On the historic occasion of Constitution Day, Aam Aadmi Party Punjab President Shri Aman Arora extended his warmest greetings to the people of India and also marked the day with a special message celebrating AAP’s Foundation Day.

Aman Arora said that thirteen years ago, Arvind Kejriwal began a movement that has today grown into a powerful institution dedicated to clean, transparent and people-centric governance. He recalled how Kejriwal took upon himself the monumental mission of ending corruption, dismantling high-handed systems, and establishing a governance model rooted in honesty and public service.

Arora stated, “What began as a struggle led by Arvind Kejriwal has today transformed into a national force. AAP reached the status of a national party in record time and earned the privilege of forming governments in two states. These achievements reflect the commitment, sacrifice and collective effort of our party leadership, volunteers and supporters.”

Another historic initiative has taken place on Punjab's sacred land. The Man government has made a big decision to make e-rickshaw and bus services completely free in Anandpur Sahib, Amritsar, and Talwandi Sabo. This decision is like a blessing for the millions of pilgrims who come daily to bow at the Gurudwara Sahib. This step is not just to make travel easier but also reflects Punjab government's dedication to public service and respect for the sanctity of the Guru's house.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made a major announcement on Tuesday from the holy land of Shri Anandpur Sahib. He declared that free transport service will soon start in the three cities recently declared as "holy cities" by the Punjab Assembly — Shri Amritsar Sahib, Shri Anandpur Sahib, and Talwandi Sabo. This plan includes free mini-buses and e-rickshaws for the convenience of pilgrims and residents.

The aim of this service is to ensure easy and hassle-free travel in these historic and religious cities, especially at major religious sites and places frequently visited by devotees. Mann said this step is part of the government's promise to improve access to spiritually important cities, make travel easier for pilgrims, and provide better public facilities.

J&K police in Udhampur district on Wednesday seized property worth Rs 70 lakh belonging to a drug peddler during its continuing operation against drug smugglers and drug peddlers.

A police statement said today, "Tightening its grip on narcotics syndicates, Udhampur Police has attached a residential house tied to drug trafficker Tariq Hussain, marking another major action under the NDPS Act this year."

During the investigation of a case registered at Police Station Rehambal under the NDPS Act, it was found that Tariq Hussain, resident of Chak, District Udhampur, a notorious drug peddler, is linked to an immovable property- a residential house constructed on land Khasra No. 1624/1625 at Chak, Udhampur.

India appears to be entering a long-awaited earnings upgrade cycle, driven by resilient corporate performance, strong festive demand, supportive policy actions, and an improving macroeconomic environment, a report said on Wednesday.

After five consecutive quarters of downward revisions, Nifty earnings have finally reversed course, showing upgrades of 0.7 per cent, 0.9 per cent and 1.3 per cent for FY26, FY27 and FY28, respectively.

"This marks a significant shift in sentiment and establishes early but clear signals of a broad-based revival in corporate profitability," according to the report by PL Capital.

Nifty has risen 4 per cent in the past three months, breaking out of a prolonged consolidation phase.

The quantum of delayed payments to MSMEs has steadily declined from Rs 10.7 lakh crore in 2022 to Rs 7.34 lakh crore by March 2024, indicating a positive impact of policy measures, according to a new report.

The report provides a comprehensive update on the critical issue of delayed payments to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India, quantifying the value locked in delayed receivables at Rs 7.34 lakh crore (inflation-adjusted) as of March 2024, down from Rs 8.27 lakh crore in 2023 and the peak estimate of Rs 10.7 lakh crore in 2022.

In a major success, 41 armed Maoist cadres, including 12 women, surrendered before senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Wednesday.

The group, which carried a combined reward of Rs 1,19,00,000 on their heads, decided to abandon violence and return to the mainstream.

The surrendered cadres belonged to some of the most sensitive formations of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), including five members of PLGA Battalion No 1, three area committee members, 11 platoon and area committee party members, several militia commanders and members, and office-bearers of front organisations such as DAKMS and KAMS.

South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said on Wednesday the government seeks to implement the North Korea policy in a peaceful and gradual manner, dismissing concerns about the possibility of any radical policy toward Pyongyang.

Chung made the remarks during his meeting with Kim Jong-hyuk, president of the United Christian Churches of Korea, an association of Protestant churches in South Korea.

"We could not imagine (taking) shocking or radical methods (in terms of North Korea policy)," Chung said, addressing concerns raised by the Protestant church circle that the administration of liberal President Lee Jae Myung may be too tolerant toward North Korea, News Agency reported.

The magic of the 90s is all set to be reborn with playback singers Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Abhijeet, and Vinod Rathod coming together for the upcoming track ‘Dosti’. This marks the 1st union of all of them together.

The song has been composed by Sarbarish Majumder, and is a heartwarming tribute to the timeless bond of friendship and marks a milestone in Sarbarish’s musical journey as well as in the industry at large.

The track celebrates friendship, brotherhood, enduring bonds, and the emotion of standing together through every season of life. It bridges the nostalgia of 90s Bollywood melodies with a refreshing contemporary arrangement, making it an instant connection for listeners across generations.

 Luxury housing demand in India’s top seven cities has outpaced other segments over the past three years, with average prices for homes priced above Rs 1.5 crore rising about 40 per cent from Rs 14,530 per sq. ft. in 2022 to Rs 20,300 per sq. ft. in 2025, a report said on Wednesday.

The luxury housing segment continues to rule the residential market in India's top 7 cities - not only in new supply and absorption but also in price appreciation, the report from real estate services firm ANAROCK said.

Delhi‑NCR led gains in the luxury segment, posting a 72 per cent jump to Rs 23,100 per sq. ft., while Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Bengaluru saw gains of 43 per cent and 42 per cent respectively.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday marked the party’s Foundation Day with a message of gratitude to supporters and volunteers, saying the party was built on the belief that “politics can also be done with honesty.”

In a post on X, Kejriwal thanked millions of party workers and citizens who have backed the AAP’s journey since its inception.

“On the foundation day of the Aam Aadmi Party, a heartfelt salute to the millions of companions across the country, all volunteers, and every common man who believed that politics can also be done with honesty,” he wrote.

MCX shares surged 3.21 per cent on Wednesday to hit a new lifetime high of Rs 10,139.50 per share, marking the first time the stock has crossed the Rs 10,000 level since its market debut.

This rise also extended the stock’s winning streak to three consecutive sessions.

The commodity exchange and data platform company has now broken past its previous record high of Rs 9,975, which was touched on November 20.

MCX has delivered a strong performance over the past month, jumping 13 per cent at a time when the BSE Sensex has gained only 0.26 per cent.

Cold wave tightened its grip over the Valley on Wednesday as Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar city witnessed this season's coldest night so far at minus 3.9 degrees Celsius.

Meteorological Department officials said the weather is likely to remain dry till December 10, and the minimum temperature is expected to drop further during this period.

"At minus 3.9 degrees Celsius today, Srinagar city recorded the coldest night of this season so far. Gulmarg had zero and Pahalgam minus 4.6 as the minimum temperature today," Meteorological Department officials said.

The number of babies born in South Korea increased for the 15th month straight in September, largely due to an increase in marriages, data showed on Wednesday.

A total of 22,369 babies were born in September, up 8.6 per cent from 20,589 babies born the same month last year, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The number of newborns has been on an upward trend since July 2024.

September's birth figure is the highest for any September since 2020, when 23,499 babies were born, reports Xinhua news agency.

A total of 191,040 babies were born between January and September, up 12,488 from the same period last year, marking the largest on-year increase for the first nine months of the year since 2007.

The number of evacuees rose to over 21,000 in Malaysia on Wednesday, with 10 states affected across the country due to the current northeast monsoon season, according to authorities.

Kelantan remains the hardest hit, with 9,642 flood evacuees housed in 52 flood relief centres as of 9 a.m. local time.

Other badly affected areas include Perak state with 4,331 evacuees, Selangor state with 2,909, and another 2,837 in Kedah state, with the remainder spread across the country.

Selangor state chief minister Amirudin Shari said flood mitigation measures in parts of the state were unable to cope with the surge in water and extraordinary weather conditions, reports news agency.

Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff said he was deeply grateful for the chance to perform for soldiers and their families, calling the experience one he will always carry with him.

Tiger took to Instagram, where he shared a video of himself dancing on Vande Mataram by Vishal Mishra. The actor thanked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Amruta Fadnavis for inviting him to be part of the special evening, and shared how the atmosphere, charged with pride and emotion, made the moment unforgettable.

Tiger wrote as the caption: “What an honour to perform for our soldiers and their families, and at such an iconic venue. Thank you to our honourable chief minister @cmomaharashtra_ and dear amruta ji @amruta.fadnavis for including me in this unforgettable evening.”

A new report released by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) warns that the global HIV response has suffered its most significant setback in decades, urging reliance on solidarity, resilience, investment and innovation to achieve the goal of ending the AIDS epidemic.

Titled "Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response," the report highlights the severe impact of reduced international funding and a lack of global solidarity on HIV prevention efforts.

Abrupt cuts to international HIV aid in 2025 have worsened existing funding gaps, said the report, citing an estimate from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that indicates external health assistance is expected to fall by 30-40 per cent in 2025 compared with 2023, which will lead to immediate and increasingly severe disruptions to health services in low- and middle-income countries

Gold and silver prices continued their upward trend on Wednesday, rising by more than half a per cent in early trade.

The gains came a day after both metals posted over 1 per cent growth, supported by strong demand in the spot market and rising expectations of an interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve.

During the early trade, MCX gold December futures were trading 0.50 per cent higher at Rs 1,25,835 per 10 grams.

MCX silver December futures were also up 0.91 per cent at Rs 1,57,750 per kg.

Indian share markets opened higher on Wednesday, supported by strong global cues.

The Sensex rose 260 points, or 0.31 per cent, to 84,847, while the Nifty gained 88 points, or 0.34 per cent, to trade at 25,973 during early trading session.

"The Nifty continues to remain range-bound, with resistance placed around 26,000–26,050 and near-term support at 25,750–25,800 ; a zone that may attract accumulation if tested," analysts said.

"Fresh long positions can be considered once the Nifty convincingly crosses 26,100–26,130, while keeping a close watch on global cues and key technical levels," market watchers added.