In a major breakthrough, the Punjab Police's Counter Intelligence (CI) Faridkot, in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF), has foiled a major cross-border smuggling attempt along the international border in Fazilka district and recovered 2.1 kg heroin and 21 sophisticated pistols along with ammunition, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.

The high-security Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat, guarded by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), was evacuated on Thursday after a bomb threat email was received in the office of the National Informatics Centre (NIC), officials said.

Besides the CISF, Chandigarh Police, along with its counterparts from Punjab and Haryana, bomb squads and the Fire Brigade, were deployed in the Secretariat, which houses offices of the Chief Ministers of both states, their Cabinet colleagues and top-ranking government functionaries.

Increasing public health spending has improved access and affordability of preventive and curative care in the country, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26 on Thursday.

The Economic Survey tabled in the Parliament by the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, drew attention to the importance of enhancements in public health for strengthening human capital and economic productivity.

The government’s calibrated fiscal strategy has anchored India’s economic growth with stability amid global turbulence, according to the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament on Thursday.

It highlights that rising tax collections and focus on capital expenditure has reduced the fiscal deficit and strengthened the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals.

South Korea's science ministry on Thursday unveiled the road map to foster the quantum industry, aiming to become the world's top quantum chip producer by 2035.

The Ministry of Science and ICT stated that the plan includes fostering 10,000 experts in the field and nurturing 2,000 businesses, to secure homegrown quantum technologies that can deliver industrial breakthroughs by building advancements in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, news agency reported.

The BJP on Thursday retained the post of the Mayor of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, with its councillor Saurabh Joshi getting elected in a three-cornered contest by securing 18 votes in a House of 36.

He is the last mayor as the corporation’s five-year tenure is ending in December.

India remains the world’s largest recipient of remittances, with inflows reaching $135.4 billion in FY25, supporting stability in the external account, the Economic Survey 2025-26 said on Thursday.

The share of remittances from advanced economies increased, reflecting a growing contribution from skilled and professional workers, said the Survey tabled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament.

The Economic Survey projects India’s real GDP growth for the financial year 2026-2027 in the range of 6.8 to 7.2 per cent based on an outlook for the economy that is one of steady growth amid global uncertainty.

The survey states that for India, “these global conditions translate into external uncertainties rather than immediate macroeconomic stress. Against the backdrop of global uncertainties, the domestic economy remains on a stable footing. Inflation has moderated to historically low levels, although some firming is expected to occur going forward.”

Obesity is rising at an alarming rate and is today a major public health challenge in India, said Economic Survey for 2025-26 on Thursday.

According to the Economic Survey, tabled in the Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the concerning trend was driven by unhealthy diets, lifestyle changes, including sedentary lifestyles, increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and environmental factors.

“It is affecting people across all age groups and increasing the risk of NCDs such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, impacting both urban and rural populations,” the Survey said.

Investors should consider booking profits on silver and rebalance into diversified Indian equity funds or blue‑chip stocks, a report said on Thursday.

The report from WhiteOak Capital Mutual Fund said that investors should trim precious metals allocation back to a safe‑haven allocation level and stop chasing further upside.

"Book profits on silver, as its current valuation is the most over-extended relative to historical periods. Trim precious metals back to a safe haven level in your total portfolio," the report said.

The security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district successfully thwarted a major Maoist attempt to target personnel and vehicles by recovering and destroying two powerful improvised explosive devices on Thursday.

A joint team comprising the District Reserve Guard of Bijapur, personnel from Ilmidi police station, members of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force 9th Battalion, and the Bomb Disposal Squad from Bijapur conducted a search and demining operation in the Ilmidi-Lankapalli area, particularly along the unpaved road in Village Lankapalli, officials said.

The Economic Survey for 2025-26, tabled in Parliament on Thursday, has raised India’s potential growth rate to 7.0 per cent, up from 6.5 per cent three years ago, as “sustained domestic reforms and public investment are lifting the economy’s underlying growth capacity” despite the global headwinds.

“The expansion of infrastructure -- illustrated by the doubling of the airport network over the past decade and the rapid growth of freight movement through inland waterways -- is easing logistics constraints and raising economy-wide efficiency,” the economic survey notes.

 A person was charred to death and two others injured in a collision between two truck containers in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada district on Thursday, police said.

The accident occurred on National Highway 216 near Kathipudi early in the morning.

According to police, a container carrying aqua feed from Bheemavaram to Mulapeta was taking a turn at Kathipudi Junction when another container laden with cotton bundles and heading to Chennai from Kolkata rammed into it. The collision sparked a fire which engulfed both vehicles.

Addressing the gathering, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “I am a common man and joining my brothers and elders in watching this rural sports fest, which is our soul, gives me immense satisfaction,” while taking selfies with the youth and seeking blessings from elders.

 Actress Mona Singh says working on the series Kohrra 2 left her with a deeper understanding of human fragility, adding that the series became a personal lesson in acceptance and release.

Speaking about what the Netflix series taught her about human fragility, Mona, who is a new addition to the second installment, told that the experience taught her the importance of letting go.

Singer and composer Vishal Dadlani pointed out that Arijit Singh's retirement from playback singing is proof that "Success doesn't guarantee peace".

Dadlani shared that one should make every single moment of our short life count and not lie to ourselves. He further stated that one needs to be true to themselves and not try to be someone else's version of themselves.

In a major crackdown, Punjab Police on Thursday arrested two in connection with a major narco-arms consignment in Amritsar and recovered 42.983 kg heroin along with weapons and ammunition.

Sharing an X post, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav wrote, "Amritsar Rural Police busts a major narco-arms consignment with the help of the Village Defence Committee (VDC) and recovers 42.983 kg heroin, 4 hand grenades, one Star Mark pistol, 46 live .30 bore cartridges and an abandoned motorcycle."

Amid growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, a new large-scale clinical trial published in The Lancet on Thursday showed that an AI-enabled stethoscope can boost early detection of various heart diseases.

A team of Spanish researchers found that an AI-enabled stethoscope helped doctors in identifying early signs of serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, arrhythmias, and valve disease, in primary care clinics.

Gold and silver prices surged to record highs on Thursday, amid a rise in geopolitical tensions following US President Donald Trump's threat of military action against Iran.

Strong buying demand, driven by central bank purchases and further weakening of the US dollar, also fuelled the rally.

Actor Pankaj Tripathi has described the selection of his play Lailaaj for the 25th Bharat Rang Mahotsav as a deeply emotional and humbling experience, calling it a moment that reconnects him with his roots.

Expressing his emotions about Lailaaj being part of Bharat Rang Mahotsav, Pankaj Tripathi shared in a heartfelt note: “Bharat Rang Mahotsav holds a very special place in the world of Indian theatre, and to have Lailaaj selected for its 25th edition is truly humbling. Theatre is where my roots lie, and NSD has always represented discipline, honesty, and deep respect for the craft.”

The night temperature throughout Kashmir dropped notches below the freezing point on Thursday, while the ski resort of Gulmarg recorded minus 9 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature.

Srinagar city had minus 0.6 degrees Celsius, and Pahalgam had a minimum temperature of minus 4.5.

Jammu city had 7.2 degrees Celsius, Katra town 6.4, Batote 0.9, Banihal minus 2.6 and Bhaderwah minus 3.4.

The makers of “Kohrra” on Thursday unveiled the trailer of the second season of the upcoming crime series. Actor Barun Sobti, who is reprising his role as Amarpal Garundi, said that his character this time is “more introspective, guarded, and constantly negotiating with his own choices.”

Barun Sobti, reprising the role of Amarpal Garundi, shares, “Garundi begins this season hoping to start afresh, but in a world like Kohrra, the past never quite lets go. The mystery this time is denser and more layered, and that complexity reflects in Garundi’s own journey.”

The Indian equity markets traded lower early on Thursday, tracking mixed global cues and weakness in IT stocks.

As of 9.30 am, Sensex eased 347 points, or 0.42 per cent, to reach 81,997, and Nifty lost 81 points, or 0.32 per cent at 25,260.

The rupee declined past the key 92 a dollar barrier in early trade, eclipsing its previous all-time low of 91.9650 last week.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital continued to remain in the ‘poor’ category on Thursday, with several monitoring stations recording levels above 300, indicating deteriorating air conditions in parts of the city.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), areas such as Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 334, Jahangirpuri 337, Chandni Chowk 312, Rohini 311, Patparganj 306 and Dwarka Sector-8 317, placing them in the ‘very poor’ range. Other locations, including Bawana (288), Burari Crossing (264), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (282), Narela (244), North Campus, Delhi University (260) and IIT Delhi (210), also recorded ‘poor’ air quality levels.