Five people have been arrested by the police in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla and Pulwama districts during their continued action against drug smuggling and drug peddling, said police on Friday.

A police statement said, “In a follow-up action in an ongoing NDPS case, Sopore Police in Baramulla district has achieved a major breakthrough by arresting additional accused persons and effecting further recovery of contraband, indicating the presence of a wider drug peddling network."

The risk of transmission of Nipah virus remains low, and there is no need for any travel or trade restrictions, said the World Health Organisation, noting that it is closely monitoring the deadly virus cases in India.

In its latest Epidemiological Bulletin, the global health body reported two cases of Nipah virus in 25-year-old nurses -- a woman and a man -- working at the same private hospital in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.

Australia's health minister said on Friday that the government is closely monitoring the outbreak of the Nipah virus in Asia.

Mark Butler told Nine Network television that the Nipah virus has never been detected in Australia, but that authorities were taking the threat posed by an outbreak that began in India in December very seriously.

 At least three people were killed and around 12 others were injured in a massive pile-up involving six vehicles on the National Highway-58 near Bhilwara city in Rajasthan, officials said here on Friday.

The area was gripped by dense fog in the morning, leading to a major road accident in Bhilwara district.

Free diagnosis and multi-drug treatment at public health hospitals is ensuring that India remains leprosy-free, said the government on Friday.

National Leprosy Day in India is observed annually on January 30, coinciding with the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, to honour his work with those affected by the disease.

As the death toll in the Anandapur warehouse fire on the southern outskirts of Kolkata reached 25 on Friday morning, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of the matter and directed the District Magistrate concerned to submit an action taken report at the earliest.

The NHRC acted in the matter following a complaint alleging gross human rights violations at the Wow Momo factory at Anandapur.

Hometown wildcards Olivia Gadecki and John Peers became the first pairing in 37-year to defend their Australian Open mixed doubles crown here on Friday.

The home favourites edged French duo Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 inside Rod Laver Arena.

India can sustain “J‑curve” gains despite rupee weakness, if trade diversion becomes embedded in durable supply chains and is supported by logistics efficiencies, a report said on Friday.

The report from Emkay Global Financial Services further stressed restrained tariffs on capital goods and intermediaries as well as steady long‑term FDI to sustain the J-curve gains, adding that these factors will matter far more than tariffs over the medium term.

Two people were killed and more than 10 others seriously injured after a private bus collided with a stationary truck on National Highway-48 near Karjan in Gujarat's Vadodara district in the early hours of Friday, police said.

The accident occurred near the Dhavat Chokdi bridge when the bus, travelling from Aurangabad to Ahmedabad, rammed into a truck parked on the side of the highway.

Officials said the impact was severe, crushing the front portion of the bus and trapping several passengers inside.

Filmmaker-actor Randeep Hooda has been seen sporting a distinct new look, a thick moustache paired with a noticeably bulked-up physique. As per sources, it is for his upcoming period drama biopic ‘Eetha’.

The actor was spotted last night post his shoot in Mumbai sporting the same look. The new look has become a talking point, with this being a striking new appearance is for his next film, Eetha with Shraddha Kapoor shooting for which is currently underway in Mumbai.

Bollywood star Alia Bhatt and her sister Shaheen Bhatt through their production banner are set to back a coming-of-age romantic comedy film “Don’t Be Shy” in collaboration with Prime Video.

“At Eternal Sunshine, we’ve always wanted to back stories that feel honest and voices that feel their own,” says Alia, co-founder of Eternal Sunshine Productions, in a statement.

Television actor Nakuul Mehta, recently spoke about how his Space Gen co-star and actress Shriya Saran played the role of a mentor not just on set but also in his personal life too. The actor recalled moments that deepened his respect for her, both as a senior artiste and as a person.

Sharing an incident from web series Space Gen shoot, Nakuul revealed how he and co-actor Daanish Sait were struggling to crack a particular scene despite repeated attempts.

Bollywood actress Aditi Rao Hydari’s latest film, Gandhi Talks, hits the screens today and she described it as “something so new for all of us.”

Aditi shared a poster of the film and wrote: “Gandhi talks releases today. A silent film that we all made together, something so new for all of us, directed by Kishore air who has spent more than a decade on the story board, and the nuances.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that the company set a quarterly revenue record during the October-December period in India — a market which has seen Apple production and exports touching new highs with each quarter.

For the December quarter, Apple set all-time revenue records in the Americas, Europe, Japan, and rest of Asia Pacific, and grew in the vast majority of markets we track.

“We continued to gain momentum in emerging markets, which includes India, where we saw strong double-digit revenue growth,” said Cook during the earnings call late on Thursday (US time).

The Consumer Price Index (CPI), with the new base year 2024, will increase marginally by 20-30 bps and in the months when food inflation is higher, the new CPI will be low by 20-30 bps, according to an SBI Research report.

The government had formed an expert group to measure CPI accurately, with the changing consumption behaviour of the households and to incorporate latest global best practices including methodological developments.

On the last day of the 40-day harsh winter cold, locally known as the ‘Chillai Kalan’, the minimum temperature in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, rose above the freezing point on Friday for the first time in over one month.

The Meteorological (MeT) Department data said the minimum temperature was 1.3 degrees Celsius in Srinagar, minus 9 degrees Celsius in Gulmarg and minus 5.3 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam.

In Srinagar, the minimum temperature rose above the freezing point after over a month.

Gold and silver prices fell on Friday, after hitting record highs in the previous session as investors booked profits and the US dollar gained strength.

MCX gold February futures fell 1.03 per cent to Rs 1,67,656 per 10 grams around 10 am on an intraday basis. Meanwhile, MCX silver March futures dipped 3.42 per cent to Rs 3,86,200 per kg.

The Delhi Police on Friday arrested three men and solved two robbery attempt cases along with three other criminal cases, officials said. The arrests were made after an extensive investigation involving analysis of over 100 CCTV cameras installed in and around the crime scenes.

Residents of Delhi woke up to a foggy Friday morning as dense mist, cloudy skies, and declining air quality continued to affect the national capital. Reduced visibility and cooler temperatures marked the start of the day, while pollution levels remained a matter of concern across several parts of the city amid changing weather conditions.

The Indian equity markets traded lower early on Friday as the metal stocks plummeted under pressure.

As of 9.30 am, Sensex eased 525 points, or 0.64 per cent, to reach 82,040, and Nifty lost 159 points, or 0.63 per cent, to settle at 25,259.

Pannu recalled that this was not the first time such revelations had surfaced. Former CM Captain Amarinder Singh himself had earlier spoken about young men being presented before the then Prime Minister and later being killed, claims that were never properly investigated or even acknowledged during his long tenures as Chief Minister. “Why did Captain Amarinder Singh, despite ruling Punjab for years, never speak about those youths or seek justice for their families?” Pannu questioned.

Cabinet Sub-Committee Chairman Harpal Singh Cheema chaired the first meeting of the committee held here today. The Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, Tarunpreet Singh Saund, Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan Singh Rouri, Cultural Affairs Advisor Deepak Bali, Secretary Tourism Kumar Amit, Director Tourism Dr. Sanjeev Tiwari was present.