The Unnao rape survivor and her mother were removed by police from a protest at Delhi’s India Gate on Tuesday. They were opposing a Delhi High Court order that suspended the life sentence of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and granted him bail during appeal. A day later, Uttar Pradesh minister OP Rajbhar laughed when asked about the incident and said the survivor’s home was in Unnao. The survivor later told media that the decision had caused deep fear for her family. She said security for relatives and witnesses had already been withdrawn. The high court barred Sengar from approaching the survivor or her mother and warned that any breach would cancel bail. (PC: India Today)

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has urged the BCCI to consider fast-tracking 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi after his record knock in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Playing for Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh in Ranchi, Suryavanshi hit 190 off 84 balls with 15 sixes. He became the youngest List A centurion and the fastest Indian to reach a hundred at the time. Tharoor posted on X that the last similar prodigy was Sachin Tendulkar and asked what the selectors were waiting for. Bihar went on to post 574 for 6, the highest List A team total. (PC: HT)

A 21-year-old man was killed in a crude bomb attack in Dhaka on Wednesday evening, hours before exiled BNP leader Tarique Rahman is due to return to Bangladesh. Police said attackers threw an improvised bomb from the Moghbazar flyover at about 7.10 pm. The device hit Saiful Siam on the head as he stood on the road below. He died at the spot. The blast happened near the Muktijoddha Sangsad Central Command area, where security has been tightened before Rahman’s visit ahead of national elections. Officers sealed the area and began an investigation to trace the attackers and motive. (PC: India Today)

The Central Bureau of Investigation will move the Supreme Court against a Delhi High Court order that suspended the life sentence of former BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case. Sengar was convicted in December 2019 for kidnapping and raping a minor girl. The court granted him bail while his appeal is pending. It barred him from coming within five kilometres of the survivor’s home or threatening her or her mother. Any breach will cancel bail. The survivor, now 25, held a protest in Delhi and met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. Sengar will stay in jail as he is also serving a 10-year term for the custodial death of the survivor’s father. (PC: HT)

Five European campaigners have been denied US visas after Washington accused them of trying to pressure American technology firms to limit online speech. Two are from the UK. They are Imran Ahmed of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate and Clare Melford of the Global Disinformation Index. The others include former EU tech chief Thierry Breton and two leaders of German group HateAid. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the group was part of a “global censorship complex”. The UK government said it supports free speech while backing efforts to curb harmful content online. France, Spain and the EU criticised the move and sought clarification. (PC: BBC)

Toronto Police have identified Abdul Ghafoori, 32, as the suspect in the first-degree murder of Himanshi Khurana, a 30-year-old Indian woman. Khurana was reported missing Friday, and her body was discovered Saturday in a residence near Strachan Avenue and Wellington Street W. Police have issued a warrant for Ghafoori, a Toronto resident, and are actively searching for him. The Indian High Commission in Toronto expressed shock and sorrow, calling the incident “tragic” and “disturbing,” while extending condolences to Khurana’s family. The Consulate confirmed it is closely monitoring the case and will continue supporting the bereaved family as investigations progress into the circumstances surrounding the murder. (PC: X)

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has directed states to impose a complete ban on new mining leases across the Aravalli range, stretching from Delhi to Gujarat. The move aims to curb illegal mining and protect the Aravallis as a continuous geological formation. The ministry has tasked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) with identifying additional zones where mining should be prohibited, based on ecological and geological factors. This follows a Supreme Court ruling defining Aravalli Hills as landforms 100 metres above local relief. Existing mines must comply with strict safeguards. The Centre emphasised the Aravallis’ role in biodiversity, aquifer recharge, and preventing desertification. (PC: X)

Mumbai-born Oxford law student Viraansh Bhanushali went viral after a fiery speech at the Oxford Union debate on India-Pakistan relations. Countering claims by Pakistani Union president Moosa Harraj that India’s policies were populist, Bhanushali argued they stem from genuine security concerns. He cited India’s restrained response to the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and calibrated military actions after Pathankot, Uri, Pulwama, and Pahalgam, stressing these were not tied to election cycles. Calling Pakistan a “state that has no shame,” he contrasted India’s accountability with Pakistan’s populist war narratives. Sharing personal memories of terror tragedies, he underscored India’s resolve against cross-border terrorism. His remarks drew millions of views globally.

India's Ministry of External Affairs condemned the demolition of a Lord Vishnu statue at the Thailand-Cambodia border, stating "such disrespectful acts hurt sentiments of followers around the world." The 2014-built statue was toppled by Thai military engineers using a bulldozer on Monday amid two-week military clashes between the nations. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized Hindu and Buddhist deities are "deeply revered and worshipped" across the region as "shared civilizational heritage." Cambodia's Kim Chanpanha confirmed "the statue was inside our territory in An Ses area." Border clashes erupted in July; despite a US-brokered ceasefire, fighting resumed this month. India urged both sides to "return to dialogue and diplomacy" and "avoid further loss of lives."

Indian travel vlogger Anant Mittal, known as "On Road Indian," was detained 15 hours at Guangzhou airport on December 15 after commenting on Arunachal Pradesh online. Chinese authorities questioned him extensively, confiscated his camcorders and phone, and denied him food for 29 hours. Mittal repeatedly stated "Humaari koi aukaat nahi" (we have no status), expressing helplessness. He clarified having no political affiliations, saying his content showcases travel experiences. However, sources told India Today his detention stemmed from controversial social media posts showing Chinese beggars accepting digital payments. Mittal wasn't deported but allowed to take his return flight. This followed an Arunachal Pradesh citizen named Prema's 18-hour Shanghai airport detention in November.