Under the Chief Minister's Women Employment Scheme, financial assistance of Rs 10,000 each was transferred to the bank accounts of 10 lakh women in Bihar on Friday.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar participated in the event and released the funds directly through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

A special programme was organised at the Chief Minister's residence, attended by Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, senior officials, and representatives from various departments.

According to officials, the beneficiaries include around 9.5 lakh rural women and 50,000 urban women.

In a major breakthrough, the Delhi Crime Branch has arrested a Proclaimed Offender who had evaded law enforcement for 25 years after being implicated in multiple robbery-cum-murder cases spanning Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The accused, Dheeraj Tomar alias Raj Singh, had evaded arrest for more than two decades by adopting a new identity and living away from his family.

According to the Crime Branch, a specialised team from NDR/R.K. Puram, led by Inspector Rakesh Kumar, apprehended the 45-year-old fugitive from Sikanderpur Kalan village in Uttar Pradesh.

“The Crime Branch’s Team NDR/R.K. Puram has achieved a significant success with the arrest of Proclaimed Offender Dheeraj @ Rajsingh, who had been absconding for the last 25 years,” the press release said.

A fierce encounter between the Assam Rifles and militants broke out along Manipur’s India-Myanmar border areas on Friday, and the operation is still underway, officials said.

A defence spokesperson and a police official said separately that a patrolling party of the Assam Rifles came under fire from terrorists along the border areas on Friday morning.

The troops retaliated immediately with controlled and cautious fire to ensure civilian safety, the defence spokesperson added, noting that additional forces have been deployed to the area and the operation is currently in progress. Further details are awaited.

Manipur shares a 398 km unfenced border with Myanmar, making the frontier highly vulnerable to trans-border movement of militants, inimical elements, and large-scale drug smuggling.

Ahead of India’s Q2 GDP numbers on Friday, Moody's Ratings said that the country is projected to clock 7 per cent GDP growth in 2025 and 6.4 per cent in 2026 due to domestic growth and economic resilience amid global disruptions.

The country will lead growth among emerging markets and in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, said the global rating agency. "India will lead growth among emerging markets and across the region, with GDP growing 7 per cent in 2025 and 6.4 per cent in 2026," according to a note by Moody's Ratings.

The average GDP growth in APAC is projected to remain steady at 3.4 per cent in 2026, compared to expected growth of 3.6 per cent in 2025.

According to the rating agency, emerging markets will drive GDP growth in the region, with average growth of 5.6 per cent.

Actor Siddhant Chaturvedi shared a reflective and poetic post, offering his thoughts on love that goes beyond conventional storytelling.

In his latest Instagram post, the actor mused that true love doesn’t follow a set structure. Instead, it exists as a feeling that grows or as a memory we frame to make sense of the past. On Friday, Siddhant took to Instagram and shared a video of himself sitting on a large rock amid a stunning view. He also added “Do Deewane Seher Mein” love theme as the background score. For the caption, the Gully Boy actor wrote, “Love story” is just a phrase we borrow when we don’t know what to call it. Truth is simple …real love doesn’t need narration, and narrations aren’t always love.”

“A “love story” assumes structure- a beginning, middle, end. But love has none of these. It’s either a feeling that grows beyond definition… or a memory you frame as a story to make sense of what’s gone…#SiddyChats.”

Contractual employees of the state-owned Punjab Roadways, Punbus and Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) went on strike on Friday after police picked up several union leaders, protesting the opening of tenders under the Kilometre Scheme, leaving commuters across the state stranded as over 3,000 buses stayed off roads.

People, especially women, faced inconvenience across the strike by contractual employees on all 27 depots of both the roadways.

The travel of women is free in the state roadways buses. There were reports of a scuffle between the police and the strikers in Patiala and Sangrur towns.

Actress Shraddha Kapoor, who has voiced Judy’s character in the Hindi version of “Zootopia 2”, said that the film carries a message that will resonate with people of all ages.

Sharing her connection to the story, Shraddha said, “Everybody needs a Nick in their life who supports them till the end. For me, my mother, father, and brother are like Nick.”

Reflecting on the film’s heart and message, she added, “The film is full of heart, and it carries a message that will resonate with people of all ages. I would urge everyone to go and watch it with their families. It’s a must-watch for all ages. I’m going to see it with my entire family… and you should all go with yours too.”

A man, accused of raping a six-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district, has been arrested following a short "encounter" in Bhopal on Friday.

According to Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kamlesh Kharpuse, the accused, Salman, was arrested from Bhopal between 3.30 a.m. to 4 a.m. in Bhopal.

The ASP said that when the police were taking Salman to Gauharganj, their vehicle's tyre got punctured on the way.

He said that the accused tried to flee the scene in between.

Bird flu viruses can replicate at temperatures higher than a typical fever -- one of the body's ways of stopping viruses in their tracks --, increasing the threat to humans, according to new research.

Human flu viruses, which cause seasonal flu, are known as influenza A viruses.

Fever protects against severe infection from human-origin flu viruses, with just a 2 degrees C increase in body temperature enough to turn a lethal infection into a mild disease.

Researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Glasgow, UK, showed that while raising body temperature to fever levels is effective at stopping human-origin flu viruses from replicating, it is unlikely to stop avian or bird flu viruses.

 Weather conditions shifted across Rajasthan on Friday as light rain and an overcast sky brought a distinct winter chill to Jaipur.

The Meteorological Department has issued a dense fog alert for several districts over the next two days and cautioned that a cold wave may grip parts of the state with the start of December.

Officials said districts in the Ajmer, Jaipur and Udaipur divisions may receive light rain or drizzle through the day. A western disturbance that passed over the state on Thursday led to a fall in maximum temperatures, even as minimum temperatures saw a slight rise due to cloud cover.

Almost six months after welcoming their baby girl, Bollywood couple Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani have finally revealed the name of their little bundle of joy.

Sid and Kiara have named their baby girl Saraayah Malhotra.

Announcing the name of their firstborn on social media, the new parents shared a joint post that read, "From our prayers, to our arms (Folded hands emoji) our divine blessing, our princess, Saraayah Malhotra (Sparkles, folded hands, red heart and evil eye emojis) (sic)."

Gold and silver prices rose in the domestic futures market on Friday morning as strong spot demand and expectations of a US Federal Reserve rate cut lifted investor sentiment.

During early trade, MCX gold December futures were trading 0.39 per cent higher at Rs 1,25,999 per 10 grams, while MCX silver December contracts were up 0.85 per cent at Rs 1,63,849 per kg.

“MCX Gold futures are now approaching a critical resistance zone between Rs 1,26,800 and Rs 1,27,500,” market watchers said.

“A decisive daily close above this band can trigger a fresh rally toward Rs 1,29,000– Rs 1,30,500 in the coming sessions,” they added.

Apple ने शुक्रवार को घोषणा की कि वह 11 दिसंबर को नोएडा में अपना पहला रिटेल स्टोर खोलेगा, जो भारत में उसके पाँचवें स्टोर का शुभारंभ होगा।

नया आउटलेट, Apple Noida, DLF मॉल ऑफ़ इंडिया के अंदर स्थित होगा और ग्राहकों को Apple उत्पादों को देखने, विशेषज्ञ सहायता प्राप्त करने और ब्रांड की सेवाओं का व्यक्तिगत रूप से अनुभव करने के लिए एक समर्पित स्थान प्रदान करेगा।

कंपनी ने आज सुबह स्टोर बैरिकेड का अनावरण किया, जिसमें मोर के पंखों से प्रेरित एक रंगीन डिज़ाइन प्रदर्शित किया गया है - जो भारत के गौरव और रचनात्मकता का प्रतीक है।

Apple on Friday announced that it will open its first retail store in Noida on December 11, marking the launch of its fifth own store in India.

The new outlet, Apple Noida, will be located inside DLF Mall of India and will offer customers a dedicated space to explore Apple products, get expert support, and experience the brand’s services in person.

The company revealed the store barricade earlier today, showcasing a colourful design inspired by peacock feathers -- a symbol of India’s pride and creativity.

This theme was also used during the recent openings of Apple Hebbal in Bengaluru and Apple Koregaon Park in Pune, reflecting Apple’s effort to celebrate modern India through its retail experience.

As economists and industry wait for the Q2 GDP numbers to be released by the National Statistical Office on Friday, reports say that the economy may outshine the 7 per cent forecast for the July-September period despite US tariffs and overall weak global cues.

In the April-June quarter (Q1 FY26), the GDP growth was a five-quarter high at 7.8 per cent, and experts expect another stellar performance by the Indian economy.

India’s macroeconomic outlook remains one of cautious optimism, underpinned by robust domestic demand and easing inflationary pressures.

Growth is being supported by strong investment activities, recovery in rural consumption, and buoyancy in services and manufacturing, according to a latest SBI report.

The Indian Consulate General in Toronto expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of Indian nationals in a devastating fire in Brampton, Canada. The mission said it has reached out to the affected families and is providing all necessary assistance to them.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives of Indian nationals in the devastating fire incident in Brampton. The Consulate conveys its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and stands with them in this moment of immense grief. We have reached out to the family, and all required assistance is being extended to them,” the Indian Consulate General in Toronto, on Friday, posted on X.

The incident occurred on November 20 in Banas Way in Brampton, where a rapidly spreading blaze trapped several family members inside, according to local media reports.

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty turned positive on Friday after recovering from early losses, supported by buying on dips ahead of the key Q2FY26 GDP data, which will be released later today.

The Sensex rose 101 points to 85,821, up 0.12 per cent, while the Nifty inched up 35 points to 26,251, a gain of 0.14 per cent.

"The Nifty seems likely to stay within a defined range, with near-term resistance in the 26,300–26,350 area and support near 26,050–26,100; dips toward this support zone may offer fresh buying opportunities," analysts said.

Strong buying in heavyweight stocks such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Tech Mahindra, Titan, SBI, Maruti Suzuki, Hindustan Unilever, Tata Motors PV, and Sun Pharma helped the market erase its morning losses.

Delhi woke up to yet another day of toxic air on Friday, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 385, firmly in the “very poor” category. Air pollution across Delhi-NCR continues to remain hazardous, offering little respite to residents already struggling with a cold wave.

The spike in pollution comes barely a day after authorities lifted the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage-III restrictions, which are enforced to curb severe pollution levels. However, the relief was short-lived, as air quality deteriorated rapidly once again. On Thursday, the city’s overall AQI rose sharply to 377, up from 327 the previous day, marking a significant decline in air quality within 24 hours.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday batted for strategic tie up with Japan in key sectors of advanced manufacturing, mobility, electronics, food processing, renewable energy, and global services.

The Chief Minister, accompanied by Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora, virtually held a detailed deliberation with a high level delegation of Japan comprising representatives of the Embassy of Japan, JETRO, JCCII, and over 25 leading Japanese companies operating across India such as Panasonic, Sumitomo, Nippon, NEC, Toyota and others.

The interaction formed a key part of Punjab’s international outreach in the run-up to the 6th Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit scheduled from March 13-15, 2026 at the Indian School of Business (ISB), Mohali. Invest Punjab showcased the state’s economic landscape and the unique Invest Punjab unified regulatory model, which integrates powers of multiple departments under a single authority.