India

After a 24-hour standoff with Himachal Pradesh Police, a Delhi Police team returned to the national capital with three Youth Congress workers arrested in connection with the shirtless protest at the AI Impact Summit. They will be produced before a local court

Two persons, including a domestic help, were arrested in southeast Delhi for staging a fake Enforcement Directorate raid at an employer’s residence. Police seized luxury watches, jewellery, a uniform, and a fake identity card during the investigation

President Droupadi Murmu will undertake a sortie in the indigenous LCH Prachand at Jaisalmer Air Force Station and attend the IAF’s Vayu Shakti demonstration. The visit highlights her continued engagement with frontline military platforms

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the BJP will win the West Bengal Assembly polls and drive out infiltrators from the state. Speaking in Bihar, he announced steps to tackle demographic change and highlighted the role of security forces in border management

Former Jayalalithaa aide V K Sasikala said the name of her new political party will be announced within a week and confirmed it will contest the 2026 Assembly elections. She also hinted at possible alliance talks

Security forces comprising ITBP and Narayanpur police recovered a large cache of explosives and weapons from a Maoist hideout in Chhattisgarh’s Kumuradi village. The operation followed specific intelligence and is seen as a major setback to Naxal activities

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the Modi government over police action against Youth Congress activists involved in the shirtless protest. He said peaceful dissent is being suppressed and compared the situation to authoritarian regimes, asserting that India is not North Korea

Two Naxalites were killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district during an anti-Naxal operation. Arms were recovered from the spot and a search operation is still underway, police said

The Kerala High Court has stayed the release of The Kerala Story 2-Goes Beyond, citing lack of proper application of mind by the censor board. The court directed the Centre to review the certification within two weeks

Accused in the Andhra Pradesh liquor scam, Muppidi Avinash Reddy surrendered before the SIT in Vijayawada after the Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea and directed him to cooperate with the investigation

Border areas of Maharashtra experienced mild tremors late on Wednesday night after a 3.9 magnitude earthquake struck near Mancherial at a depth of 10 km. No casualties or property damage were reported, though residents rushed outdoors in panic.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urged social media platforms to fairly share revenue with content creators, including journalists, influencers, and researchers. Proposed IT rules also mandate labeling AI-generated content, strengthening transparency, accountability, and fairness in India’s digital content ecosystem

VK Sasikala, former aide of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, on Thursday said the name of her new political party will be announced within a week and confirmed that it will contest the upcoming Assembly elections.

The Election Commission of India estimates 2,500 CAPF companies may be needed for a single-phase West Bengal Assembly poll. Final decision on phases depends on feasibility, balancing security deployment with preventing voter intimidation and reducing multi-phase election complexity

Sovereign green bonds continue to anchor India’s modest sustainable bond market, dominating 62–94% of issuance. Social bonds remain niche. Despite $180 billion Asia-Pacific maturities in 2026, India’s green bonds gain investor demand, supporting climate finance goals amid economic and regulatory challenges

  The Supreme Court banned a class 8 NCERT book chapter on judicial corruption, ordering seizure of physical and digital copies. CJI Surya Kant cited contempt, warning of strict action, and issued show-cause notices to NCERT and education officials

The CBI secured the extradition of Anil Kumar Reddy Yeddula from the UAE to India in a cheating and criminal intimidation case. The operation involved INTERPOL coordination, Dubai Police, and Andhra Pradesh Police, continuing India’s efforts to repatriate wanted fugitives

A self-proclaimed "godman" in Yadgir, Mallikarjun Mutya, is absconding after a viral video showing him misbehaving with a minor sparked outrage. The KSCPCR registered a suo motu case, and police filed an FIR under the POCSO Act to initiate a manhunt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the first world leader to surpass 100 million Instagram followers, leading global politicians on the platform. He is ahead of Donald Trump and other leaders, highlighting his expansive digital outreach and popularity in India and worldwide

A public spat erupted between TMC MP Mahua Moitra and Electoral Roll Observer CS Murugan over alleged WhatsApp directions to micro-observers during voter roll revisions. Abhishek Banerjee accused officials of bypassing Supreme Court norms, while Murugan denied issuing improper directives

The Indian Air Force will hold its largest exercise, Vayu Shakti-2026, at Pokhran near the Pakistan border, with President Droupadi Murmu co-piloting LCH Prachand. Rafale, Sukhoi-30 MKI and Apache helicopters will showcase combat capabilities amid heightened security

Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi for fresh questioning in a Rs 40,000 crore bank fraud-linked money laundering case involving Reliance Communications. The ED recently attached his Mumbai residence and formed an SIT

Two Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Indravati river area of Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, with arms and explosives recovered. Separately, a Dantewada court sentenced two Maoists to five years’ imprisonment under the Explosive Substances Act

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney begins a landmark India visit aimed at resetting bilateral ties. Meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he will focus on trade, energy, technology and defence cooperation, targeting USD 50 billion trade by 2030 amid renewed diplomatic engagement