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.” 

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully tested the indigenous CE20 cryogenic engine in a “bootstrap-mode” start under vacuum conditions, where the turbopumps were initiated without the usual stored-gas system. This ground test marks a critical advancement in enabling multiple in-flight restarts of cryogenic upper-stage engines, a capability crucial for extended missions and orbital manoeuvres. The trial reinforces ISRO’s push toward greater flexibility and reliability in its future launch vehicles. (PC: The Hindu)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to advise schools to move sports activities to months with safer air. The court said holding events in November and December, when pollution is at its worst, “amounts to putting schoolchildren in a gas chamber”. The direction came after the amicus told the bench that Delhi has planned inter-zonal sports competitions for under-14 and under-16 students during these months. The court said children should not be exposed to toxic air and asked authorities to act quickly to protect students’ health. (PC: India Today)

A joint operation by Andhra Pradesh’s police and elite Greyhounds in the Maredumilli forests (Alluri Sitarama Raju district) resulted in the death of six Maoists, including senior CPI (Maoist) commander Madvi Hidma and his wife. The exchange of fire occurred between 6:30 am and 7:00 am. Weapons recovered included AK-47 rifles, a pistol, and a revolver. Hidma, implicated in multiple high-profile Maoist attacks, carried a bounty of ₹1 crore. (PC: The Hindu)

Seven Maoists, including four men and three women, were killed on Wednesday in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitarama Raju district. Police said the encounter happened as the operation continued a day after top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma and five others were killed. ADGP Mahesh Chandra Laddha said the latest group may include members who escaped the earlier encounter. One of the dead was bomb expert Metturu Jogarao, wanted by the NIA. Police have also arrested 50 Maoists across multiple districts. Officers said the group was trying to regroup near the Andhra–Odisha border. Security has been increased for political leaders. (PC: X)

Nine years after banning alcohol, Bihar is still fighting a strong illegal liquor trade. A BBC report followed officials during a raid near Patna, where they found an abandoned setup used to make country liquor. Police say bootleggers often get warnings before raids. Despite the ban, alcohol is widely available through black markets and smuggling from neighbouring states and Nepal. Most arrests are for drinking, not producing or selling liquor. Many women support the ban, saying it protects families, but illegal factories keep returning. Experts say prohibition has improved some homes but also pushed alcohol deeper underground. (PC: BBC)

Dr. Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, a 35-year-old terror suspect linked to a ricin poison plot, was assaulted by three other inmates at Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad. The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and local police are investigating the motive, with initial reports suggesting the attackers may have been “flaunting their patriotism.” Saiyed sustained injuries but is reportedly out of danger. The incident has raised concerns over security lapses within the high-security facility. (PC: PTI)

Investigators have recovered a self-recorded, undated video of Dr Umar un-Nabi, the suspected driver in the November 10 Red Fort car blast, in which he reframes suicide bombing as a “martyrdom operation,” not an act of self-harm. In the footage, he argues that the commonly understood concept of suicide bombing is “misunderstood” and describes martyrdom as dying at a specific time and place by choice. The video was retrieved from a damaged phone, reportedly discarded in a pond near his brother’s home in Pulwama. (PC: HT)

Sources say Delhi suicide bomber Dr Umar Mohammad, also known as Umar-un-Nabi, shot his video at least a week before the Red Fort blast. He had visited his home in Pulwama and handed one of his phones to his brother. After hearing about the arrests of Nabi’s colleagues, the brother panicked and threw the phone into a pond. Investigators later recovered it and found Nabi’s video praising suicide bombings as “martyrdom”. The phone was damaged, and the clip was retrieved only after days of repair. Officials say the video was likely recorded inside Al Falah University, where the group met. (PC: NDTV)

Two booth-level officers (BLOs) in Kerala and Rajasthan died by suicide during the ongoing voter roll revision. Their families said heavy workload and long hours pushed them to this point. Another BLO in West Bengal died of a stroke, which her family linked to stress. BLOs in many districts are protesting, saying they face unrealistic targets, late-night orders, and pressure to finish digital data entry. Kerala saw major demonstrations, while Bengal reported fear among people about being removed from the voter list. The Election Commission has said no direct link has been proven, but anger on the ground is growing. (PC: India Today)