A shocking revelation has emerged from Haryana’s voter records — a deceased woman named Guniya, who died in March 2022, was still listed as an active voter, and her ID carried the image of Brazilian influencer Larissa Maria, used without consent. The issue surfaced after Rahul Gandhi claimed Larissa’s photo appeared 22 times in the state’s voter list and alleged nearly 25 lakh fake entries. Larissa confirmed she never visited India and that her image was likely misused from a stock photo website, raising serious questions about electoral data integrity. (PC: India Today)

During a celebratory meeting with Narendra Modi and India’s women’s cricket team following their historic ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 triumph, all-rounder Harleen Deol lightened the mood by complimenting the Prime Minister on his “glow” and playfully asking for his skincare routine. The exchange, captured on video, triggered laughter and is being widely shared on social media. The team’s relaxed camaraderie with the nation’s leader highlighted their pride and relief after defeating South Africa to claim the title. (PC: Times Now)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered that a businessman from North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, allegedly travelled abroad nearly 900 times over ten years, mostly to Bangkok, as part of an ongoing fake-passport and foreign-currency irregularity probe. The individual, identified as a transport business owner, reportedly ran frequent trips—at times twice a week—to Thailand, raising questions about how such volume of travel was justified. ED sources say this comes after searches at his residence and involve passport-application intermediaries suspected of forging documents for illegal travels. The probe aims to trace money-laundering links and expose the full network behind the fake-passport operations. (PC: PTI)

Tenzin Yangki from Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh has become the state’s first woman to join the Indian Police Service, clearing the 2022 Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination with All India Rank 545. Industry leader Anand Mahindra described her journey as “Monday motivation,” acknowledging the challenge of breaking new ground as the first. Coming from a family steeped in public service—her late father was an IAS officer and her mother a state government secretary—Yangki recently completed training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad, symbolising hope and inspiration for women and youth from Northeast India. (PC: X)

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey vehemently criticised Ameet Satam of the Bharatiya Janata Party for commenting that “if anyone tries to impose a ‘Khan’ on Mumbai, it will not be tolerated”, following Zohran Mamdani’s landmark win as New York mayor. Dubey labelled Satam’s mental state as “deteriorated”, vowed his party would finance “treatment at Agra’s Pagal Khāna”, and reiterated that only a Marathi Hindu would become Mumbai mayor, promising the saffron flag in the next municipal election. (PC: Times Now)

Two young women from West Bengal's Sundarbans defied societal norms by marrying at a local temple ceremony. Riya Sardar, 19, and Rakhi Naskar, 20, both professional dancers, met two years ago and developed a deep bond. While Riya's family opposed the relationship, Rakhi's family and villagers supported the couple, helping organize their simple wedding where they exchanged garlands. Riya, orphaned young and raised by relatives, showed remarkable courage following her heart. Though same-sex marriages lack legal recognition in India after the Supreme Court's October 2023 ruling denying fundamental rights to such unions, the couple's celebration reflects growing acceptance for relationships transcending gender boundaries in rural communities. (PC: India Today)

Polling for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 began at 7 a.m. across 18 districts, covering 121 of the 243 seats. Over 3.75 crore voters will determine the political fortunes of 1,314 candidates, including prominent leaders like Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav, and deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. The elections mark a fierce contest between the ruling NDA and the Mahagathbandhan alliance. Analysts suggest the outcome of this phase could shape voter sentiment and coalition strategies for subsequent rounds of polling in the state. (PC: The Hindu)

The government has launched a fresh probe into Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group over alleged diversion of funds. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has handed the case to the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) after finding signs of large-scale fund misuse. Companies under probe include Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Communications, and Reliance Commercial Finance. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also attached assets worth Rs 7,500 crore linked to the group in a separate case. Investigators say loans taken between 2010 and 2012 were misused to repay old debts. The move adds to ongoing actions by the ED, CBI, and SEBI against the group. (PC: India Today)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met India’s Women’s World Cup-winning cricket team at his residence in New Delhi on Wednesday. The PM praised captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her team for their remarkable comeback after early defeats in the tournament. He congratulated them for winning India’s first-ever Women’s World Cup title and urged them to promote the Fit India movement, especially among girls. The players gifted Modi a team jersey signed by all members. During the two-hour meeting, Modi interacted warmly with the players and shared personal moments, with pictures from the meeting going viral on social media. (PC: NDTV)

A 60-year-old man, identified as Akhtar Hussaini Qutubuddin Ahmed, has been arrested in Mumbai for impersonating a scientist at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). Investigators say he and his brother attempted to sell a purported lithium-6 reactor design to Iranian companies under the guise of “research collaboration”. Police recovered fake passports, Aadhaar/PAN cards and a fake BARC ID from Akhtar, who allegedly operated under multiple aliases. Over ten maps and nuclear-related documents were seized from him. The probe is ongoing to trace foreign funds and identify any espionage network links.