Alert troops detected terrorist movement along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Khari Karmara area of J&K’s Poonch district on Thursday after which a firing exchange broke out between the soldiers and the terrorists and is still on, the Army said.

"Terrorist movement detected in Poonch sector along the Line of control. Alert troops opened fire leading to a heavy exchange of fire. Operations are underway," the Nagrota-headquartered White Knight Corps said on its official X post handle.

Defence sources said two terrorists have been killed in this encounter so far, but official confirmation is still awaited.

Security forces have been maintaining high vigil in the hinterland while the army is maintaining 24X7 vigil on the LoC to ensure that the terrorists do not sneak into the Indian side of the LoC to disturb peace and tranquillity in J&K.

On Wednesday, security forces carried out massive searches in 25 locations in the Rajouri district in an anti-terrorist operation to trace over ground workers (OGWs) of terrorists. Searches were also started by joint forces in the Doda district today after locals reported the movement of some suspicious persons in those areas.

A bus-truck collision on National Highway 31 in Bihar’s Purnea district left two passengers dead and around a dozen passengers injured on Thursday.

The accident occurred between Hijla and Dighi bridge under Baisi police station limits when a bus travelling from Patna to Kishanganj collided head-on with a truck loaded with bamboo coming from the opposite direction at a high speed.

The impact of the crash severely damaged both vehicles. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, and all injured passengers were immediately shifted to Baisi Health Centre for first aid. Later, they were referred to Purnea’s Government Medical College and Hospital for advanced medical treatment.

The death toll in the JK cement factory incident in Madhya Pradesh's Panna reached four on Thursday while more than 30 labourers have been critically injured, police said.

The incident occurred when labourers were building a ceiling slab of the under-construction building, which is the part of JK Cement plant.

While the workers were busy with the construction work, the entire slab structure fell suddenly and many workers were trapped.

Superintendent of Police, Sai Krishna S. Thota, said that the incident took place at the factory located near Amaanganj town.

Tata Consumer Products on Thursday posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 299.75 crore, with a 5 per cent decline on a YoY basis, for the third quarter (Q3) of the financial year 2024-25, against Rs 316 crore in the same period of the last fiscal.

Despite the drop in profit, Tata Consumer’s revenue from operations grew 16.8 per cent to Rs 4,444 crore in Q3FY25 from Rs 3,804 crore reported in the same quarter last year, according to its stock exchange filing.

The company stated that excluding recent acquisitions, its revenue grew by 9 per cent year-on-year (YoY).

This was driven by a 10 per cent growth in its India business, a 4 per cent increase in international business, and an 8 per cent rise in its non-branded business.

Renowned for his ability to hit across 360 degrees, Suryakumar Yadav is the best player in India's T20I team, just like ICC Player of the Year 2024 Jasprit Bumrah is in the Test team, opines former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar. Surya is one of the most inspiring stories in Indian cricket, of a player who made his national team debut at age 30 and is just three years rose to be the captain of India's T20I team.

In the latest episode of Deep Point on Star Sports, experts Sanjay Manjrekar and Sanjay Bangar analysed Yadav's status as India's best T20I batter and what he can achieve as India's T20I captain.

Manjrekar wholeheartedly backed SKY as the best T20I batter in India, highlighting his incredible rise through the IPL to the player he is today. "This has taken a lot of time; it didn’t happen in just two years. He used to play for KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders), and I remember he had just two shots. Predictably, he would play the flick shot on the first ball of the innings, no matter where it landed. The growth of Suryakumar Yadav is incredible. Who would have predicted, when he was playing lower down the order for KKR, that he would go on to become the best T20I batter in the world?"

Another former India player, Sanjay Bangar explained how the 34-year-old batter’s ability is enhanced by his imagination and adaptability.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab leaders have sharply reacted to the raid by the Election Commission on the official residence of Punjab Chief Minister at Kapoorthala House in Delhi. The AAP leaders strongly criticized the incident and described it as an action driven by vengeance.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann tweeted, stating, "Today, a team from the Election Commission along with Delhi Police reached my house Kapoorthala House in Delhi to conduct a raid. BJP is openly distributing money in Delhi, but the Delhi Police and Election Commission are turning a blind eye. No action is being taken against them. In a way, Delhi Police and Election Commission are defaming Punjabis at BJP's behest. This is highly condemnable."

AAP Punjab President Aman Arora said that BJP is afraid of losing and is trying to spoil the election atmosphere. He mentioned that BJP leader Pravesh Verma is continuously distributing money, but the Election Commission has not taken any action against him. He stated that this action is being taken at the behest of the BJP.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday held a pre-Budget consultation meeting with representatives of the textile industry in Panipat for the 2025-26 Budget.

Industries and Commerce Minister, Rao Narbir Singh was also present. The Chief Minister said the suggestions received from the textile industry would be considered for inclusion in the Budget to ensure that industries fully benefit from the state government’s policies and generate maximum employment opportunities.

The Chief Minister encouraged entrepreneurs to submit their suggestions either through the government’s dedicated portal or in writing.

These suggestions will help formulate new policies in the Budget to strengthen the state’s social and economic infrastructure, he said.

The Enforcement Wing of the Gurugram Development Metropolitan Authority (GMDA) removed the illegal encroachment on GMDA green belts on 12 acres of land on Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) on Thursday.

During the drive, a total length of 8.5 km from Vatika Chowk to Ghata on both sides across sectors 49, 50, 57, 56, 58, 62 and 65 were covered.

Almost 12 acres of Golf Course Extension Road were made encroachment-free. About 40 hutments, 55 nurseries, 12 building material shops, nine scrap shops, one washing station, eight dhabas and six shops that were operating illegally were demolished.

Additionally, eight crane machines that were illegally parked were also removed.

State-run Bank of Baroda (BoB) on Thursday reported a 5.6 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase in its net profit for the third quarter of the financial year 2024-25 (Q3 FY25).

The bank's net profit stood at Rs 4,837 crore, up from Rs 4,579 crore in the same quarter last year.

The bank’s net interest income (NII), which represents the difference between interest earned and interest paid, rose by 2.8 per cent YoY to Rs 11,417 crore, compared to Rs 11,101 crore in the year-ago period.

For the first nine months of the financial year (9MFY25), Bank of Baroda’s net profit grew by 12.6 per cent to Rs 14,533 crore.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, while campaigning for AAP candidates in Delhi on Thursday, addressed massive Jansabhas in Tuglakabad and Greater Kailash, and led vibrant roadshows in Kalkaji and Kasturba Nagar. CM Mann urged the people of Delhi to choose progress, education, and healthcare over conflict, divisiveness, and corruption in the upcoming elections.

In Tuglakabad, Mann said that the voters have to make a critical choice: “On one side, there are parties promoting conflict and hatred; on the other, there’s AAP, promoting education, health, and employment. One side snatches from you; we give back to you. Delhi must decide its future and that of its children.”

Mann lauded Arvind Kejriwal's governance model, saying, “For 10 years, Kejriwal Ji has ensured that taxpayers’ money benefits the people – through free electricity, clean water, quality schools, hospitals, and free bus services for women. This is not ‘freebies’; this is rightful governance.”