Israel's military said that it launched extensive airstrikes targeting underground Hezbollah command centres in Lebanon, in which more than 50 militants were killed.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari on Tuesday said during a televised Press briefing that the airstrikes hit and destroyed dozens of underground command centres of Hezbollah's Southern Front, where the commanders leading the fight against Israel were located.

According to Hagari, six senior commanders from Hezbollah's Southern Front and the Radwan Forces were killed, including Ali Ahmad Ismail, identified as the artillery commander in the Bint Jbeil area, and Ahmad Hassan Nazal, identified as head of the attack sector in Bint Jbeil for the Radwan Forces, Hezbollah's elite commando unit, news agency reported.

He noted that the Southern Front constructed an "extensive" network of underground infrastructure and command centres in southern Lebanon, designed to attack IDF soldiers during ground combats and execute attacks on communities in Israel.

Bollywood superstar and “Bigg Boss 18” host Salman Khan has been requested by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to convince the makers of the controversial reality show to not use animals.

A letter issued by PETA India addressed to Salman with the subject “Urgent Request to Keep Animals Out of Bigg Boss”, read that there are complaints over the “keeping of a donkey in the Bigg Boss house.”

The letter read: “We are being inundated with complaints by members of the public who are deeply distressed over the keeping of a donkey in the Bigg Boss house. Their concerns are valid and must not be ignored.”

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday said the real GDP for FY25 is estimated to be 7.2 per cent, which is in line with global projections amid strong fundamentals, rising consumption and robust investment sentiment in the country.

Das estimated real GDP for Q2 FY25 at 7 per cent, Q3 at 7.4 per cent and Q4 at 7.4 per cent. Real GDP growth of Q1 of next year has been estimated at 7.3 per cent.

Speaking on the third and last day of the RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, Das said that the share of investment in the GDP has reached its highest level since 2012-13.

"Looking ahead, India’s growth story remains intact as its fundamental drivers - consumption and investment demand - are gaining momentum," said Das.

Driven by vehicle financing, securitisation volume in India rose 56 per cent (year-on-year) to Rs 70,000 crore in the second quarter of this fiscal (FY25), a report showed on Wednesday.

This was propelled by large issuances by some key players, especially a large private sector bank, and a few NBFCs that are primarily into vehicle financing, according to a report by CRISIL Ratings.

The performance helped securitisation volume surpass Rs 1.15 lakh crore for the first half of the fiscal, clocking a 15 per cent on-year growth. As for the investor base, banks continued to dominate the market, accounting for over 70 per cent of the securitisation volume in the first half.

Cole Palmer has been named the 2023-24 England Men’s Player of the Year. The Chelsea star was voted Three Lions’ fans’ stand-out male player ahead of Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, who finished second and third, respectively.

Palmer made his debut during a 2-0 win over Malta at Wembley in November 2023, claiming legacy number 1276. The 22-year-old has gone on to chalk up nine senior caps, which included five appearances at UEFA EURO 2024.

He also found the net twice in that period, including a stunning strike against Spain in July’s final in Berlin. Despite not starting a game, Cole claimed the assist for Ollie Watkins' semifinal winner against the Netherlands and then netted England's goal in the final, which ended in a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Spain.

Eight foreign tourists were injured when their tempo traveller was hit by a truck in Bihar's Jehanabad district on Wednesday morning.

The incident occurred around 7.30 a.m. on the Patna-Gaya four-lane National Highway 83, near Salempur village, under the Kadauna police station.

A speeding truck hit the tempo-traveller from behind after which the tourist vehicle overturned and fell into a pit injuring its occupants.

Officers from the Kadauna police station arrived at the accident site and rushed the injured to Sadar Hospital in Jehanabad.

Of the injured, three were transferred to Patna for advanced medical care.

Singer, songwriter and actor Justin Timberlake recently shared a disappointing post on Instagram about postponing one of his eagerly awaited shows because of an injury.

A lot of fans were delighted to witness him performing at Prudential Center on October 8, Wednesday but Timberlake’s health has to come first.

Timberlake shared: “I’m so sorry to postpone tonight’s show. I have an injury that is preventing me from performing. I’m so disappointed to not see you all but I’m working to reschedule ASAP.”

He added: “I promise to make it up to you and give you the show y’all deserve. Thank you guys for understanding. Appreciate your support always. -JT”

A statement from Prudential Center’s website confirms the show cancellation, reads, “The Justin Timberlake event originally scheduled for October 8, 2024, has been postponed. We are working with the artist’s team on a rescheduled date that we hope to have information on as soon as possible.”

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday said that retail inflation for the current fiscal (FY25) is projected at 4.5 per cent due to healthy monsoon and sound supply conditions.

Addressing the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting here, Das said that food inflation is likely to decrease later in the year, supported by a solid stock of essential commodities.

The RBI MPC projected Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation for FY25 at 4.5 per cent, with quarterly estimates of 4.1 per cent for Q2, 4.8 per cent for Q3, and 4.2 per cent for Q4.

"Food inflation could see some easing later in this fiscal on the back of strong kharif sowing, adequate buffers and good soil conditions," said Das, adding that this would help stabilise food prices and ease inflationary pressures in the economy.

After an excellent show in the Haryana Assembly polls, state Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in the national capital.

The development assumes significance as Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday said the BJP has announced Nayab Singh Saini as the Chief Minister, though the party's parliamentary board will make a final decision.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated CM Saini on the poll victory.

Consuming more caffeine, present in coffee, tea, and cocoa may improve heart health in people with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study on Wednesday.

Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke. This is both due to the disease and some treatments for them, particularly cortisone derivatives.

To date, these patients were given conventional recommendations like quitting smoking, reducing cholesterol, and controlling high blood pressure, the new study published in the journal Rheumatology, added drinking caffeine to the list to boost their heart health.

Hobart Hurricanes have signed senior New Zealand batter Suzie Bates to their Women's Big Bash League (WBBL 10) squad as an overseas replacement player for the back end of the tournament.

Bates, who has an extensive WBBL career where she has featured in nine out of ten possible seasons, representing Adelaide Strikers, Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers, was not picked by any team in the WBBL draft.

The Hurricanes drafted Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Chloe Tryon whilst retaining Lizelle Lee on their list. But with England's players set to be withdrawn from the back end of the WBBL due to a tour of South Africa, Hurricanes sign Bates as their fourth overseas player.

Bates has scored 2229 runs at an average of 26.22, which has her sitting at 12th overall in the WBBL run-scorers list and she has played 100 games in the WBBL, which will bring plenty of experience to the Hurricanes squad.

South Korea will be included in a key global government bond index run by FTSE Russell, starting in November next year, the London-based organisation has said, a decision expected to help it attract significant foreign investment.

The country will be added to the FTSE Russell's World Government Bond Index (WGBI) effective with November 2025 index profiles and phased in over a one-year period on a quarterly basis as its market accessibility level will be reclassified from 1 to 2, reports news agency.

The inclusion decision was made two years after the country was placed on its watch list. "Several initiatives intended to improve the accessibility of South Korean government bonds for international investors have been implemented by South Korean market authorities, which have facilitated the fulfillment of the criteria for a Market Accessibility Level of 2," FTSE said.

The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Wednesday decided to maintain the status quo on the repo rate at the current 6.5 per cent, while retaining India's real GDP growth forecast at 7.2 per cent for FY25.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said that inflation for the third quarter (Q3) this fiscal is set to moderately increase to 4.8 per cent, saying that moderation in inflation is likely to remain slow and uneven.

"The inflation horse has been brought to the stable within the tolerance band. We have to be careful about opening the gate," he said during the MPC briefing.

The central bank decided to hold rates steady despite the US Federal Reserve's recent rate cut of 50 basis points. The RBI has changed the stance to 'neutral' from "withdrawal of accommodation".

"The Indian rupee continues to be among the least volatile currencies," said the RBI Governor.

Egypt and Jordan called for an immediate halt of "the Israeli aggression" against Gaza and Lebanon, urging for a political settlement to the conflicts.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi made the remarks during a joint press conference in Cairo on Tuesday, news agency reported.

According to Abdelatty, the two ministers discussed solutions to the escalating regional political and security crises, reviewing Egypt and Jordan's contacts with the parties concerned and other countries to prevent the region from sliding into a comprehensive regional war.

The discussions stressed the importance of continuing Arab efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and stop the "brutal Israeli aggression" on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, said Abdelatty.

The fast-unto-death protest of seven junior doctors at Esplanade in Kolkata, over the rape and murder of their colleague in the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College Hospital entered the fifth day on Wednesday that coincides with the occasion of Maha Shashthi or the sixth day of Navaratri.

On this auspicious day of celebration for the people of West Bengal, the protesting juniors will carry out different programmes in support of their demands on the issue.

There will be a blood donation camp at R.G. Kar's premises in memory of the ghastly rape and murder. The protesting junior doctors will also carry the symbolic statue of the victim, “A woman in pain” and visit the different Durga Puja pandals from North Kolkata to South Kolkata distributing leaflets containing their 10-point demands on which they are protesting.

Wednesday is supposed to be another significant day as the senior doctors of a number of medical colleges and hospitals in Kolkata might announce their decision to tender mass resignations following the footsteps of their colleagues at R.G. Kar.

As India doubles down on local manufacturing of end-to-end electronics products and more, there lies a massive $15 billion opportunity for Taiwanese companies across sectors like printed circuit boards (PCBs), electronic components and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, according to a new report.

Other sectors like electric motors, CCTV and smart healthcare (fitness trackers, smartwatches, heart rate monitors etc) also hold promise for Taiwan, according to the report by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

The current target market in India for Taiwan in these areas is worth $60 Billion and Taiwan industry can invest in these areas for catering not only to domestic market but also exports.

At least 20 people were killed and three others injured in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a village in North Kordofan State in western Sudan, the non-governmental Sudanese Doctors Network announced.

"20 people were killed and 3 others injured in an attack by the RSF on the Al-Dammokia village, some 30 km east of El-Obeid, the capital city of North Kordofan State," the network said in a statement on Tuesday, noting that elderly people and children were among the victims.

The network didn't release additional information, and the RSF has yet to comment on the attack, according to news agency.

Sudan has been embroiled in a violent conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF Since April 15, 2023.

Indian equity indices were trading higher on Wednesday before the monetary policy decision announcement from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

At 9.48 a.m., Sensex was up 251 points or 0.31 per cent at 81,873 and Nifty was up 81 points or 0.34 per cent at 25,097.

The market trend remains positive. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 1,855 shares were in the green and 396 shares were in the red.

In the Sensex pack, Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Bajaj Finance, SBI, Wipro, Bharti Airtel, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finserv, Axis Bank, TCS and Infosys were the top gainers. ITC, Nestle, Reliance, JSW Steel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, NTPC, HUL, L&T and ICICI Bank were the top losers.

Hardik Matalia, Derivative Analyst at Choice Broking said, "After a flat opening, Nifty can find support at 24,950 followed by 24,850 and 24,700. On the higher side, 25,050 can be an immediate resistance, followed by 24,150 and 25,200."

One of the two Territorial Army (TA) soldiers continued to be in the captivity of the abductors after one managed to escape, J&K Police said on Wednesday.

Police said the two TA soldiers were abducted by terrorists from the Shangus area of the Anantnag district on Tuesday.

“One of the abducted soldiers reached home after escaping from his abductors. The other TA soldier is still in the captivity of the abductors. A massive search operation has been launched by the Army and the police to trace the abducted soldier,” police said.

Chip-maker MediaTek on Wednesday launched Dimensity 9400, the new flagship smartphone chipset optimised for edge-AI applications, immersive gaming, incredible photography and more.

The first smartphones powered by the Dimensity 9400 chip will be available in the market, starting in Q4, said the company.

The Dimensity 9400, the fourth and latest in MediaTek’s flagship mobile SoC lineup, offers a boost in performance with its second-generation ‘All Big Core’ design built on Arm’s v9.2 CPU architecture, combined with the most advanced GPU and NPU for extreme performance in a super power-efficient design.

Joe Chen, President at MediaTek, said the new chip will continue furthering “our mission to be the enablers of AI, supporting powerful applications that anticipate users’ needs and adapt to their preferences, while also fueling generative AI technology with on-device LoRA training and video generation”.

A total of 11 injured victims were rescued and 21 others were declared missing after two wooden boats collided in Nigeria's southwestern state of Lagos, the police said.

Benjamin Hundeyin, the police spokesman in Lagos, told the media on Tuesday that the two ferries, each carrying 16 passengers and crew, capsized in the middle of the lagoon after colliding at Imore, a town in the Amuwo-Odofin local government area, on Monday night, news agency reported.

The victims were mostly traders, noted Hundeyin. He said emergency responders, including conventional and marine police and local divers, were swiftly mobilised to the scene and rescued 11 passengers who sustained injuries. They were rushed to a nearby hospital.