A major probe has found that a sperm donor carrying a cancer-causing TP53 gene mutation fathered at least 197 children in Europe. Some children have already developed cancer, and a few have died. The donor passed normal checks, but up to 20% of his sperm carried the mutation linked to Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which gives a high lifetime cancer risk. The sperm was used in 14 countries. A small number of British women who travelled abroad for treatment have been informed. Experts say there is no global limit on sperm use and screening cannot catch every risk. (PC: BBC)

At a rally in Puducherry, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) aide Bussy Anand was cut off mid-speech when a female IPS officer snatched the microphone, warning “40 people have died.” The meeting was held under tight security and strict conditions — crowd size capped at 5,000 with QR-coded entries only — in response to the fatal 2025 Karur stampede. A man carrying a handgun was also detained at the gate, raising further security concerns. The rally, first since the tragedy, underscores continuing tensions over crowd-control and political mobilisation. 

A week before the verdict in the 2017 actress assault case, a signed anonymous letter claimed to know the outcome — naming which accused would be acquitted or convicted. The Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association (KHCAA) forwarded the letter to the Chief Justice, calling it a “serious breach of confidentiality” and demanding a formal investigation into how the verdict details leaked. The letter alleged the verdict in Dileep’s case was pre-decided: it predicted his discharge along with two others, with only six of the 12 original accused convicted. The episode has raised concerns about judicial transparency and the integrity of sensitive court proceedings. (PC: The Hindu)

HRDS India — a group linked to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar — named Tharoor as one of six recipients of their inaugural 2025 award. Tharoor responded that he only learned of the honour via media reports while in Kerala; he had neither given consent nor accepted the award. He described the public announcement of his name without his approval as “irresponsible,” and said he would not attend the award ceremony. Tharoor also criticised the lack of clarity about both the award’s nature and the organisation behind it. (PC: NDTV)

The Luthra brothers — co-owners of the Goa nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane — have filed for four-week transit anticipatory bail in a Delhi court, claiming they travelled to Thailand for work and are willing to return and cooperate with investigations. They denied running the club’s day-to-day operations, calling themselves only licensees, and argued they didn’t “flee,” but left for a pre-planned business trip before the tragic fire. The court, however, questioned the maintainability of their plea — since transit anticipatory bail typically requires appellant’s presence in India — and declined to grant interim relief, asking the state to respond. The plea comes as investigators, aided by Interpol Blue-Corner notice and passport-impounding orders, intensify efforts to bring the brothers back from Phuket to face charges in connection with the fire that killed 25 people. (PC: Reuters)

Cross-border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia entered a third day on December 10 2025 after a ceasefire collapsed, forcing more than 500,000 civilians to flee their homes on both sides. The renewed clashes — including artillery barrages and air raids — have killed at least 13 people so far. Thai authorities report over 400,000 people sheltered across seven provinces; Cambodia said about 101,229 were evacuated in five provinces. Despite pressure for peace, both nations blame each other for rekindling the violence, with no immediate sign of compromise. (PC: Al Jazeera)

The Luthra brothers have told a Delhi court that they are “also victims” of the Goa nightclub fire that killed 25 people. Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra fled to Thailand after the incident and later asked the court for anticipatory bail so they could return to India. Their lawyers said the club was run by partners and managers, not by the brothers. They argued that criminal blame cannot be placed on them as they were not present when the fire started. The court refused immediate relief and asked police to file a reply. The case will be heard again tomorrow. (PC: NDTV)

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sharply questioned the Centre over the IndiGo “crisis” that left thousands stranded. The bench asked, “How can a ticket cost ₹35,000 or ₹39,000?” and said the sudden fare surge caused “trouble and harassment” to passengers. The court also asked how the situation was allowed to “worsen to such an extent”. It noted that a government committee is already probing the issue and directed the Centre to submit its report by January 22. The judges said their remarks were to ensure “public interest” and told authorities to normalise operations and maintain enough pilot strength. (PC: HT)

Virat Kohli is now second in the ICC ODI rankings for batters. The Indian star scored 302 runs in the three-match series against South Africa. His performance included centuries in Ranchi and Raipur. Kohli’s rating is now 773, just eight points behind teammate Rohit Sharma, who leads with 781. New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran are third and fourth. Kohli was last ranked No.1 in March 2021. He was named Player of the Series as India won the series 2-1. Kohli’s rise shows he is in top form and ready to reclaim the top spot. (PC: India Today)

Three Delhi schools—Modern School, Delhi Public School (RK Puram), and Sanskriti School—received bomb threats via email on Wednesday morning. Bomb disposal teams were rushed to the campuses, and anti-sabotage checks are ongoing. No suspicious objects have been found so far. The emails, sent from “wasung@atomicmail.io”, referenced fake police encounters, the Khalistan movement, and the UN. Police are working to identify the sender. Delhi has seen a series of bomb threats recently, including emails to Ramjas and Deshbandhu Colleges on December 3. Authorities continue to monitor schools closely to ensure safety and prevent panic. (PC: HT)