The Indian benchmark indices opened marginally low on Friday amid weak global cues, as selling was seen in the IT, PSU Bank and pharma sectors in the early trade.

At around 9.30 am, Sensex was trading 106.98 points or 0.14 per cent down at 74,233.11 while the Nifty declined 16.25 points or 0.07 per cent at 22,528.45.

Nifty Bank was down 127.10 points or 0.26 per cent at 48,500.60. The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 49,398.40 after gaining 50.30 points or 0.10 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 15,499.30 after rising 98.95 points or 0.64 per cent.

According to market watchers, after a negative opening, Nifty can find support at 22,500, followed by 22,400 and 22,300. On the higher side, 22,600 can be an immediate resistance, followed by 22,700 and 22,800.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday gave a clarion call to people to become active partner in the campaign against drugs so that this scourge can be completely wiped out from state.

Addressing the gathering after launching City Surveillance and Management System, the Chief Minister said that the state government has launched major crackdown against drugs. He said that this meticulously planned campaign has been launched to snap the supply line of drugs, put the drug peddler behind the bars and ensure the rehabilitation of drug addicts. Bhagwant Singh Mann profusely thanked the people for giving overwhelming response to the anti-drug campaign but he said that this war cannot be won without the active support of people.

The Chief Minister urged the people to share information about the drug smugglers who are involved in heinous crime of smuggling of drugs adding that exemplary action will be ensured against them. He said that the properties of the drug smugglers acquired through drug money is being razed/ confiscated as a part of the mega drive launched by the state government. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the drive against drugs will continue till a single ounce of this scourge is present in the state.

In a move aimed at further making Sahibzada Ajit Nagar (Mohali) a safe and crime free city, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Thursday inaugurated Phase-I of the City Surveillance and Traffic Management developed at a cost of Rs 21.60 crore.

The Chief Minister said that this is a significant step towards enhancing urban surveillance and traffic management. He said that this state-of-the-art system aims to improve public safety, curb traffic violations and ensure effective law enforcement through advanced AI-based surveillance and traffic monitoring systems. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that developed at a total cost of Rs 21.60 crore this system with the ICCC (Integrated Command and Control Center) situated at Sector-79, Mohali integrates 351 high-resolution CCTV cameras operational at 17 critical junctions across Mohali.

On the fifth anniversary of Baaghi 3, Tiger Shroff took to social media to reflect on the hard work and dedication that went into making the action-packed film.

In a heartfelt post, the actor shared the challenges and sacrifices made during the intense shoot, recalling the "blood, sweat, and tears" that contributed to the film’s success. He posted a series of photos on his Instagram handle and captioned it, “This franchise….blood sweat soul and sometimes tears #baaghi3 #5years.”

The first image shows Tiger flaunting his abs and ripped physique while performing an action stunt. The next photos feature him alongside Shraddha Kapoor. Some of the shots capture the actor in high-octane action sequences. The final image shows Tiger and Shraddha sitting with the other cast members of the film, including Riteish Deshmukh and Ankita Lokhande.

The Punjab government on Thursday demolished several illegal properties across the state under Yudh Nashian Virudh Campaign, giving a major blow to the drug traffickers and reaffirming its commitment to making Punjab a drug-free state.

In such a major operation, the Amritsar Corporation, with the support of the Punjab Police, demolished two-storied houses and shops constructed by drug traffickers using JCB machines.

Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar oversaw the operation, sending a message against drug trafficking. The demolished properties belonged to two drug traffickers -- Gurmeet Singh and Sandeep Singh, alias Sonu.

Three cases have been registered against Gurmeet Singh with 325 grams of smack and 350 grams of heroin seized. Sandeep Singh has four cases registered against him, including three at Sarai Amanat Khan and cases of Anti-Narcotics Force in Mohali.

In another operation, contin

Paul Reiffel and Richard Illingworth, both members of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, have been appointed as the on-field umpires for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 final between India and New Zealand to be played here on Sunday. Both of them stood in the semifinals, with Illingworth in the middle for India’s four-wicket win over Australia and Reiffel overseeing the Black Caps’ 50-run victory over South Africa the following day.

Four-time ICC Umpire of the Year Illingworth also stood in the final of the most recent ICC Men’s World Cup in 2023, as well as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, and took charge of the Group A match between the two finalists, which India won by 44 runs in Dubai. The pair will be joined by Joel Wilson as the third umpire and Kumar Dharmasena as the fourth umpire.

Both ICC Elite Panel umpires were part of the officiating team in the second semifinal between New Zealand and South Africa, with Dharmasena on-field, alongside Reiffel and Wilson stationed as the third umpire. The Trinidadian will reprise that role for the showpiece, having done likewise in the 2023 ICC Men’s World Cup final.

After delivering two blockbuster hits with "Sardaar ji" and "Sardaar ji 2", Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa are gearing up for the third installment in the popular franchise, "Sardaar Ji 3". Using social media Diljit revealed the release date for his much-awaited Punjabi flick.

He treated his InstaFam with some behind-the-scene photos from the drama and shared that the project will be released in the cinema halls in June this year.

"Sardaar Ji 3 Movie in JUNE" Diljit wrote as the caption.

Made under the direction of Amar Hundal, the movie will feature Gulshan Grover, Manav Vij, Nasir Chinyoti, Monica Sharma and Saleem Albela as the supporting cast.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday gave a call to people to become active partners in the campaign against drugs so that this scourge can be completely wiped out from the state.

Addressing a gathering after launching the City Surveillance and Management System, the Chief Minister said the government has launched a major crackdown against drugs.

He said this meticulously planned campaign has been launched to snap the supply line of drugs, put the drug peddlers behind the bars and ensure the rehabilitation of the drug addicts.

Mann thanked the people for giving an overwhelming response to the anti-drug campaign, but he said this war cannot be won without the active support of people.

With more women from Tier-II and Tier-III Indian cities joining the workforce, their median salary has increased by 34 per cent over the past three years, a new report said on Thursday.

According to job and professional networking platform Apna.co, the number of women job seekers from smaller cities has increased four times between 2021 and 2024.

Job applications from these regions have also tripled, reaching 12.8 million in 2024. This trend highlights a growing shift in employment patterns beyond major metro cities.

Several factors have contributed to this rise, including more job opportunities, better digital accessibility, and changing hiring strategies by employers.

These developments have encouraged more women from non-metro areas to explore different career paths and participate in the workforce.

Buoyed by the emphatic success of its Hindi version, the makers of the historical war film 'Chhaava' are now all set to release the Telugu version of the film in over 550 screens in the Telugu states.

Directed by Laxman Utekar and produced by Maddock Films, 'Chhaava' is based on the life of the brave Maratha king Chhatrapati Shambhaji Maharaj. The film stars Vicky Kaushal as Chhatrapati Shambhaji Maharaj.

The Telugu trailer has garnered nearly five million views, giving an indication of the excitement levels that precede the release of the Telugu version of the film.

Chhaava, which already has a worldwide collection of close to Rs. 700 crores, will release in Telugu on Friday. The film, which is being released in collaboration with the prestigious Geetha Arts Distributors, known for having distributed several blockbusters, is to release in over 550 screens in Telugu states.