The External Affairs Ministry reacted to a Canadian media report against PM Narendra Modi and other leaders. "We don't normally comment on media reports. However, such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve. Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties," the ministry stated.

Ukraine has fired long-range British Storm Shadow missiles into Russian territory for the first time, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday citing a Western official. The UK had previously said Ukraine could use Storm Shadow cruise missiles within Ukrainian territory. Russia on Tuesday claimed that Ukraine for the first time used US-made long-range missiles to target a facility in Bryansk.

The US on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution demanding an "immediate, unconditional and permanent" ceasefire in Gaza. Only the US voted against the resolution while the 14 other members of the council voted in favour. Notably, this is the fourth time President Joe Biden's administration has vetoed a UNSC resolution on Gaza ceasefire since the war began.

Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark released advisories asking citizens to be ready to sustain themselves in war or crisis. Russia-Ukraine war spill-out fears, Russia's growing relationship with North Korea, Middle-east conflict, etc are behind the move, said a Finnish government official. The Swedish pamphlet says, "Military threat levels are increasing. We must be prepared for...armed attack."

China has managed to tackle pollution tremendously over last few years. According to a report, one of the key factors was urban rail expansion. A state-of-the-art integrated air quality monitoring network was established in 2016. Network systems monitoring PM2.5 levels helped identify areas emitting maximum polluting factors. Other initiatives like Low Emission Zones also contributed heavily.

Australian government on Thursday introduced a bill in parliament that aims to ban social media use for children under 16. The ban carries fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) for social media platforms for systemic breaches. "We know some kids will find workarounds, but we're sending a message to...companies to clean up their act," PM Anthony Albanese said.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai called Donald Trump to congratulate the US President-elect on winning the election and the call was joined by Trump's close aide and the world's richest person Elon Musk, The Information reported. Earlier, during the elections, Musk had questioned why Google Search showed 'where to vote' results for Kamala Harris but no results for Trump.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus shared a picture with PM Narendra Modi and other leaders from G20 Summit in Brazil, and wrote, "My thanks to PM Narendra Modi...for...support and contributions to the WHO Investment Round." Responding to Tedros, PM Modi wrote, "Dear Tulsi bhai, a healthy planet is a better planet. India is working actively in this sector."

PM Narendra Modi was conferred with Dominica's highest national award 'Dominica Award of Honour' by President Sylvanie Burton on Wednesday. PM Modi was also conferred 'The Order of Excellence' by Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali. He received the awards for his support to Dominica during the COVID-19 pandemic and his commitment to strengthening India-Guyana relations, PMO said.

PM Narendra Modi met Jonas Masetti, who popularises Vedanta and Gita among people, before his departure from Brazil after he attended G20 Summit. "Jonas' team presented glimpses of...Ramayan in Sanskrit. It's commendable how Indian culture is making an impact all over world," PM Modi said. Masetti, a mechanical engineer, founded Vishwa Vidya Gurukulam, an organisation that spreads vedic knowledge.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Guyanese President Irfaan Ali planted a sapling under ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative in Guyana's Georgetown. PM Modi will also be conferred with Guyana's highest national honour, the Order of Excellence, during the visit. Earlier, PM Modi was presented with the key to Georgetown city by its mayor.

'Master of Surrealism' Rene Magritte's 'The Empire of Light' painting has sold for $121 million at a Christie's auction in New York. The painting has set "a new world record for the artist and for a Surrealist work of art at any auction", Christie's said. The painting juxtaposes night with day, showing bright, sunny skies against a dark, shadowy streetscape.

Iran's judiciary said it hasn't issued indictment against a student who stripped off to her underwear at a university in Tehran. "Considering...she was sent to the hospital, and it was found that she was ill, she was handed over to her family," judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said. Some social media users had suggested she was protesting over strict dress code.

YouTuber Rosanna Pansino honoured her late father’s unique wish by using his ashes to grow cannabis, which she later smoked. She revealed about this unconventional tribute on her podcast Rodiculous, which sparked widespread social media buzz and debate. Pansino clarified she didn’t smoke the ashes directly but fulfilled his request symbolically.

As per a report by Compare The Market, UAE and India have cheapest passports in the world with UAE's passport having 5-year validity costing ₹1,493 and Indian passport with 10-year validity costing around ₹1,500. This is followed by Hungary (₹1,749) and South Africa (₹2,666). Meanwhile, Mexico (₹19,481), Australia (₹19,047) and US (₹13,911) have the most expensive passports, the report stated.

John Kerrigan, a Virginia father wrongly accused of human trafficking his daughter on a Southwest Airlines flight, is still awaiting an apology after the October incident. While the airline offered a $1,500 voucher, it failed to apologise directly. Kerrigan criticised the airline's response, questioning the balance between safety and passenger rights.

North Korea recently gave additional artillery systems to Russia to aid its war efforts in Ukraine, South Korea's intelligence agency told lawmakers on Wednesday. Some of the North Korean troops deployed in Russia have also begun engaging in combat, it added. The agency said North Korea supplied Russia with 170mm self-propelled guns and 240mm rocket launch systems, a lawmaker stated.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Laos' Vientiane. "We [have] agreed to work together towards a roadmap for rebuilding mutual trust and understanding," Rajnath said. Recently, both nations resumed patrolling activities in Demchok and Depsang after almost four-and-a-half years.

India and Guyana signed 10 MoUs during PM Modi's visit to enhance collaboration in health, hydrocarbons, and agriculture sectors. Agreements include deploying a UPI-like payment system, cultural cooperation, and affordable medicine supply to CARICOM nations. The hydrocarbon MoU focuses on crude sourcing and natural gas development and agriculture pact emphasises research and scientific exchange.

PM Narendra Modi during his address in Guyana said that it is a milestone that an Indian PM has visited the country after 56 years. Thanking President Dr Irfaan Ali for the "grand welcome", PM said, "I have a personal connection with Guyana...India has made an important contribution to skill development and capacity building in Guyana."

US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) CEO Mukesh Aghi said Donald Trump's win in US Presidential elections has pressured China to improve its ties with India. "So that's why border patrolling has been agreed upon," he said. China anticipated Trump's win and knew its relationship with the US would get stressful, so it started easing its partnership with India, he added.

PM Narendra Modi received a 'Key to the City of Georgetown' by the mayor during his visit to Guyana. "India is eager to deepen cooperation with...CARICOM across various sectors... I'm also humbled to have received a ‘Key to the City of Georgetown’," PM Modi said on X. Earlier, PM Modi was received by Guyanese President Irfaan Ali at the airport.

RBI's ex-Governor Raghuram Rajan said the US "shouldn't be satisfied with this level of debt" as it's a vulnerability. "People say pandemics [will] be more regular over the next century, so we can't be satisfied with building up debt," he stated. He advised the US and other nations to cut debt to prepare for emergencies and to aid each other.

Iraq is holding its first nationwide population census in nearly 40 years. The move is reportedly aimed at modernising data collection and planning in Iraq, which has been long impacted by conflict and political divisions. The census, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, will provide up-to-date demographic data for the country which has an estimated population of around 44 million.

A Facebook post claiming that rolling blackouts are part of the UK Government's net zero plan is fake. The rumour emerged after an energy operator published a report on how Britain could achieve its clean power goal by 2030. However, the report doesn't mention blackouts but talks about benefits of consumers being flexible about when they use electricity.