Goa is set for a grand spiritual and cultural event as Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveils the world’s tallest 77-foot-tall bronze statue of Lord Ram at Shree Samsthan Gokarn Partagali Jeevottam Math in South Goa. The statue will be a centerpiece of the Math’s 550th-year celebrations, attracting thousands of devotees daily to witness this historic occasion.

Mystery continues to shroud the killing of Naveen Arora, son of RSS leader Baldev Raj Arora, who was shot dead on the evening of November 15. Police have arrested four accused, including a Ludhiana-based woman involved in the crime, and one of the main shooters, who reportedly shot Naveen, was killed in a shootout.

In a major breakthrough, the Special Task Force, Karnal, arrested a key operative of the Lawrence Bishnoi-Kala Rana gang and recovered two live hand grenades and 1.5kg Improvised Explosive Device containing RDX, averting a major criminal incident. The arrested accused, identified as Amar Singh, was intercepted by the STF Karnal unit based on intelligence inputs on Nov 25.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Bihar gave jobs or employment to 50 lakh youth from 2020–25 and now targets 1 crore opportunities between 2025–30. He instructed departments to submit vacancy details by December 2025 and asked commissions to issue a 2026 recruitment calendar. Nitish emphasised transparent exams, faster hiring, more CBT centres, and a firm commitment to youth empowerment.

Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Anushka Sharma, who shares her name with actress Anushka Sharma, was bought by Gujarat Giants (GG) in WPL mega auction. She had a base price of ₹10 lakh. Gujarat Giants bought her for ₹45 lakh. Reacting to it, a fan joked, "RCB should have had bid for her."

Out-of-favour India pacer Shikha Pandey sparked a bidding war at the WPL 2026 mega auction, as UP Warriorz outbid RCB to buy her for ₹2.4 crore. The veteran, who last played for India in 2023, previously starred for Delhi Capitals and remains a key domestic performer. She has now become one of the auction's biggest signings.

India all-rounder Deepti Sharma, who's returning to UP Warriorz for ₹3.2 crore through the RTM card, is the most expensive player at WPL 2026 mega auction. New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr was acquired by MI for ₹3 crore. UP Warriorz signed Shikha Pandey for ₹2.4 crore, while New Zealand's Sophie Devine was acquired by Gujarat Giants for ₹2 crore.

Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday inaugurated India's first all-in-one Tesla centre in Gurugram. The centre will offer retail, vehicle delivery, after-sales service, and charging facilities under one roof. CM Saini said, "Haryana is not just a market but a manufacturing powerhouse, serving as a major hub for the automobile, IT, and other industries."

A heated argument broke out between two leaders during Congress' review meeting on Bihar Assembly elections in New Delhi on Thursday, Times Now reported. The argument reportedly broke out between Congress leaders Engineer Sanjeev and Jitender Kumar on the issue of giving tickets to outsiders, after which Sanjeev threatened to shoot him. Congress MP Pappu Yadav called it a lie.

Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Haryana government, accusing it of "negligence" in sports infrastructure, which he claimed led to the death of two basketball players during practice in Rohtak and Bahadurgarh. Hooda also demanded ₹1 crore financial aid and a government job for a family member of each deceased player.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar reached Mumbai on Thursday to attend a private event amid a power tussle with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Shivakumar did not respond to any questions from the media regarding the current scenario. "I will be back by tonight", Shivakumar had said before leaving for Mumbai.

Bengaluru is set for a ₹1.5 lakh crore urban transformation, covering tunnels, elevated roads, metro expansions, waste management, and water projects. The plan aims to ease traffic, boost mobility, and protect lakes while addressing environmental and infrastructure challenges in India's tech capital over the next two decades.

A Bengaluru couple's argument with an auto driver went viral after a female teacher allegedly used abusive language, sparking debates on respect, entitlement, and classism. Social media criticised their behaviour, highlighting the importance of mutual respect for public service workers. A follow-up video shows the couple apologising.

The United Arab Emirates has stopped issuing visas to Pakistani citizens after several cases emerged of Pakistanis begging and indulging in street crimes, murders and drug rackets in the UAE. This will affect tourist, visit visas, and work permits for Pakistani citizens as no fresh applications will be processed. Notably, the Pakistani passport is ranked fourth worst in the world.

Israeli bus stops across several cities were hijacked on Wednesday night, around 9 pm, broadcasting Arabic music, siren-like tones, and spoken audio. Videos shared across social media showed confusion among commuters during evening rush as displays began playing Arabic songs, along with sharp alarm sounds and Arabic speech. This is likely a cyberattack, said Israeli Transportation Ministry.

Producer Deepak Mukut dismissed claims of 'Apne 2' getting shelved after the demise of actor Dharmendra. He said, "People need to stop spreading unverified rumours...'Apne 2' is not only on track but remains one of the most emotionally significant projects undertaken by our banner." He added, "The film will be a shradhanjali [tribute], a heartfelt homage to Dharamji."

The government is creating a single unified digital portal, coordinated by RBI, to help citizens trace and recover unclaimed assets across banks, insurers, mutual funds and other regulated entities, Department of Financial Services (DFS) Secretary M Nagaraju said. He added that campaign for recovering unclaimed assets have facilitated return of ₹1,887 crore to rightful owners or nominees so far.

The 4% rule is a retirement guideline suggesting that 4% of total retirement corpus can be withdrawn in first year, with amount increasing annually based on inflation. For example, ₹1-crore corpus would allow ₹4-lakh withdrawal initially, which can be increased according to inflation (usually 5-6% in India). It helps reduce risk of depleting savings, however, results depend on market conditions.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will reinstate military service on a voluntary basis, citing the growing threat from Russia and the risk of a new conflict in Europe. According to the reports, about 80% of participants will be aged 18-19, while the remainder will include candidates up to age 25 with specialised skills such as engineering.

A group of youngsters assaulted a motorcyclist and dragged him on their car's bonnet for nearly 500 metres. The video of the incident from Kotwali Dehat area of Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district captured the road argument spiralling into violence. According to PTI, the biker allegedly called the car a "tin box", which angered the youngsters who then assaulted him.

A 57-year-old Indian-origin man, Rajesh Bakshi, was jailed for 10 years in UK for conspiring to smuggle heroin, officials said. His co-accused received nine years sentence. The National Crime Agency (NCA) probe found his fingerprints on a £4 million (approximately ₹47 crore) heroin consignment intercepted at the Port of Dover in June 2022, following a detailed forensic examination.

Central Railway has reported a robust ₹243.06 crore in scrap disposal revenue for the ongoing financial year 2025-26, up to October 2025. The railway generated ₹51.86 crore in October alone, marking a steep 79% YoY jump over last October's ₹28.93 crore. This also stands as the highest October performance in the past three years, The Free Press Journal reported.

Sri Lanka's disaster management centre reported over 40 deaths, 21 missing, and 10 injured people amid heavy landslides and floods. 25 of the reported deaths occurred in the mountainous tea-growing regions of Badulla and Nuwara Eliya in the country's central province about 300 kilometres (186 miles) east of the capital, Colombo. The weather has affected about 5,000 families, said centre.

Amid rumours of former Pakistani PM Imran Khan being killed in jail, one of his sisters, Aleema Khanum, said, "No one can even dare to touch Imran's hair...touch it and see...if anyone survives." This comes after jail authorities clarified that Imran is alive and is in "completely good health". His party held the government responsible for his security.

Adani Defence Systems & Technologies and Prime Aero Services have acquired 72.8% stake in Flight Simulation Technique Centre (FSTC) for ₹820 crore, multiple reports said. "This...is the next step in our strategy to build a fully integrated aviation services platform," said Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO, Adani Defence & Aerospace. FSTC is India's largest independent flight training and simulation provider.