Aditya Beri, 42, was arrested at Garrod Farms Estate Winery & Stables in Saratoga on December 8 after attempting to start a fire. When confronted by staff, he threw a wine bottle and fled in his Tesla, intentionally crashing into two parked cars before driving off an embankment. After refusing to surrender despite de-escalation attempts, police used pepperball and spray to force him out. The Menlo Park entrepreneur was booked on assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest charges, then hospitalized for evaluation. Beri founded BetterLYF Wellness, an online mental health platform, and serves as Executive Director at Fieldking farm equipment. He holds degrees from University of Illinois and Indian School of Business. (PC: NDTV & X)

US President Donald Trump announced Thailand and Cambodia agreed to halt border hostilities starting Friday evening after separate conversations with Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian PM Hun Manet. Both leaders committed to immediately stopping gunfire and returning to the peace framework previously negotiated with US involvement alongside Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim's mediation. The renewed ceasefire follows several days of deadly clashes displacing thousands of civilians, threatening to unravel an earlier Malaysia-brokered truce. Trump, who attended follow-up meetings in Malaysia in October, emphasized both nations expressed readiness to restore peace and maintain strong US trade relations. Speaking in Pennsylvania earlier this week, Trump hinted at personal intervention, positioning the resolution as another conflict he claims to have resolved. (PC: X) 

Lionel Messi arrives in India on December 13, 2025, for a three-day, four-city GOAT India Tour spanning Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. The 38-year-old will be accompanied by Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul. Kolkata kicks off with a 1:30 AM arrival, followed by meet-and-greet sessions and virtual unveiling of his 70-foot statue at Sreebhumi Sporting Club. Shah Rukh Khan, Sourav Ganguly, and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee will attend Salt Lake Stadium events. The tour includes seven-a-side football matches, Padel GOAT Cup at Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium, charity fashion show, Argentina 2022 World Cup memorabilia auction, and concludes December 15 at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium with a meeting with PM Modi. (PC: Instagram/@gqsports)

The IMF imposed 11 new conditions on Pakistan's $7 billion bailout, raising total requirements to 64, targeting deep governance flaws and elite capture. Key demands include mandatory public disclosure of high-ranking bureaucrats' assets on government websites by December 2026, with banks granted full access to identify income-asset mismatches. Pakistan must release anti-corruption action plans for 10 high-risk departments by October 2026, coordinated by NAB. The IMF demands sugar market liberalization by June 2026 to dismantle cartel influence. FBR must finalize reform roadmaps with KPIs by December 2025, implementing reforms in three priority areas. Additional conditions address power sector privatization, remittance cost reviews by May 2026, and Companies Act amendments for corporate governance modernization. (PC: X)

China welcomed India's decision to expedite business visas for Chinese nationals, calling it a "positive step." Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated easing cross-border travel "serves common interests." India tweaked visa rules allowing Chinese nationals to apply under business visa category, issuing short-term 'B' visas within three-four weeks instead of six-month employment visas. The change follows surge in Chinese applications for short business visits. Relations deteriorated in 2020 over LAC tensions in Ladakh, but improved after Modi-Xi meetings at 2024 BRICS (Kazan) and SCO (Tianjin) summits. India resumed tourist visas for Chinese nationals in July 2025 after five-year gap, with flights resuming and Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimages restarting. (PC: HT) 

The Union Cabinet approved Census of India 2027 on Friday at Rs 11,718.24 crore, the world's largest administrative and statistical exercise. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced this will be the sixteenth census overall, eighth since Independence, and first-ever fully digital census with data protection safeguards. The census will conduct in two phases: Houselisting and Housing Census from April-September 2026, followed by Population Enumeration in February 2027. For UT Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of UT Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, Population Enumeration will occur in September 2026. The digital design prioritizes data protection while modernizing India's demographic data collection process.

Prada will launch limited-edition Kolhapuri-inspired sandals at Rs 83,000 ($930) in February 2026, collaborating with Indian artisans after facing cultural appropriation backlash. The Italian luxury brand plans producing 2,000 pairs across Maharashtra (Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Solapur) and Karnataka (Belagavi, Bagalkot, Dharwad, Bijapur) regions, partnering with state-backed LIDCOM and LIDKAR organizations. Following June 2025 Milan show controversy where Prada showcased 12th-century Indian footwear designs without acknowledgment, the company established a three-year partnership including artisan training programs in India and Italy's Prada Academy. Chief Marketing Officer Lorenzo Bertelli confirmed the multi-million euro project aims to preserve heritage threatened by cheap imitations while fairly remunerating artisans. India's luxury market, valued at $7 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $30 billion by 2030. (PC: India Today)

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif faced diplomatic embarrassment in Turkmenistan after waiting over 40 minutes for a scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The incident occurred at an event commemorating Turkmenistan's 30th neutrality anniversary, attended by leaders from Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan. RT India footage showed an impatient Sharif waiting with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar before gate-crashing Putin's ongoing meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Sharif reportedly departed after just 10 minutes. The viral video sparked online ridicule, with users calling it a significant diplomatic embarrassment. Turkmenistan, possessing the world's fourth-largest natural gas reserves, declared neutrality in 1995, recently signaling economic diversification beyond gas exports.

India's junior men's hockey team delivered a stunning comeback to secure bronze at the FIH Junior World Cup 2025, overcoming a 0-2 deficit to defeat Argentina 4-2 in Chennai's third-place playoff. Trailing deep into the match, the hosts unleashed four unanswered goals in the final quarter, clinching their first bronze medal at the tournament and ending a nine-year podium drought. The dramatic victory on home soil demonstrated India's resilience and attacking prowess, transforming what appeared to be a lost cause into a memorable triumph. This marks a significant achievement for Indian junior hockey, breaking nearly a decade without a podium finish at the prestigious tournament.

Iranian authorities arrested Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, 53, at a memorial for a deceased human rights lawyer, her foundation announced Friday. Mohammadi was violently detained alongside other activists, with supporters demanding immediate unconditional release. She had been serving 13 years nine months for collusion against state security and anti-government propaganda, plus backing 2022 Mahsa Amini protests. Released on medical furlough in December 2024 for three weeks, her freedom extended months despite risks. The engineer-turned-activist suffered multiple heart attacks in prison, underwent 2022 emergency surgery, and had a potentially cancerous bone lesion removed in November 2024. She's been imprisoned 13 times, convicted five times, totaling over 30 years in sentences.