The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will take over comprehensive security of the new Parliament building after the security breach on December 13th. The Home Ministry has directed a security survey of the complex to enable regular CISF deployment for security and fire protection. Currently, CISF guards key government buildings and critical infrastructure. Experts from CISF's government building security unit along with Parliament's current security team will start the survey this week. This comes after two men, Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D, breached security by jumping into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery during a session, raising concerns over loopholes.

France responds to the Indian Navy's request for 26 Rafale fighter jets, taking India a step closer to securing these aircraft for deployment on INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. Valued at approximately ₹50,000 crore, the deal aims to enhance the Navy's capabilities, addressing issues with the current MiG-29K fleet. The move comes amid regional considerations, with China expanding its naval presence, potentially operating a carrier battle group in the Indian Ocean. India evaluates the bid before entering contract negotiations with France, signaling a strategic upgrade in naval capabilities.

India has banned the use of a fixed-drug combination containing chlorpheniramine maleate and phenylephrine in cough and cold syrups for children under 4 years old. This directive follows a series of child deaths in India since 2019, linked to toxic cough syrups produced domestically. These incidents, which include at least 141 deaths in Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon since the middle of last year, have raised questions about the quality of pharmaceutical exports from India, often referred to as the "world's pharmacy" due to its provision of life-saving drugs at affordable prices. The country's drug regulator issued an order on December 18th requiring manufacturers to label their products with a warning against use in young children. This move follows the deaths of at least 141 children globally since last year linked to toxic cough syrups, including some exports from India. 

In a rare interview with the Financial Times, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphatically denies allegations of discrimination against religious minorities in India, stating, "There is no feeling of discrimination." Modi highlights the economic success of Parsees, describing them as a "religious micro-minority" thriving in India. While the interview avoids explicit mention of Muslims, Modi dismisses critics, saying, "Critics have the right to level allegations, but others have an equal right to respond with facts." Addressing concerns about anti-Muslim hate speech, Modi laughs off questions about his government's alleged crackdown, expressing confidence in disproving doubters, much like historical underestimations of India's potential.

Tamil Nadu minister K Ponmudy faces a three-year jail term in a ₹1.75-crore disproportionate assets case. The Madras High Court overturned a trial court's acquittal, citing overwhelming evidence. Ponmudy, a DMK leader, need not surrender immediately, as his jail term is suspended for 30 days, allowing an appeal to the Supreme Court. Post-conviction, he loses his ministerial position, and his portfolio may be reassigned. The case, dating back to the DMK's 2006-2011 tenure, led to tensions between the state government and Governor RN Ravi, who demanded Ponmudy's removal. Conflict persists in the Supreme Court over delayed bill clearance.

The bodies of 87 Kuki-Zo ethnic clash victims in Manipur were finally laid to rest on Wednesday in a mass burial ceremony in Churachandpur district. Thousands gathered to bid farewell amid emotional scenes, Christian rituals and gun salutes. The event was held under tight security following violent clashes and curfew imposition. It came after a long wait for families who lost loved ones as young as a one-month-old baby to as old as a 70-year-old. Groups now vow to continue the struggle for justice and a separate Kuki-Zo administrative area. This was the second recent mass burial this month after bodies of 64 other victims were shifted from morgues per Supreme Court order. (Image Source: Hindustan Times)

Twitter experienced a major global outage on Thursday morning that prevented tweets from showing up in users' feeds. While the platform itself remained accessible, user timelines were completely empty across all tabs like Following, For You and Lists. The cause of the glitch is still unclear but tweets continue to be posted, as evident by the quick rise of the #TwitterDown hashtag. However, tweeted content is not visible to other users while the outage persists. There is no estimate yet on when full Twitter functionality may resume and timelines start populated again. The fresh issue underscores Elon Musk's ongoing struggles with stabilizing his newly-acquired company.

Over 140 suspended opposition MPs led by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge held a protest march from Parliament to Vijay Chowk on Thursday against their mass suspension. Carrying "Save Democracy" banners, the MPs accused the ruling BJP of undermining democracy after passing three crucial bills this week in the absence of most opposition voices. The opposition condemned their large-scale suspension, claimed democracy has been "expelled" from Parliament, and demanded accountability from the BJP over last week's security breach controversy that triggered the suspensions. The dramatic scenes underline deepening political tensions between a defiant opposition and the government.

The first review of Shah Rukh Khan's highly-anticipated film 'Dunki' is out from a showing in New Zealand, with the viewer calling it an emotional yet hilarious rollercoaster ride. He praised SRK's vintage on-screen charm and Vicky Kaushal's moving performance, declaring that Dunki will be remembered forever as a gem of Hindi cinema that epitomizes patriotism with style. Director Rajkumar Hirani was commended for bringing back the King Khan magic on celluloid. With this overwhelmingly positive first reaction, superstar SRK looks all set to once again captivate global audiences with the Christmas release.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence in securing victory in the 2024 elections, stating that people realize India is on the cusp of major economic take-off under his leadership. He cited his government's track record of delivering tangible change for the common man. Modi dismissed suggestions that his government would amend the constitution in a third term as meaningless, saying India's most transformative policy steps have been achieved within the existing framework through public participation. He stated that claims of threats to Indian democracy insult the intelligence of voters.