Three notorious burglars, responsible for a series of break-ins across the Vasant Kunj area in the national capital, have been arrested, solving six cases reported in the past two months, the Delhi Police said on Thursday.

The accused have been identified as Sunil alias Rabban, Sunil alias Sonu, and Md. Salim.

In a coordinated operation, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Child Line, and Srishti Seva Sansthan rescued 22 minor children from Dungarpur railway station in Rajasthan. The children were allegedly being trafficked to Gujarat for catering work.

Authorities also detained three agents involved in transporting the group, said officials on Thursday.

According to the officials, the agents had gathered the children from different villages in Dungarpur district and were planning to board a train via Chittorgarh to Asarwa, Gujarat.

Actor Randeep Hooda stepped into a forest stream during a recent visit to the wild, saying the water had likely been the same that a tiger drank from just hours earlier.

Randeep took to Instagram, where he shared a video of him cooling off in a water body, amidst a forest.

Nanoplastics derived from single-use PET bottles can directly disrupt key biological systems that are vital for human health, according to a study led by the Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali (INST), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), on Thursday.

Nanoplastics, found in food and water, are a global concern and are increasingly being detected inside the human body. But their exact effects remain poorly understood.

While many studies had focused on how plastics pollute the environment or damage host tissues, almost nothing was known about their direct impact on beneficial gut microbes that are central to human health.

India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to grow 6.7 per cent in 2026, 7 per cent in 2027 and 6.8 per cent in 2028, a report said on Thursday.

Lower inflation and resilient labour markets should continue to support consumer spending in most developed markets, the report from S&P Global Ratings said, forecasting stable global economic expansion of 3.2 per cent in 2026 and 2027.

Cold wave gripped Rajasthan, with several cities recording temperatures below ten degrees Celsius.

Fatehpur recorded the lowest temperature at 2.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Lunaksar at 2.9 degrees Celsius.

Most cities reported minimum temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, intensifying winter conditions.

President Donald Trump cast China as a central factor in his administration's economic and national security strategy, arguing that tariffs, tightened technology rules, and new domestic manufacturing incentives had put the United States "in the hottest country anywhere in the world."

As he rolled back Biden-era auto-efficiency regulations at an Oval Office event, Trump on Wednesday (local time) repeatedly cited China in the context of trade, artificial intelligence, semiconductor controls and lawsuits targeting his tariff program.

At least three civilians were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani forces in Balochistan, amid a growing wave of enforced disappearance across the province, a leading human rights organisation said on Thursday.

Expressing grave concern, Paank, the Baloch National Movement's Human Rights Department, mentioned that three residents of the Tijaban Singabad region in Kech district of the province were abducted in separate incidents on December 1.

In the upcoming episode of the quiz-based reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, India’s youngest cricket star Shafali Varma, along with her teammates from the India Women’s Cricket Team, will be seen joining Amitabh Bachchan. During the episode, Big B will be heard requesting their coach Amol Mazumdar to let the girls enjoy some pizza after their win.

During a light-hearted exchange, the thespian jokingly asked Shafali whether the team was allowed to indulge in junk food during the tournament.

Pulling her coach’s leg, Shefali said: “Nahi sir, Coach bol rahe hai, Coach se puchiye.”

Backing her up, teammate Sneh Rana chimed in: “Sir hum inse bhi dieting karvate hai,” prompting Big B to laugh and remark, “Ha yeh achi baat hai.”

Driven by robust domestic demand and tax reforms, Fitch Ratings on Thursday revised India’s GDP growth forecast for FY26 to 7.4 per cent, from 6.9 per cent projected earlier.

The global rating agency said that private consumer spending is the main driver of growth in the country this fiscal, “supported by strong real income dynamics, increased consumer sentiment, and the impact of recently implemented goods and services tax reforms”.

For FY27, Fitch expects India’s growth to ease to 6.4 per cent with domestic demand remaining the key driver. According to the global rating agency, public investment growth is likely to moderate, while private investment should pick up in the second half of FY27.

Around 50 lakh names in West Bengal have been identified for exclusion in the voters’ list as per the latest trend available during the digitisation of the enumeration forms in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India (ECI) that started from November 4.

The same figure was a little over 46 lakh as per the trend of digitisation completed till Tuesday evening, and by Wednesday night, it reached nearly 50 lakh. This means that a total of around four lakh names have been included in the list of names eligible for exclusion from the voters' list within 24 hours.

India legend Sunil Gavaskar broke down Virat Kohli’s century in the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur, saying it never looked like Kohli would miss out on a hundred. From the very first ball he faced, Gavaskar felt the star batter was simply continuing the rhythm he found in Ranchi.

Kohli continued his fine form from Ranchi, where he played a 120-ball 135-run knock in the first ODI to help India win, and went on to score his 84th international century, the 53rd of his ODI career, in Raipur on Wednesday.

Gold and silver prices slipped in the morning trade on Thursday, as investors booked profits after the US dollar strengthened against major currencies.

The demand in the spot market also remained weak, which added to the pressure on precious metals.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), gold February futures fell 0.13 per cent to Rs 1,30,288 per 10 grams.

“MCX Gold has extended its up-move and created a fresh high near Rs 1,31,400, and is now approaching its lifetime resistance zone at Rs 1,32,294, which continues to act as a key breakout hurdle,” experts said.

Bollywood celebrities’ best friend Orry, whose real name is Orhan Awatramani, has revealed why actor Ranveer Singh is probably the only man he gets jealous of.

Ranveer and Deepika recreated Orry’s signature hand on chest pose at a wedding in Goa. The social media influencer called it “wholesome.”

"Seeing Deepika imitate my signature VIRAL orry pose was wholesome and is the only real true validation one can receive in the world, not everyone gets to be validated like that by the queen herself,” said Orry.

He added: “We were all gathered for my good friend saumya, Ranveer's cousin sister's wedding in Goa and it was just enchanting and unreal. The vibes were great, and we all teared up as the bidai took place. The bride and groom touched Ranveer's feet too.”

UK researchers have found a common childhood virus that can trigger DNA damage leading to bladder cancer later in life.

Tackling the virus early could open the door to preventing bladder cancer later, said the team from the University of York.

The study, published in Science Advances, revealed that after being contracted in childhood, the BK virus usually lies dormant in the kidney.

BK virus infections do not have obvious symptoms, but physicians have learned a lot about the virus from the experiences of kidney transplant recipients who have to take immunosuppressants to prevent the immune system from targeting their new kidney.

Intense cold wave continued across Kashmir Valley on Thursday as minimum temperature remained several notches below the freezing point.

The morning fog and clear night sky added to the chill factor in Srinagar city this morning as pedestrians and motorists moved out with caution to negotiate the slippery streets and roads in the city.

The Meteorological (MeT) Department officials said the minimum temperature was minus 4 degrees Celsius in Srinagar city, while it was minus 4.8 degrees Celsius in Pahalgam and minus one in Gulmarg.

Song Chang-hyeon, head of Hyundai Motor Group's Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) division and chief executive officer (CEO) of the group's software research arm 42dot, has tendered his resignation amid a lack of progress in next-generation vehicle technologies, industry sources said on Thursday.

In a message sent to 42dot employees, Song said he would step down from both positions following a meeting with Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, according to the sources, reports news agency.

Song appears to be taking responsibility for the group's limited progress in autonomous driving technologies, as Hyundai Motor Group has been viewed as falling short of expectations compared with rivals despite significant investment in the AVP division.

Vietnam's southern hub Ho Chi Minh City has reported a surge in hand-foot-mouth disease, with 32,637 cases recorded since early this year, up 64 per cent year-on-year, local daily Tuoi Tre reported Thursday.

From November 17 to 23, the city logged 1,547 cases, an increase of 15 per cent compared to the average of the previous four weeks, according to the municipal Department of Health.

Tang Chi Thuong, the department's director, said the Enterovirus 71 (EV71) pathogen had re-emerged in November, linked to severe hand-foot-mouth disease cases.

 US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin "would like to end the war" in Ukraine, citing what he described as a "very good meeting" between Putin and two close Trump allies, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, in Moscow.

Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday (local time) that he had spoken with Kushner and Witkoff following their talks with Putin. "Their impression was that he would like to see the war ended," Trump said. "I think he'd like to get back to a more normal life. I think he'd like to be trading with the United States of America, frankly, instead of losing thousands of soldiers a week."

Trump added, "I thought they had a very good meeting yesterday with President Putin. We'll see what happens. It's a war that should never have been started. It's a war if I were president… that war would have never happened."

The Indian rupee continued its sharp fall on Thursday, sliding 22 paise and remaining well above the 90-per-dollar mark amid weak global cues.

The currency has been under pressure due to persistent equity outflows and the lack of clarity around the India-US trade deal, according to market experts.

The rupee opened weaker at 90.41 against the US dollar, compared to its previous close of 90.19. This decline came just a day after the rupee breached the psychologically important 90 mark for the first time on December 3, when it hit a new all-time low.

Actor Ahan Shetty has wrapped up the shoot for his upcoming war film ”Border 2”. He said that he is leaving with a heart full of gratitude for the armed forces, the incredible artists he had the chance to share screen with, and the entire team who have become family.

Ahan took to Instagram, where he shared a string of images from the sets. He even posted pictures posing with the men in uniform along with his co-stars Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh and Varun Dhawan.

For the caption, he wrote: “That’s a wrap on Border 2. Walking off set today feels heavier than I expected. This film challenged me and gave me moments I’ll never forget. I’m leaving with a heart full of gratitude for our armed forces, the incredible artists I've had the chance to share the screen with, and the entire team who have become family.”

Delhi’s air quality recorded a slight improvement on Thursday morning, even as temperatures continued to drop. At 7 a.m., the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 300, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

While the overall AQI remained in the 'poor' category, several monitoring stations continued to report readings in the 'very poor' range.

Of the 39 monitoring stations in Delhi, 19 recorded air quality in the 'very poor' category, 14 in the 'poor' category, and two in the 'moderate' category.

The South Korean unification ministry said on Thursday that it is seeking to repatriate elderly "unconverted long-term" North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) but not considering linking the issue with efforts to win the release of six South Koreans detained in the North.

Citing Seoul's national security adviser, NK News, a US news outlet centered on North Korea, reported that South Korea is willing to discuss the repatriation of unconverted, long-term North Korean POWs in an effort to bring home South Korean nationals detained in the North.

The report came after during a press conference with foreign media Wednesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said he had never heard of South Korean detainees in North Korea and lacks information on individual cases, when asked about the government's plan to secure their release.

Bayern Munich battled into the DFB Cup quarterfinals with a dramatic 3-2 win at Union Berlin in a match shaped by two Union own goals, two penalties and fierce late pressure.

Union, backed by a raucous home crowd, started aggressively but was punished from the first corner when Ilyas Ansah shinned a Joshua Kimmich corner into his own net. Another Kimmich set piece brought the second, as Harry Kane stooped to head home from close range.

The hosts clawed their way back before the interval as a VAR check penalized Jonathan Tah for handball and Leopold Querfeld calmly sent Manuel Neuer the wrong way from the spot, reports.

The Election Commission of India has identified three polling booths in West Bengal which do not have a single “self” voter. A voter in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the ECI is considered a “self” if he or she has his or her name in the voters’ list for 2002, the base year for the ongoing revision exercise.

In these three booths, 100 per cent of the voters are “progeny” voters, sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, have said.

A voter is considered a “progeny” voter if his or her parents’ names appear on the voters’ list for 2002.

Considering it a near-impossible scenario, the ECI has directed a fresh review of the situation in all three booths.

Indian stock markets opened weak on Thursday as pressure from a falling rupee and continued foreign investor selling kept sentiment muted on Dalal Street.

The opening also coincided with the weekly F&O expiry for the Sensex, adding to the cautious mood among traders.

The rupee hit a fresh record low of 90.56 against the US dollar in early trade, worsening concerns about capital outflows.