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Global investment firm L Catterton has acquired a stake in Haldiram, forming a strategic partnership to strengthen its domestic leadership and international expansion. Led by former HUL CEO Sanjiv Mehta, the collaboration aims to boost brand building, product development, distribution, and talent initiatives

AAP MP Raghav Chadha urged amendments to the 1957 Copyright Act to protect digital content creators, emphasizing fair use, proportionality, and due process. He highlighted that livelihoods should not be controlled by algorithms and called for legal recognition of transformative, educational, and incidental content use

The Supreme Court criticized the trend of judges issuing numerous orders just before retirement, likening it to “hitting sixes” in cricket. It refused to interfere in a Madhya Pradesh judge’s suspension but allowed him to approach the high court for recalling the order

YSRCP leader B Karunakar Reddy accused the NDA government of conspiring to transfer over 20 acres of valuable TTD land near Alipiri to Oberoi Hotels under the guise of tourism development, alleging irregularities, illegal concessions, and threats to temple property sanctity

Paytm Payments Services Limited (PPSL), a One97 Communications subsidiary, received RBI approval to operate as a Payment Aggregator for offline and cross-border transactions, complementing its existing online aggregation license, enabling end-to-end payment solutions for merchants

Amandeep Singh-Bola, of Indian-Kiwi origin, helped restrain one of the Bondi Beach attackers during a December 14 shooting that killed 15 and injured 40. He acted alongside police to subdue the suspect, demonstrating courage amid the terrorist attack

Ecuadorian footballer Mario Pineida, a defender for Barcelona de Guayaquil, was shot dead in Guayaquil amid escalating violence in Ecuador. Another person was killed and one wounded, highlighting the country’s worsening security crisis and rising homicide rates

Anini village in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley was awarded “Best Emerging Adventure Destination” at the 17th ATOAI convention in Srinagar, recognizing its trekking routes, natural beauty, cultural heritage, and efforts by local communities and tourism stakeholders

Dust storms in northern China, largely originating from Mongolia, highlight regional desertification and climate challenges. China is exporting anti-desertification expertise, including tree-planting and land management techniques, to Mongolia, balancing cooperation with local nomadic traditions and rising environmental diplomacy

Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu urged district collectors to use technology-driven innovations for best practices, directing the statewide implementation of the ‘Mustabu’ personal hygiene programme in schools to benefit students and improve public health across the state

A 19-year-old Rohingya man was allegedly stabbed to death by another Rohingya after a drunken brawl at a camp in Hyderabad’s Balapur area. The victim suffered 19 stab wounds; the accused has been taken into custody and a murder case registered

Africa was the hardest hit by President Donald Trump’s expanded US travel restrictions, with several countries facing full or partial bans, prompting muted official reactions, concern over unfair treatment, and warnings of strained US–Africa relations and wider diplomatic, economic and social impacts

The winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night in the Northern Hemisphere, marks the start of astronomical winter and signals gradually lengthening days ahead, while explaining how Earth’s tilt, solstices, equinoxes, and seasonal definitions shape daylight and climate cycles

Opposition MPs staged a protest inside Parliament against the proposed VB-G RAM G Bill replacing MGNREGA, accusing the government of erasing Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and undermining democratic values, as senior leaders including Sonia Gandhi joined the demonstration

A 75-year-old woman’s condition worsened after allegedly receiving the wrong blood group during transfusion at PBM Hospital’s cancer wing in Bikaner. The error was caught in time, emergency treatment stabilised her, and hospital authorities have ordered an inquiry

EU leaders meet in Brussels to seek agreement on a massive loan plan to fund Ukraine’s military and financial needs, amid divisions over using frozen Russian assets, economic risks, and opposition from several member states as negotiations intensify at a high-stakes summit

Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Peter Arnett, renowned for frontline reporting from Vietnam to Iraq and iconic Gulf War broadcasts from Baghdad, died at 91 in California after battling prostate cancer, leaving a lasting legacy in global journalism.

IIT-Madras Director V Kamakoti said students trained in traditional music can pursue engineering at IIT-Madras, highlighting music’s mathematical foundations. He announced interdisciplinary initiatives including a mic-less bamboo auditorium and the Ilaiyaraja Centre for Excellence in Music

Indian equities opened lower as Sensex and Nifty slipped amid weak global cues, Asian market declines and cautious sentiment before US inflation data. IT stocks gained, auto and pharma lagged, while FIIs and DIIs turned buyers in early trade Thursday

Ten private schools in Ahmedabad received bomb threat emails on Wednesday, prompting afternoon holidays and police searches. Bomb squads, dog units, and anti-sabotage teams found no explosives. Cybercrime authorities are investigating the source of the hoax emails

Indian Army apprehended 35-year-old Pakistani woman Shehnaz Akhtar near the LoC in Poonch, J&K, after she reportedly fled her home in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following an argument with her father. She is yet to be handed over to the police

Before nominating APJ Abdul Kalam as India’s 11th President, BJP suggested Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who declined, citing democratic precedent. Vajpayee built consensus across parties, maintained a strong bond with Lal Krishna Advani, and handled crises like the 2001 Parliament attack

The Andaman and Nicobar administration has invited public suggestions to name 586 uninhabited islands, emphasizing local tribal heritage, historical events, and natural features. Finalized names will be approved by the MHA, with the Survey of India updating official maps

Delhi Police arrested five members of the Aarzoo-Anmol Bishnoi-Harry Boxer syndicate for the December 1 murder of gangster Inderpreet Singh alias Parry in Chandigarh. The killing, linked to inter-gang rivalry, was claimed by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as revenge