In its second major operation in quick succession, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Rajasthan has arrested Raju Ram alias Raju Pilwa, the principal leader of the notorious ‘007 gang’ operating in Jodhpur district, officials said on Wednesday.

A hardcore criminal and history-sheeter of Lohawat police station, Pilwa was carrying a Rs 25,000 reward and had been absconding for a long time. The arrest marks a significant breakthrough against organized crime in western Rajasthan.

After wrapping up the primary schedule for his forthcoming sequel, "Khosla Ka Ghosla 2", veteran actor Anupam Kher has now commenced filming his next with filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya.

During the shoot, Kher and the team even enjoyed some gali cricket.

Indian equity benchmark indices ended lower on Wednesday for the third straight session, weighed down by rising geopolitical tensions that kept investors cautious.

The Sensex closed at 81,909.63, slipping 270.84 points or 0.33 per cent. Meanwhile, the Nifty settled at 25,157.5, down 75 points or 0.3 per cent.

“A sustained break below 25,130 could reopen downside toward 24,920–24,900,” a market expert said.

With less than two weeks to go for the Union Budget 2026–27, experts from different sectors are sharing their expectations, stressing the need to sustain economic growth while creating large-scale employment opportunities.

Karnataka Digital Economy Mission CEO Sanjeev Kumar Gupta said the upcoming budget should strongly focus on faster adoption of technology by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India, NSEIX informed on Wednesday that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Finance Industry Development Council to help non‑banking financial companies raise capital in GIFT IFSC.

Finance Industry Development Council is a self-regulatory organisation for Non- Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs).

The collaboration will enhance capital market access by facilitating NBFCs in raising funds through the NSEIX platform and enable listing of NBFC‑related debt and other financial instruments on NSEIX, an international multi‑asset exchange in GIFT City, according to the official statement.

Authorities recovered a second body from the Bhadra Canal on Wednesday, the fourth day of the search operation at Arabilichi camp in Bhadravathi taluk of Shivamogga district.

The incident involves four members of the same family, including two women, who drowned in the canal on Sunday. The first body was recovered on Tuesday.

Personnel from the local police, fire and emergency services, and expert diving teams began the search operation soon after the incident.

Security forces in Manipur have arrested seven hardcore militants belonging to different outfits, including a cadre of the NSCN (IM), and busted an inter-state vehicle theft racket during the past 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday.

A senior police official said that seven of the arrested militants belonged to the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), and the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM).

Bollywood actresses Priyanka Chopra and Bipasha Basu were hit by a massive wave of nostalgia as their song "Teri Dulhan Sajaoongi" from the 2005 outing "Barsaat" has grabbed the attention of netizens, who have successfully turned the track into a new social media trend.

Various reels and dance videos featuring the track have recently flooded social media.

Bollywood hunk Hrithik Roshan's love for fitness is well known. In many of his movies, he has been seen flaunting his toned physique, and now the 'War' actor has finally admitted to his hardwired obsession with 'Bollywood Biceps'.

In his latest Instagram post, Hrithik published photos of himself flexing his huge biceps at various stages of his life, from 1984 to 2022.

One thing in common in all of these photos is Hrithik's love for posing and fitness.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on Wednesday declared 167 drug samples tested by the Central and state drugs regulatory authorities as ‘not of standard quality (NSQ)' in its monthly drug alert for December.

While the Central Drugs Laboratories identified 74 drug samples as NSQ, the State Drugs Testing Laboratories identified 93 drug samples as NSQ.

As per routine regulatory surveillance activity, the list of NSQ and spurious drugs is being displayed on the CDSCO portal on a monthly basis.

Bulgaria's Health Ministry announced that the coastal Burgas District has become the third region this year to declare a flu epidemic.

From January 22 to 30, temporary anti-epidemic measures will be enforced in Burgas. These include the suspension of in-person classes, extracurricular activities, and hospital visits.

Similar measures are already in place in two other districts. Varna's restrictions, initially set for January 14-20, have been extended to January 26 due to high case numbers. In Dobrich, measures will remain until the end of this week.

Barely 9 days left for the 40-day-long ‘Chillai Kalan’ to end, people in Kashmir are waiting with bated breath for the weatherman’s forecast of moderate to heavy snowfall beginning Thursday afternoon.

Srinagar city and other plain areas of the Valley are yet to receive this season’s first snowfall. The 40-day-long period of harsh winter cold, known as the ‘Chillai Kalan’, which brings heavy snowfall to sustain various water bodies during the hot summer months, will end on January 30.

A team of Chinese researchers has developed an autonomous robotic system that is capable of performing delicate eye injections within the confined space of the human eye.

The surgery robot, developed by a team from the Institute of Automation under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, can potentially enhance the precision and safety of surgeries used to treat debilitating retinal diseases, news agency reported.

In the paper published in the journal Science Robotics, the team reported that the robot successfully performed subretinal and intravascular injections in animal tests with 100 per cent success.

Gold futures on the MCX surged over Rs 4,100 or 4 per cent on Wednesday to a fresh record high, as investors jumped to buy safe‑haven assets amid fears of a widening US‑EU trade conflict and a softer dollar.

MCX gold February futures rose 4.25 per cent to Rs 1,56,970 per 10 grams. Meanwhile, MCX silver March futures rose 2.71 per cent to Rs 3,32,451 per kg.

International markets also saw new peaks as US gold futures jumped to $4,849 per troy ounce on COMEX. COMEX silver consolidated in the $92.5–$95.7 range.

Global star Priyanka Chopra knows how to balance work and play. Taking a breather from her hectic schedule, PeeCee took off on a fun trip exploring the sea with her 'favourite people' husband Nick Jonas and daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas.

The 'Desi Girl' took to her official Instagram handle and posted a video of herself enjoying the Vastness of the sea, and accompanying her were Nick and little Malti.

In the background, we could hear an audio of someone asking, "What’s your favourite place?"

Air pollution levels across Delhi-NCR continued to remain alarming on Wednesday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 380 at 8:00 a.m., placing the region firmly in the ‘very poor’ category, according to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Most parts of the national Capital recorded ‘very poor’ air quality, while a few locations slipped into the ‘poor’ category, offering little relief to residents grappling with prolonged pollution.

Two people were killed in a head-on collision between two vehicles in the Australian state of Queensland, police said.

A statement from the Queensland Police Service (QPS) on Wednesday said that the two vehicles were traveling in opposite directions on a highway when they collided near the small town of Epsom, 790 km northwest of the state capital of Brisbane, around 10:10 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

The sole occupants of both vehicles, a 49-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman, were declared deceased at the scene.

Forest and Environment officials in Tamil Nadu have described the recent surge in bird activity near Thoothukudi Harbour as a rare and ecologically significant development triggered by this year's heavy rainfall.

According to officials from the Forest Department, the unusually heavy rain has led to large-scale water accumulation in suburban salt pans around Thoothukudi. These salt pans, normally used exclusively for salt production, have temporarily transformed into shallow wetlands, creating ideal habitats for water birds to feed and rest.

The Indian benchmark indices continued their losses on Wednesday, tracking persistent global risk-off sentiment, continued foreign fund outflows and mixed earnings cues.

As of 9.30 am, the Sensex lost 168 points, or 0.20 per cent to reach 82,012 and the Nifty declined 28 points, or 0.11 per cent to 25,204.

Main broadcap indices performed in line with benchmark indices, with the Nifty Midcap 100 losing 0.18 per cent, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 easing 0.11 per cent.