Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that there are over one lakh daily wagers and casual labourers at present engaged by various government departments.

The Chief Minister assured the Assembly that a legally sustainable approach is being adopted for their regularisation.

Actress Divya Dutta on Wednesday recalled how there was “no vanity, no staff” on the sets of the hit movie Stanley Ka Dabba, and that her script was simply a Class 5 English textbook. She further called the film one of the projects closest to her heart.

Actress Kiara Advani shared an emotional note in remembrance of her late father-in-law Sunil Malhotra, expressing gratitude for the unconditional love and warmth she received from the very beginning.

Kiara took to Instagram, where she shared two monochrome pictures. The first featured her along with her father-in-law, husband Sidharth, and mother-in-law. The other photograph just featured her father-in-law.

In a gruesome incident that has sent shockwaves across Jharkhand, a woman and her minor son were burnt alive by a group of villagers on suspicion of practising witchcraft in West Singhbhum district, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred late Tuesday night under the Kumardungi police station limits.

India and Nepal have signed an updated Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters in Kathmandu, enabling the competent authorities of the two countries to cooperate in criminal investigations and legal proceedings.

Gold and silver prices rose on Wednesday after two consecutive sessions of decline, amid renewed buying interest due to global macro-economic factors.

Easing US-Iran tensions due to progress in negotiations and a firmer US dollar capped gains by weighing on safe-haven demand. Thin liquidity because of Lunar New Year holidays in several Asian markets also acted as headwinds on the rally, market participants said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Malappuram native who had been absconding for nearly four years in connection with an alleged arms training case linked to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

Four children suffered burns in South 24 Parganas district's Canning after a drum filled with chemicals exploded, said the police on Wednesday.

According to police sources, four children were playing on the roadside on Tuesday evening when a drum filled with chemicals kept nearby exploded.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday declared the schedule for the biennial elections to the Council of States, Rajya Sabha, to fill 37 seats falling vacant from 10 states.

According to the Commission, polling will be conducted on March 16 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and the counting of votes will take place the same day at 5:00 p.m.

Actress Sonam Bajwa chose discipline over indulgence as she resisted the temptation of candies while waiting at the airport.

The actress took to Instagram stories, where she shared that she was sitting at the airport and looking at a candy shop, debating whether she should buy some sweets.

Sonam was heard saying, “So, I am sitting at the airport and looking at this candy shop, and I have been debating whether I should get some candies. I love candies, but I just decided yesterday that I am not going to have any sugar. I had dates today. I am trying to be disciplined… Nahi khaaungi.”

Actor Harshvardhan Rane on Wednesday shared a video on his social media account where he was seen braving sub-zero temperatures while indulging in wildlife photography.

Sharing a video montage on social media, the actor wrote, “Clicking in, minus temperature is tough but beautiful,” along with hashtags #Montana #Coyote #YellowStone.

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy smartphone is expected to see its first price increase since 2023, industry watchers said on Wednesday, amid a global rise in memory chip prices fuelled by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

The South Korean tech giant plans to host the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event in San Francisco on Feb. 25 (U.S. time) under the theme "The Next AI Phone Makes Your Life Easier," where the company is widely expected to unveil the Galaxy S26, the latest in its flagship lineup, reports news agency.

Local hero Joao Fonseca earned his first win of the season at the Rio Open with a 7-6(1), 6-1 win over countryman Thiago Monteiro in the opening round.

Fonseca delivered a dominant serving display. He fired seven aces, including two in a clutch opening set tie-break, and won 84 per cent (36/43) of his first-serve points, according to ATP Stats.

Tension gripped Baramati in Maharashtra's Pune district after a 21-year-old woman was allegedly abducted in front of her mother and brother by assailants who sprayed chilli powder into their eyes before forcing her into a vehicle, officials said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred on Tuesday evening in the Bhigwan police station limits of Indapur Taluka.

A fresh Western Disturbance has changed the weather pattern across Rajasthan, bringing intermittent rain, thunderstorms, and hailstorms to several districts, including Jaipur, Alwar, Tonk, Kota, and Nagaur, since Wednesday morning. The sudden weather shift has led to a drop in temperatures and a return to mild cold conditions in many parts of the state.

The Indian equity markets traded flat on Wednesday with a slight negative bias, weighed down by losses in IT stocks.

As of 9.30 am, Sensex lost 27 points, or 0.03 per cent, to reach 83,423, and Nifty dipped 2 points, or 0.01 per cent at 25,722.

Residents of the national capital woke up to light rain on Wednesday, a day after Delhi recorded the hottest day of the year so far, with the maximum temperature touching 30.9 degrees Celsius. The air quality also remained a concern, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 228 at 8 a.m., placing it in the ‘poor’ category.

At the Village Defence Committee (VDC) oath ceremony in Moga, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann delivered a direct and uncompromising message on Punjab’s ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’, asserting that the Shiromani Akali Dal, the BJP and the Congress had allowed the state to sink into narcotics, while the AAP government is now mounting a sustained crackdown to reverse the damage.

Pannu said that the opposition parties who are today crying over the use of government money have perhaps forgotten their shameful history. Reminding them, he said that those who are talking about government funds today should tell, when your governments were in power, was ‘chitta’ not supplied in government vehicles? The public has not forgotten how the drug trade flourished under the patronage of those in power. He said that the AAP government is spending the people’s money to eliminate drugs and save Punjab’s future, not to provide shelter to smugglers.

Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab Chief Spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the Punjab Government led by CM Bhagwant Singh Mann launched the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign in March last year and that it has delivered strong results across the state. “Big smugglers were arrested and sent to jail, cases were registered, and action was taken against drug networks. Along with enforcement, the government also carried out awareness drives in thousands of villages,” he said.

Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “The key objective of the Commission is to ensure that traders no longer have to run pillar to post for routine approvals, departmental clearances and day-to-day business-related work. For years, small traders and shopkeepers have been forced to waste valuable time moving between multiple offices even for minor issues. This must change, and this government is determined to change it.”