Indian equity indices opened in the deep red on Thursday following negative cues from global markets.

At 9.43 a.m., Sensex was at 79,697, down 450 points or 0.56 per cent and Nifty was down 125 points or 0.51 per cent at 24,288.

Midcap and smallcap stocks are seeing less decline. The Nifty Midcap index is down 225 points or 0.40 per cent at 56,647 and the Nifty Smallcap index is at 18,672, down 50 points or 0.27 per cent.

Among the sectoral indices, Metal, realty, pharma, IT, PSU bank and energy index are major laggards. FMCG and Media index are major gainers.

Banking shares are leading the fall. Nifty Bank is down by 551 points or more than one per cent at 50,756.

A Russian terrorist who organised a bomb attack in Russia was captured in Turkey's southwestern port city of Bodrum, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced.

The Russian Interpol unit made a call with the Turkish Interpol/Europol Department of Turkish Police on Wednesday and informed them that the Russian national, Evgenii Serebriakov, who organised a terrorist attack with a car bomb in Moscow in which two people were injured, arrived in Turkey, Yerlikaya said on social media platform X.

As a result of the investigations, the Turkish Police determined that the person entered Bodrum airport at 09:40 a.m. (local time), reports news agency, citing the Turkish minister.

Taking on Google, Apple has announced to bring Maps on the web in public beta, allowing users around the world to access Maps directly from their browser.

Apple Maps on the web is now available in English, and is compatible with Safari and Chrome on Mac and iPad, as well as Chrome and Edge on Windows PCs.

The company said that Apple Maps users can get driving and walking directions, find great places and useful information including photos, hours, ratings, and reviews.

They can also “take actions like ordering food directly from the Maps place card; and browse curated Guides to discover places to eat, shop, and explore in cities around the world”.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has said that it sent out fighter jets to intercept two Chinese and Russian bombers off the coast of Alaska from China and Russia.

NORAD said that it detected and tracked two Russian TU-95 and two Chinese H-6 military aircraft that were operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on Wednesday, reports.

NORAD added that its fighter jets from Canada and the US intercepted the four aircraft.

The Command said that the bombers did not enter the sovereign airspace of the US or Canada and that they remained in international airspace.

It also added that the activity in the zone was not seen as a threat, reports.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) wing of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) conducted a successful tree plantation drive at the AE Hostel of Technical Training Institute (TTI) in Patiala today. The initiative, part of PSPCL's ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, saw the plantation of 255 trees, including shade, flowering, fruit, and ornamental varieties.

A 50-year-old man has been arrested from Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday on the charges of raping a three-year-old girl in Gurugram's Rithoj village, police said.

The accused was identified as Ratan, a native of Madhya Pradesh, who was carrying a bounty of Rs 50,000 on his head.

Ratan had previously served ten years jail term for raping a five-year-old girl in Madhya Pradesh in 2005.

The accused, who was released from jail in 2015, sodomised the six-year-old boy in March, this year in Madhya Pradesh.

A day after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocated Rs 26,000 crore for three expressway projects in Bihar, these initiatives are expected to significantly boost the economy of at least 20 districts in the state.

The central government has proposed expressways connecting Patna to Purnea, Buxar to Bhagalpur, and Bodh Gaya (Gaya) to Darbhanga districts.

Although the Detailed Project Reports (DPR) for these projects have not yet been completed, it is anticipated that these expressways will enhance connectivity and economic development across a substantial portion of Bihar.

The Patna-Purnea Expressway will traverse Vaishali, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Saharsa and Madhepura, and culminate in Purnea, touching at least seven districts.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the French Alps will host the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2030.

The announced plans are conditional based on the guarantees given by French President Emmanuel Macron that the new office being formed in the country after 2024 will underwrite all the organisational guarantees that must still be signed.

"The French Alps will host the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games! Thank you to the IOC for its confidence in our country and its mountains. Congratulations to the elected officials and actors who worked for this success. Let's make innovative, sustainable and inclusive Games," Macron posted on X.

Tech giant Apple on Wednesday launched its watch for kids in India that comes with easy calling, texting, and activity monitoring.

The Apple Watch for kids is functional “even if they don’t have their own iPhone”, said the company in a statement.

It may help parents who do not want to give mobile phones to children.

“Apple Watch For Your Kids is available in India, on cellular models of Apple Watch Series 4 or later or Apple Watch SE, paired with iPhone 8 or later running the latest watchOS and iOS,” Apple said.

“It brings communication, health, fitness, and safety features of Apple Watch to kids and other family members who do not yet have an iPhone,” the company added.

Eighteen people were killed after a plane crashed during take-off at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu on Wednesday, local media reported.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. when the Pokhara-bound plane of Saurya Airlines crashed shortly after taking off from the runway, TIA spokesperson Premnath Thakur said, The Kathmandu Post reported.

Of the 19 on board the plane, 18 bodies have been recovered, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said.

Plane's Captain Manish Shakya was rescued and rushed to hospital, according to the police, The Himalayan Times reported.