Cambodia has accused Thailand of destroying a statue of Lord Vishnu in a disputed border zone during ongoing clashes between the two countries. A government spokesman in Preah Vihear province said the statue stood in the An Ses area and was “inside our territory”. He said the demolition took place on Monday, about 100 metres from the border, though online maps place it farther away. The statue, built in 2014, was toppled by a bulldozer used by Thai military engineers. A video of the act spread on social media and caused anger. Thai authorities have not responded. Fighting along the border has killed more than 40 people and forced many to flee. (PC: HT)

India’s aviation sector is set to add more players after the civil aviation ministry granted no objection certificates to Al Hind Air and FlyExpress. The move follows recent nationwide disruptions at IndiGo and reflects concern over heavy reliance on a few large airlines. Another carrier, Shankh Air from Uttar Pradesh, has already received clearance and plans to start flights in 2026. India now has nine scheduled domestic airlines, with IndiGo and the Air India group controlling over 90% of the market. Officials say new airlines will widen choices, support fast-growing passenger demand, and strengthen regional links under the UDAN scheme. (PC: India Today)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a new 20-point peace plan includes options for demilitarised or free economic zones in eastern Ukraine. He said the draft was agreed with US officials and Russia was expected to respond soon. Zelensky said Ukraine is against troop withdrawal but may consider pulling heavy forces back if Russia does the same. Any zone would remain under Ukrainian control and police. He said the plan offers security guarantees from the US, Nato members, and Europe. The proposal also calls for a referendum on the deal, Russian troop withdrawal from several regions, and Ukraine keeping a large peacetime army of up to 800,000 soldiers. (PC: BBC)

Delhi authorities have lifted the strict GRAP-4 pollution curbs after air quality improved across the region. The decision was taken at a meeting of the GRAP sub-committee on Wednesday. The Commission for Air Quality Management said the Air Quality Index showed a clear improvement since Tuesday night. It added that strong winds and better weather helped reduce pollution levels. GRAP-4 measures were imposed a week ago after the AQI fell into the severe category. These steps included limits on construction work and vehicle use. Officials said they will keep monitoring the situation and may reapply controls if pollution rises again in the coming days. (PC: HT)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the treatment of the Unnao rape survivor after she was forcefully taken away during a protest at India Gate. The protest followed the Delhi High Court order granting bail to former MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 rape case. Gandhi asked if it was the survivor’s fault that she was seeking justice. He said treating a survivor in this way was wrong and called the bail order disappointing. The survivor said she will challenge the High Court decision in the Supreme Court. She said she fears for her safety and that of her family after Sengar’s release. (PC: HT)

Indian travel vlogger Anant Mittal, known online as On Road Indian, said Chinese officials detained him for about 15 hours after his social media remarks on Arunachal Pradesh. The incident happened on November 16. Mittal said he was questioned for hours before being released. In a YouTube video, he said he has no political links and shares travel stories only. He added that he studied in India’s Northeast and feels close to the region. He believes his detention followed a video he made after learning about an Arunachal resident being stopped in China earlier. Chinese officials have not commented publicly. (PC: India Today)

Venezuela accused the United States of “extortion” at an emergency UN Security Council meeting after Washington seized two Venezuelan oil tankers this month. Venezuela’s UN envoy Samuel Moncada said the action was piracy and illegal. The US said it is also tracking a third tanker. President Donald Trump earlier ordered a naval blockade on sanctioned oil ships linked to the Maduro government. He accused President Nicolas Maduro of leading drug groups. The US said it may keep or sell the seized oil and vessels. Russia and China criticised the US move and urged it to stop. The US said the actions target drug trafficking in the region. (PC: BBC)

A 21-year-old woman in Bengaluru was assaulted in broad daylight on December 22 after rejecting romantic advances from a man she met on Instagram, according to police. CCTV footage shows the accused, identified as Naveen Kumar, approaching her near her PG accommodation, taking her purse, groping her and repeatedly slapping and dragging her along the road while bystanders looked on. The encounter, captured on camera, has sparked concerns about women’s safety and online-to-offline harassment. Police have registered an FIR and taken the accused into custody; further investigation is ongoing. 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis mocked the newly announced alliance between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, comparing it humorously to “Russia and Ukraine coming together” — implying it was unlikely and overhyped. He said the reunion was driven by political survival, arguing that both parties had lost their identity and vote base, and claimed it won’t affect local civic polls. Fadnavis maintained that people trust the ruling Mahayuti’s development work and predicted its victory. The comment followed the Thackeray cousins’ joint announcement of their alliance ahead of the January 15 municipal elections. (PC: ANI)

Toronto police are investigating the homicide of 30-year-old Indian-origin woman Himanshi Khurana, whose body was found inside a downtown residence after she was reported missing on Dec 19, 2025. Officers classified her death as a homicide following the discovery early on Dec 20. Authorities have issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for 32-year-old Abdul Ghafoori, believed to have known the victim and suspected of first-degree murder. Police say the case appears linked to intimate partner violence and have released images of the suspect, urging the public to help locate him. The Indian Consulate in Toronto expressed deep sorrow and is assisting the family. (PC: X)