Sunali Khatun, pregnant and from Birbhum in West Bengal, was taken by Delhi police in June while working as a rag-picker, and later deported to Bangladesh under suspicion of illegal entry, though her family claims Indian citizenship documents. Her father says he is “waiting for her to walk through the door,” as she remains stranded in Bangladesh despite legal appeals and the Supreme Court of India asking the government to repatriate her and her family on humanitarian grounds. (PC: The Hindu)

The Ministry of External Affairs said it processed Pakistan’s over-flight request for a humanitarian aid flight to Sri Lanka within hours of receipt — the request arrived around 1 p.m. on December 1, 2025 and approval was granted by 5:30 p.m. the same day. India called Pakistan’s allegation of delay “ridiculous” and an attempt to spread misinformation. India affirmed its support for Sri Lanka during flooding and clarified that all transit requests are processed based on established diplomatic norms. (PC: India Today)

The State Duma has formally approved the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support Agreement (RELOS) with India—signed in February—allowing Indian and Russian military formations, warships and aircraft to access each other’s facilities for logistical support, including refuelling and maintenance. The move comes on the eve of Vladimir Putin’s state visit to India on December 4-5 and signals deeper defence cooperation within their longstanding strategic partnership. (PC: AFP)

The Sanchar Saathi app, which the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) directed to be pre-installed on all new smartphones and rolled out via update on existing ones, has sparked privacy and surveillance concerns due to mandatory registration and system-level permissions on Android. In response, Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified users may delete the app and are not required to register, making usage optional. Critics maintain that the app’s access to call logs, SMS, storage and other sensitive data remains a significant concern. (PC: The Indian EXPRESS)

Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner in Moscow for talks on the Ukraine war. Before the meeting, Putin said Europe’s peace demands were “not acceptable,” adding that Russia does not want war with Europe but is “ready to fight” if needed. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said parts of the draft peace plan still need work but believes there is now a real chance to end the war. Fighting continues on the ground, especially near Pokrovsk. Ukrainian soldiers and civilians remain divided on whether peace talks can bring a solution soon. (PC: BBC)

Air India said its check-in systems are back to normal after a third-party technical glitch caused delays at several airports on Tuesday. The issue affected multiple airlines and led to long queues and late departures. IndiGo flights were delayed by 30 to 90 minutes across many airports. FlightRadar24 showed a high delay level at Delhi Airport during the disruption. Air India said teams worked to manage passengers and warned that some flights may still face short delays as systems stabilise. The glitch came weeks after a major ATC snag in Delhi that disrupted over 800 flights. (PC: India Today)

The BCCI changed its mediation plan after reports of rising tension between Virat Kohli and head coach Gautam Gambhir. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar was set to meet Kohli before the second ODI against South Africa. But sources said the “situation was not good,” so selector Pragyan Ojha was sent instead. Videos showed Ojha speaking with Kohli at the airport, and another clip showed him talking with Rohit Sharma and Gambhir. Kohli was not part of that talk. Rumours of a cold relationship and a communication gap have increased concern about India’s dressing-room atmosphere and the future of senior players.

Schools in Chennai will stay closed on December 3 as the IMD warns of very heavy rain in Tamil Nadu. The rain comes from the weakened Cyclone Ditwah, now a depression near the Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coast. Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram also shut schools on Tuesday due to nonstop rain and flooding. Several parts of Chennai, Chengelpet and Kanchipuram saw waterlogging. The state said four people died in rain-related incidents and over 1,600 houses were damaged. Chennai received 15 cm of rain in 24 hours. More rain is likely in Chennai, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram and Thanjavur. (PC: HT)

A 13-year-old boy shot and killed a man convicted of murdering 13 members of his family in Afghanistan’s Khost province. The execution took place in a packed stadium with nearly 80,000 people watching. The Taliban said the man, Mangal, was found guilty by all courts, including the Supreme Court, and the victim’s family refused to forgive him. The act was approved by Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada. The UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan called the execution cruel and against international law. This was the Taliban’s 11th public execution since returning to power in 2021. (PC: India Today)

India faces its biggest privacy controversy after the government mandated pre-installation of Sanchar Saathi app on all smartphones. The Department of Telecommunications' November 28 order requires manufacturers to preload the fraud-reporting app within 90 days and ensure features remain unrestricted. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia claims users can delete it, but tech experts warn system-level embedding may prevent removal. Apple indicates non-compliance citing privacy concerns, while Samsung reviews the directive. Opposition leaders, including Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge and AAP's Manish Sisodia, call it unconstitutional surveillance, comparing it to the Pegasus scandal. The Internet Freedom Foundation warns mandatory state software poses serious privacy risks, though some experts support enhanced telecom security measures. (PC: X)