India

Vritti Agarwal of Osmania University won gold in the 1500m freestyle at the All India Inter-University Swimming and Diving Championship in Chennai. Shirin of VTU took silver, while Ashmitha Chandra of Jain University claimed bronze

The ninth season of the Indian Women’s League begins on Saturday with eight teams competing in Kolkata and Kalyani. East Bengal defend their crown, Gokulam Kerala chase a fourth title, and newcomers Garhwal United and Sesa debut in top-tier football

Fabiano Caruana ended Alireza Firouzja’s winning run to help Alpine SG Pipers beat Triveni Continental Kings in the Global Chess League. Mumba Masters climbed to the top with victory over Ganges Grandmasters, while Alaskan Knights continued their revival with another win

Army’s Lakshita Bishnoi and Sharvan Kumar won gold in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team at the National Shooting Championship in Delhi. Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh pairs also claimed junior and youth gold medals, while Rajasthan secured bronze in seniors

Abhiraj Vashisht scored a brilliant 175 to help Haryana post 338 against Hyderabad’s 97 in the Vijay Merchant Trophy at Mulapadu. Hyderabad replied with 177 for 4, with Aditya Vardhan and Ram Charan batting well

We must confront terrorism firmly, and confront stereotyping just as firmly because when fear replaces facts, everyone is less safe

A 17-year-old in Vijayawada allegedly killed a 49-year-old man after he refused to give him Rs 10 for liquor. The minor reportedly stabbed the stranger following an argument, prompting police to register a case under Section 103(1) of the BNS

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government on a woman advocate’s plea alleging illegal detention and custodial sexual assault at a Noida police station, and ordered preservation of CCTV footage

The Special Investigation Team probing the Sabarimala gold-missing case arrested two more persons, including the CEO of a Chennai-based electroplating firm and a Ballari jeweller, after fresh evidence emerged during the probe ordered by the Kerala High Court

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking central support for Purvodaya, SASCI projects, Rayalaseema horticulture development and the Polavaram–Nallamala Sagar Link Project amid financial constraints

The Indian Coast Guard has commissioned Amulya, a new-generation Adamya-class fast patrol vessel built by Goa Shipyard Limited. Equipped for surveillance, rescue and anti-smuggling missions, the ship will strengthen maritime security along India’s eastern seaboard

The Kerala High Court has denied bail to former Travancore Devaswom Board president N Vasu and two former officials in cases linked to the loss of gold from the Sabarimala shrine, which is being investigated by a court-appointed SIT

A madrassa cleric in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a student and threatening her with death. The incident came to light after the girl informed her family, following which police registered a case and launched an investigation

The 19-day Winter Session of Lok Sabha concluded with eight key Bills passed, including MNREGA repeal, nuclear sector reforms, and insurance FDI hike. Politically charged debates on the national song and election reforms highlighted the session, attended by Prime Minister Modi

India’s net direct tax collection rose 8 per cent to Rs 17.04 lakh crore till December 17, driven by higher corporate advance tax payments and slower refunds. Corporate tax revenues outpaced non-corporate collections, official data showed

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has praised Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’ as a transformative moment for Indian cinema, calling it a “quantum leap” that commands attention, respects audience intelligence and rejects trend-chasing or Hollywood imitation

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has urged the Centre to intervene against Karnataka’s proposal to raise the Almatti Dam height, citing adverse impacts on the state and ongoing Supreme Court proceedings during a meeting with the Union Jal Shakti Minister

Set in 1948, Champion follows a gifted footballer-turned-cop posted to a Nizam-ruled region of Hyderabad, where personal dreams collide with political unrest. The film explores love, resistance and a forgotten chapter of history

BJP leaders on Thursday said India is poised to become the world’s third-largest economy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, citing strong GDP growth, rising global trust, and recent IMF-linked projections placing India ahead of major global economies

Security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur neutralised Maoist leader Fagnu Madvi during an early morning gun battle, seizing arms and equipment. The operation marks a major blow to insurgency, part of intensified anti-Naxal campaigns across Bastar and Bijapur districts

The Supreme Court sought responses from the Centre and Uttar Pradesh on a plea by a woman advocate alleging illegal detention, custodial sexual assault, and CCTV tampering at Noida’s Sector 126 police station, directing preservation of relevant footage

A leopard entered a residential society in Thane, Maharashtra, injuring two to three people. Forest Department and Sanjay Gandhi National Park teams launched a rescue operation, monitoring the animal closely and urging residents to stay indoors and avoid crowding

Flipkart has acquired a majority stake in Minivet AI, an AI/ML solutions provider, to enhance generative AI capabilities for e-commerce. The move aims to create interactive, immersive shopping experiences with AI-driven video and advanced product discovery

The Enforcement Directorate attached assets worth Rs 8 crore of former Karnataka minister B Nagendra in the alleged Valmiki scam linked to money laundering. The properties include lands and a building, with proceeds traced under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act