Asian Games 2026: India Clinches Second Gold As Suruchi Singh & Kamaljeet Win Mixed Pistol Event

A 17-year-old survivor of the Kalkaji gang rape case has detailed the ordeal that occurred on 21 September at Aastha Kunj Park in Delhi. Visiting the area on her birthday, she was cornered alongside a friend by three men posing as police personnel. The accused threatened them with a knife and a firearm, separated her from her friend, dragged her to a secluded spot, and raped her. Delhi Police have arrested all three accused, including Asif, who was apprehended after an exchange of fire resulting in a bullet injury to his leg. Investigators have constituted a Special Investigation Team and plan to recreate the crime scene to recover evidence. In response to rising concerns over women's safety, Delhi Police initiated patrols across several public spaces and parks, including Maurice Nagar, Shahdara Rohilla, and North Delhi ridge areas. However, an inspection of the Delhi Development Authority-maintained park revealed serious security lapses, including lack of surveillance cameras, absence of functional streetlights, and unlocked gates after scheduled closing hours.

A major political row has erupted over a reported rift within the Election Commission of India. The Bharatiya Janata Party attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks, sharing an older video of Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala acknowledging the benefits of the Special Summary Revision exercise in Kerala. The BJP accused the Congress of raising selective allegations only in states where it loses elections. Meanwhile, opposition parties intensified protests, with the Congress planning nationwide demonstrations and marches to election offices, while the INDIA bloc reportedly considers an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul Gandhi accused the government of vote theft, targeting top leadership. Amid the escalating controversy and concerns over voter data integrity, the Election Commission issued a clarification regarding its ECI Net platform, maintaining that it is a decentralised system accessible only to authorised officials like booth-level officers and district election officers through unique login credentials, backed by cybersecurity safeguards.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was confronted by an Indian journalist at the United Nations General Assembly and was seen evading questions regarding cross-border terrorism. The reporter questioned the Pakistani leader on when Pakistan would stop terror and prosecute Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed. Sharif chose to ignore the inquiries and walked away without answering. The discussion highlights that Pakistan continues to harbour United Nations-designated terrorists, including Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar, while evading accountability on international platforms regarding state-sponsored terrorism.

United States President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a crucial bilateral meeting lasting around one and a half hours at the White House. The two leaders emphasised mutual respect, cooperation, and the historical ties between their nations, while acknowledging the need to build a balanced trade relationship. During the visit, the two countries agreed to extend their tariff truce until 10 January, granting negotiators additional time to pursue a broader economic agreement. An artificial intelligence dialogue was also announced, with both sides noting the necessity for artificial intelligence to develop under human control. Despite positive optics, no joint press conference or joint statement was issued following the talks. Key issues including tariffs, rare earth supplies, agricultural purchases, market access, technology, and geopolitical tensions surrounding Taiwan and sanctions remain critical sticking points between Washington and Beijing.