Israeli military says it mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages in Gaza
Israeli troops mistakenly shot to death three hostages in a battle-torn neighborhood of Gaza City, and an Israeli strike killed a Palestinian journalist in the south of besieged territory. The deaths underscored the ferocity of Israel’s more than two-month-old onslaught in Gaza, as a U.S. envoy was trying to persuade the Israelis to scale back their campaign sooner rather than later.
A group of influential U.S. Democratic lawmakers, who are supporters of the India-U.S. relationship, have said that bilateral ties could face “serious damage” if the U.S. attorney’s allegations against an unnamed Indian official and Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta in a murder-for-hire plot were not addressed.
Parliament will be stalled until Home Minister makes a statement: Congress
Both Houses of Parliament will continue to witness disruptions until Home Minister Amit Shah makes a statement on the December 13 security lapse that allowed two visitors to intrude into the Lok Sabha chamber, the Congress said, even as it accused Mr. Shah of “contempt of Parliament”.
19 Kuki-Zo victims of Manipur ethnic clash laid to rest in mass burial
The last rites of 19 people, including a seven-year-old boy, belonging to the Kuki-Zo community killed during Manipur’s ethnic conflict in May, were performed in the State’s Kangpokpi district. The 19 bodies were among the 60 that were airlifted from two morgues in the State’s capital Imphal on Thursday. The other 41 were flown to Churachandpur district, where the last rites are likely to be performed next week.
Netflix bows to censorship, stops streaming uncut Indian films globally
Netflix has fully stopped streaming uncensored cuts of Indian films around the world, according to a review of films released this year. The change in policy is significant for what was possibly the last streaming service in India that continued to show versions of Indian films before they went through the Central Board of Film Certification, which has increasingly been scrubbing films of political references, particularly those that are disparaging to the dispensation in power.
A local court in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh sentenced the Bhartiya Janata Party MLA from Duddhi Assembly segment, Ramdular Gond, to 25 years’ imprisonment for raping a minor girl. The court also directed that he pay a fine of ₹10 lakh, which will be handed over to the victim. He faces the prospect of losing his Assembly seat since the Supreme Court had ruled in 2013 that an incumbent MP or MLA ceases to be an elected representative once he is sentenced to a minimum of two years in jail.
Markets fire on all cylinders: Sensex gains 969 points to scale record high of 71,439
Indian benchmark stock indices on December 15 soared to fresh record highs riding on a continued globally rally post the U.S. Fed’s dovish stance and buying momentum. Led by technology stocks the S&P BSE Sensex surged 2.37% or 969.55 points to 71,438.95, a record high. The NSE Nifty-50 index too gained 1.29% or 273.95 points to 21,456.65, also a record high.
Mahadev betting app case | Mumbai crime branch summons actor Sahil Khan, three others
“The Mumbai police’s crime branch, which is probing the Mahadev betting app case, has summoned actor Sahil Khan and three others to record their statements on December 15,” an official said. An SIT official said an investigation is under way against Khan and 31 other individuals in connection with the Mahadev betting app case. The probe involves examining their bank accounts, mobile phones, laptops, and all technical equipment.
Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar alleged that India's Supreme Court verdict upholding the abrogation of Article 370 was "politically motivated" as he reaffirmed his country's moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir. The Supreme Court on December 11 unanimously upheld the Centre government's decision of August 2019 to abrogate Article 370, which bestowed a special status on the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Freezing temperatures, snow, ice blanket China, shutting highways
Chinese authorities limited traffic flows on highways in several provinces after vehicles collided on icy patches as temperatures plummeted to below freezing across most of the country. Temperatures will drop to as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of the northeastern province of Heilongjiang and the western region of Xinjiang, along with Inner Mongolia and the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai, according to forecasts from China's National Meteorological Centre.
SC asks Manipur to help ring in Christmas at relief camps
The Supreme Court asked the Manipur government to help victims of violence living in relief camps across the State to ring in Christmas, a festival of sharing and forgiveness. Appearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Manipur, initially sounded apprehensive, wondering if religious celebrations associated with one particular community may trigger a law and order problem which may reopen the wounds of months of ethnic violence and bloodshed in the State.
Govt. issues high-risk alert for Samsung users
The Indian government’s security advisory from the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued a warning against multiple vulnerabilities in Samsung phones on December 13. The alert pointed out critical security issues affecting Samsung Mobile Android versions 11, 12, 13 and 14.
