Nitish Kumar will take oath as Bihar chief minister for a record tenth time today at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan. The ceremony will begin at 11 am and will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers and NDA chief ministers. Nitish resigned on Wednesday as the current assembly term ends on November 22. His party JD(U) won 85 seats, defying anti-incumbency for the fifth time. The NDA is now finalising cabinet posts, with both JD(U) and BJP interested in key portfolios like home and education. All eyes are on who will be deputy chief minister in the new government. (PC: HT)

A dispute has started over the title of SS Rajamouli’s new film Varanasi. The film stars Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran. After the team announced the title, producer CH Subba Reddy said the name is already registered with his company, Rama Bramha Hanuma Creations. As per records with the Telugu Film Producer’s Council, the title Vaaranasi has been with him since 2023 and is renewed till July 2026. Rajamouli’s team used a different spelling, but confusion remains. It is not clear if a complaint has been filed. Both sides may meet or take legal steps to settle the issue. (PC: India Today)

Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan attended the 100th birth anniversary of Sri Sathya Sai Baba in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh. She touched Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet before giving a speech on love, caste, and religion. Aishwarya said, “There is only one caste, the caste of humanity. There is only one religion, the religion of love.” She encouraged people to move beyond divisions and follow the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, including discipline, devotion, and service to others. Other dignitaries included Sachin Tendulkar and union ministers. The event celebrated the spiritual leader’s legacy of compassion, unity, and selfless service.

Intelligence sources revealed that 10 individuals, including three Kashmiris linked to Al-Falah University in Haryana, are missing and may be connected to the Red Fort blast cell. Their disappearance follows a joint police operation in J&K and Haryana. The November 10 attack, Delhi’s first VBIED strike, killed 15 people after a Hyundai i20 packed with explosives detonated outside the Mughal fort. Investigators suspect Jaish-e-Mohammed’s “terror doctor” module, with fundraising calls via apps like SadaPay and possible women-led operations. Key suspect Dr Shahina Saeed, “Madam Surgeon,” is tied to JeM’s women’s wing. Nine arrests have been made, including Al-Falah’s founder Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, over terror financing.(PC: Hindustan Times)

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has accused authorities of unfairly targeting Kashmiris after the November 10 Red Fort suicide blast in Delhi. The attacker, Dr Umar Nabi from Pulwama, was identified as the bomber, while two others with J&K links were arrested with explosives. Abdullah said Kashmiris now feel criminalised simply for driving vehicles with J&K registration plates and argued that the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 has not ended violence in the region. He stressed that responsibility lies with those managing security, not ordinary citizens. Despite promises of peace, he noted J&K continues to suffer bloodshed, citing recent incidents like the Nowgam accidental blast.

A woman booth level officer (BLO), Shantimoni Ekka, was found dead in the courtyard of her home in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Police suspect death by suicide. Her family says she had been under severe stress due to long hours, field visits, and heavy election-related work. They said the pressure had become unbearable for her. Police have sent the body for post-mortem and started an investigation. The incident comes as top Election Commission officials are in Bengal to review the voter list revision drive. BLOs in the state have been protesting against the workload. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed shock and blamed the intense pressure put on BLOs. (PC: NDTV)

The family of Mohammad Akhlaq, who was lynched in Uttar Pradesh in 2015 over false beef rumours, says it will keep fighting for justice. The state government has asked a local court to drop charges against 18 accused men, citing gaps in witness statements. Akhlaq’s family says this move has shocked them and increased their fear for safety. They deny the claim that beef was found in their home and say the mob acted on a temple announcement. The court will decide on 12 December. The family hopes the court will not close the case after 10 years of struggle. (PC: BBC)

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said people from Kashmir were being unfairly viewed with suspicion after the November 10 Delhi blast that killed 10 people. He said a “wrong environment” was being created, as if all Kashmiris were guilty because a few men from Pulwama and Anantnag were involved. Abdullah said, “Even driving a J-K registration vehicle in Delhi is being seen as a crime.” He added that parents now fear sending their children outside the state. He urged people not to blame an entire population for the actions of a few and said innocent residents should not suffer. (PC: HT)

Seven Maoists were killed in an encounter in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitharama Raju district, a day after top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma was shot dead. Those killed include IED expert Tech Shankar and several key members linked to Maoist units in Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Police said the encounter is part of a month-long intelligence-led crackdown. Fifty Maoist cadres have been arrested across multiple districts in recent days. Weapons, documents and cash were recovered. Police said many Maoists fled from Bastar after Hidma’s death and tried to hide in Andhra towns. The operation against the banned CPI (Maoist) continues. (PC: NDTV)

In a viral video speech, Pakistani politician Chaudhry Anwarul Haq claimed that terror groups struck India “from the Red Fort to the forests of Kashmir.” He referenced the November 10 car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort — linked to a Jaish-e-Mohammed-connected “white-collar” module — which killed 14. Haq also pointed to the April Pahalgam attack in Kashmir, in which 26 tourists were killed, framing them as coordinated retaliation for India “bleeding Balochistan.”