Ukraine is secretly building new long range missiles to boost its war effort. The Flamingo cruise missile is made in hidden factories across the country. Workers assemble the weapons under strict security. Phones are banned and locations are concealed. Ukraine says it now makes more than half of the weapons it uses. The Flamingo can strike targets deep inside Russia. It has a range of up to 3,000 kilometres. Officials say these weapons help hit oil sites and factories. Ukraine is scaling up production despite constant attacks. Leaders say domestic arms give security when foreign support is uncertain remains fragile. (PC: BBC)

More than nine lakh Indians have given up their citizenship in the last five years. Since 2022, over two lakh people have renounced Indian passports every year. The data was shared in Parliament by the Ministry of External Affairs. Officials said the reasons are personal and linked to life choices abroad. India does not allow dual citizenship, which forces many migrants to surrender their passport. Better jobs, rights, and long-term security in countries like the US, UK, and Canada also play a role. Experts say the post-Covid period and growing global mobility have increased the trend. (PC: India Today)

New satellite images show repair work at Pakistan’s Murid Airbase after an Indian Air Force strike in May. A large red tarpaulin now covers a key building hit during Operation Sindoor. The strike caused major roof and internal damage. Earlier images showed only partial cover, but the full structure is now hidden. Experts say tarpaulins are used to conceal repairs from satellites. Murid Airbase is important for Pakistan’s drone operations. The IAF attack came after heavy drone activity from Pakistan. Other damaged airbases and runways have also been repaired in recent months. (PC: NDTV)

The fourth T20I between India and South Africa in Lucknow was called off due to dense fog. The match never started as visibility stayed poor all evening. Umpires inspected the ground several times before abandoning the game. The decision has raised serious questions about planning by cricket authorities. Winter fog is common in north India, especially in December. Experts say hosting a night match in Lucknow was a clear mistake. The washout reduced India’s preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup. Fans and former players have demanded accountability for repeated scheduling errors in Indian cricket. (PC: HT)

Aditya Dhar’s film Dhurandhar has created history on Spotify. All eleven songs from the movie entered the Spotify Global Top 200. This is the first time a full Hindi film album has achieved this feat. Earlier, only single Indian songs made global charts. The album also debuted at number two on the Global Top Albums list. It ranked fifth in the US albums chart. Composer Shashwat Sachdev created the music. The film stars Ranveer Singh and is close to earning Rs 500 crore at the box office. The success shows growing global interest in Bollywood music. (PC: India Today)

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a crackdown on hate speech after a deadly shooting at Bondi Beach. Fifteen people were killed when gunmen attacked a Jewish event during Hanukkah. Albanese said new laws will target people who spread hate and violence. The government will create a new offence for serious hate speech. Courts will treat hate as a factor in sentencing. Visa rules will be tightened for offenders. A taskforce will also work to stop antisemitism in schools and online. Albanese said Jewish Australians must feel safe. Some groups supported the move, while others warned about free speech concerns. (PC: BBC)

Dense fog and heavy smog hit Delhi on Thursday morning. Low visibility disrupted air travel at the Delhi airport. More than 250 flights were delayed due to poor visibility. At least 22 flights were cancelled, officials said. Several airlines issued travel advisories and asked passengers to check flight status. Roads across the city also saw slow traffic. The weather office said shallow to moderate fog is likely on more days this month. Pollution levels remained high in many areas. Authorities said emergency measures are in place to manage air quality. Political reactions also surfaced as parties blamed each other over the pollution crisis.

US President Donald Trump has announced major cuts in prescription drug prices. The move is under a new “Most Favoured Nation” policy. It links US drug prices to lower prices paid in other countries. Trump said the policy will sharply reduce healthcare costs in the US. He also said trade pressure and tariff threats were used on foreign nations. Indian drug companies supply many low-cost medicines to the US. The new policy may affect how much they earn. Experts say pricing pressure could rise on both branded and generic drugs. Indian firms may face challenges but remain key to US healthcare supply chains. (PC: NDTV)

Indian scientists have warned about the risk of bird flu spreading to humans. Researchers from Ashoka University used computer models to study a possible outbreak. They said the virus could first infect people who work with poultry. The main danger begins if the virus spreads from human to human. The study found early action is crucial. Quarantine and isolation can stop the spread if done fast. Delay can lead to wider infection. The model was based on a poultry village in Tamil Nadu. Scientists said better monitoring and quick response can prevent a major outbreak. Health officials are urged to stay alert. (PC: BBC)

An Air India Express flight made an emergency landing at Kochi airport on Thursday. The flight was traveling from Jeddah to Kozhikode with 160 passengers on board. It was diverted after a problem was found in the landing gear. Airport officials said there was a tyre failure on the right side of the aircraft. Full emergency services were activated before landing. The plane landed safely at 9:07 am. No passenger or crew member was injured. A check later confirmed that both right-side tyres had burst. Air India Express said the damage may have been caused by an object on the runway. Passengers were later sent to Kozhikode by road. (PC: X)