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)

Air India announced Tuesday evening that a third-party system disruption causing check-in glitches and flight delays across multiple airports has been fully restored. The carrier confirmed operations returned to normal after the technical issue affected several airlines, including Air India. Airport teams worked to ensure smooth check-ins while the system was progressively restored. The airline had advised passengers to verify flight status before departure and arrive earlier than usual. This incident follows a similar disruption last month when over 400 flights were delayed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport due to an Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) technical failure, forcing air traffic controllers to manually prepare flight plans and causing significant operational slowdowns. (PC: Hindustan Times & Getty Images)

India dismissed Pakistan's claims of delayed overflight clearance for a humanitarian aid flight to Sri Lanka as "ridiculous" misinformation. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated India received Pakistan's overflight request at 1 PM on December 1 and granted permission by 5:30 PM the same day processing it in just four hours despite Pakistan's ongoing ban on Indian airlines using its airspace. Indian officials called Pakistani media coverage "propaganda and fake news," emphasizing the approval was a purely humanitarian gesture following established international procedures. The clarification came amid criticism of Pakistan's relief efforts after expired aid supplies (marked October 2024) were discovered in shipments to cyclone-devastated Sri Lanka, where over 390 people have died. (PC: TOI & India Today)

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Europe on Tuesday that Russia is "ready right now" for war if European nations choose that path. Speaking at a Moscow investment forum, Putin accused European leaders of abandoning peace efforts and supporting continued hostilities in Ukraine, stating "they are on the side of war." He claimed European governments are making unacceptable demands that obstruct U.S. President Trump's negotiated settlement efforts. Putin's comments came as U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held high-stakes talks in Moscow regarding a 28-point peace draft. Putin also threatened expanded strikes on Ukrainian ports and vessels, describing recent attacks on Russian tankers as "piracy" and suggesting cutting Ukraine off from sea access. (PC: Al Jazeera)

Russia remains committed to expanding trade with India despite obstacles from third countries, aiming for $100 billion in bilateral trade over the next five years, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Speaking at a Sputnik press interaction, he stated that western sanctions creating hurdles for India-Russia trade are "illegal." Peskov noted the U.S. dollar's declining share in global trade while national currencies gain prominence. During President Vladimir Putin's upcoming India visit, Russia will propose setting up small modular reactors in the civil nuclear domain, alongside military cooperation initiatives. Putin will be accompanied by officials presenting new proposals across strategic sectors as both nations work to overcome external challenges hindering their bilateral relationship.(PC: The Hindu)

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has declared a "code red" for ChatGPT as competitors Google and Anthropic rapidly gain ground in the AI race. In an internal memo, Altman announced delays to several projects including advertising plans, shopping and health agents, and the personal assistant "Pulse." The company will prioritize making ChatGPT faster, more reliable, and accurate. Altman established daily team calls and encouraged cross-team movement to accelerate development. Google's momentum has intensified, with its Gemini 3 model outperforming competitors and its infrastructure advantage enabling efficient AI deployment across Search, YouTube, and Gmail. OpenAI faces pressure to generate $200 billion annually by 2030, while Google already earns $120 billion yearly.(PC: Dubai Immo)

Pakistan faces diplomatic embarrassment after sending expired relief supplies to cyclone-devastated Sri Lanka, with images showing food and medical items marked with October 2024 expiry dates going viral online. Sri Lankan officials flagged the unusable consignment and raised concerns with Islamabad through formal and informal channels. This isn't Pakistan's first aid controversy in 2021, relief material routed through Pakistan to Afghanistan arrived contaminated and damaged. The incident occurred as Cyclone Ditwah's death toll reached 334 in Sri Lanka, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declaring a state of emergency. Meanwhile, India deployed Operation Sagar Bandhu, delivering 53 tons of relief materials, NDRF teams, and naval vessels to assist the devastated nation.

Jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan fears for his life in Adiala Jail, alleging Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir is "mentally unstable" and warning "they might kill me." PTI released a statement after Khan's sister Uzma visited him in Rawalpindi's high-security prison, where he's serving a 14-year sentence for the Al-Qadir Trust graft case. Khan claims he's confined in cage-like conditions without electricity, sunlight, clean water, or medical assistance for days. He described treatment as worse than death row inmates and accused military leadership of political persecution. Despite allegations of mental torture, sources say Khan appeared "fine, fit, and in high spirits" during the 25-35 minute meeting with his sister.(PC: The Hindu)