Elon Musk secured a record-breaking $1 trillion Tesla pay package after 75% of shareholders voted in favor at the Texas annual meeting, bringing him closer to becoming the world's first trillionaire. Currently worth $491 billion, Musk celebrated by dancing with Tesla's humanoid Optimus robot on stage. To cash in, he must grow Tesla's market value from $1.4 trillion to $8.5 trillion, sell 20 million cars, and deploy a million robotaxis and robots over the next decade. Despite opposition from Norway's sovereign wealth fund and CalPERS citing excessive compensation, supporters view it as betting on Musk's vision to transform Tesla into an AI and robotics empire.

India continued its no-handshake policy with Pakistan during the Hong Kong Sixes match, following the precedent set during Asia Cup 2025 and the Women's World Cup. Led by Dinesh Karthik, India won by 2 runs via DLS method after rain interrupted Pakistan's chase of 87 runs at 41/1. The animosity stems from tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack and India's Operation Sindoor retaliation. Sources confirmed India will maintain the Asia Cup 2025 norm of avoiding handshakes. Earlier, India posted 86/4 in six overs, with Robin Uthappa scoring 28 and Bharat Chipli contributing 24. Both teams returned to designated seating areas without any post-match interaction. (PC: HT & ESPNCric Info)

The Trump administration issued new guidelines allowing US visa officers to deny visas and permanent residency to foreign nationals with health conditions including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and mental health issues. The State Department directive, sent to embassies worldwide, instructs officers to flag applicants whose conditions may require "hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of care," deeming them potential "public charges." Officers must assess whether applicants can independently cover medical expenses without government assistance and consider dependents' health conditions affecting employment. While medical exams already screen for communicable diseases, the new guidance extends scrutiny to chronic illnesses. Immigration attorney Charles Wheeler criticized officers making medical projections without proper training, calling it "troubling." (PC: Mint & India Today)

The Russian Embassy in Pakistan accused The Frontier Post newspaper of spreading "anti-Russian propaganda" and serving Western political interests. The Embassy claimed the publication, with its global news service headquartered in Washington, runs articles by "ardent Russophobes" and never portrays Russia positively. Moscow criticized the newspaper for ignoring the Moscow Format of Consultations on Afghanistan held October 7, 2025, despite dedicating an entire section to Afghan news. The Embassy defended Russia's economic resilience, citing 4.1% GDP growth in 2024, 2.5% unemployment, and manufacturing sector growth of 8.5%. It also highlighted successful testing of Burevestnik cruise missiles and Poseidon underwater vehicles, urging Pakistanis to seek diverse information sources.

Veteran Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri announced plans to retire from professional football after the ISL 2025-2026 season. The 41-year-old aims to score 15 goals with Bengaluru FC before ending his illustrious career. Chhetri initially retired from international football in June 2024 after India's FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Kuwait but reversed his decision in March 2025 when former coach Manolo Marquez requested his return for AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. However, India failed to qualify for the tournament. Chhetri, who has represented India in 157 matches scoring 95 goals as the national team's highest goal-scorer, expressed desire to win ISL but acknowledged challenges at age 42. (PC: X)

Nearly 700 flights were delayed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday due to a technical fault in the Air Traffic Control's Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS). The malfunction, which began Thursday evening, forced controllers to manually prepare flight plans, causing widespread disruptions. All airline operations were impacted, with 97% of flights delayed. The average departure delay reached 62 minutes. Major airlines including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air issued advisories. The disruption cascaded to Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and other airports. International flights to Rome and London faced delays exceeding two hours. IndiGo shares dropped 2% while SpiceJet fell 1%. Long queues formed at terminals as passengers awaited updates.

Democrat socialist Zohran Mamdani won New York City's mayoral election despite 26 billionaires spending over $22 million against him. His progressive platform includes city-run grocery outlets, free public transport, and universal childcare. Michael Bloomberg led opposition with $8.3 million supporting opponent Andrew Cuomo, while Bill Ackman donated $1.75 million and William Lauder contributed $2.6 million. Other notable donors included Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, casino magnate Steve Wynn, and oil baron John Hess. Sixteen billionaire donors are NYC residents. Following Mamdani's victory, critics like Ackman and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who called Mamdani "more Marxist than socialist," extended support offers. Mamdani takes office January 1, 2026. (PC: New York Times) 

Delhi Airport's air traffic control system experienced a major technical failure affecting over 300 flights on Friday, with disruptions spreading to Mumbai, Lucknow, Jaipur, Varanasi, and other major airports. The Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) malfunction forced controllers to manually process flight plans, causing widespread delays. Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and other airports issued advisories warning passengers of operational impacts. At least 15 flights were delayed in Jaipur. Multiple airlines including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air reported delays. International flights, including ITA Airways to Rome and Virgin Atlantic to London, faced significant delays. Sources suggest the disruption may result from malware-induced software overload targeting system interfaces and radar synchronization modules. (PC: TOI & NDTV)

India has fortified its eastern border by establishing three new military garrisons at Bamuni, Kishanganj, and Chopra along the Indo-Bangladesh frontier to secure the strategic Siliguri Corridor, known as "Chicken's Neck." This 22-kilometer-wide strip connects mainland India with its seven northeastern states. The move follows Bangladesh's interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus engaging with Pakistan's military establishment and China for investments, shifting from former PM Sheikh Hasina's policies. The Trishakti Corps oversees corridor defense, supported by Rafale jets at Hashimara Airbase, BrahMos missiles, and advanced air defense systems including S-400, MRSAM, and Aakash. India has also deployed Bhairav battalions and Ashni drone platoons, reflecting a strategic shift from deterrence to dominance. (PC: India Today)

India sharply criticized Pakistan's alleged nuclear weapons testing, with MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stating that "clandestine and illegal nuclear activities" align with Pakistan's history of smuggling, export control violations, and the AQ Khan network. Jaiswal responded to President Trump's recent claim that Pakistan has been secretly conducting underground nuclear tests. Trump stated in a CBS News interview that while the US hasn't tested for over 30 years, countries like Pakistan, North Korea, Russia, and China continue underground trials undetected. Pakistan denied the allegations, asserting it wasn't first to test and won't be first to resume. India emphasized it has consistently highlighted Pakistan's nuclear proliferation record to the international community.