Wildfires sweeping through the US states of North and South Carolina have forced evacuations and prompted a state of emergency.

In North Carolina's Polk County, the hardest-hit area, about 250 households have been evacuated, and at least 20 homes and outbuildings destroyed, according to Kellie Cannon, public information officer of the county.

Firefighters have managed to save most of the structures near the fires. Only one injury has been reported — a firefighter in North Carolina got his leg caught under a tree, officials said.

The fires, fueled by dry conditions, strong winds, and downed trees from Hurricane Helene, continue to spread. The hurricane, which struck North Carolina in late September 2024, left a trail of destruction and claimed hundreds of lives.

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, who is gearing up for his upcoming movie ‘Sikandar’, has reacted to the distress caused by heavy security that he moves around with.

The actor has been on the radar of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who wants to avenge the alleged hunting of the black buck by the superstar in the 1990s.

Ahead of the release of ‘Sikandar’, Salman spoke with the media at a five star property in the Bandra area of Mumbai, and agreed that on some days moving with security does become a problem for him.

The actor also said that he is not afraid of the threats, and has left it to God to look after him and safety.

Two local policemen, including an officer, were injured on Thursday in the ongoing gunfight between holed up terrorists and the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district.

Officials said that two policemen, including an officer and a jawan of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police, were injured in initial firing exchanges between the hiding terrorists and the security forces in the Juthana area of Kathua district.

The officials said both policemen have been shifted to the hospital and their condition has been described as stable.

There are reports of one terrorist killed in this gunfight, but there is still no official confirmation of this.

After massive searches during the last four days, firing exchanges had started again on Thursday morning between the joint forces and the terrorists in Kathua district.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that in 2025 a whopping 3.5 million children in Afghanistan are at risk of malnutrition. The agency expressed concern over the huge number of children expected to be affected. Additionally, 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are suffering from malnutrition and urgently need treatment and nutrition support.

“Once a child or a woman becomes malnourished, we have to help them, or they risk worsening to severe malnutrition, which is a life-threatening situation. The mortality risk is very high for moderately malnourished children – three times higher than for children who are not malnourished,” says Mona Shaikh, Head of Nutrition for the WFP in Afghanistan.

The UN agency in its report said that nearly one-third of Afghanistan’s population – up to 15 million people – need emergency food assistance to survive. Eight out of ten families cannot afford a minimally nutritious diet, and three out of four families have to borrow money to buy basic groceries.

America's No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula completed the semifinal lineup at the Miami Open with a 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2 victory over Briton Emma Raducanu on Thursday (IST) at Hard Rock Stadium.

The American advanced to her third semifinal in Miami in the last four years by topping the 2021 US Open champion for a second time in three career meetings.

Pegula failed to seal the match in two sets after a strong rally from Raducanu in the second, where she saved four set points and fought back from a 5-2 deficit to force a tiebreak. Despite receiving medical treatment on a muggy Miami evening, Raducanu kept pushing hard. However, an early break of serve in the third set gave Pegula a lead she never gave up.

On the occasion of World Theatre Day, actor Chandan Roy Sanyal shared his deep passion for theatre and highlighted the rich heritage of the art form in India.

While acknowledging the country’s historic theatre culture, he also emphasized the need for greater support to help it flourish. He told, “Theatre in my country is one of the oldest forms of art in the entire world, and we have an amazing theatre culture, history, and industry. However, he noted that despite this legacy, theatre has often been sidelined.

“Somehow, we have lost as a poor form of art… I don’t know why. More support should pour in from the government. Though the audience for theatre is there, I think theatre should be taught in schools from Class 1.”

Sanyal also spoke about the essence of true artistry, stating that for a real theatre artist, money and recognition are secondary. “I don’t think there is any struggle for money because the real artist will not think about money and recognition. It comes automatically. Because you work for the art, I don’t think it’s about money.”

Tension prevailed in Bhatpara under Barrackpore Police Commissionerate in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district following a shootout in front of the residence of Arjun Singh, the former BJP Lok Sabha member.

The violence took place late Wednesday night, in which crude bombs were hurled and bullets fired.

One person identified as Saddam was injured after being hit by a bullet during the gang war. He is currently under treatment at a local hospital. He is known as a local Trinamool Congress associate.

The local police, however, have claimed that the situation has been brought under control. No one involved with the chaos will be spared,” said a senior police officer present at the spot.

The Indian information technology (IT) services sector is projected to sustain its 6-8 per cent (in rupee terms) growth in fiscal 2026, amid continuing macroeconomic headwinds and emerging uncertainties in the key markets of the US and Europe, a report said on Thursday.

The revenue growth will also be supported by currency depreciation benefits of 2 per cent, according to the Crisil Ratings report.

This will be the third consecutive fiscal of mid-single-digit growth for the Indian IT services sector. Nevertheless, operating profitability remains healthy, led by modest employee addition amid low attrition.

Nearly, two-third of these revenues are contributed by banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI; revenue share of 30 per cent), retail (15 per cent), manufacturing (10 per cent) and healthcare (10 per cent) while technology and services, communications and media form the bulk of remaining.

In a powerful demonstration of joint operational capability, the Indian Army on Thursday conducted a highly effective and important ‘Integrated Multi-Domain Exercise’.

This Tri-Service Integrated Multi-Domain Warfare Exercise was held in the Eastern Theatre, deep in the high-altitude terrain of Arunachal Pradesh.

According to the officials, the exercise, named 'Exercise Prachand Prahaar', was held from March 25 to 27. The exercise brought together the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and other elements of the Indian Armed Forces in a synergised combat drill designed to simulate future warfare.

The exercise was carried out under the aegis of the Eastern Command, showcasing the seamless integration of advanced surveillance, strike capabilities, and multi-domain operational planning.

The Manipur Police have arrested six militants of different outfits and seized a cache of arms and ammunition, officials said here on Thursday.

The police also seized drugs worth Rs 3.15 crore and arrested three smugglers, the officials said.

A police official said that two cadres of the proscribed outfit People's Liberation Army (PLA) were arrested from Imphal West district on Wednesday night.

Two more militants of People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) (Pro) outfit and an active member of Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) were arrested from Imphal East district.

The police also arrested a militant of the Koireng-led United National Liberation Front (UNLF-K) from Tengnoupal district.

The arrested militants were involved in abduction, forcible collection of money from traders, officials, contractors, and issuing threat notices to people.