimum temperature witnessed a marginal rise on Wednesday morning, settling at 3.8 degrees Celsius, even as cold wave conditions continued to grip the national capital, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Alongside the persistent cold, air quality across the city remained a major concern, staying in the ‘very poor’ category, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 360.

The Indian benchmark indices traded flat with a mild negative bias on Wednesday amid fears of disruption to Iranian crude exports and sustained FII outflows.

As of 9.25 am, Sensex slipped 74 points, or 0.09 per cent to 83,552 and Nifty eased 12 points, or 0.05 per cent to 25,719.

Main broad-cap indices showed slight divergence with benchmark indices, with the Nifty Midcap 100 unchanged, while the Nifty Smallcap 100 added 0.48 per cent.