Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the new terminal at Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport in Guwahati. Built at a cost of ₹4,000 crore, it is India’s first nature-themed airport terminal. Modi said the project opens “new opportunities” and marks “a new chapter in Assam’s development.” The terminal can handle over 13 million passengers each year, making it the largest in the Northeast. The airport is named after Assam’s first chief minister, whose statue was also unveiled. The terminal was developed by Adani Airports Holdings Limited and uses bamboo-inspired designs.

Hundreds of thousands gathered in Dhaka on Saturday for the funeral of activist Sharif Osman Hadi, who died from gunshot wounds earlier this month. Mourners filled areas near Parliament, waving national flags and raising slogans. Heavy security was deployed across the city. “Brother Hadi’s blood will not be allowed to go in vain,” people shouted. Hadi’s brother, Abu Bakar, led the prayers. The burial took place at University of Dhaka, near poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s mausoleum. Police said suspects may have fled abroad. The funeral comes ahead of February elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is meant to ensure that “infiltrators are kept out of the electoral process.” Addressing a rally in Assam’s Guwahati, Modi accused the Congress of protecting infiltrators and ignoring the Northeast for decades. “The Centre is taking strict steps to stop infiltration,” he said. Modi added that past Congress governments harmed Assam’s security and unity. He claimed violence has reduced in the last 10–11 years and affected districts are now developing. (PC: File/PMO)

The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced India's 15-member T20 World Cup 2026 squad on Saturday, dropping vice-captain Shubman Gill and recalling Ishan Kishan. Kishan earned his return after scoring 517 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with a strike rate of 197.32, hitting 33 sixes and 51 fours while captaining Jharkhand to victory. Rinku Singh and Axar Patel also returned to the squad. Gill, who replaced Rohit Sharma as ODI captain, scored just 32 runs across three T20I innings against South Africa before injury. Jitesh Sharma lost his place to Kishan, while Shahbaz Ahmed was dropped. This marks Gill's second consecutive exclusion from a T20 World Cup squad. (PC: Times Now)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first nature-themed airport terminal at Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi International Airport in Guwahati on Saturday, calling it a "new chapter" in Assam's development. Built at nearly Rs 4,000 crore, the nature-inspired terminal reflects the region's natural landscape and will enhance passenger capacity, connectivity, tourism, and trade across the Northeast. Modi described the occasion as celebrating development for the entire Northeast, not just Assam. During his two-day visit, he will pay homage to 1979 Assam Movement martyrs, interact with students aboard Brahmaputra cruise vessel 'Charaideo' under 'Pariksha pe Charcha,' and lay the foundation stone for a Rs 12,000 crore ammonia-urea fertiliser plant in Namrup.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan highlighted a "major concern" for the T20 World Cup 2026 squad hours before its announcement, warning about over-reliance on Hardik Pandya as a finisher. With less than 50 days before the tournament, Pathan stressed the importance of identifying who will support Pandya at the other end. Following Shubman Gill's return, specialist finisher Rinku Singh has been sidelined as management prioritizes a wicketkeeper-batter in the middle order. The 2007 T20 World Cup winner expressed hope that Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, or Jitesh Sharma would prove themselves, but emphasized the critical need for a backup finisher if Pandya gets out under pressure, calling it a significant headache for team management. (PC: Sportskeeda & NDTV)

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the Modi government over changes to the rural employment scheme, vowing to fight the "black" G RAM G Bill. Gandhi recalled passing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) nearly 20 years ago under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, calling it revolutionary for crores of rural families. She accused the government of weakening MGNREGA over 11 years by removing Mahatma Gandhi's name and changing the law's structure without consultation. Gandhi alleged decisions on employment would now be made by Delhi, removed from ground realities. She vowed resistance, stating Congress fought for employment rights earlier and would fight again for farmers, laborers, and landless rural poor.

Seven people have been arrested in connection with the lynching of 27-year-old Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh's Mymensingh district, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus announced Saturday. The Rapid Action Battalion detained suspects Md. Limon Sarkar (19), Md. Tarek Hossain (19), Md. Manik Mia (20), Ershad Ali (39), Nijum Uddin (20), Alomgir Hossain (38), and Md. Miraj Hossain Akon (46) following coordinated operations. The lynching occurred amid widespread unrest following youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi's death, who was shot by masked gunmen in Dhaka on December 12. Bangladesh's interim government condemned the incident, stating "no one involved in this brutal crime will be spared" and urged citizens to reject violence, provocation, and hatred. (PC: X)

Security heightened along Jammu and Kashmir's International Border in Samba and Kathua districts following intelligence inputs warning of possible infiltration attempt by three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists. The alert was shared with all sister security agencies, prompting intensified surveillance and coordinated deployment across vulnerable border stretches. Security forces maintain high vigilance to thwart infiltration bids. Separately, the National Investigation Agency arrested two absconders in Maharashtra's Dinesh Pusu Gawade murder case both CPI (Maoist) members identified as Raghu and Shankar Mahaka. Additionally, Budgam Police registered an FIR against Syed Khurshid Ahmad for attempting to enter Srinagar International Airport using a forged air ticket, discovered during routine security checking at the airport's drop gate. (PC: Times Now)

India dropped Shubman Gill and recalled Ishan Kishan for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, marking Kishan's return after two years following strong domestic performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Suryakumar Yadav will captain the defending champions, with Axar Patel reinstated as vice-captain replacing Gill. Rinku Singh returns after being dropped post-Asia Cup, while Jitesh Sharma misses selection. Gill's poor form just 291 runs from 15 innings with a highest score of 47 prompted his exclusion despite replacing Sanju Samson as opener. The 15-man squad features Abhishek Sharma-Samson opening pair, middle-order comprising Suryakumar, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, and bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav.